Lectionary: 666
Reading 1
eph 2:19-22
Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm
ps 19:2-3, 4-5
R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Gospel
lk 6:12-16
Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: DRY WALL
"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near through the blood of Christ. It is He Who is our Peace, and Who made the two of us one by breaking down the barrier of hostility that kept us apart." –Ephesians 2:13-14
The phrase rendered "barrier of hostility" above is literally "the dividing wall of the barrier." We all experience the pain of being separated by a dividing wall. Some experience this in troubled marriages; it feels like the Great Wall of China stands between you and your spouse. Invisible, dividing walls and barriers of hostility are all too often present in family relationships. Some who read this are in prison: for you, the "dividing wall of the barrier" is not invisible but is a physical, harsh daily reality. Others suffer hunger, persecution, poverty, and injustice due to the dividing walls of social classes based on money, prejudice, ethnicity, and power.
Whatever dividing wall stands in your life, bring that wall to Jesus. He is constantly praying that all His people would be one, as He and the Father are one (Jn 17:21). Jesus alone walks through walls (Jn 20:26). He breaks down the walls that keep people apart (Eph 2:14). The Lord broke down the walls of Jericho when His people came before Him in obedience, trust, and praise (Jos 6:20).
While behind the wall, "fix your eyes on Jesus" (Heb 3:1) instead of the wall. The Lord is writing on the wall to convict the hearts of people on both sides (see Dn 5:5). He stands by the wall with a measuring line, plotting its destruction (see Am 7:7-9). Only in Jesus do walls come tumbling down. Your body may be trapped but your heart, mind, and spirit are not. Pray: Lord, "by the help of my God I leap over a wall" (Ps 18:30) into Your arms.
PRAYER: Father, I am trapped behind a wall now, but by Your grace, I will live forever behind the walls of the heavenly city (Rv 21:14).
PROMISE: "It will go well with those servants whom the Master finds wide-awake on His return." –Lk 12:37
PRAISE: Louise led her kidnapper to give his life to Jesus. He felt Jesus take away the hatred from his life.
Be an inspiration, kindly Share.
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