The
WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/061318.cfm) reminds me that I should have
great faith in God's great power.
The Superbowl is one of
the greatest sporting event in the world. A lot of people watch it. Great
artists prepare well for the intermissions. Only great and popular artists
perform. Companies pay milions to have their advertisements shown during the
halftime. That’s how big it is. It is One event people look forward to. And
today we see in the first reading what some call the superbowl of faith.
It is one of my favourite faith stories in the Bible.
Who is Elijah? He is THE
prophet! Remember during transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus.
Moses represented the law, Elijah represented the prophets. Ganun
sya ka astig! =) Sinasabi pa nga dati na si Elijah yung babalik from Heaven
when the time comes. Because that is how he left - being carried away to heaven
in a chariot.
Anyway, the story shows God’s
great power unleashed by Elijah’s great faith.
In the reading, the 450
prophets of Baal took the whole day – dancing, praying, shouting and
even hurting themselves so Baal would listen to them and accept their
sacrifice. All this time, Elijah was just watching, and even taunted them to
shout louder because Baal might be doing something else. Then when the time
came, we see Elijah’s faith and confidence in God. He did not just
immediately pray. He asked that four jars of water be poured on
the offering, not once but three times. Then he prayed. Immediately,
God sent fire to consume the offering, including the overflowing water. Astig
talaga si God! He rewarded Elijah's great faith in Him.
Elijah’s purpose in this is not
to make himself known. Hindi para sumikat sya na may powers, or na malakas kay
God. His intention was for the people to make the decision – to follow
Baal or to follow God. Kailangang pumili, hindi pwedeng best of
both worlds. Elijah had faith that God will help him as he serves him and asks
the people to decide. This faith of Elijah, kahit na 450 prophets ni Baal yung
kalaban nya at inasar pa nya, tapos pinalagyan pa nya ng madaming tubig yung
offering, enabled God to manifest his great power. This event
converted many people to the faith, not formally, but they made the choice to
follow God. They proclaimed that “The LORD is GOD.”
The condition for a miracle is
difficulty. The condition for a great miracle is impossibility. And we saw a great miracle
in the story.
Where do we see ourselves in
the story?
Are we like Elijah, who is
actively serving God and having faith in God and his great powers kahit na in
the sense of the world, mas madami yung kalaban ni God? Natatakot ba tayo pag
mukhang malakas yung kalaban or mukhang alanganin tayo? Are we confident enough
with our faith in God, and in our God in whatever we are facing?
Are we like the people who are
undecided wether to follow Baal or God? Do we claim to follow God in
some aspects, but cling to other gods as well in forms of horoscopes,
predictions of the future, and the like? Are we following God only on aspects
of faith that are comfortable and beneficial to us, but not on doctrines that
require more from us, like going to mass, confession, forgiveness, etc? When
will we take a stand and choose?
We are encouraged to have faith
like Elijah. We can have faith like Elijah. Tao lang din naman sya eh, parang
tayo! He is not an angel, nor someone who came down from heaven. We can have
faith like Elijah’s if we pray, work hard in building and strengthening
our faith and relationship with God. Eto nanaman ulit – nanjan ang bible na
dapat natin basahin at gamitin. There’s the mass. We have the sacraments that
will help us grow deeper in the faith. The things that we need are readily
available, we just need to make the decision – decision to choose
God and to improve and strengthen our faith and our relationship with him.
As we do this, then we can be used by God, like Elijah, to bring others to Him.
Do I have faith in God? How?
When? Do I trust in him when the situation seems impossible, or do I just trust
in him in simple situations? In what instances in my life has God proven his
love and power? What prevents me from trusting in him wholeheartedly? How can I
increase my faith?
May we be inspired and moved to
make the decision to follow, love, and serve God. And may we work on our faith
so it will be easier for God to use us.
Father God,
Thank you for
today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the beautiful reminder.
Thank you for your great love and great power. Lord, I am sorry for not
choosing you all the time. Sorry Lord that minsan, hindi buo ang pagsunod ko sa
inyo. Hindi buo ang pag lilingkod ko sa inyo. Lord, I ask that you help me make
the decision. Alam ko naman kung ano yung dapat eh, I just need to make the
decision to stick to it and choose you everytime. Thank you Lord for the gift
of faith, and I ask you to help me strengthen my faith. I know that as I choose
you, my faith will be strengthened and you will use me to unleash your great
power and bring people to you. Use me to glorify your name and bring others to
you. All this I ask in faith in Jesus name, Amen.
