The
WORD today reminds me that
God wants me to have childlike faith in Him.
Young children usually obey
their parents. When they are asked to be quiet, to do or not to do something,
they don't usually ask why. Sometimes they do, but even if they don't fully understand the explanation of
their parents, they still obey. They still follow. They respect
their parents. Hindi sila pasaway na gagawin ang gusto nila. This attitude is
what God wants us to have. This is what God wants us to be - childlike.
In the gospel, Jesus said that
God did not reveal things to the wise and learned of the world. Instead, he
revealed them to the childlike.
What
is being childlike? A childlike attitude
puts full faith and trust in the parents
Kapag
bata, walang choice eh. The child needs to rely on the parents to walk, stand
up, eat, etc. Ganun nalang yung dependency nya sa magulang. Ganun nalang yung
tiwala nya sa magulang. Complete faith.
A
childish attitude is the opposite.
It
is when a person wants to have things their
way. Kapag hindi nakuha ang gusto, magdadabog o magagalit. Gusto
laging masunod. The focus is on the self.
This
is why God blessed the childlike. He blessed those who relied on Him, instead of relying on their
own personal achievements. He blessed those who know that they are nothing and
everything that they have is from God, not those who think highly of themselves
because of their accomplishments and credentials. And in the gospel, Jesus said
that God revealed himself to the childlike and not to the learned. Because the
childlike have open hearts ready to welcome Him and will not argue with him or
push him away.
God
wants us to have that childlike faith – faith that will humble ourselves and
totally rely on and trust in Him,
knowing that He is the only one who loves us enough to die for us and save us
from our sin, and that everything happening will lead to a full life in Him.
Are
you childlike or childish? Are you proud of your own accomplishments and
credentials that you forget the source of all those? Do you get mad at God when
things don’t go your way, or when you don’t understand everything that is
happening? Do you have full faith in God, confidently walking with him even if
you can only see until the next step, knowing that He will be there every step
of the way? Do you believe the psalmist when he says that God will not abandon
his people, including you?
May we
be sensitive to how we react to God, and work on having and pray for a
childlike faith and attitude towards God.
Father
God,
Thank
you for today. Thank you for another day to live and to experience your love.
Thank you for reminding me the importance of being childlike and not childish.
Lord, sorry for the many times I act childish. Sorry for getting mad at you
when things do not go my way. Sorry for wanting things my way. Sorry for not
having faith in you. Increase my faith. May I always trust in you, especially
when things are challenging. A lot of times, I do not understand what is
happening and how all these could turn into something great. But Lord, i have
faith that you can see, and that as long as I cooperate in your plan, things
will turn out great. May I develop that childlike faith as I live my life in service
of you. Amen.
Blessed
Day!
In
Christ,
-g-
December 3 2019
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Memorial
of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
Lectionary: 176
Reading 1 IS 11:1-10
On
that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land's afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra's den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land's afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra's den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
R.(see
7) Justice shall flourish in his
time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
He shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
He shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, our Lord shall come with power;
he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, our Lord shall come with power;
he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 10:21-24
Jesus
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."
"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."
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