Strong Humble Persistent

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021419.cfm) reminds me how my faith should be - Strong, humble, and persistent. 

In the gospel, we see a woman we should imitate. She showed great humility, persistence, and strong faith. This is one of the few times Jesus actually “tests” a person. Usually, Jesus immediately grants people’s requests – for healing from sickness and disease, from freedom from evil spirits, even from death. However, today’s gospel shows us a different side of Jesus. His approach initially seems tough. “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” – meaning Jews first, the chosen people. Sila muna ang tutulungan ko, tsaka na kayo.  It doesn’t stop there. Jesus even compares her (being a Greek makes her a non Jew, a gentile) to a dog. Grabe diba, request denied na nga, tapos kinumpara pa sa aso.  

Did she stop there? Of course not! 

Hindi porke di mo agad nakuha ang pinag dadasal mo, titigil ka na. Minsan gusto siguro makita ng Diyos gaano mo ka gusto and pinagdadasal mo, at gaano kalakas ang tiwala mo sa kanya. 

It’s inspiring how great the woman’s faith, persistence and humility. She was humble to come to him for her daughter’s healing, and was humble enough to accept and not be offended by Jesus words. Even though she did not get a warm treatment, she did not back down.  Then we see her faith, na kahit parang nireject na sya ni Jesus, she still believed. We also see her persistence. She did not just leave. She humbly insisted on her request. on her faith. Sabi nya “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Kung baga, sabi nya, OK lang Lord na kung tingin mo aso kami, pero may faith parin ako na kahit konti, kahit tira tira nalang ng para sa Jews, ay makakapag pagaling sa anak ko. And when Jesus told her that her daughter is free from the demon, she did not say “Lord, sumama ka naman sakin para sure” or “Lord, are you sure?” She just went home. She had great faith in Jesus that she was confident on the power of the mere words of Jesus. 

Hindi lahat ng bagay nakukuha sa isang dasal. Minsan kailangang magpakumbaba pa, magdasal pa, at mangulit pa. Pero dapat buo ang tiwala sa Diyos. 

How about us? How do we react When God seem to say “no” to our requests, even if we feel that our request is for our good, or for other people’s good, what do we tell him? Do we get mad, insisting that what we are asking is a good thing, or do we humbly accept his will but keeping the faith? Do we respectfully ask in faith, or are we proud, demanding that God grant our requests because we feel we are entitled to it?

May we always remember to have complete faith in God, yet humble enough to know and accept that His will is perfect, even if it does not seem to coincide with ours.

Father God,

Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the inspiring reminder. Lord, I thank you for reminding me how important faith, humility and persistence are. Thank you for inspiring and challenging me, Lord. I am sorry for the times I act like a spoiled child – wanting things done my way, wanting prayers to be answered my way and in my time. Lord, I pray that you help me have a heart like the woman. May my faith be firm, even when you’re not answering me the way I want to. May I be persistent in praying even when I don’t seem to get what I want. And may I always be humble to submit to your perfect will, not mine, especially when my will is different from yours. Amen

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 14 2019

Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop
Lectionary: 332

Reading 1GN 2:18-25

The LORD God said:
“It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him.”
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs
and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman
the rib that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:

“This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called ‘woman,’
for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”

That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.

The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.

Responsorial Psalm PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (see 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
 blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table. 
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Alleluia JAS 1:21BC

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 7:24-30

Jesus went to the district of Tyre.
He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,
but he could not escape notice.
Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.
She came and fell at his feet.
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,
and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.
For it is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She replied and said to him,
“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.
The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed
and the demon gone.

From the Inside

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021319.cfm) reminds me that what makes me unclean, or clean, comes from inside. 

People generally want instant and visible results for their efforts. People who go to the gym often work on their upper body, since it is relatively easier to see the results on the arms and shoulders, plus it can be easily seen by other people, unlike the lower body which is almost always covered (Except when one is always wearing shorts). However, in the gospel, Jesus reminds us that sometimes, what is not seen is more important than what is seen.

There were many laws and regulations on food during the time of Jesus, so people follow a lot of things. They take in clean food to remain clean. They are careful what to eat, what to take in. However, Jesus reminded them in the gospel that what makes a person unclean is not food which goes inside a person, but things that are already in him and go out of him. Unlike food, these things are not easily seen, but they are actually more important than those readily seen.

The inner state of a person determines the outer state.

A person full of hatred, greed and evil may not be easily spotted just by looking at the appearance. The appearance may seem nice and normal, but the important things, the inner attitude and state of a person which affects the entirety of someone, are not immediately visible or obvious. In fact, other people may not see them, for evil people can do things to hide their real intentions and actions. But God sees.

