Turning bad into good

The readings today show us how great God’s power and love is!

In the first reading, we see God’s great plan for the Israelites, how He wants to unite them all and bless them abundantly. The psalm shows us a prayer we should be saying in faith – that  God will guard us like a shepherd guards his flock. However, in the gospel, we see Caiaphas, the high priest, wanting to have Jesus killed. He wants the messiah killed. This is where we see God’s love and power.

The intention of Caiaphas was evil, but God turned it such that it resulted to something good. That’s how powerful and loving God is – he can turn man’s evil desires into something that will bring Him glory. His love for us is not affected by the evil desires of people. How blessed are we to have such God.

What is in my heart? Do I genuinely want to praise God, or do I want glory for myself? When times are tough, do I have faith that God will see me through, that he will keep his promises and guard me? Do I let bad things bring me down, or do I work to make them glorify God?

May we always remember that our God is powerful enough to turn an evil desire into something good, and loving enough not to give up on us easily.

God bless!

Victorious God

The readings today encourages us to focus on God and what he can do.

The first reading says that yes, there will be persecution, that the enemy will try to put us down. However, God has already won the battle. We just need to call on Him as we work for him, and we need to have faith in him and his saving power. We should focus on these things, not on what the enemy will try to do to us

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.

The psalm encourages us to call upon the Lord, and we should have faith that he will always listen to our concerns.

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies

Do I know and believe that God has already won the battle, that he has triumphed over sin and death, therefore I need not be afraid of anything? Am I focusing on the enemy and not on God? Do I realize what God has done and will continue to do in my life? How can I improve my faith? How can I put the focus on Him?

May we be inspired by the readings, and reminded what God has already done. We need not fear, God is on our side.

God  bless!

He keeps his promises

The readings today remind me to trust in God because he keeps his promises.

The first reading shows us God telling Abram, who became Abraham, that he is to be the father of kings, and will have lots of descendants, which during that time was a sign of blessings from God. We all know that God kept his promise to Abraham. This is echoed in the psalm, The Lord remembers his covenant forever.

In the gospel, Jesus said that whoever keeps his word will never see death. Of course, this is not physical death. We will all die. However, if we seek his will and obey his word, the bible, we will be with him in eternal life. That’s living. As we live our lives, it is good to be reminded of that promise.

Do I believe God’s promises with my whole heart?  When he says he has great plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11), do I believe and wait for his perfect time, or do I take things into my own hands? Am I keeping true to my word as well?

May we always remember that God keeps his promises, especially when things are tough in our lives.

God bless!

Freedom

Today’s gospel says a popular quote “The truth will set you free.” Jesus was inviting the Jews to believe in Him and be his disciples, then they will know the truth and the truth will set them free. They are not physical slaves, but Jesus said they are slaves of sin. Knowing and following Jesus sets us free from the bondage of sin, and sets us free to worship God with all we’ve got.

The three men in the first reading lives this freedom. They are free – not from persecution, but from false and worldly attachments. They were not worried about what other people would say about them disobeying the king. They did not care about their physical bodies. They were more concerned with following God and have great faith in Him. In the end, they were unharmed by the king’s plot, and was able to testify greatly by their faith and by the way they live their lives.

How about us? Are we free from material attachments? What prevents us from fully worshipping God? IS my life a testimony of my faith and love for God?

May we be inspired by the men in the first reading, who are ready to give up even their lives to live their faith. May we have  faith that as we serve Him, God will take care of us!

God bless!

I AM

The gospel today shows us Jesus telling that he is “I AM” What is I AM?  It may not be grammatically correct, but it signifies the name God gave to Moses. When God asked Moses to bring the people out of Egypt, he did not know who he was talking to. Back then, God did not have a name yet.  This was the name God gave to Moses – I AM (see exodus 3:14). This signifies that God is the eternal God, the one true God, the Supreme Being, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  This is who Jesus is telling us he is in today’s gospel.

If we truly believe in Jesus being God, being I AM, we should live it in our lives. We will die in our sins (of this world) if we do not believe and live out that He is God.  Believing in God does not necessarily mean that things will be easy. Yes, he has great plans for us (see Jeremiah 29:11), but it does not say that it will be easy, and we must also do our part. We see in Exodus 3 that God wanted to save his people, as he told and commissioned Moses.

However, we see in today’s first reading that the people were impatient to wait on God’s plans to come to fulfilment, and they were punished.  We too can relate to this. When we become impatient to wait for God’s perfect plan to come into fruition, we do not necessarily die of snake bites, but we do not get what is best for us. IF we cannot wait for the perfect partner God is preparing for us and rush into relationships, we will just end up getting hurt. If we cannot wait for God’s perfect plan to unfold in our lives, be it in our career or other aspects of our lives, and take things into our own hands, we will realize that we are not fully happy and contented, simply because we were impatient to wait on God. We need to have faith in God’s perfect plan and perfect timing.

Do I believe that Jesus is God – the I AM? Do I live my life in a way showing it? Do I patiently wait in faith for the Lord’s plans to unfold in my life in his perfect time, or do I take things into my own hands?

