Wise

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110714.cfm) reminds me that we should be wise in using what we have.

A few years back, I read a book called “The Law of Rewards” and one of the main point it says is that we should invest in eternity. The book puts it that we are just travellers in this world, and heaven is our real home. We will just stay in this earth for a short time. That being the case, we should be wise and use whatever we have on earth to build our home for eternity. To use temporary resources on earth to build our house in heaven, instead of holding on to it and enjoying it here.

God wants us to use our worldly blessings to prepare for eternal ones.

In the gospel, we see the story of a dishonest steward. It was said that during that time, the stewards get a certain amount or percentage from the money the owners get. They have an automatic cut from the payments of the people. That is why when the steward found out he will be dismissed from work, he actually did not “cheat” the master to gain favour from the people. What he actually did was to take off his “cut” or his share in the amount, and just asked the people to pay exactly what will be given to the master. In that way, he found favour in the eyes of the people, and the master commended him for using his resources (or letting go of it) in preparation for his being fired from the job.

God has given us resources on this earth. And to live decently and comfortably, we don’t actually need a lot. What we spend is sometimes above and beyond the actual basics that we need. This is what God wants us to realize – that we should not enjoy too much that we forget other people. We are given resources not only for ourselves, but for us to help others as well. In doing so, we are not only doing good, but being wise as well. Money and everything in this earth will pass away, will gather dust, and will be left in this earth when we die. We need to be prudent and wise with how we use what we have. As we use our resources to help others and build God’s kingdom, we are being wise and use these temporary resources to build our eternal home in heaven.

May we live by the quote – live simply, so that others may simply live. And be wise stewards and prepare our eternal place in heaven by the temporary riches on earth.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for your love. Thank you for another day to live and to serve you. I pray that I always be reminded how to use my resources properly. I thank you for providing for me and my family, and I make the decision to share whatever I have to others. May I be generous not only with my material resources, but with my time and prayers as well. Create in me a heart that would always be sensitive to others. May I be a happy giver for your kingdom. Amen.

In Christ,

-g-

ps

see related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/11/invest-in-eternity.html

Found

  

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110614.cfm) reminds me that wherever we may be, God will find us.

Love is a very famous yet overused topic. We all want love – we want to be loved and we want to love, be it romantic love or otherwise. For romantic love, a lot of people want one. We search long and hard to find our one true love. But other people say that you don’t need to look for love, because love will find you. And since God is love, I believe this is true for him as well.

There is no problem if you can’t find God. He will find you.

In the gospel we see that Jesus came to dine with sinners. Yes, he did not stay in the temple to pray and be with the holy ones of that time. He came to the streets looking for sinners.

This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus addressed this parable to them.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
……
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
…..
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
….

‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”

God will go the extra mile to find you. That’s how special you are. No matter how sinful you are or you may feel, he will come to you. He will find you.

Sometimes we feel ashamed to come to God, especially when we feel sinful, or when we know we are living in sin. We think that we need to clean ourselves first before we come to Him, before he can accept us. But I believe this is not the case. Christian rapper Lecrae echoes this in his song

So if you feel like you gotta clean yourself up

Before you can come to Him, Forget it

Just come to Him

He’ll take you as you are,

and he’ll change YOU From the inside, out

However, God finding us is not the end. Like the sheep in the gospel, even if the owner finds it, if the sheep would run away and resist, it won’t be back with him. In the same way, we should be ready and willing to accept Jesus. We should be willing to surrender and go back to him. We should be willing to let him bring us back, heal us, and change us.

May we be reminded how special we are in God’s eyes, and be ready and willing to return with him when he finds us.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for all the love you have been giving me. Thank you for seeing me in a special way, even if I don’t see myself that way. Thank you for taking the extra mile to find me. Sorry for staying away, Lord. And I pray that you help me have a humble and contrite heart to come to you and come with you when you call me. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Renounce

  

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110514.cfm) reminds me that we should be ready to renounce everything from God.

There are a lot of stories of people renouncing things in the name of love or a cause. Some renounce inheritance or the acceptance of their family just to fight for their loved one. It’s a “you-and-me-against-the-world” attitude or mentality, they are willing to go against everything and everyone for the sake of their love, or for the sake of what they believe it. This shows how much importance someone or something has.

In the gospel, this is also the attitude God wants from us.

If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
…

In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple

God does not want us to go hating our family or argue with our family. In fact, the other day we were reminded how much God wants us to honor and respect our parents. However, our love for parents or family should not come in between our love for God.

Nothing should come in between our love for God.

God should be God in our lives. Family relationships, work, business, possessions or any other belief should come before God. When we say we love God and want to follow Him, we should be ready to go all out. To love God with all that we have. This is the first commandment.

God does not ask that we live like many of the saints, who renounced all material possession they had and lived in poverty. We need these things not just to survive, but to be able to help and bless others as well. Blessings are meant to be shared. We are just reminded today that these things should not take the place of God in our lives.

