25th JUNE. THURSDAY IN WEEK 12

11 Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16

2.Matthew 7:21-29

REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATIONS

The readings today are inviting us to meditate on practicalities of our spiritual life. The first reading from the book of genesis is telling us the scenario whereby the couple, Abraham and Sarah at their old age were childless. Sarah, the Abraham’s wife, turned to the local customs that allowed surrogate wife to bear her child it is under this background that the Egyptian maid servant Hagar had conceived Abraham’s child, in turn the maid servant scorns her mistress for being childless; Sarah now blamed this humiliation on Abraham. Following the custom that it was the wife’s place to look after female servants, Abraham tries to resolve the problem by opting out, “ your maid is in your power. Do to her whatever you please.” In this context.

From the first reading we learn a lesson that problem that burden people often begin when they act out of impulse without regarding the feelings of others. At times we find ourselves in a situation when we are given an opportunity and privilege we tend to act beyond the privilege, the opportunity and privileges turn out to be obligation, this is clearly manifested in the first reading whereby the maidservant when was given a privilege to bear a child after she conceived a child she started ignoring and contempt to her mistress who gave her that opportunity, she manipulated her mistress for being childless, while forgetting that she is the one granted her that opportunity to bear a child on her behalf. Like Sarah and Hagar we can spoil the chances of peaceful life by envy, jealous, and spite however, out of these envy and spite we are all invited to acknowledge that out of that there is a purifying hand of God. God works his ways in a way we human being can’t grasp. The story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar has been written for our instruction and moral edification on what we experience in our spiritual life and temporal life. We need to correct our faults and our mode of treating those who seem to be our rivals. We should let them to become neighbors. Our Eucharist we celebrate every day reminds us of this union that we should not love in isolation; rather we should love all including also our enemies.  The house of peace should be built on the rock of Christ whereby we are all one family, and one blood.

From the gospel reading, the two houses Jesus describes in today’s gospel looked the same. To the external observer there would have appeared to be no difference between them, yet there was a difference between them though they were not visible. It only became visible when the storm struck. After the storm, it was then noted that these houses were built on different foundations. One house withstood, and the other collapsed. Likewise, the gospel reading suggests that the same metaphor can be applied to our lives also. We appear and look the same Christians but in reality we have different attitudes and understanding our Christian faith. Jesus declares that the surest foundation for our lives consists in the hearing and doing his word. He is a rock, thus if we build our lives on his values and our attitudes in his life then our lives will be solidly rooted in Jesus, and we will never be swayed by the storms. We have to go back into our own life experiences and meditate on whatever we do whether they are constructive towards the well being of people of God. Whatever we do are the ones to create or destroy our own lives. We will be known as good architects of the word of God by our simple gestures we show to our brothers and sisters. We should open our minds and hearts to allow the word of God to transform us, and finally his word make us to abide in him.