28 May, Tuesday — Our Reward

Tuesday of Week 8 in Ordinary Time

1 Pet 1:10-16
Mk 10:28-31

“Many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”

Many times I’ve come across sayings such as “if Jesus were to appear in front of me…” or “if I’m able to see a miracle, I will change my life…”. I’m not sure if you have heard or said some of these words before. Because many of us think that we have never had a tangible encounter with Christ, we find it hard to ‘give up’ our lives to someone we do not know, to a future that is uncertain, to a reward that may actually be nothing.

As we read in the first reading, many of the prophets in the Old Testament were unable to meet Christ face to face nor see his miracles, yet they preached and sacrificed their lives to prepare the way. They believed, and they hoped.

We also know of the disciples of Jesus who, even though they left their nets and followed Him, witnessed His miracles, ate and drank with Him; when it actually mattered the most, they left Him and even denied Him. But it’s also then that we see the faithfulness of some of the women of Jerusalem, where it was uncertain if Jesus would actually rise from the dead, if He was actually the Christ, yet they still stuck by Him all the way.

Indeed, we do not realise how blessed we are to already know that we have this salvation which has already been won for us by Jesus Christ. We also do not know of how envious many souls and angels are when they see us being able to receive the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist at every mass.

When we think of reward, it is usually linked with doing well in, or for, a particular task. But this reward is not just for the first or the last, but really for each and every one of us, an invitation to His heavenly kingdom, to receive the salvation that has already been won for us.

Let us continue to grow this faith and our trust in the Lord, to be able to surrender our possessions and intellect, to allow Him to lead and guide, to walk in His footsteps. For Christ came to serve, and not to be served. Christ came not to do His will but for His Father’s will to be done. Let it not be ‘I’, but Christ who lives in me.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Benjamin Mao)

Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray for courage, to learn how to die to ourselves and our desires so that you will be able to use us to build your kingdom. Help us to glorify you in all we say and do.

Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for your messengers in the past and in the present. Bless us with your wisdom for us to make good choices and to be able to listen to your voice.