General. Thanksgiving and empathy are the hall-mark of the Eucharist. Thanksgiving to God for having given us life and love within us, and empathy with all that is good and God-like. Making God the centre of our life will launch us to be loving and merciful with our neighbour just as He has been loving and merciful towards us, thus making Heaven present as from this world even to those who are forlorn of hope due to the circumstances of their lives.

Jeremiah. The situation here is symptomatic of ‘the people’ accusing Jesus before their leaders and of various similar occurrencies in recent history where the mob has its sway. Yet the king, who should always have discernment, thinks otherwise when spoken to by a trusted friend. God saves through the intercession of His Holy Church, and hope should not be lost by anyone finding oneself in dire straits thinking God has abandoned him.

Epistle to the Hebrews. The letter writer exhorts his readers to take courage of the great number of witnesses, or saints, to the wonders which the Lord has wrought in their lives. The Christian is duty bound to keep his eyes fixed on Jesus who bore his cross (another way of saying ‘accepted the story which the Father provided out of His love for him) and now stands glorified on the right hand of the Father interceding for us. This is the lot of any Christian who bears his cross, and after Baptism everyone is bound to be thankful for the cross God provides him with, so that he might stand victorious with Christ over sin.

St Luke. In fighting sin even to the extent of shedding our blood, we would be following Christ’s wish that we take faith seriously. Faith was given to us by Baptism, and even if it was ordinary baptism with water, we should be eager to harbor within us the baptism of fire and of blood which so many Christians received throughout the times. Steadfastness in holding on to moral principles and to the faith would make us such stalwart Christians, ever aware, however, of our frailty when confronted with sin and the possibility of conversion by frequenting the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

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