COLLECT: “O GOD, BY WHOM WE ARE REDEEMED AND RECEIVE ADOPTION, LOOK GRACIOUSLY UPON YOUR BELOVED SONS AND DAUGHTERS, THAT THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN CHRIST MAY RECEIVE TRUE FREEDOM AND AN EVERLASTING INHERITANCE. 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”.
1Cor 9:16-19,22b-27; Ps 83/84:3-6,8,12 and Lk 6:39-42.
Today’s scriptures once more challenge and caution us that “No one gives what he/she does not have. A challenge to all pastors (priests), and in fact, all preachers or all those who proclaim the word of God, is that what we preach to people should be part and parcel of us. We should do, act and live what we preach to people to do/act and live, and we should not do/act and live what we preach to people not to do/act or live. If we want people to live disciplined lives, we must be disciplined ourselves. Otherwise, we will be worse than blind guides. Both Jesus and St. Paul disciplined themselves to do the Father’s will. Thus, they became successful.
Today’s scriptures suggest certain areas in which believers, and especially those of us who are called to proclaim the word of God, can discipline ourselves.
- Humility is number one. Jesus was a very humble man on earth (Cf. Phil 2). St. Paul, in this portion of his first letter to the Corinthians we are reflecting on clearly states that “If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast”.
- Another area we have to discipline ourselves is not to try to make full use of our right in the Gospel to the extent of thinking that whatever we do with the Gospel, for instance, when we preach it to people, offer spiritual blessings, and what have you, these must attract cutthroat charges. This is a sin called ‘Simony’. We should do things, and especially preach the Gospel, willingly. This is a sign of discipline. Indisciplined people are forced or coerced to do things.
- Tolerance and the ability to accommodate situations and other people*are great qualities of discipline. In that regard, one can “become all things in all, to save at least some”, if not all.
- Being focused, together with the ability to set achievable aims and goals, is a great quality of discipline. This will involve training one’s body and life, for that matter, towards the achievement of the set aims and goals. In fact, an undisciplined Christian/believer is a contradiction in terms.
We pray that we may discipline ourselves while we are still alive and have the opportunity to do so; otherwise, we might be disqualified from the race we are running as believers/Christians or preachers of the Gospel. May we love Jesus and give all that we are and have to him to use us. Stay blessed.
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: “GRANT THAT YOUR FAITHFUL, O LORD, WHO YOU NOURISHED AND ENDOWED WITH LIFE THROUGH THE FOOD OF YOUR WORD AND HEAVENLY SACRAMENT, MAY SO BENEFIT FROM YOUR BELOVED SON’S GREAT GIFTS THAT WE MAY MERIT AN ETERNAL SHARE IN HIS LIFE. AMEN.”
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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