How do we react?

The readings today probe us – how do we react to God’s messages? In the first reading, we see Jonah being God’s voice to tell the people to repent (see related reflection http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/01/call.html). Then in the gospel we see Jesus saying that we should repent because of Him. Jonah was enough for the people of Nineveh. Jesus, who is greater than Jonah, should be more than enough for us.

Sometimes, instead of repenting and reacting properly, we try to have things our way. We try to escape from God. May we be inspired by the people of Nineveh and repent wholeheartedly. They did not ask for a sign, like the sun to dance or that Jonah come down from heaven with angels carrying him. They did not think of escaping, of moving to another city to escape God’s punishment. They did not defend their actions, saying that other people are doing worse. They believed God and his message through Jonah. They proclaimed a fast, repented, and put on sackcloth. They were deeply sorry, and God spared them.

What do I need to repent of in my life? What things do I need to change? Am I sensitive enough to God’s simple ways of getting my attention, or do I want a grand sign from him?

This season of lent, may we be humble and accept that we are sinners. May we seek forgiveness from God, and may we do what we need to do and change our ways. Let us be sensitive to his voice calling us, asking us to change.

God bless!

The Lord’s Prayer

In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches us how to pray. This is why they say that The Lord’s Prayer, or the Our Father, is very special and powerful, because it was Jesus himself who taught us how to pray this. It is a simple and concise prayer, which has all the components of a prayer.

Our Father who are in heaven, hollowed by thy name

So the LORD passed before him and proclaimed: The LORD, the LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity, continuing his love for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but bringing punishment for their parents’ wickedness on children and children’s children to the third and fourth generation! (Exodus 34: 6-7 - http://www.usccb.org/bible/exodus/34)

è We remember our God. We remember what our God is like. We remember what God has done for us. We remember how blessed we are having such a great God. We are blessed that we can call him our God, our Father. We should be thankful and be full of awe as we pray, as we worship our God.

thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides (Matthew 6:33 - http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6)

è Out of love for him, we pray that we would have the heart to seek and obey God’s will in our lives. We pray for faith, knowing that as we seek His will, he will bless us and give us the things that we need in this world, as we serve and glorify him with our lives. We also pray for others, that they also seek and obey God's will in their lives.

Give us this day our daily bread

so you might know that it is not by bread alone* that people live, but by all that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:3b – http://www.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/8)

è We pray for God daily to sustain us, not just physically, but more importantly, spiritually. We remember that in this life, we need more than just physical food. Yes, man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. We need his word, we need to get to know him more, so we would be able to truly live, to truly serve and glorify Him.

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us

If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. (1 John 1:9 - http://www.usccb.org/bible/1john/1)

è The gospel says we should forgive so we would be forgiven. We also pray for humility that we would recognize our sins. We are far from perfect, and we ask God for forgiveness. We humbly come to him for forgiveness. We have faith that as we do, God forgives us and cleanses us. We also pray for those who have sinned against us, that as we forgive them and as God changes us, they also welcome God and allow Him to change their lives.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 - http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/10)

è In faith, we call on Him to save and protect us. We have faith that he will not give us what we can’t bear. We have faith that God will be with us as we fight our battles, as we win over the enemy. We also pray for others who are undergoing challenges, that they may remain faithful to God, and realize that God will always be with us as we become victorious in Him.

May we see the beauty of the Lord’s prayer, and make it our own personal prayer.

God bless!

God commands us

The readings today tells us the commandments of God. The first reading tells us what God expects from us, what we should and should not do. IT is interesting to note that every “set” of commandments, God is reminding us who He is. “I am the LORD” These commandments are not just from human beings. God is reminding us, that He, the LORD, commands us to do and not to do these things.

The gospel further shows what God expects of us. Yes, more of less same things are expected. However, in the gospel, we see that God is really serious in his commandments. He wants us to do these things. He expects us to do these things. He separated the righteous – the people who actually did his commandments, not for people to recognize them or to show off, but because they really were living the commandments. Their actions, as manifested through the poor, was out of love for God.

Do I know what God wants me to do? Do I actually do these things, or do I just know them in theory? What can I do to please God more?

Have a blessed week blessing others!

He was tempted too

Today’s second reading is inspiring. It shows how much God loves us and how powerful he is.

Christ suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.

Christ suffered for us! He died for us! We are unrighteous, we are not worthy, but He gave his life for us! The son of God, giving his life for you! Doesn’t that make you feel so loved and special??? No person could ever do that for us, only Jesus. he died to give us life. That is the greatest expression of love.