May we be ready to follow God and love God above all.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for your great love that you make me feel everyday. Thank you for all the blessings, especially those I tend to ignore or take for granted. Lord, thank you for the reminder today. Help me be detached from anything and everything of this world. May nothing and no one come before you in my life. May I always be ready to renounce everything in this world for you. Amen

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

God of All

  

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110414.cfm) reminds me that God is for all.

There are very few people who are comfortable in dealing with people from all walks of life. Some get intimidated and annoyed by rich and influential people, while some cannot step out of their comfort zones to be with the poor and marginalized. However, with God, this is not a problem. He is the God of all.

In the gospel we see that he is for all. He invited everyone – from the chosen people, to the poor and sick.

Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,
‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled

God’s love is for all. He accepts everyone.

His house is big enough to accommodate everyone. His heart is big enough to love us all. His power is great enough to bless and protect us all.

No matter where we are in our journey in life right now, God is willing to take us in. we may be very dirty – having lots of sins and not living the way God wants us to. We may be poor, focusing on worldly things and forgetting the essential – the spiritual things. We may be changing – trying to change and improve from our old sinful self to the new self in Christ, or we may be walking and living right, doing our best to follow Christ everyday. No matter where we are, God wants to take us in. The only concern is if we want to be taken in.

God cannot force us if we don’t want to come to his house. He cannot force us clean. He will only make himself always available for us. May we find it in our hearts to heed his call.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and experience your love. Thank you for the reminder Lord that you love me so much, that you are God of all. Thank you for always being ready to accept me. Help me surrender to you. No matter where I am in life right not, may I be willing to enter your house and allow you to enter my heart. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Real Help

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110314.cfm) reminds me what real helping is all about.

There is a sad reality in the world – that there are very few people who really do help for the sake of helping. We see a lot of people, politicians and the like, helping others on national television. However, many of these are not genuine. They want something in return. They want media exposure, they want marginalized votes on election, or they want others to owe them something so they can collect favors when the time comes. This is what Jesus wants us to avoid in the gospel:

“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

This is real helping. Not expecting anything in return from the people you help. A man I look up to once said that you help simply because you want to help. There should be no expectations that the person will be good to you after you help, and even a simple thank you from the person should not be necessary. You help because you want to help. You help out of the goodness and graces of God in your life.

Real helping is an investment, wherein God will be the one to repay you.

God is a fair God. He rewards us for what we do – be it good or bad. And as we help others, we will also be rewarded for it. God sees the intention of our hearts. IF we want worldly rewards from those who help us, we will get that. We will be acknowledged, we will get favors, and that’s it. However, if God sees that we really like to help others and do not expect anything in return,  God will be the one to repay us and bless us, not just because we help others, but because He wants us to continue to help others with his blessings.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and experience your love and blessings. Lord, I thank you for all my blessings. And I promise to help others through them. May I always be ready and willing to share your blessings with others, and as I do so, may I expect nothing in return, for I am only sharing what I got from you. Let your blessings flow through me. Amen.

Blessed week!

In Christ,

-g-

Death and Life

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110214.cfm) reminds me that we should live our lives preparing for eternity

Almost all people see death as a sad event. No one wants to be separated from the one they love. But as we celebrate the commemoration of All Souls day today, we are reminded that those of us who lived for Christ will be raised up again.

God loves us that he sent Jesus to live and die for us. Not only that, he did so even if we do not acknowledge him. He did so even if we were still not on his side. The second reading tells us

But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us

He did not wait for us to acknowledge him in our lives. He did not wait until we believe in and follow Him. Jesus dying gave us new life, gave us an opportunity to be with him forever. The first reading and gospel affirms this.

For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day

No matter how painful temporary separation through death is, let us have faith that we will be raised up again in God’s time. Meanwhile, let us pray for the souls of our dearly departed, and live our lives here as a preparation for life eternal with God.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to live for you. Thank you for reminding me that you will raise us all up on the last day, and we will be forever with you. I pray for the soul of the dearly departed, especially those who have no one to pray for them. Accept them in your kingdom, Lord. I also ask for your help so I can live my life in preparation for eternity with you. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Be A Saint

The Word today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110114.cfm) reminds me that we are all called to be saints. 

As we celebrate the feast of all saints, we are encouraged to be saints as well. 

Saints, broadly speaking, are those who follow Jesus Christ and live their lives according to his teaching. We Catholics, however, also use the term narrowly to refer to especially holy men and women who, through extraordinary lives of virtue, have already entered Heaven.

With this definition, we are reminded that we can be saints even as we live here on earth. 

In the gospel we see Jesus tell us how we can be saints. Beatitudes or what others call Be-Attitudes. Be poor in spirit and depend on God, be simple, thirst for righteousness, be merciful and peacemakers, have a clean heart, live for God. These things will help us be saints - following Christ and living according to his teachings. 

The second reading is inspiring:

Beloved, we are God’s children now;what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is

We may not see things clearly now. We may not understand what are happening. But we are encouraged to just live right, having faith that we will be like Him as we allow him to mold us. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to know you more. Thank you for the reminder to be a saint. Lord, help me live right and live for you, that I may be a saint here on earth and on heaven. Amen. 

Blessed weekend!

In christ,

-g-