Monday, February 6, 2023

He Cured All


The WORD today reminds me that God has power for all. 

In this world, there is a limit to almost everything. Concerts and events can only accommodate up to  a certain number. Once the limit has been reached, no more people will be welcomed, for it will be dangerous. No matter how much you try, if you've reached the limit, you won't be accepted. There is almost always a cutoff for free items and other things. Good thing this is not how it works with God. 

God can accommodate all who come to Him.  

God does not disappoint. 

In the gospel we saw that a lot of people came to Jesus. People with different backgrounds. People with different sickness and diseasees. However, these people made the effort and showed their faith when they followed Jesus to be cured, to be healed. And he rewarded that. He cured them all.

How powerful. How generous. What a great reminder of Jesus’ love and power. 

There were a lot of people who followed Jesus, a lot of people who showed faith. I’m sure they all had different sickness and diseases. Some had grave ones, who is at the point of helplessness and hopelessness. Some probably had minor ones, like fever or maybe even headache. But what is inspiring is how God cured them all. Lahat sila. Everyone who was there. Everyone who had faith in him. Everyone who wanted to be cured. God did not say he will cure only the serious sickness – those at the point of death. He did not say he will cure only the easy to cure stuff, the minor ones .No sickness or concern is too small for God to pay attention to, or too big that he cannot handle. He cured them all.

Good news – this love, power and generosity shown by Jesus two thousand years ago is still alive until now!

God is still able and is still willing to cure all who come to him. All who have faith to come to him. All who humble themselves to come to him. It does not matter if we come to him with huge, almost impossible situations, sickness or concerns.. it doesn’t matter if we come to him with almost trivial, small concerns. From then until now, God cures all who come to him… we just need to come to him in faith.

What are my concerns as I come to Jesus? Do I have faith that He can and will cure me? Or do I doubt his love and power just because of what the world tells me? What is he reminding me today? 

May we learn to trust in God more, and have faith in his power and goodness. 

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the weekend. Thank you for another week! Thank you your great and generous love for us. Thank you for reminding me today that you can and will still heal and cure all who come to you. Lord, sorry for the times I lose faith. Sorry for the times I doubt you. Sorry for focusing on the world. Sometimes, especially when my concerns are too big or too small, I do not come to you. Sometimes when it’s too big, I think that you cannot do anything about it anymore. When it’s too small, I get ashamed or shy to bring these little concerns to you. Sorry for those times. Sorry for thinking like that. But father God, I know that I am important to you, and my concerns, no matter how big or  small they may be, are important and that you can do anything. Increase my faith. May I just have that faith to come to you with whatever concerns I have. Amen.

Blessed Week!

In Christ,
-g-


Daily Readings

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

Lectionary: 329

Reading 1 

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.

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 

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

Gospel 

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.



Sunday, February 5, 2023

Shine For God

 

The WORD today reminds me that I should always shine for God. 

Almost all of us want recognition. Almost all want affirmation for doing good or for doing the right thing. Almost all want success and fame. While it may not be inherently bad to want these things, we should not forget that first and foremost, our life should glorify God. 

All our actions should magnify and glorify God.

The gospel shows us Jesus telling his disciples to be salt and light. In ancient times, salt was used not only to give food taste, but mainly to preserve food. Salt is not the main ingredient or the focus in cooking. If it was, food will be salty. The same way, as disciples of God, we should preserve not food, but the people God has chosen. We should preserve God’s kingdom in whatever capacity we can, and as we do so, the focus should never be on ourselves and what we are doing, but on God - his greatness, his kingdom.

Jesus also tells his disciples they are the light. Not just ordinary light, but light of the world. A lamp does not keep light to itself. It is put on a lampstand to illuminate the house. Again, focus is not on the light but on the good the light does. As we work for God, as we bring light into the world by proclaiming his kingdom and serving God, the focus should not be on our accomplishments, or on how many people we’ve helped or brought to the faith. The focus should always be on God. As Jesus tells them, people should see our good deeds and glorify your heavenly father.

