GOD DISCIPLINES THOSE WHOM HE LOVES

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Office: Psalter Week 4

First Reading.  Hebrews 12: 4-7, 11-15
Psalm. 103: I -2, 13-14, 17-18(R. 17ab)
Gospel. Mark 6: 1-6

TOPIC FOR REFLECTION

GOD DISCIPLINES THOSE WHOM HE LOVES 

Life is what it is.
No one can neither add nor subtract.
What is constant in life is change
Still, it is mostly a renewed and improved change.
No change is new, cf. Ecclesiastes 1:9
Hence, humanity lives with knowledge filled with experience within the existence of this change.

Similarly, we all know that life is a stage.
A stage as a newborn baby
A stage as a toddler
A stage as a youth
A stage as a young adult
A stage as an adult
A stage of old age (death)

As we can see that no single person can jump any stage of life
All stages of life MUST be experienced holistically and chronologically
Our life progresses from the experience of one stage to another.
Invariably, every stage of our growth and development must be fully experienced.

It is good to note that the weak experience of a stage affects the strength of other stages of life.

For instance, an undisciplined young adult, will become worse as a youth, and become useless as an adult, both to him/herself and the society.
Thereby, the sense of responsibility as an adult which supposes to be the strength of adulthood becomes shattered.

On the contrary, if a young adult begins to cultivate the act of self-discipline, such a person would become useful to him/herself and the society.

As we can see that a disciplined life bears great fruits. Below is my biblical advice to all.
***Proverbs 1:8 ►Listen my son to your father's instructions, and never neglect your mother's teaching.
***Proverbs 4:1 ►Listen to my son to your father's instructions
***Proverbs 3:11 ►My son, do not reject the teachings of the Lord

The first reading says: “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

These words of exaltation from the first reading show that a disciplined person will have the fear of God, and will regard every person regardless of their status in life. Even if a priest, pastor, religious brother, and sister are from the same compound as him or her, the respect will not be truncated. Unlike today's Gospel characters who never regard Jesus as messiah.

Similarly, a disciplined person never looks down on anybody, but rather treat people as equal. 

Finally, let us strive to be disciplined and accept every chastisement as a means of purification from the Lord.
More so, let us seek peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Let none of us fall short of God's grace.

Peace ✌️ be with you and Happy New Month.

Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.

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