The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 5th September 2024

Lord, give us Your grace to fulfil Your mission on earth 

Romans 12:3-5 (NJB): And through the grace that I have been given, I say this to every one of you: never pride yourself on being better than you really are, but think of yourself dispassionately, recognising that God has given to each one his measure of faith. Just as each of us has various parts in one body, and the parts do not all have the same function: in the same way, all of us, though there are so many of us, make up one body in Christ, and as different parts we are all joined to one another.

  We all have the grace of Jesus Christ, as St Paul says, and certain requirements exist to live a life in Christ Jesus. We should never be proud of ourselves or believe that we are superior to others. Our faith is the measure by which the Lord can bestow favor on everyone of us. We all have distinct parts in our bodies, just as Jesus has the mystical body that is the church he established. In communion, we all share Jesus' body with him. By attending or participating in Holy Mass, we devour His Body and Blood, and He transforms our bodies and souls to connect us with Himself. This way, we are part of his body, and each of us has distinct personalities and abilities to utilize it worthily to build His Body, the Church. This is how our Lord is using the grace that He has given us. 

The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 2nd September 2024

Lord, let our love towards others without any pretence 

Rm 12: 6-9 Then since the gifts that we have differ according to the grace that was given to each of us: if it is a gift of prophecy, we should prophesy as much as our faith tells us; if it is a gift of practical service, let us devote ourselves to serving; if it is teaching, to teaching; if it is encouraging, to encouraging. When you give, you should give generously from the heart; if you are put in charge, you must be conscientious; if you do works of mercy, let it be because you enjoy doing them. Let love be without any pretence. Avoid what is evil; stick to what is good

The spiritual gifts that we possess will differ depending on the grace that Jesus has bestowed upon us. How we prophesy or preach will be determined by the measure of our faith. We cannot preach to the audience what we do not possess. We serve the Lord in a variety of ways, some of which are practical. Whatever we do, whether it's teaching, helping, or encouraging, we should do it with devotion and thankfulness in our hearts. If we are allocated or granted authority for a unique mission or task, we should carry it out diligently. We may appreciate performing acts of compassion or mercy. Our love for others should be genuine, so that the fragrance of Jesus' love can spread to everyone. Always avoid evil behaviors that may impede our spiritual advancement, and instead focus on doing good.  

The Word of God

 

Word of God, On 1st September 2024

Lord, let us seek the peace, joy and justice in the Holy Spirit 

Rm 14:17 for it is not eating and drinking that make the kingdom of God, but the saving justice, the peace and the joy brought by the Holy Spirit. 

Drinking and eating are not fundamental aspects of Christian life. We should not be concerned about food or drink because God provides for all of our needs. But we have to believe in Him; our faith in the Lord is more essential than our desire for temporal possessions. We must summon the Holy Spirit and seek His guidance in anything we do for the Lord. Only God's Spirit can provide us with joy, serenity, and preserving justice, which are more important than food in our daily lives. We can heed the advise of St Paul, who states in: 1Tm 6: 6-8 Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. We must live with the content of our possessions. During his tour to Arunachal Pradesh, Br Joemon explained how Christians and other indigenous people live there. They live their lives by working in the fields or doing other modest occupations to provide for themselves and their families. They have no desire for a lavish lifestyle. They are exceedingly hospitable and willing to share anything they have, even sacrificing their necessities for their guests or a stranger. A priest told Br Joemon about an incident in which strangers (travellers) arrived at a house one day. The adult members of the household were preparing to go to work in the morning. The strangers requested water from the family members, and when questioned if they ate any food, they stated that they did not. What they have done is give the strangers the food they prepared to take to the field. When the priest heard the narrative from one of the family members of the house, he asked him, 'Then what you ate during the day?, he said nothing' This is the authentic Christian life.