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On this First Friday of November, I thank you dear God our Father for the enriching and comforting words of St. Paul these recent weeks as we come to the penultimate installment of his beautiful Letter to the Romans:
I myself am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another. But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in performing the priestly service of the Gospel of God, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:14-16
You have reminded us these past weeks through St. Paul not only of the need to have sound doctrine on what we believe but most of all to have much love in our faith and hope in you.
As he begins to close his letter to the Romans, may we imitate his great love and concern for the Gentiles and those others to whom the Gospel has not been proclaimed yet; many times in our lives, we only remember those with us, those like us, forgetting and missing out those not with us, those living in the margins, those in the fringes of the society and Church.
Give us, dear Father, such attention of St. Paul in seeking those not yet in our fold, those neglected and taken for granted; how sad that we only remember others when we are already in dire need and extreme situations like that wise steward in the gospel today: at the height of his power and influence, he never thought of the creditors of his master, milking them dry of their resources; but when he was in danger of being terminated, he suddenly remembered them. Most of all, he dealt with them with charity and leniency to win their favors and sympathies.
Before any calamity or storm befall us, when unfavorable circumstances happen to us or anyone, remind us, loving Father, to think of others, to search for the lost and little ones lest we miss them totally as if they do not exist. Amen.
