Monday, July 5, 2021

Effort, Humility, and Faith


The WORD today reminds me how powerful faith is, especially if we give our best effort and humble ourselves before God. 

When I was in school, I did my best to get good grades. I study and do my homework. However, not all questions in the tests were from what you studied. Life is full of surprises, and some tests are like that as well. In Math, there were surprise questions, equations and problems you did not discuss in class. During these times, I just did my best and wrote something. Kahit feeling ko mali yung ginagawa ko. Kahit maling formula or nonsense, sige lang. Best effort. And surprisingly, some teachers give effort points for trying. This is probably how God wants us to act in our spiritual life. 

Minsan, kailangan mo lang mag effort sa pananampalataya. 

Effort. 

In the gospel, we see two accounts of healing. The woman who has had hemorrhage for 12 years, and a dead little girl. But before the actual healing took place, these people made the effort to ask for healing. The little girl's father travelled far just to see Jesus. The woman made the effort to get behind Jesus, despite her condition and despite the number of people following Jesus at that time. 

Humility. 

They also had humility. The father was an official. He was powerful. He was important. He could have sent his servants to ask Jesus. He could have asked powerful people to bring Jesus to him. But no. He was humble. He went to Jesus and knelt down as a sign of respect. The woman was also humble. She did not shout to get Jesus attention. She did not make a scene or begged. She just simple touched whatever part of Jesus she can. 

Faith.

These two things, together with faith, are very powerful. Jesus was able to bring the dead child back to life. And Jesus, even through just the tassel of his cloak, was able to heal the woman. They had great faith in Jesus. And they were not disappointed. They had the right attitude and disposition, and God rewarded them. 

This is how we should act. This is how we should live. We should make the effort to know God more. We should make the effort to seek him and go to him. The bible says that if we seek him with all of our heart, we will find him. We need to make the effort and do our part, and not expect God to come to us. We should also humble ourselves before God. We should know our place. He is God. We should not ask him to do things for us. He is God, not us. And finally, we should always, always have faith. Even if it does not make sense. Even if it seems hopeless. Even when we feel helpless. God is all powerful. God is all loving. We should just have faith in us. 

How is my relationship with God? What are my concerns in life? Do I make the effort to seek God and come to him, or do I expect God to find me and come to me? When faced with problems, do I take active steps to be closer to God, or do I just pray and ask that he help me? Do I humble myself before God, or do I expect God to serve me and give me all I pray for? And do I have faith in God, especially when situations are tough like now? Or do I feel that the world is more powerful than God?

May we be inspired and reminded to make the effort for God, to humble ourselves before him, and to always have faith in Him. 

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 another week! Lord, thank you for the reminder. Sorry for the times, for the many times I don't do this. Sorry for not making enough effort for you and just waiting for you to go to me. Sorry for not humbling myself before you, and expecting you to give me my desires. Sorry for not having enough faith in you, for thinking that you cannot do anything anymore. Help me be like the people in the gospel. From now on, I commit to make the effort to go to you and get to know you more. I commit to humble myself before you and surrender to you. And I will always have faith in your great power and your great love. Amen. 

Blessed Week!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
See related reflections:

July 05, 2021
Monday of Week 14; St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria 

FIRST READING

Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran. When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set, he stopped there for the night. Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep at that spot. Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and God’s messengers were going up and down on it. And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying: “I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants. These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth, and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south. In you and your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing. Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.” 

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed, “Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!” In solemn wonder he cried out: “How awesome is this shrine! This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven!” Early the next morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head, set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it. He called the site Bethel, whereas the former name of the town had been Luz. 

Jacob then made this vow: “If God remains with me, to protect me on this journey I am making and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back safe to my father’s house, the LORD shall be my God. This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God’s abode.”


RESPONSORIAL PSALM

R. (see 2b) In you, my God, I place my trust. 

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, Say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 

R. In you, my God, I place my trust. 

For he will rescue you from the snare of the fowler, from the destroying pestilence. With his pinions he will cover you, and under his wings you shall take refuge. 

R. In you, my God, I place my trust. 

Because he clings to me, I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in distress. 

R. In you, my God, I place my trust.


ALLELUIA

R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel. 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.


GOSPEL

While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. 

When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land.


No comments:

Post a Comment