Jonah is Reproved!
27th Week Wednesday in Ordinary
Time
Year One
Jon 4:1-11
Meditation
Jonah is
Reproved!
Jonah was upset
with God for the transformation that has taken place in the people. He was
angry with God, for he let the bush grew and die which was a shade for him in
the hot sun. The Lords ways do not match human understanding. The Lord wanted
to put an end to the life of the city of Nineveh but through the
instrumentality of Johan he saves it. Probable Johan was upset with the ways of
God. He wants to end his life or prefers to die at the actions of God. Desiring
to die is a total surrender to God, which leads life on earth and heaven. It is
spiritual attitude of surrender to God the Almighty. If Johan is so irritable
for the things, for which he is not responsible; how much more God should feel?
God feels for the people of Nineveh and designs a plan to protect them. The
Lord is one who is interested in the wellbeing of humans, world and universe, takes care of us. Let us have trust
in the goodness of God.
Do we keep our
trust in God?
Year Two
Gal 2:1-2, 7-14
Meditation
St Paul is the Champion of the
Gentiles!
St Paul went to Jerusalem after
fourteen years of his conversion. He has not rushed to Jerusalem to make his
prominence felt. He worked on himself. One has to work on himself/ herself for
better service in the Lord. No good happens overnight the growth in the grace
and spirit of the Lord is slow and steady. He does not want his purpose to be
in vain but to be fruitful in the service of the Lord. We need to take care in
the preparation of ourselves with humility and rigour for the ministry of the
Lord.
St Pual was chosen to be the
champion of the Gentiles and the uncircumcised. He loved them and he preached
gospel to them. He instructed them in the gospel with patience and kindness. He
understood their culture and ethos to bring them to Christ. He stood by them to
strengthen them in faith. The church is multicultural, multilingual and
multinational because the essence of the message of Jesus is for all people of
God. It was St Paul who took interest in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles.
Do we accept people of other
cultures into the Church?
Lk 11:1-4
Be Merciful!
He was praying in a certain place, and after
he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as
John taught his disciples.” So, he said
to them, “When you pray, say: Father, may your name be revered as holy. May
your kingdom come. Give us each day our
daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone
indebted to us. And do not bring us to
the time of trial.” (Lk 11:1-4).
Our Father is the prayer, which
is prayed by most of us. It is a lovely prayer. It can be prayed by all sorts
of people. I would like to reflect a little on the duty of each one of us to
forgive others in order that our own sins my be forgiven. In life the way we
are with others, we will be with ourselves or the way we are with us, we will
be with others. If we forgive ourselves and others, we do forgive others and
our sins too will be forgiven by others and God. Let us learn to be good with
ourselves and with others, in showing mercy and forgiveness. The way we give,
the way we receive.
Are we merciful to ourselves?
Fr Putti Anthaiah, sdb
Comments
Post a Comment