Pearl of Great Price

The WORD today reminds me that I should be ready to give up everything for God. 

When I was in college, our chapel was named PGP chapel or Pearl of Great Price Chapel. initially I did not understand why it was named that way. Why a pearl? Why not Jesus, Mary, Joseph or one of the saints? Why is it valuable? Then when I came across the gospel, I understood why.

In the gospel, we saw that one would do anything to have the pearl of great price. One would sell everything to have the pearl of great price. Being valuable, having it comes with a great price. The price may be great and expensive, but it is reasonable and most importantly, attainable. That is why the people sold everything they had to be able to get hold of the treasure and the pearl. They found it worth their while that they were willing to let go of everything they had - all their possessions and their current treasures, to have the new found treasure.

This is what God wants from us, the readiness and willingness to give up anything and everything once we get to know Him. God wants us to let go of all the sins, of all the worldly attachments we are holding on to, so we can attain life with Him. so he can give us new life. God wants us to see him as worthy enough for us to give up everything we currently have just to have him.

How do I see God? Do I have faith in him? Do I trust him, at every situation I am in? Do I know and believe he is powerful and loving? What hinders me from giving everything to God?

May we find it in our heart to see God as that pearl of great price, and be willing to give up everything just for Him.

Father God,

Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the reminder and challenge. Thank you for another day to feel your love. Lord, sorry for the times I don't give you the importance that you deserve. May I see you like the way the people in the gospel saw the treasures. May I recognize you. I pray that I would always seek you. May my heart always beat for you. may I always be ready and willing to give up everything worldly for you. and as I serve you, may I give you my best, because you deserve nothing less. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

July 31 2019

July 30  |  August 1 »

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Lectionary: 403

Reading 1 EX 34:29-35

As Moses came down from Mount Sinai
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant
while he conversed with the LORD.
When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses
and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,
they were afraid to come near him.
Only after Moses called to them did Aaron
and all the rulers of the community come back to him.
Moses then spoke to them.
Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,
and he enjoined on them all that the LORD
had told him on Mount Sinai.
When he finished speaking with them,
he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,
he removed the veil until he came out again.
On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel
all that had been commanded.
Then the children of Israel would see
that the skin of Moses' face was radiant;
so he would again put the veil over his face
until he went in to converse with the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm PS 99:5, 6, 7, 9

R.(see 9c) Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.

Alleluia JN 15:15B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."

Shine Like The Sun

The WORD today reminds me that God will reward his followers in his perfect time.

Life is not a bed of roses. Life is unfair. In the gospel we saw the explanation of the gospel last week. We saw that the good seeds were mixed with the weeds, pretty much like life here on earth. Even if we try to live righteous lives, we will still be surrounded by evil people - which would try to convince us to give up living righteous lives and be like them. Sometimes the situation doesn't help.  We see them prosper and have a good life on earth. We may question why they seem to be blessed, or if what we are doing is really the way to go. We may question if it really is worth it. 

God is not the ruler of the world. The devil is - that is why many times, Jesus tells his disciples to live in the world but not of the world. Naturally, the enemy loves his own, so he gives worldly things those who follow him. However, God still provides and protects us, so we should just continue to remain faithful to Him. 

God’s followers will shine like the Sun.

Life is not easy, but we should continue to hang on to God and his word, knowing that he is true to his word. No matter how difficult or challenging life may be, he will still protect us and make sure we have everything we need to move forward. As we remain faithful to God, we are sure that when the proper time comes, we will shine bright like the sun. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for the reminder. Thank you for knowing me. Thank you for speaking to me through different ways. Lord, sorry for being distracted. Sorry for questioning you and for questioning if I am making the right decision to live according to your word. Sorry for doubting you. Lord, as I live my life, may I always be reminded to focus on you, to remain faithful to you. It may not be easy, it may be tempting to do otherwise, but I know that no matter what I experience, you are always there watching, guiding and protecting me. And I know that as i remain faithful to you, I will shine bright with you in your kingdom. Amen

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

July 30 2019

July 29  |  July 31 »

Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 402

Reading 1 EX 33:7-11; 34:5B-9, 28

The tent, which was called the meeting tent,
Moses used to pitch at some distance away, outside the camp.
Anyone who wished to consult the LORD
would go to this meeting tent outside the camp.
Whenever Moses went out to the tent, the people would all rise
and stand at the entrance of their own tents,
watching Moses until he entered the tent.
As Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down
and stand at its entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses.
On seeing the column of cloud stand at the entrance of the tent,
all the people would rise and worship
at the entrance of their own tents.
The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face,
as one man speaks to another.
Moses would then return to the camp,
but his young assistant, Joshua, son of Nun,
would not move out of the tent.

