Who is God for Me?

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022119.cfm) makes me examine who God is in my life. 

Parents are very fond of their children, especially babies. And as they start to talk, parents love to ask their children to say their name. Daddy. Mommy. Papa. Mama. They love to their their children calling their name. They love the fact that their children know who they are. This is probably what God wants from us as his children. 

The gospel shows us Jesus asking the disciples the question: Who am I to you? He asked them who other people said he was, but it was really not important to Jesus. What matters to him is who his disciples see him for. Who he is to his disciples. Peter proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ of God. Jesus then affirmed it, and reminded them that even though he is such, he will have to suffer in the hands of people – telling them that they would suffer too as his followers, but with the assurance of victory when Jesus told them he will be raised on the third day.

Today, God is asking us the same question: Who am I to you? It does not matter what other people say Jesus is. It does not matter what sins we have committed in the past. It does not matter what we intend to do in our lives. What matters for Christ is our answer to his question. And we can only say he is our God if we have an intimate and personal relationship with him. if we don’t pray, if we don’t hear mass and take the sacraments, if we don’t read the bible, if we don’t experience Jesus, we cannot honestly say that he is our God. Probably we can say that other people say he is, or other people say he is a great and loving God, but unless we build an intimate relationship with Him, we cannot say the same.

We are challenged today.

Proclaiming who Jesus is for us is not a one time decision. we cannot just say he is our God and forget about it. We need to constantly work on our relationship with God. We need to constantly be conscious of how we live our lives. Our relationship with God today will not automatically extend until forever. We need to do our part. Otherwise, we may be like Peter who one moment proclaimed who Jesus was, and the other referred to as satan by Jesus because he was not willing to submit to God's plans.  

Who is Jesus to you? Who is Jesus in your life? Do you put Him first in your life? Do you believe that He is the all loving, all merciful, all powerful God? Do you believe that He can work great things to and through you? Do you work on your relationship with God? Do you do it constantly?

May we find it in our hearts to answer him like Peter did – that he is Christ the God, that he is God in our lives. May we work to have an intimate and personal relationship with Him, and work harder to maintain and grow it.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the reminder snd challenge. I praise and adore you for who you are. Lord, I am so blessed that you are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and that no matter what I do, you will not love me less. I am so grateful to be worshiping the same God that Peter worshiped, and I believe that you will use me in a mighty way the same way you used Peter for your glory. Lord, sorry for the times you are not God in my life. Sorry for putting others above you. Sorry for not having the desire and will to work on my relationship with you. Lord, I ask that you help me live proclaiming that you are the Messiah, that you are my God, so that I can bring people to you and glorify you. Help me build and sustain an intimate and personal relationship with you. This I ask in Jesus name, Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 21 2019

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 338

Reading 1 GN 9:1-13

God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them:
“Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth.
Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earth
and all the birds of the air,
upon all the creatures that move about on the ground
and all the fishes of the sea;
into your power they are delivered.
Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat;
I give them all to you as I did the green plants.
Only flesh with its lifeblood still in it you shall not eat.
For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting:
from every animal I will demand it,
and from one man in regard to his fellow man 
I will demand an accounting for human life.

If anyone sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed;
For in the image of God
has man been made.

Be fertile, then, and multiply;
abound on earth and subdue it.”

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”
God added:
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 AND 22-23

R. (20b)  From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
 The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence,
That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion,
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

Alleluia SEE JN 6:63C, 68C

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 8:27-33

Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”

Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” 

Not Giving Up on You

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022019.cfm) reminds me that Jesus will never give up on me. 

Almost everything in life should be learned. Even the simplest things. When we were kids, we did not know how to walk. It took multiple attempts and multiple failures before we were able to walk and run. Even eating. It was a slow process of learning how to eat. That is why we should never give up at once when we do not succeed. 

Jesus never gives up on us. 

In the gospel, the people brought a blind man to Jesus. It is interesting to see that Jesus took him away. He did not immediately heal him. He did not just touch him, like the people begged him to. He took him away outside the village. Away from the people. He wanted to have this intimate and personal experience with the man, away from the crowd, the spectators. When they were alone, he put spittle in the man's eyes and his hands. And when he still could not see clear, Jesus did not give up on him. He did not get mad. Instead, he did it a second time until the man saw clearly. 

God will never give up on you. God will never be frustrated at you. 

