Father Knows

Today’s Gospel Text:  "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread;

12 And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors;

13 And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matt 6:7-15

Reflection: "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (vs. 8)

Whose Father knows what we need before we ask him?

These words of Jesus are addressed specifically to the dedicated disciples; which means, that, to them God is their Father who have accepted the message of Jesus and dared to address him as Father.

In the process, Jesus is also communicating another truth to his dedicated disciples; the Father is concerned about our needs and if our needs are not met in any way then it is no need.

We either believe in this truth or allow ourselves to be deceived by our wants and make these wants our need.

Our wants can never be our need and yet we can always deceive ourselves and as humans we are capable of deceiving ourselves, of making our wants our needs.

For example; how difficult it is with regards to the most essential need such as food to know which of it is need and which is want or how much is need and how much is want and when it is a need and when it is a want.

Nor is it true that God does not supply our wants, but to a dedicated disciple he trains them by not supplying their wants so that they may not be deceived into believing that their wants are their needs.

In the process he also trains the dedicated disciple in trusting God to be the giver and provider.

Thus the Psalmist will acclaim: “The Lord is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. (Ps 111:4b -5)

It also affirms that if God can take care of the needs of the dedicated disciple then it is also true that he can take care of everything and is with them in all things.  

St. Catherine of Sienna once said: "To the servant of God every place is the right place, and every time is the right time." (Letter)

Prayer:  Lord, I believe that you are able to provide us with every blessing in abundance that we may have enough of everything and provision in abundance for every good work. (cfr. 2 Cor 9:8)

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Jesus Cleans

Today’s Gospel Text:  While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and besought him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." 13 And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he charged him to tell no one; but "go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to the people." 15 But so much the more the report went abroad concerning him; and great multitudes gathered to hear and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed. Luke 5:12-16

Reflection: Talk about house cleaning and it sends many, who have experienced what a cleaning process involves, into a tizzy.  

Many a times, in most circumstances, it involves a hard laborious process, involving meticulous and deft handling of the objects at hand.

There are always instruments and cleansing agents we use to clean things. In other words we cannot think of cleansing without these agents.

What is it that made the leprous feel that he needed to be cleansed? He could have asked the Lord to heal him or touch him and set his ailment right.  What is so unclean about the leprous situation? Is it not like any other disease? 

Could it be that the leper understood the deep inner reasons for leprosy and why he was suffering?

Never the less, we see from the words and action of Jesus that he did clean him by his mere touch and the word.

How can Jesus touch a leper when in those days every society would shun them lest they pass on the infection to them? The law clearly forbade them to be within the city walls and they had to remain outside the walls of the city.

From this miracle rooted in the cleansing power of Jesus' action, we are offered a hope which no one else can offer: He alone can cleanse us of the deep inner guilt and contamination of sin and anxiety and set us free.

But the right approach is very important for us in order to receive from his presence, whether we approach him directly or through the sacramental presence or through his disciples. 

We need to first be aware with God’s help the actual reason for our sickness and where it began and then after having diagnosed the problem approach the Lord with faith and confidence just like the leper of today’s Gospel.

Prayer:  Lord, reveal to me my leprous spots and cleanse me of every sin that stains my soul and heal me.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us 

Life and Wisdom

Today’s Gospel Text:  When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nin'eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. Luke 11:29-32

Reflection: It is in our nature to seek wisdom and learn from the wise sayings of people. 

What is so special about wisdom that people seek it or even if they don’t seek it diligently are at least appreciative of it when they come across wise sayings or what they think are words of wisdom? 

In order to understand that we need to know what wisdom is all about?

Is it not saying the right thing at the right time? Or better still, is it not doing the right thing at the right time? In other words, it means performing the right action at the right time; an action that supports life and spreads life.

Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds." Matt 11:19

If this is how we understand the meaning of the word wisdom then it is but natural and in our human nature to seek wisdom. The very nature of the mind that seeks survival and happiness desires wisdom.

  

Ultimately, it has everything to do with life and promoting life. If our actions does not promote life then it is not wise action in the sight of God. 

But who will judge what is it that promotes life and what is that destroys life? What is many a times immediate gain for life is in the long run detrimental for life.

The fact that all our wise actions ultimately lead us to death should be an indication to us that we cannot be  crucibles of wisdom. What is more,  people may end up in greater misery after an immediate gain.

No wonder Jesus reserves such strong words against the people for rejecting him who came as the author and source of life (Jn. 10:10)

His words are spirit and they are life, his actions only brought healing to life and deliverance from the enemy of life and he ultimately died on  the cross breathing forth life for all who would believe in him. 

Prayer: Jesus source of all wisdom, as I come before you with my sinful and miserable self, moving towards the decay of death, breathe your life in me.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us