Sunday, October 31, 2021

With All I Have

The WORD today reminds me that I should love God with all that I have.

They say that if you won't do your best, don't do it at all. Just as important as what you do is how you do it. You should give your best. You should give your all - no matter how simple what you are doing is. Doing your best means you give your all - all you have, all you've got. You cannot control the outcome of everything, but you can control how you do it. You can control how much effort you give as you do it. This is true in different things in life, but especially in loving God.

God deserves our best, and we should give him that. We should give God our everything.

In the gospel and in the first reading, we see how God wants us to love him. Jesus wants us to love God with everything - all our heart, soul, mind and strength. He wants our whole being. He wants all of us, including all our imperfections. He wants us to love him and offer him everything, because only then can we experience his great love and power. He wants us to love him and surrender to him everything. We need not be holy as we love him. He accepts us as we are. And as we love him and give him everything, he will fill us with everything of his. And as this happen, we will feel his love and power and we will be transformed to be more and more like him.

Loving God with all we've got is not easy. But it surely is necessary for us to realize and experience all his love as well. And still in the gospel, we see the second greatest commandment and a concrete way if how we can love God - by loving our neighbor. We should concretize and live our love for God. We should make it real by loving others. We should make it real by being God's ambassadors here on earth and by making God's love more real and more alive, especially during this pandemic.

Do I love God? Is he first in my life or do I have more important priorities? How do I live my love for him? Do I serve him through others? Do I give him the best I can, in all aspects of my life? Is my life pleasing to Him? How do I show my love for God through others, especially during this pandemic?

May we give God our everything, and make his love more real and alive in this world.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another Sunday. Thank you for your reminder of how I should love you. Lord, i am sorry for the times i don't love and serve you with all I have. Sorry for holding back my actions for you. Sorry for giving excuses - that I'm busy, that i'm tired, that I do other good things anyway. Help me surrender to you. Help me love you, not the way i want to love you, but the way you want me to love you. As I surrender, as I love you, I ask that you make me more and more like you. Help me make your love more alive and more real in this world as I love others. May you be pleased with me, my actions, and how I love you. Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

See related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2017/01/always-able.html

Daily Readings

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 152

Reading I

Dt 6:2-6

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
"Fear the LORD, your God,
and keep, throughout the days of your lives,
all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you,
and thus have long life.
Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them,
that you may grow and prosper the more,
in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers,
to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.

"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today."

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51

R. (2)   I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
   O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
My God, my rock of refuge,
   my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
   and I am safe from my enemies.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
The LORD lives! And blessed be my rock!
   Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
   and showed kindness to your anointed.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

Reading II

Heb 7:23-28

Brothers and sisters:
The levitical priests were many
because they were prevented by death from remaining in office,
but Jesus, because he remains forever,
has a priesthood that does not pass away.
Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.

It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son,
who has been made perfect forever.

Alleluia

Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 12:28b-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Saturday, October 30, 2021

Humble

The WORD today reminds me that I should always be humble, especially before God.

They say that humility is not about thinking less of yourself, but rather, thinking of yourself less.

All of us were made by God. All of us are God’s masterpieces. All of us are special. This is why we should not think less of ourselves. We should not look down on ourselves and feel we are useless or very common with nothing to contribute to the world, or that we are inferior compared to others.

We should, however, think of ourselves less. We should think of others more. We should not get in our heads all that we have accomplished in this world. We should not expect special treatment and extra courtesy just because of worldly achievements, power and fame. We should be more sensitive to others. We should think of others more. As we think of others more, we think of God more.

In the gospel, Jesus tells the Pharisees to humble themselves. Those who exalts themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. We should know our place in front of God. We should be ready to humble ourselves are remember that we are nothing before God.

Lahat ng meron ka ay galing sa Diyos.

No human achievement, no human power, no human fame and fortune is enough reason to be proud. We all achieved these things with God’s grace. We all obtained these things with God’s permission. We should not be proud and tell God we are self-made, successful and powerful.

What are my greatest achievements and accomplishments in life? How do I feel about these? Do I feel that I worked hard for these and that I deserve these things? Or do I know that God blessed me and allowed these things to happen? Am I too proud of what I have become, or do I still humble myself before God?

