Memorial of St. Ambrose (Bishop and Doctor of the church)
Theme: The supremacy of God
Today the church celebrates the memorial of St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the church. He was a great pastor, and contributed towards the conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo. In the 1st reading of today, the prophet Isaiah reminds us about the supremacy of the God we serve. He created everything in existence and has power over them all, and he holds all things in being. Nothing is beyond God, and he has power over every situation that we encounter in our daily life. We are encouraged to present the challenges we are presently going through in our individual lives to God, trusting that he will come to our aid. All we need at this time is to have faith that God can change that difficult situation in our life at the moment, and wait patiently as he intervenes. He is a faithful God that is tested and trusted, he does not desert those who trust in him. His ability to take control of the storms in our lives is never in doubt for all those who believe and have faith in God.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, the assertion of Jesus in the gospel reading of today should strengthen our faith in God. The Lord is inviting us to present to him the difficulties and burdens that are weighing us down in our lives and he will give us rest. He is willing to make our burden lighter and accompany us in our journey of faith, if we present everything to him and give him a chance in our lives. This is an invitation coming from Jesus himself and we should accept it gladly. When one is privileged to have God journeying with you, you can be rest assured that the journey will definitely end well to the glory of God. Although it does not mean that there will no longer be challenges in our lives because we have accepted the invitation of God, it simply means that we will carry our cross onto victory at the end, just like Jesus did.
We pray that through the intercession of Saint Ambrose, God will grant us the grace to continue to work for heaven, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.