May we remember to live our lives in glory of God, and to patiently wait on Him.

God bless!

Fiat!

As we celebrate Jesus Annunciation today, we are reminded of how powerful a “yes” to God is!

Mary was visited by the angel in today’s gospel. She was told she would be the mother of God. How frightening it must have been for a young girl to be told this. She was also told that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and God’s power will overshadow her and make her pregnant. There were a lot of concerns, especially as she did not understand everything that will happen and how things will happen. However, she still said yes. Fiat!

How inspiring.

The readings tell us how we can make God happy. How we should respond to God’s call. “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will”. Not our will, not our desires, but the Lord’s (see reflection http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/03/die-to-live.html ). Kahit na hindi mo gusto yung pinapagawa sayo, kahit na mahirap, we are encouraged to respond that way. That’s what will make God happy – not sacrifice or holocausts, but a heart that will readily say yes to His will.

Am I ready to give my yes to God when he calls me? What hinders me from giving my yes to Him? Do I have faith that as I give my yes, God will use me mightily for his purpose, and equip me with the things that I need to serve him? Do I believe that as I die of myself and embrace his will, nothing is really impossible?

May we always find it in our hearts to give our yes to God when he calls us, no matter how big or small a task it may be. Let us remember that God can only work mightily through us if we allow him, if we give him our yes and abandon ourselves to surrender to his will. Mary’s yes enabled God to user her mightily. Let us have faith that as God calls us and as we give our yes to him, he will equip and empower us to do the work he asked us to do.

Yes lang ng yes!

God bless!

Die to Live

The gospel today teaches us that we should die of ourselves in order for Christ to live in us.

Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.

How strong Jesus’ words are. We will only produce fruit if we die of ourselves. Scientifically, it’s true. The seed has to die to give life to a tree. When the seed dies in the soil, something bigger than it comes to life. This shows that dying is not enough. It has to die in a good soil for it to become a tree and bear fruits.

We need to die of ourselves and allow God to dwell and live in us. Jesus says that whoever hates his life in the world will preserve it. If we live our lives not for our own comfort and personal worldly concerns, but rather die of our natural worldly desires and allow God to live in us by following and serving Him, then we will have life for eternity, after we live on this world. That is real life. That is real living. We need to realize that this world is fleeting and we are merely passers-by in this world. We need to prepare for eternity.

Not living OF the world is not easy. There will be a lot of challenges, oppositions and persecutions from the enemy, the ruler of this world. However, we should be inspired by the second reading.

Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Christ, God’s only son, out of his great love for God and us, obeyed God and suffered in this world. However, when he was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation. Like Christ, we need to obey and trust God’s plan and expect him to use us mightily as we obey him, as we die of ourselves.

We are all living ON this world, but am I also living OF the world? What things do I need to die of in order that Christ may live in me? Do I realize that this world is temporary and that I need to prepare for eternity? Am I willing to die of myself and of my worldly concerns to be able to live for eternity with God?

Faith amidst all

What will take us to believe in God? What will make us trust in God amidst all?

The readings today encourages us to have faith in God. The first reading reminds us to just rely on God despite of the circumstances around us. There are a lot of things we cannot control, there are a lot of people we cannot understand. The enemy uses a lot of people, circumstances and things to try to bring us down, to dampen our spirits as we serve God. However, we are reminded to focus on God. Although we cannot control a lot of things, what we can control is where our focus would be at during when all these things are happening. We can control who we get strength from and who we expect to fight with us. We need faith in God that he would be with us despite of every challenges that may seem strong. We need faith that God will see us through.

The gospel shows us people who does not want to accept Christ. They have seen things he has done – things that were enough for other people to convert and follow Him. However, these Pharisees have their focus on themselves and not on God – that is why their hearts were closed to Him. No miracle is enough for them to believe. No amount of explanation and dialogue would make them change their minds. We are reminded to be sensitive enough to realize when we are becoming like those Pharisees, who pretend to be righteous but are actually just demanding attention to themselves and not God. We need faith to be sensitive to God’s work in our lives, and recognize that these miracles are God’s ways of telling us that he loves us, and not ask for grand signs just for us to believe.

When things are tough, when we are persecuted from serving God, weather through people like the Pharisees, or through circumstances, may our prayer be like the psalmist’s “O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge” and have faith in God’s infinite power and love for us.

God bless!

It won’t be easy

The readings today tell us that it won’t be easy serving God.  The first reading tells us that there will always be wicked people who would want to give you a hard time for following God. God’s ways are not of this world, and the enemy will always be threatened and angry if we do God’s work. Thus, don’t be surprised if we are persecuted for following God. Being God’s follower doesn’t mean life will be easy, and that problems would be gone.

However, we are encouraged by the gospel. If God does not will it, it will not happen. Christ was able to do his work freely, even if people were plotting to kill him already, because it was not yet his time. Even if things will be hard or harsh, we are reminded that God will always be in control and will allow things to happen on his perfect time and in his perfect way. We should remember that He would not give us something we cannot bear.