The gospel shows that he was tempted by Satan, but he did not give in. This reminds us that we too can do this. Tao din sya, parang tayo. We are reminded that satan cannot win against God, and he cannot win against us if we keep our eyes and focus on God. It was not easy for Jesus to die for us. He perspired blood while praying in the garden. That’s how scared he was. He could have backed out and said, “God, send your angels to save me from here” or “God, this is too much. They are not worth it, I’m out of here” But no, His focus was on God, so He obediently subjected himself to God’s will, suffered under human hands, and died for us.

Do I know how much God loves me? Am I satisfied with that love, or am I incomplete, looking for a human love to complete me? How do I repay God’s love? When faced with temptation, how do I react? Do I give in because it is easy to do so and because I feel I am weak to resist, or do I get strength from God as I focus on Him and what I can do through him? How do I strengthen my faith?

May we always remember how much God loves us, and may we keep our eyes on Jesus, especially when faced with the enemy’s temptations.

God bless!

He calls…

In the gospel, we are reminded that Jesus calls us, even if we are sinners. He called Levi, a tax collector, and even dined in his home, with his sinner friends. Jesus even goes further to say that “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners”

In this season of lent, we are encouraged to be humble and accept we are sinners. We should not be self-righteous like the Pharisees and scribes, who think that they are already good, that they don’t need Jesus in their lives, that they don’t need to repent on their ways. We are all sinners, we all sin, and we should be humble to accept that, and be willing to be healed of sin, be willing to change.

Levi in the gospel was willing to. He left everything behind and followed Jesus. He was willing to follow Jesus and die of his old self. The first reading says what God wants – for us to do good: not to oppress and falsely accuse others, feed the hungry and to honour God. This is what God wants from us, this is what he is asking us to do.

As we prepare this season of Lent, may we be humble enough to admit that we are sinners and be willing to change our ways for God. Let us remember that God does not want physical fasting and abstinence (see related reflection http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/02/fasting.html ), but rather, he wants a deeply rooted fasting and abstinence, things that will help us grow spiritually and make us more like Him.

Do I accept that I am a sinner? What does God want me to do this Lenten season? Do I judge others, or am I willing to be God’s instrument to help them change their ways?

Fasting

The readings today again tells us about fasting. In the first reading God tells the people… Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits , which means that yes, they fast per se, but their hearts are not in the proper place. Their focus is not on God.  Maybe they want to be seen as righteous people by fasting, maybe they want to gain something by fasting. Fasting is more than just not eating 3x a day. Fasting is a way of being one with Jesus as he suffered for us. As we experience pain and difficulty, we ask God to be with us as we ask for strength and totally rely on Him. We want to get closer to Him. We want to be more and more like Him. The reading says that it entails doing what is right and just for God through other people. Being more like Christ.

When we fast, aside from wanting to be close to God, we repent and ask forgiveness for our sins. The psalm reminds us to be humble and repent. As we fast, we pray for forgiveness and ask God to help us change our ways, to help us be better children of his father.

The gospel reminds us that everything has its proper time. The disciples were learning from Jesus. They were experiencing Jesus first hand. They were happy. This is why Jesus acknowledges that the disciples do not need to fast just yet. However, the time will come when they will be ready, and they too will fast. Parang tayo. God lets us experience him first. We are happy and blessed seeing how powerful God is, and what he can do in our lives. We see miracles in our lives and the lives of the people around us. Then as a result of this, when we have a personal relationship with Him already, our fasting becomes more meaningful. We fast out of love for God. We fast to be closer to Him. We fast to be with him and deny ourselves of the earthly comfort.

Do I fast? Do I see the importance of fasting or do I just do it for the sake of fasting? Do I have a personal motive for fasting (or abstinence) – more savings, lose weight, etc, or is everything dedicated to God? What can I give as my love offering for Christ this season?

May we be reminded of the importance and beauty of fasting (and abstinence), especially this Lenten season. As we give Christ our love offerings, may we give him everything we can, and bless others as well in the process.

God bless!

It ain't easy

The gospel today reminds us that it is not easy to follow Christ. He himself experienced hardships, so as followers, we are to be subjected to these things as well. However, we are encouraged to keep the faith and focus on Him.

Jesus asks all who follow him to do so daily. Not once a week, not once a month, not just when we feel like it. "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” He further goes on to say that “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?"

