COLLECT: “GRANT, WE PRAY, ALMIGHTY GOD, THAT WE, WHO HAVE COME TO KNOW THE GRACE OF THE LORD’S RESURRECTION, MAY, THROUGH THE LOVE OF THE SPIRIT, OURSELVES RISE TO NEWNESS OF LIFE. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Acts 9:1-20; Ps 116:1-2 and Jn 6:52-59.
Today’s passage from the Acts of the Apostles, which closely examines the activities of Saul, is about the conversion of Saul. Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, made plans with the Jewish religious authorities to go to Damascus to bring believers there to Jerusalem in chains to be dealt with. He was halted in his tracks by the living presence of the One Saul was persecuting. Saul’s life changed drastically after this encounter and he eventually became Paul, ‘The Great One’. In the passage of John, Jesus talks about his Flesh being true food and his Blood being true drink. This was a very shocking message to the Jews as it sounded cannibalistic. This statement contains deep symbolisms and meanings and if we take it literally, we will be misleading ourselves. Its real meaning is that Jesus is not talking about literal flesh and blood, but that his life has to become their own. It was a new concept that Jesus gave them which they did not understand. Indeed, our lives should change whenever we have a sincere and true encounter with the Lord, especially in the Eucharist and in the Sacraments.
It is very important to reflectively evaluate our lives and activities as Christians/believers alongside our daily, weekly, monthly or annual encounters with the Lord in the Eucharist, in the Sacraments as well as in our prayers. It is true that there are a lot of us who attend Mass daily, not even weekly and we receive Communion and sometimes the Sacraments, we pray a lot sometimes, yet there is no change in our lives, we sometimes even become worse than before. When we encounter the Lord in the Eucharist and the Sacraments we receive daily or whatever, Christ’s life should become ours and we should live considerably good lives and do good deeds.
When Saul got converted and became Paul, his life took an ‘about-turn’. He left or threw his old self far away and took a new life, the life of the Lord. Can we learn from Paul? Let us be Christians both in principle and in practice, both in word and in deed, and both on our lips and in action. As true and sincere believers/Christians let us learn to forgive as Paul did after his conversion. As sincere and true Christians we should not discriminate. Let us be more sympathetic, compassionate and merciful toward others. Pray for me as I do daily for you. May Saint Fidelis intercede for us. Stay blessed and happy feast to all who bear the name Fidelis.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, FRIDAY, ON THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION’ (WE PRAY FOR SORROW FOR SIN, PURITY, COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE) “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 the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “WE HAVE PARTAKEN OF THE GIFTS, O LORD, WE PRAY, AND, ACCEPTING THE OBLATION OF THIS SPIRITUAL SACRIFICE, MAKE OF US AN ETERNAL OFFERING TO YOU. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863.
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