Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19 Learn to discern, learn to act
We sometimes encounter the same confusion as the disciples who asked Jesus questions today. Because our lives are often bewitched by various individuals and our own selfish desires, we lose the motivation to pursue eternal happiness and even become sceptical of everything we believe in. This attitude gradually distances us from God and leaves us lost in life as time passes.
Let us constantly observe the work that God has begun within us through contemplation and discern God’s call to us carefully in life. Following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we should experience God’s love in life, just as Saint Lucy, whom we celebrate today, bravely testified for Christ, living the spirit of the Gospel in our daily lives. This prompts our souls, like Elijah, to always welcome the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and to enter, together with our Lord Christ, into that inaccessible light, where we can behold the radiant faces of the Holy Trinity.
Friday of the Second Week of Advent / Our Lady of Guadalupe Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19 Be Like Children and Learn to Discern
At times, we are like those children: outwardly we may seem pure and act in a most holy manner, yet deep in our hearts we refuse to reconcile with God for the sins we have committed, feeling perfectly at peace with all that we do. We may even regard those who live each day in accordance with Christ’s teachings as fools (cf. Mt.11:18). Moreover, through our carnal lens, we look upon those who always proclaim the Gospel to us and in all places in keeping with the Savior’s instructions, thinking that they are friends of public sinners (cf. Mt.11:19) rather than friends of God. As a result, we remain under the dominion of sin and death, not under the grace of God. We are led to death by the impulses of our flesh, instead of embracing life and peace through trusting in the Holy Spirit of God and following His guidance.
Today, the Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which reminds us of this truth: we must learn to entrust ourselves fully to God. Amid the vicissitudes of earthly life, through contemplative prayer, we should listen to the Word of God and the dialogue that God establishes with our souls deep within us. With concrete actions, we are to fully do the will of God and live out the joy of the Gospel, so that those around us may also be filled with joy and hope and walk with us on the pilgrimage of hope.
Thursday of Second week of Advent / Pope Saint Damasus I Gospel: Matthew 11:11-15 The Kingdom of the Messiah
Before we came to know God, we were like the people living in the Old Testament, who, with a longing for eternal life, awaited the coming of the Savior Christ. When our brothers and sisters, whom the Lord has called to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom and enable all to know Christ through their preaching, share with us all that they have heard from the Church and set examples for us with their good words and deeds, we, just like the crowds who listened to John’s preaching back then, understand the true meaning of the Gospel, clearly discern God’s voice, believe in the Gospel, turn to Christ, and receive the holy baptism of Christ in God’s Church, washing away our original sin. In the communion of saints, we also partake of the Holy Spirit of God, and through the anointing of this Spirit, we become children of God, royal priests, and prophets of the Lord, thus having a share in proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world and leading all people to Him.
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord! It is far from enough for us to rely only on the preaching of priests and the exhortations of our brothers and sisters. Only by relying on God, imitating Christ, entrusting ourselves entirely to Him, and carefully listening to His conversation with our souls deep within us can we gain strength, truly renounce ourselves, the devil who lures us into sin, and all inappropriate thoughts, and become a way for others to reach Christ. If we cannot renounce ourselves and fully obey Christ’s teachings and carry out all that God has commanded us to do in life like Elijah, we will be like the deaf, and our faith will be empty. Therefore, as Christians, we should always centre our lives on God, constantly do God’s will and practice His teachings in life, so that we can truly be Christians in name and in deed.
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