October 29, 2020 – Thursday of the 30^th Week in Ordinary Time

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102920.cfm)

Homily

When life gets rough, where do you get your strength? When life seems unfair, where do you get your courage?

Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, reminds us today to draw strength from the Lord and to pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. Paul acknowledges how life as a Christian can be so demanding and challenging. Aside from the personal issues and problems, there will be rejections and oppositions coming from those with evil intentions.

With this, Paul tells us today to always find strength from God and not from our arrogance and self-confidence. The Lord is our rock, source of our strength, as our Psalm proclaims today.

Paul enumerates the values where we can draw that strength from God. When we are truthful and honest, standing to what is right, embracing peace, holding to our faith and meditating upon the word of God, then, we shall always draw God’s strength in life. We are being promised that in whatever circumstances we are in, we shall always have the strength of God.

This is something that Jesus showed us also today in the Gospel. Despite the opposition and the resistance of the people in Jerusalem, Jesus remained steadfast and confident in the Father. Jesus never surrendered in us, to gather us together and bring us closer to God. Jesus desires that we will all be reconciled to him.

In his ministry, Jesus drew strength from the Father and the love that they share for all. Thus, God yearns for the freedom of all.

Today, Jesus also calls us that when life gets rough and when life seems unfair, draw strength from him. Paul suggests that we pray to the Spirit at all times, at every opportunity. Praying to the Spirit makes our heart and mind more attuned and familiar to God’s way. This will allow us to become more responsive to God’s invitation for us. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR