Sweet Words

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112318.cfm) reminds me that I should work on my relationship with God until his words and promises become sweet to me. 

Children generally like sweets. Candies, chocolates, cakes, ice cream – these are happy food for children. I remember the lyrics of a song by 50 cent – “I love you like a fat kid love cake.” And even for a lot of adult people, these are comfort food until now – food we don’t really want to eat because of the calories that make us gain unwanted weight, but when stressed or tired, generally make us feel happy. Comfort food. Reward food. Happy food. This is how we should feel about God's words. 

In the first reading, we see how sweet God’s word is to the mouth.

So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll.

He said to me, “Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.”
I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and swallowed it.
In my mouth it was like sweet honey,.

And in the psalm, we continue to see declaration of how sweet God’s promise is.

How sweet to my taste is your promise!

How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!

How, How sweet God’s word is. How sweet his promises are. When he says he has great plans for us, that should be sweet. When he says he will always be there for us, to bless and protect us, that is sweet. When he says with Him, nothing is impossible, that is sweet. When he says that he will give us eternal life, that is sweet. His word, the bible, is full of sweet promises. Inspiring words. Strengthening and encouraging us to move forward and face the challenges. But we need to know it. We need to read and understand, so we would know and feel it alive in our lives.

However, Sweet words and promises are not easy to live by and understand. It is not easy to believe these things, especially given the situation of the world. This is why we need to work on our relationship with God. We need to do our part and pray, read, and get to know him more. When we have a personal relationship with Him, then it will be easier to believe his promises. When we have a personal relationship with him, then it is easier to focus on him and do what he tells us, just as Jesus did in the gospel. 

How do we see God’s word? How do we feel when we hear God’s promises to us? Are we too busy to read God’s word, or do we give it it’s due importance in life? when God tells us he has great plans for us, and he promises salvation to those who come to him, do we feel impatient because we don’t want to wait for it to happen? Do we feel anxious because these may not be what we want to happen in our lives? Or do we feel excited, and feel want more of his word and his promises?

May we be inspired and challenged to work on our relationship with God, so his words will always be sweet not only to our mouth but to our soul as well. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another day to love you, to feel you, to get closer to you. Lord, I am sorry for not giving importance to you and your word. Sorry for justifying my not being able to read and bask in your word with my being busy and tired. Help me feel and realize your sweet words in my life. Grant me a heart that would always want you and desire you. Help me do my part in building and strengthening my relationship with you. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

November 23, 2018

Friday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 501

Reading 1 RV 10:8-11

I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me.
Then the voice spoke to me and said:
"Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel
who is standing on the sea and on the land."
So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll.
He said to me, "Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey."
I took the small scroll from the angel's hand and swallowed it.
In my mouth it was like sweet honey,
but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
Then someone said to me, "You must prophesy again
about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131

R. (103a) How sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!

Alleluia JN 10:27

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

Gospel LK 19:45-48

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.”
And every day he was teaching in the temple area.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.