A WORD FOR TODAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2021

A WORD FOR TODAY

SHOW YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST BY WHAT YOU DO

_"So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But some one will say, You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith." (James 2:17-18)_

_*The Christian life is not a passive one, but something you must be actively involved in if you intend to live it well in accordance to the law of Christ. For instance, if you are a footballer and you fail to play according to the rule of thd game, you will be sanctioned by the referee.*_

_When you choose to follow the way of Christ, you must be ready and willing to lay down your life to be crushed as Christ Himself was crushed. He submitted Himself to the will of His Father and He was killed for the salvation of the world._

_*St. James in the second reading of today admonishes us to show our faith by what we do. It does not make sense when we say that we have faith in Christ, but when it comes to living it out we will be defective. If you claim to have faith and there is no good work to show for it, then your faith is simply dead and cannot win any admiration or commendation in the sight of God.*_

_In showing your faith through the things you do, you must be ready to go through the way of the cross, because the Christian way and life is not all cozy, bread and butter kind of lifestyle, but sometimes you will pass through rough times, pain, trials, temptation and persecutions._

_*If you are not willing and ready to take up your cross and follow Jesus, you will definitely not be His disciple. We see Jesus rebuke Peter and called him Satan in the gospel reading, because he rejected the cross for Christ and tried to persuade Him not to think of it, he was on the side of men and not God.*_

_Our faith will not make any sense and it will become mere words and rhetorics if there is no corresponding action by way of work to show it to the people. If you have faith in Christ, you must love others as He loved us. You must be generous and give to the poor and needy who come around you. You must strive always to put a smile on the faces of those you encounter even when it is painful to do it, that is, it costs you your time, energy and resources to do it._

_*In order for our faith to be translated into action, we must be ready to kill our selfishness and greed, take up our cross and follow Christ's lead. We must be ready to keep dying everyday in doing good works that touches people's lives and in that way we shall find eternal life in God's kingdom.*_

_Listen to the voice of God who is calling you to come and follow Jesus. Do not harden your heart. Change your ways, accept the way of the cross and you will be on the right path. Do good with your time, touch lives with your work and people will know that you belong to Christ through the things they see you do in his name._

_*Good morning dearest one. Smile😊as you begin your day and do have a beautiful Sunday. May Jesus help you to choose Him above the things of the world and may your faith be shown through your actions. Amen. And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.*_

*Meditation:* Isaiah 50:5-9/Psalm 116:1-9/James 2:14-18/Mark 8:27-35

*Watch-Word:* If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

*Do not run away from the cross, do not build up a faith that has no work to show for it. Die for Christ now and you will live with Him in eternity. Faith in action is the way to go.*

(Twenty fourth Sunday in the Ordinary Time, Cycle B )