LITTLE FLOCK - 8/7/22 (Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Luke 12:32

Jesus said to His disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080722.cfm

Blessed Sunday! Jesus Christ told the disciples that they should not be afraid because they were His little flock. This is the same message that our Lord tells us. His little flock have nothing to be afraid of, and they have genuine hope of entering the Kingdom of heaven. If this is the case, then how can we be His "little flock"? And, what does it mean for us to be His "little flock"? 

To be "little" means to be humble. Like the imagery of a little child, we are called by God to persevere in the virtue of humility. One can be truly little by acknowledging his/her weaknesses, brokenness, imperfections and sinfulness. There may be times in our lives when we are acting contrary to God's will in our lives. Instead of praising God, we may end up blaspheming His name, especially if we use His name in vain such as by saying, "Oh My God", and other similar words as well. Instead of giving to the poor, we may be using our money to buy extravagant things that are not necessary in our state of life. Instead of practicing temperance and always being aware of God's presence, some of us may fall to the temptations of drunkenness where we are placing ourselves in the occasions of sins and when we may forget God due to being drunk. Despite our sins, our Lord is merciful. He still loves us and offers us His Kingdom which we can only enter by admitting to Him our faults, by seeking the sacraments like the confession, and by asking Him to save us because we know that we are undeserving to enter heaven by our own efforts. 

To be a "flock" means that we are followers of Christ. The flock always listens to the voice of the shepherd. In the same way, God desires for us to listen to His voice, to practice our Catholic faith and to be diligent in doing His will. Sometimes, we can be overwhelmed by fear thinking that there is no chance for us to change and to do good. But, these are just temptations. There is nothing impossible to God because He is our hope. The Good Shepherd will protect us from every evil and temptation. During the times that we are tempted to commit sins, let's immediately turn to God in our prayers and beg for His strength to reject such temptations. At the same time, if we truly desire to enter heaven, it's necessary for us to persevere in our resolutions. Once we recognize our sins, it's important for us to reflect on the reasons why we have fallen to them. Then, through prayer and perseverance, let's do everything by God's grace to do what is good and to avoid what is evil, especially the occasions of sins. 

Faith is our foundation in spiritual life. It is only by having a genuine faith in our Lord that things will be easier for us to do. Some people may neglect the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church, not necessarily because they do not know what they teach, but they may simply not believe them. They may believe that they are not really sinning. This is why our Lord is inviting us to trust in Him. God wants us to believe that His will is what is really best for us. He wants us to believe that our Lord Jesus should be the center of our life and not material things. He wants us to believe that He speaks through the Church. And, He wants us to believe in His mercy and love for us. Let's believe that we are created to glorify God and enter heaven. May we express to our Lord that we believe in Him and in what He reveals to His Church. By living out our faith as Catholics, we can be the little flock of Christ, and God will help us to be like Him in our words and deeds. Through this, we have the genuine hope that Jesus will bring us to our inheritance in heaven. 

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

For the summary of the teachings of the Catholic Church, click here:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

For the examination of conscience and guide to confession, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

For more information on how to pray the rosary, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/the-most-holy-rosary/

For a YouTube video of a sample of a daily prayer routine, click here:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=R2m_VU2dHn8