Too Focused?

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/011413.cfm) reminds me to not be too focused on what I am doing in this life, that I miss out on the important things.

In the gospel, Jesus called his first disciples. They were working and doing their own business when Jesus called them. However, when Jesus called them, they left everything – their work, their family, their old life - and followed Jesus.

We may not experience Jesus himself coming to us and asking us to follow him – like he did the disciples. But I believe that Jesus comes to us, everyday, in the simple and ordinary things. He comes to us as we do our work, as we study, as we live our lives. This is why it is important that we should not be too focused on what we are doing, else we miss Jesus coming to us and miss the opportunity to follow him and serve him through others.

What is my goal right now? Am I focused on it? Am I focused too much that I don’t mind other things that come my way? Am I sensitive to Jesus’ calling me everyday? When was the last time he called me, and I responded positively?

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another opportunity to love and serve you. Lord, I am sorry for not always being sensitive to you. Sorry for being too focused on my life, on my work, on my goals, that I fail to see you in my life. Help me become more sensitive to you, and when you call me, may I be like the disciples, ready and willing to leave what I am doing to do your work. Amen.

Blessed week!

In Christ,

-g-

One With Us

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/011313.cfm) reminds us that Jesus is one with us in all aspects, except sin.

The readings remind us how anointed Jesus was. He really is the Son of God, sent by God to save us from our sins as he proclaims God’s kingdom. The gospel recounts his baptism, and God affirming to everyone present that Jesus is his Son.

Jesus did not need to be baptized. He is one with God, one with him from eternity. He only had himself baptized to show us that he is really one with us. That he goes through what we go through. That he experiences that we experience. In doing so, we are reminded, and encouraged, that we can also do what Jesus can do.

Jesus was tempted several times, just like us. He was given a task to proclaim God’s kingdom, just like us. He became afraid and asked if he can be spared the pain, just like us. When he destroyed the vendors in the temple, we see him mad, just like us. He attends weddings and eats, just like us. Knowing this, we know that we can also do what he did. We can forgive, just like him. We can show compassion and help other people, just like him. We can proclaim God’s kingdom, just like Him.

May Jesus baptism remind us that he is one with us, and encourage us to live lives just like his.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for all the blessings you have generously bestowed upon me and my family. Thank you for the Word that reminded me that Jesus is also human, just like us. Help us Lord to take it into heart. Help us be inspired that we can also live a life pleasing to you, doing your work and spreading your love to other people we encounter. May today, we spread your love in a special way. Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

Let God Increase

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/011213.cfm) reminds me that in our lives, we should let God increase

In the gospel, we can see John baptizing. And when his disciples tell him there’s someone else baptizing, someone else attracting people, John immediately recognized Jesus. He knows and remembers his task of preparing the way for Jesus – even if it means that he should decrease because people are going to Jesus instead of to him to be baptized. He knows that Jesus was given that role by God the Father, and John is just too happy to stand at the side and support Jesus as he does his task.

When we pray, we let Jesus increase, and we let ourselves decrease, just like John. We are again reminded to pray in the first reading, and as we pray, we are challenged and asked to live  a life pleasing to God. As we decrease of ourselves, as we let God take control of our life, when we surrender our will to God, we know that we are in Christ, and we can say that we are trying to do what the psalmist says – to delight God.

Am I willing to decrease so that God may increase in my life?

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another weekend. Lord, I am sorry for the many times I do my own thing. Sorry for wanting things you don’t want for me, and sorry for being hard headed and doing things my own way. Help me be like John. May I always want to glorify and magnify you in my life. Help me to humble myself, and empty myself and decrease as I let you increase in my life. Amen.

Blessed weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

Surrendered Faith

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/011113.cfm) inspires and challenges me to have a surrendered faith to God

During the time of Jesus, having sickness and diseases are not only health concerns, but more so spiritual and social concerns. People believed that sick people, especially the unclean like the lepers, are being punished for their sins. They were treated as outcasts, living outside the cities, begging in the streets for survival. This is the life of the person in the gospel.

How excited he must have been to knw jesus would be passing by. He prostated himself and pleaded with him. this shows he had faith, because he knows Jesus can cure him. but his statement shows what kind of faith he had. “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean” He had surrendered faith – surrendering himself, what he wants, to Jesus’ will. No matter how desperate he was, or how hard his life was, he did not insist that God heal him. he still submitted himself to the will of Jesus… and we  see that he was rewarded for it.

Jesus, in healing him, not only took away his leprosy, but brought him back to society. He asked the man to offer his cleansing – a sign that he indeed is already cured and can be accepted back again in society. His surrenderedf faith was rewarded by Jesus.

Do I have faith? Do I come to Jesus for healing, or do I look for healing and answers elsewhere? When I pray, do I humble myself, or do I insist on what I want, not what God wants? When God gives me second chances, do I make the msot out of them?

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you that it’s the last working day of the week already. Lord, thank you for inspiring me and chalenging me to have the surrendered faith the man in the gospel had. I’m sorry for not having enough faith in you, especially when situations seem impossible. I let worldly concerns and situations limit you, your love and your power. Help me have faith like the man, and surrender my will to your will as I put my trust in you. May I strengthen my faith, and bring others to the faith as well. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

He Loved Me First

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/011013.cfm) reminds me how special I am.

There are times when we feel sad and lonely. Past hurts and sadness still haunt us – sadness and loneliness still visit us from time to time. Sad thing it, it still affects us. People get sick, or even hurt themselves because of such problems. That is why it is great to be reminded how special we are.

God loved us first. Wow, ang lakas. That’s how special we are. That’s how special you are. Nevermind if other people treat you otherwise, or make you feel otherwise. God, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the king of kings, loved you first. He loved you even if you do not love him. He loved you even if you hurt him. He loved you even if you continue to ignore him.

God’s love is real. He sent his only son to save us from our sins. We experience his love everyday, though sometimes we don’t recognize it, through the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the people around us. He never ceases to reach out to us, he never ceases to express his love for us. Yes, He loved us first and he continues to love us – no ifs and no buts.

Do I feel God’s love in my life? How? Are there times when I don’t feel his love, or when I doubt his love? Do I recognize the ways he sends his love to me everyday? Am I affected by how other people make me feel about myself, or do I focus on God, and let him express his love to me?

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for loving me first. Lord, there are times when I don’t feel your love. Times when I don’t recognize your love. I am so distracted by the world and I can’t seem to find and feel your love. Help me to be more sensitive to you, and remind me that no matter what other people say, and no matter how other people make me feel about myself – you loved me first and will continue to love me. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Recharge and Pray

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/010913.cfm) reminds us how important it is to pray

After Jesus fed the five thousand (see http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/01/spirit-and-body.html), he went out to pray. How interesting it is to note that even Jesus prays. Even if he is the Son of God, he prays. In fact, he knows how important and powerful prayer is, so no matter how busy or tired he was, he gave time for prayer.

They say prayer is our direct line to God. The more we pray, the more we will get to know God, the more we will get to know and experience his love for us.  The more we experience his love, as in the first reading, the more we can share of Him and his love to one another.

In prayer, we also adore God. We tell him how great he is, and how thankful we are for all his blessings – both obvious and those in disguise. Thus, in praying, we can take part in what the psalmist says – to adore God.

May we always remember how important and powerful prayer is.

How important is prayer to me? Do I give time for prayer? When? Do I pray even if I am busy or tired? Do I still pray even if I have a lot of unanswered prayers? Do I realize that the more I pray, the more I will get to know God?

Father God,

Thank you for the gift of prayer. Thank you for reminding me today how important and powerful prayer is. Lord, I am sorry for not making the most out of your gift. I am sorry for using as an excuse me being too busy or tired to pray. I ask that you give me a heart of prayer, a heart that would love to pray, no matter how busy, tired, sad or happy I may be. And as I pray, may I get to know you more, and make me more and more like you, so that my prayers would be your prayer. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflections:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/02/he-rose-early-to-pray.html

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/01/spirit-and-body.html

Spirit and Body

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/010813.cfm) reminds me that Jesus satisfies completely – spirit and body

The gospel tells us one of the more famous gospels – Jesus feeding thousands. We see Jesus feeding the people, not just physically when he multiplied food for them, but first, spiritually, which was the primary food he gave them, even before the physical food. Then when it was late and dark already, Christ gave them physical food for their bodies.

God loves us so much that he gives us not only spiritual nourishment, but also physical nourishment.

Love is the reason God sent his only Son to save us from our sins. Love should also be our primary reason for living – to spread God’s love to each other. As the first reading tells us, we should love one another. And one way of loving one another is to care and share what we have with one another – which what other people said about the gospel, that the miracle is not Jesus multiplying food, but the real miracle is the hearts of the people were changed and the shared food with each other because of love.

May we be inspired to not only nourish our bodies, but more importantly, our spirit.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for the reminder that you norish not only our body but our spirit as well. Lord, I ask that you be with me in a special way today. Help me always be reminded to nourish not only my body, but more importantly, my spirit as well. Lord, it is easy to know and be reminded when my body is weak, when I am hungry, but not as easy to detect spiritual hunger…so I ask you Lord that you disturb me, wake me up and give me warnings when my spirit is running low, when I am spiritually hungry as well. And Lord, may I be sensitive and respond to it. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/02/thank-you.html