Saturday, 31 August 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013 - Twenty-Second Sunday of the year - We must do the good we do because it is good to do good.
To read the texts click on the texts:Sir3:17-20,28-29; Heb 12:18-19,22-24a; Lk 14:1,7-14
“Humility is a funny thing.
Once you think you’ve got it, you’ve lost it.” Humility is a major theme of the
readings of today. If the first reading from Sirach begins with the advice to
perform one’s tasks with humility, in the Gospel text of today, Jesus advises
choosing the lowest place as a practical way of performing one’s tasks.
At the cursory level, one
might assume that Jesus is giving a lesson on table manners, or providing a
strategy by which one can gain honour. This is true, but is only a small part
of the story. A deeper reading reveals that there is much more. Since Jesus is
not asking his listeners to choose a lower place but instead, the last place,
the point he is making is more than just strategy. He is advocating humility.
Humility is possible only
when a person realises that his/her true worth does not come from external
recognition but from within. If one is convinced in one’s heart that one is
worthy, special, and unique, then one will not need to compare oneself with
another or try to be better than another. One is content with one’s self. Like
happiness, humility is an inside job.
Humility is without guile.
It does not seek to bring others down. Rather, it seeks to raise others higher.
This the humble person can do because he/she is secure in him/herself. The
humble person expects no compensation, no recompense, and no reward. Such a
person is able to follow Jesus’ instructions and invite those who cannot repay.
Such a person can invite those who do not have the capacity to do anything in
return. Such a person can act in a
manner that is free and liberating. Such a person acts from the heart.
We live in a world that
judges mainly by externals. One reason why cosmetic companies are so successful
is because most people lay too much stress on the externals. How one dresses,
what clothes one wears, what perfume one uses, are questions of extreme
importance for so many. Many want, not
only to be recognized but also, to be commended, applauded, and praised. Some
will go to any extent to seek and search for this. There is, in most of our
relations, a quid pro quo or, something for something. We are good to others if
they are good to us. We do favours for others
in the hope that they will return the favours when we need them. We reach out to others in the hope that we
will be noticed and in the hope that they will, in turn, reach out to us. We
live artificial, false, empty lives in the hope that we will be given the
importance and value we seek. Those of us who live in this manner have already
received our reward.
The call and the challenge
of the readings of today are to a different way of life. The readings call us
first to live from within, to live from our hearts. They call us to rest
assured in the fact that each of us, no matter how tall or short, no matter how
fair or dark, and no matter how thin or fat, is a unique, special and precious
person. We each have our special place in the world and no one can take that
place. Thus, we have simply to be ourselves and accept ourselves fully. We do
not need to compare ourselves with others or try to usurp the place of someone
else. We do not need to do good deeds in the hope of those deeds being returned
to us or in the hope of receiving a reward. We must do the good we do because
it is good to do good.
This is possible for those
of us who profess to be disciples of Jesus since he has shown us how. The
second reading from the letter to the Hebrews makes abundantly clear that, in
Jesus, we are blessed. In Jesus, we have
come, not to a blazing fire that cannot be touched or to darkness or gloom or
tempest. Rather, we have come to one who,
through his death on the Cross, has shown us the true meaning of humility. We
have come, in Jesus, to one who has shown us how we can do good for others
without any expectation of reward. We have come, in Jesus, to one who has shown
us what it means to take the last place, and to be exalted even in our humility.
Friday, 30 August 2013
Saturday, August 31, 2013 - What are the talents that God has given you personally? How will you use them for his greater glory today?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1Thess 4:9-11; Mt 25:14-30
A talent is a large sum of money, equal to the wages of a day
labourer for fifteen years. (In Luke 19:12-28, the figures are much
smaller. There are ten servants and each receives a “mina” which was only one
sixtieth of a talent, and worth 100 denarii and translated “pound”) In Matthew,
however, there are three servants and they receive different amounts. The first
receives five, the second two, and the third, one. The first and the second use
the money to earn similar amounts in return. The third, buries it in the
ground. The point that the parable seems to make here is that we are called not
merely to “passive waiting” or strict obedience to clear instructions, but
active responsibility that take initiative and risk. Each must decide how to
use what he/she has been given.
