“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
Daily Reflections
Thursday, 23rd February 2017,
Seventh Week in the Ordinary Time
Memorial of St. Polycarp
Sir 5: 1-8;
Ps 1: 1-4, 6;
Mk9: 41-50.
EVERY CHRISTIAN A WITNESS!
Every Christian participates in the triple mission of Christ that is; along with Christ every baptized is called to be a prophet, priest and king. Today Jesus is reminding us of our prophetic duty. To be a prophet is to bear witness to the Word. We become prophets when we take care of the poor, when we ease the sufferings of the diseased, when we stand for truth and justice. Doing so, we become the followers of Christ.
In the gospel Jesus warns us by saying; “Salt is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you season it again?” (Mk 9:50).Many times we have become insipid Christians. We have failed to bear witness to the word. We are afraid of the truth and doing so we lead others astray from the Truth. Our life which was supposed to be a prophetic witness many times has become a scandal for others. We were called in a special way to be the protectors of the little ones of God – those who are little in age, or status or in their spiritual life.
Adding salt to food brings forth flavor. It doesn’t so much change the food into something else; rather, it enhances what is there, adding more to the taste. Salt also has the effect of purifying. It’s used as a preservative and helps to rid food of bacteria. Both of these images of flavoring and preserving are worth looking at. Being “salted with fire” means that we are purified by God. Fire purifies and refines. Heat is used to sanitize utensils, fire is used to purify gold, and it is also used to mold precious metals into images or jewelry. So it is with us. We must be purified by the fire of God in every way. Sin must be purged and we must become malleable by the fire of God so that we can be molded into His divine image.
So let us accept our mission today. Let us become true prophets and pray to the Lord who listens to the crises of the little ones, that He may bless us with enough courage to work for the poor and needy. Let us not be over confident in our self but let us be poor in spirit so that we inherit the kingdom of heaven. Let us ask God’s grace that we may be able to uses his given gifts; hands, eyes, intellect, memory and will to work for the little ones.
Prayer: Dear Jesus we place our insipid lives in Your hands. Lord, I pray that You purify my soul of all sin. May the sufferings and cross in my life become a true grace through which You free me and help me to grow strong in patience and all virtue. I give myself to You, dear Lord to become your witness and prophet to the world. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.