God: The Source of Grace and Peace

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Wednesday of 22nd Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, September 1st, 2021
Texts: Col.1:1-8; Ps. 52:10.11; Luke 4:38-44
In today's first reading, St. Paul tells us that he was an apostle by the will of God. This means he was an apostle not by his own choice and qualification but by God's choice and qualification. Just like St. Paul, we are children of God not by our own choice and qualification but by God's choice and qualification. We are children of God by God's grace. This shows how much He loves us and want to draw us close to Him, and that should make us humble and obey Him.
St. Paul recognises that God is the source of grace and peace when he says, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father." Among the gifts of grace, we have faith, love and hope. Faith, love and hope are gifts from God. We have to value them and deepen them day by day. It is by faith we make the existence of God real in our lives and relate with Him as such. It is love that put us at the service of others. It is in hope we endure patiently the challenges of life and of faith for the sake of God's promises.
St. Paul shows in the reading that man should be acknowledged and praised for his faith, love and hope. He says, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven." When we have faith, love and hope, we will always be pleasing to God.
St. Paul goes further to remind us that the gospel of Christ is a blessing. The faith comes to us by hearing the gospel, the word of truth. The gospel makes known to us the hope laid up for us in heaven. Our love for God and man continues to grow as we hear and understand the grace of God in truth. This is an invitation to intensify our devotion to God's word. We need to take the word of God seriously.
We see Jesus Christ, in today's gospel reading, taking away our diseases and infirmity, and delivering us from the power of the evil one. We receive  from Jesus Christ freedom from sickness and the devil. The gospel affirms His power to save us. Let us ask Him for what will make us serve Him better and He will do it; for it is said in the gospel reading thus: "Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they asked him about her. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she rose and served them."


Shed your clear light on our hearts, Lord, so that walking continually in the way of your commandments we may never be deceived or misled. Amen (Divine office, Morning Prayer).

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke