May the Lord bless you with peace and health in the Holy Spirit.
It is 28th September 2021.
We reflect on Zechariah 8:20-23 and the Gospel of Luke 9:51-56.
We celebrate the memorials of St. Wenceslas and Lawrence Ruiz.
“Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” What an amazing feeling to realize God is with us. God being with us is the assurance we are assured countless times in the Scripture. To be a Christian is to mirror the mind and makeover of God in Jesus through us. It is by doing and speaking things that echo and resonate with the language of God. Love is the language of God in all circumstances. Seldom do we recount the flame and flow of God’s rage on us.
The words of encouragement from the prophet Zachariah as the people are rebuilding the Temple.
We cannot force anyone to believe Jesus or to follow the Way but we have the freedom to choose the path we wish to travel towards God that connects and rebuilds relationships with one another. It is the way we live more likely to attract others to come closer to us and travel with us. It is the charity and compassion we show to the least members of the community that distinguishes us from other people.
People from the Samaritan villages rejected Jesus as He travelled towards Jerusalem. Jesus went out of His ways in preaching, healing, and blessings yet they did not accept Him. But Jesus was not resentful of them. He expects us today as we listen to this Gospel message to practice restrain towards those who have issues against us. Charity breaks free all hatred, sins, and selfish attitudes. Is it possible to show compassion and mercy to those who hate us? It is very difficult yet that is what Jesus expects us to practice as believers.
Just because we believe in Jesus, people around us look up to us for guidance, support, enlightenment, and prayers. It is also true that the arrows of hatred, indifference, ill-treatment, opposition, quarrels and differences of opinion and belief are aimed at us as believers. There is no need to pray for settling accounts with those who do not accept and reject us intentionally. Now, we have a strong sense of responsibility to pray for them.
We can either trigger inspiration or weaken hope in others the way we conduct ourselves. However hopeless people we meet in our families, communities, and workplaces, we could show the face of Christ to them. Patience pacifies any spiritual pandemic. May you have a peaceful day. God bless you.