RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 121:1-2.3-4.5-6.7-8 (R. see 2)
2nd Reading: (2 Timothy 3:14-4:2)
Gospel Reading: (Luke 18: 1-8)
The readings are all saying the same thing.
Persistent in our faith.
This faith that has been handed down to us by the apostles.
Our beliefs have never changed they have remained the same ever since.
The church remains a mother and can never mislead us.
Let us be persistent and intentional in all that the church is teaching and be ready always to propagate all that the church teaches.
Moses in the first reading showed us how we can rely on the sacrament to achieve results.
Paul in the second reading commissioned us to hold onto what has been taught us to fan it into flames.
The gospel teaches us never to stop believing in the church's teaching.
To be persistent with our faith until we finally meet God.
Nothing should take us away from the faith
The Catholic faith remains the foundation of our life and if we hold onto it as taught by the church we will never miss our way
The church has the pious organizations the liturgical societies and above all the sacraments.
We are invited to take an active part in all of these and never be found wanting in our faith.
Ave!
*Always pray and not lose heart*
Jesus is reassuring us that prayer works and is necessary.
Please if all you have is to pray, you have all you need.
Let us not discourage those who pray. God will answer them.
The answer can be to send a Moses for them as Nigerians hope for, or to show them how to use what he has given them like Moses at the Sea or even ask what they have like his disciples at the miracle of loaves or show them what to do like the slave girl Haggai when Abraham and Sarah sent her away. God opened her eyes to see a well of water which she would never have seen by her own effort.
But he will answer. In whatever manner he decides is his business and not ours.
Let them be! And You that are praying, Jesus says I hear you, don't get tired. Just Pray!
From the time of our first Holy Communion, we have learned so much. St. Paul says to us , as he said to Timothy, that we must continue with what we have learned and believed. But have we believed all we have learned? From where do we get our learning? We are nourished by the Sacred Scriptures, Sacred traditions, daily/Sunday homilies. We must put into practice all we have learned. Above all, we must equip ourselves with a clear knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures along Sacred traditions.
We are charged to preach the Word at all times and use what we've learned to support each other in the faith, correct in love falsehood and malicious distortions put forward by enemies of the faith while we wait in hope with patience for the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This phrase is common among us today as Christians "GOD WHEN" !!!! AGAIN I SAID GOD WHEN EXACTLY
Mostly when we feel that God is blessing and showing favour to others and we are left out. We resort to the above unreasonable Rehtorical question as if we place an order from Temu or Jumia. How much did you pay to God for delivery before asking him such commercial questions. God of Temu, what you order versus what you got lol.
This is a pure display of impatience and lack of faith amongst Christian people especially the Catholics.
If someone should tell you what snails take as food , you will never consume it as meat. Are you aware?
Those people you've seen as been successful in life if they should tell you the sacrifices they have made you will marvel. You may even decide to remain the way you are.
The amount of sacrifice they have made.
Their consistency in prayer
Their perseverance when despair
Their persistence in times of trials is top-notch
Their unflinching Faith and so on are the seeds sowed which bear blessings, victory and Favour as the end products.
Those called ritualists or Dibia or Ndi Ogwu ego are the worst, if you see the kind of sacrifices they make to succeed, you rather pity them instead. You may relate to Nollywood movies, though imaginary but some reflects the reality of life.
Those elements suffer a lot for the sake of whatever they are looking for.
The strategy employed by the Israelites Moses, Joshua, Aaron and Hur in our first reading and the man in the gospel show that they have gone far and they can't go back and so if NEPA takes light they will put on Solar , if solar spoils, they will on generator . Maka na Oku di over!!!
We will win those Amalekites surrounding us and also win God's blessings and Favours when we remain steadfast in prayer with a touch of undiluted fath as an ingredient.
*CONSISTENCY*
Consistency is a key to achieve the impossible...
The gospel reminds of the importance of consistency in everything we do...
Consistency paves way where there seems no way...
We pray for the spirit of consistency in our prayer and Christian life. Amen 🙏
Obimma Oluchukwu
My reflection will be taken from the Gospel which urges us to pray without season. Consistency matters in whatever you are doing. Don't loose hope, don't be tired, keep pushing and He will do it when the time is right.
If this judge that fears neither God nor man can reason and act this way, then believe God, He will do it, only be consistent when asking.