Moses stood there with the LORD and proclaimed his name, "LORD."
Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,
"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity,
continuing his kindness for a thousand generations,
and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin;
yet not declaring the guilty guiltless,
but punishing children and grandchildren
to the third and fourth generation for their fathers' wickedness!"
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.
Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O LORD,
do come along in our company.
This is indeed a stiff-necked people;
yet pardon our wickedness and sins,
and receive us as your own."

So Moses stayed there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights,
without eating any food or drinking any water,
and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant,
the ten commandments.

Responsorial Psalm PS 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R.(8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 13:36-43

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his Kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Faith in Action

The WORD today reminds me that I should always live my faith. 

There is such a term as “Analysis Paralysis.” It is good to understand the situation and study before making a move. However, sometimes we get stuck understanding the situation and analyzing things. We over analyze things and take into consideration all the factors. We want to be overly prepared and want answers to all that can happen. However, this can lead to us not doing anything because we get caught up in analysis and preparation. IF we are in this state, we cannot accomplish anything. 

In the spiritual sense, this is true as well. We should not over analyze or simply profess our faith. We should live it. In the bible, it says that “Faith without works is dead.” Yes, it is true. We should spread our faith. We should work for our faith.

The gospel shows us how action oriented Martha is, whose feast we are celebrating today. In one gospel option, we see her doing all the work, serving Jesus (though she lost her focus on Jesus and got stressed and carried away by the tasks). And in the other gospel, we see her maturing in faith. Although she again acted and welcomed Jesus as he was going on his way to their house, it did not stop there. We see not only her actions, but her profession of faith as well. 

We see her faith that was translated into action. We see her action based on her faith. Perfect combination.

Martha did not have it all at once. In one story, we see her being action oriented but lacking faith and focus. But Jesus' love and compassion eventually led her to improve her faith, thus in the second story, we see her action backed up by faith. We are not perfect and we may lack faith just like Martha, but God’s love will eventually transforms us. We just have to listen and allow him to do that in our lives – like he did in Martha’s.

Do I have faith in God? Do I love God? Do I live my love for and faith in God? 

May we be inspired by St Martha’s faith and action working in hand in hand as we do God’s work.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another week. Thank you for the reminder and inspiration in St Martha. Thank you for reminding me that your love can transform me. Sorry for the times I act like an immature version of Martha. Sorry for losing my focus on you, for being stressed and for complaining as I serve you. May I have her faith and action – faith that knows you and trusts in you, and may that faith be translated into action. Likewise, may my actions for you always be founded on your love and founded on my faith in you, that I may not be distracted with anything or anyone as I work for you. Lord, in a special way, I also lift up to you those celebrating their birthdays today, especially my wife Mady. Thank you for all the blessings and for making your presence alive in her life. I pray that you continue to deepen and strengthen our faith and guide and bless all our actions so we can become like St Martha. Amen.

Blessed Week!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

https://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2016/10/do-not-be-stressed.html

Daily Readings

July 29 2019

July 28  |  July 30 »

Memorial of Saint Martha
Lectionary: 401/607

Reading 1 EX 32:15-24, 30-34

Moses turned and came down the mountain
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
tablets that were written on both sides, front and back;
tablets that were made by God,
having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God himself.
Now, when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting,
he said to Moses, "That sounds like a battle in the camp."
But Moses answered, "It does not sound like cries of victory,
nor does it sound like cries of defeat;
the sounds that I hear are cries of revelry."
As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing.
With that, Moses' wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down
and broke them on the base of the mountain.
Taking the calf they had made, he fused it in the fire
and then ground it down to powder,
which he scattered on the water and made the children of Israel drink.

Moses asked Aaron, "What did this people ever do to you
that you should lead them into so grave a sin?"
Aaron replied, "Let not my lord be angry.
You know well enough how prone the people are to evil.
They said to me, 'Make us a god to be our leader;
as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt,
we do not know what has happened to him.'
So I told them, 'Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.'
They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out."

