Franco Grech osa

 

Reflections and Articles written by Fr Franco Grech osa

 


 

23rd Sunday of the Year (A)

Ezekiel 33: 7-9; Psalm 94; Rom. 13: 8-10; Mt. 18: 15-20

Read: We are enjoined to love our neighbour. Jesus spoke about the need for us to be involved in promoting the common good. We should help one another to recognise and correct our mistakes. Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone”.

Reflect: We are responsible for one another. Being responsible for others means taking care of them and helping them to improve their situation. One of the ways is which we can do so is through fraternal correction. For this correction to be effective three thigs are required: good intentions (love towards others); the proper time (in a calm atmosphere); and appropriate means (prudence and humility). We ourselves should also be ready to accept correctness from others.

Pray: For the grace to take care of others with a touching heart. Let us pray also for those persons who require conversion within their heart.

Act: Today show concrete proof that you take care of others with a feeling heart. Identify a person who needs correction, and act with respect and love.


22nd Sunday of the Year (A)

Jer. 20: 7-9; Psalm 62; Rom. 12: 1-2; Mt. 16: 21-27

Read: You are called to discern what is God’s will, what is good, what is pleasing to Him, what is the truth. (Rom. 12,1).

Reflect: God’s will means that we seek and do what is good, what is perfect, what is pleasing. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we live our entire life as an offer of homage and praise to God. This is the aim of our life. We achieve this by, before anything else, seeking to do God’s will … that we walk the way of the complete love that Jesus walked before us, that demands from us also deprivation and sacrifices: “If anybody wishes to follow me, he needs to deny himself, carry his cross and walk behind me “ (Mt. 16,24),

Pray: We are aware that whenever we go against the will of God we are sinning. Let us seek to do good so that thereby we will truly praise God.

Act: Think about the difference between discerning truly what is God’s will, and choosing what suits you.


21st Sunday of the Year (A)

Isaiah 22: 19-23; Psalm 137; Rom. 11: 33-36; Mt. 16: 13-20

Read: In Caesarea Philippi, Peter made a profession of faith and God gave him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church”.

Pray: Let us pray for a humble heart ready to accept God’s call. Let us pray for the grace that we will be faithful disciples of Jesus.

Reflect: God choses not according to our merits as humans, but in accordance with His wisdom that is beyond what humans can ever comprehend.  If God calls us to do something, let us humbly recognise that He has chosen us not because we are worthy of this, but because that is His will. To Him only be praise, glory, honour and praise.

Act: Is it easy to criticise our religious leaders, but not to appreciate all the good that they do?


20th Sunday of the Year (A)

Isaiah 56: 1,6-7; Psalm 66; Rom. 11: 13-15, 29-32; Mt. 15: 21-28

Read: Healing and feeding are two things that seem to go together. Jesus does both these things, and those who have faith can see the meaning of his actions. Others do not see the meaning of this.

Pray: Avoid looking badly on others who are different to you. Pray that you do so, especially when you are tempted to be prejudiced against a group of people or an individual.

Reflect: “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house dogs”. Do you not think that what Jesus said to the Canaanite woman does not reflect his own character but that of the people of Israel at that particular time? According to the mentality of the people of Israel, the common thinking was that humankind was split into two blocks: those that recognised the true God and so were the chosen people of God (Israel), and all the others who did not recognise Him (the pagans or the other races). Many times, this division between the two blocks resulted in the Jews thinking that salvation was reserved for them alone and that, to achieve this, it was enough for them to be members of the People of Israel. Does this story reflect the relationship between the Jews who became Christians, and the pagans who became Christians within the community of the Evangelist St. Matthew?

Act: Do not tolerate those different to yourself, but accept them and recognise their talents. Given the occasion, celebrate life with those persons who are different to you.


19th Sunday of the Year (A)

1Kings 19: 9a; 11-13a; Psalm 84; Rom. 9: 1-5; Mt. 14: 22-33

Read: Jesus approaches his disciples who are at a distance, by walking on the sea. Those that were on their boat fell before Jesus saying: “Truly, you are the Son of God!”.

Reflect: Jesus asks Peter, “why were you doubtful?”. Jesus challenges Peter’s lack of faith in a difficult moment. What is God going to ask us when we meet Him face to face?

Pray: Let us pray that God enters into the innermost parts of our heart and leads us to conversion.

Act: Today is an appropriate day for you to make a declaration of faith as to who Jesus is for you. Find the time to pronounce with all your might that Jesus is the Lord and your Saviour.


18th Sunday of the Year (A)

Isaiah 55: 1-3; Psalm 144; Rom. 8: 37-39; Mt. 14: 13-21

Read: Many were the people who followed Jesus whilst he cured and taught them. In this instance he feeds a multitude of persons …. a meal that represents the Eucharistic meal.

Reflect: We have the need of being fed the food of truth as well as bread. What was the miracle here: the multiplication of the bread and fish, or the example given by Jesus to share what you have with other persons in need? Can the Eucharist exist outside the celebration of the Mass?

Pray: When participating in the celebration of the Eucharist, the Christian commits himself/herself to continue living the Eucharist outside the Mass. Praying together with the priest and the Christian community in the Mass, transcends into living Jesus’ teaching in our everyday life.

Act: Through his disciples – to whom he gave bread to be given to others – Jesus himself is the one who continues to feed everyone at all times and in all places. Observe the eucharistic moments in your family and with friends, that occur outside the Mass.

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