COLLECT: “O GOD, WHO SHOW THE LIGHT OF YOUR TRUTH TO THOSE WHO GO ASTRAY, SO THAT THEY MAY RETURN TO THE RIGHT PATH, GIVE ALL WHO FOR THE FAITH THEY PROFESS ARE ACCOUNTED CHRISTIANS THE GRACE TO REJECT WHATEVER IS CONTTRARY TO THE NAME OF CHRIST AND TO STRIVE AFTER ALL THAT DOES IT HONOUR. 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”.
Is 1:10-17; Ps 49:8-9,16-17,21,23 and Mt 10:34-11:1.
God’s purpose for creating us is because he loves us. In return, God wants us to know him, love him, obey his commandments and eventually be blessed by him. Right from creation, through to the call of the people of Israel, beginning with the call of Abraham into our present times, this has been the wish of God. God has been faithfully doing his part while we (human beings) right from the time of the Fall of Man, have been behaving in the “promise and fail syndrome”.
In the portion of the prophet Isaiah that we are reflecting on today, Isaiah warns the people of Judah (here called Sodom and Gomorrah) that although they profess to worship the Lord, their deeds are evil. They have not kept to what they promised they would do as the chosen race of God. They have trampled the courts of the Lord and have made worthless offerings to the Lord. The Lord can no longer bear their wickedness he can no longer contain the sight of their bloody hands. These are, indeed, pretentious religious acts. They are therefore warned to put an end to their misdeeds, cease doing evil, learn to do good things and, make justice their aim.
God, indeed, is the Lord of mercy and love. When we deviate from him but eventually humbly come back to him in repentance, he surely will show us his love and mercy. He does this either directly or indirectly through human agents like his disciples. The portion of the Gospel of Matthew we are meditating on today conveys such a message to us. The disciples are sent out by the Lord to proclaim the love and mercy of God.
Our wickedness, misdeeds, bloody acts and evil actions may not necessarily be against God our Creator, but against our fellow human beings, especially our relations (father, mother, child, wife, husband, an in-law, co-worker, community member, member of my religion, etc.). This could strain relationships and make life heavy and burdensome for us (a heavy cross to carry). Indeed, the wickedness, misdeeds, bloody actions and evil deeds of some of us have made the world, and wherever some of us live, a hell, instead of it being a paradise.
As baptised and confirmed Christians, let us know that we are the Lord’s disciples whom he has sent out into the world to bring his love and mercy to people. We should remember or remind ourselves that ‘no one gives what he/she does not have’ and for that matter, it is mandatory for us to first of all cultivate these two virtues of love and mercy before we can bring them to other people in the world who need them. We are the ‘Isaiahs’ of our time, chosen and sent by God to warn those who indulge in wickedness, misdeeds, bloody and evil actions in the world against others, to stop doing that and to learn to do good and be just, so that we all of us can live in peace and in harmony. May Saint Henry keep interceding for us. Stay blessed and happy feast to all who bear the name Henry.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, MONDAY, ON THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE AND THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE’. (LET US PRAY FOR HUMILITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR, POVERTY OF SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE AND JOY IN FINDING JESUS) “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: “HAVING CONSUMED THESE GIFTS, WE PRAY, O LORD, THAT, BY OUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS MYSTERY, ITS SAVING EFFECTS UPON US MAY GROW. 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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