Jesus is not of the world. His ways are not the ways of the world. What is important to him is not what is important to this world. That’s why Jesus says that whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, because if we give more importance to the here and now, to the things and concerns in this world, to the life in this world, we will end up losing eternal life because we don’t focus on it, we don’t give importance to it. Everything in this world is temporary – money is easily used, power can be lost in a single election, fame can be lost in an instant, trophies and recognition are easily forgotten. What remains is what is not in this world. Eternal life. This is forever, and this is what Jesus asks us to focus on, to work on.

When life is not easy, when things does not seem to go our way, when we feel persecuted for following Christ, may we remember the psalmist “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord” and remember Jesus words in the gospel.

What do I prioritize in life? Do I give more importance to the things of this world? Do I strive to follow God daily, or do I just do it when I’m in the mood? Do I pray that God guide me all the time?

God sees

Today’s readings show that fasting is a way of getting close to God and a way to show how sorry we are for our sins. It is a way of detaching ourselves from material things, not just food, and totally relying on God. When we fast, we pray, especially when it becomes difficult to do the fast, and we ask God for strength to go on with the day, and offer the difficulty to Him.

The gospel says that when we fast, we should not let people see it intentionally.  Same is true for almsgiving and prayer. We are doing these things not to be seen and praised by people, but for God. It does not matter what people say or think, what matters is God sees, what matters is what he says about us. God will reward us in his perfect time. He knows what is inside our hearts, he knows our intentions for doing things, and he will reward us accordingly.

Today is ash Wednesday – a day of fasting and abstinence. There are many ways of fasting – water only, one full meal a day, etc. There are many ways of abstaining – abstaining from meat, social networks, softdrinks, sweets. God sees and knows that is difficult for us, and he will know how much we are willing to give up for him. He knows what we are capable of. Let us search deeply and pray for guidance as we fast and abstain.

Are you fasting today? Are you abstaining? What are you willing to give up for God? What is your intention as you fast and abstain?

May we seek God’s guidance as we fast and abstain, and as we prepare spiritually this season of Lent.  Let us remember that this is not a season of mourning. This season ends very joyfully and triumphantly, with Jesus winning over sin and death – His love for us enduring and winning over everything. How much God loves us!

Do you really want it?

When I read the first reading today, I remembered something I read before. Sometimes, we ask people to pray for us – for us to change and be free from bad habits and vices like smoking, drugs, alcohol, pornography, unhealthy relationships. However, sometimes their prayers don’t seem to work at all, it seems that we’re not making any progress. When this happens, maybe we forgot something. What about ourselves? We should ask ourselves, do I really want to change? Do I really want to let go of these things? Do I really want to be free? Or am I just hoping that the prayers of others would set me free, and I just continue while waiting for that to happen?

God tells us clearly in the first reading:

So submit yourselves to God.
Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

We should resist the enemy, and as we resist the enemy, we should submit ourselves to God. We should draw near to God. Yes, we cannot do it alone, we should ask God’s help for it. But there should be an effort on our part. We should want to be free from all that is of the enemy, we should want to resist the enemy.  As we turn away from the enemy, God wants us to welcome him into our lives. Jesus says in the gospel, that we should welcome the little ones. We should welcome him into our lives, no matter how little or how foolish the world may seem to portray him.

As we turn to God, we are comforted by the psalmist. Throw your cares on God and he will support you. Whatever concerns you may have, whatever challenges, whatever needs, we just need to turn into God. There is nothing too big or too small for Him.

Do I really want to be free from all that is not of God, or do I just pass the burden on other people, asking for prayers without doing anything, and hoping their prayers would change me? Do I ask God to give me the desire to resist the enemy and to follow him wholeheartedly? What are the things that I should be free of? Am I doing something about it?

Have a blessed day!

Of faith and humility

The gospel today has a lot of words worth remembering, or what other people say “quotable quotes.” However, i believe the gospel is reminding us to have faith in Christ. First, Jesus tells that the people do not have faith. They say that it makes it more difficult to do God’s work if you are surrounded by people who don’t have faith. “O faithless generation, how long should I be with you” Jesus was sad and frustrated by the people’s lack of faith.

He again showed how important faith is. He told the boy’s father that is it possible, that everything is possible to one who has faith. The father’s response is a very inspiring one – to come to Jesus humbly accepting that what we have may not be enough, and asking him to help us. Maybe the faith is not yet there, but it was a sign of surrender to Jesus.

But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
Jesus said to him,
"'If you can!' Everything is possible to one who has faith."
Then the boy's father cried out, "I do believe, help my unbelief!"

Lastly, Jesus told the disciples in private that some spirit could only be driven out by prayer.

