A WORD FOR TODAY 3 DECEMBER 2019

A WORD FOR TODAY

BE CHILDLIKE AS YOU WELCOME THE LORD

If there is anything that pleases the Lord more, it is when we submit ourselves to Him and let Him reign in us. If the Lord dwells in us He will guide us in the way of truth, peace, righteousness, unity, love and justice. We will always live and act so as to bring honour and glory to His name.

The mind of a child is filled with innocence and with zero worries. The child depends and trusts his parents to provide for his needs and he is never afraid because he knows and believes that they will always defend him and keep him safe. Such should be our attitude as we await the coming of the Lord. We must have a childlike mentality and we must be disposed to let God lead, so that we will follow Him and learn from Him.

God has revealed Himself in Christ Jesus, but only those who have a childlike mind will understand Him and know what He wants. The disciples of Jesus were privileged to see Him and hear from Him whom the prophets of old longed to see, but could not see and to hear from Him, but could not. The Lord comes to those who are humble of heart. Therefore, if you are going to be ready to welcome the Lord when He comes, you must put on the garment of humility. You must aim and work for peace always._

The first reading of today gives us a true picture of what Jesus is coming to do. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Him and He is coming to bring peace on the face of the earth. As the different animals will dwell together without destroying each other so are we expected to be when we are in Christ. He is the righteous judge whose judgement will not be based on human sentiment, but on righteousness.

The child does not know what is discrimination, wickedness, envy, jealousy, stinginess, hatred, dishonesty, unfaithfulness e.t.c. These vices can never help us to meet Jesus when He comes. We must humble ourselves like little children so that we may encounter the Lord when He comes. If we intend to meet with Jesus we must empty ourselves from every vice in our heart and seek for virtues. We must have a heart of love, make sacrifices for peace and we must be ready to offer ourselves as a ransom for many. In this way we shall be like Jesus whom we are preparing to welcome in this season.

A proud person will never know when the Lord speaks and what the Lord wants. The person's attitude will always be an obstacle to having a wonderful encounter with the Lord. If we are going to welcome the Lord as He comes, we must be humble and childlike and He will reveal Himself to us and dwell in us and He will help us to live a life worthy of our calling.

Today we celebrate the memorial of saint Francis Xavier. He spent a greater part of his life working as a missionary in India and some other nations in the east. He converted many souls and fought against the exploitation of the people. We must learn from him to let God use us as He pleases so as to save souls.

Good morning dearest one. Smile😊as you do your work and do have a magnificent day. May God's grace help you to be humble and childlike in your attitude so that Jesus will come to dwell in your heart when He comes. Amen. And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Meditation: Isaiah 11:1-10/Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,12-13,17/Luke 10:21-24

Watch-Word: In his days, justice shall flourish, and great peace forever.

We can achieve more in unity than in division. Always work for that which will bring peace and not division.

(Tuesday of the first week of Advent, Year A)