GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 30TH MARCH 2017
THURSDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
FIRST READING: Exodus 32:7-14
PSALM: Psalm 106:19-23
GOSPEL: John 5:31-47
THEME: THE POWER OF PRAYER
I have heard people lamenting that in spite of all the prayers being offered by men and women of God all over the world, the world is not getting better. On the contrary, I would say that but for the prayers of men and women of God all over the world, the world would have been worse off. There is a God who answers prayers and the heartfelt prayers of faithful people bring about change in any given situation.
The First Reading of today offers us an example of the effect of prayer. God said to Moses, “Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation” (Ex 32:10). The Israelites, on their sojourn in the desert, had apostatized and offered the honour due to God to an image of a calf. Using a very human language of characterization, the author of the text of Exodus describes God as being angry on account of this. Moses chose to intercede for the people. He cried out, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?” (Exo 32:11). The text ends with the statement, “The Lord then relented over the disaster which he had intended to inflict on his people.” (Ex. 32:14). The prayer of Moses was answered.
Many evils have happened and are happening in our world. The consequences of any kind of evil are far reaching than we can perceive. It takes the grace of God to curtail the ripple effect of wrongdoing. This is the reason why we need to pray for our world. The energy we spend in lamenting over the ills in our world can be used in praying for the world and taking the necessary steps within our means to ameliorate the situation.
Let us intercede for our families, our Christian communities, our nations and our world. The prayer that you offer today will change many situations today and tomorrow. Prayer still works!
PRAYER: Lord God, I plead for your mercy in every place where evil is thriving. I seek your divine intervention in all such situations. Come to our aid and deliver us from all evil. Amen
Andrews Obeng, svd
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen).