The WORD today inspires me to work on my faith until God's words become sweet to my mouth and my soul.
Children generally like sweets. Candies, chocolates, cakes, ice cream – these are happy food for children. I remember the lyrics of a song by 50 cent – “I love you like a fat kid love cake.” And even for a lot of adult people like me, these are comfort food until now – food we don’t really want to eat because of the calories that make us gain unwanted weight, but when stressed or tired, generally make us feel happy. Comfort food. Reward food. Happy food. This is how we should feel about God's words.
In the first reading, we see how sweet God’s word is to the mouth.
He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat. Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
And in the psalm, we continue to see declaration of how sweet God’s promise is.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
How sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Wow, How sweet God’s word is. How sweet his promises are. When he says he has great plans for us, that should be sweet. When he says he will always be there for us, to bless and protect us, that is sweet. When he says with Him, nothing is impossible, that is sweet. When he says that he will give us eternal life, that is sweet. His word, the bible, is full of sweet promises. Inspiring words. Strengthening and encouraging us to move forward and face the challenges. But we need to know it. We need to read and understand, so we would know and feel it alive in our lives.
The gospel tell us how this can happen. How we can be so excited to hear and know god's words. We should be like children. Childlike faith. That will trust in God's words. That will Trust in God's promises. That will focus on and listen to God, not on what is happening around us.
What is happening nowadays may not be sweet. Pandemic is very much alive in our country. Government does not seem to have a plan or doesn’t seem to care as much, and are more concerned on other matters. Allegations of billions worth of corruption are there. However, in as much as these are present, God is present as well. His words tell us that he is still in control. That he loves us. That he has plans for us. We should just continue to have faith, and continue to let his sweet words sustain us and move us forward.
What is happening nowadays may not be sweet. Pandemic is very much alive in our country. Government does not seem to have a plan or doesn’t seem to care as much, and are more concerned on other matters. Allegations of billions worth of corruption are there. However, in as much as these are present, God is present as well. His words tell us that he is still in control. That he loves us. That he has plans for us. We should just continue to have faith, and continue to let his sweet words sustain us and move us forward.
How do we see God’s word? How do we feel when we hear God’s promises to us? Are we too busy to read God’s word, or do we give it it’s due importance in life? when God tells us he has great plans for us, and he promises salvation to those who come to him, do we feel impatient because we don’t want to wait for it to happen? Do we feel anxious because these may not be what we want to happen in our lives? Or do we feel excited, and feel want more of his word and his promises?
May we be inspired and challenged to work on our faith on and relationship with God, so his words will always be sweet not only to our mouth but to our soul as well.
Father God,
Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another day to love you, to feel you, to get closer to you. Lord, I am sorry for not giving importance to you and your word. Sorry for justifying my not being able to read and bask in your word with my being busy and tired. Help me feel and realize your sweet words in my life. Grant me a heart Lord that would always want you and desire you. May I have childlike faith and heart, that your every word and promise would be sweet to me. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
Ps
See related reflection:
August 11, 2020
Tuesday of Week 19; St. Clare
FIRST READING
The Lord GOD said to me:
As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you: be not rebellious like this house of rebellion, but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you.
It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me, in which was a written scroll which he unrolled before me. It was covered with writing front and back, and written on it was: Lamentation and wailing and woe!
He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat. Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.
As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you: be not rebellious like this house of rebellion, but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you.
It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me, in which was a written scroll which he unrolled before me. It was covered with writing front and back, and written on it was: Lamentation and wailing and woe!
He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat. Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. (103a) How sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice, as much as in all riches.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Yes, your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Your decrees are my inheritance forever; the joy of my heart they are.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
I gasp with open mouth, in my yearning for your commands.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice, as much as in all riches.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Yes, your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Your decrees are my inheritance forever; the joy of my heart they are.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
I gasp with open mouth, in my yearning for your commands.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
ALLELUIA
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”
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