When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
"Why could we not drive the spirit out?"
He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer."

Probably the disciples were not praying enough. Maybe they did not have complete faith in Jesus’ power. Maybe they were praying for the wrong things. Whatever they did was not working, but Jesus did not scold them for it, and he told them in private.

Do we have complete faith in God? Do we let other people affect our faith? Do we let the external surroundings dictate our faith or how we should act? Do we really believe what Jesus said, that anything is possible to one who has faith, or do we limit God’s power based on our own human limitations? Do we continuously pray to improve our prayer life and our faith, or are we complacent that our prayers are always enough for God? Are we humble enough to accept that we sometimes don’t fully believe in God’s power, and ask for His grace to have more faith in Him?

May we be inspired and reminded how important and powerful faith is. May we also be humble enough to know and ask God to increase our faith, to help us in our unbelief.

Be made new in Christ

The readings today remind me that we are a new creation in Christ. God invites us to come to him, and allow him to change us, change our lives, to make us new creations in him.

The first reading says that God is doing something new, and asks that we don’t forget all the things he has done in our lives. The gospel, Jesus healed a man brought in in faith by his friends. Jesus did not immediately heal him physically – he first cleansed him from his sins. Again, let us remember that during that time, sickness and diseases were considered physical manifestations of the sin of the person and/or his family. Thus, Jesus first healed the man of the root or the cause of his paralysis. He cleansed him. Then, he told the paralytic to rise up and walk – thus showing to the scribes that he indeed has the power to forgive sins as shown by the person being healed. Yes, the man was healed spiritually, socially, and physically. He became a new person in Christ.

God is asking us and reminding us to come to him. He knows that is in our hearts. Jesus knew what was in the scribes’ hearts even if they were not saying it aloud.  God is asking us to trust in Him and remember all the things he has done for us, and allow Him to change us and to make us a new creation. He wants to heal us, and he is willing to. We just need to come to him in full faith and with a humble heart. Then, like the man, we will be renewed, cleansed, and be made new.

Do I accept that I need to be made new? Do I know that only Christ can make me new and cleanse Him? Do I come to Him, with a humble and repentant heart? Do I have full faith in Him? Do I bring others to him, or do I allow other people to bring me to Christ?

May we all accept and realize that we need to be made new in Christ, and may we come to him for healing and cleansing.

Everything starts small

The readings today tell us that everything starts small.

The first reading tells us how big an impact something small can do. A forest fire starts from a spark, from a small fire. A big ship is controlled by a small rudder. With this, we are reminded that our words make a big impact. IT can either break or make a person. It can help and encourage someone, or hurt someone so deeply. We use our tongues to praise God, may we never use it to hurt others as well.

In the gospel, the disciples were just going on a mountain to pray. They were not expecting something this huge. For them, this was just another prayer time with Jesus – something that started small that they are continuously nourishing. Then they got one of the biggest, pleasant surprise. They witnessed the transfiguration. How blessed were they! We too can be blessed mightily, if we just continue to do our little habits of praying, reading his word, spending time with him. God will reward us when we least expect it.

May we continue to do what is good, kahit parang and simple lang, kahit parang routine, kahit parang ayaw mo na. Let us remember that these small things eventually make big effects, either good or bad.

Sharing a quote that describes this reflection…

Beware of your thoughts, they become your words.

Beware of your words, they become your actions.

Beware of your actions, they become your habits.

Beware of your habits, they become your character.

Beware of your character, it becomes your destiny.

Faith without works is dead

   

The readings today tell us that indeed, faith without works is dead. The first reading says:

You see that faith was active along with his works,
and faith was completed by the works.Thus the Scripture was fulfilled that says,
Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,
and he was called the friend of God.
See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
For just as a body without a spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead.

Faith and works go hand in hand. One is not complete without the other. Faith should be accompanied by works – we should live our faith. It is not enough to profess our faith, yet back out when the time comes. It is not enough to say how great God is, but deny him in times of persecution. It is not enough to remember his power and mercy, yet live our lives as if we did not experience Him first hand. Abraham had faith, yes. However, faith alone was not enough. He lived his faith when God asked him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. He had faith in God and lived that faith, even if it was not easy, even if it did not make sense. God rewarded him for living that faith.

The gospel also reminds us to live our faith. In the words of Jesus:

Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.

Deny ourselves, take up our cross… that’s preparation, that’s building our faith in Him, seeing things through God’s eyes, trusting him with our lives… Then Jesus asks us to follow him. Again, it was not enough we realize these things. IT is not enough to build our faith. We need to take action. We need to make a decision to live that faith to further strengthen it, to please God.

