Friday 13 January
Friday of week 1 in Ordinary Time Saint Hilary, Bishop, Doctor First reading - Hebrews 4:1-5,11 The letter is speaking about the “place of rest”. And we read, “We must therefore do everything we can to reach this place of rest, or some of you might copy this example of disobedience and be lost.” What is this “place of rest”? This is our soul finds its peace in God. This is we finding peace in the plan of God. We are always restless because we don’t know many things and we don’t know what is going to happen. But when we have faith, we can arrive at this “place of rest”. “We, however, who have faith, shall reach a place of rest”. We must confide totally in His plan, and we should not make our own plans. That is the disobedience we read about. Don’t be restless with our preoccupations and worries but be in the “place of rest” with our faith in the loving plan of God. Let’s reflect: Are we restless or are we in the “place of rest” with our faith in the loving plan of God for us?
Thursday 12 January
Thursday of week 1 in Ordinary Time First reading - Hebrews 3:7-14 “we shall remain co-heirs with Christ only if we keep a grasp on our first confidence right to the end”. The confidence in the co-heir who is Christ, we must keep a grasp on it to the end. The main hindrance is the hardening of the heart by the lure of sin. The hardening happens with our pride. To be the co-heirs with Christ, we must have the same mentality of Christ. Christ who humbled himself to become man. The humility in our heart makes us co-heirs of Christ. But the pride comes in, it is gone. The lure of sin happens when you become selfish, when you want to put yourself in the center of everything. Then we turn away from the living God, we feel like God is not necessary anymore. We lose our interior life. That should not happen. We must listen constantly to the Word of God and keep humility in our heart, not to harden the heart. Let’s reflect: Are we keeping our heart humble to remain co-heirs with Christ?
Wednesday 11 January
Wednesday of week 1 in Ordinary Time First reading - Hebrews 2:14-18 The incarnation of the second person of Trinity, the son has changed our being. Son became man so that every man and woman can become son and daughter of God. Moreover, Jesus becoming truly human gives us all something special in everything we do, and we are. Whatever we feel and we share, Jesus shared it equally except sin which is against God. He felt everything we feel, and He went through everything we are going through. So, in whatever situation we find ourselves, Jesus is close to us as compassionate and trustworthy companion. Even death is conquered as Jesus is risen from death and we follow Him. So by incarnation, God wanted to walk with us and share everything with us. Not only that, but He also wanted to repair all our shortcomings as we walk. He atones my sins. Let’s reflect: How far we are aware about the fact that Jesus equally shares with us our life and atones for our sins?