Community Word:
Our proclamation of the gospel is an affirmation of God’s power and Spirit.
Order:
“Your light must shine.”(Mt 5:16a)
Reflection:
It is such a privilege that Jesus Christ entrusted to us, Christians, the mission to carry on with the work that He came to this world to accomplish. Before ascending to Heaven, He told His disciples, “… you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,”(Acts 1:8). Jesus could have ordered the angels to proclaim the Good News and it would have been done more quickly. Or He could have returned to earth, visit different groups of people every month and single-handedly accomplish the job much better than us. No. He chose to empower us with the Holy Spirit and commissioned us to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. So, for the month of February, our discerned Community Word says: Our proclamation of the gospel is an affirmation of God’s power and Spirit.
The Holy Spirit writes the law of love and truth in our hearts. He gives us wisdom and understanding of God’s ways that enable us to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. This blessing ought to be shared with others so that God’s goodness and love will be known. In this way we allow the Light of Christ to shine through us because this is what Jesus wants us to do through our Order for this month: “Your light must shine,” (Mt 5:16a).
To be Christ’s light means that we should show through our words and actions that the character of Jesus is in us – His love, compassion and forgiveness. When people see Jesus in our attitude, habits, expressions, values, way of life, they will recognize the power of God at work in us. This is the theme for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – We affirm God’s power and Spirit when the light of Christ in us shines before others. By sharing our Christ-like life, others may see the truth of the gospel and they too may be freed from the blindness of sin and deception and will benefit from the Lord’s promise this week: “Light shall rise for you in the darkness,” (Is 58:10b)
The theme for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time is – We affirm God’s power and Spirit when we observe His law and keep it with all our heart. Some people may feel that observing God’s law and keeping it in their hearts is burdensome and would limit their personal freedom and desires. But our Savior teaches us that true and lasting freedom comes only from following His instructions and precepts. God gives the Commandments for our benefit. They are loving directions for our unconditional happiness, for our spiritual as well as our physical well-being. As followers of Jesus, we must love His commandments and hate every form of sin and wrongdoing. If we do this, we can be assured of the Lord’s promise this week: “… keep the commandments, they will save you,” (Sir 15:15).
God’s word brings light, might, and delight to our lives. We are counseled not only to hide His words in our hearts, but also to apply them in our daily life. This is the theme for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – We affirm God’s power and Spirit when we keep His word and do what it says. Reading the Holy Bible often requires time, focus and study so that we will be able to internalize it and make it the guide in our daily life. Exploring God’s word is not something we only do in isolation. Studying with other members of the community or group will also help us see and understand His word in new ways. Our sharing of experiences on God’s faithfulness during the Word Sharing Circle, or Living Word Group, should motivate and inspire us to remain anchored in His word and be blessed. This is God’s promise this week: “He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion,”(Ps 103:4).
Aren’t we tired of second guessing God in managing our life? When we insist on seating at the driver’s seat of our life, the result is worry, guilt, bitterness, resentment, fear, fatigue, depression and despair. The theme for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time is – We affirm God’s power and Spirit when we surrender all our worries to Him. We should realized by now that trying to be in total control of our lives is the main reason of our daily stress. Anxiety is neither helpful nor necessary because it robs us of our faith and confidence in God’s help, and weakens our energy to do the right thing. Jesus admonishes His followers to put Him first in our life and to fully surrender to His will, so that we will enjoy peace, power, strength, wisdom, and purpose. The Lord’s promise for this week says it clearly, “Do not worry… tomorrow will take care of itself,”(Mt 6:34a).
Prayer:
Lord God, thank You for empowering us with Your Holy Spirit who allows us to enjoy true freedom and inner peace. Thank You for giving us Jesus who is the Light that guides us in our earthly life to follow Your Holy Will. Grant us the grace to share the Light of Christ to others that they too will experience the true meaning of Salvation. Amen.
