Vivere bene il tempo che abbiamo

Most at times, I hear phrases like, I don’t have anything to offer, I don’t have anything to contribute, I don’t have anything to give you etc. Today’s gospel is for people that always make these kinds of statement. Jesus wants us to understand that no matter the situation we find ourselves in, no matter how bad it is, once we as still breathing we still have something to offer.

In those days nobody was more deprived, overlooked and ignore by the society than a widow but yet the widow in today’s gospel gave the all and the little she had. Today’s gospel is asking us this question: Are we ready to totally offer ourselves to God, to give not just everything we have but also our whole being to the service of the kingdom of God.

Let Us Pray: Lord Jesus I know now that it doesn’t matter the quantity of my service, what matter is the quality. Teach me how to totally abandon myself to your will.

Durante la mia lettura del vangelo di oggi, mi sono imbattuto in un passaggio che diceva che Zaccheo fu il capo dei pubblicani ed e ricco. Ho provato ad immaginare nella nostra generazione attuale, un uomo ricco come Zaccheo in tutti sensi che si arrampica su un albero. È impossibile, chissà quante persone ridevano di lui mentre si arrampicava sul quell’albero ma l’ha fatto lo stesso. Si è umiliato nella ricerca della sua salvezza e la sua umiltà si trasforma alla salvezza perché Gesù ha notato lui e il suo sforzo di pentirsi e ha salvato non solo lui ma anche la sua casa.

Nel mondo di oggi tante persone stanno cercando di vivere una vita giusta, ma le religioni continuano a renderne difficile per loro. Il vangelo di oggi ci invita a riconoscere le lotte degli altri e a diventare per loro un incoraggiamento e non un ostacolo.

Preghiamo

Signore Gesù, per noi novizi e per tutti i novizi nel mondo che stanno nel cammino verso la verginità pasquale, aiutaci ad accendere l'amore nei cuori che sono stati privati dell'amore, insegnaci come trasformare l'affetto in salvezza proprio come hai fatto con Zaccheo.

In the time of Jesus, today’s gospel was addressed to the Pharisees but today this gospel is addressed to us Christians. We believe we have the key to paradise, we believe our canon is the best, we believe we are on the right; we believe we are closer to God than another person but we forget that the intention of the father is to save everybody. We forget that the word was made flesh; He walked amongst us, taught us the way of the father, died and was resurrected not for the salvation of just a few persons but of all mankind.

Let Us Pray: Lord Jesus, we don’t want to be too perfect that we become blind to the struggles of mankind, teach us to rejoice when a lost soul is found, ignite also in us the joy of mission.

In today’s gospel, I think Jesus was a little angry, He looked had the opportunity to look back at the Old Testament at how the people of Nineveh repented after hearing Jonah reluctant message and how the queen of Sheba honored Solomon with gifts for his wisdoms.

But they were finding it difficult to believe Him whose message was more power than that of Jonah and whose wisdom was far more, greater than that of Solomon.

In the light of today’s reflection, let us Prayer

God please help me to appreciate the price you son paid for me on the cross, open my eye to see the beauty of his word.

The Spoils of War

The Vows

The mystries of the seventh month

Calendar of offerings