Do I expect that because I follow God, things will be a lot easier? Do I ask God to make things easier and more bearable for me, or do I ask Him to be with me as I face life’s challenges?  How do I face life’s challenges? Do I cling on to God?

May we remember what the psalmist says: “God is close to the brokenhearted” – those whose hearts are broken from dying of oneself for serving Him, and those who totally depend on God for strength to carry on.

God bless!

Intercession at work

The first reading today shows us Moses interceding for the people. We see that God was really angry and was planning to wipe them out and make Moses a great, new nation. Of course, we see Moses talking to God, bargaining with Him not to do what he was intending to, and give the people another chance. God granted Moses’ request.

IT may not be a formal prayer or formal intercession, but we see Moses went “in between” the people and God. He had this close relationship with God that enabled him to make the request. We also see the goodness of Moses, that it was out of love for the people and he had no vested interest. It could have been easier to accept God’s plan to give him a new set of people, rather than plead for the hard headed people. God saw the pureness of Moses’ heart and granted him what he was asking.

The readings warn us not to easily forget what God has done. We Filipinos have a tendency to forget what happened and learn from our mistakes. In the psalm, it was written that “they forgot that God had saved them”, and the gospel shows us Jesus saying “for a while you were content to rejoice in his light” Ang dali nating makalimot. Ang dali nating magsawa. Ang daling kalimutan yung mga biyaya at mga himala na ginawa ng Diyos para sa atin. We tend to forget these things, especially when something new or something interesting come our way. Nakakalimutan na natin si God, naiisantabi na sya. We should be aware of these things, because if we don’t do something, we might find ourselves like the people, worshipping another god already.

Do I also pray for other people? Do I work to have a close and personal relationship with God, not only for myself and my intentions, but so that I may also be able to pray for others? Do I realize that I should keep on praying for others, because I may be the only one praying for them, and that maybe God is just waiting for my prayer? Am I sensitive enough to realize when I am drifting away from God? Do I do something about it?

May we continue to be persistent in prayer, not only for ourselves but for others as well.

God bless you!

He will never forget

The readings today, specifically the first reading, says that God will never forget us. What a beautiful reminder and assurance from God our Father

Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,I will never forget you.

We may not always feel God’s presence in our lives. Minsan, parang ang daming problema, minsan ang bigat na, minsan parang lagi nalang nananalo yung masasama. During these times, we may feel that God has abandoned us, or that God is busy doing something else or taking care of someone else. However, today’s first reading says otherwise. I will never forget you. Kahit na mahirap, kahit na mabigat ang dinadala natin, God is reminding us that He is there always, that he does not take his eyes off us. I believe sometimes God is just letting us grow. He wants to see how we handle things, and where we put him in our lives – kung sa kanya ba tayo lalapit sa mga ganitong pagkakataon, or sa iba.

As we are assured of God’s presence and his watchful eyes always looking after us, the gospel reminds us to do our part as well. Jesus said that: “I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me” We are reminded to seek God’s will, especially when it does not coincide with ours. It may not always be easy, but seeking and doing God’s equips us more, makes it easier to fight the battle, because we know we are doing what He wants.

Are there times that I feel God is not watching over me? When? Do I believe God as he tells me today that He will never forget him? What can I do to make his presence more alive in my life? What can I do to have more faith in his word?

May we always remember that God never forgets us.

God  bless!

God is for us!

The readings today are full of inspiration and encouragement! In the first reading, we see God saying that the river will give life to every living creature. In the psalm, we see a reminder of how great God is and how we should act:

The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

God is our refuge and our strength,

an ever-present help in distress.

Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken

and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.

God is for us! As we do his work, we should get our strength from him and expect him to be with us every step of the way.

The gospel shows Jesus embodying this. He healed a man who has been suffering for thirty-eight years! How great his love for us is, as shown through the man. The man was helpless, even though he is trying to be healed. It was believed that when the water in the pool stirs up, those who would be able to go there would be healed. Syempre madaming tao, and being sick, nauunahan sya lagi. So Jesus saw his faith and healed him by his word. As the man responded and did what Jesus told him, he was healed.

How great is the God we serve! How powerful yet merciful He is. As we serve Him, we should not be afraid of anything. We should have faith that he will be with us and equip us with everything that we need. 

As we serve, we should also remember to do our part and stay in Him. God is merciful, but he is also a God of justice. Kapag pasaway tayo, yari tayo. Jesus told the man in the gospel ”Look, you are well, do not sin no more, so that nothing worse may happen to you” May we heed his warning and do our best to stay in him, so be in a state of grace as we serve Him.

What are my concerns as I serve God? Do I believe that God will be with me every step of the way? Am I scared of the enemy? Do I forget that God has already won over the enemy? Am I in the state of grace as I serve?

May we always remember that as God is with us, nothing can be against us. Let us do our part to be clean as we serve, and have faith that there’s nothing God can’t do.

Joseph’s Faith and Simplicity

Today, we celebrate St Joseph’s solemnity. As the earthly father of Jesus, the readings today tells us more about Him

It is interesting to note that not much is written about St Joseph. However, the gospel today says that he is a righteous man, and the second reading says that he has the faith of Abraham. We see this faith in the gospel when he believed God’s message to him through his dream.