God knows what are inside of us. God knows our hearts. He knows if we are full of bad things, even if other people doesn’t see them. He also sees if we are full of goodness and love. This is the reason why we should work on our inner state, on what is on our hearts, and not on other things. 

What is the state of my heart right now? What things go out of me - are they goodness and love, or hate and evil intentions? What are the things I can do to make sure good things come out of me? 

May we take time to check the inner state of our souls, of our beings, and do our best to improve them as well, even if people may not see the effects of it.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another reminder of what is important in life. Thank you for reminding me how important the state of my soul is. Sorry for the times I ignore the importance of this. Sorry for focusing on the outside. Sorry for not having the will to clean my heart and my life. Help me be sensitive and to take time off to improve and clean my heart, so that what will come out of me and how I will live my life will always be pleasing to you. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 13 2019

Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 331

Reading 1 GN 2:4B-9, 15-17

At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens --
while as yet there was no field shrub on earth
and no grass of the field had sprouted,
for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth
and there was no man to till the soil,
but a stream was welling up out of the earth
and was watering all the surface of the ground --
the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.

Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and he placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The LORD God then took the man
and settled him in the garden of Eden,
to cultivate and care for it.
The LORD God gave man this order:
"You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden
except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
From that tree you shall not eat;
the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die."

Responsorial Psalm PS 104:1-2A, 27-28, 29BC-30

R. (1a) O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
All creatures look to you
to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!

Alleluia SEE JN 17:17B, 17A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth:
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 7:14-23

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them,
“Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
“Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?”
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Own Interpretation

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021219.cfm) reminds me to be careful and not interpret God's laws and commandments in my own way that would be beneficial for me. 

The internet has made the world smaller. Skills and talents can be easily shared worldwide through the internet, especially social media. One of the things I really like is 3D street art. There are posts and articles about artists who create 3D masterpieces on streets and subways. They make the drawings come alive, and you would actually have to take a closer look to see that it is really a painting.

Things are not always what they seem.

Like these 3D paintings that appear different from the painting that it is, we sometimes take God’s word and laws in our own interpretation and not for what is was intended to be. It sometimes becomes easy to interpret the bible in the way we want to, or in a way it seems fit, and not for the original message it was intended to be. In the gospel, Jesus told the people that scribes and Pharisees nullify the word of God in favor of human traditions. They take away what God intended and interpret it differently – for their own benefit.

The first reading tells us that God created man and woman in God’s image and likeness, and gave them dominion over everything. This should not be taken as God giving us permission to do anything we please to the world. We should remember that everything that God created is good, especially humans that are made in the image and likeness of God. As such, dominion was given to us not to abuse the world, but to take care of the world, as God would.

We should not be quick to interpret what we read, or what is happening to us, and take time to be immersed and know the reason for God saying these things, so we would know God’s original intention for his word and for what is happening to us. Let us not create our own incorrect interpretation and always go back to the basics, go back to God.

How do I interpret things that are happening and God’s word? Do I take time to really immerse myself and understand the context of what God wants to tell me? Do I take time to read His word and get to know him more?

May we always remember not to interpret things in our own way, especially just because it will be beneficial to us. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for always reaching out to me. Thank you for being patient. Lord, sorry for the times I interpret things in my own ways. Sorry for focusing on myself and what would benefit me. Sorry for not focusing on you and on the real intention of things. Lord, I ask that you give me the desire and will to seek you and your will, and not interpret things the way I want to or the way that is beneficial to me. Help me live right and pleasing to you. Help me build an intimate relationship with you so it will be easier for you to speak to me. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

 Daily Readings

February 12 2019

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 330

Reading 1 GN 1:20—2:4A

God said,
"Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,
and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky."
and so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters
and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,
and all kinds of winged birds.
God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,
"Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;
and let the birds multiply on the earth."
Evening came, and morning followed–the fifth day.

Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures:
cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds."
and so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle,
and all kinds of creeping things of the earth.
God saw how good it was.
Then God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."

God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
Evening came, and morning followed–the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing,
he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.

Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation.

Responsorial PsalmPS 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (2ab) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Alleluia PS 119:36, 29B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
And favor me with your law.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 7:1-13

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"
He responded,
"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."
He went on to say,
"How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
'If someone says to father or mother,
"Any support you might have had from me is qorban"'
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things."

Is God Glad

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021119.cfm) makes me reflect if God is pleased with me. 

In the first reading, we see the story of creation – at least the first four days. God created everything in this world, and everytime he created something, he sees the goodness in them. He has a purpose for them, and as long as the creation stays true to his purpose and does what it is supposed to do, God is pleased.

In the gospel, we see Jesus healing people. We can see that God is pleased with them as well, for they have faith in him and his power. Some people say that this is the biblical reference of our belief as Filipinos in touching images of Jesus and Mama Mary. People begged him that they might only touch the tassel of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. Of course, the cloak itself, and the statues on our case, do not contain the power. it is the faith of the people in the love and power of God. God just uses things to reach out to us, to touch and bless us.

