Is God Glad?

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/020617.cfm) makes me question if God is pleased with me. 

In the first reading, we see the story of creation – at least the first four days. God created everything in this world, and everytime he created something, he sees the goodness in them. He has a purpose for them, and as long as the creation stays true to his purpose and does what it is supposed to do, God is pleased.

In the gospel, we see Jesus healing people. We can see that God is pleased with them as well, for they have faith in him and his power. Some people say that this is the biblical reference of our belief as Filipinos in touching images of Jesus and Mama Mary. People begged him that they might only touch the tassel of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. Of course, the cloak itself, and the statues on our case, do not contain the power. it is the faith of the people in the love and power of God. God just uses things to reach out to us, to touch and bless us.

This makes me ask myself, as the psalmist says – May the Lord be glad in his works. Is God happy with me? Am I doing my best to surrender to his will? Am I doing my best do follow his plans? Am I doing my role in this world?

Sometimes, we focus too much on what we want to happen in life. Sometimes we forget what we should be dong in life. Sometimes we lose our way. May today’s readings be a reminder for us to step back and see God’s hand in everything. May we yield to Him and allow him to use us, and wait for the time when he can personally say to us that he is pleased with us.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another Monday. Thank you for another week to love and live. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, I am sorry for the times I do whatever I want and not what you want. Sorry for being hard headed. Sorry for being proud. Help me be humble and know my place in this world. Remind me that as your creation, I should always be ready and willing to be used in whatever way you want to. I know that as I do this, you will be pleased with me, and I would be able to reflect your greatness in this world. Amen.

Blessed week!

In Christ,

-g-

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February 6, 2017
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 329

Reading 1 Gn1:1-19

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.

Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.

Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.

Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 104:1-2a, 5-6, 10 and 12, 24 and 35c

R. (31b) May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.

Alleluia Mt 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,

Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.