The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011719.cfm)
reminds me that I should not harden my heart for Christ.
They say that a person decides wether to accept God or
not. God will always be there to call us and welcome us. He calls each and
everyone of us. However, the decision to accept him is ours to make. The
decision to welcome him or to harden our hearts towards him is a decision that
is ours to make.
Christ
wants us to follow him wholeheartedly, if we don’t, it’s like not following him
at all. Both the first reading and the psalm reminds us not to harden our
hearts to God. Welcoming God brings great rewards. Welcoming God brings peace.
Welcoming God brings healing. We are asked to listen and her God’s voice
calling us, and are encouraged to allow him to be God in our lives.
We see in the gospel the effect of this. The leper was
healed not just because of God’s love and power. Yes, God can and will heal us.
However, we need to do our part. We need to believe in him. We need to come to
him. The leper welcomed Jesus. He had faith in Jesus. And he was healed.
If
our hearts are closed, we are going against God. If we do not recognize him and
believe in Him, we are not working with him, we are against him. We cannot
receive all he wants to give us. IF we continue to harden our hearts and not
listen to his voice in our lives, we might just find ourselves very far from
him – because we do not want to follow him, because makulit tayo.
How
often do I follow Jesus? What is my relationship with him? Do I see him working
in my everyday life, or do I always ask for grand signs to prove his existence?
Am I working for or against Christ?
May
we always allow ourselves to be changed and make Him God in our lives, and not
be a hard headed person whose heart is far from Him.
Father
God,
Thank
you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance
to know you more. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I
ignore you. Sorry for being hard headed. Sorry for doubting you and for not
coming to you. Help me humble myself. Help me submit myself. Lord, as I come to
you, I have faith that you will take care of me and make me more like you.
Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
January 17 2019
Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot
Lectionary: 308
Lectionary: 308
The
Holy Spirit says:
Oh, that today you would hear his voice,
"Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion
in the day of testing in the desert,
where your ancestors tested and tried me
and saw my works for forty years.
Because of this I was provoked with that generation
and I said, 'They have always been of erring heart,
and they do not know my ways.'
As I swore in my wrath,
'They shall not enter into my rest.'"
Take care, brothers and sisters,
that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart,
so as to forsake the living God.
Encourage yourselves daily while it is still "today,"
so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin.
We have become partners of Christ
if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice,
"Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion
in the day of testing in the desert,
where your ancestors tested and tried me
and saw my works for forty years.
Because of this I was provoked with that generation
and I said, 'They have always been of erring heart,
and they do not know my ways.'
As I swore in my wrath,
'They shall not enter into my rest.'"
Take care, brothers and sisters,
that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart,
so as to forsake the living God.
Encourage yourselves daily while it is still "today,"
so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin.
We have become partners of Christ
if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end.
Responsorial
Psalm PS
95:6-7C, 8-9, 10-11
R.
(8) If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Forty years I was wearied of that generation;
I said: "This people's heart goes astray,
they do not know my ways."
Therefore I swore in my anger:
"They shall never enter my rest."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Forty years I was wearied of that generation;
I said: "This people's heart goes astray,
they do not know my ways."
Therefore I swore in my anger:
"They shall never enter my rest."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
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.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MK
1:40-45
A
leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
Then he said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
Then he said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
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