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P.O. Box 378, Walkerville, 1876
Tel: 083 979 4917
walkerville.divinemercy@catholicjhb.org.za
5 November 2017
The Solemnity of All Saints (Matthew 5:1-12a)
On this Sunday’s solemnity of All Saints, the Church gives us the Sermon on the Mount as food for reflection. Jesus tells us among other things, that those who show mercy are blessed, because they shall receive mercy.
We know that God’s mercy is infinite, and that He pours it out abundantly upon all those who seek it. But in the Beatitudes, He promises another means for receiving mercy, namely the showing of mercy to those in need. This will guarantee our receiving mercy in our time of need. In speaking with St. Faustina, Jesus stressed, though, that our deeds of mercy should be motivated out of love for Him, and not from the desire to obtain something from Him: “I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbours always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it” (Diary 742).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, You don’t merely recommend, but you indeed demand me to perform deeds of mercy toward my neighbours. Forgive me for trying to justify the ways I’ve ignored those in need. Pour Your love into my heart, and allow my love for You to prompt me every day of my life to carry out works of mercy towards the people You place in my path. Amen.
12 November 2017
The Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 25:1-13)
This week’s Gospel is about being ready when the Bridegroom (the Lord Jesus) comes. The foolish maidens in the parable were unprepared when the Bridegroom appeared, and as a result completely missed out on the wedding feast. If we look at Holy Mass as the wedding feast of the Lamb, we need to ask ourselves how we prepare for the Bridegroom’s coming.
St. Faustina prepared herself every day for Holy Communion. Once she wrote: “Today, I am preparing myself for Your coming as bride does for the coming of her bridegroom. He is great Lord, this Bridegroom of mine. The heaven cannot contain Him. The Seraphim who stand closest to Him cover their faces and repeat unceasingly: Holy, Holy, Holy. This great Lord is my Bridegroom. It is to Him that the Choirs sing. It is before Him that the Thrones bow down. By His splendour the sun is eclipsed. And yet this great Lord is my Bridegroom. My heart, desist from this profound meditation on how others adore Him, for you no longer have time for that, as He is coming and is already at your door” (Diary 1805). May these words inspire each one of us to reflect prayerfully in preparation for every Mass we attend.
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, how often I attend Holy Mass without even reflecting on whether I am truly ready to receive You. Help me to prepare for every meeting with You so that when I finally meet You on the Last Day You will recognize me as Your child. Amen.
19 November 2017
The Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 25:14-30)
From today’s Parable of the Talents, Jesus wants to help us understand that no two people have received identical gifts from the Lord, and yet, whatever talents a person has received should be developed and used build up the Kingdom of God. All of this happens through the grace of God. Our prayer time is actually the space God uses to develop our talents, but He needs our cooperation. We need to make efforts ourselves, not just passively ask the Lord for help.
We often make resolutions we think we can fulfil, decisions to develop our gifts and to grow in virtue, but we end up discouraged when we don't see results. The problem is that we are doing things on our own strength. St. Faustina experienced this, and wrote in her Diary: “When one day I resolved to practice a certain virtue, I lapsed into the vice opposed to that virtue ten times more frequently than on other days. In the evening, I was reflecting on why, today, I had lapsed so extraordinarily, and I heard the words: You were counting too much on yourself and too little on Me. And I understood the cause of my lapses.” (Diary 1087).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, thank You for all the gifts and graces You have given me. Help me to cooperate with your grace in using all my talents for Your glory and to fulfil Your will for me. I trust in You. Amen.
26 November 2017
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Matthew 25:31-46)
This Sunday’s Gospel is a warning for the idle about how things will go at the Last Judgement. There is no merit for talking about the good works we want to do, or in planning out deeds of mercy to do when we get around to it. Only the concrete actions we have completed will hold water on the Last Day, when the Lord separates out His sheep from the goats.
We can learn from the example of St. Faustina, who although herself seriously ill, did not hesitate to leave her hospital bed to help a neighbouring patient. She recounted in her Diary: “Suddenly I heard the bell in the next room, and I went in and rendered a service to a seriously sick person. When I returned to my room, I suddenly saw the Lord Jesus, who said, My daughter, you gave Me greater pleasure by rendering Me that service than if you had prayed for a long time. I answered, ‘But it was not to You, Jesus, but to that patient that I rendered this service.’ And the Lord answered me, Yes, My daughter, but whatever you do for your neighbour, you do for Me” (Diary 1029).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, so often I am slow to respond to Your invitations to show mercy to my neighbour. Teach me to put my faith into action, so that You will recognize me as one of Your own on the Last Day. Amen.