A WORD FOR TODAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2022

*A WORD FOR TODAY*

*CONSIDER THE PAIN OF OTHERS AND DO SOMETHING TO HELP*

_"And Jesus said to them, I ask you, is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it? And he looked around on them all, and said to him, Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored."(Luke 6:9-10)_

_*It is selfishness that makes people not to be considerate in their dealings with others who may lack what they have or may not have as much as they have and will be in serious need for help.*_

_You may not know actually what some people are going through except you put yourself in their shoes and try to feel what they feel. It is usually said that you may not be concerned about what is happening to another person until the same thing begins to happen to you._

_*In the gospel reading of today we see that the Scribes and the Pharisees were blinded by their insensitive desire to keep the law of the Sabbath and they were not considerate to the simply cry for love from the man who had the withered hand.*_

_The commandment of God is summed up in love, we must obey God and we must do good to others. Love supersedes every other thing. Therefore, we must constantly be considerate about how we treat others. Who must not let selfishness make us to become insensitive to the plight or sufferings of others because we are not passing through the same trouble._

_*Love is the code and even on the Sabbath day we must aim to do good and not harm, save life and not destroy, raise up and not pull down, wipe away tears and not cause pain and sorrow, heal and not make people sick.*_

_Any help you give to make someone in need better and great again will always count for you in the sight of God. A true child of God and disciple of Jesus must always do something when he or she hears the cry for help from someone genuinely in need._

_*They wanted to accuse Jesus of breaking the law on the Sabbath and Jesus responded by telling them through His action that any good done on the Sabbath day is atually a fulfillment of the law, for God cannot be insensitive not to help someone in need because it is the Sabbath.*_

_We must learn from Jesus to always do something to help when we see people suffering. We may not solve all their needs, but our show of concern and assistance in kind or in material help will definitely lighten their mood and give them the motivation and strength to keep moving forward._

_*Just as St. Paul tells us in the first reading of today that a little leaven leavens all the dough. Evil starts little by little and if you don't check it, it will take over you. In the same way, a kindness consistently shown to the needy will one day grow to become a way of life for the one who does not run away when there is a cry for help in the life of someone in need. The truth is that He who helps others without complain or selfishness will definitely find help from people in his or her times of need. Insensitivity is actually the problem of our leaders, because they seem not bother about the complaints of the common man on the street because they do not come down to their level to feel the pain they are going through as a result of the harsh economic policies of the government and bad leadership.*_

_Good morning dearest one. Smile😊as you do your work and do have a lovely day and a blessed new week. May Jesus fill your heart with His love so that you will always do go to those in need. Amen. *And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.*_

*Meditation:* 1 Corinthians 5:1-8/Psalm 5:5-7,12/Luke 6:6-11

*Watch-Word:* My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

*If you truly love God, you must do good in His name at all times and every good you do will count for you on the last day in His presence.*

(Monday of the twenty-third week in the ordinary time. Year II)

*© Rev. Fr. Augustine Eleke*