Tag Archives: hope

THE AUDACITY OF HOPE

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Friday 26th June – Friday of week 12 of the year

Reflection: Matthew 8: 1-4

THE AUDACITY OF HOPE

“Then a leper came forward. He knelt before Him and said, ‘Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

The audacity expressed by the leper is very commendable. Considering, that in the Jewish culture lepers were forbidden from coming into public arenas and mingling with people. This leper not only came to public view but also, went to meet our Blessed Lord for help. Such effrontery is the audacity of his hope. Dear friends, sometimes, like the historical lepers, we have been kept in a cocoon by our sins and unworthiness; we feel we are incapable of rising above our faults and thus remain complacent.

The boldness of this leper is a call for us to rise above our present limitations. Irrespective of how shamefully we might have lived, or how terribly we have failed in the past, today offers us another opportunity to take the bold step of beginning anew. No matter how bad our past might have been we can always begin anew. The leper said, “Sir if you want to…” His choice of words showed that the leper knew that only He who creates can renew. To begin anew, we must realize that only He who created us has the power to renew us.
Our Blessed Lord stretched forth His hands, touched him, and said, “I want to, be clean again.” Jesus is more eager to help us than we seek to be helped. Nevertheless, as St. Augustine said, “God created us without our consent but He will not save us without our cooperation.” Like the case of the leper, Christ is eagerly waiting to help us with our challenges, our relationships, our academics, or whatever our burdens maybe. He is waiting for us to just come to Him and He will make us clean.

Oh what peace we often forfeit, Oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? Are we weak and heavy-laden? Cumbered with a load of care? Take it to the Lord in prayer.

In His arms he will take and shield you and you will find a solace there.

PRAYER: Lord give me the grace to realize that no sin or fault of mine is greater than your love or mercy for me and help me to seek always for a new life in you. Amen

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 308 – What is hope?

Hope is the power by which we firmly and constantly long for what we were placed on earth to do: to praise God and to serve him; and for our true happiness, which is finding our fulfillment in God; and for our final home: in God.

HIDE A TREASURE: Ask and you shall receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7 CCB

Today’s Readings: Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22, Psalm 128:1-5, Matthew 8:1-4

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OUR HOPE IN THE GLORY TO COME

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Tuesday 19th May – Tuesday of the 7th week of Eastertide

Reflection: John 17: 1-11

OUR HOPE IN THE GLORY TO COME

Though the world may someday forget the pains of racism, history will never forget Martin Luther King Jnr. and his famous speech “I have a dream”. Along with many others, he stood his ground against the pervading demon of racism at that time. They knew their lives on the line yet they were not going to permit a cloud to cover the bright light of hope they saw. They were inspired by the hope that their children would someday live in a nation without racial boundaries. Their dream may not have come through during their lifetime, yet their hope has inspired generations. Should our hope in Christ not be even much greater?

Christ at the close of His earthly ministry; was eagerly desirous of the glory He was to receive from His heavenly Father, after glorifying the Father with His earthly life and work (John 17:5). Also, amidst the tears of the elders of the church in Ephesus, as he gave his farewell speech, St. Paul was at peace with himself and with God after serving him faithfully through thick and thin. He had given his life in order to accomplish the work of his Master, Jesus. In hope, he could catch a glimpse of the glory to come at the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8: 18-19).

As Christians, we are people of hope. It is our hope in God that keeps us faithful to Him even in difficult situations. Have you lost the will to live in the face of trials? Are you on the verge of compromising your Christian and Catholic faith because of the difficulties around you? Do not give in to despair, dear friend. Ask the Holy Spirit to rekindle in your heart the gift of hope and the joy that comes with it.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, comfort me in trying times by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 308 – What is hope?

Hope is the power by which we firmly and constantly long for what we were placed on earth to do: to praise God and to serve him; and for our true happiness, which is finding our fulfillment in God; and for our final home: in God.

HIDE A TREASURE: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us…” Romans 5:4 RSV-CE

Readings for Today: Acts 20: 17-27; Psalm 68: 10-11, 20-21; John 17: 1-11

DO NOT ABANDON HOPE

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Thursday 19th March – Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reflection: 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16

DO NOT ABANDON HOPE

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin and foster father of Jesus. The genealogy of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 1:1-17, shows that St. Joseph was of the line of King David whom the Lord promised in today’s first reading: ”Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever”. This promise was fulfilled in Christ Jesus, as the prophet Isaiah said, “He will reign on David’s throne and over all his kingdom, to establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forever” (Isaiah 9:6).  Though it took hundreds of years, God was faithful to His promise just as He was to our father Abraham.

Dear friends, our God can do much more than we can ask or imagine and He’s more willing to help us than we want to be helped. Though some of God’s promises may seem delayed from our perspective, we must not abandon hope. Though the tunnel may seem very dark and long, there will surely be light at its end; though our tears may persist all the night, we shall surely rejoice at dawn. Beloved in Christ, God’s delays are never His denials; He alone knows the best time is for us. Our Hope in God should lead us to understand that there is nothing impossible for God who is more than able to fulfill His promises.

Let us remember our fathers in the faith; has there been anyone who trusted the Lord and being confounded? Not one! Then, we too can be sure that our hope in God can never fail us. So keep hope alive.

PRAYER: Lord, increase my faith in you and give me the grace to know that in all things you always work for my good. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 308 – What is hope?

Hope is the power by which we firmly and constantly long for what we were placed on earth to do: to praise God and to serve him; and for our true happiness, which is finding our fulfillment in God; and for our final home: in God.

HIDE A TREASURE: “This is a vision for an appointed time; it will not fail but will be fulfilled in due time. If it delays, wait for it, for it will come and will not be deferred.” Habakkuk 2:3 CCB

Today’s Readings: 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16, Psalm 89: 2-5, 27, 29, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

BLESSING OR CONDEMNATION

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Thursday 5th March – Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Reflection: Jeremiah 17:5-10

BLESSING OR CONDEMNATION

Blessings and curses can be traced back to the first family – Adam and Eve. When God created them, He blessed them, asking them to be fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:27-28) but because of their disobedience they were cursed (Gen 3:16-19). Since then, man has the freedom to choose either to be blessed by living in obedience to God or to be cursed by living in sin.

Beloved, the presence of God amongst man brings a blessing. This is seen repeatedly in the life of ancient Israel; the presence of God signified by the Ark of the Covenant always brought victory to them. Today, what do you choose: a blessing or a curse? In today’s reading, God proclaims a blessing on the man who put his trust in Him rather than relying on his fellow man. As young people, there is an increasing tendency to rely on other humans because many privileges such as: getting admission into universities, good job opportunities, good contracts etc are reserved for those with influence. Yet in the midst of seeking the help of men, let us remember that our real source of help whom we can rely on is God Himself. He can work through people around us but He remains the only one we can truly trust.

God has mapped out your life in a way no human can comprehend. When you trust God, He defends you with His glory and establishes you in the land. He gives you an understanding of your purpose and calling and His blessings are indeed much more than material gain; they are eternal. Today, go out seeking for God’s blessing by placing all your trust and hope in Him.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I place my trust in You. Please rain down your blessing on my life and make me planted in you that I may bear fruit always to the glory of your name. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 484 – What is a prayer of blessing?

A prayer of blessing is a prayer that calls down God’s blessing upon us. From God alone all blessings flow. His goodness, his closeness, his mercy—that is blessing. “May the Lord bless you” is the shortest prayer of blessing.

HIDE A TREASURE: “The blessing of the Lord brings riches, and no effort can replace it”. Proverbs 10:22 CCB

Today’s Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1:1-6; Luke 16:19-31