Daily Readings, Ho̔milíes, and Prayers - 04월/13日/2022ياش

Today is 𝐒𝐩𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

Coincidentally, this Wednesday falls on the 13th. I'm not into superstition AHAHA. This year is a Wednesday the 13th, and there is no superstition with that.

In Christianity, Holy Wednesday commemorates the Bargain of Judas by a clandestine spy among the disciples. It is also called Spy Wednesday, or Good Wednesday (in Western Christianity), and Great and Holy Wednesday (in Eastern Christianity).

In Western Christianity many churches of various denominations observe the Tenebrae service on Holy Wednesday.
𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘞𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢

Let us begin today's Daily

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

God our loving Father,
grant us the grace
to hear what we ought to hear,
to see what we ought to see,
that we might do what we ought to do,
in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 is from the 𝟐nd book of the Prophet 𝐒𝖆𝖒𝖚𝖊𝖑 18:31-33
English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱'𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳
31 And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the Lord has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” 32 The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” 33 And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: my son, my son

This might be the shortest reading this week. This is the shortest, but it is the most fruitful. The story of Absalom and David is very dense and compact with emotion. I don't want to tell the story because I want you readers to read it. This short passage of grief that David showed is already heavy to have reflections.

David in here is not the David with Goliath. They are the same being, same person, but their personality shifted. David (since Goliath) had matured. God who so is full of love, fathered the entirety of creation. In this easter vigil, we will again listen the reading of Exodus. Among the readings, God rejoices over his favoured nation, Israel. But on the other hand, God cries for the death of the soldiers in the sea, for they too are God's children.

In the Passover that we attended, it was explained to us that Judas sat on the seat of honour. The priest, Fr. Chito, explained the meaning behind it, that God continues to extend His hand and care for him, showing him the best, even if Judas Iscariot will come to betray Him after. And that is the message of Spy Wednesday.

Judas is tempted by the devil to betray Jesus. He was the chosen one to fulfill the prophesy and the law. Jesus continued to show His love for him even if he would betray him. Now at the end of the Passover celebration, there was a line in the Holy Gospels that says, «Satan entered him,» or the «evil spirit entered him.» Which was not a choice but the effect of Sin.

When we succumb to temptation, we allow ourselves to be touched and used by the Devil. And with each sins that we do, we destroy ourselves every step of the way. Judas was a traitor because he was given the chance to say no to the pieces of money handed to him. Now that he became a faithful advocate of the devil, Judas was then the one used by God to fulfill the suffering and death; the passion of Christ.

Yesterday, I had a bad headache, apart from that I was emotionless. I felt no love, no care, no joy. I only felt emptiness, meaninglessness, lost, doubt, and despair. This heart of mine was cold, stony, and locked. I felt so much grieve that I didn't want to continue yesterday's Daily. But still I did, amidst the coldness of my heart, and the pains my migraine gave me. As I write, I forget the migraine, and found joy again. Remembering what its cause is, I remember it is my succumbing to the lascivious arms of temptation.

We all sin everyday, these sins are venial. Some sins are not venial and grave. Each sin has its effect. David's loss of Absalom is a result of his sin with Bathsheba wife of Uriah. What made Judas' sin much worse is his inability to accept defeat and have the strength to ask forgiveness from the risen Christ.

We looked back again, as our lesson in Classic Literature, the novel of Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart. Remembering Okonkwo (I wouldn't give much more spoilers to it) I wonder if it was the same motive for the act. That Judas and Okonkwo feared to be part of their group, and found no hope for his sin. More so might have they thought that nobody had loved them.

But this is a lesson for all of us sinners alike. We are sinners but our God who loved us sent His begotten and favoured Son, whom for our salvation became the ultimate Passover lamb. Even if we sinned, we are loved by God. And our sins doesn't mean the end for us, it means that God has more to do in us, and we will experience more of God in us throughout our lives.

And those around us who will be sad. Those around us, our friends. We would miss out on a lot of things in the world. And suicide would be running away from your problems. It would not solve your problems, rather it would create much bigger ones to those around you. And having a hard time in life doesn't mean it is the end. Everyone too is having a hard time, and the best thing we can do is support each other through.

Please contact the Suicide Prevention hotlines if you are feeling bad.
I cannot list down all the suicide hotlines of all the world, but these links are all the one that I found having many countries listed.

https://ibpf.org/resource/list-of-international-suicide-hotlines/
https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: In a special way, let us pray for all the sinners in the world.

God who wept at the death of Your children, do guide their souls to heaven. They too are our siblings through Christ. Many of them Lord, as living people in this world, don't realize the vanity of the pleasures of the world. More so I ask Your divine power to strengthen and lead them more. I ask that You, the Divine Shepherd, to carry each sinning lamb and sheep because our own feet have failed us, like our flesh succumbing into temptation. Clear our minds to see the goodness, free us from the darkness of despair. Shine forth Your light that we celebrate in the resurrection. All of this we ask in the Mighty name of Jesus, God who was man, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit make up the everlasting Triunity. Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻.

℟. Thanks be to God!

Credits:
📖:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+18%3A31-33&version=ESVUK
🙏:
📸:https://media.freebibleimages.org/stories/FB_David_Absalom/overview-images/024-david-absalom.jpg?1538658787