Saturday, November 27, 2021

Vigilant


The WORD today reminds me that I should be vigilant and ready for God's calling. 

How easy it is to be tangled up with the demands and troubles of our daily lives. It's easy to be distracted from the things that really matter. We give up a lot of things for work, business, or things needed to make a living. We sacrifice our time with family, friends, and even time to rest for ourselves. Sadly, we may also tend to sacrifice time for God. 

We should make a living so we can live, not live to make a living.

Jesus warns us about this in the gospel. It is very easy to be distracted with the things of this world, so we should be extra vigilant. We should always be ready and prepared for his second coming. We should not allow the enemy to distract us from doing what we should, to distract us from serving our one true God. Our focus should remain on God, not on things of the world. These things, no matter how innocent and harmless they seem, should not prevent us from serving God, from working for God. 

Given this, it will not be always easy. When you are working for God, you are not of the world, and the world will hate you like it did Jesus. However, we should remember what the first reading reminds us - that Jesus will come again. He will come again soon. The world is temporary, with it the powers and things of the world. Until we meet Christ again, life will not always be easy. However, we should have faith in Christ, and follow what Jesus said

Right now, we are worried with a lot of things. Pandemic. Work. Job security or business concerns. Studies. Things are uncertain. However, no matter how busy and preoccupied we are, we should never forget our souls. We should never forget to nourish our souls and still prepare for eternity. 

Am I ready to meet God? Am I preparing myself for his coming? How can I prepare myself more for him? 

May we always be vigilant and live ready always for God's second coming. 

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another weekend. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the many times I ignore you. Sorry for letting myself get distracted by things of this world. Sorry for letting myself be tricked by the enemy to focus on this world and not on you. Help me remember what is important. Help me always be vigilant. Help me be wise and know where to put you in my life. May I always live knowing your place in my heart. May I always be ready for your second coming. Amen.

In Christ,
-g-
Ps
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Daily Readings

Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 508

Reading I

Dn 7:15-27

I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its covering of flesh,
and I was terrified by the visions of my mind.
I approached one of those present
and asked him what all this meant in truth;
in answer, he made known to me the meaning of the things:
“These four great beasts stand for four kingdoms
which shall arise on the earth.
But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship,
to possess it forever and ever.”

But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,
so very terrible and different from the others,
devouring and crushing with its iron teeth and bronze claws,
and trampling with its feet what was left;
about the ten horns on its head, and the other one that sprang up,
before which three horns fell;
about the horn with the eyes and the mouth that spoke arrogantly,
which appeared greater than its fellows.
For, as I watched, that horn made war against the holy ones
and was victorious until the Ancient One arrived;
judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High,
and the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom.
He answered me thus:

“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth
different from all the others;
It shall devour the whole earth,
beat it down, and crush it.
The ten horns shall be ten kings
rising out of that kingdom;
another shall rise up after them,
Different from those before him,
who shall lay low three kings.
He shall speak against the Most High
and oppress the holy ones of the Most High,
thinking to change the feast days and the law.
They shall be handed over to him
for a year, two years, and a half-year.
But when the court is convened,
and his power is taken away
by final and absolute destruction,
Then the kingship and dominion and majesty
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
shall be given to the holy people of the Most High,
Whose Kingdom shall be everlasting:
all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“You sons of men, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“O Israel, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Alleluia

Lk 21:36

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
That you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 21:34-36

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

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Friday, November 26, 2021

Know His Word


The WORD today reminds me of the importance of knowing God's WORD. 

For a few days now, the readings have all been about judgment, about Christ’s second coming. We may initially feel scared or afraid while reading them. That is how some people see the book of Revelation - something scary. However, as Christ's followers, this is not something we should be afraid of. Rather, it should get us inspired and motivated to live life according to God’s ways. And in today’s readings, we are also reminded of something we should take joy in - that God’s words will not pass away.

His words will be fulfilled.

God did not only tell us about judgment time, he also has promises for us as we live here on earth. He has promises of provision, of great plans, of love, of protection. And we are reminded to trust in his words, all of it. However, we will not know his words if we do not read up on it

You will not know God's promises if you will not make the effort to know Him. 

One of my favorite praise rap artist, Lecrae, writes this in his song: “when he gets home, I pray he'll open up the sixty-six book love letter you wrote and soak it up “ Makes sense. Sometimes we feel so down and low, but we are not doing anything about it. We won’t improve if we will just wait for things to get better. Reading God’s word, his promises, and soaking up ourselves on them will help us be better.  His love letter, the bible, will remind us of his promises and his love for us.

We generally have more time now with the pandemic. Aside from doing other things and hobbies, we should also spend time to work on and give importance to our faith. Improving our faith would help us cope with this pandemic as well. 

How do I feel right now? How is my relationship with God? Do I feel close to him? Do I know his promises? Do I work on my relationship with Him? 

God’s words will not pass away. May we soak ourselves on his word and live life by it.

