49 Angle Road, Walkerville
P.O. Box 378, Walkerville, 1876
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walkerville.divinemercy@catholicjhb.org.za
6 August 2017
The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Matthew 17:1b-9)
In today’s gospel Jesus grants three of His apostles a glimpse of His heavenly glory. Observing Him on the mountain, they are so terrified they hardly know what to say. Suddenly hear a voice from a cloud announce to them, “This is My beloved Son (…). Listen to Him.”
These words of God the Father are key in living a Christian life. Jesus’ Mother gave us a similar command at the wedding feast in Cana, telling us to “do whatever He tells you.” In listening to and carrying out the words of Jesus, in following His commandment of love, we allow the Lord to conform us to Himself, to transform us into His own Image.
St. Faustina wrote: “Not a single cloud hides the sun from me. I lay myself entirely open to its rays, that His love may effect a complete transformation in me” (Diary 1333). I also can open my heart to God and allow His love to transform me. But do I want to be transformed?
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, teach me to listen to You and to walk obediently in Your ways. I want to be like You and to love like You. Let the transformation begin! Amen.
13 August 2017
The Nineteenth Sunday of in Ordinary Time ((Matthew 14:22-33)
Today’s Gospel is about trusting Jesus. When the disciples spot Jesus walking on the sea, they are initially terrified, thinking He’s a ghost. But when He assures them of who He is, telling them to have no fear, Peter takes the step of faith and begins walking toward Jesus on the sea. However, “When he saw the wind, he was afraid.” As Peter begins to doubt, he begins to sink. And although Jesus saves Peter immediately, He nonetheless reprimands the disciple for his lack of trust, saying to him, “You of little faith.”
If like the disciples, we acknowledge and worship Jesus as the Son of God, then we ought to behave in a way that shows our faith in the All-Powerful God who loves us, who can do all things, and who will never put us in a situation He cannot get us out of.
St. Faustina wrote in her Diary: “The Lord visited me today and said, My daughter, do not be afraid of what will happen to you. I will give you nothing beyond your strength. You know the power of My grace; let that be enough. After these words, the Lord gave me a deeper understanding of the action of His grace” (Diary 1491). May we also put our trust in Him, not fearing anything, but knowing that His grace is indeed enough.
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, allow me to experience more deeply the power of Your grace, so that clinging to You in loving trust, I may be free from all fear and overcome every challenge that comes my way. I trust in You! Amen.
20 August 2017
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 1:39-56)
In today’s Gospel we see Mary selflessly hurrying off to the hill country to assist her cousin Elizabeth during pregnancy. When John the Baptist leaps in his mother's womb at the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth speaks those beautiful words that we say in every Hail Mary: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” Hearing those words directed at her, Mary immediately directs her focus to praising and glorifying the Merciful God, through the words of her Magnificat: “His mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.”
Elizabeth called Mary “blessed” because she had trusted God and responded totally to His grace which called her not only to be the Mother of His Son, but also to serve her neighbours. Mary knew that God’s mercy had come upon her in a special way because, although she was free from sin, she still had great fear of the Lord.
What does it actually mean to fear the Lord? St. Faustina’s Diary, in the Conversation of the Merciful God with a Sinful Soul, demonstrates a healthy fear of the Lord as being an awe before the holiness of God, coupled with deep knowledge of one’s own misery. Such a disposition before God is very pleasing to Him. He told St. Faustina: “My holiness does not prevent Me from being merciful. Behold, for you I have established a throne of mercy on earth—the tabernacle—and from this throne I desire to enter into your heart. I am not surrounded by a retinue or guards. You can come to me at any moment, at any time; I want to speak to you and desire to grant you grace.” (Diary 1485).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, in spite of my sinfulness and misery, You desire to enter into my heart. Give me a deeper awe of Your holiness, that I may work tirelessly to root out my every sin and so make my heart a fit abiding place for You, my Loving God. Amen.
27 August 2017
The Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 16:13-20)
This Sunday Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” St. Peter tells Him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Today Jesus also asks each one of us, “Who do you say that I am?” It is important to Him to hear it out of our own mouths. Each of us has a unique relationship with the Lord, and so the answer we give to Jesus will be unique. We should reflect for a few moments, and try to give Jesus an honest answer.
St. Faustina wrote in her Diary who Jesus was for her: “O my Jesus, You are the life of my life. You know only too well that I long for nothing but the glory of Your Name and that souls come to know Your goodness. Why do souls avoid You, Jesus?—I don't understand that. (…) From the moment when You let me fix the eyes of my soul on You, O Jesus, I have been at peace and desired nothing else. I found my destiny at the moment when my soul lost itself in You, the only object of my love. In comparison with you, everything is nothing. Sufferings, adversities, humiliations, failures and suspicions that have come my way are splinters that keep alive the fire of my love for You, O Jesus” (Diary 57).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, like St. Peter, I acknowledge You as Son of the Living God. And yet I know You want to be more for me than just my Lord and God; You want to be my intimate friend. May You be for me like for St. Faustina, the only object of my love. Draw me into a deeper relationship with You, and reveal to me the longing in my heart which You alone can fill. Amen.