49 Angle Road, Walkerville
P.O. Box 378, Walkerville, 1876
Tel: 073 462 4937
walkerville.divinemercy@catholicjhb.org.za
29 September 2013
The Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 16:19-31)
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus gives us a lesson about life in the world to come. We hear the rich man begging to taste a drop of water from the very person he ignored day in and day out while living in his own luxurious world. But Father Abraham reminds him of the chasm that now separates him from the beggar Lazarus. Since the rich man wants to warn his brothers, we know that he cannot be in hell; those in hell are completely deprived of love. Rather, he is sitting in purgatory for the lack of love he showed his neighbour.
Our good and evil deeds, as well as our sins of omission, will all come to light on the Day of Judgement. St. Faustina wrote: “O terrible hour, at which one is obliged to see all one's deeds in their nakedness and misery; not one of them is lost, they will all accompany us to God's judgment. I can find no words or comparisons to express such terrible things. And although it seems to me that this soul is not damned, nevertheless its torments are in no way different from the torments of hell; there is only this difference: that they will someday come to an end” (Diary 426).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, preserve me from deliberately hurting anyone, ever, and never allow me to act without mercy towards the neighbour You place on my path. Amen.
22 September 2013
The Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 16:1-13)
Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel that we cannot serve two masters, both God and riches; we can give our complete loyalty to either one or the other. Unfortunately, as sinners, we tend to get attached to material things, and it can happen that the more stuff we have, the harder it is for us to be free to love and serve God.
Our Lord Jesus Himself chose to live in poverty, owning nothing at all, and not even having a “place to lay His head.” But instead of trying to provide for His own material needs, Jesus gave Himself completely to the Father He served, and trusted in Him to take care of Him. God is not impressed with our fashionable clothes or our fancy cars. He wants our hearts. And once He has them, and we serve Him in truth, we will find that we lack for nothing.
Jesus told St. Faustina: “Today, penetrate into the spirit of My poverty and arrange everything in such a way that the most destitute will have no reason to envy you. I find pleasure, not in large buildings and magnificent structures, but in a pure and humble heart” (Diary 532).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, I know I often focus on accumulating material goods and money, when I should be focusing more on my relationship with You. Reign in my heart and be my only Master. I trust in You. Amen.
15 September 2013
The Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 15:1-32)
Jesus uses the parable of the Prodigal Son to show us the true face of our heavenly Father. We can all fall into the trap of seeing God as a cosmic policeman, somewhere out there watching our every move, in order to punish us the minute we mess up. But Jesus shows us God’s true character: God’s priority is to get us back into His household, His Church. He wants to restore our status as children of God every time we fall into sin. He waits patiently for us to turn to Him so that He can show us His infinite mercy.
St. Faustina recorded Jesus’ words directed to the person who has strayed from the path of God: “Be not afraid of your Saviour, O sinful soul. I make the first move to come to you, for I know that by yourself you are unable to lift yourself to me. Child, do not run away from your Father; be willing to talk openly with your God of mercy who wants to speak words of pardon and lavish his graces on you. How dear your soul is to Me! I have inscribed your name upon My hand; you are engraved as a deep wound in My Heart” (Diary 1485).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me the true Face of God. Help me to surrender to Him every time I have fallen into sin. I trust in You. Amen.
8 September 2013
The Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 14:25-33)
In today’s Gospel Jesus speaks some harsh words about the need to “hate” our own father and mother, wife and children in order to be His disciples. Since we all know the Commandment to love God and our neighbour, we can be sure that in this case Jesus was not speaking literally. His command was more about clinging first and foremost to Him and to whatever Cross He might choose in His wisdom to give us, and about not clinging to our loved ones or trying to draw our meaning in life from our relationships with them.
We cannot be disciples of Jesus if we refuse to leave our little comfort zone where we are loved and cherished, to go stand up for Him before the world. We need to believe that He loves us, and let others know that He loves them as well.
Jesus will take care of us and of our loved ones. He wants us to stay focused on Him and on fulfilling His will, even during our prayer time. We should pray for our loved ones, but He told St. Faustina: “My daughter, don't be exerting yourself so much with words. Those whom you love in a special way, I too love in a special way, and for your sake, I shower My graces upon them. I am pleased when you tell Me about them, but don't be doing so with such excessive effort” (Diary 739).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, I thank You for my family and loved ones. I entrust all of them to Your care, because You love them more than I do. You will take care of them, body and soul. Amen.
1 September 2013
The Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 14:1, 7-14)
In this week’s Gospel Jesus invites us to be humble. If our main concern is to be noticed and honoured by others, we will ultimately end up suffering humiliation. If we only ever show people kindness so that they will return us the favour, we will have no repayment awaiting us at the resurrection of the just.
As fallen sinners, we unfortunately must fight in resisting temptations to seek admiration or favours from others. The more I try to put others in the place of honour, or strive to make others feel important, the more deserving of honour I will be in the eyes of God. This is what will make me truly happy. And my reward will be awaiting me in heaven.
St. Faustina received the following counsel from Fr. Andrasz, one of her confessors. It is valuable advice for each one of us as well: “You are in the good hands of a very good God. (…) Be faithful to God's will and carry it out. As to your duties, always do what you are told to do and as you are told to do it, no matter how humiliating or toilsome it might be. Always choose the last place, and then they themselves will say to you, ‘Go up higher.’ In spirit and in your demeanor, consider yourself the least in the whole house and in the entire Congregation. In everything and at all times, be most faithful to God.” (Diary 506).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, You do not despise a humbled heart. Have mercy on me for the times I have sought praise and recognition for myself instead of trying to make my brothers and sisters feel important and loved. Give me the grace I need to put myself last. Amen.