Usually, when Jesus heals, immediate results follow. Healing of sick people. Cleansing from demons. Even raising up from the dead. However, it was a different case with this blind man. Probably he did not have enough faith in Jesus. Probably his focus was not all on Jesus. Probably he just had a lot of concerns, fears and worries even when he was with Jesus. But Jesus did not give up on him. Nag effort ulit si Jesus para sa kanya. And that's what he will do to and for us, especially when we are hard to deal with. God will never let us go. God will be patient with us. God will be with us. Until we are better. Until we come to our senses. 

Do I have faith that God will never give up on me? What is my reaction when I do not understand things that are happening? How does God remind me that he will not give up on me? 

May we always remember that God will never give up on us, no matter what the situation is. And may this lead us to come to him whatever state we may be in. 

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 the reminder that you will never give up on me. Lord, sorry for the times I give up on myself. Sorry for being too hard on myself. And sorry for not coming to you for help. Help me be like the blind man. Help me humble myself and come to you. As I do, i know you will mold me and transform me to be pleasing to you. Amen. 

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 20 2019

Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 337

Reading 1 GN 8:6-13, 20-22

At the end of forty days Noah opened the hatch he had made in the ark,
and he sent out a raven,
to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
It flew back and forth until the waters dried off from the earth.
Then he sent out a dove,
to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
But the dove could find no place to alight and perch,
and it returned to him in the ark,
for there was water all over the earth.
Putting out his hand, he caught the dove
and drew it back to him inside the ark.
He waited seven days more and again sent the dove out from the ark.
In the evening the dove came back to him,
and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf!
So Noah knew that the waters had lessened on the earth.
He waited still another seven days
and then released the dove once more;
and this time it did not come back.

In the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life,
in the first month, on the first day of the month,
the water began to dry up on the earth.
Noah then removed the covering of the ark
and saw that the surface of the ground was drying up.

Noah built an altar to the LORD,
and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird,
he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself:
“Never again will I doom the earth because of man
since the desires of man’s heart are evil from the start;
nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done.
As long as the earth lasts,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
Summer and winter,
and day and night
shall not cease.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 116:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

R.  (17a)  To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 SEE EPH 1:17-18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to his call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 8:22-26

When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,
people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
“Do you see anything?”
Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”
Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”

When You Do Not Understand

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021919.cfm) reminds me that I should be sensitive to God's teachings and love, especially when I do not understand what is happening. 

The gospel shows us Jesus explaining something:

Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out,

guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod."
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
"Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?

We can see that Jesus was not referring to physical bread. The warning was not because they were not able to bring bread. He was able to feed thousands, why should Jesus be concerned about their bread? In Matthew 16:11-12, we see that he was referring to the teachings or beliefs of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herod. These people have their hearts closed to Jesus. They were not living in the light. They rejected Jesus and his teachings. This is why Jesus was warning his disciples to be on their guard so they don’t act like these people. These people were living like the first reading, whom God greatly frowned upon. 

Similar to what the disciples felt in the gospel, sometimes we too don’t understand what is happening. We forget the great things Jesus has done for us, and we tend to worry about material things, about things in this world. The Lord’s prayer asks us to pray in faith and confidence ‘Give us this day, our daily bread.” When we pray, we should have faith that God will provide. If we serve God, if we seek his will, we can be sure that all other things will be given to us (Matthew 6:33). May this give us strength and inspire us to continue to trust in God.

We also don’t understand why we are tempted. We question God why he is tempting us, or why he is testing us. The book of Job tells us that God allowed the enemy to tempt us (Job 1:12) but God did not do it. Today’s reading tells us further that God do not tempt us..

No one experiencing temptation should say,

"I am being tempted by God";for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

As we can see, sin starts with an evil desire. This brings us back again to the gospel – to look what is in our hearts, to see what we believe in, because these beliefs inside us are what causes us to sin. As they say, what causes dirt comes from inside, not from outside. We need to examine our hearts. What we believe in. What we value. 

What are the things I do not understand? What is my reaction when I do not understand what is happening in life? What is God telling me today? 

May we pray for faith to trust in God’s will and his perfect plan, even if we don’t understand everything, and may we pray that God continue to bless our hearts to seek and follow his will in our lives, knowing that our lives would be more meaningful once we live in the light of Christ. 

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 the reminder. Lord, sorry for not being sensitive to you. Sorry for focusing on the wrong things. Sorry for being hard headed. Sorry for the times I am insensitive and I do not understand you. Be patient with me. Help me humble myself. Guide me. Help me do my best to be aligned with you. I have faith in your great power and love, and I know you will guide and help me live right and pleasing to you. Amen. 

