28 August 2023 - Only By Grace Reflections

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: ARE YOU TRUE TO YOUR WORD? First Reading: First Thessalonians 1: 1-5, 8b-10 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 149: 1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b Alleluia: John 10: 27 Gospel: Matthew 23: 13-22 Matthew 23:13-22 tells of a time when Jesus rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees when He said..."Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter... You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.” In this passage Jesus chastised and accused the Scribes and Pharisees of hypocrisy. They appear to be pious, but they frequently take advantage of those who have far less than they have. Their actions do not always mirror their words. What they say doesn't match up with what they do. We all have a Pharisee within us. It would be great if we always lived up to our words. The truth is that we occasionally fall short of doing this. In a strange way, this could turn out to be a blessing in disguise, if, and only if we learn from it. Being aware of our own shortcomings may help us to empathize with and for others' shortcomings.  This is the 1221st 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 Eric Villanueva, Mission Head for CFC Europe and Africa, 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] #OnlyByGraceReflections #CFC #CouplesForChrist