Past Sunday Reflections September 21, 2007
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Ghanaian Catholic Community
At Christ The King Church
At Christ The King Church
Sunday Mass at 5PM
| 141 Marcy Place | Bronx, NY 10452 |Tel: 718 538 5546 |
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SUNDAY REFLECTIONS - October 21, 2007
Dear Brothers and sisters,
Happy Sunday to all of you! I hope you all had a nice week. It was nice to see our brother, Mr John Badu,
walking and limping and praising God. We all rejoice with him and continue to thank God for his life.
Many we know have not survived strokes, but today he is still life and recovering slowly but surely. We
continue to pray that God will bring the healing to a successful completion and that he will return to his
normal life. May God bless him. Amen!
This week Friday, the 26th Oct. starting 9:00 pm we will have our half night prayers in the church. We
invite all to come and join us in praying for the sick and all other special needs. There will be anointing for
all and blessing of holy water. We want to make this monthly half night a special appointment with Jesus,
a time to speak to him, a time to cry out to him and a time to listen to him. It will be an hour of grace to
receive his blessings as he has promise those who call upon him, those who call upon him from their hearts.
Come and receive your own blessings.
Now the Sunday Reflection
First Reading: Exodus 17:8-13
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:2
Gospel: Luke 18:1-8
I am sure every christian who has been reading the Bible and listening to sermons will immediately
recognise the meaning of this story in the book of Exodus. It is a very beautiful story. Most of time when
we are in deep prayers, when we are seriously in trouble and we turn to God in prayers what do we do?
Most of the time we fall on our knees, lift our eyes to heaven, and raise our hands in supplication. These
gestures show total surrender to God. Can you recognise the same posture in this story of Moses?
Yes! Israel was in trouble, and Moses representing the people of Israel is in prayers. He stands on top of
the hill, not just anywhere, on the hill, the higher ground because God resides above not below. He prays
with his eyes and hands lifted to heaven.
As the story recounted Israel prevailed over their enemies as Moses remained in Prayers, whenever his
eyes and hands were directed toward heaven, God power descended upon Israel, but as his hands got weak
and limp the enemy gained power and prevailed over Israel. Moses recognised the fact that anytime his
hands were weak and could not be raised the enemy regained power. And so for Israel to conquer their
enemies Moses had Aaron and Hur support his hands with their own hands as he sat on a rock.
Is this story not interesting? First of all we could ask why does Moses have to raised his hands? And why
does Israel prevail whenever his hands were raised and with the Amalekites prevailing whenever his hands
were down? The answer is simple. It is all about prayer.
I think this story resonates with many of us in so many ways. Do we see God fighting on our side
whenever we are helpless and overwhelmed by the enemy, when we recognise that we cannot fight the
battle alone, when we turn to God is deep prayers, when on our knees with eyes and hands lifted every
morning and evening to God? What have been the results? On the other hand, do we see the enemy
regaining power when we stop praying, no longer turning to God for help, trying to fight the battle alone?
Yes! this is Israel's story. This is our own story. With God and Jesus on our side we are sure to win the
battle, but on our own we are sure to loss it. I like the part that Aaron and Hur played. We need to support
each other with prayers. When Moses could no longer sustain his efforts to keep his hands up they
supported his hands with their hands. Do you know the story of the prayerful hands? You see the symbol
of two hands folded in prayer everywhere they mean a lot.
We could go on to reflect on this reading in lots of pages, read the story and again and have a Bible with
your family and friends and you will discover the riches of the story. Time wouldn't allow us I therefore
ask that you read the Gospel of today and you will find the real explanation to this first reading.
Jesus said; "and will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over
them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find
faith on earth?"
We can say, Yes! Yes, Lord! You will find us praying because we trust in you.
May God bless us all. Amen!
Dear Brothers and sisters,
Happy Sunday to all of you! I hope you all had a nice week. It was nice to see our brother, Mr John Badu,
walking and limping and praising God. We all rejoice with him and continue to thank God for his life.
Many we know have not survived strokes, but today he is still life and recovering slowly but surely. We
continue to pray that God will bring the healing to a successful completion and that he will return to his
normal life. May God bless him. Amen!
This week Friday, the 26th Oct. starting 9:00 pm we will have our half night prayers in the church. We
invite all to come and join us in praying for the sick and all other special needs. There will be anointing for
all and blessing of holy water. We want to make this monthly half night a special appointment with Jesus,
a time to speak to him, a time to cry out to him and a time to listen to him. It will be an hour of grace to
receive his blessings as he has promise those who call upon him, those who call upon him from their hearts.
Come and receive your own blessings.
Now the Sunday Reflection
First Reading: Exodus 17:8-13
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:2
Gospel: Luke 18:1-8
I am sure every christian who has been reading the Bible and listening to sermons will immediately
recognise the meaning of this story in the book of Exodus. It is a very beautiful story. Most of time when
we are in deep prayers, when we are seriously in trouble and we turn to God in prayers what do we do?
Most of the time we fall on our knees, lift our eyes to heaven, and raise our hands in supplication. These
gestures show total surrender to God. Can you recognise the same posture in this story of Moses?
Yes! Israel was in trouble, and Moses representing the people of Israel is in prayers. He stands on top of
the hill, not just anywhere, on the hill, the higher ground because God resides above not below. He prays
with his eyes and hands lifted to heaven.
As the story recounted Israel prevailed over their enemies as Moses remained in Prayers, whenever his
eyes and hands were directed toward heaven, God power descended upon Israel, but as his hands got weak
and limp the enemy gained power and prevailed over Israel. Moses recognised the fact that anytime his
hands were weak and could not be raised the enemy regained power. And so for Israel to conquer their
enemies Moses had Aaron and Hur support his hands with their own hands as he sat on a rock.
Is this story not interesting? First of all we could ask why does Moses have to raised his hands? And why
does Israel prevail whenever his hands were raised and with the Amalekites prevailing whenever his hands
were down? The answer is simple. It is all about prayer.
I think this story resonates with many of us in so many ways. Do we see God fighting on our side
whenever we are helpless and overwhelmed by the enemy, when we recognise that we cannot fight the
battle alone, when we turn to God is deep prayers, when on our knees with eyes and hands lifted every
morning and evening to God? What have been the results? On the other hand, do we see the enemy
regaining power when we stop praying, no longer turning to God for help, trying to fight the battle alone?
Yes! this is Israel's story. This is our own story. With God and Jesus on our side we are sure to win the
battle, but on our own we are sure to loss it. I like the part that Aaron and Hur played. We need to support
each other with prayers. When Moses could no longer sustain his efforts to keep his hands up they
supported his hands with their hands. Do you know the story of the prayerful hands? You see the symbol
of two hands folded in prayer everywhere they mean a lot.
We could go on to reflect on this reading in lots of pages, read the story and again and have a Bible with
your family and friends and you will discover the riches of the story. Time wouldn't allow us I therefore
ask that you read the Gospel of today and you will find the real explanation to this first reading.
Jesus said; "and will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over
them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find
faith on earth?"
We can say, Yes! Yes, Lord! You will find us praying because we trust in you.
May God bless us all. Amen!