Fearless

Today’s Gospel Text: When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; 2 and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." 3 And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to the people." Matt 8:1-4

Reflection: What if someone were to come to you with a request like that of the leper:

"Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." (vs.2b)

Where would we look to and how would we have treated the leper.

“Go your way, have you not found anyone” or “what do you think, am I god that you should come to me”

Some would even run away from him seeing him approach them or may even scold him for being bold enough to approach them.

It also depends on ones faith too and the response could be according; hence some would take him to a leprosarium or a medical practitioner or refer them to some institutions that are involved in the care of the leprous.

There are some who may consult a friend or some expert to handle the situation.

How many of us would at least get into a conversation started with the leper and ask him his needs and at least pray in their hearts for the man and see how best they can be God’s instrument to him.

Though we cannot be like Jesus who makes him clean but we can definitely act more Christian towards the leper.

But our many fears could prevent us from doing so and the contagious nature of the disease can add to the fears and can be a big discouragement to reach out to the leprous.

Jesus not only heals him but does so by stretching out his hand and by touching him.

If we are to touch hearts and overcome the fear of leprous then we need a faith that trusts in the mighty power of God to heal and preserve our lives.

It is a faith that ever increases from ones growing relationship with God and nurtured by the avenues that he has offered through the church.

Faith, hope and charity destroy all fears and anxieties and sets us secure upon the rock, in whom we place it; Jesus Christ.  

Prayer: Father, make me  your instrument too, of love and charity as I hope in your might.

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

Tempt Not

Today’s Gospel Text:  And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."

5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, 'Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. Luke 17:1-6

Reflection: How often we make attempts to be free from the daily temptations of sin. Likewise those who are serious about their eternal salvation pray often that they be free from all temptations and that they be even delivered from it.

They not only pray for themselves but also for others too so that the others too may not enter into the eternal fires of hell as mentioned by Jesus and his disciples concerning deliberate offenders.  

Yet we are never free from the many temptations of sin. They keep assailing us in different ways, exerting all kinds of pressures on us to sin and to be involved in wrongdoing.

Some of the sinful temptations are more subtle and we may not be aware of the deviousness of our sinful actions without the explicit help of the Holy Spirit, who has also been given us to convict us of our sins.

Jesus never assures us a cozy life free from the temptations of sin:

Every moment we could be assailed with temptation to the sin of pride, to run away from God, to dabble in occult, hurt, unforgiveness, to hold on to bitterness, all sorts of lustful desires,  to be stuck in the guilt of our own sins, etc.,  etc.

As long as the evil one exists so too the enticement and the deception to sin will exist.  It is his job to deceive us and rob us of the eternal reward of eternal crown assured to all who follow Christ faithfully.

Hence all who choose to tempt others are either consciously or inadvertently being instruments of the evil one,

The worst form of deception would come from those who will be in positions of authority in the Church and dishing out a teaching that is contrary to the faith:

“Woe to him by whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.” (vss. 1c – 2)

Prayer: Lord, may I always remain your instrument of grace and life for others and may I always have the help of your Holy Spirit to move away from every deception of sin and wrongdoing.

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

Dead Conscience

Today’s Gospel Text:  And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" 27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, 34 and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:25-37

Reflection: Maybe, somewhere before I have discussed this point, but it is important to discuss this again and again because we as humans being think that mere knowledge is enough to change us or change others.

There are numerous agencies that teach through awareness exercises and found fantastic results in changing groups of people into doing something or bringing about a change.  They have managed to create a great revolution by appealing to the imagination of peoples and transforming society.

Some have done it through manipulations and false promises, hiding certain facts from the gullible, who sometimes have been the majority, carried away by these intrigues.

When it comes to the spiritual truths of life it is the same story when people allow themselves to be carried away by falsity and evil, without realizing that they have been taken for a ride. Membership and coffers are often the animating factors in such motivation. 

 

Can mere awareness exercises change people? Possibly, sometimes it may take years if they appeal to their imagination and there are  strong motivating factors.

What happens if: 
1) a person is in severe bondage of sin and lethargy, lacking the ability to change 
2) or what happens if a person knowing the truth still doesn’t want to change 
3) or is self deceived to relate mere knowledge with change?

There is hope for the above two factors but the third kind, which was manifested by the lawyer who posed the question to Jesus, is the worst form of disease, often steeped in pride  and ambition. The symptom of which is seen in the flaunting of ones knowledge and intellectual prowess but hidden behind a corruption of deadness.

Am I the knowledgable type in Christian doctrine and yet lacking virtue?

Prayer: Lord, by the working of your Holy Spirit, help me see the corruption of sin and deadness in me, so that I may change walk in your life.

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

There is Hope with You Jesus

Scripture: He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man named Zacchae'us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchae'us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." 6 So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." 8 And Zacchae'us stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." 9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:1-10

  

Reflection:  Seeing Jesus could have been enough or he could have told him; Lord I only wanted to see you. And when Jesus invites him he could have welcomed him as if it was his privilege to do so without conversion of heart.  Maybe he could have said in his heart; “look, here is a glutton come to feed his stomach and enjoy my wealth.”

God who looks at the heart never refuses a sincere heart that wants to turn to him. Zacchaeus’s response of repentance and restoration is a clear indication of a soul that was waiting to be converted. He did not require a witness of deed or character but a person who would assure him of acceptance irrespective of his misdeeds.  

There are countless souls waiting out there in the world, like Zacchaeus, to hear the good news of Christ and be converted to Christ Jesus.

Prayer:  Lord, help me as you are working your constant change in me so that I may be your instrument.  .

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