The WORD today reminds me how my faith should be - Strong, humble, and
persistent.
In
the gospel, we saw a woman we should imitate. She showed great humility, persistence, and strong faith.
This is one of the few times Jesus actually “tests” a person. Usually, Jesus
immediately grants people’s requests – for healing from sickness and disease,
from freedom from evil spirits, even from death. However, today’s gospel shows
us a different side of Jesus. His approach initially seems tough. “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to
take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” – meaning
Jews first, the chosen people. Sila muna ang tutulungan ko, tsaka na kayo.
It doesn’t stop there. Jesus even compares her (being a Greek makes her a
non Jew, a gentile) to a dog. Grabe diba, request denied na nga, tapos
kinumpara pa sa aso.
Did
she stop there? Of course not!
Hindi porke di mo agad nakuha ang pinag dadasal mo,
titigil ka na. Minsan gusto siguro makita ng Diyos gaano mo ka gusto and
pinagdadasal mo, at gaano kalakas ang tiwala mo sa kanya.
It’s inspiring how
great the woman’s faith, persistence and humility.
She was humble to come to him for her
daughter’s healing, and was humble enough to accept and not be offended by
Jesus words. Even though she did not get a warm treatment, she did not back
down. Then we saw her faith, na kahit parang nireject na
sya ni Jesus, she still believed.
We also saw her persistence. She
did not just leave. She humbly insisted on her request. on her faith. Sabi nya
“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the
children’s scraps.” Kung baga, sabi nya, OK lang Lord na kung tingin mo aso kami, pero may faith
parin ako na kahit konti, kahit tira tira nalang ng para sa Jews, ay makakapag
pagaling sa anak ko. And when Jesus told her that her daughter is
free from the demon, she did not say “Lord, sumama ka naman sakin para sure” or
“Lord, are you sure?” She just went home.
She had great faith in Jesus that she was confident on the power of the mere
words of Jesus.
Hindi lahat ng bagay nakukuha sa isang dasal. Minsan
kailangang magpakumbaba pa, magdasal pa, at mangulit pa. Pero dapat buo ang
tiwala sa Diyos.
How
about us? How do we react When God seem to say “no” to our requests, even if we
feel that our request is for our good, or for other people’s good, what do we
tell him? Do we get mad, insisting that what we are asking is a good thing, or
do we humbly accept his will but keeping the faith? Do we respectfully ask in
faith, or are we proud, demanding that God grant our requests because we feel
we are entitled to it?
May
we always remember to have complete faith in God, yet humble enough to know and
accept that His will is perfect, even if it does not seem to coincide with ours
Father God,
Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live.
Thank you for the inspiring reminder. Lord, I thank you for reminding me how
important faith, humility and persistence are. Thank you for inspiring and
challenging me, Lord. I am sorry for the times I act like a spoiled child –
wanting things done my way, wanting prayers to be answered my way and in my
time. Lord, I pray that you help me have a heart like the woman. May my faith
be firm, even when you’re not answering me the way I want to. May I be
persistent in praying even when I don’t seem to get what I want. And may I
always be humble to submit to your perfect will, not mine, especially when my
will is different from yours. Amen
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
February 13 2020
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12 | February
14 »
Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 332
Lectionary: 332
Reading
1 1 KGS 11:4-13
When
Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to strange gods,
and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God,
as the heart of his father David had been.
By adoring Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians,
and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites,
Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD;
he did not follow him unreservedly as his father David had done.
Solomon then built a high place to Chemosh, the idol of Moab,
and to Molech, the idol of the Ammonites,
on the hill opposite Jerusalem.
He did the same for all his foreign wives
who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
The LORD, therefore, became angry with Solomon,
because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel,
who had appeared to him twice
(for though the LORD had forbidden him
this very act of following strange gods,
Solomon had not obeyed him).
and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God,
as the heart of his father David had been.
By adoring Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians,
and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites,
Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD;
he did not follow him unreservedly as his father David had done.
Solomon then built a high place to Chemosh, the idol of Moab,
and to Molech, the idol of the Ammonites,
on the hill opposite Jerusalem.
He did the same for all his foreign wives
who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
The LORD, therefore, became angry with Solomon,
because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel,
who had appeared to him twice
(for though the LORD had forbidden him
this very act of following strange gods,
Solomon had not obeyed him).
So
the LORD said to Solomon: “Since this is what you want,
and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes
which I enjoined on you,
I will deprive you of the kingdom and give it to your servant.
I will not do this during your lifetime, however,
for the sake of your father David;
it is your son whom I will deprive.
Nor will I take away the whole kingdom.
I will leave your son one tribe for the sake of my servant David
and of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes
which I enjoined on you,
I will deprive you of the kingdom and give it to your servant.
I will not do this during your lifetime, however,
for the sake of your father David;
it is your son whom I will deprive.
Nor will I take away the whole kingdom.
I will leave your son one tribe for the sake of my servant David
and of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
Responsorial
Psalm PS 106:3-4, 35-36, 37 AND 40
R.
(4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you
favor your people.
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people;
visit us with your saving help.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
But they mingled with the nations
and learned their works.
They served their idols,
which became a snare for them.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
And the LORD grew angry with his people,
and abhorred his inheritance.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people;
visit us with your saving help.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
But they mingled with the nations
and learned their works.
They served their idols,
which became a snare for them.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
And the LORD grew angry with his people,
and abhorred his inheritance.
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
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.
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MK
7:24-30
Jesus
went to the district of Tyre.
He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,
but he could not escape notice.
Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.
She came and fell at his feet.
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,
and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.
For it is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She replied and said to him,
“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.
The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed
and the demon gone.
He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,
but he could not escape notice.
Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.
She came and fell at his feet.
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,
and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.
For it is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She replied and said to him,
“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.
The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed
and the demon gone.
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