“WALK DAILY WITH JESUS”, 20/04/26, (Monday, 3rd Week of Easter in Year A).

COLLECT: “GRANT, WE PRAY, ALMIGHTY GOD, THAT, PUTTING OFF OUR SELF WITH ALL ITS WAYS, WE MAY LIVE AS CHRIST DID, FOR THROUGH THE HEALING PASCHAL REMEDIED YOU HAVE CONFORMED US TO HIS NATURE. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN”.

Acts 6:8-15; Ps 118:23-24,26-27,29-30; and Jn 6:22-29.

Today’s passage from Acts talks about Stephen, one of the seven deacons who was “filled with grace and power” and who worked “wonders and signs among the people”. This stirred up envy and jealousy among some people who debated with Stephen but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke. They eventually INSTIGATED some people to present false witnesses against Stephen. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Envy with jealousy is surfacing frequently in scripture. Consider the evil and disaster it is able to cause to humanity and society. It is one of the mortal sins. So, get rid of it from your life.

The passage from the Gospel of John talks about the crowd looking for Jesus and his disciples shortly after Jesus fed the five thousand men and when his disciples saw him walking on the sea. Jesus told them that they were not looking for him for signs but because they ate the loaves and were filled. Jesus challenged them not to work for food that perishes but for food that endures for eternal life, food that only the Son of Man gives. Jesus also told them to do the works of God; that is, to believe in the one God sent.

It will be fitting today to have a brief assessment or evaluation of the motives behind my claims as a believer or a follower of Jesus Christ. Indeed, some believers or followers of Jesus do not have the right motives and intentions. Sometimes, our intentions or motives for being Christians are wrong and evil. If I am a believer or a Christian because of physical and temporal benefits but not because I want to satisfy my spiritual hunger and quench my spiritual thirst, then my motives and intentions are wrong and evil. Similarly, if I become a believer or a follower of a religion simply because I want to use religion to gain prestige, comfort or for some political or economic gains, then I have wrong and evil motives and intentions and I have missed the boat, because these are self-centred and selfish motives. In fact, such wrong or evil motives easily lead to dishonesty, hypocrisy and pretence. This is evidently clear in the accusations the people levelled against Stephen. Some people pretend to be more religious and they engage more in religious activities or the Church’s activities when they want certain favours from God or from the Church. Am I one of such people? Then I have to stop it.

The people who came looking for Jesus did not have the right and genuine motives and intentions. That was why Jesus criticised them. True believing or followership in Jesus entails knowing that Jesus is the truth and his way leads to life eternal. With this knowledge, the believer is ready and willing to do and accomplish God’s work. That is, believing in the one God sent to the world and serving him (being a witness to Jesus Christ). This was what Stephen did. *He served the people with the “food that endures for eternal life” through his preaching and the signs and wonders he performed*. The work of God cannot be accomplished on a silver platter. There are challenges to be encountered. Some of the challenges include persecution, false accusations/charges, suffering and pain, and even stoning, flogging and death. Stephen underwent some of these.

Today, what can you and I do to accomplish the works of God? We need to have the right and good motives and intentions for following Jesus. We also need to work for food that lasts/endures, spiritual food. If we accomplish this, we should know that persecution, suffering, false accusations and pain are our portion. We pray that the Lord may give us wisdom and the Spirit as he gave them to Stephen, to work and accomplish his work on earth. Stay blessed and sound work.

WE MEDITATE TODAY, MONDAY, ON THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE AND THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE’. (LET US PRAY FOR HUMILITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR, POVERTY IN SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE AND JOY IN FINDING JESUS) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.

PRAYER: “ALMIGHTY AND EVER-LIVING GOD, WHO RESTORE US TO ETERNAL LIFE IN THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, INCREASE IN US, WE PRAY, THE FRUITS OF THIS PASCHAL SACRAMENT AND POUR INTO OUR HEARTS THE STRENGTH OF THIS SAVING FOOD. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.

Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com