REFLECTIONS ON THE WORD – 01/12/22 (Wednesday)

Mark 1:35-37

35 And in the morning, a great while before day, He rose and went out to a lonely place, and there He prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him pursued Him, 37 and they found Him and said to Him, "Every one is searching for You."

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Blessed Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time! In our gospel reading, Jesus rose up in the morning to pray. It was in prayer and His communication with the Father that He received strength to do His ministry, especially after healing many sick and driving out demons the night before. Then, Simon and His disciples pursued Him because they knew that many people were searching for Him. In this way, they became instruments for the healing and salvation of many people by mentioning them to our Lord. 

Our Lord Jesus also wants us to spend our time with Him in prayer, especially as we wake up. Some of us may check our phones or do other things to relax rather than offer ourselves to God at morning. However, it is through prayer that we can rest in the Sacred Heart of Christ and find strength to do His will for the whole day. When we distract ourselves with different things, it will be difficult for us to listen to His voice. And yet, even when we do not give Him proper reverence as we wake up, He still calls us and invites us to come to Him. He still gives us another day of mercy for us to receive His gift of salvation and be an instrument for the salvation of others. We know some people in our lives who have problems and who lacked peace. We know some people who may always reject Christ. Let's pursue Jesus in our prayer, especially every morning, not just to pray for ourselves but for other people as well. 

May we give thanks to God and pray to Him, especially as He grants us the gift to wake up for another day. Although we may not live and pray in a literal desert like Jesus, He is calling us to be in the spiritual desert where we are detached from other things, and we are just alone with God. When we pursue Him and pray for other people, He will grant all of us graces to grow in holiness. If we persevere in our prayers every day, He will renew our love for Him. To offer ourselves to Him for the whole day is always pleasing to Him, and He will give us strength to remain in His presence throughout the day. Amidst our problems and difficulties, we will be at peace because God is always with us. 

Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic