Thursday, September 3, 2015

Will you still have faith?


The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/090315.cfm) makes me think if I will still have faith in God after all the setbacks and disappointments.

A lot of people have become skeptical these days. We don’t believe what politicians are saying, because we have tested time and again how they break their promises, or have not kept their word when they are elected already. We don’t readily believe in the goodness of others, because we see in the news and social media that criminals come in different forms, and sometimes target the helpful ones, or disguise themselves as people who want to help. We have experienced a lot of evil and disappointments in this life, that we find it hard to easily believe something good.

That was probably what the disciples felt. They were tired and disappointed after fishing all night and catching nothing. They were fishermen, yet someone asks them to throw their nets on their side. They were about to go down, so most probably that is a shallow part already and no fish are expected to be caught. Yet, they followed. And they were rewarded.

Every disappointment brings us closer to glory

Sometimes in life, we may feel like the fishermen. Tired of waiting, and nothing seems to happen. Tired of trying but to no avail. It may come in the form of health concerns that we feel cannot be healed anymore, financial problems we cannot seem to get out of, career growth that just does not seem to come. Sometimes we feel it’s unfair. Sometimes we feel so tired that we just want to retreat and give up. However, just when we are about to give up, God comes and tells us to give it another shot.

Are you going to follow?

The disciples caught a great number of fish, in a very unlikely place and a very unlikely time. That’s how great God is. However, they will not be able to catch these, they will not be able to experience this if they did not follow what Jesus told them. What he told them was not new, it was just to lower the nets, which is what they have been doing all night. There was no special ritual or special formula given to add to what they were doing. They were just asked to do it, and God blessed their actions.

What God may be telling us to do is nothing new. We may have been doing it for the longest time. Live healthy. Work well. Spend wisely. However, it is different when our actions have God’s blessings. It is different when our actions are out of obedience and faith in God. Our actions become more powerful,  and the blessing of God is more active and alive. Thus, we can get the reward, unexpected and greater than what we originally want – if we just obey.

May we be inspired by the disciples to trust in God, and do what he tells us, no matter how simple or normal it may seem.

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another chance to experience your love and provisions. Thank you for everything. Lord, I am sorry for the times I give up on myself. Sorry for the times I give up on my faith. Sorry for the times I let me frustrations and weariness get the best of me. sorry for doubting your love and your plans. Help me be more patient and have more faith in you. help me be an obedient and faith filled servant. I know you have great plans for me, and I know that I just need to continue to have faith and obey you, and you will use me, you will bless me, you will give me immense blessings just for doing what I usually do. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
See related reflection:

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September 3, 2015
Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 434

 

 

Reading 1 Col 1:9-14

 
Brothers and sisters:
From the day we heard about you, we do not cease praying for you
and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will
through all spiritual wisdom and understanding
to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit
and growing in the knowledge of God,
strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might,
for all endurance and patience,
with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share
in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.
He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 

 

Responsorial Psalm PS 98:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

 
R. (2) The Lord has made known his salvation.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.

 

 

Alleluia Mt 4:19

 
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come after me, says the Lord,
and I will make you fishers of men.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel Lk 5:1-11

 
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”

When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.

They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

 

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