Tuesday 22nd September – Tuesday of week 25 of the year

Luke 8: 19-21

BEYOND FAMILY TIES

Today’s gospel reading has something to teach us on proper conduct in our relationships. Have you ever being tempted to violate your conscience in a bid to satisfy the desires of your relatives? I certainly believe you would have at one point or the other find yourself in such a tight situation. In today’s gospel reading, our Divine master teaches us the right way to handle such – our commitment to please the Lord must always rank above any other tie. Inability to rightly handle this is a major cause of nepotism even among Christians.

By virtue of our baptism, we have been adopted as sons and daughters of God ((Colossians 1:16, 2:12; Galatians 4:4-6) and are members of one family with our Lord Jesus Christ. However, beyond our baptismal entry into the family of God, Christ is telling you and I that what truly gives legitimacy to our relatedness to Him is our openness to hear and obey His word (John 10:27). No matter how long we have been baptised or how regularly we frequent the sacraments, if these do not translate into godly living we cannot say we belong to Him.

Some readily sight today’s gospel in their bid to downplay the role of Mother Mary in the life of the Church. However, the fundamental question to ask ourselves is “how well did Mary cooperate with the will of God in her life?” By her fiat she completely acceded to the will of God to become the mother of God (Luke 1:26-38) even though it was beyond her understanding. She accepted God’s will at the risk of rejection and public ridicule. She shared in her son’s sorrow and stood by him till His crucifixion at Golgotha. Mary’s motherhood of the Church (Luke 19: 26-27; Luke 1:48) was not merely earned by her giving birth to Christ, much more than that, she was a woman of deep faith who freely and fully committed herself to doing the will of God.

PRAYER: Please teach me Lord to hold you foremost in my heart. Guide me on how best to handle the relationships you have blessed me with in a manner that brings honour to you. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 148 – Can Mary really help us?

Yes. Since the beginning of the Church, experience has taught that Mary helps. Millions of Christians testify to it. Being the Mother of Jesus, Mary is also our Mother. Good mothers always stand up for their children. Certainly this Mother does. While still on earth she interceded with Jesus for others; for example, she protected a bride and groom in Cana from embarrassment. In the Upper Room on Pentecost she prayed in the midst of the disciples. Because her love for us never ceases, we can be sure that she will plead for us in the two most important moments of our life: “now and at the hour of our death”

HIDE A TREASURE: “Am I seeking the favour of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 RSV-CE

Today’s reading: Ezra 6: 7-8.12.14-20; Psalm 122: 1-5; Luke 8: 19-21