Often times, our understanding of Christianity has been one in
which we are content if we have not done “any wrong”, but rarely ask whether we
have done “any right”. We are content like the third servant to give only
grudgingly, and not with the freedom that we are meant to have.
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013 - Is there enough oil in the lamp of your life? If not what will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Thess 4:1-8; Mt 25:1-13
In the parable of today we will hear of the ten bridesmaids,
five of whom were prepared and five unprepared, five of whom had oil and five
of whom who did not. We are told that five were foolish and five were wise
right at the beginning of the parable, because we cannot tell this just be
looking at them. All ten have come to the wedding; all ten have their lamps
burning; all ten presumably have on their gowns. The readiness is what
distinguishes the wise from the foolish.. Five are ready for the delay and five
are not. Five have enough oil for the wedding to start whenever the bridegroom
arrives; the foolish ones have only enough oil for their own timetable.
It is easy to be good for a day if goodness is seen only as a
means to an end. It is easy to be merciful for a day if mercy is seen only as a
means to an end. However, if we see goodness and mercy and everything that is
positive as an end in itself, then it is possible to be good and merciful and
positive always. We are called then to be like the wise ones with our lamps
always burning so that we will then be able to welcome the Lord whenever he
comes.
Thursday, August 29, 2013 - The Beheading of John the Baptist
To read the texts click on the texts:Jer 1:17-19; Mk 6:17-29
Mark’s
Account of the beheading of Saint John the Baptist by Herod Antipas is more
elaborate than that of Matthew and Luke. According to Mark, Herod had
imprisoned John because he reproved Herod for divorcing his wife (Phasaelis),
and unlawfully taking Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip I. On
Herod's birthday, Herodias' daughter (traditionally named Salome but not named
by Mark or the other Gospels) danced before the king and his guests. Her
dancing pleased Herod so much that in his drunkenness he promised to give her
anything she desired, up to half of his kingdom. When the daughter asked her
mother what she should request, she was told to ask for the head of John the
Baptist on a platter. Although Herod was appalled by the request, he
reluctantly agreed and had John executed in the prison.
The Jewish
historian Flavius Josephus also relates in his Antiquities of the Jews that
Herod killed John, stating that he did so, "lest the great influence John
had over the people might put it into his [John's] power and inclination to
raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise), [so
Herod] thought it best [to put] him to death." He further states that many
of the Jews believed that the military disaster which fell upon Herod at the
hands of Aretas his father-in-law (Phasaelis' father), was God's punishment for
his unrighteous behaviour.
While Mark
has mentioned Herodians before (3:6), this is the first time in his Gospel that
he mentions Herod. Herod, here is Herod Antipas who was the son of Herod the
Great who is the one referred to in the narrative of the birth of Jesus in the
Gospel of Matthew (Mt 2:1-23), and had been appointed by the Roman as the ruler
of Galilee and Perea (Lk 3:1). He was never “king” as Mark mentions in his
story, and Matthew corrects this by referring to Herod as tetrarch (Mt 14,1).
The story of the death of John the Baptist in Mark is sandwiched between the
sending of the Twelve on Mission (6:7-13) and their return from Mission
(6:30-34).
Mark
mentions three opinions about Jesus said to be circulating at that time. Some
believed that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead; others believed
that Jesus was Elijah, while still others believed that Jesus was one of the
prophets of old. Herod, however, is quite clear in Mark that Jesus is John the
Baptist raised. This profession of Herod leads Mark to narrate the story of the
death of John the Baptist as a flashback. According to Mark, the reason why
John was put in prison was because he objected to Herod’s violation of the
purity code, which forbade marriage of close relatives and to a brother’s wife
while the brother was still alive (Lev 18:16; 20:21). Mark seems to lay the
blame for the death of John on Herodias who manipulates Herod into executing
John. The daughter of Herodias is not named here or anywhere in the Bible, nor
does the Bible give her age. According to Mark a drunken Herod is trapped into
fulfilling a rash vow and so has John beheaded.
