The WORD
today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081817.cfm)
reminds me that there are a lot of consequences for having a hardened
heart towards God.
Divorce is a sensitive topic.
Currently, the Philippines is one of the few countries who still do not allow
divorce. We see in the gospel that divorce, even in the time of Jesus and
Moses, was a sensitive topic. However, when Jesus explained that divorce should
not be allowed, he also mentioned that not everyone would be able to understand
it.
Maybe in this particular situation,
Jesus was referring to the teaching about divorce or the vocation of married
life – that not everyone is for it, that not everyone can accept it. However, I
believe that this is true in other aspects of our faith as well. Not everyone
can accept it.
Not
everyone accept God's teachings.
There
are a lot of things hard to accept. It is hard to accept that we should surrender our lives to God and die of ourselves because we want to be in control
of our lives, we want to enjoy life. It is hard to accept that we should carry our cross because we do not want to
experience sufferings. It is hard to accept that we should love others first,
because we want to put ourselves first. It is hard to accept that we should
obey God, because there are a lot of times his will is against what we want,
when we think we know better. Is it hard to do all these if our hearts are
hardened to God.
Jesus tells us today not
everyone can accept these things. Question is, are we one of those people? Do
we submit our will to God, and die of ourselves and our desires, no matter how
hard it is? Are we willing to carry our cross so we can be one with Jesus in
his suffering as we prepare for eternal life with him? are we willing to love
others first, and put their welfare above ours, even if they are unlovable
people? Are we willing to obey God and the church leaders even if we do not
always agree with them, even If we think we know better?
Even though it is hard to
accept a lot of things, especially if one has a hardened heart towards God, we
should remember that accepting and obeying these things have eternal rewards.
May we humble ourselves and submit to God.
Father God,
Thank you for
today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you it’s Friday! Lord, sorry
for the times my heart is hard. Sorry for the times I disobey you. Sorry for
being proud and full of myself. Help me. Change me. Lord, I pray for a heart
that is made after yours. Slowly transform my heart to become more and more
like yours. Help me love like you do, and do what you want me to do. May my
life always glorify and magnify you. Amen.
Blessed
day!
In
Christ,
-g-
August 18, 2017
Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 417
Reading 1JOS 24:1-13
summoning their elders, their leaders,
their judges and their officers.
When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people:
"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
In times past your fathers, down to Terah,
father of Abraham and Nahor,
dwelt beyond the River and served other gods.
But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River
and led him through the entire land of Canaan.
I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac.
To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.
To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir in which to settle,
while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
"Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and smote Egypt with the prodigies
which I wrought in her midst.
Afterward I led you out of Egypt, and when you reached the sea,
the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Red Sea
with chariots and horsemen.
Because they cried out to the LORD,
he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians,
upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them.
After you witnessed what I did to Egypt,
and dwelt a long time in the desert,
I brought you into the land of the Amorites
who lived east of the Jordan.
They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power.
You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them,
the two kings of the Amorites, before you.
Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab,
prepared to war against Israel.
He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you;
but I would not listen to Balaam.
On the contrary, he had to bless you, and I saved you from him.
Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho,
the men of Jericho fought against you,
but I delivered them also into your power.
And I sent the hornets ahead of you that drove them
(the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites,
Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites)
out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow.
"I gave you a land that you had not tilled
and cities that you had not built, to dwell in;
you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves
which you did not plant."
Responsorial PsalmPS 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22 AND 24
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the LORD of lords,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
Who led his people through the wilderness,
for his mercy endures forever;
Who smote great kings,
for his mercy endures forever;
And slew powerful kings,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
And made their land a heritage,
for his mercy endures forever;
The heritage of Israel his servant,
for his mercy endures forever;
And freed us from our foes,
for his mercy endures forever.
R. His mercy endures forever.
AlleluiaSEE 1 THES 2:13
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but, as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 19:3-12
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?"
He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning
the Creator made them male and female and said,
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate."
They said to him, "Then why did Moses command
that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?"
He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts
Moses allowed you to divorce your wives,
but from the beginning it was not so.
I say to you, whoever divorces his wife
(unless the marriage is unlawful)
and marries another commits adultery."
His disciples said to him,
"If that is the case of a man with his wife,
it is better not to marry."
He answered, "Not all can accept this word,
but only those to whom that is granted.
Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so;
some, because they were made so by others;
some, because they have renounced marriage
for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."
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