Do we live our faith? When it is not easy to follow God, even when it does not make sense, do we have faith in Him and obey, or do we want things done our way, feeling that we are more correct? Do we constantly live our lives in faith, or do we choose when to live our faith?

May we strengthen and live our faith, today and everyday!

God bless!

Be Poor

Blessed is the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. I believe this is what today’s readings emphasize.

The first reading says that the poor in the world is rich in faith. Why? Because they are not proud, they know that they need to hang on to God for survival. Their day to day existence is a blessing, a miracle. Day to day, they use their faith, trusting that God will provide for everything. They don’t have savings in the bank, a good career, wealthy parents that assure them they will survive. They have nothing on their own that they can rely on, that’s why they rely totally on God.

The psalmist says that the Lord hears the cry of the poor. Again, because they have total surrender, they have total faith in God. That’s why the poor in spirit are blessed, because they have complete faith in God. They get their nourishment from God alone. This is what God wants from us – he wants us to be poor, especially in spirit, and rely totally on Him. He wants us to let go of all things, all the false security in this world, that prevent us from totally relying on Him. A good career, money, influence and intelligence are in themselves not evil. However, if these things take the place of God in our lives, and prevent God from working in our lives, we must let these go. Peter, who was probably just concerned about Jesus, was rebuked in the gospel, because what he was thinking was not in accordance with God’s plan.

May we take extra steps today to be poor in spirit and totally rely on God. As we slowly live this way, may we realize who Jesus is in our lives, and be one with Peter in declaring “You are the Christ”

God bless!

Be doers

The readings today tell us how we should act to please God. It is pretty direct to the point what the readings tell us to do. Care for the little ones, genuinely do good to honor God, put away all evil, do not say evil things and do not take advantage of others – these are some things we should do to praise and honor God.

The first reading also tells us that we should be doers, not just hearers. It is not enough to listen to God’s words, we should act and live it in our lives. Kung baga, hindi pwedeng nakikinig ka lang sa kanya. Hindi din pwedeng puro realizations lang. Dapat may gawin ka.

The man in the gospel shows us that we should act, and how we should act. Jesus took him aside (see reflection  http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/02/he-took-him-away.html  ) to heal him. The man did not immediately see people, but when Jesus laid his hands on him a second time, he was able to see clearly. If the man did not open his eyes, he wouldn’t be able to see. If he was just waiting for Jesus to heal him and not do his part, baka hindi sya nakakita. Also, he did not get impatient when he did not see clearly the first time. Effort siguro for a blind man to be led outside the city, then after hindi ka parin makakita ng maayos. He could have been frustrated. Pinahirapan mo ako, di parin pala makakakita ng maayos. He could have gotten angry at Jesus for subjecting him to such an effort… but the man did not complain and had his full faith in God. He still obeyed God, he still did his part, he was still a doer.

What about us? When we don’t get what we want, how do we react? When God’s ways are not easy, or when we want something else to happen, what do we do? Are we doers and act, or do we just listen to his words, and just do what is comfortable for us?

May the readings today inspire us to be doers and workers for Christ!

God bless!

When we don’t understand

Today’s gospel shows us that Jesus does not reveal everything to us because he wants us to be conscious and sensitive to him – to his teachings, to his ways, to his love.

Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod."
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
"Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?

We can see that Jesus was not referring to physical bread. The warning was not because they were not able to bring bread. He was able to feed thousands, why should he be concerned about their bread? In Matthew 16:11-12, we see that he was referring to the teaching or beliefs of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herod. These people have their hearts closed to Jesus. They were not living in the light. They rejected Jesus and his teachings. This is why Jesus is warning his disciples to be on their guard that they don’t act like these people.

Sometimes we too don’t understand. We forget the great things Jesus has done for us, and we tend to worry about material things, about things in this world. The Lord’s prayer asks us to pray in faith and confidence ‘Give us this day, our daily bread.” When we pray, we should have faith that God will provide. If we serve God, if we seek his will, we can be sure that all other things will be given to us (Matthew 6:33). May this give us strength and inspire us to continue to trust in God.

We also don’t understand why we are tempted. We question God why he is tempting us, or why he is testing us. The book of Job tells us that God allowed the enemy to tempt us (Job 1:12) but God did not do it. Today’s reading tells us further that God do not tempt us..

