Tuesday 21 February
Tuesday of week 7 in Ordinary Time Saint Peter Damian, Bishop, Doctor First reading - Ecclesiasticus 2:1-11 “Trust him and he will uphold you, follow a straight path and hope in him”. This is about our relationship with God. This trust is a relationship which we must always keep. The Word of God is telling us not to be alarmed when disaster comes. This is very contextual in these days when we hear about lots of disasters around the world. The relationship which we have with God must be something solid. “Cling to him and do not leave him”. How beautifully said. Clinging to him like a child cling to his father. Whatever happens to us, this state, this relationship must not change. The challenges are not situations to be panic but to be patient. Because in those moments God is working. “For the Lord is compassionate and merciful, he forgives sins, and saves in days of distress”. This certainty must the basis of our relationship with God. Without this certainty we will be always in an uncertain situation. Let’s reflect: How certain I am about my trust in the Lord, especially in those moments of uncertainties?
Monday 20 February
Monday of week 7 in Ordinary Time First reading: Ecclesiasticus 1:1-10 The wisdom is a creation of God. It’s different from intelligence and science. Because as the Ecclesiasticus say, “All wisdom is from the Lord”. Not only that the wisdom is from God, and it will remain to be of God for ever. “…and it is his own forever”. That is why it’s important to have that wisdom which comes from God, and which remains with God. It is a gift. “He himself has created her, looked on her and assessed her, and poured her out on all his works to be with all mankind as his gift, and he conveyed her to those who love him”. The Wisdom of God is created to be gift to those who love God. That means, Wisdom is the result of love. It is the result of your love to God. The more you love God the more wisdom of God will accompany you. Wisdom which comes from love has the logic of love, has the perspective of love, and has the motive of love. We must really desire for that wisdom by loving God. Let’s reflect: Do I really desire to have the wisdom from the Lord with my love to Him?
Sunday 19 February
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time First reading - Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18 “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy. ‘“You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart… You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.” In this reading from the Old Testament, the relation between holiness and the love for the neighbour is very clear. Holiness depends on how much I can welcome my neigbour into my heart. This love is the openness of our heart to the other person. It does not depend on some actions. It depends on accepting the person before his or her individual actions. The individual actions of the person must not produce hatred, vengeance, or grudge, says the Word of God. The holiness depends on the fact that how much you can grow over these to the point of loving the other person. A love that is not conditioned by the offence of the other person but a love that sees the Lord who asks us to love the other person as ourselves. Let’s reflect: Is my love to others conditioned by his or her single actions?
Saturday 18 February
Saturday of week 6 in Ordinary Time Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary First reading - Hebrews 11:1-7 “Now it is impossible to please God without faith”. The reading shows how faith relates everything to God. Creation, human history, and human vocation. Faith finds answers for our questions regarding the world around us. Faith gives the reason for the righteous action of Abel and even after his death his faith speaks. Faith transcends everything. It helps to relate with God, motives our actions and it gives permanence to those actions. An action with faith in God is a very special action because of its relation to God. Faith gives that action a very special essence which can never be taken away because it is related to God who is eternal. Faith is so dynamic that when you have it, it takes control of you and your actions. It’s not just a conviction. It is handing over ourselves to the One in whom we have faith. And the entire world around us becomes related to this faith. Let’s reflect: How much my world is dependent on my faith in God?