Monday 1 May
Monday of the 4th week of Eastertide Saint Joseph the Worker First reading - Acts 11:1-18 “What God has made clean, you have no right to call profane.” This is the effect of incarnation. Word became flesh. The incarnation elevated the creation along the humanity and saved it. This is very important in our relationship to every single entity around us. The nature, the creation, and everything around us, God has made clean. There is no place for despise in our heart. We must create a good relationship with everything around us. Actually, Lord showed this vision to Peter to indicate that Gospel cannot be denied to anyone. God welcomes all nations and races. God welcomes all languages and tribes. So, we cannot despise any person for any reason. Incarnation of Word made everything part of the Word. This profound truth becomes a reality in our life when we can embrace the entire reality without despising anything. Jesus saved the humanity and the entire creation. Let’s reflect: am I despising anyone whom the Jesus saved?
Sunday 30 April
4th Sunday of Easter Pope St Pius V (1504 - 1572) “Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, ‘What must we do, brothers?’ Hearing the speech of Peter and the other Apostles, something has changed in the listeners. The message has reached their heart. Not in the superficial sphere of the heart. But it has gone deep into the heart, so that it is cut. The heart is open and they are ready to do what the Apostles are saying. This is the real effect of the Word of God. It is not just a superficial experience of emotion or sentimentality which passes away very soon. But the message of the Apostles, the message of the Church made their hearts open. Open to conversion, open for baptism, and open to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles talked to them for a long time. They were convinced by their arguments, and they accepted the faith. So, the opening of the heart is the starting point. Open to listen, to understand, to be convinced and to embrace the faith. We must be convinced in our faith to be converted. Let’s reflected: how much we are convinced in our faith when we open our hearts to the Word of God?
Saturday 29 April
Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin, Doctor Saturday of the 3rd week of Eastertide First reading - Acts 9:31-42 “building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit”. The Church building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit. Three components, giving our contribution, living in the fear of the Lord, and enjoying the consolation of the Holy Spirit. These three elements are connected in our personal life of discipleship. We must live our faith with our efforts. We must live our faith in the fear of the Lord. We must live our faith in the consolation of the Holy Spirit. Our effort to live in faith is to be strengthened in the fear of the Lord. Our effort to live in faith is to constantly be supported with the consolation of the Holy Spirit. Let’s reflect: What are my efforts in living in the fear of the Lord and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit?