KNOWLEDGE IS THE POWER TO SERVICE Knowledge is not just power against ignorance but it is also an authority to exercise dominance over everything in honour and glory of the Lord and service to brothers and sisters. The Christian power,…
Prayer and hospitality are the two pillars of Christian spirituality. In prayer with relate and communicate with God, while in hospitality we live out our prayer life in relationship to others. In modern times, the spiritual and prayerful life is a challenge to Christians. There is dryness in spiritual and prayer life. We are discouraged by so many unanswered prayers in our daily lives.
There is a strong need of calming down the storms of life around us daily. Indeed, there are a lot of ravaging storms through waves and winds of life. These storms are internal and external and rob us of our inner peace and tranquillity.
The transfiguration is the manifestation of the glory of Christ on earth. What a grace for Peter and James and John to see Jesus transfigured. They got a preview of the glory of Jesus rising from the dead and his glory in heaven. It was also a preview of the glory we all hope to share in heaven. This was a very special grace for Peter and James and John and indeed for all of us.
Our Sunday reflection of this week invites us to meditate on God`s patience, mercy, and grace upon us amidst our evil tendencies and inclinations. The problem of evil in the “best” world created by a powerful, loving, knowing, and omnipotent God is very unfathomable to the human mind and an enigma to human existence. Is God responsible for evil in the world? Shouldn´t He have prevented it, if He is all-powerful, all-presence, and all-knowing?
There is an immense power in our spoken word and more so, there is a living and effective power in the Word of God. Actually, the Word of God is God Himself. Hence, the Word of God and the heart of men and women are co-relational in Christian life. This is because the amount and quality of the fruits our hearts bear depend on the level and depth of integration the Word of God has in our hearts.
We are wearied and burdened by so many things: twisted dreams or desires, financial burdens, sickness, political and social instabilities, inter-tribal conflicts, religious conflicts, insecurities, children delinquency, marriage wahala, family demand, fidelity to committed stands, trials and temptations, as well as many life´s uncertainties. HENCE CHRIST INVITES US TO FIND TRUE AND BLISSFUL REST IN HIM
Today, our Christian lives are full of challenges and crosses that lead to transformational changes and witnesses to the gospel of Christ. These challenges or crosses are good indicators that we are doing the right thing.
The Christian life and practice is not a hypocritical service of going to the Church as a Christian or being in the Church as a priest or pastor, but speaking out and standing for the truth without fear or favour for anyone. It is the hard line to defend the faith against hypocrisy, pretentious prudence or diplomacy in the name of God or the Church.
The Christian vocation and mission is a life of grace in Christ Jesus and not something we merit. It is God’s work and we are only collaborators in its realization through his grace acting in us. God is the one who initiates, designs, invites and executes the mission through us. That is why it is called “Missio Dei”.
However, our Christian calling is complex and not easy at all. That is living the Christian vocation and realizing our God-given mission is a seemingly impossible task humanly. It is absolutely necessary to live and implore God’s grace and help.