COLLECT: “O GOD, WHO HAVE SHOWN FORTH YOUR SALVATION TO ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, GRANT, WE PRAY, THAT WE MAY LOOK FORWARD IN JOY TO THE GLORIOUS NATIVITY OF CHRIST. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Is 40:1-11; Ps 95:1-3, 10-13 and Mt 18:12-14.
*Today, both scripture readings compare God to a good shepherd*. He does not want any of his little ones to be lost. He consoles and comforts those who are suffering. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of a shepherd (of course, a good shepherd) leaving his ninety-nine flock to recover the lost or stray one.
The message from today’s scripture is that, each of us, no matter the person’s situation, righteous or sinful, is very precious to God. Just as no one can afford to lose something precious to him or her, so will God not afford to lose any of us. When any of us strays, God always looks for us and when we cooperate with him to find us, there is always great rejoicing in heaven.
The season of Advent is one of God’s special moments he searches and looks for us, especially those of us who have gone astray on account of our sinful deeds. He looks for us to expiate our guilt. He is ready to comfort and console us as we go through pain and suffering due to our wrong deeds. His voice cries and we hear this voice daily or every Sunday from the scriptures we read or listen to, to repent and return to him for the forgiveness of our sins.
Let us not allow this divine golden opportunity to pass by any of us. Rather, let each of us make the conscious effort to avail ourselves to the Lord, the Good Shepherd, to carry us on his gentle shoulders to his dwelling place of comfort and consolation. Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, TUESDAY, ON THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION’ (WE PRAY FOR SORROW FOR SIN, PURITY, COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE) “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 the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “REPLENISHED BY THE FOOD OF SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT, WE HUMBLY BESEECH YOU, O LORD, THAT, THROUGH OUR PARTAKING OF THIS MYSTERY, YOU MAY TEACH US TO JUDGE WISELY THE THINGS OF EARTH AND HOLD FIRM TO THE THINGS OF HEAVEN. 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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