May we develop a humble heart as we serve God, and be humble and gracious to others as well.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another weekend. Thank you for reminding me how important it is to be humble. Sorry for the times I let worldly things and achievements get to me. Sorry for being proud and losing my focus on you. Help me always put the focus on you, that despite all my worldly accomplishments, may I never put myself above others but always be humble. I know that I am a sinner, I am your creation that should always be ready to serve you and live my life for your praise, honor and glory. As I humble myself, help me be humble and love and serve you through others. Amen.

Blessed Weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

See related reflection:

https://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2016/10/thirsty.html

Daily Readings

Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 484

Reading I

Rom 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29

Brothers and sisters:
I ask, then, has God rejected his people?
Of course not!
For I too am a child of Israel, a descendant of Abraham,
of the tribe of Benjamin.
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.
Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah,
how he pleads with God against Israel?

Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall?
Of course not!
But through their transgression
salvation has come to the Gentiles,
so as to make them jealous.
Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world,
and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles,
how much more their full number.

I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers and sisters,
so that you will not become wise in your own estimation:
a hardening has come upon Israel in part,
until the full number of the Gentiles comes in,
and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

The deliverer will come out of Zion,
he will turn away godlessness from Jacob;
and this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.

In respect to the Gospel, they are enemies on your account;
but in respect to election,
they are beloved because of the patriarch.
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

Responsorial Psalm

94:12-13a, 14-15, 17-18

R. (14a) The Lord will not abandon his people.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.
Were not the LORD my help,
my soul would soon dwell in the silent grave.
When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.

Alleluia

Mt 11:29ab

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
For I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 14:1, 7-11

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
‘Give your place to this man,’
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Friday, October 29, 2021

Cant Stop Him

The WORD today reminds me that what other people think cannot stop God from fulfilling his saving plans for us.

Sometimes we feel that a single mistake or missed opportunity caused us to lose on something. Sometimes we feel that our past mistakes prevent us from having a great future. Sometimes we feel that because we do not have the right connections or the right opportunities, we will not succeed. Sometimes we feel that because of an incident or a decision, we missed the opportunity to grow. This may be true in some aspect, but not with God’s kingdom.

What other people think or do cannot stop God from fulfilling his great and saving plans for us.

In the gospel, we see Jesus healing a man on a Sabbath, in the house of a leading Pharisee. There were many things that could have prevented it – the law prohibiting healing or work to be done on a Sabbath, the Pharisees disagreement with Jesus’ actions, and the situation having Jesus in the territory of the Pharisees. However, these things did not stop Jesus’ healing the man. These things did not delay God’s saving and healing plan for the man.

Nothing and no one is powerful enough to stop God’s plan for you.

No matter what other people say, no matter what the situation may be, no matter what other people do – these things cannot stop God’s great plans for us. Even if people oppose us, even if people bring us down, even if situations challenge us, these cannot stop God’s great plans for us. God’s love and power are greater than all of these combined.

This is a good reminder during these times. We may feel frustrated with how the people in power seem to be responding to the pandemic. They’re still focusing on other things - on elections, politics, and corruption. However, God is still and always in control. His plans cannot be stopped by humans. We should not be frustrated or scared, but just trust in Him and do what we can for Him.

What are my concerns? Do I regret past decisions and actions? Do I feel previous decisions and actions led me to miss out on opportunities? Do I feel that other people delay my growth and prohibit opportunities? What is God reminding me today?

May we be assured that God is not limited by a perfect situation. He does not need a perfect environment for his plans to come to fruition. And may this inspire us to continue trusting in him, and continue to do our best to live right as we wait on his perfect plans for us.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love you and experience your love. Thank you for a very powerful reminder that no one and nothing can stop you from fulfilling your great plans for me. Lord, I am sorry for the times I am impatient and doubt your great plans for me. Sorry for the times I feel that I am trapped, that you cannot do anything for me because of the situation I am in. Sorry for thinking you are like a human being with limitations on external factors. Give me faith. Help me develop and strengthen my faith in you. May I have that great faith in you for I know that nothing and no one can stop your great plans for me. and as I wait for your plans to come true in my life, I will continue to love you, I will continue to serve you, I will continue my best to live right for you. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

see related reflection:

https://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2017/11/wrong-focus.html

Daily Readings

Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 483

Reading I

Rom 9:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are children of Israel;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm

147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Alleluia

Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 14:1-6

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”
But they were unable to answer his question.