Monday 3 July
Saint Thomas, Apostle - Feast First reading - Ephesians 2:19-22 “You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household”. This is our identity. This is the identity of all those around me. We are part of the God’s household. We are members of the family of God. Not only us, all those around me. Family of God which as its foundation, apostles, and prophets and of which Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. I cannot look those around me as strangers. We must feel at home. This feeling at home is the cause of our daily joy. And this citizenship is for growing more and more in one holy temple in the Lord. Our vocation is to grow in unity to become one holy temple of the Lord. Let’s reflect: Am I happy of my citizenship in the God’s household?
Sunday 2 July
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time First reading - 2 Kings 4:8-11,13-16 The hospitality of this woman ends us with a blessing from God. She insisted the prophet to stay and eat at her place. Then she recognized the holiness in the prophet. But it does not stop there. Then she takes the initiative to build a small room and resting place for the prophet. All these without expecting anything from the prophet. And the servant of Elisha recognizes what is missing for her and proposes to the prophet. That blessing is granted to them. In this reading we can see how much we can be generous towards others and how much God will take of us when we are generous without expecting anything. Let’s reflect: Am I growing in generosity?
Saturday 1 July
Saturday of week 12 in Ordinary Time First reading - Genesis 18:1-15 In the hospitality of Abraham there is lot to learn. We always want to avoid people who wants to bring to us more work. But Abraham is different. He finds these three men. He runs to them. He begs them to stay with him. This is the beauty of his generosity, of his heart. Then he shares the best of what he has with others. “Then running to the cattle Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then taking cream, milk and the calf he had prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained standing near them under the tree”. This attitude of Abraham is something we have to learn. This is just a deep desire to welcome and to share. This comes from his faith in God. He has nothing to lose but only to share, because God is with him. Let’s reflect: Am I challenged by the mentality of Abraham to welcome and to share?
Friday 30 June
Friday of week 12 in Ordinary Time The First Martyrs of the See of Rome First reading - Genesis 17:1,9-10,15-22 “ ‘I am El Shaddai. Bear yourself blameless in my presence, and I will make a Covenant between myself and you. You on your part shall maintain my Covenant, yourself and your descendants after you, generation after generation. Now this is my Covenant which you are to maintain between myself and you, and your descendants after you: all your males must be circumcised.” God is really making covenant with His creation. The word of God which says, “Bear yourself blameless in my presence” is very important task to achieve before the Lord. It’s our task to be blameless. We must work on it. I cannot blame anyone on this. I must take the responsibility of being what I am. God has given me the freedom to build my life. To be what I am in front of him. Only thing is that He wants to see in concrete what I can do in my life to mark His presence. Let’s reflect: Am I showing in concrete ways the presence of God in my life?