Welcome to my blog.
God speaks to us each day through the readings
from the Holy Bible. These are chosen under the inspiration of God’s Spirit and
provided for us by the Church founded and lead by the Spirit of Jesus.
You will find them here. If we take time daily to
read, understand and in silence to pray from our heart, Jesus, through his
Spirit, will nourish us and our life will be transformed.
Let us ask ourselves: what is God saying to me today
through these readings?
May the Spirit of God be with you.
Tuesday 9 June 2020
The lights of God
Ps 26: 1-2
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; whom should I dread?
When those who do evil draw near, they stumble and fall.
Prayer
Father in heaven, you are the source of everything
good in our life,
grant that we who call out to you in our needs,
may open ourselves to your quiet inspirations
and see what is good
and then by the strength you give us do what is
good.
We make our prayer through your Son, Christ
Jesus our Lord.
First reading
1 Kings
17:7-16 ·
The widow gives food to Elijah, and is
fed
The stream in the place where Elijah lay hidden dried up, for the
country had no rain. And then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, ‘Up and go
to Zarephath, a Sidonian town, and stay there. I have ordered a widow there to
give you food.’ So he went off to Sidon. And when he reached the city gate,
there was a widow gathering sticks; addressing her he said, ‘Please bring me a
little water in a vessel for me to drink.’ She was setting off to bring it when
he called after her. ‘Please’ he said ‘bring me a scrap of bread in your hand.’
‘As the Lord your God lives,’ she replied ‘I have no baked bread, but only a
handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am just gathering a stick
or two to go and prepare this for myself and my son to eat, and then we shall
die.’ But Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, go and do as you have said;
but first make a little scone of it for me and bring it to me, and then make
some for yourself and for your son. For thus the Lord speaks, the God of
Israel:
“Jar of meal shall not be spent,
jug of oil shall not be emptied,
before the day when the Lord sends
rain on the face of the earth.”’
The woman went and did as Elijah told her and they ate the food,
she, himself and her son. The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil
emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah. THE WORD OF THE LORD
Prayerful reflection
Psalm 33:18. “Behold the eye of the Lord is up
those who fear him, upon those who hope for his mercy, to deliver their soul
from death and keep them alive in famine”.
Matthew 6:31,33. “‘What
will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ “Your heavenly Father
knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
This is the faith of
Israel. It is the teaching of our Lord Jesus. Fear the Lord and seek his
righteousness. Then God is able to be our Father indeed. Elijah did just that
in a land of unbelief. What about us?
This story about Elijah
is meant to strengthen the faith of God’s people in seeking God and his will
with all their heart. In the desperate situation of the drought, God guides the
prophet to Zarephath and moves the widow to listen and believe. As a result, both are saved. Jesus: “There is no one born of a woman
greater than John the Baptist (the new Elijah), yet even the least in the
kingdom of God is greater than he”. Elijah is our model. Can we trust God’s steadfast
love and goodness to turn everything for our good, if we love him wholeheartedly?
Do you love him with all your heart?
Psalm
Psalm 4:2-5,7-8
Lift up the light of
your face on us, O Lord.
When I call, answer me, O God of justice;
from anguish you released me, have mercy and hear me!
O men, how long will your hearts be closed,
will you love what is futile and seek what is false?
Lift up the light of
your face on us, O Lord.
It is the Lord who grants favours to those whom he loves;
the Lord hears me whenever I call him.
Fear him; do not sin: ponder on your bed and be still.
Lift up the light of
your face on us, O Lord.
‘What can bring us happiness?’ many say.
Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
You have put into my heart a greater joy
than they have from abundance of corn and new wine.
Lift up the light of
your face on us, O Lord.
Mt5:16
Alleluia!
Your light
must shine in the sight of men,
so that,
seeing your good works,
they may give
the praise to your Father in heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Matthew 5:13-16
Your light must shine in the sight of men
Jesus said to
his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless,
what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown
out to be trampled underfoot by men.
‘You are the light of the world. A city built on
a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they
put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same
way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works,
they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.’
Prayerful reflection
Yesterday we listened to the eight beatitudes – 1 poor in spirit, 2 meek
and humble of heart, 3 grieving for the misery in the world, 4 thirsting for
justice for all, 5 merciful in thought and dealing, 6 pure of heart in love for
God and human beings, 7 peacemakers wherever we are, 8 willing to suffer
persecution in the cause of what is right.
This is the programme for our becoming disciples of Jesus. In this
sermon Jesus will show us how to do it. It is the basic instruction. Without it
we cannot become his perfect disciples.
Today Jesus tells us that if we embrace and manifest these beatitudes
in our lives, then we will be like salt to the earth. You will change your
world, like salt changes the quality of a meal. Remember when the person cooking
forgot to put in the salt. The world without his disciple is like that - awful.
The disciple of Jesus who exemplifies these becomes a light in a dark world of
selfishness. Think of Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, each in their own way. But
it is a light that shines away from ourselves. Poor in spirit, the salt and the
light are God’s creation. To him we give the glory. Do you want to follow
Jesus? Today?
1 Jn 4: 16
God is love,
and whoever abides in love
abides in
God, and God in him.
Prayer
Father in
heaven, heal us in body and soul,
that
through your mercy freed
from doing
evil, we may become salt to the earth
and light in darkness.
We make our
prayer through your Son,
Christ Jesus
our Lord.
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