Not Entitled

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/090417.cfm) reminds me that I am not entitled to God's blessings. 

Some children feel that they are entitled to receive from their parents whatever they want, at whatever cost. Some people feel entitled to receive blessings from their family members that are more financially capable than them. Some breadwinners feel that they should always have their way just because they are the ones who contribute the most. Some people feel they should be getting the promotion at work because they are working so hard. Some people think that because they do good and serve God, they are entitled to receive more blessings, that they will receive whatever they ask from God. We should not have this attitude towards God. 

No matter what we do, we are not entitled to God's blessings. 

In the gospel we see the people expecting their town-mate Jesus do amazing things and miracles there. They did not ask, they expected. Not because they had faith, but they believed they deserved it since Jesus was from their town. Clearly, Jesus tells us that our relationship or affinity do not entitle us to such things. 

We are blessed because of one thing - God's love. 

God loves us so much that he blesses us. He protects us. He gives us a lot. We sometimes take these blessings for granted, and we want more. We expect more for whatever reasons. We are reminded today not to be like this. We are reminded to be aware and thankful. 

In what ways do I have a sense of entitlement? Am I expecting to be treated a certain way just because of what I do, give or say? Do I feel I deserve all the blessings i have because of what I do? What is God telling me today?

May we remember that no matter what we do, we are not entitled to God's blessings, and we should never act as is we deserve these things. His love is the only reason we have so much. May we realize it and show our gratitude by sharing these things to others. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another week to love and serve you. Lord, sorry for the times I feel entitled to your blessings. Sorry for the times I act entitled, that I deserve these things. Lord, I do not. I know it is only because of your love that I have these things. Help me always be aware, and show you my gratitude by loving others and by generously sharing to others what You gave me. In a special way, I lift up to you my mother as she celebrates her birthday today. I thank you for her. And i ask that you bless her abundantly as she is a blessing to her family. Give her peace, good health, and may she always feel your intense love in her life. All these I ask in your mighty name, Amen. 

Blessed week!

In Christ,

-g-

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September 4, 2017
Lectionary: 431
Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 11 THES 4:13-18

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
about those who have fallen asleep,
so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,
so too will God, through Jesus,
bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,
will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command,
with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,
will come down from heaven, 
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore, console one another with these words.

Responsorial PsalmPS 96:1 AND 3, 4-5, 11-12, 13

R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

AlleluiaSEE LK 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll,
he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, "Is this not the son of Joseph?"
He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb,
'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'"
And he said,
"Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.