Monthly Archives: May 2014

REJOICE!

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Tuesday 27th May – Tuesday of the 6th week of Easter

Reflection: Acts 16: 22-34

REJOICE!

The power of God is felt most in the difficult areas and circumstances of our lives. There is a hope against all hope. Christ in us is the hope of glory. The revelation of the glory of God is a profound mystery. This is the wisdom that today’s text seeks to convey to us. This wisdom is found simply in being joyful in the Holy Spirit, for the kingdom of God is all about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

There is a great glory that is revealed in your life when you decide to damn all the ugly circumstances in your life and choose to praise God. Dear friend, it is in the midst of such joyful praise that you will experience the immense joy and peace which the Holy Spirit gives. As you are filled with this joy and oblivious of the difficulties around you, you will experience a miracle. The long awaited deliverance that you desire will suddenly come. This was the mystery that saved Paul and Silas; and today yours will not be any different.

Beloved, as you see God glorified in your situation, you will become a channel through which His presence and love radiate to those you come in contact with. How can this be? You just have to dwell in the presence of God always. That is, you should have a consciousness of His abiding presence in you, and worship Him in your heart always. By so doing, you too like Paul and Silas will become a conduit of glory and salvation to others around you.

Prayer: Father, as I worship you in my heart each day, let your glory be ever made manifest through me in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

KNOW YOUR CHURCH: YOUCAT 113 – What does it mean to say: I believe in the Holy Spirit?

To believe in the Holy Spirit means to worship him as God just like the Father and Son. It means to believe that the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts so that we as children of God might know our Father in heaven. Moved by God’s Spirit, we can change the face of the earth. [CCC 683-686].

HIDE A TREASURE: “…Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27b RSV-CE

Readings for today: Acts 16: 22- 34; Psalm138: 1-3, 7-8; John 16: 5-11

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THE GOD OF WONDERS

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Monday 26th May – Memorial of St Philip Neri, Priest

Reflection: Psalm 149: 1-6, 9

THE GOD OF WONDERS

Our God is so great, He has the power to give life and to take it back. That is why He is called the “Omni-potent One”. One of the ways we can experience the omnipotence of our God is through joyful praises. Beloved, when you praise God in every circumstance, you can be rest assured of complete victory. This is simply because you have handed the battle over to God.

Today, there is a clarion call made for you to praise God wherever you find yourself, and in whatever circumstances you are in right now. The Psalmist admonishes today: “Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, shout for joy and take their rest, let the praises of God be on their lips…” (Ps.149:5&6). Praise is a lethal weapon against the enemy of your soul. Through praise, you tear down strongholds and create a way where there seems to be no way. Through praise, God will be glorified, and men will favour you. So get up from any form of hopelessness and praise God today, and you will surely reap a harvest of miracles. God is able!

Prayer: You are most holy O Lord, accept the praises I offer you today. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 40 – Can God do anything? Is he almighty?

“For God nothing is impossible (Lk1:37). He is almighty. [CCC.268-278]. Anyone who calls on God in need believes that he is all-powerful… He guides all things and can do everything. How he uses his omnipotence is of course a mystery… Often God’s omnipotence is displayed in a situation where men no longer expect anything from it. The powerlessness of Good Friday was the prerequisite for the Resurrection.”

HIDE A TREASURE: Do not be anxious about anything. In everything resort to prayer and supplication together with thanksgiving and bring your requests before God” Philippians 4:6 RSV-CE

Readings for today: Acts 16: 11-15; Psalm 149: 1-6, 9; John 15:26 – 16:4.

CALLED TO BE WITNESSES

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Sunday 25th May – 6th Sunday of Easter

Reflection: 1 Peter 3: 15-18

CALLED TO BE WITNESSES

Dear friends in Christ, our world is full of forces which can easily cloud our minds and gradually withdraw us from our very source of joy and eternal satisfaction. Man is faced with a lot of questions that bother his mind. With the era of internet which is filled with both good and bad materials, witnessing to the truth of the Gospel is of utmost importance. This is a call to all of us, the disciples of Christ to rise up and bring the good news to confused hearts.

Our reading today emphasizes the need for us to always be ready to witness to the hope we have in us. The first step we must take is to ensure that nothing in us hinders the flow of grace to others. Hardships, persecutions, storms may abound but our understanding should propel us above these strongholds. This is our faith in Christ Jesus (1 John 4:4). Faith is a weapon that conquers every battle of the mind. Once we rest our mind in God’s ability to do the seemingly impossible, we are better positioned to share our hopes with others.

Jesus Christ must take the first place in our lives if we are to do exploits in our journey of faith. Our actions will attract others to us and the Holy Spirit would teach us what to say as we open our hearts to his leading. Just as Christ admonished his disciples in Matt 10: 8: “You have received without paying, so give without being paid”. Let us do all this in humility and respect knowing fully well that God is always with us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to witness to you always. Amen

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 116 – What does it mean to say that the Holy Spirit has “spoken through the prophets”?

Already in the Old Covenant God filled men and women with the Spirit, so that they lifted up their voices for God, spoke in his name, and prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah.

 HIDE A TREASURE: “For the Holy Spirit would teach you at that time what you should say” Luke 12:12GNB

Readings of Today: Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17; Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21

LED BY THE SPIRIT

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Saturday 24th May – Saturday of the 5th week of Easter

Reflection: Acts 16: 1-10

LED BY THE SPIRIT

The power to witness to Jesus is so awesome and abundant. It is born out of God’s call. By our baptism, we are prophets to the nations; speaking boldly the eternal word of Christ and destroying the reign of sin. Let us embrace this truth and act on it with our whole being. God’s Spirit enables us. Just as the scripture says in Acts 1:8, He gives us the power to witness.

The actions of Paul and Timothy in our reading today (Acts 16:6-8) should open our eyes to the source of our authority and power; the Spirit of Jesus. They were directed and prompted by the Holy Spirit because their spirit has been renewed by God’s Spirit (Romans 8:16). Christ has given us His Spirit to quicken our mortal bodies. If this is so, how do we live our daily lives? Do we care about what the Spirit is saying? Dear friends, our spirit is the lamp by which God searches our hearts, and it is by the Holy Spirit we also discern the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2: 9-12). There is need to daily nurture our spirit on the word of God in other for us to clearly recognize His promptings.

God is faithful; He will lead us to our glorious future once we surrender all to him. The human nature will sometimes protest but its tricks should be subdued by the power of God at work in us. When we allow God to use us as He wishes, we cannot be put to shame. Stay blessed.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, quicken my mortal body by your Spirit and help me to respond daily to your invitation of a new experience of your power. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT120 – What does the Holy Spirit do in my life?

The Holy Spirit makes me receptive to God; he teaches me to pray and helps me to be there for others [CCC738-741]

Augustine calls the Holy Spirit “The quiet guest of our soul”. Anyone who wants to sense his presence must be quiet. Often this Guest speaks very softly within us and with us, for instance, in the voice of our conscience or through other interior and exterior promptings.

HIDE A TREASURE: “To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace”. Romans 8:6 GNB

Readings of Today: Acts 16:1-10; Psalm 100:1-5; John 15:18-21