Generous God

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/100717.cfm) reminds me how generous God is. 

In the gospel, we see Jesus' disciples returning to him happy because of a successful mission. they saw firsthand the power of God working through them. However, more than God being there to help them and enabling them to do great things in his name, Jesus reminds them that the real reason they should be happy is that their names are written in heaven. That is more than what the disciples wanted and expected.

God is generous. He cannot be out given. 

As long as we do what God asks us to do, as long as we remain faithful to Him, we will experience immense blessings, more than we can imagine. Why, is it God's reward for his good children? I believe it's more than that. It is more than a reward.  God only wants the best for us. He will not give us what we cannot handle - both with problems and with blessings. God gives these things to those who are ready to accept them, and following God and staying faithful to Him shows that we love him more than we love this world, and that we are ready to receive properly these blessings, for God is first in our lives.

Despite all the problems and challenges in life, may we remember that God's love and blessings is always more than what we need. May we always remember how generous and loving God is.

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 weekend. Lord, sorry for the times I forget how generous you are. Sorry for the times I lose my focus on you. Sorry for getting weary in doing your work. Help me be faithful like the disciples. Help me be ready workers like them. Use me to do your work. Use me to make your love more real and more alive in this world. Transform me so I can love and serve others the way you want me to. I know that as I live my life for you, you will take care of everything. Use me for your glory. Amen.

Blessed weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

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October 7, 2017
Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
Lectionary: 460

Reading 1BAR 4:5-12, 27-29

Fear not, my people!
Remember, Israel,
You were sold to the nations
not for your destruction;
It was because you angered God
that you were handed over to your foes.
For you provoked your Maker
with sacrifices to demons, to no-gods;
You forsook the Eternal God who nourished you,
and you grieved Jerusalem who fostered you.
She indeed saw coming upon you
the anger of God; and she said:

"Hear, you neighbors of Zion!
God has brought great mourning upon me,
For I have seen the captivity
that the Eternal God has brought
upon my sons and daughters.
With joy I fostered them;
but with mourning and lament I let them go.
Let no one gloat over me, a widow,
bereft of many:
For the sins of my children I am left desolate,
because they turned from the law of God.

Fear not, my children; call out to God!
He who brought this upon you will remember you.
As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God,
turn now ten times the more to seek him;
For he who has brought disaster upon you 
will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy."

Responsorial PsalmPS 69:33-35, 36-37

R. (34) The Lord listens to the poor.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!"
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. The Lord listens to the poor.

AlleluiaSEE MT 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 10:17-24

The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,
"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."
Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. 
Behold, I have given you the power
'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy
and nothing will harm you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."