Joseph was a simple person, but a righteous one and a faith filled man. God chose him to be Mary’s earthly husband and Jesus’ earthly father. This just shows that God chooses simple people, like you and me, to serve Him mightily. It is God who equips us and works through us, so we just need to be simple, humble, and fully depend on Him do work to and through us.

How is my faith? Am I ready to be called by God, or do I have a lot of issues or concerns before I say yes?  How do I serve God? Do I always want affirmation or to be acknowledged, or am I satisfied in serving behind the scene, knowing that God sees all I do and will reward me in due time?

May we be inspired by St Joseph’s faith and simplicity as we serve God.

God bless!

High and lifted up

This part of the gospel struck me, because it reminds us of something God wants us to do, and the story is cool for me =)

"Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life

In Numbers 21:4-9, we see the story of the serpent. The people were complaining again and forgot the wonders God has done for them. God then sent serpents and those who were bit died. Then Moses prayed after the people repented, and God asked Moses to make a bronze serpent, mount it on a pole, and everyone who will look at it will recover. Astig diba =)

That’s what God wants us to do. The people looked up to the serpent to live. Jesus died on the cross for us so that we may live. We should look up to Him, his great and pure love for us, and make him God in our lives. We are asked to lift him up in our lives, then we will truly live.

The gospel further states that God so loved us that he sent us his only son. Kahit alam ni God na pasaway tayo, kahit alam nya na mamamatay yung anak nya para sa atin, kahit alam nya na hindi natin ma aapreciate lagi yung ginawa nya, He still sent us his only Son. That’s real honest to goodness love. We are then invited to live in the light and make our lives a testimony of our love for him.

Where is God in my life? Is he lifted up, or is he hidden most of the time, only asking him to come out when I need him? Do I realize God’s intense love for me? Am I still looking for love in the wrong places? How can I be a representation of God’s love to other people?

May we live our lives in glory and honor of Him, and may we always remember to lift him up and make him God in our lives…always.

God bless!

Come, Let us return to the Lord

The first reading says a beautiful invitation! Come, let us return to the Lord! It’s good to be reminded of this, that no matter where you are, or what you’re doing, return to the Lord. Di bale kung sobrang pasaway ka na, or kung ano anon a ang ginagawa mo sa buhay mo. God will always be willing to receive you back if you come back to him with a humble, contrite and repentant heart.

The readings emphasize that God does not want just sacrifice. He wants our love more than our sacrifice. Madaling mag sacrifice, pero importante kung ano yung nasa loob ng puso natin as we sacrifice, as we serve him. We should have a repentant heart as we sacrifice, as we pray, as we serve Him.  In the gospel Jesus says that  the one who humbles himself will be exalted. We should focus on God and know our role in life, that we should be fully dependent on Him.

What is my attitude as I serve? Do I feel I am more righteous than other people, or do I realize my faults and shortcomings? Where is God in my life? Am I always ready to come back and return to the Lord?

God bless!

God above all

The gospel today reminds us to put God above all –

Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.

IF we realize how much God loves us, this would be our natural reaction. If we realize how much he gave up for us, however unworthy we are, we will love Him alone, If we realize that all the things we have in this world are his blessings – wealth, family, health, intelligence, influence, we will love him with all that we’ve got. If we realize that as we came to the world empty, we will also leave this world empty handed, we will serve Him with all we’ve got, and use our blessings for his kingdom.

In our life, it is easy to be distracted by the things around us. We seem to focus too much on the here and now – work, power, fame,  riches, material things. We get so engrossed in acquiring things of this world, that we tend to forget that we are not of this world. We are merely passers-by in this world, and when the time comes, we will leave without anything we have bought – no matter how expensive or beautiful they are. However, what we do while we’re in here will determine where we will go after. Let’s focus on that. Let’s focus on putting God first in our lives, and everything else will fall into place.

Where is God in my life? Is he the first priority as I live my life? In my everyday living, what do I focus on? Do I remember that one day I will leave this earth empty handed? How can I prepare for that?

Have a blessed day preparing for eternity!

Harden not your hearts

The gospel today shows us Jesus’ stand. He is telling us that we are either with or against – no in between. Whoever is not with me is against me,and whoever does not gather with me scatters

Christ wants us to follow him wholeheartedly, if we don’t, it’s like not following him at all. In the first reading, we see the people not listening to God. They hardened their hearts and closed it such that God cannot enter anymore. This is what the people in the gospel were also doing. After driving out a demon, they accuse Jesus of being with Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Kahit nasa harap na nila, even if they witnessed God’s power and Jesus explained to them already, their hearts were closed. This is what the psalmist encourages us against. IF today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts” We are asked to listen and her God’s voice calling us, and are encouraged to allow him to be God in our lives.

If our hearts are closed, we are going against God. If we do not recognize him and believe in Him, we are not working with him, so in Jesus words, we are against him. IF we continue to harden our hearts and not listen to his voice in our lives, we might just find ourselves very far from him – because we do not want to follow him, because makulit tayo.