Though in
Mark’s narrative it is Herodias who is directly responsible for the death of
John the Baptist, Herod cannot disown responsibility. He could have decided if
he had the courage not to give in, yet he made the choice to have John
beheaded. Each of us is responsible for our own actions though we may sometimes
blame others or even circumstances. The sooner we accept responsibility for who
we are and what we do, the sooner we will grow up. The legend of John the
Baptist shows us that justice and truth are the ultimate victims in such situations.
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013 - If Jesus were to call you to himself now, would he find you ready? Why?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1Thess 3:7-13; Mt 24:42-51
We will hear for the next few days’ readings from Chapters 24
and 25 of the Gospel of Matthew, which are known as the Eschatological
Discourse. The word Eschatological comes from the Greek word “Eschaton” that
means “the last things”, “the things of the afterlife”. In these chapters,
Jesus speaks to all the people about how they must behave in the present, if
they are to expect to be judged with mercy in the future.
In the text of today,
the disciples are asked to “stay awake”, because no one knows when the hour of
departure will be. The disciples are called to be busy with the assigned
mission not with apocalyptic speculation. The wise servant is the one who obeys
not calculates.
Some of us regard being good as a burden. This is because we may
associate goodness with being serious and sombre and not enjoying every single
moment of life. On the contrary, goodness means exactly the opposite. It means
that one is in the present moment and so living it as fully as possible. It
also means that for a person who does this there is no need to worry about the
day or hour when he/she will be called simply because such a person is always
ready.
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013 - Your clothes may be in the right place, your hair might be in the right place, but is your heart in the right place?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Thess 2:9-13; Mt 23:27-32
The text of today contains the sixth (23:27-28) and seventh
(23:29–36) woes begun in 23:13. The sixth Woe concerns “whitewashed tombs”. As
a public service, tombs were whitewashed to make them more obvious, since
contact with the dead and with graves, even if unintentional, transmitted
ritual impurity (Num 19:11-22). This was especially important to pilgrims at
Passover time, who would not know the places they visited. The point that
Matthew makes is “ostentatious exterior, corrupt interior”. The seventh and
final Woe extends the tomb image and modulates into the concluding theme: The
rejection of the prophets God has sent.
The challenge then to each one of us is to bother less about
what we ought to do and think more about what we ought to be, because if our
being were good then our works would shine forth brightly.
Monday, 26 August 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - If your being is good, then all you do will also be good. How will you ensure that your being is good today?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1Thess 2:1-8; Mt 23:23-26
The fourth (23:23-24) and fifth (23:25-26) woes against the Pharisees
are about focussing on the insignificant matters and externals while forgetting
what is significant and internal. The Pharisees were extremely particular about
tithing and to ensure that they did not err in this regard, tithed even small
garden vegetables used for seasoning which Matthew mentions here as mint, dill
and cumin and probably in order to correspond with justice and mercy and faith.
Gnat and Camel, which the Matthean Jesus contrasts in 23:24, were the smallest
and largest living things in ordinary experience. While the Matthean Jesus does
not state that what the Pharisees are doing is wrong, his critique is that
while focussing so much on these insignificant items, they lose sight of the
larger picture.
Too much focus on the external can also lead to forgetting the
internal. What is on the outside is merely a reflection of what is within.
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013 - How often has the impression of others over your own values, determined the way you behave?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Thess 1:1-5,8-10; Mt 23:13-22
The text of today contains the first three of the seven Woes
that Jesus pronounces against the Pharisees of his time, because they gave more
importance to human laws, rules and regulations than to the law of God, which
was the Law of Love. The polemic is against placing too much value on the way
one appears to others, which can be a form of idolatry. So understood,
hypocrisy is not merely a transgression, but represents a lack of trust in God,
a turning away from God toward what others think as the point of orientation of
one’s life. This was the reason for their single-minded focus on the law and it
blinded them to all else that really mattered. Consequently, the human person
was relegated to the far extreme. Jesus seeks to correct their understanding
and ours, by asking them and us to focus not so much on law but on love, not so
much on self but on God.