No one experiencing temptation should say,
"I am being tempted by God";for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

As we can see, sin starts with an evil desire. This brings us back again to the gospel – to look what is in our hearts, to see what we believe in, because these beliefs inside us are what causes us to sin. May we pray for faith to trust in God’s will and his perfect plan, even if we don’t understand everything, and may we pray that God continue to bless our hearts to seek and follow his will in our lives, knowing that our lives would be more meaningful once we live in the light of Christ. Like the psalmist says “ blessed the man you instruct, O Lord”

 God Bless!

Faith, Pare!

Today’s readings remind us on the importance of faith. In the first reading, James tells us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God. He also says that we should stay positive when our faith is tested, because it produces perseverance. When we ask for wisdom, we ask for wisdom to see with God’s eyes – to see trials as opportunities to strengthen our faith. We ask wisdom in decision making, to see things with God’s perspective. When we ask, it should be with firm faith, since we are asking for something we know is in synch with God’s plans

But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.

In the gospel we see the Pharisees testing Jesus. They were arguing with Jesus. Their hearts are closed to Jesus. Jesus sighed because he knows what is in the hearts of the Pharisees. No amount of sign or miracle is enough for them, since they already have their minds and hearts closed. He already performed miracles, he was living what he was preaching, yet the people still wanted a sign. No sign will be given to them because no sign is enough for them.

What about us? What about our hearts? What about our prayers? Do we ask in full faith, knowing that God will grant us wisdom to understand his plans, as long as it is in synch with His perfect plans? Do we trust in God when we pray, or are we half hearted? When discerning God’s will, do we ask for signs or do we pray in faith to know his will? When asking for signs, are we sensitive to him reaching out to us, or are our hearts fixed on what we want to see or get from him?

May we pray for faith – to understand his will and accept his will which is perfect beyond our human understanding.

Jesus reached out to make things new

Today’s readings show us how much God loves us, and how powerful he is.

The first reading shows us how grave a sickness leprosy is during that time. We see the Lord telling Moses and Aaron how a leper should act and be treated. They say that sickness is a physical manifestation of the person’s sin condition, or his family – that’s why aside from the leper being unclean, people feel that he is suffering because of his sins or the sins of his family. That’s why he really is an outcast in society.

In the gospel, we see how Jesus responds. The leper came to Jesus with humility and faith. He begged Jesus and asked if Jesus wills to heal him. He did not impose that Jesus heal him. Then Jesus touched him. He reached out to the leper. He broke the first reading, and shows how powerful and loving he is. No amount of sickness or disease, however grave they may be, is enough to separate us from Jesus. Nothing can come between his love for us – as long as we are humble enough, as long as we have faith in Him. Jesus, by healing the leper, did not only heal his sickness, but also brought him back to society. Jesus too wants to heal us and give us much more, as long as we come to him in faith and humility.

When we are healed, when we get what we pray for, we are reminded by the second reading what we should do. Even if we simply eat and drink, we should praise and glorify Jesus. In whatever we do, in the way we live our lives, we should give glory to God.

May we be reminded that Jesus loves us so much and his love is so powerful. He can heal us and make things new in our lives. May we come to him with humility and in faith, and live our lives in glory and honor of Him.

God bless!

Thank You, Lord

Today’s gospel is a very familiar one – Jesus feeding four thousand people with seven loaves and a few fish. There are different variations in other gospels, but same content. Jesus feeds them from a very few resources. Some say that God literally multiplied the food, others say that people gave in whatever they have, and it was enough to feed everyone, may sobra pa. Others say it’s both. Well, whatever happened, God sure fed those people, ang galing talaga nya!

What is interesting to note is how Jesus prayed over the food. He just did not ask to multiply them at once. He first thanked God

Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.

Why? He thanked God for the blessings – na mayroong nagbigay ng tinapay at isda, kahit konti lang. He thanked God for the people who came with him and stayed with him for three days. He thanked God because he had faith that God would work and feed everyone present. That act was not only of gratitude, but of faith as well.

Let’s examine our prayers. Do we thank God, or do we just ask from him? Do we remember to thank him for the blessings he has been giving us? Do we even thank Him for answered prayers? Do we pray in faith, thanking him because we know he will make a way?

Let’s be inspired by Jesus’ prayer, and may we always remember to thank God. Let us pray as well for faith, that we may be faithful to God, especially when things are tough, and not be like the people in the first reading who forgot who God was and what he has done in their lives, especially when it was easier and more comfortable to worship other gods.

God bless!

He took him away

Sharing with you an excerpt from today’s gospel

He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man's ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
"Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!")
And immediately the man's ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.

