Saturday, October 29, 2022

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-


Ps
See related reflection:
https://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2016/10/thirsty.html


Daily Readings

Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 484

Reading 1 

PHIL 1:18B-26 

Brothers and sisters:
As long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth,
Christ is being proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Indeed I shall continue to rejoice,
for I know that this will result in deliverance for me
through your prayers and support from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
My eager expectation and hope
is that I shall not be put to shame in any way,
but that with all boldness, now as always,
Christ will be magnified in my body,
whether by life or by death.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.
And I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.
And this I know with confidence,
that I shall remain and continue in the service of all of you
for your progress and joy in the faith,
so that your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound on account of me
when I come to you again.
 

Responsorial Psalm 

PS 42:2, 3, 5CDEF 
R. My soul is thirsting for the living God.
As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
R. My soul is thirsting for the living God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. My soul is thirsting for the living God.
I went with the throng
and led them in procession to the house of God.
Amid loud cries of joy and thanksgiving,
with the multitude keeping festival.
R. My soul is thirsting for the living God.

 

 

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.”



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Friday, October 28, 2022

Prayer Power


The WORD today reminds me how important and powerful prayer is.

Good leaders lead by example. It is one thing to teach or tell others what to do and what needs to be done, and it is another thing to do it yourself. This is why people have greater respect for leaders who do what they preach. People have higher respect to leaders who can actually do what they are asking people to do. Jesus is this kind of leader.

In the gospel, we see how much Jesus values prayer. He does not only teach about the importance of prayer. He actually prays. A lot. He knows how powerful and important it is to pray and be one with God, so he spent the night in prayer before making an important decision - choosing his apostles

Prayer is a free and direct line to God. 

Jesus, being the Son of God, knows how important prayer is. He knows how powerful it is. He knows that he needs it and he spends time for it. This should tell us something. This should remind us of something. 

We make a lot of decisions in life. We make a lot of decisions daily. And just as Jesus immersed himself in prayer, so should we. Hopefully, we also include God in the picture. Hopefully we spend time with him and also consult him to know what he wants from us, not just what we think is the best for us. and hopefully, we can be humble and obedient to God.

In the first reading, we see that we are members of the household of God - with Jesus as the capstone or the foundation. We are all part of God’s family. As we realize this, may we also give value to what Jesus gives value to - prayer. 

We are still in a pandemic. Yes, we need to help others. We should share our blessings and be of help to others. However, we should not forget to pray. This is something very important, and something we can consistently do. No matter what the situation is, we should never forget to pray and have faith. 

How do I see prayer? Is it something I consider very important? Do I realize it is a direct line to God? How often do I pray? Do I remember to pray not just for guidance, but for thanksgiving as well? 

May we realize the importance and power of prayer, and make the most out of it. 

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 of the power and importance of prayer. I am so sorry for the many times I don't give much importance to prayer. Sorry for the many times I do not give it the importance it deserves. Sorry for making excuses - that i'm tired, busy or that I love you anyway so it's okay not to pray from time to time. May I have the same thirst and hunger for prayer as Jesus, and work little by little to improve my relationship with you through it. As I pray, I ask that you continue to mold me and talk to me. May I love you more through prayer. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
See related reflections:


Daily Readings

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Lectionary: 666

Reading I

Eph 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God, 
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm

19:2-3, 4-5

R.    (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
    and night to night imparts knowledge.
R.    Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
    whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
    and to the ends of the world, their message.
R.    Their message goes out through all the earth.

Alleluia

See Te Deum 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 6:12-16

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.

When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.




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Thursday, October 27, 2022

Spiritual Armor


The WORD today reminds me that even though we are busy with things in this world, we should also work on building and strengthening our Spiritual Armor. 

They say that if you believe in the gospel, then you should also believe in evil. God is good, but not all people want Him. Not all people follow him. God gave us free will, and because of that, evil is present because there are people who do not accept God.  If you do not believe in evil, then maybe you do not really believe in the gospel. 

Evil is real. It is strong, even if we do not see it physically. However, God is stronger. And as followers of God, we are told how to fight evil. How to fight spiritual warfare - by using our spiritual armor. 

The first reading tells us how to fight it with God. The Spiritual Armor, more than anything, is a lifestyle. This is not an actual battle where we fight on God's side against the enemy. This is a battle we fight (and win) everyday with our lives. 

The spiritual armor as described in the first reading, is not a gift given to us when we follow Christ. We have to work on it. We have to do our part. We need to live in righteousness and truth. We need to live the gospel of Christ's peace. We need to attend mass, read the bible, and pray to remember that we are saved, to have a stronger faith and to know God's Word. 

Evil is around us and always attacking us. That is probably why most of the parts of the armor are for defense. Defending ourselves against the attacks of the enemy - belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, gospel of peace, shield of faith, and helmet of salvation. Knowing these things and having these things will protect us from all attacks of the evil one. However, there is one offensive weapon. The sword of the Spirit, the WORD of God. That is how powerful his word is! It is sufficient not just to defend ourselves, but attack the evil one. 

Do I believe that God is alive? Do I also believe that evil is real and is here as well? Do I work hard to build my Spiritual Armor? Do I believe that my lifestyle and my relationship with God would help in fighting the evil one? How can I strengthen my spiritual armor today? 

May we be willing to fight the enemy and do our part to build and strengthen our spiritual armor. 

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another day to grow in faith. Thank you for the reminder and inspiration. Lord, sorry for the times I do not exert effort to build and strengthen my spiritual armor. Sorry for being lazy to act. Help me do my part. Lord, I pray that you help me live for you. Help me do my part and live in a way pleasing to you. May my lifestyle be consistent with how you want me to live, and may it help me grow and strengthen my spiritual armor so I can fight the evil in this world. Amen. 

Blessed Day!

In Christ,
-g-


Daily Readings

Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 482

Reading 1 

EPH 6:10-20 

Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the Devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood
but with the principalities, with the powers,
with the world rulers of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist on the evil day
and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,
and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones and also for me,
that speech may be given me to open my mouth,
to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel
for which I am an ambassador in chains,
so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

Responsorial Psalm 

144:1B, 2, 9-10 

R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

 

 

Alleluia 

See LK 19:38; 2:14 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

LK 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”



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