How often do I follow Jesus? What is my relationship with him? Do I see him working in my everyday life, or do I always ask for grand signs to prove his existence? Am I working for or against Christ?

May we always remember to work for Christ, and be sensitive enough to his ways. Let us allow ourselves to be changed and make Him God in our lives, and not be a hard headed person whose heart is far from Him.

God bless!

Obey

The readings today teach us the importance of obeying God’s commandments.

The first reading shows Moses reminding the people not to forget God’s commandments, and teach them to their children. Following these commandments will make us closer to God. The gospel says that we should obey the commandments to be the greatest in God’s kingdom

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments

and teaches others to do so

will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.

But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments

will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven

Why will we be the greatest in God’s kingdom if we obey and encourage others to do so? Because it means we give importance to God. It means we are humbling ourselves and acknowledging that God is God in our lives. Obeying his commandments is submitting to His will, not ours. This is what makes us the greatest, because we want to know Him more, we want to be more and more like him, because we want to serve him with our lives.

Do I obey God’s commandments? When, all the time, or just when it is convenient for me, or when I am being watched? Do I always obey his will, or only when I need something from Him? Do I easily forget the good he has done for me, and do things my way? Do I bring people to him and encourage them to follow and obey God’s commandments?

May we remember to humble ourselves and obey God’s commandments and his will, not ours, in our lives. As we do so, may we also bring other people to Him.

God bless!

Forgive from the heart

The readings today teach us about forgiveness. In the first reading and the psalm, we beg God to forgive us from our sins. We ask him to be merciful to us. We have faith that he will, because he is a merciful God, and because he loves us so much. This is concretized in the gospel. Jesus teaches his disciples how we should forgive, and how many times we should forgive.

The bible says that we all sin. Romans 3:23 says that  “All sin and fall short of the glory of God” Yes, all of us sin, and hindi lang isang beses. We sin everyday, not just when we do bad, but also when we fail to do good to other people. Remember the rich man and lazarus? (http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/03/firmly-planted-in-god.html) However, Christ always forgives us if we come to him with a humble and repentant heart – and he expects the same from us. Forgive others just as we are forgiven by Christ. Jesus says in the gospel “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart”

God expects us to act. In the gospel yesterday, God wants Naaman to act for him to be healed (http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/03/just-do-it.html) Now, Jesus wants us to forgive others before He forgives us our sins. Game syang patawarin tayo, e tayo, game din bang magpatawad?

Do I find it difficult to forgive? Why? What prevents me from forgiving from my heart? Do I have issues from the past, from my childhood or from past experiences, that makes it hard for me to forgive? Do I realize that it is difficult to serve God with a heavy heart? Do I ask God to help me forgive as I ask forgiveness from Him?

Prayer:

Father God, thank you for always being ready to forgive me. I am sorry for always hurting you. Minsan, or madalas, ang kulit ko eh, paulit ulit nalang. Lord, help me to change my ways, and help me to forgive others, even if they are not asking, or could not ask for forgiveness. Help me realize, that I myself ask forgiveness all the time, and you need me to forgive others so you can forgive me as well. May I always feel and realize your love for me, and from that love, melt away all bitterness, hatred and anger from my heart, and allow me to forgive others. Amen.

Just do it

The gospel today shows us Jesus telling the people that no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Unfortunately, this is usually true. In another verse, it was stated that Jesus could not do miracles because of the lack of faith of the people in his own town. Tayo rin minsan ganun. When we hear of good things being accomplished by someone we know, we think na sya ba talaga gumawa nun? San sya kumuha ng talino para dun? Kilala ko yan dati pa e, parang di gagawa ng mabuti. Jesus gave examples on this, and one of which was Naaman, a Syrian who was healed by Elisha the Israelite.

Naaman’s story was told in the first reading today. He was a great commander but was a leper. Then he was told to go to Israel to be healed. He eventually found his was to Elisha, the prophet. However, he did not get what he expected. He was thinking that Elisha would heal him immediately by casting his hand upon Naaman. However, Elisha told him to go to the river and wash himself seven times. He almost did not do it, because it was not what he was expecting. Good thing he listened to people who told him to do it, and he was healed when he obeyed.

Jesus reminds us to trust in Him, no matter what. Like Nike’s tag, just do it. Don’t ask questions. Just obey God even if what he says seem ridiculous, complicated or simple. Just obey even if what he’s asking you to do is not something you expect. Obey. As always, Jesus wants us to do something, hindi lang puro sya. In the gospel, hindi lang si Elisha yung dapat may gagawin. He expects Naaman to do his part and act. The act of washing in the river did not cleanse him. it was his faith in God’s word that saved him. We need to be reminded of that – it’s not the act alone, but our faith to act.

What do I do when God asks me to do something, do I obey or do I analyse everything? How do I react when God does not answer me the way I expect him to? How do I plan to strengthen my faith?