The first of the three woes (23:13) is also found in Luke 11:52,
but whereas the Lucan Jesus pronounces the owe because the Pharisees “take away
the key of knowledge”, The Matthean Jesus pronounces the woe because they “shut
the kingdom of heaven against men”. They do not enter themselves, nor do they
allow others to enter.
The second woe (23:15) is exclusive to Matthew, and continues
the imagery of the first woe. Here the Pharisees are accused of converting
others to their beliefs, but this results in the converted being worse than
they were before.
The third woe (23:16-22) accuses the Pharisees of trying to find
loopholes in the law in order to suit themselves. They interpret the law to suit
their convenience.
Saturday, 24 August 2013
CHECK ALL THREE READINGS OF SUNDAY FOR THE ANSWERS
Sunday, August 25, 2013 - Twenty First Sunday of the Year - Will you live one moment of one day at a time with no regrets of the past or obsession with the future?
To read the texts click on the texts:Is66:18-21; Heb 12:5-7,11-13; Lk 13:22-30
The late Anthony de Mello,
in one of his seminars, made a very telling statement: “It is the very people
who do not know what to do with this life who are concerned about the next”. Concerns
about the next life or what will happen after death are issues that so many are
worried and anxious about. In many cases,
this leads to not being able to live fully the present life which has so much
to offer.
This seems to be the
background to the question that Jesus is asked at the beginning of the Gospel
text of today; “Lord, will only a few be saved?” In his response to the
question, Jesus does not state whether few or many will be saved. Rather, he asks all those who listen to him
to live fully in the present. The present will determine the future and so we
are not to be concerned with the future but with the here and now. Now is the
time when the effort must be made. Now
is the time when life must be lived. Now is the time to prepare for what is to
come.
What does it mean that one
must strive to enter by the narrow door? The text answers this question, though
not directly. There are three reasons why many will not succeed in entering.
Some will be excluded because they will try to get in when it is too late. Others will be excluded because they will not
have acted on the instructions of Jesus.
Still others will be excluded because they performed evil and not good
actions. Those who did not act will have assumed that words alone would suffice
to get them through, but they will be mistaken. These are the ones who will
weep and gnash their teeth and for those who have not teeth, a set will be
provided.
On the other hand, people
will come from all corners of the world and gain entry into the kingdom. These
will have gained entry, not on their antecedents or background but because they
did strive to enter by the narrow door. They were ready on time, they acted on
the instructions of Jesus, and their actions were good. They, who were
considered last by many, will indeed be first. This is the group mentioned in
the first reading of today who will come from all nations. This is not an
exclusive group. Their works and thoughts are known to God and through them,
they have declared God’s glory. These are the ones who are invited to the feast
in the kingdom of
God for they acted wisely
and well.
Thus, it is not merely being
familiar with the teachings of the Lord that is important or even knowing the
Lord by name. What is important is action. To be sure, one’s good action alone
is not the determining factor, since the grace of God and God’s choice is also
instrumental in the final list that is made. However, even as this is true,
one’s action is imperative, even vital, to gain entry into the kingdom. This
further indicates that the religion that Jesus urges people to practice is not
merely one which is content to recite a set formula of prayers, or to
participate passively in rituals, or even to proclaim aloud that Jesus is Lord.
No. The religion to which he invites his listeners is one which will show
itself in action. It is one in which prayers, rituals, and proclamation will be
informed and influenced by the loving actions that one performs and not the
other way round. The prayers of praise to God are the result of the actions
that show this praise.
This kind of religion is not
easy to practice, as the second reading of today points out. There will be
numerous trials that have to be endured and often, there will be the temptation
to give up. It will seem so much simpler to simply say, rather than do. It will
be so much simpler to mouth empty prayers, rather than act on the Lord’s
commands. What is called for, however, is a steadfastness, a resoluteness, and
a sense of purpose. What is called for is not worry about the future and its
outcome but to keep one’s eyes, mind, heart, and whole being, fixed on the
present. What is required is to know that the present determines the future.
