My take of God’s Word to us today 5th Feb 2012

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time Sunday, February 5, 2012
Rev Fr. Precious with the Choir of St. Thomas Aquinas School
1. In the old testament it was the mentality of retributive justice. If you sin you will receive the punishment & if you live well, you are blessed & made prosperous & live long. They did not know what happened after death. Job 7:1-4,6-7
2. So we see God wanting to change that mentality, Job was a righteous person but was suffering. Even the just man can suffer. God has a reason for making a just man to suffer.
3. In the Gospel we see why a just woman suffer, so that the Glory of God will be made manifest. Christ healed Peters mum-in-law. Mark 1- 29-39
4. So note that after she was healed she waited n the Lord. When ever we encounter the Lord, He call us to the service of the Lord.
5. Note even the demons know Christ, so it is not enough to know who Christ is, what matters is what is Jesus to me personally, who is He to me.
6. After Christ prayer, Peter comes to tell Christ that the people are waiting for him. His focus was Peters fame he was getting because of what Christ was doing. His focus on the purpose of Christ. Let’s keep our focus on our purpose in live, to serve God. Let’s find our mission & keep our focus on it.
7. Note once people start praising you at a particular place, note it is time to move on to take on the next task.
8. So Paul 1 Corth 9:16-19, 22-23 says in the 2nd reading that he does not need to be praised or rewarded for doing our work. It is our job & the praise is for God the owner of the vineyard.
9. In all things God is the only One we should serve.
10. If a just man could suffer then the sinner better be careful
11. Jesu is the Only one, the Only answer.
12. The Praise & Glory belongs only to God.
13. Our reward is in heaven & greater than anything we can receive here. So why try to dilute it. Let’s just do our work.
14. We prayed for the Black Stars at Mass today. God will hear us as we call on him in faith
15. Today is the feast of St. Agatha
16. Most of what we know about St. Agatha is based on legend. Agatha was a beautiful Christian girl from a wealthy family in Sicily. She lived in the third century, a time when the emperor Decius was persecuting the Christians. While she was still young, she dedicated her life to God, vowing not to get married.
The governor heard of Agatha’s beauty and brought her to his palace. He wanted to make her do sinful things, but she was brave and would not give in. “My Lord Jesus Christ,” she prayed, “I belong only to you. Help me to be strong against evil.”
Then the governor tried sending Agatha to the house of a wicked woman. He hoped the woman would convince Agatha to do sinful things. But Agatha had great trust in God and prayed all the time. She kept herself pure. She would not listen to the evil suggestions of the woman and her daughters. After a month, Agatha was brought back to the governor. “You are a noblewoman,” he said kindly. “Why have you lowered yourself to be a humble Christian?”
“Even though I am a noble,” answered Agatha, “I am a slave of Jesus Christ.”
“Then what does it really mean to be noble?” the governor asked.
Agatha answered, “It means to serve God.”
When he realized that Agatha would not agree to the evil he wanted her to do, the governor became angry. He had Agatha whipped and tortured. As she was being carried back to prison she whispered, “Lord, my Creator, you have protected me from the cradle. You have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Now receive my soul.”
Agatha died a martyr at Catania, Sicily, in the year 251.
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We can learn from St. Agatha’s example. Like her, we can pray with all our heart when we are tempted to do anything wrong. This is the way we can develop a good and strong character.

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