Sunday, May 1, 2022

Faith Amidst Questions


The WORD today reminds me that I should stick to God and have faith especially when I have a lot of questions and I do not understand what is happening. 

Children do not know anything when they come into the world. They have to learn everything. They are taught how to walk, to run, to crawl, etc. However, they do not get it in one try. It takes time. Effort. Practice. But they keep on trying. They just do what their parents ask them to do. They trust their parents. And eventually, they learn these things. This is how we should act towards God. 

We should not give up and instead, hold on to God, especially when we do not understand what is happening in life. 

The apostles did not understand what Jesus was telling them when he was still with them. Yet, they continued to follow him. they continued to spend time with him. In the gospel, they did not understand why Jesus told them to to lower the nets when they were not able to catch fish overnight. But they obeyed. They were rewarded also in the gospel when Jesus rose from the dead and opened their minds to understand the scriptures. How rewarding it must have been to understand the Scriptures and what Jesus has been teaching them! Though they did not understand things when Jesus was with them, they did not let go of their faith. They did their best. They trusted in Jesus. And eventually they were rewarded. 

When God uses us, when things finally makes sense, he will also use us in a great way. We see in the first reading that Peter, the one who went away and denied Jesus three times, testified for Jesus. He proclaimed Jesus to a lot of people. After understanding the scripture, God used him mightily. And he was able to glorify God. 

I am reminded to be patient when I do not understand things that are happening in life. That I should be patient when I do not understand everything I read in the bible. I am encouraged to be like the apostles, who continued to spend time with him even if they did not understand everything he was teaching. I need to continuously spend time with God in prayer and continue to build the relationship with Him, having faith that in the right time, he too will open my mind to understand the scriptures and to understand his purpose, plan, and wisdom. We may not understand why things in this pandemic are the way they are, but we still need to trust in God. He knows. 

How do I react when I don’t understand the bible? What do I do when I can’t seem to understand God? Do I give up on him and walk away, or do I continue to spend time with him, knowing in faith that in his perfect time, he would reveal things to me? What is God telling me today, especially regarding this pandemic?

May we be patient and continue to hold on to and have faith in him, especially when we do not understand things in life. 

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another Sunday! Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I give up. Sorry for being impatient and not trusting in you enough. Sorry for the times I want things done my way, my time. Help me act like the apostles. Help me be patient. Give me faith in you. May I continue to love and trust you no matter what. Help me do my best and hold on to you. I know that in your perfect time, things will make sense and you will use me mightily. Amen. 

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
See related reflection:



Daily Readings

Third Sunday of Easter

Lectionary: 48

When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders, did we not,
to stop teaching in that name?
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles
to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

Responsorial Psalm 

R  (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
 Alleluia.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
            and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
            you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
 I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
 Alleluia.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
            and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
            a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
            but with the dawn, rejoicing.
 I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
 Alleluia.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
            O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
            O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
 I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
 Alleluia.

Reading II

I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels
who surrounded the throne
and the living creatures and the elders.
They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:
            “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
                        to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,
                        honor and glory and blessing.”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and in the sea,
everything in the universe, cry out:
            “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
                        be blessing and honor, glory and might,
                        forever and ever.”
The four living creatures answered, “Amen, “
and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ is risen, creator of all;
he has shown pity on all people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”





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