God First

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/060415.cfm) reminds me that God wants us to always put him first.

During the time of Jesus, there were a lot of laws. There were strict laws on practically about anything – how one is to behave, on what to do and what not to do, on how to treat Sabbath, etc. probably, it can get confusing with all the laws and regulations needed. This is why in the gospel, Jesus teaches us how God wants us to love him. Simple, but not easy.

God wants us to love him with all that we have.

God does not need us to follow laws and rules on sacrificing, on praying, or any other thing. He respects and understands our differences. However, what he is asking is not that easy to give. He wants us to give him our all in loving and serving Him. To love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And eventually to love others as we love ourselves.

In the first reading, we see someone who put God first. The first thing Tobiah did when he got married was to ask his wife to pray to God. He put God fist, and we will see that eventually, God will reward him for his actions. He is a testament to the psalmist, that those who fears the Lord will be blessed.

May we be inspired to love God with all that we have, and to always put him first in our lives.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another chance to love and serve you. thank you for the reminder. Lord, help me submit to you. help me love you the way you want to – with all I have. Help me give my best and my all to you as I live. amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

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June 4, 2015

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 356

Reading 1 Tb 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a

When the angel Raphael and Tobiah had entered Media

and were getting close to Ecbatana,

Raphael said to the boy,

“Tobiah, my brother!”

He replied: “Here I am!”

He said: “Tonight we must stay with Raguel, who is a relative of yours.

He has a daughter named Sarah.”

So he brought him to the house of Raguel,

whom they found seated by his courtyard gate.

They greeted him first.

He said to them, “Greetings to you too, brothers!

Good health to you, and welcome!”

And he brought them into his home.

Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock

and gave them a cordial reception.

When they had bathed and reclined to eat, Tobiah said to Raphael,

“Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to let me marry

my kinswoman Sarah.”

Raguel overheard the words; so he said to the boy:

“Eat and drink and be merry tonight,

for no man is more entitled

to marry my daughter Sarah than you, brother.

Besides, not even I have the right to give her to anyone but you,

because you are my closest relative.

But I will explain the situation to you very frankly.

I have given her in marriage to seven men,

all of whom were kinsmen of ours,

and all died on the very night they approached her.

But now, son, eat and drink.

I am sure the Lord will look after you both.”

Tobiah answered,

“I will eat or drink nothing until you set aside what belongs to me.”

Raguel said to him: “I will do it.

She is yours according to the decree of the Book of Moses.

Your marriage to her has been decided in heaven!

Take your kinswoman;

from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved.

She is yours today and ever after.

And tonight, son, may the Lord of heaven prosper you both.

May he grant you mercy and peace.”

Then Raguel called his daughter Sarah, and she came to him.

He took her by the hand and gave her to Tobiah with the words:

“Take her according to the law.

According to the decree written in the Book of Moses

she is your wife.

Take her and bring her back safely to your father.

And may the God of heaven grant both of you peace and prosperity.”

Raguel then called Sarah’s mother and told her to bring a scroll,

so that he might draw up a marriage contract

stating that he gave Sarah to Tobiah as his wife

according to the decree of the Mosaic law.

Her mother brought the scroll,

and Raguel drew up the contract, to which they affixed their seals.

Afterward they began to eat and drink.

Later Raguel called his wife Edna and said,

“My love, prepare the other bedroom and bring the girl there.”

She went and made the bed in the room, as she was told,

and brought the girl there.

After she had cried over her, she wiped away the tears and said:

“Be brave, my daughter.

May the Lord grant you joy in place of your grief.

Courage, my daughter.”

Then she left.

When the girl’s parents left the bedroom

and closed the door behind them,

Tobiah arose from bed and said to his wife,

“My love, get up.

Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on us

and to grant us deliverance.”

She got up, and they started to pray

and beg that deliverance might be theirs.

And they began to say:

“Blessed are you, O God of our fathers,

praised be your name forever and ever.

Let the heavens and all your creation

praise you forever.

You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve

to be his help and support;

and from these two the human race descended.

You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone;

let us make him a partner like himself.’

Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine

not because of lust,

but for a noble purpose.

Call down your mercy on me and on her,

and allow us to live together to a happy old age.”

They said together, “Amen, amen,” and went to bed for the night.

Responsorial Psalm PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (see 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,

who walk in his ways!

For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

Blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the recesses of your home;

Your children like olive plants

around your table.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Alleluia See 2 Tm 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death

and brought life to light to through the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,

“Which is the first of all the commandments?”

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.

The second is this:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.

You are right in saying,

He is One and there is no other than he.

And to love him with all your heart,

with all your understanding,

with all your strength,

and to love your neighbor as yourself

is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,

he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

And no one dared to ask him any more questions.