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 19 2019

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 336

Reading 1 GN 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10

When the LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth,
and how no desire that his heart conceived
was ever anything but evil,
he regretted that he had made man on the earth,
and his heart was grieved.

So the LORD said:
“I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created,
and not only the men,
but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air,
for I am sorry that I made them.”
But Noah found favor with the LORD.

Then the LORD said to Noah:
“Go into the ark, you and all your household,
for you alone in this age have I found to be truly just.
Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs,
a male and its mate;
and of the unclean animals, one pair,
a male and its mate;
likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs,
a male and a female,
and of all the unclean birds, one pair,
a male and a female.
Thus you will keep their issue alive over all the earth.
Seven days from now I will bring rain down on the earth
for forty days and forty nights,
and so I will wipe out from the surface of the earth
every moving creature that I have made.”
Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him.

As soon as the seven days were over,
the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

Responsorial Psalm PS 29:1A AND 2, 3AC-4, 3B AND 9C-10

R. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
 The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

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 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Sign From God

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021819.cfm) reminds me that I should have an open heart for God's signs. 

Road signs are very important and helpful, especially if one is not familiar with the road. It tells motorists where to go, how to go there, what the rules are, what is ahead, etc. They help keep people safe. However, signs would only be able to do that if motorists know what the signs mean, and if these signs are followed properly. 

Sometimes, or a lot of times, we want those kinds of tangible signs from God too.

Why not?

Who would not want affirmation or assurance of what God wants us to do in a specific situation? Who would not want what God wants us to choose, or where he wants us to go? Even people in the bible asked for signs from God.

However, it can also be taken out of bounds.

In the gospel we see Jesus telling the Pharisees about asking for signs. He told them that no sign will be given to them. Why? While it is normal to ask for signs, it becomes bad if the heart is closed to God’s signs. It is bad if the heart wants God to conform to what we want, not for us to be open to what God wants. This was probably what was in the hearts of the Pharisees as they argued with Jesus. It was mentioned in the gospel that they wanted to test Jesus and was not open to understanding him more.  They probably did not believe in Jesus and his signs, his works. They wanted to test him. Jesus had signs, he was healing people and driving out evil spirits. He just fed four thousand people prior to this verse.  He was preaching the Word. However, they probably wanted a sign based on their own expectations and standards. They wanted God to conform to what they want, that’s why Jesus said no sign will be given to them as he sighed from the depth of his spirit. Probably out of frustration. Probably out of sadness. 

Signs will only be useful if recognized and followed.

Aside from being open to what the signs tell us, we should also know how to recognize signs. Drivers are supposed to take examinations to familiarize themselves with road signs. Research should be done. Else, signs would be useless. In the same way, we should also exert time and effort to know God more, so we can recognize his answers and his signs for us, and not just be closed to our idea of signs.

How about us? Do we ask for signs and do what we can – reading the bible, praying, receiving the sacraments, to know what God wants us to do and how God wants us to live our lives? If we ask for signs, are we open and sensitive to get and recognize signs not just based on what we want, but what God wants? Or do we want God to conform to what sign we want from Him.

May we always be open to God's signs, humble enough to receive him and not want him to conform to what we want. And may we take time to strengthen our relationship with Him so it would be easier to know and identify his signs.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another week. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I don't recognize your signs. Sorry for being close minded to what you want, and for expecting you to do what I want. Sorry for not doing enough work to get to know you. Lord, I pray that you always make your presence alive in my life. Help me do my part so I will always be sensitive to you. May I work and do my part to build a strong and personal relationship with you, so that I would know you more and recognize you, instead of just asking for signs. And may I always be open and humble to accept your will in my life, especially when your answers are different from my prayers. Amen.

Blessed Week!

In Christ, 

-g- 

Daily Readings

February 18 2019

Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 335

Reading 1 GN 4:1-15, 25

The man had relations with his wife Eve,
and she conceived and bore Cain, saying,
“I have produced a man with the help of the LORD.”
Next she bore his brother Abel.
Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil.
In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD
from the fruit of the soil,
while Abel, for his part,
brought one of the best firstlings of his flock.
The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
but on Cain and his offering he did not.
Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.
So the LORD said to Cain:
“Why are you so resentful and crestfallen.
If you do well, you can hold up your head;
but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door:
his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.”

Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out in the field.”
When they were in the field,
Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
He answered, “I do not know.
Am I my brother’s keeper?”
The LORD then said:  “What have you done!
Listen: your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil!
Therefore you shall be banned from the soil
that opened its mouth to receive
your brother’s blood from your hand.
If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce.
You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth.”
Cain said to the LORD:  “My punishment is too great to bear.
Since you have now banished me from the soil,
and I must avoid your presence
and become a restless wanderer on the earth,
anyone may kill me at sight.”
“Not so!” the LORD said to him.
“If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold.”
So the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight.

Adam again had relations with his wife,
and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth.
“God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel,” she said,
“because Cain slew him.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 50:1 AND 8, 16BC-17, 20-21

R. (14a)  Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.”
R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
“You sit speaking against your brother;
against your mother’s son you spread rumors.
When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”
R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

Alleluia JN 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 8:11-13

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.

Hope in God

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021719.cfm) reminds me that it will never be useless to hope in God. 

They say that life is unfair, and it a lot of sense, this is true. You don’t always get what you deserve, both in the positive and negative aspect of if. However God is always fair, and we just need to hold on to that thought when subjected to unfair situations. This reality should give us hope.

May pakialam ang Diyos sa kapakanan mo. 

The first reading and the psalm remind us of the benefits of hoping in God. He will reward those who hope in him. He will reward those who are faithful. We just need to persevere. In the second reading, we are reminded of his power. Thus in the gospel, we see the beatitudes or what other call the be-attitudes. God tells us how we should act and live. 

God may not always answer us the way we want to, but his answer is always better than ours.

Sometimes God does not answer how we want him to, but his answer will always be better. Sometimes God does not reward us in this life, but his reward will always be better. Eternal paradise is definitely a lot better than temporary comfort in this world.

No matter what situation we may be in. No matter how hopeless and helpless we may feel. No matter how the world treats us. We should always remember that God loves us. That he is watching over us. And he has great plans for us - in this world and the next. We just need to have faith and trust in Him. 

Do I really trust in God, especially during difficult moments? How can I strengthen my faith in Him? What prevents me from trusting in him, especially when times are tough? 

May we remember the words of the psalmist – “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord” and have full faith and hope in him despite whatever situation we may be in. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another Sunday. Thank you for another day to love and experience your love. Thank you for always reminding me of your goodness. Lord, sorry for the times I lose my faith in you. Sorry for letting the world overwhelm me. Sorry for not trusting in you enough. Lord, I ask that you never let me go. I put my faith and hope in you. I know you will continue to bless me and provide for me, and you see what I am going through and my concerns. I know you have a great plan for me – in this world and the next. Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2017/06/be-attitudes.html

Daily Readings

February 17 2019

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 78

Reading 1 JER 17:5-8

Thus says the LORD:
Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
but stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
it fears not the heat when it comes;
its leaves stay green;
in the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.

Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6 

R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked,
nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
but delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
that yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Reading 2 1 COR 15:12, 16-20

Brothers and sisters:
If Christ is preached as raised from the dead,
how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised,
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain;
you are still in your sins.
Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ,
we are the most pitiable people of all.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Alleluia LK 6:23AB

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad;
your reward will be great in heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 6:17, 20-26

Jesus came down with the twelve
and stood on a stretch of level ground
with a great crowd of his disciples
and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false
prophets in this way.”

Live the Concern

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021619.cfm) reminds me that care and concern for others should always be lived and acted upon.

Some people say that it’s the thought that counts. However, this is not always correct. You can think and intend to do good or help others, but unless you act, nothing will happen. Other people will not be helped and nothing will change. We need to act and live our thoughts, not just think them.

Good thoughts should not stay on our heads. They should be realized and done by our bodies.

In the gospel Jesus showed this to us. First, he gave them spiritual food. He taught them for days. Not only that, after nourishing them with spiritual food, He was full of pity for the people because they were hungry. He was concerned about the people. He had good thoughts and good intentions, but those were not the important things. Those thoughts were not what we remember him for. We remember him for his actions – for his act of love, generosity, and concern for others. He did something concrete to help the people. 

No matter how good our thoughts and intentions are, if we keep them in our heads, they would be useless. God needs us to live our thoughts and do good to others, no matter how little or seemingly insignificant we think of our actions. God is powerful, and like in the gospel, the seemingly little and insufficient bread and fish was used mightily by Jesus to feed thousands.  

How often do I feel for others? When I see poor people or victims of disasters, what do I feel inside? What do I do about those feelings? Do I help them and so something concrete, or do I just simply think of ways to help? What concrete thing can I do today for others?

