My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

Memorial of St. Peter Canisius, S.J.

Acts 11:19-26

Ps 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7

J ohn 10:22-30 It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem ; (23) it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. (24) So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." (25) Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me; (26) but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. (27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; (28) and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (30) I and the Father are one."

Meditation by Sue Crawford

All you nations, praise the Lord.

B arnabas sees people seeking God. Although originally suspicious outsiders whom he is sent to investigate, he sees the Spirit at work and sets to work encouraging and empowering them.  According to the text Barnabas sees so much potential in the people at Antioch that he seeks out the premier teacher of the Gentiles for them and decides to stay a while to continue encouraging the new Christians.

Jesus, on the other hand, sees people who hunger for spectacle or self-righteousness.  He wastes no time encouraging them.

What do we learn from the juxtaposition of these two stories?  Can we see the grace of God at work in people outside of our normal circles?  Are we willing to go out of our way to encourage and teach those who seek God?

Do we fall prey to spending time proving ourselves to people who seek to disprove our value or do we, like Jesus, dismiss their questions?  Do we believe that God’s grace can reach all nations and watch to see God at work?  Do we rejoice at the diverse ways that God works in our world?  Are we ready to step in to encourage and invest in those who seek God?

Do we allow ourselves to instead spend our limited time defending ourselves from those who do not want to learn and grow?  Do we regularly pray for wisdom to see God’s grace at work and pray for wisdom to respond appropriat ely ?

May we all become more like Barnabas and Jesus.  May all nations praise the Lord. 

Supplementary Reading

Iron Sharpens Iron

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another . . . – Proverbs 27:17

O ne of the best things I've learned is that God does not bring people into my life so I can make them just like me. God wants us to be different. He's given us different personalities, different strengths, different hobbies and different looks. He's made us all different so we can sharpen one another and cause each other to rise up higher in life.

If you're going to be happy and enjoy your relationships, you've got to learn how to appreciate the differences and learn from the people in your life. If you don't focus on the right things, you'll end up allowing the little irritations to cause you to become resentful. Remember, nobody is perfect. If you're going to grow, you've got to be willing to overlook some things. Our assignment is not to fix people. Our assignment is to love people. Our assignment is to sharpen one another so we can move forward in the good plan God has prepared.

Father God, thank You for the people You have placed in my life. Help me see them the way You see them. Help me to appreciate the ways we sharpen one another so that we can help each other fulfill Your plan for our lives. In Jesus' Name. Amen. --Joel & Victoria Osteen 
 
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GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.