Live As A Divine Offering

Weekly Missionary Reflection
6th Ordinary Sunday, 12 February 2023
Sir. 15:15-20; Ps. 119:1-2,4-5,17-18,33-34; 1Cor. 2:6-10; Mat. 5:17-37 (long) or Matt. 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37

Today’s Gospel is part of the pericope about Jesus and the Law. Some of these pericopes always touch me whenever I read and ponder them.  “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matt. 5:23-24). This verse makes me realize that as a believer, we must live with prayer in our daily life.

The expression of faith manifested in religious ritual is not a kind of debt that must be paid, nor as a fulfillment of duty. Whatever we offer in our prayers and in the Eucharist should be the expression of our gratitude for what we experience concretely in our daily lives. It is unproper to think that, “The most important is that I have attended the Eucharist mass once a week, or I have done fasting and abstinence, or I have made devotion and soon” – yet we neglect our neighbor in need, or fail to forgive others.

In today’s Gospel again Jesus reminds us to really realize the state of our heart when we are attending the Eucharist. Our relationship with the Lord is inseparable as it is with our neighbors. How can I welcome Jesus in my heart, and believe His loving words, yet at the same time I judge others or neglect the needy?

My beloved brothers and sisters, let us with mindfulness and humbly pray to the Father in Heaven that through the Holy Spirit, we are always reminded to present our behavior, words, and deeds as a sincere offering to God. Then we can be the true witness of Christ.
God bless.

(Br. Kornelius Glossanto, SX – Xaverian Missionary)

DAILY DEDICATED PRAYER

Lord, our Father, I present my today prayer, thought, word, work, joy, and sorrow in unity with Your Son, Jesus Christ, who always presents Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit animating Jesus, also be my guidance and strength today so that I am ready to be the witness of Your love.

Together with St. Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the Church, in particular, I present my prayer for our Pope and apostle prayer of the Indonesian Church of this month:

For parishes
We pray that parishes, placing communion at the center, may increasingly become communities of faith, and fraternity and welcome those most in need.

For Economic Recovery
We pray that government together with the people may work hand in hand in speeding up the economic recovery, so that the result can be used for people’s welfare, especially for the poor and needy.

Amen