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another weekend coming up. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your word, for your love letter to me. Sorry for the times I am too lazy to read up on it. Sorry for not giving it the importance it deserves. Sorry for not being hungry enough for you. I pray that I may have the desire to just soak it up and bask in your word. May I always remember how much you love me and the promises you have for me. I will do my best to get to know you more by reading your word. As I do this, I humbly ask that you fill me, inspire me, and assure me. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,
-g-


Daily Readings

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 507

Reading I

Dn 7:2-14

In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night,
the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea,
from which emerged four immense beasts,
each different from the others.
The first was like a lion, but with eagle’s wings.
While I watched, the wings were plucked;
it was raised from the ground to stand on two feet
like a man, and given a human mind. 
The second was like a bear; it was raised up on one side,
and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks.
It was given the order, “Up, devour much flesh.” 
After this I looked and saw another beast, like a leopard;
on its back were four wings like those of a bird,
and it had four heads.
To this beast dominion was given.
After this, in the visions of the night I saw the fourth beast,
different from all the others,
terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength;
it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed,
and what was left it trampled with its feet.
I was considering the ten horns it had,
when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst,
and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it.
This horn had eyes like a man,
and a mouth that spoke arrogantly.
As I watched,

    Thrones were set up 
        and the Ancient One took his throne.
    His clothing was snow bright,
        and the hair on his head as white as wool;
    His throne was flames of fire,
        with wheels of burning fire.
    A surging stream of fire
        flowed out from where he sat;
    Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
        and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened.
I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words
which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain
and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up.
The other beasts, which also lost their dominion,
were granted a prolongation of life for a time and a season.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw

    One like a son of man coming,
        on the clouds of heaven;
    When he reached the Ancient One
        and was presented before him,
    He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
        nations and peoples of every language serve him.
    His dominion is an everlasting dominion
        that shall not be taken away,
    his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81

R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“Mountains and hills, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!”
“You springs, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“Seas and rivers, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Alleluia

Lk 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 21:29-33

Jesus told his disciples a parable.
“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away, 
but my words will not pass away.”

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Thursday, November 25, 2021

Powerful


The WORD today reminds me how powerful God is.

There are situations wherein we feel it’s a dead end. We sometimes think God cannot do anything about it anymore. There are times we know and feel that the only way to get out is a miracle – something that we think we will not experience. However, God is all powerful, and what we consider miracles are just normal things for Him. This is what Daniel experienced. 

In the first reading, we saw that Daniel was faithful to God. This became an opportunity for others to have him punished. They envied him and his relationship and favor with the king, so they wanted him out. And they forced the king to have Daniel thrown in the lion’s Den, as a fulfillment of the king’s decree. However, Daniel kept his faith, and God rewarded Hm. God sealed the mouth of the lion so Daniel was unharmed. 

God is powerful, and his plans cannot be destroyed by the enemy.

What the enemy intended for evil, God can turn into something good. No one is more powerful than God. The people intended evil for Daniel, but God turned it into something great - an event which saved Daniel and gave glory to God. Because of that event, people were converted because the king himself witnessed first-hand God's power. This shows that when we really trust in God and do our part in praying and getting closer to Him, he will reward us. He will take care of us. Daniel continued to pray and had great faith in God in the midst of facing death. And when he was saved, he glorified God.

No matter where we are right now, no matter what situation we are in, God is still in control. No sickness or pandemic is too powerful for him. No misfortune or bad situation is a dead end. Nothing is beyond his power and control. Like Daniel, we just need to trust in him. We just need to be faithful. And he will reward us. 

Do I have faith in God? Do I realize his power in this world and in my life? Do I let worldly power and challenges get the best of me? Am I working on my relationship with God? What is he telling me today? 

May we take courage, knowing How powerful God is. And be inspired that miracles can really happen in our lives.

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I feel you are powerless and you cannot do anything. Sorry for the times my faith is low and I feel I won’t experience something great from you. Sorry for the times I doubt you. Help me have faith like Daniel. May my faith be strong and firm. Use my to glorify you. use me for your purpose. May I be able to spread your kingdom through my life and my testimony. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
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Daily Readings

Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 506

Reading I

Dn 6:12-28

Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel’s home
and found him praying and pleading before his God.
Then they went to remind the king about the prohibition:
“Did you not decree, O king,
that no one is to address a petition to god or man
for thirty days, except to you, O king;
otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?”
The king answered them, “The decree is absolute,
irrevocable under the Mede and Persian law.”
To this they replied, “Daniel, the Jewish exile,
has paid no attention to you, O king,
or to the decree you issued;
three times a day he offers his prayer.”
The king was deeply grieved at this news
and he made up his mind to save Daniel;
he worked till sunset to rescue him.
But these men insisted.
They said, “Keep in mind, O king,
that under the Mede and Persian law
every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable.”
So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions’ den.
To Daniel he said,
“May your God, whom you serve so constantly, save you.”
To forestall any tampering,
the king sealed with his own ring and the rings of the lords
the stone that had been brought to block the opening of the den.

Then the king returned to his palace for the night;
he refused to eat and he dismissed the entertainers.
Since sleep was impossible for him,
the king rose very early the next morning
and hastened to the lions’ den.
As he drew near, he cried out to Daniel sorrowfully,
“O Daniel, servant of the living God,
has the God whom you serve so constantly
been able to save you from the lions?”
Daniel answered the king: “O king, live forever! 
My God has sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths
so that they have not hurt me.
For I have been found innocent before him;
neither to you have I done any harm, O king!”
This gave the king great joy.
At his order Daniel was removed from the den,
unhurt because he trusted in his God.
The king then ordered the men who had accused Daniel,
along with their children and their wives,
to be cast into the lions’ den.

Before they reached the bottom of the den,
the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Then King Darius wrote to the nations and peoples of every language,
wherever they dwell on the earth:  “All peace to you!
I decree that throughout my royal domain
the God of Daniel is to be reverenced and feared:

    “For he is the living God, enduring forever;
        his Kingdom shall not be destroyed, 
        and his dominion shall be without end.
    He is a deliverer and savior,
        working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,
        and he delivered Daniel from the lions’ power.”

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74

R.    (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Dew and rain, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Frost and chill, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Ice and snow, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Nights and days, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Light and darkness, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord;
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Let the earth bless the Lord,
    praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R.    Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Alleluia

Lk 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 21:20-28

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”


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