Day 22 – The Father's Covenant vs. The World's Empty Promises
Cantonese
Mandarin
English
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Jesus shows us the way back to the Father's House. Jesus is the WAY.
While Satan leads us astray to our distant country, Jesus, the Good Shepherd brings us back home. As Satan tries to attack us along the way, Jesus offers His own life to save us. This is the Lord that we have!
His mercy should subdue the doubting Thomas in us. He is the Light, that is, the TRUTH, that shines on our path, and He gave us His very own LIFE to restore ours! What else should we yearn for in our lives except for this sweet Jesus? What is worth more in our lives than this Saviour? Who else can we count on as we make our way home to our Father in heaven?
Our distant country is also our comfort zone. We dare not leave our comfort zone for fear of facing challenges in an unknown territory.
What this world can offer us will eventually dry up. On the other hand, endless joy awaits us in our Father's House. Let us not sacrifice heaven for hell.
The hardships in returning home are much easier to bear than the perpetual emptiness in our distant country and eternal separation from the source of all goodness, our Heavenly Father!
As you can see in the last couple of days, the short verse in Luke 15:20, “So, he got up and went back to his father” involves much more than we thought. We need to take heart as we embark on this journey home. The earlier we set off, the sooner we will return home safe to enjoy the festive celebration the Father has already prepared for us.
REFLECTION
Do you believe what Jesus said is true, that He is preparing a place for us in our Father's House? Does this make you more determined to return to your Father's House?
Are you still clinging to your comfort zone and holding back from returning home to the Father?
TODAY'S PRAYER
I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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全能的天主，我渴望能進入天國，惟獨我不配。因應吾的罪孽太多未合資格。懇求祢赦免我罪。???♂️
「親愛的阿爸父，我知道祢好，也知道祢愛我，我甚至知道我需要投靠祢及跟隨祢。」但是⋯⋯
「他便起身到他父親那裡去了。」
我明知到了父那裡就可以得到真福，父已為我準備了一切美好的事物，但是我就是無法起身。
起身！起身！起身！那麼困難嗎？
聖母媽媽，幫助我起身！天天都要起身！才能一步一步的走到父家。
The Pharisee in today’s Gospel reminds me that devil are crafty. I sometimes consider myself a not~too~bad, or even a righteous person. I have been attending mass, reading Bible everyday, fasting, donating and saying a few prayers. Thinking that by doing all the above, I am on the ‘right’ direction back Home. If I see myself as good enough, I would not be vigilant in reflecting my motive behind all these acts.I will easily fall into the traps of Satan and be just another Pharisee. Oh. Lord, please help me to walk in the Light and be humble enough to let the Holy Spirit lead me the way!
親愛的阿爸父：我相信耶穌所言非虛，祂真實的在父家為我準備好地方。可是，我發覺我生命中實在有太多令我依戀的東西，使我無法毫無保留地回到祢的身邊。請幫助我從所有這些枷鎖中解脫出來，讓我擺脫自己的顧慮和離開自我的舒適區，使我能夠擁抱祢進入我的生命之中。以上所求，是靠我們的主耶穌基督。亞孟！。
「他便起身到他父親那裡去了。」(路15:20)讀到這句聖經，加上今天聲帶的牽引，使筆者腦海中勾起十三年前歸家的往事，內心也湧出點點的淚水。
這一年，由於事業失意，令到自己意志消沈，完全感覺不到生命的方向，像失去了所有的一切。幸然，在太太多番的鼓勵和驅使，返回離開已久的聖堂。進入聖堂前約有三十級，當踏上第一級梯級時，那份內疚感和無力感不斷地湧現，完全不敢抬起頭來，望向聖堂的大門，可以說是一步一艱辛，差點兒在中途跌倒，雖最後到了，但這份不配回歸父家之感，總是揮之不去。更糟的事情竟發生，站在大門前的一位，原是筆者進入修院培育時的神師，他一見到，便高聲說：「你回來啦！真好！」筆者頓時不知所措，險些掉頭逃走。及後，經過一番掙扎，神父慈愛的規勸，終於拿出勇氣，辦了一次頗徹底的告解，重新投入教會團體中，事奉上主。
然而，這次難忘的經歷，為筆者來說，可以真正體會到小兒歸家的心境，那份既求寬恕，但又感自責之情，實非筆墨可形容的。事情雖過了十三個歲月，仍依歷歷在目，牢記心中。
仁慈的天父，感謝祢沒有放棄這不肖的兒子，好能回歸父家。求祢保守着我們，讓我們能重歸祢的懷抱，成為祢所愛的子女。
I believe that Jesus said is true, that He is preparing a place for us in our Father’s House. This make me more determine to return to my Father’s House.
親愛的阿爸父，我發覺我生命中實在有太多令我依戀的東西，使我無法毫無保留地回到祢的身邊。我知道我這狀況一定刺透祢的心。我知道祢好，也知道祢愛我，我甚至知道我需要投靠祢及跟隨祢。但我就是缺乏那份去脫離自己所依戀的事物及個人理想的意志及決心， 而這一切使我無法自由地跟隨祢及回應祢對我的愛。
仁慈的天父，求祢保守我，請幫助我從所有這些枷鎖中解脫出來，讓我擺脫自己的顧慮和離開自我的舒適區，使我能夠擁抱祢進入我的生命之中。亞孟！
親愛的天父，
感謝您一直對我不離不棄，對不起，我遲了起程，其實我確實錯過了很多遍啟程的機會。再一次感謝您，把我和丈夫及兒子領到您的台前，讓我們一家人一起走在世的旅程，一起開始走回歸父家的旅程。求主保守我們，免受魔鬼的誘惑。
亞孟??
今日的禱告正正是本人內心的心底話, 祈求天父賜給我勇氣及決心,開始走回歸父家的旅程。
求主保守我，免受魔鬼的誘惑。
亞孟??