On the next day Moses said to the people,
"You have committed a grave sin.
I will go up to the LORD, then;
perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin."
So Moses went back to the LORD and said,
"Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin
in making a god of gold for themselves!
If you would only forgive their sin!
If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written."
The LORD answered, "Him only who has sinned against me
will I strike out of my book.
Now, go and lead the people to the place I have told you.
My angel will go before you.
When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."

Responsorial Psalm PS 106:19-20, 21-22, 23

R.(1a) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Our fathers made a calf in Horeb
and adored a molten image;
They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating bullock.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Then he spoke of exterminating them,
but Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
to turn back his destructive wrath.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Alleluia JN 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

Or LK 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

Persistent Prayer

The WORD today reminds me how powerful persistent prayers are.

One of my roles in my previous work is to manage and take care of technical support for users of the systems we implemented. Usually, we follow the first come first served policy – we address the concerns based on the time it was reported. In cases wherein there are a lot of concerns, we base it on the importance or criticality of the situation. However, whatever the case may be, there always is an exception – the persistent customers. Yung Makukulit. Sometimes, since we know they wont stop, we prioritize them just so they would stop bugging us and following up. This is how we should be in praying. 

Persistent prayer is powerful. 

In the first reading, Abraham’s persistence in talking to God lowered the “required” good people from fifty to ten. Imagine, sa kakulitan nya at sa lakas ng loob nya, napababa nya standards ni God. It was so powerful that a lot of people can be saved through it. It was not something easy to ask, but he wanted to save people that's why he asked God multiple times. He took the risk. He bugged God. Kinukit nya ang Diyos at pinagbigyan sya. 

In the gospel, Jesus tells us how to pray. He taught them how to pray, to surrender to God and humble ourselves before God. But he also told us to be persistent. Okay lang maging makulit sa pagdadasal. We see the importance of a persistent faith and persistence in prayer. God always answers our prayers, and as Jesus said in the gospel, he always has the best intentions for us, so we just have to trust in Him. While we do so, we should be persistent in prayer – even if we think or we feel that God is silent and not answering.

We may have tough of challenging prayer intentions. Minsan parang impossible na. Minsan parang wala nang magagawa ang Diyos. But just as God gave in to Moses, and Jesus taught in the gospel, we may just get what we ask for. If we just pray. And pray. And pray. Kulitin kang ang Diyos sa pagdadasal. At baka pagbigyan ka rin. 

What are the things I am praying for? How does God respond to my prayers? Does he answer my prayers or does he seem silent? How do I feel and how do I react? Do I stop praying? Or am I persistent in prayers? What is he telling me today? 

May God’s silence to our prayers not cause our faith to wave, but may our persistence strengthen our faith in Him. May we learn to be humble to his will, but persistent and unwavering in faith and prayer. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Thank you for Sundays – a day designed so we can rest, be recharged and spend time with you while consuming you. Thank you for the inspiring reminder. Lord, I ask that in a special way, as I receive you in the Eucharist today, you fill me and strengthen my love and my faith to you. I know there are a lot of times my prayers seem to go unanswered, but I ask that you help me remember that I should be open to your answer, that you always answer my prayers, it’s just that sometimes, your answers are different from what I want. Strengthen my faith. Sorry for losing faith. Sorry for being impatient. As I wait for your answers, may my faith be unwavering and may I always have that persistent faith in you. Mangungulit ako sayo Lord, but I will always submit to your will.  Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

https://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2018/10/jesus-prayer.html

Daily Readings

July 28 2019

July 27  |  July 29 »

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 111

Reading 1 GN 18:20-32

In those days, the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down and see whether or not their actions
fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.
I mean to find out."

While Abraham's visitors walked on farther toward Sodom,
the LORD remained standing before Abraham.
Then Abraham drew nearer and said:
"Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;
would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to make the innocent die with the guilty
so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?"
The LORD replied,
"If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,
I will spare the whole place for their sake."
Abraham spoke up again:
"See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,
though I am but dust and ashes!
What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?
Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?"
He answered, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."
But Abraham persisted, saying "What if only forty are found there?"
He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty."
Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.
What if only thirty are found there?"
He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there."
Still Abraham went on,
"Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,
what if there are no more than twenty?"
The LORD answered, "I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty."
But he still persisted:
"Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.
What if there are at least ten there?"
He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."

