Bow down low and worship the Lord Your God first and foremost, then His Grace will be upon you and your family. For all the importance and titles you have received can you restore life by your touch? Is the faith of your members in your family or your ministry thriving because of your actions? So what if you belong to an all powerful Executive Committee if you and the team members are not true disciples first after your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Who opt to take shortcuts and cut corners instead of carrying your cross to follow Him on the narrow path? If you want to remain popular then perhaps you are best suited for the political arena!
Those who choose to follow Christ will strive to deepen their relationship with Him a little more each and everyday. They will not need to ask how this is to be done because they know it takes sacrifice and discipline to live out their daily lives according to His Will. They hear His voice, He knows them and they follow Him. That deep connection opens up Heaven for them and the grace of the God comes down upon them. Angels are sent to minister to them. Is this wonderful experience of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself not available to all of us?
We need to reach out to Jesus with all our heart, mind, soul, then He will take us by our hand and surely say to us, “Your faith has saved you, my child.” Amen
First reading
Genesis 28:10-22 ·
Jacob’s dream of the ladder at Bethel
Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he had reached a certain place he passed the night there, since the sun had set. Taking one of the stones to be found at that place, he made it his pillow and lay down where he was. He had a dream: a ladder was there, standing on the ground with its top reaching to heaven; and there were angels of God going up it and coming down. And the Lord was there, standing over him, saying, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give to you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants shall be like the specks of dust on the ground; you shall spread to the west and the east, to the north and the south, and all the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you and your descendants.
Be sure that I am with you; I will keep you safe wherever you go, and bring you back to this land, for I will not desert you before I have done all that I have promised you.’ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Truly, the Lord is in this place and I never knew it!’ He was afraid and said, ‘How awe-inspiring this place is! This is nothing less than a house of God; this is the gate of heaven!’ Rising early in the morning, Jacob took the stone he had used for his pillow, and set it up as a monument, pouring oil over the top of it. He named the place Bethel, but before that the town was called Luz.
Jacob made this vow, ‘If God goes with me and keeps me safe on this journey I am making, if he gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and if I return home safely to my father, then the Lord shall be my God. This stone I have set up as a monument shall be a house of God.’
Gospel
Matthew 9:18-26
‘Your faith has restored you to health’
While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.’ Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again.
When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they laughed at him. But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up. And the news spread all round the countryside.
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