Prayer:

Father God, thank you for reminding me of the importance of faith. I’m sorry for not having faith in you, or for doubting you at times. I ask that you continue to help me strengthen my faith, and put it in my heart to want to build and strengthen my faith, knowing that I would be able to serve you better with a strong faith. As I pray, may I have faith that you’ll give me whatever I ask, if it is in accordance to your perfect will. Amen.

We will understand and remember

In the first reading, we learn about God. God gives us his commandments, and warns that that he will inflict punishments if we disobey him. In the second reading, we see how great God is – that his foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and that his weakness is stronger than human strength.

In the gospel, we see Jesus getting angry. Yes, we can see that getting angry is not bad, if we are angry because of our love for God. However, what struck me was what he gospel mentioned:

Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.

Jesus said that if they destroy the temple, he will raise it up in three days. The disciples did not understand what he meant when he said that, but when the right time came, when Jesus was raised from the dead, the disciples remembered this and came to believe in the scripture and Jesus words.

This is something inspiring. Even if they did not understand it, the disciples kept his words in their hearts. They still continued to spend time with him, they still continued to follow Him. They did not demand that Jesus explain everything to them, They did not ask to understand all jesus was talking about. They just continued to trust in him, spent time with him, and they eventually understood him

How about us? Do we understand everything that is happening? Do we understand everything that we read in the bible? Do we understand everything Jesus tells us? May the gospel inspire us to press on. Pray even if we don’t understand what’s happening. Continue to read the bible even if we don’t understand what we’re reading. Continue to spend time with Jesus. Continue to trust and have faith in Jesus. In God’s perfect time, we will understand everything and things will make perfect sense.

Have a blessed Sunday!

Prayer:

Father God,

Thank you for your word. Thank you that you continue to talk to me and remind me. I pray that I keep the faith, even if I don’t understand what’s happening, even if I don’t understand what  you want to tell me. Help me remain faithful to you, help me to continue to believe, and help me to have complete faith that I will understand things in your perfect time. Amen

God is merciful

The readings today show us how merciful and forgiving God is.  However, it is more defined in the gospel. The gospel is about the prodigal son, or as others would say, the lost son. We can see God’s love, as represented by the father, who, despite being disrespected by his younger son, accepted him when he came back and asked forgiveness. We can also see how generous and loving he is, which the older brother envied.

Who do you relate to in the parable? Are you the younger son? Do you rebel against authority, specifically your parents? In what phase are you in, kaka umpisa pa lang, nasa kataasan ng pagiging pasaway, nahihirapan dahil pasaway, or magbabalik loob na sa magulang? What do you plan to do about it?

How about the elder son? Do you feel envious to the generosity of your parents to the pasaway sibling/s? Do you feel unappreciated for doing good? Do you feel you don’t get what you deserve, that you should be getting more for doing what’s good and what’s right? Is there hatred in your heart?

Whatever we are feeling right now, whoever we can relate to, one thing is clear – God loves us, and he is merciful. It is never too late to go back to God, say sorry and accept that we need him, that we need to repent, that we need to do something. It is also never too late to ask God for a more loving heart, a heart that would not have a sense of entitlement just because we feel we are doing good or because we feel we deserve more. God gives us if we ask the right things, the things that are in accordance to his plans for us. God loves us and he is merciful. Let us always remember that.

God bless!

God has other plans

The readings today remind us that God always have better plans for us than what we have for ourselves.

In the first reading, we see Joseph being sold after his brothers attempted to kill him. Looking at his story, we see that he seem to have a bright future ahead. He was a son of a wealthy person, and he was the favourite one. Probably his father was planning to bless him with so much and is training him. However, life for Joseph did not turn out that way. His brothers envied him. They initially wanted to kill him, but God enters and saves Joseph from this. Eventually, he was sold. It was far from what life could have been for him if he had been groomed and blessed more by his father, but God definitely had better, greater plans for him. The road to that plan was not easy, but during those hardships and trials, God was watching over Joseph and was preparing him for the great mission and plan he had for him.

When life is not easy, when we seem to be overwhelmed by life’s challenges, let us remember Joseph’s story. Even if we probably don’t feel it, God is watching over us all the time. We just need to have faith that he will continue to take care of us, and that he has greater, better plans in store for us. We don’t always get what we want, we don’t always get things our way, but we should have faith in God’s perfect plan. The road to that is not easy – there will be challenges that will prune us to make us better, stronger followers of Christ and to make us more dependent on Him. Even if we do not see the light or we do not understand what is happening, may we be inspired by Joseph and keep on fighting, keep on doing what is right, keep on serving God, having faith that in his perfect time, it will be worth it and it will make perfect sense.

What challenges am I facing right now? How do I face these challenges? Where do I put God amidst all these challenges? Am I like the people in the gospel, who “Rejected Christ, the cornerstone” or am I like Joseph who kept his faith? Do I honestly think and trust that when things doesn’t go my way or when I don’t understand what’s going on, God has other plans for me? How can I strengthen my faith in him?

May we always remember that God has other, bigger, better plans for us than what we have or want for ourselves. Let us keep the faith.

Firmly planted in God

The readings today again remind us to put our faith on God and expect him to reward us as we do so.

