Glory of God Prayer Group, St. Cecilia Parish, Wa Diocese, Ghana - Let Your Light Shine

Saint of the Day

Education without values

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. C. S. Lewis

Touch the dying

Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work. Mother Teresa

Money is not enough

Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go. Mother Teresa

Words too big for the subject

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. C. S. Lewis

meet with a smile

Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. Mother Teresa

Selective faith

If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself. Saint Augustine

Too honest to be a politician

I was really too honest a man to be a politician and live. Socrates

Improve yourself by other men's wri…

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. Socrates

Meaning of the universe

If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning. C. S. Lewis

Humility

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less. C. S. Lewis

Charity and wisdom

Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. Francis of Assisi

A man of courage

He is a man of courage who does not run away, but remains at his post and fights against the enemy. Socrates

He will not save us without our consent

He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent. Saint Augustine

Prayer does not change God

Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays. Soren Kierkegaard

In season at all times

Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand. Mother Teresa

God judged it better

God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist. Saint Augustine

I feel angry when I see waste

There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things that we could use. Mother Teresa

Come unto me all ye that labor

I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. Saint Augustine

Pride

It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. Saint Augustine

In the absence of justice

In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery? Saint Augustine

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr B. June 30, 2024

Readings
1st: Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24
2nd: II Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15
Gospel: Mark 5:21-43

Theme: Don't Bemoan The Size Of Your Problem, Believe In The Power Of Your God

My dear people of God, today is Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr B. Our reflections would focus on the theme - That a Christian does not fret and talk/complain about how big a problem is, but how BIGGER a God he/she has. Both our First Reading and the Gospel of today point to the tragedy of death. Per the Jewish estimation, the sick girl in our gospel was just at the point of crossing into full womanhood - 12 years and a day, as prescribed by law. That was the basis of the growing anxiety and distress of the Synagogue official called Jairus. Matthew and Luke refer to him as ruler. As ruler of the Synagogue, Jairus was a person of considerable importance. His position gave him the right as administrative head in charge of the good management of the Synagogue. The ruler allocated duties and superintended the conduct of the temple service/worship. Such a vivid picture of a ruler of the Synagogue at the time of Jesus' public ministry tells you the amount of power Jairus held and excersied, and the respect and reverence he was accorded. He was a pillar of Jewish orthodoxy, one of those who despised and hated Jesus and, in fact, wished Him eliminated. However, in the stirring face of death, something amazing happened. Apparently, he came to Jesus after everything else had failed. No doubt, he had tried every kind of doctor and every kind of cure and only came to Jesus as a last resort. At this critical moment of sheer desperation, Jairus threw off his prejudices, forgot of his dignity, compromised the artificial pride of a ruler of his calibre and, perhaps, abandoned his friends, if he had any at all. A prejudiced mind shuts out a man from many blessings. Pride makes a man too big even for God to accommodate. There comes a time in life when a man has to forget about his dignity in order to save his life and soul. That was precisely what Jairus did when a tragedy (of death) was looming. Humility is not humiliation.

From the Jewish point of view the woman we meet in our today's Gospel could not have suffered a worse humiliating disease than the issue of abnormal discharge (bleeding) beyond the time/period of her impurity (mensuration). The horror was that it rendered the sufferer unclean. By law, the victim was shut off from the worship of God and from appearing and/or mixing up with people in public. By implication, she was not even supposed to be in the crowd surrounding Jesus. If by any chance the crowd had known, her fate would have been one of public embarrassment. There is little wonder that she was desperately eager to try anything which might rescue her not only from the stigma of the disease but also from a life of prolonged isolation. Our theme takes its inspiration from that daring move of the woman, "Don't bemoan the size of your problem, believe in the power of your God". Just by touching the hem (maybe the tassel) of Jesus' garment her "problem" was put to flight, never to return. Praise the Lord! We are told, time and again, on this platform that, "Faith is the ONLY KEY that opens and moves the Heart and Hand of God without any struggle." When she defied the pressure of a confused crowd and forced her way to touch the tassel of the robe of Jesus (long dress like an alb or cassock, like the type your priests wear), it was as if time stood still. All at once amidst the milling crowd Jesus stopped abruptly and for a moment it was as if nothing existed and nothing mattered apart from the woman and her problem. For Jesus, the labelled and isolated woman (for no fault of hers) was not simply a poor woman lost in the crowd; indeed, she was someone to whom Jesus was prepared to give the whole of Himself.

