Monday, April 30, 2018
TODAY'S REFLECTION - MONDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER
St. Pius V, pope,religious
Acts 14:5-18 / Psalm 113b:1-4,15-16 / John 14:21-26.9
KEEP THE LORD'S COMMANDMENTS
Beloved, when Jesus sent his disciples on mission, he told them that if people welcome them, they should stay there and minister to them , but that if people don't welcome them any where, that they should shake the dust from their feet against them and move to a different place (Luke 9:5). Paul and Barnabas were expelled from Antioch and they went to Iconium (Acts 13:51). At Iconium, the people attacked Paul and Barnabas and wanted to stone them. They had to leave there again and went to Lycaonia, in the towns of Lystra and Derbe. As they were preaching there, God used them to cure a man who was crippled from birth. The people of the town associated this cure with the gods of the Greek world (Hermes and Zeus), who probably disguised themselves in human form. Paul used the occasion to educate the people on Monotheism and to free their minds from erroneous religious thoughts. For the people of Lystra, no mere mortal can work such a miracle, which is true. But to want to offer sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas was to the extreme. If I am being expelled from place to place, how will I feel? What is it that has crippled me from birth? If something miraculously happens in my life, who or what will I attribute it to? May we trust in the One God to heal us from any crippling situations.
Friends, Jesus encourages us to receive his commandments and keep them. We should love the Lord and keep his words. He assures us that the Father will send the Holy Spirit in his name to teach us everything. Do I know God's commandments? Do I love the Lord? Do I love his word? What is it that I want the Holy Spirit to teach me? Let us pray for the grace to know that all power belongs to God Almighty, but not any smaller god or any human being. May we faithfully keep God's commandments and live in his love. BE BLESSED.
Fr. Gaa (0206854323 / 0240308878)