Daily Meditation: 1 Peter 4:7-11
1 Peter 4:7-11
7 The end of all things is near; keep your minds calm and sober for prayer. 8 Above all, let your love for one another be sincere, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Welcome one another into your houses without complaining. 10 Serve one another with the gifts each of you received, thus becoming good managers of the varied graces of God. 11 If you speak, deliver the word of God; if you have a special ministry, let it be seen as God’s power so that, in everything, God may be glorified in Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Beloved, in the years following Your Ascension into heaven, Peter warned that the end of all things is near. Ever since You entered time and brought to completion the Father's plan of salvation through Your life, passion, death and resurrection, we have entered into the end of the ages and so we prepare for Your second coming. Most of us will meet You before then at our own death. We are exhorted to remain calm and sober in order to pray and prepare ourselves for that hour.
Recently I have been reading so much in the news that I have been feeling anxious and worried that the world as we know it is being destroyed by an evil ideology and a form of government which if successful, will annihilate all that is true, good and beautiful in the world. Whatever the future may hold for us and for generations to come, it should not be cause for alarm but for sober vigilance, for we know with certainty that You have triumphed over evil and that You are always in control.
My mission is to love sincerely, making excuses for the weak and ignorant. Our homes must be a place of welcome. Whatever gifts You have lavished on us must be shared generously for Your glory. We must discern the gifts You have given us and then use them joyfully in order that God and God alone is glorified in You.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily Mass Readings: Acts 18:1-8, John 16:16-20, Psalm 98:1-4
Acts 18:1-8
Beloved, like Paul we are constantly called to engage people in witnessing to the faith. We must speak of You, imitate You, love You and for Your sake love those around us. We must be led by Your Spirit always as Paul was. Verse 5 states clearly Paul's mission as he saw it and he was faithful in accomplishing it any where, everywhere and all the time because he used every opportunity to speak of You. The power of the Holy Spirit working through him caused many to be convicted of their sins and they came to believe in the Good News. Grant me the same fervor my Lord to witness to You by leading a life that is always pleasing to You.
John 16:16-20
You have left us for a while but with the sweet assurance that we will see You again. You are now seated at the right hand of the Father and all things are renewed in You through the Holy Spirit. We are a new creation although presently in exile in this valley of tears, our gaze is fixed on You. From You comes our hope, our strength, our faith, our love and our joy as we remain firmly rooted in You.
Psalm 98:3
3 He has not forgotten his love nor his faithfulness to Israel. The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power.
No comments:
Post a Comment