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St.John Of The Cross Catholic Church, Jimeta Yola., Jimeta (2026)

06/03/2023

Monday, March 6, 2023
Office - Psalter Week 2
Mass prop. Preface of Lent
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mystery

FIRST READING
“We have sinned and done wrong.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:4b-10)

O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and merciful love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and ordinances; we have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery which they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because we have rebelled against him, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 79:8.9.11. 13 (R. see Ps103: 10a)
R/. O Lord, do not treat us according to our sins.

Do not remember against us
the guilt of former times.
Let your compassion hasten to meet us;
for we have been brought very low. R/.

Help us, O God our saviour,
for the sake of the glory of your name.
Free us and forgive us our sins,
because of your name. R/.
R/. O Lord, do not treat us according to our sins.
Let the groans of the prisoners
come before you,
your strongarm reprieve those
condemned to die. R/.

Then we, your people, the flock
of your pasture,
will give you thanks forever and ever.
From age to age we will recount
your praise. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL John 6:63c.68c
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of eternal life.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 6:36-38

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
Mercy is forgiveness. Jesus says “forgive and you will be forgiven.” God’s mercy is clearly revealed in the largeness of his heart to forgive. Ezekiel 33:11 says: “As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?” Once more we must note that forgiveness is not the same thing as condoning evil. If we do not forgive, we become worse than our enemies in the sense that we try to use evil to cure evil. It never works.

Mercy as Jesus describes in Luke 6:36-38, is charity; giving – helping the needy. To be merciful is to put oneself in the shoes of another. It is being able to feel the pains of others as our own pains and doing something to alleviate their plight. Jesus says “the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” This statement is quite similar to the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25:34-36: “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

Being merciful is such an important virtue because without it, we cannot claim to be children of God neither can we be rest assured of entrance into Paradise on the last day. Your best possible life can only happen when you are merciful. Be merciful, do not hold up hatred in your heart, do not be stingy with your gifts and your life will surely make a difference in this world.

05/03/2023

Sunday, March 5, 2023
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT (A)
Office- Psalter Week 1
Mass prop. Creed. Preface of Lent II
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery

OTHER CELEBRATIONS ARE NOT ALLOWED, NOT EVEN FUNERAL MASSES.

Vespers II of the Second Sunday of Lent

THEME OF THE SUNDAY: The Vocation of Abraham and the Vocation of the Christian.
The life of a Christian can be compared to a journey undertaken in the company of the Master. Abraham was the first to set off on this journey he answer to a call from God (first reading). Like him every catechumen is invited to leave his “country.” The Gospel shows us the only light that the catechumen should follow. The second reading calls upon the disciples not to be discouraged when they meet difficulties.

FIRST READING
The call of Abraham, the father of the People of God.
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 12: 1-4a)

In those days: The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.” So Abram went, as the LORD had told him.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 33:4-5. 18-19.20 and 22 (R. 22)
R/. May your merciful love be upon us, as we hope in you, O Lord.

The word of the Lord is faithful,
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right,
and his merciful love fills the earth. R/.

Yes, the Lord’s eyes are on those who fear him,
who hope in his merciful love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine. R/.

R/. May your merciful love be upon us, as we hope in you, O Lord.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
May your merciful love be upon us,
as we hope in you, O Lord. R/.

SECOND READING
God calls and enlightens us.
A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:8b-10)

Beloved: Take your share of suffering for the Gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.

The word of the Lord.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL MATTHEW 17-5
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. From the shining cloud the father’s voice is heard: this is my beloved Son, hear him. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“His face shone like the sun.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 17: 1-9

At that time: Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking, when behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

04/03/2023

Saturday March 4, 2023
Office- Psalter Week 1
Mass prop. Preface of Lent
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mystery
Vespers 1 of the 2nd Sunday of Lent

FIRST READING
“You shall be a people holy to the Lord your God.”
A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 26: 16-19)

Moses spoke to the people, saying: “This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances; you shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day concerning the Lord that he is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his ordinances, and will obey his voice; and the Lord has declared this day concerning you that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, that he will set you high above all nations that he has made, in praise and in fame and in honour, and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he has spoken.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 119: 1-2.4-5.7-5 (R.1b)
R/. Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord!

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his decrees!
With all their hearts they seek him. R/.

You have laid down your precepts
to be carefully kept.
May my ways be firm
in keeping your statutes. R/.

R/. Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord!

I will thank you with an upright heart,
as I learn your just judgements.
I will keep your statutes;
do not ever forsake me. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL 2 Corinthians 6:2b
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 5:43-45

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
We say we are Christians, yet we fight each other just as non-believers do, sometimes even bloodier than non-believers. We drag ourselves to law courts. We even present our cases before traditional rulers some of whom do not share our faith. In truth, if the people of that community at Antioch behaved like us, they wouldn’t have been called Christians but simply church-goers.

