COLLECT: “O GOD, STRENGTH OF THOSE WHO HOPE IN YOU, GRACIOUSLY HEAR OUR PLEAS, AND, SINCE WITHOUT YOU, MORTAL FRAILTY CAN DO NOTHING, GRANT US ALWAYS THE HELP OF YOUR GRACE, THAT IN FOLLOWING YOUR COMMANDS WE MAY PLEASE YOU BY OUR RESOLVE AND OUR DEEDS. 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”.
1Kgs 21:17-29; Ps 50:3-6,11,16 and Mt 5:43-48.
The scripture readings are from 1Kgs 21:17-29 and Mt 5:43-48. In the portion of the First Book of Kings, Elijah chastises King Ahab for the unjust seizure of the property (field) and the murder of poor Naboth. The Lord God, through Elijah promises Ahab that ‘he will be paid by his own coin’. Ahab repents and the Lord God grants a reprieve. In the portion of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus, teaching about the ‘Law of love’, states that we should love our enemies and pray for them, for God allows6his sun to rise on the bad and the good, his rain to fall on the just and the unjust. This is one of the attitudes that can make us perfect as God our heavenly Father.
The sayings or expressions that “Anyone who uses the sword will perish by the sword”, “You will be paid by your own coin”, “Do not do unto others what you would not like done unto you” and “Anyone who hates people will be hated most by others”, have shed clearer light on these two scripture passages we are reflecting on today. Ahab in the portion of the First Book of Kings is told that what he did to Naboth and his family, he and his family would receive ‘multiples’ of that.
Jesus has given us a very powerful tool to use to overcome the temptation of anything that could lead us to fall into any of the above expressions, “…perishing by the sword”, and so on. This powerful tool is Prayer. Prayer will help us overcome hatred in order to love enemies. It will help us to know and acknowledge our sinful deeds in order to repent and be forgiven like Ahab. Prayer will help us break through certain stumbling blocks and setbacks in our lives or on our way to progress. Prayer can change the evil heart of a person who poses him/herself as an enemy. Among all, prayer makes us perfect as our heavenly Father.
We are all challenged by today’s scriptures to look into our lives and deeds alongside the messages that these scriptures have put to us and act accordingly. Pray today for those who are as well as those you think are your enemies in your family, at your work place/office, in your political party, in your society, in your Church or wherever that person is. Stay blessed, “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect”.
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 at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “AS THIS RECEPTION OF YOUR HOLY COMMUNION, O LORD, FORESHADOWS THE UNION OF THE FAITHFUL IN YOU, SO MAY IT BRING ABOUT UNITY IN YOUR CHURCH. 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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