Blessed through Action

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/100816.cfm) reminds me that I will be blessed if I act on God's words. 

We know what will make God happy – if we love him above all and love others as ourselves. We know that if we hear God’s word and act on it, God will be happy. We know that we should listen to and obey God’s word, because it will make him happy, and as grateful children, we want to make our Father happy. But why will we be blessed?

I used to attend basketball clinics when I was a kid. Kids usually go there to learn the scientific method of playing basketball. Of course, each kid would want to play actual five on five, whole court basketball. However, when you go there, you won’t readily get what you expect. You wont even be able to hold a basketball, not until you are ready. You will be taught the fundamentals. The basics -  proper way of doing other things, jogging, defense, etc, before you even get to hold a basketball. Those things prepare you for the actual game, which usually comes towards the end of the clinic program. No matter how the kids insisted to play with the ball and play basketball, no matter if they feel they are ready to play, the coaches would not allow it. God is like this to us as well. 

Minsan, kahit feeling mo ready ka na, hindi pa pala. 

I believe this is the reason why we are blessed if we hear and do God’s word. God cannot readily give us his blessings if we are not ready. God cannot take us where we are meant to go if we are not yet ready, if our vision is limited to this world, if our concerns are all of this world. That is why we are blessed if we hear and act. Hearing God’s word, and acting upon it, slowly prepares us. It slowly readies us, slowly transforms us to be more and more like him. Once we consistently allow God to do so, we will be transformed and there will come a time we will be ready – ready to receive his blessings, ready to achieve and actualize God’s great plans for us, ready to meet him face to face. That’s why we are blessed.

May we be inspired to hear God’s word and act on it, not because doing so makes God happy, but because doing so makes us blessed.

Father God,

Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another weekend. Thank you for opportunities to live my faith. Thank you for the blessings you constantly give me and my family. Lord, sorry for the times I am impatient. Sorry for the times I feel I am ready. Sorry for doubting your wisdom. And sorry for not acting to prepare myself. Lord, I pray that today and everyday, I may thirst for your word. May I hear you word and act on it, and allow you to slowly transform me to make me more like you. Fill me. and ready me to receive all you want to give me so you can use me for your purpose and your glory. Amen.

Blessed Weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

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October 8, 2016
Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 466

Reading 1 Gal 3:22-29

Brothers and sisters:
Scripture confined all things under the power of sin,
that through faith in Jesus Christ
the promise might be given to those who believe.

Before faith came, we were held in custody under law,
confined for the faith that was to be revealed.
Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ,
that we might be justified by faith.
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.
For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants,
heirs according to the promise.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Lk 11:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 11:27-28

While Jesus was speaking,
a woman from the crowd called out and said to him,
“Blessed is the womb that carried you
and the breasts at which you nursed.”
He replied, “Rather, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and observe it.”