The greatest scandal of Christianity today is that the qualities for which that small community at Antioch were given the name “Christian” are no longer found amongst many so called Christian communities today. Basically, there seems to be no line of distinction currently between Christians, Non-believers, Doubters and even Atheists other than the fact that each Sunday, we go to Church.

What makes us Christians? It is our ability to rise above the traditional church-goer mentality. It is doing more than the tax collectors who love only those that love them. It is doing more than the Gentiles who greet only those that greet them. It is stepping out of the box, is acting in a manner that is really different from what our society regards as normal. It is doing thing just as Jesus would do if He were to walk this earth again.

What made that first community so unique? What earned them the name “Christian”? It was the Christ-like Love that existed among them; a love that is capable of forgiving one’s enemies right on the cross; a love that does not select its beneficiaries; a love that is purely sacrificial not expecting anything in return. In all honesty, the only love found in our so-called Christian communities today is the business love; a love that is purely based on give and take; a love that is concerned only about those who are capable or willing to reciprocate it; a love that demands much more than it gives; a selective love.

Being a Christian is practicing what I would call non-selective goodness. It is being kind to people not because they deserve it but because of who you are; a child whose Father does not discriminate who to benefit or not from his rain.

02/03/2023

Thursday March 2, 2023
Weekday of Lent (1)
Office- Psalter Week 1
Mass prop. Preface of Lent
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Luminous Myster

FIRST READING
I have no helper but you, Lord.
A reading from the Book of Esther 14:1.3-4.11.13-14

In those days: Esther the queen, seized with deathly anxiety, fled to the Lord. And she lay on the earth together with all her maid- servants, from morning until evening, and said: “God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you; help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, for my danger is in my hand. I have heard from the books of my ancestors that you liberate all those who are pleasing to you, O Lord, until the very end. And now, assist me, who am all alone, and have no one but you, O Lord, my God. Come to my aid, for I am an orphan. Put eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion, and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him. But save us from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning into gladness and our affliction into well-being.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 138:1-2a.2bcd-3.7d-8 (R. 3a)
R/. On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I praise you.
I bow down toward your holy temple. R/.

I give thanks to your name
for your merciful love and your faithfulness.
You have exalted your name and your promise over all.
On the day I called, you answered me;
you increased the strength of my soul. R/.

R/. On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

With your right hand you save me;
the Lord will accomplish this for me.
O Lord, your merciful love is eternal;
discard not the work of your hands. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Psalm 51:10a. 12a
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore to me the joy of your salvation.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“Everyone who asks receives.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 7: 7 - 12)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY'S REFLECTION
As a reciprocal, communicative event, prayer is an expression of our trustful relationship with God, it is predicated on God's love and fidelity to His creation, His care and His providence. In her 'mortal peril" Esther presents herself to God with total self-abandon: "I am alone and have no one but You, Lord. “In the Gospel, Jesus encourages us to dare to present ourselves and our needs to God (ask, seek, knock), trusting that 'God gives good things to those who ask Him!, What God gives in response to our prayers is what is good for us - and He alone knows what is ultimately good for us. God does not always give us what we want, but what we need - and He knows what we really need.

01/03/2023

Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Weekday of Lent (1)
Office- Psalter Week 1
Mass prop. Preface of Lent
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery

FIRST READING
The Ninevites turned from their evil way.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jonah 3:1-10

The word of the Lord came to Jonah, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he cried, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. Then tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he made proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them cry mightily to God; yes, let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may yet repent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we perish not?” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 51:3-4.12-13.18-19 (R. 19b)
R/. A broken and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your merciful love;
according to your great compassion,
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me completely from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin. R/.

Create a pure heart for me, O God;
renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence;
take not your holy spirit from me. R/.

R/. A broken and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.
For in sacrifice you take no delight;
burnt offering from me would not
please you.
My sacrifice to God, a broken spirit:
a broken and humbled heart,
O God, you will not spurn. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Joel 2:12-13
Glory and praise 'to you, O Christ.
Even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, for I am gracious and merciful.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“No sign shall be given to this generation except the sign of Jonah.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 11 :29-32)

At that time: When the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the South will arise at the judgement with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
The entire book of Jonah is for me a story of God’s unending faith in humanity; the fact that God does not give up on the creature he made; the fact that God is ever ready to give us a second chance again and again. God could have simply destroyed the Ninevites but he gave them a second chance by sending Jonah to them. Jonah himself tried to escape from God but God caught him, brought him back and gave him another chance. Jonah wasn’t even qualified as a messenger of God yet this irresponsible-runaway- preacher became instrumental to the salvation of an entire city.
Do not conclude about yourself based on what you see now, develop a new vision for yourself, call yourself a Saint and start working on yourself, begin to make efforts, do something about that which you do not like about you, ask for help, open the roof of houses like the four men who brought their paralytic to Jesus, talk to someone today as to how to come out of your spiritual captivity. You see, the point is: God wants to see the efforts you are making. At times, like these people, we judge ourselves based on surface appearances; we consider ourselves good for nothing because of what our physical eyes can carry. We lack faith to realize that we have God inside us; that we are capable of much more than we think. We see the son-of-a-carpenter in ourselves but we don’t believe in the Saint we could be. Never judge a book by its cover. Never conclude about yourself based on your past; don’t give up on yourself, keep believing, keep being positive; keep making efforts.

