Challenges in Life

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082913.cfm) reminds me that everyone of us experiences challenges in life.

They say that as long as you live, you will always have problems, or challenges in life. And the only time you will be problem free is if you die. True.

Everyone. No exceptions.

Good and bad alike. Much more if we’re good, if we follow God.

Jesus experienced a lot of challenges here on earth. And he said that everyone who comes to follow him will also experience the same in their lives. As we see and commemorate today, St John the Baptist also experienced it, even before Christ did. He was brutally killed, his head cut off, as a result of doing good – of proclaiming and standing for what is right. Unfair? Probably in the worldly sense, but God’s wisdom is far from our understanding.

As we live our lives, especially as we follow Christ, there will be a lot of challenges. It may seem unfair – we serve God, we do good, we give our time, talents and treasures for Him and his kingdom, but we still have a lot of challenges. Seeing worldly people prosper may also distract us and make us question. However, these are times when we just have to trust in God and his wisdom and his perfect plan for us. We just have to be reminded of Jesus and people who follow him, like St John, who endured challenges as they were faithfully doing God’s work. And be comforted that as we experience these challenges, we are walking the path of Christ.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for giving me another day to live, to work, to serve you, to know you. Lord, I thank you for the challenges I experience in life – because I know that these challenges would help me become a better person. I know these challenges are ways of strengthening and purifying me. And as I experience these, I ask that you continue to help me, to bless and protect me, that I may always be faithful and always be strong to continue serving you despite these challenges. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

He is Everywhere

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082813.cfm) reminds me that God is everywhere.

When I was diagnosed to have astigmatism and was given glasses, I felt uncomfortable. It was weird having something in my face all the time. Then someone told me not to mind it, to not be conscious of my glasses and act as if it’s not there. True enough, eventually I became comfortable with it and felt that I did not have them on.

The psalm today reminds us of something similar – that God is always with us, that God is everywhere.

However, just like the glasses, it is our decision to ignore him and take him for granted. It is our decision to see him in everything, or forget he is in everything and in everyone. Same as true as we live our lives – it is our decision if we will live for him, knowing that he sees everything, or if we will live for ourselves, acting like he is not around.

May we be moved to see God in everything and everyone, and live our lives like it.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live and serve you. Lord, I am sorry for taking you for granted, for acting and living my life as if you’re not here. Lord, I pray that you give me a heart that will always be aware of you. May I always see you in everything around me. Also, however hard it may be, especially when I see people I don’t like, I pray that I may see you in everyone, so that I may treat everyone in a way I would treat you. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

From the Inside Out

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082713.cfm) reminds me that we should clean ourselves from the inside going out. 

It is easy to clean the outside. For example, cars. There are a lot of carwash which provide cleaning services. You don't even need to go to a carwash. You can clean the car at home, and it won't take a lot of time and effort. However, what requires more time and effort is cleaning the inside of the car - the interior, the engine, among other things. 

Today Jesus says in the gospel...

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.

You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,

but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.

Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,

so that the outside also may be clean.”

As with cars, what requires more time and effort, and what is really important, is that we are clean from the inside. Being clean inside would eventually be manifested outward. 

It is easy to seem clean. It's easy to go to the church, go to outreach activities and relief operations, help the less fortunate. It's easy to show others you go to mass, confess and serve. However, this does not guarantee the inner state of the person. 

May we work to have a clean heart, a clean spirit first. Clean and pure motives and intentions. May we pray for these, so that eventually, these things will be manifested in our actions. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Lord, I pray that you help me have a clean heart. Purify my thoughts, purify my spirit, purify my heart, so that my actions would follow what is inside me. Amen. 

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Wrong Focus

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082613.cfm) reminds us to focus on the right things.

Most people nowadays have a smartphone. Instead of having dedicated cameras to take pictures, people now use smartphones. And these smartphones sometimes have an option to focus on certain things before taking shots. This way, the person can make sure that the focus is right, and the emphasis is given to the proper area. If the focus is not set, the image taken is sometimes blurred.

This is the same if we are out of focus as we live our lives.

In the gospel, we see examples of people not having their focus on the right thing. The scribes and pharisees were influential people at that time. They could have used their influence to bring people to God, but they did otherwise. They prevent people from knowing God. They focus on the gold, on earthly riches, than the heavenly ones.

How about us? What is our focus as we live our lives.