Responsorial Psalm PS 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8

R.(3a) Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me;
against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Reading 2 COL 2:12-14

Brothers and sisters:
You were buried with him in baptism,
in which you were also raised with him
through faith in the power of God,
who raised him from the dead.
And even when you were dead
in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
he brought you to life along with him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions;
 obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,
which was opposed to us,
he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.

Alleluia ROM 8:15BC

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You have received a Spirit of adoption,
through which we cry, Abba, Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,'
and he says in reply from within,
'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.'
I tell you,
if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

In Control

The WORD today reminds me that God is always in control. 

In life, there are a lot of situations that catch us off guard. No matter how well and how intensive and exhaustive you plan and prepare, there are still surprises that can happen. Scenarios you did not think of. And during these times, reactions of people vary. We usually cannot think normally when these things happen. Good thing this does not happen to God. 

In the gospel, we see the enemy planting weeds in the farmer’s field, a field that was planted with good seed. However, when the farmer saw it, he did not had it immediately cut out, even if he knew it was from the enemy. He did not panic. Instead, he gave time for the weed and the wheat to grow, then when the time was right, he separated them from each other and burned the weed.

What a way to remind us that God is always in control.

God does not panic. When he saw the weeds, he knew it was the enemy’s work. However, he knew pulling them out at once might affect those wheat who are still growing their roots. It may look like he was not in control because the enemy was able to plant weeds which grew. For that instance, probably doesn’t look like it. However, we see that in the end, he was in full control, and he burned the weeds and the wheat were able to grow fully.

God is in control of our lives. Sometimes we may not feel like it. Sometimes we may only see the weeds. Sometimes we fail to focus on the growing wheat and only see the annoying weed and say that God is not in control. We may see evil people prospering, we may see them being rich and powerful. We sometimes focus on them, and fail to see God slowly working in people who are developing their roots, on people ready and willing to bear fruit for him. He gives us time to develop and serve him. however, when the time comes, he will come and separate the weed from the productive wheat. That is what we should look forward to.

Do I know that God is in control of my life and of everything? Do I focus on the enemy and the seemingly powerful weeds in my life and in the world? Am I afraid of them,? Do I lose faith on God? Am I willing to wait until I grow in faith and produce fruits for him? Am I excited when he comes to separate the weeds from the wheat?

May we always remember that no matter what the situation is, God is always in control. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another weekend. Thank you for reminding me that you are in control, even if sometimes, it does not look like it. Lord, sorry for not always thinking this. Sorry if I doubt you, your love, and your power. Sorry for being easily overwhelmed. I ask that I always trust in you and that I always focus on you, even if there are seemingly powerful and annoying weeds around me. May I trust that you are allowing us to grow roots and enable us to withstand the weeds in our lives. Amen.

Blessed Weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2016/07/tolerate.html

Daily Readings

July 27 2019

July 26  |  July 28 »

Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 400

Reading 1 EX 24:3-8

When Moses came to the people
and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD,
they all answered with one voice,
"We will do everything that the LORD has told us."
Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and,
rising early the next day,
he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar
and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
Then, having sent certain young men of the children of Israel
to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice young bulls
as peace offerings to the LORD,
Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls;
the other half he splashed on the altar.
Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people,
who answered, "All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do."
Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,
"This is the blood of the covenant
that the LORD has made with you
in accordance with all these words of his."

Responsorial Psalm PS 50:1B-2, 5-6, 14-15

R.(14a) Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
"Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
"Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me."
R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

Alleluia JAS 1:21BC

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 13:24-30

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.
"The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man
who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?'
He answered, 'An enemy has done this.'
His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
"First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

Good Soil

The WORD Today reminds me I should do my best to be a good soil and bear good fruit for God. 

In the gospel, we see what happened to the seeds that were sown on different kinds of soil. We know the different kinds of soil, and we know what kind we want to…and should be. And as we celebrate the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, we see this in action.

We should bear good fruit for God. 

Saints Joachim and Anne were the earthly parents of Mary. Obviously, they were good soils who bore a fruit that produced a hundredfold. Imagine, being earthly parents to the earthly mother of God. Basically the earthly grandparents of Jesus. Wow. What a humbling experience. Probably they must have been preparing themselves even before they bore Mama Mary, that’s why they were given the privilege of being earthly parents to her. 

