GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 10TH JUNE 2017
SATURDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
FIRST READING: Tobit 12:1, 5-15,20
PSALM: Tobit 13:2, 6-8
GOSPEL: Mark 12:38-44
THEME: GOD CARES
Often, God sends people into our lives who have the “anointing” of an angel. In other words, some people walk into our lives as messengers of God sent to serve us. They often enter our personal worlds at critical moments on our life’s journey and offer some help to us. Today’s first reading is a perfect example of how God sends angels to minister to us.
Raphael, in the Book of Tobit, appears human in many ways, and yet he was an angel sent by God on an extraordinary mission to bring healing to Tobit and help Sarah find a rightful marriage partner. In today’s First Reading, he finally reveals his true identity. He tells Tobit, “God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ever ready to enter the presence of the glory of the Lord.”
Raphael also revealed what moves heaven to send angels to us: “Prayer with fasting and alms with uprightness are better than riches with iniquity. Better to practise almsgiving than to hoard up gold. Almsgiving saves from death and purges every kind of sin. Those who give alms have their fill of days; those who commit sin and do evil bring harm on themselves” (Tob. 12:8-10).
Inherent in the above statement are four pillars of a sound spiritual life: PRAYER, FASTING, ALMSGIVING and UPRIGHTNESS (i.e. right conduct). The eyes of God are continually on the person who builds his/her life on these pillars and the Lord does not hesitate to send angels to minister to such a person.
To pray, fast, give alms and have a right conduct (uprightness) is a form of spiritual investment. In times of need one can fall on the fruits of this investment.
God who cares about each one of us is more than willing to help us in times of need. In taking our spiritual life seriously, we dispose ourselves to be served by angels.
PRAYER OF BLESSING: “For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11-12)
May God send an angel to snatch you out of every fire and water. As you wait upon God in prayer, may you mount up with wings as eagles; may you run and not be weary. May you walk and not faint. 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).