Are You Ready?

I would like to share my prayer based on the WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081113.cfm)

Often times, we read and hear words from the Bible like “gird your loins, my yoke is easy, my burden is light”... and we don’t even bother to find out what it means. We choose to ignore it or just take in those words that we know and are familiar with and that’s it . . . without taking the initiative to  understand and know its real meaning. . . we focus on things that we understand without really grasping the intended message of God’s words.

There is a story of an old rich man complaining to his friend. “People don’t like me, people say I am bad, masama and madamot. But they don’t know that in my last will, I will donate all my possessions to charity.” To this the friend replied “Let me tell you the story of the pig and the cow”

The pig was complaining to the cow “Life is unfair. I give others everything - my knuckles, my belly, my ears, some even lechon my whole body. But people don’t like me! They say I smell bad, that I am noisy. People even call me baboy! Unlike you, you just give your milk but people like you. They even made a drink named after your sound, Moo!” To this the cow replied – “Maybe this is because I give while I am still alive”

My dear brothers and sisters, all of us will eventually meet our creator. And it doesn’t matter how much money you will leave to charity when you die, kasi hindi mo talaga madadala yun sa pupuntahan mo. What matters to God is not what we will leave behind in this earth, but what we give while we are still alive. What we give while it still hurts. How we live our life on earth. Let us start to gird our loins. Let us start preparing as we meet him. As we start this prayer meeting, let us leave behind all the concerns of the world, all the plans we have, and let us prepare our hearts, and open our hearts to receive him and experience him in a special way tonight..

Father God, I know that ultimately, I will come face to face with you and will give an accounting of my life to you. Lahat kami, Lord, dadating sa oras na yun. And based on how I live my life on earth, you will tell me where I will spend my eternity. Lord, I want to spend eternity with you, so I pray that you help me live my life preparing for it.

As I examine my life, I ask myself, am I prepared? Am I doing what God wants me to do.  Yes, I go to mass, but is that it? I receive the sacraments, but is that is? I read the bible and pray, is that it? Will those things take me to heaven?

Lord, as I reflect, I realize that those things are just outward manifestations of my inner state. Those acts – readings, sacraments, praying, are not enough to get me to heaven. Because I can attend the mass without being there. I can confess without meaning it. I can receive you without being prepared.  I can read the bible, pray, and attend community activities with wrong intentions. Lord, only one thing is needed for me to be ready - a surrendered heart. A heart ready to receive you. a heart ready to follow you. a heart ready to die of myself so that you may live in me.

Lord, as I look inside my heart, I know it is not so clean. But like your presence in the manger in Bethlehem, it is enough to make it clean, to make it a worthy place for you. Lord, I give you my heart – with all the sins, impurities and desires. Take it Lord. Live in it, Lord. And as I do so, I know you will slowly transform me to become more and more like you. as I do so, I will slowly become ready to face you.

In the gospel it is written that “blessed are the servants the master finds ready upon his arrival…”

Lord I know that waiting may not be easy, but being ready when we meet face to face will have heavenly rewards. God will also gird his loins and bless those who are ready upon his arrival. So Lord, I pray that you help me wait on you as I prepare to meet you. help me live a life pleasing to you. help me live a life of surrender to you. so when we meet face to face, I know that I can be happy, knowing I can spend eternity with you.

Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-