Thursday 26 January
Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops on Thursday of week 3 in Ordinary Time First reading - 2 Timothy 1:1-8 St. Paul is wishing Timothy, “… grace, mercy and peace…”. Grace to activate our gifts, mercy to absolve our weakness and peace to endure the challenges. Grace is needed not to have a spirit of timidity. Grace is needed to have the Spirit of power, love, and self-control. Mercy is needed not to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord. We are ashamed when we have weaknesses or shortcomings. But there the mercy of God will help. Then peace is needed to bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News. For all this, we must rely on the power of God. For all this St. Paul is praying for Timothy. In prayer, Paul is uniting his wishes to Timothy and his advises to Timothy. Advises must be accompanied by wishes and both be united in prayer. Let’s reflect: how much we unite in our prayers our advices to others with wishes for grace, mercy and peace?
Wednesday 25 January
The Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle First reading - Acts 22:3-16 “The light had been so dazzling that I was blind, and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so I came to Damascus.” This is what St. Paul is saying about his first encounter with Jesus Christ. The light which made Paul completely blind. Everything Paul thought and seen until that moment is gone. He is going to see everything in a new way. Until now he was guided by his studies and his strict observances of the law. But that all became darkness by this dazzling light. The dazzling light of the encounter with Jesus Christ. It is not anymore, the law that is guiding him but the person of Jesus Christ. From the top of the horse to the ground by the bright light. From the top of his convictions to the reality of incarnation of Jesus. Everything becomes new in Jesus. The effect of the dazzling light brings the light of Jesus Christ to the life of Paul. And he accepted it totally. When the light of Christ comes to our life, we must start seeing things in our life in a different way. We will be thinking of freedom and liberation. Let’s reflect: how far we let the light of Christ change our way of seeing things in our life?
Tuesday 24 January
Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor on Tuesday of week 3 in Ordinary Time First reading - Hebrews 10:1-10 The Law is just a signpost indicating the way of the Lord. It does have the capacity to save us. That is what the author of the Letter to Hebrews is saying, “Since the Law has no more than a reflection of these realities, and no finished picture of them, it is quite incapable of bringing the worshippers to perfection, with the same sacrifices repeatedly offered year after year”. So in Jesus Christ, the law is substituted by His person, by Himself. He wants to share His life so that we are not anymore subject to the law which cannot save us but to His love which can save us. “He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.” Law suggests for external observance and Love suggests for internal adherence. Jesus Christ offers Himself so that each of us can be united to His body. “You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation, prepared a body for me.” We become his members and we are saved. We are saved in Him. This interior unity with Jesus Christ is that which makes the difference. Let’s reflect: How far I am united to the body of Christ?