God can use us mightily, as he used Saints Joachim and Anne, and Mama Mary. They were ordinary and normal human beings, like us. But they were good soil, and produced good fruit. They did their part and God rewarded and used them mightily. 

May we be inspired to work on our relationship with God, and do our best to become good soils to produce fruits for God, fruits that will glorify and praise Him.

Father God,

Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the beautiful and inspiring reminder. Lord, I pray that you help me become good soil. May I continue to work and build a good relationship with you as I try my best to become a good soil and bear good fruit for you. Continue to bless my work and my actions, that it may glorify and praise you. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

July 26 2019

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 July 25  |  July 27 »

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 399

Reading 1EX 20:1-17

In those days:
God delivered all these commandments:

"I, the LORD, am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not carve idols for yourselves
in the shape of anything in the sky above
or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;
you shall not bow down before them or worship them.
For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God,
inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness
on the children of those who hate me,
down to the third and fourth generation;
but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation
on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.

"You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
him who takes his name in vain.

"Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Six days you may labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.
No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter,
or your male or female slave, or your beast,
or by the alien who lives with you.
In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
but on the seventh day he rested.
That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

"Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you.

"You shall not kill.

"You shall not commit adultery.

"You shall not steal.

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,

nor anything else that belongs to him."

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R.(John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

Alleluia SEE LK 8:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 13:18-23

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

Love And Service

The WORD today reminds me that I should love God by serving others. 

It is easy to say that we love God. It is easy to say that we serve God. However, applying it in our lives is another thing. We sometimes are not willing to concretely apply this love for God through other people. We sometimes think that we love God and want to serve God, but loving and serving people is different. However, it is not.

Love and service to God should be lived through other people.

In the gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that they should serve others. Just as Jesus, the son of God, came to serve, they too as Jesus’ disciples should serve others. God’s kingdom is very different from the world. in this world, rulers and powerful people are being served by others. In God’s kingdom, it is actually the great ones who serve others. And if we want to be great in God’s eyes we should serve others. 

God is not physically present in this world, but people are. There are people God sends our way who need our love and service. They are God coming to us in different forms. They are actually opportunities for us to prove to God that we really love him. Sometimes we think that God will make a way, that God is mighty that he will send help to those in need. However, we sometimes do not realize that maybe that someone is us. Maybe God is sending us. Maybe we are the ones he wants to help others. We are and should be God’s arms and legs in this world – the physical manifestations of his love.

However, this doesn’t mean things will be easy if we decide to serve. In the first reading, we see St Paul telling us that it will be challenging. It will be difficult. But God knows what we are going through, and will continue to sustain us as we experience challenges. We should take courage that God is the same from then until now. he sees the difficulties we experience as we serve him. He sees the pain and hurt that comes with service. He sees the sacrifices we make, and the persecutions we experience as we serve him. And he will continue to equip us and give us what we need to continue serving Him. We just need to trust in him and have faith.

Do I love God? How do I express my love for Him? Do I love and serve him through other people? How do I treat others? How can I make God more alive and more real in this world? How does God want me to show and prove my love to him, especially to people around me? 

May we realize that we should serve others and be steadfast with the challenges that come with it.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another day to experience your love. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you to others. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I fail to love and serve others. Sorry for making excuses not to. Sorry for not living my profession of love and service to you. help me be like Jesus. Help me live my love for you by loving and serving other people. Help me make your love more alive and more real in this world. In a special way, as we celebrate our fourth year of being married, I thank you, and I will continue to see you in and serve you through my wife. I ask that you continue to bless us and be with us. I will continue to make my love for you real and alive in and through her. I also ask that you always equip me to love you and do your work. All this I ask in faith in the mighty name of your Son Jesus through the intercession of Mama Mary. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

July 25 2019

 July 24  |  July 26 »

Feast of Saint James, Apostle
Lectionary: 605

Reading 1 2 COR 4:7-15

Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 126:1BC-2AB, 2CD-3, 4-5, 6

R.(5) Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Alleluia SEE JN 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 20:20-28

The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her,
"What do you wish?"
She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."
Jesus said in reply,
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
He replied,
"My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."