In the Bible, horses are depicted as creatures of strength and courage.
As we look at this verse, we are reminded that yes, we have to do the work God has entrusted to us.
But at the same time, we are working in partnership with God. He is the sovereign God who invites us, His children, to join Him in His work to proclaim the salvation He gives to a whole world full of sins.
In our daily living, let us lean upon His wisdom and strength. Not our own’s.
Luke 22:19-20 teaches us that the Eucharist is the source of Christian friendship which is shared in the Christian community. Eucharist was a sharing of a meal among believers.
From the Gospel stories, many wonderful encounters happened when Jesus Christ was eating with His friends. Jesus ate with sinners. He spent time with them. It was at the Passover meal that Jesus called His disciples as His friends, and not servant. It was also at a meal that the disciples of Jesus whom Jesus met on the road to Emmaus recognised Him. Likewise, when we share ameal with our friends, our friendship is renewed and deepened.
For John Wesley, what binds Eucharist and friendship together is the experience of Presence of God. In Eucharist, we are invited not only to share the bread broken for us, but to share our brokenness; the friendship we share invites us to share not only the wine pour out for us, but to pour ourlives for each other as well . At Eucharist, Jesus’ invitation for us to remember that His body broken for us and His blood poured out for us takes on new meaning on what it means to be a friend to one another.
Reference:
Ripple, Paula. Called to be Friends. Indiana: Ave Maria Press, 1980.
On Christmas Day, we light the Christ Candle. This symbolises Jesus, the Light of the World, has come. Jesus came to bring hope, peace, joy and love to a world of darkness and despair.
Would you come into a filthy manger on a dark and cold night? Would you identify with the poor and rejected in society? If you were the king, would you stoop down to be a servant?
Most likely, we would not. Yet, God’s Son did.
Jesus, the Son of God, came into this world as a helpless baby. Jesus, the Creator of the universe, was not born in a palace with servants waiting upon Him. Instead, He was born in a stable: a smelly, dark, and dirty place. He was born among the lowly and, therefore, identifies with the rejected and the poor in society.
Why? Because He loves us. Jesus chose to forsake all the glories of Heaven and enter into this world as a human being like us, just to show us that this is what love is.
We light the pink candle in the Advent wreath today, which symbolizes Joy. Joy does not equate with happiness. Rather, it is deep-rooted in peace that we can rest in God admit life’s difficulties.
Jesus came into this world as a baby. His birth was a great news of great joy because He, the Son of God, Emmanuel, came to live among us. died for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Today, we can wait with joy that He will come back again for us and bring us into His eternal Kingdom.
The second Sunday of Advent pepares us of the coming Kingdom of God: one that is of peace, justice and righteousness. In God’s Kingdom, there will be no division, no disunity, no hatred. In our everyday living, God also gives us peace. Though we are living in challenging times, the peace that comes from God shows us that we are not alone. We know He is with us.
Advent (“adventus” in Latin means “coming” or “arrival”). It is the 4 Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to Christmas.
Advent invites us to reflect on the love of God for us by sending His Son Jesus Christ into this world for us. It is also a time of intentional prayers, reading the Scriptures and waiting for Jesus’ promised return to establish God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.
The four candles of the Advent wreath symbolise: Hope (purple), Peace (purple), Joy (pink) , and Love (purple).
The fifth candle, symbolises Jesus Christ, will be lit on Christmas Day.
May we experience the hope, peace, joy and love of God this Advent season. 🙏🏼