Blessed
Day!
In
Christ,
-g-
June 13, 2018
Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor
of the Church
Lectionary: 361
Lectionary: 361
Reading 1 1 KGS18:20-39
Ahab sent to all the children
of Israel
and had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel.
Elijah appealed to all the people and said,
"How long will you straddle the issue?
If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him."
The people, however, did not answer him.
So Elijah said to the people,
"I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD,
and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.
Give us two young bulls.
Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood,
but start no fire.
I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood,
but shall start no fire.
You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the LORD.
The God who answers with fire is God."
All the people answered, "Agreed!"
Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal,
"Choose one young bull and prepare it first,
for there are more of you.
Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire."
Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it
and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying,
"Answer us, Baal!"
But there was no sound, and no one answering.
And they hopped around the altar they had prepared.
When it was noon, Elijah taunted them:
"Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating,
or may have retired, or may be on a journey.
Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened."
They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears,
as was their custom, until blood gushed over them.
Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic state
until the time for offering sacrifice.
But there was not a sound;
no one answered, and no one was listening.
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me."
When the people had done so, he repaired the altar of the LORD
that had been destroyed.
He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob,
to whom the LORD had said, "Your name shall be Israel."
He built an altar in honor of the LORD with the stones,
and made a trench around the altar
large enough for two measures of grain.
When he had arranged the wood,
he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood.
"Fill four jars with water," he said,
"and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood."
"Do it again," he said, and they did it again.
"Do it a third time," he said,
and they did it a third time.
The water flowed around the altar,
and the trench was filled with the water.
At the time for offering sacrifice,
the prophet Elijah came forward and said,
"LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
let it be known this day that you are God in Israel
and that I am your servant
and have done all these things by your command.
Answer me, LORD!
Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God
and that you have brought them back to their senses."
The LORD's fire came down
and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust,
and it lapped up the water in the trench.
Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said,
"The LORD is God! The LORD is God!"
and had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel.
Elijah appealed to all the people and said,
"How long will you straddle the issue?
If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him."
The people, however, did not answer him.
So Elijah said to the people,
"I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD,
and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.
Give us two young bulls.
Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood,
but start no fire.
I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood,
but shall start no fire.
You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the LORD.
The God who answers with fire is God."
All the people answered, "Agreed!"
Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal,
"Choose one young bull and prepare it first,
for there are more of you.
Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire."
Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it
and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying,
"Answer us, Baal!"
But there was no sound, and no one answering.
And they hopped around the altar they had prepared.
When it was noon, Elijah taunted them:
"Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating,
or may have retired, or may be on a journey.
Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened."
They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears,
as was their custom, until blood gushed over them.
Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic state
until the time for offering sacrifice.
But there was not a sound;
no one answered, and no one was listening.
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me."
When the people had done so, he repaired the altar of the LORD
that had been destroyed.
He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob,
to whom the LORD had said, "Your name shall be Israel."
He built an altar in honor of the LORD with the stones,
and made a trench around the altar
large enough for two measures of grain.
When he had arranged the wood,
he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood.
"Fill four jars with water," he said,
"and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood."
"Do it again," he said, and they did it again.
"Do it a third time," he said,
and they did it a third time.
The water flowed around the altar,
and the trench was filled with the water.
At the time for offering sacrifice,
the prophet Elijah came forward and said,
"LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
let it be known this day that you are God in Israel
and that I am your servant
and have done all these things by your command.
Answer me, LORD!
Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God
and that you have brought them back to their senses."
The LORD's fire came down
and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust,
and it lapped up the water in the trench.
Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said,
"The LORD is God! The LORD is God!"
Responsorial Psalm PS 16:1B-2AB, 4, 5AB AND 8, 11
R. (1b) Keep me safe, O God; you are my
hope.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
They multiply their sorrows
who court other gods.
Blood libations to them I will not pour out,
nor will I take their names upon my lips.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
O LORD, my allotted portion and cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
They multiply their sorrows
who court other gods.
Blood libations to them I will not pour out,
nor will I take their names upon my lips.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
O LORD, my allotted portion and cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
Alleluia PS 25:4B, 5A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Teach me your paths, my God,
and guide me in your truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Teach me your paths, my God,
and guide me in your truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MT 5:17-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."
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