General. During the Eucharist we pray God to bestow upon us and increase His grace within us. We yearn for a new order in humanity, little realizing that this order is already with us in Christ Jesus, the centre of humanity. He is the first fruit of a new creation in a renewed earth which partakes of heaven, where justice reigns. This justice has a new meaning, namely that brought about by the Cross and the Blood of Jesus which makes of man a new being in a new order, no longer a slave to sin.

Book of Wisdom. God forgives man and has mercy on him, in a very different manner from how man acts in such situations. Thus we learn that a just person is bound to be merciful, resembling his Father Who is in heaven, and that should give sinners a time to be corrected and to repent. Mercy and repentance go together in this context, the same way as they should in every day life.

Romans. St Paul hints to us about how to pray effectively. Most often we do not know how to pray or what to pray for and we very much tend to give orders to God about what would be best for us. Yet if we have God’s spirit within us, it is this spirit which lifts its supplications to God Himself so that it is His Will which is done after we simply express, verbally or otherwise, our feelings and wishes to Him.

St Matthew. The Kingdom of God should be striven for to be reached but judgment is only to be done by God Himself at the end of times. What is most important is that this kingdom, which is the eternal abode of everlasting life, can be commenced from this life for those who accept God’s word and have faith in Him. This faith will grow like a mustard seed into a big tree when one lets God lead him through life ever confident that the reins of history, even as to rewarding of good and the punishment of evil, are in God’s hands.

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