"I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you lived as slaves! You shall have no other gods to rival me." (Exodus 20: 1-3)
Yahweh brought me out of Egypt. Before He gave me His commandments, He presented His credentials. I owe Him love and loyalty because He first loved and called me. I am resolved that there will be no rivals to Yahweh in my life.
"But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." (John 20: 17)
Mary Magdalene saw Jesus after His resurrection. Jesus sent her as a messenger to His disciples. One other point to note: Jesus calls His disciples His brothers. Every day, we have the opportunity to meet Jesus in His word and the Eucharist.
Lord Jesus, may we recognize you in your word and in the Eucharist. Empower us to be your messenger.
"Mount Sinai was entirely wrapped in smoke, because Yahweh had descended on it in the form of fire." (Exodus 19: 18)
In the Eucharist, Christ descends on us in the form of bread and wine. In the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus Christ is present in the form of the consecrated Host.
Lord Jesus, grant me deep faith and reverence for the Eucharist and the Blessed Sacrament.
"Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (Matthew 13: 8)
Some seed fell on rich soil. What is a rich soil? A rich soil is a soil prepared by faith and obedience.
Lord Jesus, prepare my soil. Sow your word in me. I want to produce rich harvest.
Manure for rich soil: The 7-Way Plan.
"And the whole community of Israelites began complaining about Moses and Aaron in the desert…." (Exodus 16: 2)
The Enterprise is a journey through the desert. Things may get rough and tough on the way. My principle is never to complain, criticize or condemn. Instead, I take whatever problem to Jesus in prayer. Have I always lived up to this declaration? I wish I could answer in the affirmative. But alas, my record here is abysmal. I am not discouraged. I keep working to eliminate complaining, criticizing and condemning from my character.
"Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12: 49 – 50)
Jesus Christ defines here the principle of the new fraternity. In His Church it is spiritual and not biological. The first Christians understood this principle and called each other brother or sister. Anybody who does God's will is a brother or sister to each other.
"Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh drove the sea back with a strong easterly wind all night and made the sea into dry land." (Exodus 14: 21)
Moses obeyed God and did what he was told to do and a great miracle took place. After some hesitation, Naaman obeyed God and did what the Prophet Elisha asked him to do and he was healed. The servants obeyed Jesus and filled the empty jars with water and Jesus turned the water into wine in the wedding feast.
Faith and obedience produces miracle. Lord, help me always to trust and obey you.