This makes me ask myself, as the psalmist says – May the Lord be glad in his works. 

Sometimes, we focus too much on what we want to happen in life. Sometimes we forget what we should be dong in life. Sometimes we lose our way. The readings today is a reminder for us to step back and see God’s hand in everything. 

Is God happy with me? Am I doing my best to surrender to his will? Am I doing my best do follow his plans? Am I doing my role in this world?

May we yield to Him and allow him to use us, and wait for the time when he can personally say to us that he is pleased with us.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another Monday. Thank you for another week to love and live. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, I am sorry for the times I do whatever I want and not what you want. Sorry for being hard headed. Sorry for being proud. Help me be humble and know my place in this world. Remind me that as your creation, I should always be ready and willing to be used in whatever way you want to. I know that as I do this, you will be pleased with me, and I would be able to reflect your greatness in this world. Amen.

Blessed Week!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 11 2018

Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 329

Reading 1 GN1:1-19

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.

Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.

Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.

Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,

and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day.

Responsorial PsalmPS 104:1-2A, 5-6, 10 AND 12, 24 AND 35C

R. (31b)  May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.

Alleluia SEE MT 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.

Obey Nonetheless

The WORD Today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021019.cfm) reminds me that we should obey God even if we have our doubts, apprehensions and concerns. 

We are all subject to authority - be it at work, in school, in business, in our family, and in other aspects of our life. And sometimes, we do not agree with the decisions or orders of people in authority. However, we often find ourselves obeying them - either out of fear, respect or obligation. This is what Jesus wants from us. 

God wants us to obey him despite our doubts, apprehensions and concerns. 

In the gospel, we see Jesus preaching, and eventually making miracles. He told Simon to lower his nets so he can get some fish. at first, Simon was apprehensive, saying that they worked all night and caught nothing. Probably he was thinking that – who is this guy, he is not even a fisherman. And it shows, because he asked me to just lower my nets, but this is not a spot where we usually catch fish. but he did not let these thoughts win. He eventually obeyed the carpenter – we have worked hard all night but caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets. Because of his faith and obedience, he was blessed.

God rewards those who obey him. 

A lot of times, we experience what Simon did. However, not all of us get past the initial apprehension phase. We are all carrying problems, burdens and concerns. There may be times we feel what Simon felt – working hard all our lives and still accomplishing nothing, still the same problems, concerns and worries. Tired. Frustrated. However, we should not let these things overpower us. We should not let these things prevent God from working in our lives.

Had Simon told Jesus that he was too tired from working all night, even if Jesus had the power to bless him, Simon won’t be blessed because he did not cooperate and refused God's blessings. If Simon gave in to the temptation to say “Hey, we worked all night and did what you are telling us to do, and we got nothing. So please, give me a break” or something like that, he would really not catch anything. We need to do our part so we can experience God's blessings. 

God’s wisdom is beyond our understanding, and his goodness is never ending.

We don’t need to understand why he is asking us to do things, or it does not need to make sense what he is asking us to do. Sometimes, he just wants us to obey, have faith and be humble. Then he can bless us.

In what areas of my life do I have apprehensions? How do I cope with seemingly impossible situations? Do I have faith in God, even if his words seem to not make sense? Do I still obey him no matter how I feel?

May we always have faith in God and obey him no matter what we feel about it. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for giving me another day to live. Thank you for another Sunday. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for not having faith in you. Sorry for doubting and for ignoring you when situations are challenging. Lord, I ask for the gift of faith. I ask for the gift of humility. Lord, there are a lot of times I get tired or frustrated in life. My efforts seem to get me nowhere. Same problems, same concerns, same everything. But Lord, may these things not make me lose focus on you, may these things not make me lose my faith in you. Lord, I pray that I always be humble and obedient to you. may my faith always be bigger than my concerns. And may I always be ready and willing to obey, despite of all that are preventing me from it. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 10 2019

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 75

Reading 1 IS 6:1-2A, 3-8

In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above.

They cried one to the other,
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!"
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.

Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

He touched my mouth with it, and said,
"See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged."

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?"
"Here I am," I said; "send me!"

Responsorial Psalm PS 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8

R. (1c) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
 your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
 you built up strength within me.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth;
and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD:
"Great is the glory of the LORD."
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Reading 2 1 COR 15:1-11

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,
of the gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
Through it you are also being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, Christ appeared to more
than five hundred brothers at once,
most of whom are still living,
though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
he appeared to me.
For I am the least of the apostles,
not fit to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace to me has not been ineffective.
Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them;
not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed.

