Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Great Faith in God’s Great Power

 

The WORD today reminds me that I should have great faith in God's great power. 

The Superbowl is one of the greatest sporting event in the world. A lot of people watch it. Great artists prepare well for the intermissions. Only great and popular artists perform. Companies pay milions to have their advertisements shown during the halftime. That’s how big it is. It is one event people look forward to. And today we see in the first reading what some call the superbowl of faith. It is one of my favourite faith stories in the Bible.

Who is Elijah? He is THE prophet! Remember during transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. Moses represented the law, Elijah represented the prophets. Ganun sya ka astig! =) Sinasabi pa nga dati na si Elijah yung babalik from Heaven when the time comes. Because that is how he left - being carried away to heaven in a chariot.

Anyway, the story shows God’s great power unleashed by Elijah’s great faith.

In the reading, the 450 prophets of Baal took the whole day – dancing, praying, shouting and even hurting themselves so Baal would listen to them and accept their sacrifice. All this time, Elijah was just watching, and even taunted them to shout louder because Baal might be doing something else. Then when the time came, we see Elijah’s faith and confidence in God. He did not just immediately pray. He asked that four jars of water be poured on the offering, not once but three times. Then he prayed. Immediately, God sent fire to consume the offering, including the overflowing water. Astig talaga si God! He rewarded Elijah's great faith in Him.

Elijah’s purpose in this is not to make himself known. Hindi para sumikat sya na may powers, or na malakas kay God. His intention was for the people to make the decision – to follow Baal or to follow God. Kailangang pumili, hindi pwedeng best of both worlds. Elijah had faith that God will help him as he serves him and asks the people to decide. This faith of Elijah, kahit na 450 prophets ni Baal yung kalaban nya at inasar pa nya, tapos pinalagyan pa nya ng madaming tubig yung offering, enabled God to manifest his great power.  This event converted many people to the faith, not formally, but they made the choice to follow God. They proclaimed that “The LORD is GOD.” 

The condition for a miracle is difficulty. The condition for a great miracle is impossibility. And we saw a great miracle in the story. 

Where do we see ourselves in the story?

Are we like Elijah, who is actively serving God and having faith in God and his great powers kahit na in the sense of the world, mas madami yung kalaban ni God? Natatakot ba tayo pag mukhang malakas yung kalaban or mukhang alanganin tayo? Are we confident enough with our faith in God, and in our God in whatever we are facing? 

Are we like the people who are undecided wether to follow Baal or God?  Do we claim to follow God in some aspects, but cling to other gods as well in forms of horoscopes, predictions of the future, and the like? Are we following God only on aspects of faith that are comfortable and beneficial to us, but not on doctrines that require more from us, like going to mass, confession, forgiveness, etc? When will we take a stand and choose?

We are encouraged to have faith like Elijah. We can have faith like Elijah. Tao lang din naman sya eh, parang tayo! He is not an angel, nor someone who came down from heaven. We can have faith like Elijah’s if we pray, work hard in building and strengthening our faith and relationship with God. Eto nanaman ulit – nanjan ang bible na dapat natin basahin at gamitin. There’s the mass. We have the sacraments that will help us grow deeper in the faith. The things that we need are readily available, we just need to make the decision – decision to choose God and to improve and strengthen our faith and our relationship with him. As we do this, then we can be used by God, like Elijah, to bring others to Him.

Nowadays, it is more important to have this faith. Situation is very challenging. Probably similar to the situation faced by Elijah. However, this is when we should have firm faith. This is where we hold on tighter to God and his love and power. This is when our faith will be affirmed and God’s love and power will shine - despite the seemingly strong opposition by the ruler of the world. God is more powerful. We should have faith. 

Do I have faith in God? How? When? Do I trust in him when the situation seems impossible, or do I just trust in him in simple situations? In what instances in my life has God proven his love and power? What prevents me from trusting in him wholeheartedly? How can I increase my faith? How do I feel with the pandemic? What is God telling me today? 

May we be inspired and moved to make the decision to follow, love, and serve God. And may we work on our faith so it will be easier for God to use us. 

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the beautiful reminder. Thank you for your great love and great power. Lord, I am sorry for not choosing you all the time. Sorry Lord that minsan, hindi buo ang pagsunod ko sa inyo. Hindi buo ang pag lilingkod ko sa inyo. Lord, I ask that you help me make the decision. Alam ko naman kung ano yung dapat eh, I just need to make the decision to stick to it and choose you everytime. Thank you Lord for the gift of faith, and I ask you to help me strengthen my faith. I know that as I choose you, my faith will be strengthened and you will use me to unleash your great power and bring people to you. Use me to glorify your name and bring others to you. May my faith shine especially this time where things are dark. All this I ask in faith in Jesus name, Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,
-g-

Daily Readings

Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 361

Reading I

Ahab sent to all the children of Israel
and had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel.

Elijah appealed to all the people and said,
“How long will you straddle the issue?
If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.”
The people, however, did not answer him.
So Elijah said to the people,
“I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD,
and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.
Give us two young bulls.
Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood,
but start no fire.
I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood,
but shall start no fire.
You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the LORD.
The God who answers with fire is God.”
All the people answered, “Agreed!”

Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal,
“Choose one young bull and prepare it first,
for there are more of you.
Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire.”
Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it
and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying,
“Answer us, Baal!”
But there was no sound, and no one answering.
And they hopped around the altar they had prepared.
When it was noon, Elijah taunted them:
“Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating,
or may have retired, or may be on a journey.
Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”
They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears,
as was their custom, until blood gushed over them.
Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic state
until the time for offering sacrifice.
But there was not a sound;
no one answered, and no one was listening.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.”
When the people had done so, he repaired the altar of the LORD
that had been destroyed.
He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob,
to whom the LORD had said, “Your name shall be Israel.”
He built an altar in honor of the LORD with the stones,
and made a trench around the altar
large enough for two measures of grain.
When he had arranged the wood,
he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood.
“Fill four jars with water,” he said,
“and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood.”
“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.
“Do it a third time,” he said,
and they did it a third time.
The water flowed around the altar,
and the trench was filled with the water.

At the time for offering sacrifice,
the prophet Elijah came forward and said,
“LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
let it be known this day that you are God in Israel
and that I am your servant
and have done all these things by your command.
Answer me, LORD!
Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God
and that you have brought them back to their senses.”
The LORD’s fire came down
and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust,
and it lapped up the water in the trench.
Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said,
“The LORD is God! The LORD is God!”

Responsorial Psalm

R. (1b) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
They multiply their sorrows
who court other gods.
Blood libations to them I will not pour out,
nor will I take their names upon my lips.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
O LORD, my allotted portion and cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
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.
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.

 

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Teach me your paths, my God,
and guide me in your truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”





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