First Reading: Ez. 24:15-23
Psalm: Dt. 32:18-19, 20, 21
Gospel: Mt. 19:16-22
The Christian is called to be a prophet. A prophet manifests in his life a total dedication to his mission. All the prophets in the Old Testament left everything to deliver God’s message. Some even went to the desert and lived like hermits. Others left their families and personal comforts and endured persecution as a reward for their work as prophet. The mark of a true prophet is when he says and does things contrary to public opinion. He tells people to do the right thing even when everyone else is doing the opposite.
We need Christians who are true prophets. We need Christians who are ready to give up everything for the sake of the gospel. We need Christians who will suffer for justice and put their lives on the line if needed. Ninoy Aquino did just that. There is also a bit of Ninoy in us. Sometimes we want to do the right thing, the heroic thing, even when there are many obstacles. For this we need the Holy Spirit and a great love for the Lord who himself said, “there is no greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends.
How much do we love God? How much do we love our fellowmen? When we die, we will not be judged according to how much money we have, or how many degrees we have received or how successful we have been, but by how much we have loved.