1 Kgs 18:41-46 Ps 65:10, 11, 12-13 Matt 5:20-26

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

In the first reading from 1 Kings, Elijah has just proven God’s power to the people, showing them that the Lord is the true god, not Baal.  Now he takes King Ahab up to the mountain and protects him as the storm approaches.  And just like he protected Ahab and Elijah, God is there to protect us.  He sends prophets into our lives to proclaim his Truth.  They may come in many forms, however, and it is up to us to recognize the true prophets.  These prophets are not people who can tell the future, but people who see the world as it is right now and are able to accurately interpret the present.  God may be speaking through a friend’s advice or the words of a stranger, but only if we listen with open hearts will we hear it.  Sometimes it is hard to find truth in today’s society and to know what and what not to believe.  But we just have to have faith.  God’s plan is too immense for us to grasp—it must be left up to faith.

With truth and faith in God’s plan, it becomes easier to love and forgive.  Relationships can sometimes be a struggle, and it is easy to get angry and say or think hurtful things.  But in Matthew’s Gospel, he says you will not be free until you have reconciled with your brother.  If we place our full trust in God, knowing that he has a plan for us and that his love is true, this is the first step towards forgiving our brother.  Without truly loving God, we can’t truly love a person for everything that they are—good and bad.  But it is necessary to love people that way—a truly agapic, self-giving love.  A friend once told me that even if I don’t love people’s actions at all times, I still need to love them because they are children of God.  This friend was a voice of truth in my life, reminding me of who I want to be and what it really means to love.

"Go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift." -Matthew 5:24