Thursday 22 June
Thursday of week 11 in Ordinary Time First reading - 2 Corinthians 11:1-11 “But the serpent, with his cunning, seduced Eve, and I am afraid that in the same way your ideas may get corrupted and turned away from simple devotion to Christ”. In this passage we can see the desire of Paul to keep the community in the simple devotion to Christ. Always the seduction of the evil corrupts our ideas of Gospel as the same way serpent seduced Eve. Serpent seduced Eve by saying to put her in the place of God. Our ideas get corrupted when we try to put ourselves in the place of God. And when we place ourselves in the place of God, we turn away from simple devotion to Christ. When we turn away from the simple devotion to Christ, we become burden to others which Paul is trying to avoid. He was always humble so that he is always gave the right place to God in his life. And as a result he is not a burden for others. Let’s reflect: Is the seduction to take the place of God is corrupting my simple devotion to Christ?
Wednesday 21 June
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious Wednesday of week 11 in Ordinary Time First reading - 1 John 5:1-5 “Who can overcome the world? Only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” There is so much of hope in this Word of God. Because we always see the world becoming more and more powerful with all its messages around us. But the Word of God is saying that we can overcome the world by believing that Jesus is the Son of God. Why must we overcome the world? Is world bad? The term, “world”, here refers to all that promotes your ego and selfishness. We can overcome our selfishness and our ego by believing that Jesus is the Son of God who became like us. In Jesus we attain the power to overcome our selfishness. In Jesus we get the power to overcome our ego. Because Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is God. When we believe this, we will also be begotten by God. In faith we will be with the only Son of God. Let’s reflect: Does my faith in Jesus, the Son of God, help me to overcome my ego?
Tuesday 20 June
Tuesday of week 11 in Ordinary Time First reading - 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 “and of how, throughout great trials by suffering, their constant cheerfulness and their intense poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity”. This is the story of the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church and in our personal life. It’s the same Spirit. The constant cheerfulness in the midst of suffering is the action of the Holy Spirit. If you can be happy in the middle of your suffering, it’s sure that it is the action of the Holy Spirit. And again, it is a constant cheerfulness. Not a passing one or a transitory one. This constant cheerfulness comes from a very important point which St. Paul is saying, “they offered their own selves first to God and, under God, to us”. This generosity and cheerfulness come when we offer ourselves to God first and under God to others. In this, we have the mission to be cheerful albeit our challenges. Let’s reflect: Am I able to give my first place to God and then to others?
Monday 19 June
Monday of week 11 in Ordinary Time Saint Romuald, Abbot First reading - 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 In this reading we can see all the riches we have in our life through Jesus Christ. The richness of Christian life is well depicted in this passage. So, it starts with an important warning, “As his fellow workers, we beg you once again not to neglect the grace of God that you have received”. Christian life is very much dependent on the grace we receive. The grace of God helps us to endure any circumstances or situations in our life. This grace gives the fortitude to face the difficult situations in my life. This fortitude is helped by our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; by a spirit of holiness, by a love free from affectation; by the word of truth and by the power of God. This is our strength in our life. These are our resources. Each our contribution is strengthened by purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness. The grace produces these gifts. Let’s reflect: Am I letting the grace of God be strengthened by our patience and kindness.