We, as Christians, are in special danger of
not heeding the instructions of Jesus. This is because, all too often,
Christianity has been understood as a sterile and theoretical religion. Many of
us are content with fulfilling “obligations” and with reciting prayers. We are
content to give occasional alms and to separate the practice of our faith from
our lives. Some of us think that, because we have been baptized, we are sure to
enter the kingdom. However, the readings of today point out that this is far
from true. None of us can take for granted that we will gain entry into the
kingdom. It is precisely for this reason why it is important for us, as
disciples of Jesus, not to be too concerned about the next life but to
concentrate on the present one and to live it fully. If we know how to live
fully in this life, we will be able to live fully in the next.
Friday, 23 August 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013 - St. Bartholomew - Will you have the courage to first believe in order that you might see?
To read the texts click on the texts: Rev 21:9-14; Jn 1:45-51
Bartholomew
was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathaniel
(mentioned in the first chapter of John's Gospel). According to the Gospel of
John, he was brought to Jesus by Philip. It is Nathaniel whom Jesus calls “an
Israelite in whom there is no guile”. Though Nathaniel is not mentioned in any
list of the Twelve, Bartholomew is mentioned by all the Synoptic Gospels and
also the Acts of the Apostles. One reason why Bartholomew is identified as
Nathaniel is because is all the lists of the Twelve Bartholomew is named in the
company of Philip.
Unlike the
first two disciples who followed Jesus (1:35-40), here Jesus invites Philip to
discipleship. Even more significant that the call of Philip, is what happens to
Philip as a result of his call. He cannot remain silent about it and wants
another to know and encounter Jesus. Thus, he finds Nathanael and bears witness
about Jesus. This he does in two ways. He first points Jesus out as the fulfilment
of all scripture and then he refers to him as “Jesus, son of Joseph from
Nazareth.” This witness seems to bring out both divine and human origins of
Jesus and once again reminds us of the mystery that Jesus is and continues to
be. Immediately after Philip’s testimony, there is resistance on the part of
Nathanael, yet Philip does not argue but responds in the words that Jesus had
used to invite the first two disciples: “Come and see”.
Though
having an opinion about where the Messiah would come from, Nathanael remains
open to another revelation. Though sceptical, he is willing to be convinced.
Jesus addresses Nathanael as an “Israelite” which signifies his faithfulness to
the law and is used here in a positive sense. He is without guile because
though he has questions and even doubts, he is open and receptive and willing
to learn. Jesus’ intimate knowledge of Nathanael and the revelation that he
makes to him leads to a transformation in Nathanael and he comes to faith. He
responds to Jesus with a confession and though he begins with Rabbi, he moves
on to recognizing Jesus as Son of God and King of Israel.
However,
Jesus responds by pointing out to Nathanael that this is only the beginning of
the revelation that Jesus makes. If he continues to remain open he will
experience even greater things. By means of a double “Amen”, Jesus points out
to Nathanael and to others there that he will be the bridge between heaven and
earth. He will be that place and person in whom the earthly and divine
encounter each other. He as Son of man will make God known.
Scepticism
and cynicism are common among many people. While this is not a problem in
itself, what causes the problem is when these lead to a closed attitude. In a
world in which we refuse to believe unless we first see, Jesus seems to be
saying to us like he said to Nathanael “First believe than you will see”.
Thursday, 22 August 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013 - Will you show your love for God by first loving those around you? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ruth 1:1,3-6,14-16,22; Mt 22:34-40
Matthew has written Mark’s story (Mk 12:28-34) and made what
was a scholastic dialogue in to a controversy. Unlike in Mark where the scribe
is friendly, here the “lawyer” (the only occurrence of “nomikos” = lawyer in
Matthew) is hostile, and the question is asked to “test” Jesus (only the devil
and the Pharisees are the subject of the verb, “test”). The lawyer addresses
Jesus as “Teacher”, which is an indication of insincerity, because in Matthew,
believers address Jesus as “Lord”. The rabbis counted 613 commands (248
positive and 365 negative), and some regarded all commandments as equal. The
question of the lawyer may have been intended to draw Jesus into a debate and
get him to make a statement that could be interpreted as disparaging toward the
Law.