All of us will eventually meet our creator. And when we do, it doesn’t matter what earthly thing we have accomplished, what worldly thing we have accumulated. What matters is how many people we brought to him, and how we lived our lives – for God of for ourselves. May we be reminded to have our focus right as we live our life. As they say, you only live once – so live it right.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for the holiday – an extra day to rest and spend time with my family and with you. Lord, I pray that as I live my life on earth, my focus would always be on the right things. Help me not to get distracted and always have my eyes on you. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Narrow Road

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082513.cfm) reminds me what the narrow road to Christ entails.

I attended a 7:30 AM mass earlier, and the homily of the priest was a great way to start my day. He talked about the narrow road towards God.

It is not easy to enter through the narrow gate, but everyone can through it.

In the road, there are signs that tell us if the road ahead is going to be narrow.. Narrow roads, gates and spaces are not easy to enter, unlike wide roads. That is why more discipline is required if we want to enter the narrow road, tha narrow gate. If we want to pass through the narrow road, we should be more careful. We should be sensitive to our surroundings and to other motorists on the road, so as not to get into an accident. Unlike with wide roads that we tend to just speed away and be more careless, because there is more space, more opportunities to do what we want.

Same is true with narrow doors. Some buildings, and churches are huge, but have narrow doors – some just enough for people to go inside. Some even allows just one person at a time to go in. This requires us to be mindful of other people, to have discipline and leave behind unnecessary things that cannot pass through the narrow gate. Unlike buildings with wide gates, which sometimes causes chaos.

The road towards God, towards his kingdom, is narrow. It is not easy to get to him. it requires discipline, sacrifice, and love. It requires us being mindful and sensitive to other people. Good news is, everyone can pass through it. May we be challenged and at the same time, encouraged, to walk the narrow road and pass through the narrow gate towards God.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for waking me up early, thank you for starting my day early and in a great way. Lord, I thank you that hopefully, this is my last working weekend, at least for the next month. I pray that I may be able to glorify you as I work this weekend. Lord, in a special way, I also ask that you help me life my life in the narrow road. IT may be difficult, but I know it is possible. And as I meet you, may I be ready to enter through the narrow gate, with only essential things with me. Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

Why Do You Believe?

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082413.cfm) makes me think why I believe in God.

They say everything has a reason. Everything that happens has a reason. And there is also a reason why we believe certain things. In the  gospel, Jesus asks Nathaniel: “Do you believe because…”

Sometimes we are like that. We believe because…

We believe God because we are taught so by our family, school, or community. We believe God because we are born with that thinking. We believe God because he blesses us so much. We believe God because we need to believe in something greater than ourselves. We believe God because we need him to help us get through the challenges in life.

So, why do you believe?

May we be challenged by this question, and look inside ourselves to see why we believe. And when the going gets tough, when we are faced with life’s challenges, like Job, may we continue to believe in God, continue to love in him, and continue to trust in him despite the challenges we encounter in life.

Father God,

Thank you for today. thank you for the gift of life. Thank you also that even if I have to go to work this weekend, I am healthy and I have work. Lord, again I ask that you help me praise and worship you through my work, through all the things I will do this weekend. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

God is Simple.

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082313.cfm) reminds me again how simple God’s commandments are.

Other religions may have many laws and commandments. As Catholics, we follow the ten commandments. However, in the gospel today, we see the basis of these commandments – Love for God that flows to love for others.

We do not have to memorize a lot of things as we live this life. We just have to remember one word. Love.

God asks us to love him first, above everything, above everyone else. Love God with all we got. Love God first. Then this love should flow to other people. It should not stop at ourselves, it should not stop with us loving God. We have to apply it to others and love others as we love God.

As we live our lives, we may have a lot of rules and policies. In our work, in our communities, in our families there might be different things we follow. However, we are reminded to not be overwhelmed and not to lose focus on God, on the essential things in life. Everything else should be rooted from this. Love for God that flows to love for others.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you it’s Friday already. Thank you, that even if I have a busy, working weekend, I was able to rest this week. Lord, thank you for loving me first. I am able to love because I experience your love. May I always love you first, may I always think of you and put my focus on you. May I live my life loving you and serving others as I my love for you flows to them. In a special way I also lift up to you my sister Katrina. As she celebrates her birthday today, I pray that she would always feel your love, blessings, and protection in her life. And as she does so, may it move her to action and enable her to continue to love others and in her own way, be Christ to others. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflections:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/06/high-standards.html

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/03/still-simple.html