The WORD
today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/072216.cfm)
reminds me that I should be willing to repent to be able to bear good
fruit.
The gospel is a continuation of
the other day’s parable. Now we see what happened to the seeds that were sown
on different kinds of soil. We know the different kinds of soil, and we know
what kind we want to…and we should be. And as we celebrate the feast of St Mary
Magdalene, we are encouraged to come to Jesus and repent so we can bear fruit.
Repentance
makes it easier for God to use us to bear fruit.
In
the first reading, God calls his children to repent. And there is the assurance
that when they do, when they turn away from their evil lives and come to Him,
he will take care of them. He will give them shepherds to take care of them.
This is what Mary Magdalene did. She was not exactly a clean person, but she
repented and turned to Jesus. And Jesus took care of her, together with other
followers. And eventually God transformed her and she eventually became a
Saint.
Repentance is
the first step to convert a sinner to a saint.
God
can use us mightily however sinful we are, just as God used Mary Magdalene. She
was normal and a sinner, just like us. But she eventually allowed God to change
her and she became a good soil and produced good fruit. If she can do it, and
if God can do it to her, we can do it as well. As long as we repent and allow
God to use us and transform us.
May we be inspired to work on
our relationship with God, repent, surrender, and allow God to transform us
into becoming good
soils to produce fruits for God, fruits that will glorify and praise Him.
Father God,
Thank you for
today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for Fridays! Thank you for
the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I continuously turn away from you.
Sorry for not repenting. Lord, I pray that you help me become a good soil. I
come to you, asking for your forgiveness. I come to you and ask that you fill
me with your forgiveness and love. Transform me. May I continue to work and
build a good relationship with you as I try my best to become a good soil and
bear good fruit for you. Continue to bless my work and my actions, that it may
glorify and praise you. Amen.
Blessed
Friday!
In
Christ,
-g-
July 22, 2016
Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
Lectionary: 603
Reading 1 2 cor 5:14-17
Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
R. (2) 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.
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.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Tell us, Mary, what did you see on the way?
I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
“Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he told her.
Tell us, Mary, what did you see on the way?
I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Jn 20:1-2, 11-18
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
“Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he told her.
Good morning po sir. Thanks for all your sharings of reflections of the gospel everyday.
ReplyDeleteMay comment lng ako regarding sa phrase na "Repentance makes it easier for God to use us to bear fruit." For God, there is no easy or hard things. He can do all things, for He is all powerful. He can do what He wills. Na sa atin na ung mga bagay na madali o mahirap. Mas madali nating malaman ang kalooban ni Lord kung mag re-repent tau. Thus, God will bear good fruits through us, who knows and receives His will.
Yun lng nman po sa akin sir, na mapaliwanagan pa ung thought nyo sir. I prayed for this, itong mga sinasabi ko ay pinagdasal ko, for enlightenment. Thank you po sir, please continue to give hope to other people. Please continue to be an instrument of our Lord. Have a good day sir and God bless. :)
Salamat po sa comment at pagpapaliwanag. :-) have a good day and may God bless you abundantly as well:-)
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