(REMEMBER TO PRAY IN THIS MONTH OF NOVEMBER FOR YOUR RELATIVES, LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE DIED).
COLLECT: “ALMIGHTY AND MERCIFUL GOD, BY WHOSE GIFT YOUR FAITHFUL OFFER YOU RIGHT AND PRAISEWORTHY SERVICE, GRANT, WE PRAY, THAT WE MAY HASTEN WITHOUT STUMBLING TO RECEIVE THE THINGS YOU HAVE PROMISED. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Rom 13:8-10; Ps 111:1-2,4-5,9 and Lk 14:25-33.
“Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another”. The readings for today subtly inform us about the Ten Commandments, which Jesus summarised into two: Love of God and Love of neighbour. Saint Paul, in the first reading, declares that love is the fulfilment of the law. Love, indeed, does no evil or harm to the neighbour.
A very quick look at the Ten Commandments reveals to us that the first three commandments concern our love for, and relationship with God our Creator, while the last seven have to do with love for, and relationship with our fellow human beings. Therefore, if we say we love God and neighbour and do things contrary to the Ten Commandments, then we contradict ourselves as believers.
The words of Jesus in the Gospel should not disconcert us. What should have pride of place in our lives is love for God and neighbour, and we should keep away from anything which obstructs our love for God and neighbour.
Even our relations and things of this world should not be stumbling blocks towards our love for God and neighbour. That is why Jesus subtly puts it in today’s Gospel that a disciple must hate his family, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Cf. Lk 14:25). This is not to be taken literally. The “hate” here means resolving to put God first, to always give God the first place in one’s life.
According to Saint Gregory the Great, “In this world, let us love everyone, even though he be our enemy; but let us hate him who opposes us on our way to God, though he be our relative…. We should, then, love our neighbour; we should have charity towards all – towards relatives and towards strangers – but without separating ourselves from the love of God out of love for them” (Cf. In Evangelia homiliae, 37,3). Love for God involves striving to please God rather than pleasing men or fellow human beings. Love for God involves being always ready to abandon everything for Christ (Cf. Apostolicam Actuositatem, 4).
The “striving” symbolises the cross that Jesus urges each of us to carry and come after him as his disciples. It also symbolises diligent planning and preparations to stand firm in the face of trials, temptations, tribulations and persecutions on our faith journey. May the Lord help us to always give him the first place in our lives. May we be strengthened always to follow in our Lord’s footsteps. Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, WEDNESDAY, ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: ‘THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION, AND THE CORONATION’. (WE PRAY FAITH, HOPE, LOVE OF GOD, GRACE OF A HAPPY DEATH AND TRUST IN MARY’S INTERCESSION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “MAY THE WORKING OF YOUR POWER, O LORD, INCREASE IN US, WE PRAY, SO THAT, RENEWED BY THESE HEAVENLY SACRAMENTS, WE MAY BE PREPARED BY YOUR GIFT FOR RECEIVING WHAT THEY PROMISED. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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