He Cured All

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/020518.cfm) reminds me that God has power for all. 

In this world, there is a limit to almost everything. Concerts and events can only accommodate unto a certain number. Once the limit has been reached, no more people will be welcomed, for it will be dangerous. No matter how much you try, if you've reached the limit, you won't be accepted. Good thing this is not how it works with God. 

God can accommodate all who come to Him.  

God does not disappoint. The people made an effort and showed their faith when they followed Jesus to be cured, to be healed. And he rewarded that. He cured them all.

How powerful. How generous. What a great reminder of Jesus’ love and power. 

There were a lot of people who followed Jesus, a lot of people who showed faith. I’m sure they all had different sickness and diseases. Some had grave ones, who is at the point of helplessness and hopelessness. Some probably had minor ones, like fever or maybe even headache. But what is inspiring is how God cured them all. Lahat sila. Everyone who was there. Everyone who had faith in him. Everyone who wanted to be cured. God did not say he will cure only the serious sickness – those at the point of death. He did not say he will cure only the easy to cure stuff, the minor ones .No sickness or concern is too small for God to pay attention to, or too big that he cannot handle. He cured them all.

Good news – this love, power and generosity shown by Jesus two thousand years ago is still alive until now!

God is still able and is still willing to cure all who come to him. All who have faith to come to him. All who humble themselves to come to him. It does not matter if we come to him with huge, almost impossible situations, sickness or concerns.. it doesn’t matter if we come to him with almost trivial, small concerns. From then until now, God cures all who come to him… we just need to come to him in faith.

May we learn to trust in God more, and have faith in his power and goodness. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the weekend. Thank you for another week! Thank you your great and generous love for us. Thank you for reminding me today that you can and will still heal and cure all who come to you. Lord, may I always remember that, and may I always have faith. Sometimes, especially when my concerns are too big or too small, I do not come to you. Sometimes when it’s too big, I think that you cannot do anything about it anymore. When it’s too small, I get ashamed or shy to bring these little concerns to you. Sorry for those times. Sorry for thinking like that. But father God, I know that I am important to you, and my concerns, no matter how big or  small they may be, are important and that you can do anything. May I just have that faith to come to with whatever concerns I have. Amen.

Blessed Week!

In Christ,

-g-

February 5, 2018

Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
Lectionary: 329

Reading 1 1 KGS 8:1-7, 9-13

The elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes,
the princes in the ancestral houses of the children of Israel,
came to King Solomon in Jerusalem,
to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant
from the City of David, which is Zion.
All the people of Israel assembled before King Solomon
during the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month).
When all the elders of Israel had arrived,
the priests took up the ark;
they carried the ark of the LORD
and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels
that were in the tent.
(The priests and Levites carried them.)

King Solomon and the entire community of Israel
present for the occasion
sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen
too many to number or count.
The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD
to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary,
the holy of holies of the temple.
The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark,
sheltering the ark and its poles from above.
There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets
which Moses had put there at Horeb,
when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel
at their departure from the land of Egypt.

When the priests left the holy place,
the cloud filled the temple of the LORD
so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud,
since the LORD's glory had filled the temple of the LORD.
Then Solomon said, "The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud;
I have truly built you a princely house,
a dwelling where you may abide forever."

Responsorial Psalm PS 132:6-7, 8-10

R. (8a) Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
Let us enter into his dwelling,
let us worship at his footstool.
R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
Advance, O LORD, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your majesty.
May your priests be clothed with justice;
let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.
For the sake of David your servant,
reject not the plea of your anointed.
R. Lord, go up to the place of your rest!

Alleluia SEE 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.