It is interesting to see that Jesus took him away. He did not immediately heal him. He did not just lay his hand on him, like the people begged him to. He took him away. He wanted to have this intimate and personal experience with the man, away from the crowd, the spectators. When they were alone, he touched his tongue and his ears – the weakest parts of his body since he was deaf and could not speak. He was healed afterwards.

Jesus also wants to take us away. He wants to spend time with us, away from everyone and everything. One on one. He wants to have an intimate conversation with us, an intimate and personal relationship with us. He wants us to know that like the man, he is capable and willing to touch the weakest points in us and heal us.

Question is, are we willing to? Are we open to letting him touch our lives, or are we too comfortable where we are right now? Are we willing to open up and bring him our weakest parts? Do we trust him enough?

May we remember that God wants to spend an intimate moment with us, and he wants to have a personal relationship with us. May we be open up our hearts and our lives to him. As we serve him, may we also bring others to him, like the people who brought the man to Jesus.

God bless!

Humility and Faith

In today’s gospel, we see a very inspiring woman.

and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
He said to her, "Let the children be fed first.
For it is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs."
She replied and said to him,
"Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps."
Then he said to her, "For saying this, you may go.

We see the woman’s humility and Faith. This is one of the few times Jesus actually “tests” a person. Usually, Jesus grants the people’s requests – for healing from sickness and disease, from freedom from evil spirits, even from death. However, today’s gospel shows us a different side of Jesus. His approach initially seems tough. “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” – meaning Jews first, the chosen people. Sila muna ang tutulungan ko. It doesn’t stop there. Jesus even compares her (being Greek makes her a non Jew, a gentile) to a dog. Grabe diba, request denied, tapos kinumpara pa sa aso. But it’s inspiring how great the woman’s faith and humility is. She was humble to come to him for her daughter’s healing, and was humble enough to accept and not be offended by Jesus words. Then we see her faith, na kahit parang nireject na sya ni Jesus, she still believed. Sabi nya “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Kung baga, sabi nya, OK lang Lord na kung tingin mo aso kami, pero may faith parin ako na kahit konti, kahit tira tira nalang ng para sa Jews, ay makakapag pagaling sa anak ko. And when Jesus told her that her daughter is free from the demon, she did not say “Lord, sumama ka naman sakin para sure” or “Lord, sure ka ha?” She just went home having faith that Jesus words will come true, and she was rewarded seeing her daughter free. How great her faith is! How humble she is! Inspiring!

How about us? How do we react? When God seem to say “no” to our requests, even if we feel that our request is for our good, or for other people’s good, what do we tell him? Do we get mad, insisting that what we are asking is a good thing, or do we humbly accept his will but keeping the faith? Do we respectfully ask in Faith, or are we proud, demanding that God grant our requests because we feel we are entitled to it?

May we always remember to have complete faith in God, yet humble enough to know and accept that His will is perfect, even if it does not seem to coincide with ours.

God bless!

What’s inside you?

Sharing with you an excerpt from today’s gospel

Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile."

…

Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?"
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
"But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile

Today is the continuation of yesterday’s gospel. This is Jesus response to the Scribes and Pharisees accusation that they were eating without following the tradition of the elders. He is saying that this tradition of purifying and washing the hands, beds, etc, does not make a person unclean. These are just superficial. What makes a person unclean is what’s inside – what is in their hearts, as what Jesus said in today’s gospel.  The elders of that time, though were following tradition, had their hearts unclean,  which made them unclean.

Today, Jesus is reminding us to check what is inside of us. It’s easy to see if the external is unclean – we easily see when our hands are dirty, when our clothes are dirty. However, when our hear is not so clean, we do not automatically see it. Other people does not necessarily see it as well – since our actions does not necessarily reflect what’s in our hearts, what the motives for those actions are.

May we take a moment and look at our hearts today. Let us pray for guidance that we may continuously seek God and do his will for his glory. May we ask God to always show us what is on our hearts, and may we always be willing to have it cleaned by God.

Be clean today!

God bless!

Not just with your lips

The gospel today reminded me how we should honor God…

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;

It is easy to sing praises to God. It is easy to say good things about God. Kaya nga sabi nila, things are easier said than done. However, God is reminding us to live our faith, not just with our lips, but with our lives as well.

Sometimes, we say we worship God, we honor him and we do his will, but in reality, we are honouring ourselves. Like the Pharisees and scribes in the gospel who “twist” God’s commands to conform to theirs, making themselves above God and using God for their own personal gain and advantage, sometimes we too act like that. When we seek our convenience, fame and gain from serving God, we too act like the Pharisees. When we serve God to be noticed and praised, we act like the Pharisees. When we worship to be regarded as a good person, and use this for personal gain, we are like the Pharisees.

