A REFLECTION ON THE DAILY OFFICE READINGS

Exodus 13:3-10

This passage describes the festival of unleavened bread. The festival was to be a reminder of the day Israel left Egypt. Israel had been slaves in Egypt for years but now the Lord’s mighty arm was liberating them from the bonds of oppression. The Lord was going to bring Israel into the land that he had sworn to give to their ancestors - a land flowing with milk and honey. For generations to come the festival of unleavened bread would serve a sign on their hand, forehead, and lips that God is forever faithful. What unjust or oppressive circumstances have we been freed from? In what ways are we sharing our testimony with those around us and with future generations so that the faithfulness of God can be remembered and celebrated?

1 Corinthians 15:41-50

Not all light is the same. The light from the sun is different from the light of the moon. The light of the moon is different from the light of the stars. In a similar manner, our life in this temporal world is different from our life in the world to come. In this world, we are born into sin. In the world to come, we are born into glory. In this world, we are acquainted with weakness but in the world to come we will experience the power of God in its fullness. The first Adam was from the earth and became a living being but the last Adam (Jesus) is from heaven and became a life-giving spirit. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven. How we choose to live our life is often dependent on what drives us. Are we driven by the base desires of our temporal flesh or are we driven by the eternal desires of the spirit? In what ways does our awareness of eternal life shape our temporal life?

Matthew 28:16-20

Is seeing believing? Not necessarily. In this passage the eleven disciples gather on a mountain in Galilee as Jesus had directed them. As they gathered there, Jesus appeared to them. Some believed in what they saw and worshiped Jesus. Others doubted what was unfolding before them on the mountain. Jesus then gave them a great commission: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." In what ways have we seen God working in our life? Why might we struggle to believe something is true even when we see it with our own eyes? What does the term “DISCIPLESHIP” mean to us? What specific ways are we discipling those around us?

To God be the glory now and forever. Amen.

Fr. Thomas+



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