Friday 3 February
Friday of week 4 in Ordinary Time Saint Blaise, Bishop, Martyr First reading - Hebrews 13:1-8 “Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be for ever”. In this sentence we can really know whom we can really trust in our life. The One who is always the same, that is Jesus Christ. All others around us, depends on their mood, changes, transforms, adapts to the situations and changes. But the one is above all changes and remains the same is Jesus Christ. That is why we must create a stable and permanent relationship with Jesus Christ because He is always the same and eternal. More than that, He says, “I will not fail you or desert you”. How consoling is that! The only One who does not fail or desert us, Jesus Christ And so we can say with confidence together with the author of the book of Hebrews, “With the Lord to help me, I fear nothing: what can man do to me?”. This is where we anchor our faith, in Jesus Christ. Let’s reflect: How much I am aware that Jesus Christ is the only One who is stable and eternal?
Thursday 2 February
The Presentation of the Lord - Feast First reading - Malachi 3:1-4 World Day for Consecrated Life “Who will be able to resist the day of his coming?” No one can resist the call of God. The one who listens to His call, will just surrender his or her life to Him. He enters his or her life and transforms it completely. “For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver,”. When we let the grace of God in work in us, it will be like the fire of the refiner. When we let our life be identified with the plan of God, He will refine us and purify us. The work of God in us will bring out the best in us. The listening to the call of God and giving our life to God completely will bring the best in us. What is best in our life other than the plan of God being realized in us! Then we become the best offerings… “then they will make the offering to the Lord as it should be made”. So, the question is how much after hearing the call of God, we let God refine us and purify us. It happens every time we give up our plan to accept the plan of God. Let’s reflect: Am I letting God to bring out the best in me?
Wednesday 1 February
Wednesday of week 4 in Ordinary Time First reading - Hebrews 12:4-7,11-15 “Suffering is part of your training”. The author is presenting a Christian way of looking at our difficulties and sufferings. The suffering is part of our training. God is treating us as his sons and daughters. He granted us all the freedom. Our freedom and wrong choices of ours or others bring suffering to us. Then God as a Father stands at our side and transforms our pain into a redemptive suffering as Jesus on the cross. Cross lead to resurrection. That is why the author says, “it bears fruit in peace and goodness”. Therefore, we should stop complaining about our difficulties and must see it in a different perspective. Our difficulties and pain must not deviate us from our path of Christian choices. “So, hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again”. The suffering must not be transformed into weaknesses but must be transformed into strength to walk in the way of the Lord. Strength to make peace with all and to take out any hatred in us. Let’s reflect: Am I transforming my sufferings into strength to make peace with everyone or into weakness to be angry with everyone?
Tuesday 31 January
Saint John Bosco, Priest First reading - Hebrews 12:1-4 The test is speaking about the necessity of perseverance in keeping our sight of Jesus. We must not lose sight of Jesus any moment of our life because He is the one who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection. To keep sight of Him we must throw off everything that hinders us in avoiding sin. Keeping the sight of Jesus means understanding the triviality of everything except Him. Keeping the sight of Jesus mean giving up everything that takes away His place in my life. Keeping the sight of Jesus is embracing the cross as He has embraced it. His path becomes our path. We must really fight against sin because we are really going against our own ego and our selfishness. Moreover, we must face the world around us which attracts us to follow its charm of being selfish. Let’s reflect: Are we losing sight of Jesus in our way because of the charm of the individualism and selfishness?