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 38:1-6,21-22,7-8; Ps Is38:10-12,16; and Mt 12:1-8
One time,e I was travelling by bus, a public means of transport) With some other people from Wa to Accra at night. We encountered some armed robbers on the way. In the attempted attack, everybody on the bus was yelling and calling; God!, Lord!, Jesus!, come and save us. I will continue with the rest of this experience later. But the point I want to underscore is that even though so many of us only pray, calling on God, the Lord or Jesus to save us when we encounter challenges or problems, the importance of prayer cannot be overemphasised, yet lots of us take this for granted.
In the portion of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah we are reflecting on, Isaiah was sent by God to King Hezekiah, who was extremely ill, to tell him of his impending death. King Hezekiah immediately turned to God in prayer and in tears, asking for the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness. Eventually, the Lord responded to Hezekiah’s prayer and plea and allowed him to live for another 15 years. Indeed, fervent and genuine prayers are a key to our desperate needs in life. Prayers, if they are truly and genuinely made, answer our challenges and problems, no matter one’s sinful state or life. This is because the God who created us, whom we worship, is full of mercy, love and compassion for us. He also desires mercy and not sacrifice.
True and genuine prayers are an expression of humility because in prayer we acknowledge the greatness and power of God, and we know and are convinced that what we bring before him in prayer, he may do for us if it is according to his will. Firm faith, however, plays a great role in this regard. Accordingly, Hezekiah had a problem with pride (Cf. 2Chron 32:24-26). He could not humble himself. Several times, we are told that pride is a capital/mortal sin. This was Hezekiah’s sin. However, when he was seriously ill, he humbled himself and prayed to the Lord for deliverance and salvation. He got that.
May we learn to humble ourselves not only before the Lord, but before fellow human beings. May we also learn to have mercy on other people, especially those of us in leadership positions or in authority. People in leadership positions or in authority should know that they are representing God in the world, and therefore, they should desire mercy and love like the God they are representing, but not sacrifice (or the law in our context). This was the attitude of the Pharisees that Jesus condemned in the portion of the Gospel of Matthew. The Pharisees insisted on the strict observance of the Law, with no mercy or love for people. God does not desire this.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, FRIDAY, 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: “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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