What Christian lesson can you and I pick from Jesus' interaction with a projected public figure (Jairus) and a laballed, despised and isolated figure? It is still the case that society gives selective justice to different people based on how the individual is "graded". In the mind of Jesus everyone matters. It is worrying that in some churches even seating is done according to who matters more. Note, that Jesus gave the same attention to both the Synagogue official and a woman who, by law, was not supposed to appear in public. In the eyes of God your past or current state cannot be a verdict on your future. What is thought and said of you cannot be final for God. Therefore don't magnify your problem, magnify your God. As you participate at the Table of Grace today, may the Lord give you a live story to tell the world. Yes, that problem may appear big but your God is BIGGER. Continue to pray the Holy Rosary daily. God richly bless you and your family.

Rev. Fr. Thomas L. Debuo - Catholic Diocese of Damongo, Ghana. (0244511306/0243711926)

It's a hoax: NASA finds message fro…

This message has been circulating on the internet and elsewhere about the discovery of a message from God by NASA. This is part of the story: The original message "NASA announced today that its Curiosity Rover has found an unambiguous message from God written on tablets in a Martian cave. According to an official press release two giant stone slabs the size of small elephants were located deep inside a cavern abutting Aeolis Mons, a large mountain. Upon one tablet is a copy of the Ten... Read more>>>

Pack your things and give them to me to …

Drama this Morning:  My wife and I were having a serious quarrel when I said to her, "Pack your things and ...." At that moment her phone rang, so I had to stop for her to receive the call. It was her dad. The phone was on speaker so I could hear what he was saying. After the usual pleasantries between father and daughter, he said: "my daughter, I have transferred $1,000,000 into your account, give your husband $500,000 out... Read more>>>

Who has more followers: God or satan?

Please finish reading before you do anything else right now; read this to the end. My name is God. I know you will give your time to me. I love you and always bless you. I am always with you. I need you to spend 30 minutes of your time with me today. Don't pray. Just praise. Today I want this message across the world. Will you help? Please drop everything & pass it on. Tell the devil you are... Read more>>>

My prayer for you

I pray that you may prosper, more so in your soul, in the name of Jesus Christ. May Jehova Jire  provide all your needs according to his riches in glory. May he who saved the Israelites from the tyranny of the Egyptian king rescue you completely. May he who is all-knowing and source of all knowledge and wisdom give you the needed grace this day and help you understand the dream you just woke up from. May your enemies look... Read more>>>

What does God say about your problems?

A personal reflection on 23rd July 2011{bib=2 Kings 19:1-37} (start at {bib=2 Kings 18:13}) OR {bib=Isaiah 36, 37} {bib=2 Kings 19:3} – When you are in grief, do you pick a boyfriend/girlfriend for help; do you consult another god, do you start looking for a way to extort other people, do you throw your hands up in despair?               – When you are in shame do you show your enemies? {bib=2 Kings 19:6} – What are you going through now? Sickness, joblessness, underpayment, frustration... Read more>>>

The unconditional love of Jesus Christ w…

{bib=Matthew 13:44-46} Have you ever fallen in love? Do you remember when the phone rang and he or she was on the other end? Your heart fluttered with excitement. You couldn’t wait to see your loved one again. However, the romantic attraction you’ve ever had is nothing compared to the way Jesus loves you. You’re always on his mind. To him, you are the “pearl of great price” ({bib=Matthew 13:46}). He gave up everything for your salvation. If only this would... Read more>>>

The Apostles' creed

I believe in God, The Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the... Read more>>>

Living in a changed life

Three days fasting and prayers - Wednesday, 26th November, 2008 Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=1 Peter 4:1-6} “When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do” Once we want something from a certain place, we have to identify ourselves with that place and live like the people there (“When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do”). Once we change our state of life, we have to change the things that we do or the way we used to do them. In our... Read more>>>

Lesson from the story of Joseph.

