Jan Styka
“Saint Peter preaching the Gospel in the Catacombs”
Reading: Brothers and sisters:
You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds;
God has now reconciled you
in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death,
to present you holy, without blemish,
and irreproachable before him,
provided that you persevere in the faith,
firmly grounded, stable,
and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard,
which has been preached to every creature under heaven,
of which I, Paul, am a minister. (Colossians 1:21-23)
Observation: I chose the whole first reading to journal on today because it spells out exactly the hope that I said I need yesterday. Not even the simple tragedy of my own sinfulness can stop Jesus from presenting me as holy, unblemished and irreproachable because of His power, not my worthiness. My only admonition that I get from this reading is to stay faithful to the Gospel.
Personification: (Faithfulness) I see myself being called today to show the fruit of faithfulness by preaching the Gospel always and never allowing the Word to be gone from my mind, my lips or my heart.
Prayer: Lord, keep me faithful to your Word and continue to convert my heart to make me a true disciple of you Son, my Lord, Jesus Christ, from whom all good things come. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Divine Life 