Thursday of the 3rd week of Easter year A

Theme: God loves you

In the 1st reading of today from the Acts of the Apostles, we see the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. God positioned Philip, to bring about the baptism and newness of life for the Ethiopian Eunuch. God loves us so much, and often make effort to ensure that things get better for all of us. No matter the situation you find yourself in life, never think that God has forgotten about you. It is at such moments that he is closest to you. Everyone of us is precious to God, and he is always willing and ready to make extra sacrifices for our own good. Remember God has not changed, he is the same yesterday, today and forever; he cannot change now or because of your situation.

In view of this dearly beloved in Christ, remain strong and steadfast, amidst the difficulties and challenges of life that you encounter. The fact that you have God as your father, should always be always a source of great strength to you. He will always intervene in your life situations, whenever he deems it necessary, whether you invite him or not. A good example is the story in our 1st reading of today. The Ethiopian Eunuch was not expecting the encounter with Philip, but God positioned Philip for the good of the Ethiopian Eunuch.

However, one thing that is very clear is the desire of the Ethiopian Eunuch to know about God. He was reading the scriptures, even though he did not understand what he was reading. Ordinarily some of us would have seen that as a waste of time and would not bother reading the scriptures. Often the little efforts we make for God, is greatly rewarded in a way that we cannot understand. Always remember that there is nothing you do for God that goes unrewarded by God himself. Even though we don’t have to do things for God because we intend to get something from him. What is good is good, whether we are rewarded or not.

The scripture is the word of God and a place of encounter between you and God. You are encouraged today to make out time to study the word of God. The more we study the word of God, the better our understanding about God and our faith will be. When our words and action are backed with great conviction, it is easier to impact on the lives of our listeners. May the Lord bless his words in our hearts, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.

Thursday of the 3rd week of Easter year A, by Fr. Jude Ifeanyi Ifezime, C.S.Sp