Wednesday of the 18th week in the ordinary time
Theme: A faithful God
In the 1st reading of today from the prophet Jeremiah, we see the faithfulness of God towards his people the Israelites, and by extension you and i. The depth of his love is seen in the way he was patient with the people and was showing them love that they do not deserve strictly speaking. We see unconditional love of God in practice. Not minding the fact that they have chosen a path that is not pleasing to God, he did not desert them, but rather continues to show them love. This proves right the assertion of Jesus that his main concern is not that we die, but rather that we have life in abundance.
My dear friends in Christ, the attitude of God towards the Israelites in today’s 1st reading is worthy of emulation. Today we are challenged to Show people love and mercy even when they do not deserve it. This is a practice that is not very common in our own time, and needs to be cultivated by you and I as Christians; if we truly want to impact positively in our circle of influence and in the life of all those who encounters us in our journey of faith. The power of love in any given situation cannot be over-emphasized. It is very powerful and is needed by all of us who go by the name Christian.
In the gospel reading of today, we hear the cry of the Canaanite woman who said to Jesus, ‘have mercy on me, O lord, Son of David…’ the assertion of Jesus after she made her request for her daughter to be healed, would have gotten most people angry; but she was not. Her response to Jesus, showed the depth of her faith in Jesus, her persistence and also her humility. All these touched Jesus and her request was granted her immediately. These are wonderful attributes that we all need in our life as children of God. They will make us better persons and also help us attract people to the kingdom of God.
It is my prayer today that God will grant us the grace to humble ourselves and practice these wonderful virtues in love and faithfulness to God and humanity. May almighty God bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.