“SURELY I WILL BLESS YOU AND MULTIPLY YOU” (Heb 6:14)

⏰Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time 1 – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (16 Jan 2017 – Memorial of St. Anthony of Egypt)

????Heb 5:10-20; Ps 111:1b-2, 4-5, 9 and 10c (R.v.5b); Mark 2:23-28

“SURELY I WILL BLESS YOU AND MULTIPLY YOU” (Heb 6:14)

We are all children of Abraham, and so the promise that was made to him is equally ours. So I invite you to claim the above promise with a great faith. Whether the enemy wants it or not, the Lord is going to bless and multiply you as he did to Abraham. Amen.

As you await the fulfilment of that promise, you also need to follow the trail of Abraham in his practical service to God. We must not forget his hospitality to the three strangers (cf. Gen 18), which resulted in a promise of a child to him. His service to Melchizedek also attracted blessing to him and to God (cf. Gen 14:17-20).

Therefore, while you are waiting for God’s blessings, be sure to use all that you have in the service of God. Today’s First Reading opens by telling us that God never overlooks the service we render for his sake, and the effort we put in following him. He is not like the Pharisees who are lying in wait to catch us fail (cf. Mark 2:23-28) – our efforts are important to him.

Can you make a firm resolution and embrace a new zeal to follow him and serve him without counting the cost?

St. Anthony of Egypt, who is regarded as the father of monasticism, abandoned all he had, just as Abraham did, and went to the desert to live a life of constant prayer, penance, work and charity. Through this, he bore great fruit for the kingdom of God, as many people followed his way.

Today, we celebrate him as the heavens celebrate him. You too shall be celebrated. Amen. Just put all your trust in God and serve him with undivided attention. May you also be celebrated through Christ our Lord. Amen.

It is well with you.