Wednesday of the 25th week in ordinary time year A
Ezra 9: 5-9 Luke 9: 1-6
Theme: A prayer of mercy and thanksgiving
Today the church celebrates the memorial of St. Vincent de Paul. A great missionary who is known for his care for the poor and downtrodden in the society. He is known for his charity work among the poor and marginalized. He is the founder of a congregation of priests, known as the priests of the mission and collaborated in the founding of the daughters of charity. He was interested in the welfare of the poor, and these two congregations continued by working with the poor and less privileged as part of their apostolate.
A day like this is a reminder to all of us who are Christians, to be mindful of the plight and difficulties of the and less privileged in our midst. St. Vincent de Paul provided for them as much as he can and was also their voice when necessary. We are all encouraged today to do all within our power to put a smile on the face of at least one less privileged person around us today or be the voice of the voiceless. This is the challenge thrown at us today as we celebrate the feast day of the patron saint of the poor and marginalized. You don’t have to be rich to share with others, the little you have can be shared and it will be greatly appreciated. Some of the poor people around you may just be happy to know that you love them and care for them.
In the 1st reading of today from the Book of Ezra, we see the prophet standing on the gap and begging for the mercy of God on behalf of his people, and appreciating the love God continues to show the people, irrespective of their failings. His action is quite encouraging as a prophet. He was interceding for the people and acknowledging the goodness of God in their lives. Let us emulate the prophet’s action, by accepting the fact that we have offended God and appreciate the fact that God has not forsaken us, even with all the mistakes we have made in our lives too. 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.