In his answer, however, Jesus brings together two Old Testament
texts that existed separately and in different books of the Bible. The
commandment to love God alone was found in Deut 6:4-5 and the commandment to
love neighbour was found in Lev 19:18. These two, Jesus brings together into
one, making them dependent on each other. This combination is distinctive of
the Synoptic Jesus.
In his first letter John makes a telling point when he says that
the one who says that he/she loves God whom they cannot see but cannot love
their brother/sister whom they can see are liars (1 John 4:20).
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013 - THE QUEENSHIP OF MARY
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 9:1-6; Lk 1:26-38
Pope Pius XII established the feast of the Queenship of Mary in 1954. However, Mary’s queenship also has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, Mary is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship
In the
fourth century St. Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later
Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the 11th to
13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of
Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.”
This feast
is a logical follow-up to the Assumption of Mary (celebrated on August 15) and
is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954 encyclical To
the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII pointed out that Mary deserves the title
because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve
with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection and because
of her intercessory power.
It is
fitting then that the Gospel text chosen for the feast is the Annunciation of
the birth of the Lord to his mother. Through his mother and her courageous YES,
Jesus became a human being. The point of the Annunciation is to stress that
Jesus did not come down from heaven as an “avatar” but rather that in every
sense of the word; he was totally and completely human. Another related point
is that God “needs” the co-operation of human beings to complete the plans god
has for the world. One of the most beautiful examples of co-operating with God
is that of Mary and her unconditional Amen.
Mary though
betrothed or engaged to Joseph, who was of David’s family, had not yet lived
with him. This she would do only after marriage, which would be one year after
the betrothal. The angel greets Mary as the recipient of God’s grace. She has
opened herself to the promptings of God’s Spirit. While Zechariah was gripped
with fear at the very appearance of the angel, in the case of Mary, it is the
angel’s greeting that perplexed her. The angel reassures Mary and makes the
announcement, not only of Jesus’ birth, but of who he will be and all that he
will accomplish.
In response
to this announcement Mary, like Zechariah, asks a question. While both
questions seem similar, it is clear that Zechariah’s question expressed doubt
and asked for a sign, as is evident in the angel’s words before Zechariah is
struck dumb. Mary’s question, on the other hand, is a question asked in faith.
Mary did not question the truth of the revelation like Zechariah did. She asked
only for enlightenment on how God would accomplish this wonderful deed. This
will be accomplished in Mary through the work of God’s spirit. This is why the
child will be called holy. Luke probably also intends to convey here that it is
not merit on Mary’s part that obtained for her what she received, but God’s
generous gift in the Spirit.
The
evidence that what the angel has announced will indeed take place is the
pregnancy of Elizabeth, for nothing is impossible for God. Mary responds, not
merely with a Yes, but by asking that the Lord work in her to accomplish all
that he wants. The annunciation would not have been complete without Mary’s
trusting, obedient response.
Today, many
assume that those whom God favours will enjoy the things we equate with a good
life: social standing, wealth, and good health. Yet Mary, God’s favoured one,
was blessed with having a child out of wedlock who would later be executed as a
criminal. Acceptability, prosperity, and comfort have never been the essence of
God’s blessing. The story is so familiar that we let its familiarity mask its
scandal. Mary had been chosen, “favoured,” to have an important part in God’s
plan to bring salvation to God’s people, but it is unthinkable that God would
have forced Mary to have the child against her will. Mary is an important
example, therefore, of one who is obedient to God even at great risk to self.
When we
think of or reflect on Mary, the one word that comes to mind to describe her
whole life is the word, AMEN, a word which may be translated, “so be it”, “your
will be done”, “do whatever you want to do in my life”. This was, indeed,
Mary’s constant response to every situation in her life, especially when she
could not understand why things were happening the way they were. The text of
today is, then, a call and challenge to each one of us, that we, too, like
Mary, might be able to say YES to all that God wants to do in our lives. It is a
challenge to be open and receptive to the Spirit of God, so that we, too, might
be able to give birth to the Saviour in our hearts.