Thursday of Week 27 in Ordinary Time
Gal 3:1-5
Lk 11:5-13
I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it to him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to get up and give his friend all he wants
Exasperation is an emotion which some of us may experience in our lives. The idea that the individual is unable to get the point which we are trying to convey is perhaps, something which we find most difficult to do. Indeed, the readings of today remind us of the importance to continually seek God in all that we do and not return to the old ways of life.
St Paul was certainly angry with the Galatians for reverting to the Mosaic Law. They had already received the law of the Spirit and this means that they should have been free from the shackles of the Mosaic Law. I have a lot of sympathy for St Paul because he was probably angry and upset that the good work which he had done was so easily undone the moment he had left.
I see parallels in the frustration which St Paul felt and in our daily lives. The world offers us many pleasures through our senses. This situation is made even worse by the ease with which we can be entertained using our mobile devices. Every time we make a commitment to not use our devices in order to do work or other activities, we often get distracted and go back to our devices. This does not allow us to fulfil our purpose which God has intended for us.
It is in such situations where we need to return to God and ask Him to open our eyes, and let us see the plan which He has for us. We will need to realign our lives every time we stray from the path which God has set for us. This requires us to be in a state of continual prayer and to be persistent in our prayer requests to God. Prayer is a form of communication with God, and we will need to silence our hearts if we want to know the plan which God has set aside for us.
For me, I am actually very fearful of this moment of prayer because I am afraid God will ask me to go down a path which I am not willing to. The ways of the world are indeed more tempting and more comfortable. It is a daily struggle to put the ‘I’ down and let God work within me. I can only ask God, the Holy Spirit, to ensure that I respond to what God is calling me to do in a complete manner, rather than in a half-hearted way. As we continue in our daily lives, let us make an effort to discover what God expects from us and to respond generously.
(Today’s Oxygen by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, enkindle the hearts of your faithful.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who provide spiritual guidance to souls.
OXYGEN 
Leave a Reply