28/02/2023

Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Weekday of Lent (1)
Office- Psalter Week 1
Mass prop. Preface of Lent
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Sorrowful Mystery

FIRST READING
“My word shall accomplish that which I intend.”
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Thus says the Lord: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I intend, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 34:4-5.6-7.16-17.18-19 (R. see 18b)
R/. The Lord rescues them in all their distress.

Glorify the Lord with me;
together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free. R/.

Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This lowly one called; the Lord heard,
and rescued him from all his distress. R/.

R/. The Lord rescues them in all their distress.

The Lord turns his eyes to the just,
and his ears are open to their cry.
The Lord turns his face against the wicked
to destroy their remembrance from the earth. R/.

When the just cry out, the Lord hears,
and rescues them in all their distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
those whose spirit is crushed he will save. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Matthew 4:4b
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“Pray then like this.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 6:7—15)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
The effectiveness of prayer is not a matter of the number of words used, but the faith with which every word is spoken. The book of Hebrews tells us: “Without faith it is impossible to please God. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.

Prayer must go with action, whatever I ask from God, I too must be willing to give to my fellow brothers and sister. Prayer is a Cross; the vertical line depicts our reception from God while the horizontal line depicts our sharing with one another. Prayer must benefit others. I dare not ask God for divine protection while I wish death for someone else. The divine protection I plan to receive from God must extend to people otherwise my prayer is null and void.

As part of his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, Jesus warns us about talking too much or repeating ourselves over and over again when we pray. Before ever we set out to pray, we must first assure ourselves that God is more than able to grant our requests. We must remind ourselves of what God has done in the past and face the truth that no situation is beyond God. In this regard, in the book of Isaiah, God assures us that just as the rain drop from heaven and never returns until it has watered the earth, God’s words can never return empty. Isaiah 55:10-11.

27/02/2023

Monday, February 27, 2023
ST GREGORY NAREK, AB. D. (Opt. Commem.)
Office- Psalter Week 1
Mass prop. Preface of Lent
Vestment: Violet
Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mystery

FIRST READING
“In righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”
A reading from the Book of Leviticus (Leviticus 19: 1-2. 11- 18)

The LORD said to Moses, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, you shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy. “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. And you shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. “You shall not oppress your neighbour or rob him. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. “You shall do no injustice in judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbour. You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand forth against the life of your neighbour: I am the Lord. “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbour, lest you bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 19:8.9.10.15 (R. sec john 6:63c)
R/. Your words, O Lord, are Spirit and life.

The law of the Lord is perfect;
it revives the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are steadfast;
they give wisdom to the simple. R/.

The precepts of the Lord are right;
they gladder the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear;
it gives light to the eyes. R/.

R/. Your words, O Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the Lord is pure,
abiding forever.
The judgements of the Lord are true;
they are, all of them, just. R/.

May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rock and my redeemer! R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL 2 Corinthians 6:2b
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 25:31-46)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. “Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. ’Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ “Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. ’And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY'S REFLECTION
In the sixth Station of the Cross, Jesus speaks: “Can you be brave enough to wipe my bloody face?” “Where is your face?” you may ask, and I will answer “at home, at work, in the streets, in market corners, wherever suffering exists, my face is there and there I look for you to wipe away my blood and tears.”

A great man once commented: “The amount of respect I give to people is not based on how high they carry themselves but how they treat those lower than they are.” How do you treat people lower than you? How do you treat those who cannot measure up to your status, your money, your intelligence, your position? Whatsoever you do to the least (the smallest, the unimportant, the poorest, the minority), that you do unto me.

The book of Leviticus tells us: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbour, lest you bear sin because of him…but you shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Leviticus 19:15-18.

Are you finding it difficult to overcome hatred in your heart for a brother or sister? Then try to see the face of Jesus in that particular brother or sister. Realize that whatever it is that you are planning against him or her, it is Jesus himself you are planning against. The moment you start seeing Jesus in your enemies, your heart begins to melt towards them. You no longer feel like striking back at them but praying for their deliverance from captivity. The only way you can love your enemies as Jesus teaches us is by seeing the face of Jesus in your enemies.

The book of Proverbs adds: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you.” Proverbs 25:21-22.

St.John Of The Cross Catholic Church, Jimeta Yola.

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