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It is the rainy season again, God our loving Father and we are awashed with news of furies of nature: floods and landslides including a restive volcano in our midst at Taal.
How lovely sometimes to think when nature is full of hospitality with its beauty for all to see; but, there are times when nature is more of hostility like an enemy leading us to sadness and distress.
Hospitality and hostility are extremes in our personality one indicating maturity the other a lack of self mastery borne out of jealousy causing so many pains and miseries.
Come closer to me, he told his brothers. "I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt. But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you." (Genesis 45:4,5) We pray, O Lord for the hostilities among us when we try to imprison one another taking them hostage to our whims and selfishness like the brothers of Joseph disregarding the value of the other person.
"Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words --- go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet." (Matthew 10:11-14)
Teach us hospitality, dear God, to welcome and accept each other as a brother and a sister in Jesus our Lord and Master finding security in him alone so we may proclaim his salvation.
In this time of the pandemic may we find amid the crises your image and likeness, O God on the face of everyone so that your "marvels may be done" as we pray in the responsorial psalm. Amen.