May we be moved into action and concretize our thoughts to help out others. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for this day to live. Thank you for another weekend. Thank you for reminding me how much you love me. Lord, sorry for not acting. Sorry for having excuses not to act. Sorry for merely being concerned for others. Awaken me. I ask that you help me live my thoughts and intentions. Help me make my good thoughts move from my head to my body. Help me live it. I know that as I do, no matter how simple they may be, you would be the one to multiply them and make them great. Amen.

Blessed Weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 16 2019

Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 334

Reading 1 GN 3:9-24

The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with meB
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
On your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
He will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”

To the woman he said:

“I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing;
in pain shall you bring forth children.
Yet your urge shall be for your husband,
and he shall be your master.”

To the man he said:  “Because you listened to your wife
and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,

“Cursed be the ground because of you!
In toil shall you eat its yield
all the days of your life.
Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you,
as you eat of the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
shall you get bread to eat,
Until you return to the ground,
from which you were taken;
For you are dirt,
and to dirt you shall return.”

The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.

For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments,
with which he clothed them.
Then the LORD God said: “See!  The man has become like one of us,
knowing what is good and what is evil!
Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand
to take fruit from the tree of life also,
and thus eat of it and live forever.”
The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden,
to till the ground from which he had been taken.
When he expelled the man,
he settled him east of the garden of Eden;
and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword,
to guard the way to the tree of life.

Responsorial Psalm PS 90:2, 3-4ABC, 5-6, 12-13

R. (1)  In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Before the mountains were begotten
and the earth and the world were brought forth,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Alleluia MT 4:4B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 8:1-10

In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
because they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away hungry to their homes,
they will collapse on the way,
and some of them have come a great distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread
to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”
Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They replied, “Seven.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.
They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
There were about four thousand people.

He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples
and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

Alone with God

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021519.cfm) reminds me how important and powerful time alone with God is. 

They say that the environment has a big influence on what you become. Behavior is affected by the environment you are in. if you are in a conducive environment and are always with intelligent and diligent people, you tend to be like them. You get and learn their attitude and behavior. If you are always with church friends who take their faith and spiritual growth seriously, you will most probably put a premium on your faith. You would be influenced by them. However, this can also affect in a negative way. when you are with people who don’t give importance to their faith, you may also become affected. This is probably the reason why in the gospel, Jesus took the man by himself away from the people before healing him.

Alone time with God is important, and powerful.

Probably there were people in the crowd who were doubting Jesus. Probably they did not believe in his love and power. Probably their intention from bringing him the man was not for his healing, but to see if Jesus has power. Probably the man’s faith would be affected if he stayed with the people. Or probably, what's important to Jesus is not what others think, but what the man thinks. so Jesus took him by himself away from them. 

Others can influence us in a negative way. In the first reading, we see that the serpent tempted and influenced the woman to eat the fruit and disobey God. The woman in turn influenced the man. Instead of encouraging and supporting each other in being loyal and obedient to God, they rebelled against God. This is why our relationship with God should be stronger than our external influences. 

Personal relationship with God is very important.

No matter what other people may say or think, no matter what the situation may be, it is important to have faith in God. And this can be strengthened if we have a deep and personal relationship with him. and this relationship will be developed just like any other relationship – if we spend time alone, if we give importance, if we get to know him better. 

In life, people will have different opinion. Some will encourage you, and some will dishearten you. it is because of this that it is important to have our own personal relationship with God. No matter what other people may say, we should be firm in faith, focusing on Him and his love and trusting his plans.

How is my relationship with God? How am I strengthening it? Do I spend time alone with Him to strengthen my relationship with him? Do I give him importance in my life? 

May we be encouraged to work on our personal relationship with God, and regularly spend time alone with 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 the reminder on the importance of having a personal relationship with you. Sorry for the times I ignore the importance of this. Sorry for the times I am too lazy to work on and develop my personal relationship with you. I want a deep personal relationship with you. help me work on it. I promise to make the effort to build  and strengthen it, and I ask you to bless my effort. Amen. 

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 15 2019

Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 333

Reading 1 GN 3:1-8

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
“Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?”
The woman answered the serpent:
“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’”
But the serpent said to the woman:
“You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil.”
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized that they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.

When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden
at the breezy time of the day,
the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God
among the trees of the garden.

Responsorial Psalm PS 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7

R. (1a) Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven. 
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.

Alleluia SEE ACTS 16:14B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 7:31-37

Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”