10 October 2023 Only By Grace Reflections

#OnlyByGraceReflections #CFC #CouplesforChrist NOTE: Please click the Subscribe key on YouTube and press the black notification bell to receive the daily reflections. Or, open in YouTube for easy access. View and Like. Thank you. TOPIC: DO YOU MAKE IT A HABIT TO LISTEN TO GOD, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR SERVICE? First Reading: Jonah 3: 1-10 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 130: 1b-2, 3-4ab, 7-8 Alleluia: Luke 11: 28 Gospel: Luke 10: 38-42 Our gospel today from Luke 10:38-42 is about the story of Martha and her sister Mary, close friends of Jesus. When Jesus visited their home, they had different ways of serving Him. Martha provided utmost service to show how highly He was valued. On the other hand, Mary decided to welcome Him by giving greater importance to the message He was bringing. Many of us who desire to follow and serve Jesus Christ are either Marthas, always busy and trying everything to be able to serve God, or Marys, who choose to spend time in prayer listening to God. The different responses of Martha and Mary are often discussed to highlight or even argue which is better. But as we mature in faith, we realize that both character traits are important. There are moments when giving our all to serve the Lord is what is needed to finish a task or God-given mission and there are also moments when what is needed is to spend time in prayer, listen intently to the Lord, and be nourished and guided by His words. Let us therefore be guided by the very words of Jesus when He said ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.” Our Lord Jesus Christ reminds us that if we want to truly serve Him, the first thing that we must do is to listen to Him, in order to determine how best to respond and to give our best for Him. This is the 1264th installment of our CFC contemplation series focusing on the daily liturgical readings. [NOTE: As we continue to pray for Bro Bong Arjonillo’s healing and recovery, let us listen to our brother Lawrence Quintero, a member of the CFC International Council, as he brings us today's reflection. All the regular reflections are between 3-7 minutes long, enough time for us to ponder what God's message is for us individually and to pray that we may live them out in our lives. This video is also available on Couples for Christ’s Facebook page. In You Tube, just type ONLY BY GRACE REFLECTIONS]