“Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God’s chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began, who indeed at the proper time revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the command of God our savior, to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.” (Tt 1: 1-4)
We are loved and we are protected. Our Lord prepared everything for us “before time began.” God “revealed his word” and promised us “eternal life.” Our lives are important and have meaning, and we can trust “grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our saviour” who leads us to Heaven.
“Shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.” (2 THES 3: 5)
The truth known to any person in relationship: where there is true love there is also endurance. Love needs patience, gentleness, respect and the gift of self, and to achieve all of them, we need endurance.
“Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead; to him be glory and power, forever and ever.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.” (PHIL 4: 12-13)
Every missionary needs to know “how to live in humble circumstances.” For sure in my missions more often I was “being well fed” than “going hungry,” or “living in abundance” than “being in need” but all this happened. When we are in mission for Him and with Him, we are always protected—He always takes care of us. We are His children, chosen for different missions, but always protected.
“Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified Body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself.” (PHIL 3: 20-21)
Our poor “lowly bodies” are full of pain, rejection, weaknesses, concupiscence, appetites, sensuality and jealousy. This list sometimes is very long, and we are longing for a “glorified body,” believing that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from here we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. “He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified Body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself.” We are created as God’s children to be united with Him, internally integrated not by our strength but by His lovely presence in us.
“Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (PHIL 3: 8)
There is no other way to know each other than through love. Only love gives us a chance to meet another person in truth. We can learn something about him or her; we can collect some information, but “to know somebody” means to be in relationship, and relationship without love and being a gift of self is impossible. This is really “the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” because it means—He loves me and I love Him.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” (ROM 6: 4)
The second part of the Good News is that we are not only His beloved children, but we are also united with Him “through baptism,” and whatever happened to Him is also our part. “As Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” Because of Our Lord, death has lost her power over us; with Him we can enjoy “newness of life.”
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.” (1 JN 3: 1)
The greatest sign of God’s love is the gift of his Son that has made us true children of God. This relationship is a present reality and also part of the life to come. This news is always the Good News, and we are never tired of listening to this again and again. How good it is to start a new day and a new month with this identity surrounded by a multitude of saints. They started their relationship with God from the same point—“children of God. Yet so we are.”
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)
