The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/071718.cfm) reminds
me of the importance of having firm faith.
In the first reading, we see
Ahaz trembling. Well, initially, we could understand why. There are a lot of
people attacking his kingdom. Powerful people. Powerful kingdoms. Syempre
natatakot sya. Being a leader, that fear goes down to the people under him.
Dahil takot ang leader, mas lalong takot ang mga tao. You cannot expect the
people to be brave if their own leader is afraid. Good thing it did not remain
this way.
God sent Isaiah to tell Ahaz
not to be afraid. “remain tranquil and do not fear, let not your courage
fail…” Si God na mismo nagsabi sa kanya ng ganun. Si God na. God knows what
we need. What we need to hear. God has our needs in mind.
You may say that buti pa sya,
sinabihan ni God. E ngayon, wala namang prophet na magsasabi sa akin to not be
afraid, that God is with me. Well, true. There are no prophets like that
nowadays. However, we don’t need a prophet to tell us that. We have God’s WORD
which is readily accessible to us. When he tells us to not be afraid, we should
not be afraid. When he tells us he will take care of us, he will. We
should have faith in God. God is powerful. He can make things happen. And God
does not disappoint. We should just have faith in Him.
Faith should translate into action.
No matter what the situation
may be, we should have faith. Even if things may seem impossible. Di pwedeng
sabihing may faith ka kay God, pero pag mahirap na ang sitwasyon, bibigay ka
na. When the world seem to overwhelm us, we should not lose faith, but rather
hold on to it. God himself said in the first reading "unless your faith
is firm you shall not be firm.” Our faith will enable God to do great works
and unleash his power in our lives. It doesn’t work the other way, that we
expect God to prove himself first before we have faith in him. We should have
faith in God’s love, his goodness, and his power. This faith should shine
brighter in seemingly impossible situations. As God said, we should have firm
faith so our lives van be firm and stable... anchored in Him.
Do I
have a firm faith? How do I react when faced with life’s challenges? When the
world seems to overwhelm me and what is happening seem to be overpowering God,
how do I react? Do I keep calm and keep firm in my faith in God, or do I panic
and do everything in my own power, not God, to fight it?
May we always have firm faith in God, no matter what the
situation is.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for
another day to live. Thank you for the readings today. Thank you for reminding
me about faith. Thank you for challenging and reminding me to be still and have
complete faith in you, especially in challenging times. Lord, sorry for the
times I fail. Sorry for the times I lose my faith in you, especially in
difficult situations. Sorry for seeking refuge elsewhere. Sorry for not having
firm faith in you. Lord, I know that life will not always be easy, but I also
know that you will always be there to guide and bless me. I just need to have
firm faith in you. Help me build that faith, and may my faith bring others to
you as well. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
July 17, 2018
Lectionary: 390
Reading 1 IS 7:1-9
In the
days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah,
Rezin, king of Aram,
and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah,
went up to attack Jerusalem,
but they were not able to conquer it.
When word came to the house of David that Aram
was encamped in Ephraim,
the heart of the king and the heart of the people trembled,
as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.
Then the LORD said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz,
you and your son Shear-jashub,
at the end of the conduit of the upper pool,
on the highway of the fuller’s field, and say to him:
Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear;
let not your courage fail
before these two stumps of smoldering brands
the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans,
and of the son Remaliah,
because of the mischief that
Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah,
plots against you, saying,
“Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force,
and appoint the son of Tabeel king there.”
Thus says the LORD:
This shall not stand, it shall not be!
Damascus is the capital of Aram,
and Rezin is the head of Damascus;
Samaria is the capital of Ephraim,
and Remaliah’s son the head of Samaria.
But within sixty years and five,
Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.
Unless your faith is firm
you shall not be firm!
Rezin, king of Aram,
and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah,
went up to attack Jerusalem,
but they were not able to conquer it.
When word came to the house of David that Aram
was encamped in Ephraim,
the heart of the king and the heart of the people trembled,
as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.
Then the LORD said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz,
you and your son Shear-jashub,
at the end of the conduit of the upper pool,
on the highway of the fuller’s field, and say to him:
Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear;
let not your courage fail
before these two stumps of smoldering brands
the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans,
and of the son Remaliah,
because of the mischief that
Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah,
plots against you, saying,
“Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force,
and appoint the son of Tabeel king there.”
Thus says the LORD:
This shall not stand, it shall not be!
Damascus is the capital of Aram,
and Rezin is the head of Damascus;
Samaria is the capital of Ephraim,
and Remaliah’s son the head of Samaria.
But within sixty years and five,
Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.
Unless your faith is firm
you shall not be firm!
Responsorial Psalm PS 48:2-3A,
3B-4, 5-6, 7-8
R.
(see 9d) God upholds his city for ever.
Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,”
is the city of the great King.
God is with her castles;
renowned is he as a stronghold.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
For lo! the kings assemble,
they come on together;
They also see, and at once are stunned,
terrified, routed.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Quaking seizes them there;
anguish, like a woman’s in labor,
As though a wind from the east
were shattering ships of Tarshish.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,”
is the city of the great King.
God is with her castles;
renowned is he as a stronghold.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
For lo! the kings assemble,
they come on together;
They also see, and at once are stunned,
terrified, routed.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Quaking seizes them there;
anguish, like a woman’s in labor,
As though a wind from the east
were shattering ships of Tarshish.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Alleluia PS 95:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MT
11:20-24
Jesus
began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:
Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the nether world.
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:
Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the nether world.
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
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