“Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.” (GN 50: 20)
We are always protected by God’s grace and Providence. Sometimes things look like everything is against us and look like we are being persecuted and under a huge attack, but we ARE protected, and God never ever forgets about us. Because He is a loving God, He is Love and Life. Our lives are protected by His love. We will see how our difficult times are for good, “to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.”
“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of God rests upon you.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (MT 10: 19-20)
An unusual promise: “do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say;” “we will be given.” Part of it is our role as witnesses of Jesus, but another is our Father’s care.
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you to all truth and remind you of all I told you.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.” (MT 10: 12-13)
I like the idea where “wishing peace” is not just a salutation but an effective word. It goes from one person to another and if the recipient is not worthy will go back to the speaker: “If not worthy, let your peace return to you.” It shows us the power of God’s word and peace. Whenever we listen to the priest say, during the Holy Mass: “peace be with you,” we should remember this.
“The Kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them.” (GN 41: 55)
Pharaoh directed the Egyptians to Joseph, but we know that Joseph only prefigured Jesus Christ. We know it but let me mention also another person, also named Joseph, St. Joseph, who is protector of the Church, who took care for the Holy Family and who also takes care of us. The most obedient and modest person waits for us and will tell us how to love Our Lady and Our Lord, how to admire Them and how to serve Them.
“The Kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (MT 9: 37-38)
This request from God was the Church’s concern from the beginning: “the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” We depend on priests because they bring us the most Holy Eucharist and the sacrament of Penance. But Our Lord needs our prayer: “so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” The more abundant the harvest is, the more prayer we need.
“I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and God’s messengers were going up and down on it.” (GN 28: 12)
It was Jacob’s dream, but shows reality. We are surrounded by God’s messengers, who are always “going up and down” with our prayers, intentions and thanksgiving. We can’t see them, but they really protect us, guide us and help us. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and holy Mass are like “stairways rested on the ground, with the top reaching to the heavens.”
“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 COR 12: 9)
Perfectionism and evangelical perfection are not the same. The first one is self oriented, and the second one is based on our love for God, where everything is for Him and where—and this is the most important and the most differentiating aspect—our weakness does not oppose perfection but is an obstacle to it. Weakness is something we will always have. “For power is made perfect in weakness.” It is not about me; it is about God’s love for me. “My grace is sufficient for you.”
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.’” (MT 9: 15)
Fasting has a long tradition in the spiritual life, not just in the Catholic Church. Fasting is universal. Our Lord gave us a special rule for fasting: whenever we feel abandoned or rejected, whenever we feel more like “wake guests” than “wedding guests” or when we feel that “the bridegroom is taken away from us,” “then we should fast.” Fasting opens our eyes to the inner world.
“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord. I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God.” (EPH 2, 19)
No one likes to be a stranger, especially among people who are very familiar with each other. It is like being a foreigner at the border where “fellow citizens” can go without any complications and you have to wait in a long line for interrogation at the immigration office, where an officer, even in a nice way, asks you: “why are you here”? “Give me a real reason to accept you in my country”. Fortunately, in Heaven we are “members of the household of God.” We are expected and longed for.
“You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!” (Gospel Acclamation)
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” (MT 9, 2)
The most important thing is “forgiven sins.” More important than health. Because “sins” means: I do not need God; I have better plan for myself; I am independent and self-sufficient. When we accept God’s unique gift of forgiveness and mercy, we can base our life with Him and with our brothers and sisters on true values: trust, relationship, protection, dependence and love.
“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation”. (Gospel Acclamation)
