COLLECT: “ATTEND TO THE PLEAS OF YOUR PEOPLE WITH HEAVENLY CARE, O LORD, WE PRAY, THAT THEY MAY SEE WHAT MUST BE DONE AND GAIN STRENGTH TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE SEEN. 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”.
1Sam 4:1-11; Ps 43:10-11,14-15,24-25 and Mk 1:40-45.
The First Commandment says we shall worship and love only the Lord our God. It forbids us from worshipping other gods as well as from according honour, respect and praise due to him to any other thing, image or human being. The images, objects, things, including fellow human beings (men and women of God) whom God uses to save and bless people should direct us to our ultimate object of worship, praise and honour-God the Creator.
One attitude, as well as a type or a form of fanaticism, is the profuse use of Sacramentals or religious articles without a corresponding faith and trust in God. This can also be a form or a type of idolatry or worship of other images as false gods. This is the picture we have from the scriptures that we reflect on today.
In the passage from 1Samuel, the Israelites thought they lost the first battle because the ark of God was not with them. Therefore, they sent for it from Shiloh and when it arrived, they were so excited and shouted so loudly that the earth resounded. The reason for this was that now that they had the ark of God with them, God was with them to fight for them to defeat their enemies, the Philistines. They were surprised even with the ark of God in their midst, they were still woefully defeated in their second battle against the Philistines. A great number of them were slaughtered, including the two sons of Eli, and the ark of God was as well captured by the Philistines.
Indeed, ‘God created us without us, but he cannot save us without us’. God needs our co-operation and permission to save us and to work wonders and miracles for/in us. We need to do our part if we want God to save us and all that he needs or wants from us is deep faith and trust in him. The leper in the portion of the Gospel of Mark we are reflecting on has said it all. Out of deep faith and trust in the Lord, the leper knelt, begged and asked Jesus to make him clean, to cure him if Jesus wished. Seeing his faith, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and healed him.
This is what God wants from us and not dependence and trust in our handy objects and images. These should only help us to concentrate and focus on God. They should be seen and treated not as an end in themselves, but as a means to an end-God himself.
One other thing we must do if we want salvation and blessings from God is to rather work on our wrong and evil deeds instead of depending and relying on sacramentals (like the rosary, holy water, ‘anointing water’, anointing oil, medals, crosses and crucifixes, candles, incense, images, pictures, etc. as well as MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD) without any corresponding faith in God.
The Israelites were probably defeated in battle because they, together with their spiritual leaders (the two sons of Eli) did not repent for their wrong and evil deeds against God and humanity. If we live in sin and continue in our wrong and evil ways without repentance, surely we will not be able to feel the effects of God's miraculous and wondrous deeds in our lives. Therefore, let us always acknowledge our shortcomings and frailties before the Lord. In fact, that is one aspect of faith and trust in God. Have a blessed and fruitful day.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, THURSDAY, ON THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT: ‘THE BAPTISM OF JESUS, THE WEDDING AT CANA, THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM, THE TRANSFIGURATION, AND THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST’. (WE PRAY FOR OPENNESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, PRAY TO JESUS THROUGH MARY, FOR REPENTANCE AND TRUST IN GOD, THE DESIRE FOR HOLINESS, AND WE PRAY FOR THE SPIRIT OF ADORATION) “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: “HUMBLY WE ASK YOU, ALMIGHTY GOD, BE GRACIOUSLY PLEASED TO GRANT THAT THOSE YOU RENEW WITH YOUR SACRAMENTS MAY ALSO SERVE WITH LIVES PLEASING TO YOU. 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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