The WORD
today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/013017.cfm)
reminds me that despite our good intentions, God may have other plans
for us.
In the gospel, Jesus healed a
man. He set him free from a lot of evil spirits. And not surprising, after
being healed, the man wanted to come with Jesus to be with him, to thank him
through his service. However, surprisingly, Jesus did not accept him but instead
told him to serve God in another way - by going home and announce what God has
done for him.
God sometimes has other plans for us. But it is always better
that what we initially have in mind.
The
man did what he was told. And as he did, all were amazed. God sent him to do
something and equipped him. And used him mightily. He brought awareness of God
to people, even if Jesus was not with him. That was definitely better than just
being with Jesus as he was used as a force multiplier.
There are times we experience
the same thing. We feel God is rejecting us and our plans, even if we feel our
plans and intentions are good. However, just
because his plans are different from us doesn't mean we won't like it. His plans
are always better than ours, and as we humbly submit and follow
his plans and allow him to use us, we will realize the wisdom of his plans.
May
we be like the man, humbling ourselves before God, submitting to his plans, and
doing what he asks us to do.
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 another week. Thank you for all the blessings.
Thank you for being so generous. Lord, sorry for the times I prefer my plans
instead of yours. Sorry for being hard headed. Sorry for not being humble
enough to submit to your will, to your plans. help me be like the man. Help me
humble myself before you always. Help me be submit to your will and your plans,
especially when they are not what i expect. Help me just obey, and as I do, I
have faith that you will use me mightily for your kingdom. Amen.
Blessed
week!
In
Christ,
-g-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 30, 2017
Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 323
Reading 1 Heb 11:32-40
What more shall I say?
I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
of David and Samuel and the prophets,
who by faith conquered kingdoms,
did what was righteous, obtained the promises;
they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires,
escaped the devouring sword;
out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle,
and turned back foreign invaders.
Women received back their dead through resurrection.
Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance,
in order to obtain a better resurrection.
Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword's point;
they went about in skins of sheep or goats,
needy, afflicted, tormented.
The world was not worthy of them.
They wandered about in deserts and on mountains,
in caves and in crevices in the earth.
Yet all these, though approved because of their faith,
did not receive what had been promised.
God had foreseen something better for us,
so that without us they should not be made perfect.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous mercy
he has shown me in a fortified city.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Once I said in my anguish,
"I am cut off from your sight";
Yet you heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried out to you.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Alleluia Lk 7:16
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mk 5:1-20
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!"
(He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!")
He asked him, "What is your name?"
He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us."
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
"Send us into the swine. Let us enter them."
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
"Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you."
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
No comments:
Post a Comment