DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

SATURDAY OF  THE 25th WEEK IN ORDINARY  OF THE YEAR (A)

MYSTERY OF THE DAY: Joyful 

CELEBRATION OF THE DAY:   St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

(340-420). Born in Dalmacia (Yugoslavia). He studied in Rome where he was baptised. He chose monastic life, went to Syria and was ordained priest. He went back to Rome as secretary of Pope Damasus, who commissioned him to revise the Latin text of the Bible. He went to Bethlehem to work on this project. His work is now known as the Vulgate which the Church has adopted as the official version. He also wrote many other works, mostly commentaries on the books of the Bible.

TABLE OF THE WORD:Zechariah 2:1-5.10-11; Jeremiah 31:10.11-12ab.13 (R. see 10d); Luke 9:43-45.

THEME:  He will keep us as the shepherd keeps his flock.

THE WORD

"Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the islands afar off; say: 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock." (Jeremiah 31:10.11)

INSPIRATION 

One of the fascinating facts about God is His continuous love and mercy upon us. No matter how tough the condition may be, God is always at work to salvage the situation. That is why today's Psalm taken from the prophecy of Jeremaiah has this to say: 

"Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the islands afar off; say: 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock." (Jeremiah 31:10.11)

The above text has three dimension. 

Firstly, a call to listen to the Word. 

Secondly, disorderly the order to order again.

Thirdly, keeping of His chosen under His tender care and love.

With this notion therefore, we are called to mind the Place of God at the centre of every situation in our lives. At this point God emphasised on listening to His Word, allowing His detects and ordinances to moderate us so as to understand the situation we are facing, especially when the going is not hat we bargain for. 

Obviously, the thought of God is higher that our thoughts for that of His is for good. As prophet Isaiah says: 

 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9) 

That is why amidst what we may termed as "confusion" God's abiding presence is always there to comfort us and to keep us as the shepherd keeps his flock. 

The Psalmist on the other hand also reminded us that God is our shepherd, and with him we shall never lack. (Psam 23)

In another part, Prophet Ezekiel spoke the mind of God revealing  to us how lovely our God is when he said: 

"As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness."  (Ezekiel 34:12)

Finally, beloved in Christ, as we are celebrating the memorial of St. Jerome today, a man noted for sound dialectical acumen on the scripture through his commentaries. Let us pray as a family pray that through his intercession God may give us the grace to see Him in every situation of our lives; so as to appreciate His loving kindness. Peace be with you!

PRAYER

O God, who gave the Priest Saint Jerome a living and tender love for Sacred Scripture, grant that your people may be ever more fruitfully nourished by your Word and find in it the fount of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

+ May the Lord in His infinite mercy bless and keep us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

(c) The ARCHIVE                        30092023.