Or 1 COR 15:3-8, 11

Brothers and sisters,
I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more
than five hundred brothers at once,
most of whom are still living,
though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one abnormally born,
he appeared to me.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed. 

Alleluia MT 4:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come after me
and I will make you fishers of men.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening
to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

Seek the Shepherd

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020919.cfm) reminds me that God rewards those who genuinely seek Him, our one true shepherd. 

Wen we are looking for something really important, we give a lot of effort to it. We do whatever we can to find it. We let go of other things so we can focus on finding what we are looking for. Sometimes we even ask the help of others. This is also how we should act when we look for God. 

God rewards those who seek him. 

We see this in the gospel. Jesus and his disciples have been working hard. They need rest. They are tired. And they were resting.  But when Jesus saw that people genuinely want to find him, that they made the effort and went out of their way to hear him speak and get to know him, Jesus obliged. He rewarded those people even if he was tired. 

If we seek God with all our hearts, we will find him. The bible tells us so. And as we seek him, as we show him our hearts and what is important to us, he will reward us with not just what we ask, but with more. Because he knows we can take it, and we will use these rewards and share them with others. 

God is our shepherd. Both the first reading and the psalm reminds us. This should be an additional motivator to seek him with all of our hearts. 

Do I have time for God? Do I look for him? How do I get quality time with him?

May we work on our relationship with God, and seek him with all of our hearts. As we do so, let us have faith that we will find him, and will be rewarded with more than our heart desires. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another day to love and serve you. Thank you for another weekend. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for looking for worldly things. Sorry for being busy with work, with life, with worldly things, that I forget you. Sorry for not having the desire and for not making the effort to find you. May I never get lost and twisted in the world. May I always know and recognize you. May I always give you importance. And may I always seek you in my life, in my little and big decisions in life. Amen.

Blessed Weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 9 2019

Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 328

Reading 1 HEB 13:15-17, 20-21

Brothers and sisters:
Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,
that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;
God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.

Obey your leaders and defer to them,
for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account,
that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow,
for that would be of no advantage to you.

May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead
the great shepherd of the sheep
by the Blood of the eternal covenant,
furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will.
May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6

R. (1)  The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Alleluia JN 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 6:30-34

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

Trust and Have Faith

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020819.cfm) reminds me that I should continue to trust and have faith in God, no matter what happens. 

We have seen a lot of times how God’s power saves his followers - Jonah and the whale, Daniel and the lion, the three men in the fiery furnace, Peter and the angel leading him out of prison, and even Abraham and his son Isaac. We have seen how God does the impossible in seemingly impossible situations. There’s no question in that. However, it does not happen all the time.

In the gospel, we see how John the Baptist died. His head was cut off, as requested by Herodias’ daughter. OF course, there were a lot of ways God could have saved him. His death does not mean God loves him less, or God’s power is not enough for him. Rather, this means that John has probably done his part, and God loves him so much that he wants John to be with him in his kingdom. He was probably happy with the life John lived, how faithful he as until the very end, and he gave him the eternal rest he deserves. 

God wants us to be faithful to him, no matter what situation we are faced with. 

In our lives, God has been saving us through little and big ways. However, this does not mean we will be free from sufferings and challenges. Like John, there will come a time when we will be imprisoned and will experience the challenges of the world, because we are not of the world, but followers of God. And inevitably, we will experience what John did, leaving the earth. This should not scare us, but rather, excite us… because the only way we can be with God in his kingdom is if we leave this earth. And as we wait for this final exit, we should be like John who was faithful until the end, not stopping his love and service to God, no matter how tough and dangerous the situation may be. 

May we continue to trust in God no matter what situation we may be in, and be faithful to him until the very end.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live! Lord, thank you for reminding me how loving and powerful you are. Lord, sorry for the times I lose my faith in you. Sorry for being mad at you when I don't get what I pray for. I pray that even if I don’t feel your power and I experience challenges in this earth, I may always remain faithful to you. Help me live like John, whose love for you was greater than the fear and danger in this world. And I pray that when the time comes that you call me from this earth, I may be ready and excited. I will do my best to be faithful to you until the end. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 8 2019

Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 327

Reading 1 HEB13:1-8

Let brotherly love continue.
Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,
and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,
for you also are in the body.
Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,
for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.
Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:

The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?

Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Responsorial Psalm PS 27:1, 3, 5, 8B-9ABC

R. (1a)  The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
For he will hide me in his abode
in the day of trouble;
He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,
he will set me high upon a rock.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Alleluia SEE LK 8:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart,
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 6:14-29

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
"John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
That is why mighty powers are at work in him."
Others were saying, "He is Elijah";
still others, "He is a prophet like any of the prophets."
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
"It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up."

Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."

She went out and said to her mother,
"What shall I ask for?"
Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.