SATURDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD( 24TH FEBRUARY, 2024)


Reflections
Elizabeth Iwuoha.       
                                              
 My little sharing from the first reading. 

Most times, the tests and trials we go through as Christians are God's way to see how much we are willing to give up for him. 

Are we like Father Abraham willing to give up our most precious gift to God? 

Or we hide it and keep complaining, God why do you want to take this away from me? 

Let us bear in mind, that to get the best, we must be willing to give the best

This reading is therefore challenging us, what are we giving up this Lenten season?



Ojo Emmanuel aka Jesus-Pikin

THE FAITH OF A CHILD
Come what may, a child CAN NEVER loose faith in the ability of the parents to provide and protect him.....regardless of how rich a neighbour might be, the child can never trust that the neighbour can care for him better than the parents...the child really don't know how the parent will go about their responsibilities for him...he just know that they will meet all his needs 🤷‍♂️.

This child trust/faith in the parent begins from the child's knowledge of 'who the parent is' and their ability/capacity (as to how they know this is left to God alone and time of course).

God needs us like Abraham and His Only Begotten Son to trust in Him. He sees the vision and He will certainly make the Provision.... _for if He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?_

If for nothing, let us spend more time this lent season to learn WHO GOD IS through His Word...... _for if we approach Him in the faith of our knowledge of Him, He is pleased to give us all we ask according to the measure of our faith in Him_

Lord, increase our faith🙏

Eshiebor Asemokhai Simon 

If God is for us, who is against us?

This is a powerful statement. And this should be a strong tripod for which our faith should stand. If God is for us, no man can fight us. 

If God is for us, though a thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, no harm will come near you.

If God is for us, we shall walk through the valley of the shadow of death and we shall fear no evil. 

If God is for us, we will conquer the world. We will conquer the flesh with his help. 

If God is for us, and we walk like one who has God by his side, the devil will tremble with fear.

Dear friends, God is for us. 

The big question is, are we for God?

And are we walking in the path he has asked us to walk?.

Comfort Mary Edewor

My Reflection on the First Reading.

This narrative of the sacrifice of Abraham on Mt Moriah , a prefigurement of the sacrifice of God's only begotten son on the Cross is one that should nourish and strengthen our faith and absolute trust in  God's love for us. In trusting God, who is loving and all powerful, there can be no room for arguments or silly attempts at making sense of God's demands.
When I put myself in Abraham's position, l know how more likely l will be trying to .make sense of that instruction. Instantly I will forget that I am dealing with the God who blessed me with that child, and who has the power of life and death in his hands. Worse still I can try convincing myself that the instructions came from some evil spirit disguising as God. I actually believe that will be reaction of the average man. 
This generation would refer to this as prank, which many in Abraham's position will fail.
 Nevertheless,one of my favourite hymns in the Catholic Hymn Book says..."Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey". No matter how humanly senseless God's instructions may sound, if we have like Abraham learnt to trust God like a true friend that he is, we shall have nothing to worry about. He can do and undo.His plans for us are for good ,each and every time. We should all pray for the grace to live God's word in blind obedience and trust. That is the only route to true peace .