Wednesday 18 January
Wednesday of week 2 in Ordinary Time First reading - Hebrews 7:1-3,15-17 “This becomes even more clearly evident when there appears a second Melchizedek, who is a priest not by virtue of a law about physical descent, but by the power of an indestructible life”. The distinction between a priest by virtue of a law of physical descent and by virtue of an indestructible life is very clear. “He remains a priest for ever”. The grace has the power of indestructible life which can transform us for ever. The changes we make in our life, the transformation we make in our life, must be through by the power of this grace. If we try to make changes or transformation because of the pressures of the situation or because of our egoistic intentions, it will not last. The good which comes out of us through the grace of God will last for ever. So, it’s very important to make sure that our conversion and transformation is through the working of the grace of God. Then the effects will remain for ever. Let’s reflect: Is our transformation and conversion really motivated by grace or just a necessity of the situation?
Tuesday 17 January
Saint Antony, Abbot Tuesday of week 2 in Ordinary Time First reading - Hebrews 6:10-20 We “should have a strong encouragement to take a firm grip on the hope that is held out to us. Here we have an anchor for our soul, as sure as it is firm”. The anchor for our soul is the promise of God that He will bless us always. “I will shower blessings on you and give you many descendants”. The promise of God is irrevocable because it is the Word of God. It cannot be altered. That is our strong encouragement. That is our strong hope. That God will shower blessings on us always. Upon this hope we must build our relationship with God. “Our one desire is that every one of you should go on showing the same earnestness to the end, to the perfect fulfilment of our hopes, never growing careless, but imitating those who have the faith and the perseverance to inherit the promises”. So, we must have earnestness to the end in the abovesaid hope. Not hope in anything else but in the promise of God. Then we must not grow careless or easy going. It should be like the anchor, always held tight and firm. There we need the help. The help is in imitating those who have the faith and perseverance. Imitation of saints. Let’s reflect: Are we anchoring our hope earnestly in the promise of God without growing careless?
Monday 16 January
Monday of week 2 in Ordinary Time First reading - Hebrews 5:1-10 The author of the letter is speaking about the liberation of the priesthood from tribe descendance and becomes a vocation. So, no one takes this honor on himself, but each one is called by God. Not only that the priesthood is a call but also, it’s a life to be lived according to the call. The life of Jesus is the best example. Jesus lived his priesthood to the perfection through suffering in obedience. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering. And thus, Jesus became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation. There comes the relevance of following Jesus Christ. In Jesus, our suffering gets a meaning, our obedience gets a meaning, our existence gets a meaning. In Jesus we are liberated and in Jesus our obedience through suffering gets a meaning. Our obedience through suffering becomes a sacrifice. Becomes an act of a high priest in Jesus Christ. Let’s reflect: Are we united with Jesus Christ in our obedience through suffering?
Sunday 15 January
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time First reading - Isaiah 49:3,5-6 “It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”. From being servant to being the light. This is the transformation we are speaking about. From being servants to being sons and daughters. This is not what we make of ourselves. This is what the Lord does. He who formed you in the womb of your mother, He is the one who is going to do this transformation in me. We must recognize our call and our vocation for this. That is why the Prophet Isaiah is saying: “I am honoured in the eyes of the Lord, my God is my strength”. The God becomes the strength of our life, we move from being servant to being light, from being servants to being sons and daughters. Often, we don’t recognize this potentiality in us. We remain just as servants. We never become light. We live in darkness and those around us also in the same darkness. But our call is to become light, light of the nations. This also has a specific purpose: we become light so that we can bring the love of God to the ends of the earth. Let’s reflect: Do we want to move from being servant to being light by making God our strength?