A WORD FOR TODAY 9 JANUARY 2020

A WORD FOR TODAY

BE LIKE JESUS AT ALL TIMES

The best way to be like God is to love as He has loved us and sent His Son to come and die for us. Therefore, we are instructed in the first reading of today to love our brothers and sisters just as God has loved us. Any love we show to them will definitely show the world that we love God.

If we truly love God we must keep His commandments and live uprightly. Any profession of love to God that does not affect those around us positively is definitely not a good one. We must learn from our Lord Jesud Christ to love others as He has loved us and laid down His life for us. In doing this we will be like Christ and we shall do God's will.

In the gospel reading of today Jesus shows us what true love is as He read from the prophecy of Isaiah in the Synagogue what His mission is. All the actions talked about in that passage are actions that flow from love. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Him and He anointed Him to do all that He did. We must let the same Spirit move us so that we can do what He did. He will preach the Good News to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, liberty for the oppressed and declaration of the acceptable year of the Lord. All these could only come from the heart that truly loves His people.

We must be like Jesus if we intend to fulfil our God given mandate and purpose in life. Every opportunity we get should be used to proclaim the good news to those around us in words and deeds. We must, through our actions help those in need and in captivity to feel the love of the Father.

Jesus' mission by extension is our own mission. We must continue the work of love He has started by laying down our lives as a ransom for others. There is no act of love greater than this and that is what we should be doing on a daily basis. We must help those who are spiritually blind and in captivity to recover their sight and regain their freedom from the oppression of the evil one. We must feed the hungry and provide for the poor around us. Whatever we do to those in need will show God that we love Him in truth and in Spirit. Be like Jesus at all times and in all places and you will be preparing a place for yourself in His presence on the last day.

Good morning dearest one. Smile😊as you do your work and do have a wonderful day. May God's grace help you to be like Jesus in love for others and may you find help from Him when you need it. Amen. And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Meditation: 1 John 4:19-5:4/Psalm 72:1-2,14-15,17/Luke 4:14-22

Watch-Word: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me!

God's love for us should move us to love others as He has loved us. Anything short of this is not love.

(Thursday after Epiphany, Year A.)