The first reading says that when we are firmly planted in God, no amount of challenges will be too strong for us to handle. As we are rooted in Christ, we can face anything through Him who strengthens us. As we humble ourselves and submit to God’s will, we will be deeply rooted in Him – through prayer, scripture reading, through knowing him more. This is what the psalm says. We should meditate on His word always to be able to know him more, to be rooted in Him and be more and more like Him.

As we become firmly planted in God, our faith should be manifested through our actions. The gospel teaches us this. Being rich in itself is not a sin, however, we should not be apathetic to the needs of other people. This is what was wrong with the rich man. Wala siyang pakialam kay Lazarus. He did not care enough to help him, kahit out of his surplus lang. This is why he went to the netherworld. God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others as well – hindi tayo lang and dapat ma bless ng binibigay ni God.

Where are you rooted, on human power or on God? Do I believe that as I am rooted in Christ, I can overcome anything? What am I doing to be rooted on God, to be firmly planted on Him?

May we take action so we can be firmly planted in God and withstand every challenge that will come our way.

Call Upon the Lord

Today’s readings exhort us to call upon the Lord. In the first reading, we see Jeremiah’s enemies plotting against him. However, Jeremiah’s faith is intact – he trusts that God will save him. The psalm tells us to hope in the Lord – to ask God to save us. IT is okay to be afraid, we are only humans. However, we should remember that no enemy is powerful enough to defeat God. That’s something we should remember as we fight the battle with Him.

Jesus in the gospel shows us how we should live our lives. We cannot just call upon God if we live our lives not pleasing to Him. If we continually sin, that is tantamount to saying that we do not need him, that he is not God in our lives, that we are rejecting him… that’s why we cannot call upon him if our lives are far from him. Jesus wants us to live our lives serving other people. He wants us to be his arms and legs in this world. He wants us to make his love be felt and alive in this world. This is why he wants us to serve other people, to put them first, so that through our lives, people can see Jesus working and alive.

In times of trouble, what is my initial reaction? Am I terrified? Do I call upon the Lord, or am I proud that I think I can handle things myself?  Am I willing to be changed by God? Am I willing to serve others as my way of professing my love for God?

May we always call upon God when faced with challenges, and live a life pleasing to him, not only when we need him, but always.

Sharing an inspiring psalm by David (http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/16)

Preach and practice

The gospel today shows us that good things should not just be preached. They should be lived. Jesus told his disciples to follow what the Pharisees say, but not what they do. Yes, it is possible to know all the things needed to be done. We can know what God wants us to do in our lives, how we would best serve him, what things we should let go to be able to serve him better… However, doing it is another story. It is easy to say, but so hard to do. The gospel challenges us to practice what we preach. Again, hindi pwedeng puro realizations lang.

God has great promises to those who follow him. In the first reading, we see God’s promises to those who will obey and follow him. Together with this, he says what will happen to those who will not obey. God is a very generous God, however he can’t bless us if we do not want to be blessed. If we continuously refuse him and his commandments, we are saying that we don’t need him in our lives, that we don’t want him and his blessings, that we can do things alone. How can he bless us if we give him that attitude?

Do you know what God wants you to do? If not, are you praying for God’s guidance to know what he wants? If you know what He wants, are you doing it, or are you contented just to know it? Are you willing to make him God in your life? Do you practice what you preach?

May we remember how important it is to live a life consistent with the gospel values, and in a lot of things, actions speak louder than words.

God bless!

Of Mercy and being merciful

The readings today teaches us about mercy. The first reading, psalm and the gospel shows us what God wants us to realize and do when it comes to mercy.

In the first reading, we can see that the people are asking for God’s mercy. They know that they have sinned and did not do what God wanted them to do. This is what God wants from us – humility to accept and recognize our sins which brings about asking for God’s mercy. No matter what we do, we all sin, and in one way or another do what we want, not what God wants. That is why God wants us to be humble and sorry enough and ask forgiveness to Him.

The psalm echoes our prayer. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins. In the movie flywheel, Jay, the used car salesman, was not a very honest one. When the pastor bought from him, the pastor was so happy, thinking he had a good deal, so he said a prayer. Lord, I ask that you treat Jay just like he treated me today in this deal. It got Jay thinking, because he knew he did not treat the pastor fairly. If God would treat us the way we are treating him, if his blessings would be proportional to our love and service of him, then we would be in trouble. As we acknowledge our sins, we ask that God be merciful and not treat us based on our sins.

We know and we should claim in faith that God is merciful. However, the gospel reminds us to do our part as well. Jesus said “Be merciful, just as your father is merciful” God is willing and ready to forgive us, but we should also do our part. We should also forgive others who have sinned against and hurt us. “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” God is asking something from us as well.

Am I humble enough to admit that I sin? Am I truly repentant for those sins? Am I ready and willing to forgive others who have hurt me, even if they have not asked forgiveness? IF not, am I praying that God help me be forgiving, just as he is forgiving?

May we always remember that we should be truly sorry for our sins, and that as we ask for God’s forgiveness, we too should be forgiving to others, no matter what.

Who can stand against?