The Lord invites us to allow him to dwell in us. Like Solomon in the first reading who prepared a dwelling place for God, we too are invited to prepare a dwelling place for God in our hearts. We are invited to let him into our hearts, and into our lives, for us to be transformed. As we allow him to dwell in us, slowly, our intentions and motives for serving him will be simply that – to serve Him.

May we start today to allow God to dwell in our hearts, however dirty or unprepared it may be, having faith that like Jesus who was born on a stable, God does not look at the appearance, as long as we are ready to welcome him and are open to be transformed by Him. May be our hearts be a lovely dwelling place for our Lord, mighty God!

Are You Running?

Sharing with you an excerpt from today’s gospel…

As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country

In another translation, it says that

As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.

They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.

People ran when they saw and recognized Jesus. They were excited to see him, to touch and be touched by Him. It reminds us to ask ourselves – will you run when you see and recognize Jesus? Will you even recognize Jesus? For those who have known him for quite some time, are you still excited to see him? Will you still run to meet him?

May we pray for the grace and a heart that will always be excited to be with Jesus. And when we meet him and find him, may we be reminded of the first reading, to prepare a place for him, to welcome him into our hearts, into our lives.

Let us look at our life right now… are we running towards Christ?

God bless!

He rose early to pray

The gospel today says that after a long day healing people and doing God’s work, Jesus rose very early to pray…

Rising very early before dawn, he left 
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.

This got my attention, because personally, waking up in the morning is one of the challenges in my life. I really find it difficult to wake up in the morning – three alarms can’t wake me up. Even a group of people playing cranium can’t wake me up. This is why what Jesus did struck me. After being tired doing God’s work, he woke up early to pray. He did not just sleep on it, knowing that he was doing God’s work anyway, and he deserves a little more rest. Jesus woke up early and prayed.

I believe this is very important. We need to strengthen our prayer life to get closer to God, to get to know him more. We need to put priority on this, even if it is not easy to. If we start, and continue, to do difficult things for God, we know that it is not just us working – it is God working through us and changing us to become more like the person he intended us to be. When we think and know that our human nature cannot do it, yet we still continue to do it, we know that it is God at work.

Do I want to know God more, and build a more intimate relationship with him? Do I give specific time for prayer? Do I continue to pray even when it is hard, or do I just pray when I want to, when it is comfortable to? Do I build my schedule around God, or do I just fit him where it is free in my schedule?

May we see the importance of prayer as a way of building a more intimate relationship with God, and may we start doing things to improve our prayer life, even if it’s not easy, even if it is not comfortable for us.

God bless!

What do you want?

“I know that I do not know.” This is one of the famous quotes of Socrates, and as they say, this was why he was considered a wise man – because he knew that he did not know everything. Today’s first reading shows us that at a very young age, even before God gave Samuel wisdom, he had a wise and good heart, because he asked God not for power or wealth, but for a heart that would know how to serve God and the people.

Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?"

Indeed, it is true what is written in the bible – “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you” (Matthew 6:33). God was pleased with Samuel’s heart, and gave him his desire, and much more.

he LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him: "Because you have asked for this?
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right?
I do as you requested. 
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.
In addition, I give you what you have not asked for,
such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like."

What if God asks you what you want, what will you tell him? Would it be to have a good and successful career? Would you like to get over that heartbreak you are in right now? Would you like to find that perfect partner God wants for you? Would you like to be healed of your sickness, or forget a painful memory? Would you ask for the power, influence and fame that people dream about?

Nowadays, there are a lot of things we want. However, we know from today’s reading that God is pleased with a humble heart, a heart that seeks to serve him, a heart that wants to know Him more. May we work towards this as we live our lives. May we strive to want to know Him more so we can serve Him more, knowing that it is the most important thing, and all things we need will be given as we serve and put our focus on Him.

The gospel reminds us how to have this heart. When he asked the disciples to rest for a while, it was not only physical rest he was talking about He wanted the disciples to recharge spiritually as well. We can have a heart that seeks to know and serve him by constantly making an effort to grow spiritually, to give importance to our spiritual life. May we see the importance of developing our spiritual life as well, having faith that with a strong spiritual life, we may not get exactly what we want right now, but we will be changed into what God created us to be, and we will realize that the most important thing is putting God in the center of our lives. As we live like this, we will see that he provides for everything else that we need to love and serve Him.

So again, what do you want?

God bless!