Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1: Ephesians 2:12-22
Brothers and sisters:
You were at that time without Christ,
alienated from the community of Israel
and strangers to the covenants of promise,
without hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the Blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, he made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his Flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one Body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,
for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 85:9ab-10, 11-12, 13-14
R. (see 9) The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD–for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
Alleluia: Luke 21:36
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Luke 12:35-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”
Meditation
Beloved in the Lord, may His immense grace calm our hearts, which are so often troubled, distressed, anxious, and suffering. May the peace of God, who is Christ Himself, fill us and overwhelm us. The peace of God is Christ Himself. A troubled, anxious, empty, thirsty heart is a sign of being far from God; it is a sign that the inner lamp is growing very dim or has even gone out.
In today’s first reading, Apostle Paul declares to the Ephesians that Christ is our peace. When our being is nourished by Christ, when we remain in His presence, when we walk with Him and nurture our relationship with Him in our hearts, His peace, which surpasses all understanding, illuminates our hearts.
But when our lamp is dim, when we starve our souls, which hunger for God, by feeding them with social media, television, and all kinds of entertainment, and when we neglect spiritual nourishment—prayer, proclaiming the Gospel, meditation, and putting God’s Word into practice every day—our souls lose their peace and inner light.
A soul without inner peace is a desperate soul, filled with fear and anxiety, and focused on superficial things. It is a sick soul that we try to calm and stimulate with the superficial activities of the world, but these never satisfy it, because our soul needs Christ.
We must therefore keep the lamp burning and add a little fuel every day so that the flame continues to shine. Here, the fuel is truly living in the presence of Jesus, following His example, remaining with Him, and experiencing everything with Him.
Let us not deceive ourselves by ignoring the despair of our souls, which need God, while offering them other things they do not need. To move away from God is therefore to move away from peace, joy, and inner light; it is to make our souls sick.
Let us therefore look within ourselves: Have we neglected our souls? Are they suffering because they are far from God? What must we do to remedy this? What concrete steps must we take to revitalize our spiritual lives?
Let Us Pray
Lord, source of peace, light, and life, grant us the grace to remain in Your presence and allow ourselves to be filled with Your peace. Help us to remain at peace amid the trials of this world.
Intercession
For all those who are distressed, depressed, and thirsting for life, grant them the grace to walk with You and give You a central place in their lives. Mother Mary, pray for us.
Spiritual Exercise
Today, let us dedicate time to the Lord. Let us take a moment to ask Him to fill us with His peace and light.
Flora KAMTA
Community of the Disciples of the Living Christ