Today’s second reading tells us a very inspiring and encouraging fact. If God is for us. Who can be against us? It is a simple verse, a simple question, but a very powerful one. Who can stand against us if God is on our side?

The first reading shows God testing Abraham’s faith. What is faith? There are various definitions of faith. The bible tells us one - Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence^* of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1 http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/11) Abraham believed in God, had faith in him, even if seemingly, God is asking too much, or what God is asking does not make sense. How can he have many descendants if God is asking him to sacrifice his one and only son? After waiting for a very long time, and after being given a son, kukunin ni God? Labo naman. But he had faith in God and his plans, kahit di nya nakikita, kahit parang Malabo. He knew that God is with him, and nothing, not even death, can stand against God and his perfect plan. God can make a way.

The gospel shows how powerful God is. The disciples got a glimpse of Jesus’ power. His clothes became dazzling white and Moses and Elijah appeared. Moses representing the old testament, and Elijah representing the prophets – show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the old testament and the one being proclaimed by the prophets. Then God said: This is my beloved son, listen to him” We see the barriers of life and death being broken, and the power and love of God through Jesus, being made real for us. Who can stand against that?

What challenges am I facing right now? How am I handling these things? Do I have faith in God, or do I take things on my own? Do I always ask for a sign, or do I  have faith in God’s love and power even if I do not see it? Do I honestly believe that nothing can stand against God, and as I do his work, do I honestly have faith that nothing can stand against?

May we strive to have that faith, trusting in God and his plans fully, as we strive to please and serve him. The God who loves us so much, is very powerful. Nothing can stand against Him.

Be Perfect

The gospel today tells us to be perfect just as God is perfect. We are told to love our enemies, just as God makes the sun rise to both the good and the bad. Again, as we follow him, he wants us to be more and more like him. Hirap no? it’s hard to pray for your enemies, it’s hard to forgive your enemies, especially if they do not ask for forgiveness.. However, God is asking us to be like him, he expects us to be like him. Mahirap, pero sabi ni God, kayang gawin.

The first reading tells us that we should follow God’s commands. God will bless us as we follow his commands. I believe he will bless us not just because we obey him, but it’s also that as we obey and be more like him, we will slowly appreciate things God has been giving us, and we will slowly see all the blessings in our lives.  Indeed, blessed are those who follow God.

Tinamaan ba ako sa gospel? Is there anyone whom I need to forgive and pray for? Do I think I can do what God commands me to do, to love my enemies? Am I willing to try?

May we always remember that God wants us to be perfect, just as he is perfect.

God bless!

We decide

The readings today remind us that ultimately, we are the ones who decide what will happen to us.

The first reading says that if a wicked man turns from his wicked ways, none of his sins will be remembered, and he will live. On the other hand, if a good person turns bad, none of his good acts will be remembered, and he shall die. Seems harsh, right? But God says it clearly, “Is it my way that is unfair, rather are not your ways unfair?”  God is not unfair. He just gives us what we want. If we live our lives doing bad things, kahit may pa konti konting good things, it’s short of saying that we are not choosing what God wants, kaya God will give us that, eternity without Him.

We may think that out good acts get piled up – savings kung baga, na pwedeng pagkuhanan kapag kinailangan. We may think that good works compensate for our sins. God says it doesn’t work that way. IF we are thinking that way, may mali nga sa atin. We should do good, not so we have a “buffer” when we need it, but because we want to please God, because we love him. If our intention is different, well, something is wrong.

The gospel takes it to a higher level. As we praise and worship God through our actions, he wants us to go beyond the norms. Kung nagagawa mo na ang tama, take it one step higher. As we worship God, he wants us to be pure and clean, he wants us to be free from evil thoughts and feelings. Again, worshipping him does not free us from our responsibilities. Rather, as we worship him, we realize that we should consistently do good and be good, so that we can worship him wholeheartedly, so that we can make him happy and give glory to him.

What are the things that are bothering you? Are there issues you need to resolve before being fully able to worship God? Are you doing something about it? Do you do good works to compensate for the bad, or do you do them purely out of love for God?

May we always remember that we will decide, by our actions, by the way we live our life on earth, where we will be in eternity.

Hope in the Lord

The readings today encourage us to hope in the Lord. In the first reading, we see Queen Esther hoping and trusting in God to save them from their enemies. She acknowledges that she is helpless and that only God can save her.

The gospel tells us that God, our father, will give good things to those who ask Him. God is assuring us that he has the best intentions for us, that he will give us what we need as we serve Him. However, we should ask Him good things – things that are in tune with his plans for us. We are reminded to do unto others what we want others to do to us. In short, ask for good things for you and others – things that will bring God’s love into the lives of people, things that would magnify God’s glory.

In the psalm, David says that on the day he called for help, God answered him. Let us have faith in that. Let us put our hope in the Lord, as we serve Him, as we fight the battle.

What concerns do I have right now? Who do I call for help? Is God on my list of who I call for help? Do I have faith in God’s love and power, or is my relationship with him superficial? Do I believe God’s word and promises?

May we hope and have faith in God and his words and promises, today and always.