Nowadays, it is not always easy to live this. We see a lot of good intentions and good people, but once worldly accomplishments and praise get to them, they start to lose focus on their cause. They get corrupted. They put the focus on themselves already. We are reminded today not to let that happen. In everything we say, do or think, and in every accomplishment and acknowledgement, we should always bring the focus to God. We should always bring back the glory to God. We should always shine for God.

Do I excel in the things that I do? Do I give my best in what I do? For whom do I achieve and excel? Am I working hard for God? Do I glorify God in my actions, and bring him all the glory and fame that he rightfully deserves? Do I keep my focus on him? Do I shine for him?

May we remember the words of the psalmist, and be inspired to live by it: "the just man is a light in darkness to the upright"

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another Sunday. Thank you for reminding me who I should always be glorifying. Lord, I know at times I get distracted, that even if I work for you, sometimes I want to receive recognition and affirmation on my actions. Sorry for being weak. Sorry for being distracted. Help me Lord to always remember that I am doing everything for you and your greater glory. Help me focus on you and keep my eyes on you. May I never lose sight of you. May my actions and accomplishments reflect you. Help me shine for you in everything I do. Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,
-g-


Daily Readings

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 73

Reading 1 

Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.

Responsorial Psalm 

R. (4a) The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
His justice shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 

When I came to you, brothers and sisters,
proclaiming the mystery of God,
I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you
except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
and my message and my proclamation
were not with persuasive words of wisdom,
but with a demonstration of Spirit and power,
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God.

Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father."




Saturday, February 4, 2023

Holy Sacrifice


The WORD today reminds me that me doing good pleases God, that I can offer it as a sacrifice to Him. 

People often associate sacrifice with something negative. Fasting. Abstinence. Not doing something or giving up something. However, today we are reminded that this need not be the case. Sacrifice to God can also be seen as something positive – like doing good to others and sharing what we have. God is pleased with these as well.

Doing good to others pleases God.

In the first reading, we see that Jesus offered a sacrifice of praise. Not sacrifice as in giving up something negative. Makes sense, because he is the son of God, although he is like us in every way - except sin. So there is no negative in him. His sacrifice is positive. Confess God with our lips. Do good and share with others. We are reminded that God is pleased with these things. Sacrifice can be something positive.

 In the gospel, we see another example of Jesus doing this. He originally would have wanted to have quiet time with his tired apostles, but when he saw people thirsty for God’s word, he changed his plans and went out of his comfort zone to do good to others, to serve and nourish others, even if he was tired or had other plans.

In life, we are all busy with different things. We all have our plates full. It is easy to be focused only on oneself, one’s dreams, hopes and plans. It becomes easy to forget others and be insensitive to others. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, we see that the rich man went to hell not because he was bad or evil, but because he denied doing good to Lazarus. His love for oneself and money was so great, greater than his love for God that can be expressed through the beggar Lazarus. Today we are reminded that it is not only pleasing to God, but beneficial for our souls as well to do good and share what we have to others. 

How do I live my life? How do I serve God? Do I offer sacrifices to God? Do I do good things to others for God? How do I thank God for my blessings? What does God want me to do today? 

May we remember that a sacrifice can also be something positive, and be motivated to do things that are pleasing to God such as proclaiming his word, doing good to others, and sharing our blessings. 

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another weekend. Lord, I thank you for the reminder and I am sorry for the times I ignore this. Sorry for the times I am too focused on myself and fail to see the needs of others. Sorry for the times I justify neglecting others by thinking that they may be syndicates or whatever. Give me a heart like yours, who would be willing to change my plans and step out of my comfort zones to help out others. Give me a heart that would be pleased to offer you good things. May my life and actions be a pleasing sacrifice to you.  As you bless me, I will share and extend these blessings to others as well. Amen.

Blessed Weekend!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
See related reflections:



Daily Readings

Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 328

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 

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 

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

Gospel 

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.

Christ is Risen!

The WORD today reminds me that  Christ is Risen and has won over sin and death. The gospel tells us different accounts/stories about Christ’...