COLLECT: “GRANT US, O LORD, WE PRAY, THAT THE COURSE OF THE WORLD MAY BE DIRECTED BY YOUR PEACEFUL RULE AND THAT YOUR CHURCH MAY REJOICE, UNTROUBLED IN HER DEVOTION. 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.”
1Peter 2:2-5,9-12; Ps 99:1-5 and Mark 10:46-52.
Today’s scriptures are urging us that as children (infants) of God, we should always long for pure spiritual milk to grow into salvation for which we have been called. At our baptism, God called us out of darkness into light, out of blindness like Bartimaeus into sight/light. We are given new births and new lives at baptism. In other words, at baptism, we receive divine life and we become children/infants of God. When we become God’s children we are being nourished every time by God through his word and the sacraments.
Indeed, when we are baptized and we receive Christ into our lives, he lives in us and we live in him. He becomes the source of food that we will eat and will never be hungry again, and the source of water that we will drink and will never thirst again. He is living food and everlasting water for us (Cf. Jn 4). The Prophet Isaiah at his time also invited all those who were thirsty to come to the water, as well as those without money to come and receive grain and eat at no cost. They should come and drink wine and milk, of course, provided by the Lord of the living (Cf. Is 55:1ff). Also, at his temptation, when Jesus was tempted to turn a stone into bread to eat and be satisfied, he told the tempter that man does not live by bread alone but by every word coming from the mouth of God (Cf. Mt 4:4ff). These, together with other similar scriptural references attest to the fact that when God calls us out of darkness into the light through baptism, he feeds and nourishes us every day with his milky word and sacraments.
We should always therefore guide and guard ourselves against anything in this world (where we are like aliens and sojourners) that could cut us off from receiving the divine milky nourishment. In fact, let us guard and guide ourselves against anyone posing himself as a challenge or anything posing itself as a “Blind Bartimaeus’ cloak” on our way to salvation. We should always guide ourselves against worldly and carnal desires and passions which could wage war against our souls. We should live the divine life we received at baptism and maintain good conduct in the world. We should carry out good works in the world to glorify God and to serve humanity. This will lead us to salvation. Stay blessed.
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”.
NOURISHED BY YOUR SAVING GIFTS, WE BESEECH YOUR MERCY, LORD, THAT BY THIS SAME SACRAMENT WITH WHICH YOU FEED US IN THE PRESENT AGE, YOU MAY MAKE US PARTAKERS OF LIFE ETERNAL. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!