Ezekiel 22:30
30 I looked for a man among them to build a wall and stand on the breach to protect the land lest I destroy it, but I found none.
Beloved, are there many intercessors who are prepared to stand in the breach like Moses and offer continuous prayers to You for mercy on the world we live in? I am sure there are many in cloistered converns and monasteries as well as people in the Church and among Christians. This is why Your wrath has not wiped us out yet from the face of the earth. Continue to raise up prayer warriors Beloved to make reparation for a world and people that seem to have forgotten You.
Philippians 1:18-26
18 But in any case, whether they are sincere or showing off, Christ is proclaimed and because of this I rejoice and have no regrets.
19 I know that all this will be a grace for me because of your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Christ. 20 I am hopeful, even certain, that I shall not be ashamed. I feel as assured now, as before, that Christ will be exalted through my person, whether I live or die.
21 For to me, living is Christ, and dying is gain. 22 But if I am to go on living, I shall be able to enjoy fruitful labor. Which shall I choose? 23 So I feel torn between the two. I desire greatly to leave this life and to be with Christ, which will be better by far, 24 but it is necessary for you that I remain in this life. 25 And because I am convinced of this, I know that I will stay and remain with you for your progress and happiness in the faith. 26 I will surely come to you again, and give you more reason for being proud of belonging to Christ Jesus.
St. Paul is happy to live only beause he can offer fruitful labor an dbring many to the knowledge of You, the Christ. he would rather die and be with You but either way he is happy because he lives and dies for You. This must be our desire too. St. Paul is supported not only by the prayers of fellow Christians but also with the material help he requires. We too should be always willing to support the Church in all her endeavours by our prayers as well as with material support.
Luke 14:1, 7-11
14 1 One Sabbath Jesus had gone to eat a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee, and he was carefully watched.
7 Jesus then told a parable to the guests, for he had noticed how they tried to take the places of honor. And he said, 8 “When you are invited to a wedding party, do not choose the best seat. It may happen that someone more important than you has been invited, 9 and your host, who invited both of you, will come and say to you: ‘Please give this person your place.’ What shame is yours when you take the lowest seat!
10 Whenever you are invited, go rather to the lowest seat, so that your host may come and say to you: ‘Friend, you must come up higher.’ And this will be a great honor for you in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised.”
Beloved, in this world of push and shove, me first and the best for me and mine, this is foreign advice to the culture of the day. We like to be seen with certain people in order to show off our influence whether in the church or in the world. We ignore those who are poor or those we consider nonentities. Forgive me, my Lord, for all the times I have sought the place of honor and people of influence and deliberately overlooked those who were less fortunate than myself.
Psalm 42:2-3
2 As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
3 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I go and see the face of God?
Let my desire for You be exactly as the Psalmist describes. I want to long for You, to hunger and thirst for You every every waking moment. Let my entire being stretch itself out to You with open arms and You in turn stoop down and envelop me. Amen.
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