8 Nov
Thu
31st Week in Ordinary Time
Rom. 14:7-12
Ps. 27:1, 4, 13-14
Lk. 15:1-10
How To Pray With Shalom
Home Page of Shalom
Index of This Month
 

Jesus attracted sinful people who felt confident in His presence, as He spoke and ate with them. Many repented and were converted. He also attracted those self-conceited religious leaders who were eager to criticize Him. In recording these parables, Luke illustrates God's love for sinners through the examples of a man and a woman. The shepherd left his flock to search for the one lost sheep till it is found and brought home. The needy housewife turned her house upside down to find the lost coin, a pittance no doubt, but enough to buy food for a few days. Both rejoiced with their neighbours when their property was found. Jesus tells us God and the angels rejoice in the same way when sinners return to His mercy and forgiveness, but He is the one who must search for them and associate with them. Each one of them is precious in God's sight!

All of us have sinned and been "found" by Jesus and rescued through baptism and repentance. If only the religious leaders realized their need to be "found" and rescued from their arrogance, injustice, and lack of love! Paul tells us that Christ died and rose for all of us, and so none of us should judge or criticize others.



Lord, help us to be grateful for the gift of divine love and life Christ has won for us, and give us joy in seeing You welcome the lost sheep.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That holy and exemplary men and women may be our companions in proclaiming boldly the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Elaboration

- END -









P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H    

INTENTION : That holy and exemplary men and women may be our companions in proclaiming boldly the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

"They began to proclaim the word of God boldly" (Acts 4:31). The word "boldly" can also be translated as "audaciously" or with "forthrightness" in announcing the Christian message. The ideal agents of evangelisation should be "holy and exemplary persons". Though God could have spread His Kingdom without human collaboration, He has always sought human partners, who as suitable and free instruments, work for the salvation of humankind.

The laity can evangelise chiefly through prayer, the testimony of life and the establishment of a temporal order inspired by the Gospel. Though preaching the Gospel is the competence and principal duty of those who have been ordained, lay people, who have the necessary theological training, can preach.

Vatican II stresses the need for priests to be holy preachers. God ordinarily prefers to show his wonders through those men who are more submissive to the impulse and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because of their intimate union with Christ and their holiness of life, they are able to say with St Paul: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). Let us therefore pray that all those who devote themselves directly to evangelisation may live a holy life that emphasises the credibility of the Christian message.




- END -