The brothers of joseph thought they were pushing him away from his dream of being who God said he would be. Little did they know that they were rather pushing him into it.   Read more>>>

Do I Need to Forgive Others to be Forgiv…

Dear ..., I hope this writeup meets you in good spirits. Unfortunately, we couldn’t complete the discussion we started, so I decided to put my thoughts together in this writeup for you to study. I hope you read this writeup with an open mind. I referred to Matthew 5:21-24, 38-48, Matthew 6:14,15 and Matthew 18:21ff to make the point that unforgiveness is one of the gravest sins, because it actually prevents your other sins from being forgiven. You challenged that a Christian can’t... Read more>>>

The Lord's prayer

Our Father, who is in heaven, holy is your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. OR Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give... Read more>>>

Reckoning my past as loss for the sake o…

Three days fasting and prayers -28th - 30th May, 2008Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Philippians 3:7-9} Background of St. Paul St. Paul was a Pharisee. He was a scholar well respected. He had the right to be called a Jew and to be hailed by his own people and by other people. Everyone loves uniqueness and the Israelites were unique; and St. Paul could choose to hold on to this uniqueness without caring about the rest of the world.  He could choose to stick to... Read more>>>

Popular prayers

The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, The Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to... Read more>>>

Should transgender people be baptized or…

Report of the Catholic Church's position on baptism of transgender people Recently, there has been a report claiming that the Catholic Church has decided to permit transgender people to be baptized and become godparents. I first read the report on graphic online website, titled "Trans people can be baptised in Catholic church and be godparents, says Vatican," through a link posted on WhatsApp. Though I have not read the original document supposedly released by the Vatican, an online search at the time... Read more>>>

A brief history of the Holy Rosary and h…

What is the rosary? The angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary, when he came to announce the conception of Jesus, is familiar to most Catholics. It is echoed in one of the most popular Catholic prayers, the Hail Mary (in Latin, Ave Maria): “Hail, [Mary,] favoured one [or ‘full of grace’]! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). The words that follow in that prayer also come from Scripture, from Elizabeth’s greeting to our Lady soon afterward: “Blessed are you among women, and... Read more>>>

About the Faith Outreach Ministry

Introduction to the Faith Outreach Ministry “But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 Background information on the Faith Outreach Ministry Basis of the Faith Outreach Ministry In 1991 the Catholic Charismatic Renewal organised a Life in the Spirit Seminars (LSS) program for some members, and as the Lord promised in Acts 1:8, He poured... Read more>>>

Do not be terrified

Praise the Lord, my soul!O Lord, my God, how great you are!You are clothed with majesty and glory;you cover yourself with light.You have spread out the heavens like a tentand built your home on the waters above.You use the clouds as your chariotand ride on the wings of the wind.You use the winds as your messengers and flashes of lightning as your servants.You have set the earth firmly on its foundations, and it will never be moved. Good day dear one, the God... Read more>>>

The Father

I begin my day not knowing what went into the night as I slept.I wake up every morning to see the clear beautiful bright sky.I hear the birds of the air sing and fly stylishly across the sky.I see trees wave their leaves in the air.I see animals of all kind around the land.I see people like me doing one thing or the other.I wonder and ponder over it … The FATHER’S love.   Oh yes!  The FATHER’S love:So great, so steep,So... Read more>>>

The agenda is on - The six stages of soc…

Social Deception very often is a process by which wrong becomes right, and right becomes wrong. It’s a complete paradigm shift of opinions, standards and morals that is achieved softly, subtly and often takes a generation to entrench into society. Those who engineer it are very deliberate and structured in their approach.   If you want to know what I am talking about, find out your mother’s views on things like sexuality and marriage and compare them with yours. The contrast in... Read more>>>

Knowing the God you serve: God will forg…

Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Judith 5:17-21} What if I were God? Would I be able to forgive the many wrongs that people do, even after they confess? When I examine my own thoughts and emotions and when I listen to contributions to the Friday morning toaster programme, I wonder what would happen to us if God were a human; He is so full of mercy and compassion, sometimes I wonder if I were God I would be able to forgive some of... Read more>>>