Ezekiel 28:1-10
...say to the prince of Tyre: Thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are
haughty of heart, you say, “A god am I! I occupy a godly throne in the heart of
the sea!” — And yet you are a man, and not a god, however you may think
yourself like a god...Will you then say, “I am a god!” when you face your
murderers? No, you are a man, not a god, handed over to those who will slay
you. 10 You shall die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of
foreigners, for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD.
If we are to look very closely at every single turn in our
lives then we can surely see how God is working His wonders in it, without a
trace of doubt. Let us pray to God that He will grant us the reason and
understanding needed to really open up our eyes, ears, minds and hearts to the
Lord. Sometimes we fail to do this and become just like these people spoken of
in today's psalm. We ought to keep our minds straight and alert that we may not
neglect who God really is, in our lives. It has already become a common saying
that God owns our life and He alone can give and take it. It has become so
common that we fail to really understand its implications. When we speak of
death, people react in different ways but we should honestly hope and pray that
when the time comes for us to confront it, we can all react in the same way,
with perfect resignation and readiness. Amen. Hallelujah!
Deuteronomy 32:26-27ab, 27cd-28, 30, 35cd-36ab
R: It is I who deal death and give life.
...For they are a people devoid of reason, having no
understanding. (R) 30 “How could one man rout a thousand, or two men put ten
thousand to flight, Unless it was because their Rock sold them and the LORD
delivered them up?” 35 Close at hand is the day of their disaster and their
doom is rushing upon them! 36 Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.
A task like preparing for death may sound unthinkable for
some or even morbid and scary. This should not be the case. If we are aware of
a Kingdom of endless glory that awaits us, a 100x more profit and eternal life
then we will all be waiting in line so to speak just to invest everything we
have for it. It gives us a feeling of consolation too knowing that it doesn't
work quite like the way the world thinks. It is not a matter of who was first
but who perseveres and not let go of God's promises until the end. In our
journey here on earth we encounter so many things in our lives that sometimes
push us to the wall and feel like giving up. When we are confronted with such
situations we sometimes succumb to the remedies and recommendations that are
popularly subscribed in this world we are
in. It is never easy to live consistently the reality in today's gospel. We
doubt, question and resort to the seemingly wise, practical and handy solutions
being presented and offered to us in an enticing way. We end up taking for
granted what should always be embedded in our hearts, minds and souls. We
forget the benefit of knowing that God can do the ultimate good to us than
follow the wisdom of men and this world. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 19:23-30
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is
impossible, but for God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said to him in
reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for
us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me,
in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will
yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or
mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred
times more, and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be
last, and the last will be first.”
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