02/07/2023

The Church begins her liturgy for today with a call for celebratory joy. It is the joy that is felt by sports fans when their team wins, by parents when we know that our children are well and happy, by the Apostles when they could hold it in their hearts that Jesus is resurrected for ever.

It is joy that we may feel as we put our faith into practice. I say "may" for sometimes our joy in Christ is held back by knowledge of our continued sinfulness and the vagaries of our reactions to Providence, "Why me O Lord?".

Jesus and the Apostles in the New Testament prepare us for all that we can ever have to face in this world where each of us is responsible for the parts we are assigned by Providence. The Shunamite woman shares her wealth, has the great joy of a promised child and, as did Job, she faces the ups and downs of her life without cursing God.

Jesus is preparing us to live our lives in the Providence of this World but without ever losing sight of our Heavenly Father and His Kingdom of Heaven.We all can find joy in our place in life and feel pride at our personal achievements but we must,all of us, be sure that we will leave all the people and things that have become "our life" behind when we receive the inevitable " promotion to Glory" , the Salvation Army's happy euphemism, for death. 

By the providence of God we have all become part of parents' and offsprings' lives and we have to honour and not drive them to resentment if our own life  is to be "alive for God in Christ Jesus". There  is, however, order to life in creation and in obedience to God's will. Each human being must never forget that God is always first before all that we can know and do. The next in rank is the other person, my neighbour whose needs must always come before my own if "I am to love him as I do myself".

This is also true for mother, father, children and all other people too. We all have this cross to bear. We are our brothers' keeper.

Dear Lord help me to live true to what I am, read, think and write. May Mary who is the only created being to have lived exactly as you will for us all to live, lead all the Saints of Heaven in praise of your Being and in supplication for the divine Mercy that is You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.