Daily Meditation: Romans 14:17
Romans 14:17
17 The kingdom of God is not a matter of food or drink; it is justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Beloved, quite often Your people are very careful about following certain practices, or doing things in a particular fashion and they look down on those who may do things differently. We sometimes act superior or lord it over others or even despise them secretly. In all this we condemn ourselves before You. Your Word for me today reminds me that, "The Kingdom of God is justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." If we seek to be just always in thought, word and deed, if we set out to be peace makers and peace bearers, and if, despite difficult circumstances we can live in joy with the certainty that, "All things work for the good of those who love God," we will indeed have Your shining light within us and we will shed that light around us.
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Daily Mass Readings: Acts 6:1b-8, John 35-40, Psalm 66:1-3a, 4-7a
Acts 6:1b-8
In this age we too live in a time of great persecution against the Church. In some countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, China and in small pockets in India as well as in many middle east and gulf countries, it is overt. In the west it is more subtle. The Church is ridiculed, laughed to scorn, belittled and muzzled covertly, slyly and cunningly. The very grave sins of a few of her members have been raked over endlessly and paraded as if she is the only institution that has erred. They seek to diminish her authority, which flows from Christ Himself. Personal sin is not acknowledged but everything is blamed on genetics or whatever else is popular to hang personal responsibility on. There is no absolute and objective truth, they only acknowledge a relative truth. There is no moral right or wrong, everything is right or wrong depending on the circumstances. A child in the womb is a child if it is wanted, it is a zygote or a lump of tissue if it is deemed to be an inconvenience..
Persecution and poverty have caused many of Your faithful followers to migrate to more affluent countries in the west and to the gulf and they have carried their faith with them. It is these that fill the churches everywhere while the native Catholics are nowhere to be seen on Sundays or holy days. They come out of the woodwork only on major feast days. It is the vibrant faith of the immigrants that keeps the church alive in these countries. They bring with them the treasure of the faith and their gratitude to worship in freedom. Just as the early Apostles were scattered and who proclaimed You wherever they went, so to do these immigrants. Wonderful indeed are Your ways O Lord.
John 6:35-40
Beloved Jesus, if only Your own would believe. There are so many baptized and confirmed Catholics who have been influenced by the culture of the day and have lost their way. They are hungry and thirsty because they are no longer being fed and nourished by Your Body in the Eucharist and they look to satiate this need in ways where the Holy Spirit is absent. Many Catholic have left the Church for other denominations because they want to be entertained by the music or by rousing preaching, they do not seek to worship in humility and truth. They prefer to have 'itching ears' They would rather have a watered down truth than 'sound doctrine,' as it involves sacrifice. They are poorly catechized because their parents were poorly catechized themselves and so are ignorant of the basics of the Catechism of the Catholic Church - they know nothing about their divine heritage. Hours are spent in self-indulgent entertainment and years are spent preparing for careers in the world but they remain spiritual toddlers who have not yet been weaned. Thank You for the assurance of verses 39-40,
39 "And the will of him who sent me is that I lose nothing of what he has given me, but instead that I raise it up on the last day. 40 This is the will of the Father, that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall live with eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.”
You will ensure that that those who have been marked as Yours will not be lost unless they choose to walk away from You. I pray for those among my own Beloved, who have been sealed in Your Blood in baptism, they have been confirmed in Your Holy Spirit, they have received You in the past in the Holy Eucharist. Draw them in sincere repentance to the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that You may raise them up on the last day.
Lord Jesus hear my prayer.
Lord Jesus, graciously hear my prayer.
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