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Thursday, May 20, 2021

Take Courage


The WORD today reminds me that God wants me to take courage and continue doing his work despite the challenges I face.

Some people say that when you get closer to God, life seems to be more challenging. It seems that God is allowing you to be tested and pruned. This is true. God's ways are not our ways. While Children are usually rewarded for doing good - some parents give toys, food or something the child wants to make him or her feel rewarded for doing good, for studying well, for acting properly; God does not always act that way. We see in the first reading that God wants us to continue doing good even if he might not immediately reward us for the good we are doing.

Serving God does not stop after one good deed.

After Paul gave a testimony to the people, which could have caused him his life, God appeared to him. However, unlike a parent rewarding the child with something happy and nice, God did not tell him to rest first. Instead, God told him to take courage, because he will continue to bear witness and suffer persecution in Rome. Working for God does not end after one good deed. God wants us to continue doing his work, especially despite the challenges that come with it.

Serving God is more powerful when done with love, despite the pain. 

God may not have directly affirmed Paul, but we know God is pleased. Service becomes more powerful if we continue to do it with love for God, despite the pain, challenges and discomfort we experience. God may not have immediately rewarded Paul, but we know the great reward waiting for him after his earthly death. This is important to remember, especially as we do God’s work. We may experience challenges one after another. We may think that God is mad or is not looking after us. We may even question what we do. Unlike Paul, we may not necessarily see or feel God, but we should take comfort in his words to Paul. In as much as Paul continued to suffer as he proclaimed God’s kingdom, we too should not be surprised if we continue to experience challenges and persecutions as we do God’s work.

Today, we can probably relate so much to this. We are still in a pandemic. We are worried. We feel helpless. However, these concerns should not stop us from doing good work. We should not stop doing God’s work. In fact, the more he needs us active right now. Despite our concerns, we should continue to help out others. Wr should continue to make others feel God’s blessings. 

Am I doing God’s work? Am I serving God? How? Do I experience pain and challenges as I do this? Do people treat me differently? Do I seem to miss on opportunities and connections because I do God’s work? How do I react in these situations? What is God telling me today? How does he want me to react? What does he want me to do?

May we take courage and continue doing God’s work despite the challenges that come with it.

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 the reminder. Lord, as a human being, it’s hard to continue when I do not get affirmation and encouragement from you. I may sometimes question what’s happening and even doubt myself. But Lord, today you remind me to take courage and just continue doing your work. Sorry for the times I get discouraged. Sorry for the times I let challenges and problems stop me or weigh me down. Help me be faithful to you, especially when times get tough. I ask that you continue to strengthen and guide me as I serve you. use me mightily, even if it will entail pain on me. Do not lessen my pain and suffering for you, I just ask that you help me and give me strength to bear them. Lord, this Covid 19 pandemic is very challenging. Tiring. But Lord, I ask that you continue to give me strength to face it, and to be a blessing to others despite if everything. Amen. 

Blessed Day!

In Christ,
-g-

May 20, 2021
7th Week of Easter - Thursday; St. Bernardine of Siena 

FIRST READING

Wishing to determine the truth about why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them. 

Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.” When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three. A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst and take him into the compound. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia. 

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.” O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. 

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia. 

I bless the LORD who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me. I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. 

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia. 

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence; Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption. 

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia. 

You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. 

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.

ALLELUIA

R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”

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