First reading
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Leaving the plains of Moab, Moses went up Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land; Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the stretch of the Valley of Jericho, city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him, ‘This is the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross into it.’ There in the land of Moab, Moses the servant of the Lord died as the Lord decreed; he buried him in the valley, in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but to this day no one has ever found his grave. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye undimmed, his vigour unimpaired. The sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days. The days of weeping for the mourning rites of Moses came to an end. Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. It was he that the sons of Israel obeyed, carrying out the order that the Lord had given to Moses.
Since then, never has there been such a prophet in Israel as Moses, the man the Lord knew face to face. What signs and wonders the Lord caused him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and his whole land! How mighty the hand and great the fear that Moses wielded in the sight of all Israel! The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 65(66):1-3,5,16-17Gospel
Matthew 18:15-20
Psalm 65(66):1-3,5,16-17Gospel
Matthew 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.
‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.
‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.’ The gospel of the Lord.
Reflection
We have received today “Blessed Assurance” from the Jesus Christ. He promises to be in the midst of two or three who meet in his name. When God is in your midst, he answers your prayers. This is the great assurance that Moses enjoyed while he served God and ministered unto the Israelites: As stated; “The man the Lord knew face to face.” My question is to whom do we turn to and whose face or presence do we seek in our life sojourn?
The church in its wisdom presents to us various men and women of faith who have walked with / and worked for the Lord, and many of them were able to muster great work and service to God because heaven considered them worthy of their request. This blessed assurance they also received.
We are called to work and live right; walk with God and seek God’s will in private as Moses did or in the assembly of the brethren as Jesus commanded; and be assured that heaven’s answers and blessings is ours. What is God’s will? That is a question you must answer. Many people confuse free-will and God’s will. Free-will is God’s generous design for man to choose either to serve God or not; God’s will is man’s selfless desire to serve God. Choose to serve God today and the blessed assurance is yours.
Prayer
Father Lord, I love you above all things, I present myself, my heart and my soul to you today and forever, Amen!
Speechless…