Thursday 22 September
Thursday of week 25 in Ordinary Time Gospel - Luke 9:7-9 “Herod the tetrarch had heard about all that was being done by Jesus; and he was puzzled…he was anxious to see Jesus”. Hearing different things about Jesus from others. Then he wanted to see Jesus. Two interesting realities: Activities of Jesus becomes news for him; Jesus becomes an object to be seen. This happens in our life too. Jesus is reduced to activities, and He becomes an object of study. It’s not the activities of Jesus, but the person of Jesus that is important. The second person of Trinity, incarnated into my humanity. His life becomes my life in the baptism. So, it is not more about something happening outside of me, but inside me, in me. When our faith is just reduced to pastoral initiatives, without personal conversions, the same happens. Therefore, the relationship with Jesus is not something to be studied but to be lived. So not someone to be seen, but to be followed.
Wednesday 21 September
Saint Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist Gospel - Matthew 9:9-13 As Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. The love of God takes Mathew out of his place to new place. From the customs house to the path of Jesus. We often see the limits of the person and stop there. But God sees the limits of the person but don’t stop there. God’s love goes precisely where we are and takes us out it. No limits where the love of God cannot reach. Matthew is responding well. He got up and followed Jesus. Our response to God’s love changes our course of life. Matthew is not any more collecting taxes to someone else. Matthew is collecting graces of God’s love for himself and those around him. Matthew is not stuck up, but he is following Jesus. He is liberated. Respond to God’s love and change the course of your life.
Tuesday 20 September
Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest, and Paul Chong Hasang, and their Companions, Martyrs Tuesday of week 25 in Ordinary Time Gospel - Luke 8:19-21 “…hear the word of God and put it into practice”. It is very easy to hear the Word of God. We all do. But to hear the Word and put it into practice is difficult. To hear and to put it into practice you need love. To just hear, you don’t need a relationship. But to hear and to put it into practice you need a relationship with the person who talks. That’s the difference. We are ready to hear but not ready to practice. We hear and we practice what we want. This will not make us brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. To have a real relationship with Jesus, we must listen and then we must practice what we have heard from him. Today’s Gospel is asking us: are you listening and putting into practice what you heard? Or are you listening and putting into practice what you want by modifying what you heard? Modifying the Word of God to satisfy my plans and desires destroys everything in our relationship with Jesus.
Monday, 19 September
Monday of week 25 in Ordinary Time Saint Januarius, Bishop, Martyr Gospel - Luke 8:16-18 “for anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away”. This is because of our choice: if we are walking towards light you will have more light. But if you are walking away from light even the light we have will be gone. When we have faith in the plan of God about our life we will see more and more His design in all that’s happening in our life. Whereas if don’t have faith in God’s love, slowly slowly we will see more and more darkness everywhere. All depends on your choice: you want to walk towards light or away from light?