The WORD
today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/061916.cfm)
reminds me that I should follow God daily.
We usually treat some things as
major decisions, such as where to study, what course to take, where to work and
where to settle down. However, some say that these are really not the major
decisions in life. The small everyday decisions are the major ones,
because they are the decisions that shape us into what kind of people we become.
We make a lot of small decisions everyday: what to eat, what to wear, where to
eat, what task to do, how to do it, and we sometimes do not realize that these
small decisions are part of a “bigger decision” of following God. The gospel
tells us that if we want to follow Jesus, we must do so everyday.
Our little
everyday decisions contribute to our decision to follow Jesus daily.
They say that your thoughts become your words, and your words become your
actions, and your actions become your habits, then your habits eventually
determine your character. This
has a lot of sense into it, and following it, we are reminded that we should
start our decision to follow God with our thoughts, for they eventually shape
us. We should start our decision to follow God through our simple everyday
decisions for they contribute and eventually determine the kind of life we are
living.
No
decision is too small that it is trivial. What we wear shows if we are
following God and treating our body with the dignity it deserves as the temple
of the holy spirit. What we eat shows if we follow God, if we nourish our
bodies properly and keep it healthy so we can continue to serve God. How we
react during situations of stress or even traffic shows if we are following
God. How we treat others shows if we are following God.
Following
God is not a one time, major decision. It is a conscious,
everyday decision, just as Jesus said in the gospel. We have to make
the decision not once, but every single day. We follow God in our every action.
May we be willing to do it.
Father God,
Thank you for
today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another day to
experience your love. Thank you for another Sunday. Thank you for the reminder
of how you want me to live and how I can follow you. Lord, sorry for the times
I forget about you. Sorry for keeping you in the church on Sundays, and not
with me at work or school every day. Sorry for not always thinking of you.
Sorry for not always making the decision to follow you. Lord, be with me and
guide me as I live my life. Help me be sensitive to you, and choose you
especially in the little decisions of everyday. May I praise and glorify you
through my acts, through my life. Amen.
Blessed
day!
In
Christ,
-g-
Ps
See
related reflections:
June 19, 2016
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 96
Reading 1 Zec 12:10-11; 13:1
Thus says the LORD:
I will pour out on the house of David
and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem
a spirit of grace and petition;
and they shall look on him whom they have pierced,
and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son,
and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.
On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great
as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
On that day there shall be open to the house of David
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.
I will pour out on the house of David
and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem
a spirit of grace and petition;
and they shall look on him whom they have pierced,
and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son,
and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.
On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great
as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
On that day there shall be open to the house of David
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Brothers and sisters:
Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ,
then you are Abraham’s children,
heirs according to the promise.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Reading 2 Gal 3:26-29
Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ,
then you are Abraham’s children,
heirs according to the promise.
Alleluia Jn 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Lk 9:18-24
Once when Jesus was praying by himself,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist;
others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He scolded them
and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to all,
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist;
others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He scolded them
and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to all,
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
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