Saturday, February 19, 2022

Filled To Give



The WORD today reminds me that as God fills me, I should be ready to give back to others. 

When we experience great moments, we want to stay there forever. Major accomplishments and achievements. Happy moments. Family celebrations. Graduation. Promotion. Wedding. Surprise party. Retreats. These are moments we wish we could stay in forever. However, it is not possible. We have to go back to reality and continue with life. This is probably the three felt in the gospel. 

In the gospel, we see an account of Jesus’ transfiguration. Jesus chose to reveal a glimpse of his glory to three of his closest friends, the big three of the apostles – Peter, James and John. They saw Jesus transfigured, and saw Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets, with him. What an amazing sight it must have been. Then to cap it off, they heard God’s voice – “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.”  Probably they were thinking that Wow! this Jesus is indeed the real thing. 

We see how great and powerful God is. We see how anointed and glorious Jesus is. This should lead us to remember and be thankful to Jesus and God. God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to be separated with him in his glory and become one like us. How special we really are!

However, this should not end here. We cannot freeze that moment. We have to get back to reality. We have to get back to life and act, and get our hands dirty. Knowing how great God is, knowing how glorious Jesus is, is not enough. In the latter part of the gospel, the three wanted to build tents and stay in the mountain. Of course, it was such a glorious sight, a spiritually high moment. But Jesus said no. Jesus asked them to come down the mountain. What does it tell us? Just as Jesus told the three to go down, we too should go back to reality. We should go back into the world and live the gospelPreach the gospel. It is not enough that we know and experience how great God is. We should also go back and proclaim him to other people. That’s the challenge. That’s the work we need to do.

Do I believe God is really all powerful, all glorious? Do I know and appreciate how much God loves me? When do I experience God in a special way? Am I willing to go back to reality and work to proclaim his greatness? Where is he calling me to preach? How? Do I have faith in Him?

May we always remember how great God is, and may this lead us into serving him by proclaiming him to others. 

Father God,
Thank you today. thank you for giving me another day to live and to serve you. Thank you for another weekend. Thank you for reminding me of how great the God I am serving. Sorry for the times I get contented with just knowing you. Sorry for the times I am unwilling to act for you. Lord, help me respond to your call. Alam ko mahirap, minsan gusto ko nalang magdasal mag isa, or masaya na ako sa experience ko sa iyo, or I just want to live right and not care about others. But Lord, I know you want me to act. I know you want me to move. I know you want me to make disciples for you. So I ask you Lord to give me faith to step out of my comfort zone and do what you want, so I can do my part in building your kingdom. Bless my work. Bless my actions.  Amen.

Blessed Weekend!

In Christ,
-g-


Daily Readings

Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 340

Reading I

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,
for you realize that we will be judged more strictly,
for we all fall short in many respects.
If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man,
able to bridle the whole body also.
If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us,
we also guide their whole bodies.
It is the same with ships:
even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds,
they are steered by a very small rudder
wherever the pilot’s inclination wishes.
In the same way the tongue is a small member
and yet has great pretensions.

Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze.
The tongue is also a fire.
It exists among our members as a world of malice,
defiling the whole body
and setting the entire course of our lives on fire,
itself set on fire by Gehenna.
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature,
can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species,
but no man can tame the tongue.
It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless the Lord and Father,
and with it we curse men
who are made in the likeness of God.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.
My brothers and sisters, this need not be so.  

Responsorial Psalm 

R.        (8a)  You will protect us, Lord.
Help, O LORD! for no one now is dutiful;
            faithfulness has vanished from among the children of men.
Everyone speaks falsehood to his neighbor;
            with smooth lips they speak, and double heart.
R.        You will protect us, Lord.
May the LORD destroy all smooth lips,
            every boastful tongue,
Those who say, “We are heroes with our tongues;
            our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
R.        You will protect us, Lord.
The promises of the LORD are sure,
            like tried silver, freed from dross, sevenfold refined.
You, O LORD, will keep us
            and preserve us always from this generation.
R.        You will protect us, Lord.

Alleluia

Alleluia, alleluia. 
The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered:
This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.
R.Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jesus took Peter, James, and John
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
then from the cloud came a voice,
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Suddenly, looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Then they asked him,
“Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things,
yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man
that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt?
But I tell you that Elijah has come
and they did to him whatever they pleased,
as it is written of him.”

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