PRAYER: “O GOD, WHO HAVE BESTOWED ON US PASCHAL REMEDIES, ENDOW YOUR PEOPLE WITH HEAVENLY GIFTS, SO THAT, POSSESSING PERFECT FREEDOM, THEY MAY REJOICE IN HEAVEN OVER WHAT GLADDENS THEM NOW ON EARTH. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Acts 2:36-41; Ps 32:4-5,18-20,22 and Jn 20:11-18.
Christianity is something honourable, as it is God’s gift of salvation to sinful humanity. Therefore, once you embrace Christ through it, you should not let it go for whatever reason. At the same time, accepting Christ through Christianity comes with a responsibility: revealing Christ to the world and to others. It is not to be kept for oneself.
This is what both Peter and his colleagues and Mary Magdalene did. Peter and the apostles preached the Risen Christ to people on Pentecost Day, revealing Christ to them and calling on them to repentance in order to receive God’s gift of salvation. This resulted in about three thousand people accepting the message, and they were baptised in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins (Cf. Acts 2:36-41). Mary Magdalene for her part, after receiving instructions from the Risen Lord to “go to my brothers and tell them, I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God…’” ran with this great Good News to the disciples, announcing to them that she had seen the Lord and reported to them all that the Lord told her (Cf. Jn 20:11-18).
Every Christian is called to bring Christ wherever we find ourselves. We are not all called to directly preach the Good News about the Risen Lord to the world like Peter, the other apostles or Mary Magdalene. However, in our own little ways and capabilities we can preach Christ to others. Life witnessing is in itself a more powerful sermon/homily than the most powerful preaching. We preach great and powerful sermons/homilies when we live our Christian virtues, values and ideals in our homes, offices, work places, in our communities and in the world.
We pray that since charity begins at home, our lives may be shining examples for those we live with at home, for those we work with and for those we associate with. Only then can we create an impact on people outside with our preaching either directly or through life witnessing.
May the Risen Lord help us not to keep the Good News of his salvation only to ourselves but may we always run with it like Mary Magdalene to those who have not yet heard it, as well as to those who have heard and accepted it but have now recoiled because of human frailties. Stay blessed and may you start your working day with the Lord after the Easter and Picnic festivities. Amen.
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: “HEAR US, ALMIGHTY GOD, AND, AS YOU HAVE BESTOWED ON YOUR FAMILY THE PERFECT GRACE OF BAPTISM, SO PREPARE THEIR HEARTS FOR THE REWARD OF ETERNAL HAPPINESS. 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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