The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040919.cfm)
reminds me that I
should not forget everything that God has done for me.
Human
beings have limited memory. They say that we only use a very small percentage
of our brain. That is why we don’t get to retain all the information and
knowledge we come across. However, there are things that we should never forget
– like the goodness of God in our lives.
In
the first reading, we see the people complaining to God and Moses. They
focused on their current situation and seemingly forgot all the good God has
done to them. They forgot the miracles and all the help God has given them and
just focused on their current concerns, on their wants. They want God to give
them their demands, to make their lives comfortable – as if God was at their
disposal. This made God punish them, and when they eventually came to their
senses, God told Moses how to save the people
Hindi
dapat kalimutan ang lahat ng nagawa ng Diyos para sa iyo.
A
lot of times, we too are like them. We forget all the good God has done in our
lives. We forget all his blessings and provisions. We forget the miracles he
performed in our lives. Unfortunately like the people, it takes a lot of pain
for us to come to our senses and go back to God. Our stubbornness a lot
of times causes us much pain that we could have avoided in the first place if
we just listened to and remained in God
Good
thing God is so good, and no matter how stubborn and hard headed we become, as
long as we repent and come back to Him, he will forgive us and help us. No
matter how much we sin and hurt him, no matter how much we complain, he
can forgive. He will help and still come to our rescue when we repent and come
to Him.
What
are the things God gave me? How has he proven his love for and protection over
me? What are the blessings in my life? What are the seemingly impossible
situations God helped me with? Are these enough for me to remain in Him?
May
we never forget God's goodness and all his blessings in our lives, and may we
always be humble and come back to him when we need to, knowing how gentle and
loving he 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 being patient
and loving. Lord, I am sorry for the times I am like the Israelites. Sorry for
turning my back on you, for complaining and forgetting all you have done for
me. Help me to live my life for you, help me to focus on you and remember your
goodness, especially when challenges come my way. And help me remember how
gentle and loving you are, so I will always be humble and come back to you when
I fall. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
Ps
See Related reflection:
April 9 2019
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of
Lent
Lectionary: 252
Lectionary: 252
Reading
1NM 21:4-9
From
Mount Hor the children of Israel set out on the Red Sea road,
to bypass the land of Edom.
But with their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
"Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!"
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
"We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us."
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
"Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live."
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
to bypass the land of Edom.
But with their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
"Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!"
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
"We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us."
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
"Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live."
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Responsorial
Psalm PS
102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21
R.
(2) O Lord, hear my prayer, and let
my cry come to you.
O LORD, hear my prayer,
and let my cry come to you.
Hide not your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
in the day when I call, answer me speedily.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
O LORD, hear my prayer,
and let my cry come to you.
Hide not your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
in the day when I call, answer me speedily.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
Verse
Before The Gospel
The
seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
all who come to him will live for ever.
Gospel JN
8:21-30
Jesus
said to the Pharisees:
"I am going away and you will look for me,
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going you cannot come."
So the Jews said,
"He is not going to kill himself, is he,
because he said, 'Where I am going you cannot come'?"
He said to them, "You belong to what is below,
I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins."
So they said to him, "Who are you?"
Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world."
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
"When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him."
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.
"I am going away and you will look for me,
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going you cannot come."
So the Jews said,
"He is not going to kill himself, is he,
because he said, 'Where I am going you cannot come'?"
He said to them, "You belong to what is below,
I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins."
So they said to him, "Who are you?"
Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world."
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
"When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him."
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.
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