Ord.Wk 28th: Friday 20th October, 2023 October 20, 2023
Reflection on the WORD
Real Fears – Faith: In today’s Gospel, Jesus proclaimed to the great crowds, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but, fear him who has the power to cast you into hell.” Ponder on: Very often our fears are the uncertainties of the future of our lives, families, health, wealth, popularity. Jesus is inviting us to ‘fear’ what can ‘rob us’ of God’s gift of Eternal Life, when we die.
Luke 12:1-5
The people had gathered in their thousands so that they were treading on one another. And Jesus began to speak, first of all to his disciples. ‘Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees - their hypocrisy. Everything now covered up will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. For this reason, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed from the housetops.
‘To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, he is the one to fear.’
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- In today’s Gospel Jesus warns His disciples and us to avoid the hypocritical ways of the Pharisees who were good at looking pious while harbouring evil intentions.
- God’s light exposes evil and sin no matter how much we try to mask them. He gives us all the graces we need to overcome insincerity and hypocrisy in our lives if we are receptive to them.
- Do you trust that God’s grace and mercy can free us of our pride and hypocrisy? Ask the Lord to cast aside anything which would hinder you from full union with Him.