Sunday’s readings remind us that our receptivity to a message should not be determined by our esteem or scorn for the messenger, but by whether or not the message is true.
In the first reading the Prophet Malachi laments that fact that many Old Testament Priests had become worldly and were playing favourites instead of remaining faithful to the Commandments and leading by example.
St Paul in the second reading paints a portrait of Priests as humble, caring and dedicated messengers of God. St Paul referred to himself in his letters as a spiritual father. In accordance with the tradition of the Church, ordained Priests have always been referred to as Fathers, that is as spiritual Fathers.
In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus admonishes the scribes and pharisees for their pride and hypocrisy. They were the religious and intellectual elite of the time and they were treating the people as servants. They had forgotten that they were called to serve the people. Instead, they were competing amongst themselves for prestige, honour and disciples. They were anything but humble.
The Priesthood as instituted by Jesus in the new Covenant, like all the sacraments, is full of God’s wisdom. The Lord chooses men as Priests to mediate or be channels of grace through the administration of the sacraments. Thus, the sacraments in a sense continue the incarnation. Each sacrament is an encounter with the risen Christ.
It is very important however, to pray for the sanctification of Priests, for the clergy as well as families in these times are under intense attack from demonic forces. In the neo pagan world of today, we need to trust more in God and not feel that we can rely on our own resources. It reminds me of a story from a farmer. Bill recalls his boyhood memories about his grandfather who used to plough his paddocks with a team of oxen. But he noticed that the yoke which joined the two animals together was never balanced. So, he built it heavier on one side, then hitched the stronger ox there. The other side was lighter, and he put a weak ox there because it could not pull as much.
This is what God wants to do with us and that is why He sent his Son to become one of us and accompany us through life. We are not meant to plough the field of life all by ourselves and do our own will. When we try to do this, trusting in our own resources instead of God, we make little progress and get frustrated. But if we lean more on the Lord and desire His Will to reign in us, everything becomes easier. He will lighten the yoke and work more freely through us.
FIVE STONES
Our time on earth is a time of growth in the virtues and a preparation for Heaven. If there was no battle to fight, there would be no victory. Our battle is against the world, the flesh and the devil.
Our Lady has given us the weapon against our Goliath.
Here are our five stones.
1. Prayer with the heart: Rosary.
2. Eucharist
3. Holy Bible
4. Fasting
5. Monthly Confession.
We could add another to this list: Living in the Divine Will. If you haven’t already discovered this, it is highly recommended to learn about The Book of Heaven and Luisa Picarretta. There are a number of websites which may be helpful, such as: https://www.divinewillfamily.org/
There is also the Casa Luisa Centre in Spearwood, Western Australia. Contact: jtroy@iinet.net.au
All sin is an act of the human will, so if you are in the Divine Will, there will be no sin. So, in a sense, we will be living Heaven even while upon this earth. Come Divine Will and reign in us! Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!