Marriage

The WORD today reminds me how sacred God intended marriage. 

In the first reading, we see that God created woman from the man, and emphasized that in marriage, they shall leave their family and live together as one couple. Jesus echoes this in the gospel. He explains to the people how important and sacred marriage is. We see the importance God gives to Marriage. We see God’s design for us. Not everyone is called for married life, but those called to it are ordered to obey God’s command. It probably is easier said than done, but those called in this state of life must remain faithful to their promise before God and must keep God’s command.

Nowadays, there are a lot of threats to marriage. Too much commercialism and freedom threatens marriages. People do not want to adjust and grow together. They want out on the first sign of trouble or challenge. They expect marriage to be easy and happy, and when challenges come their way or they feel they want something else, they divorce.

What God has joined together, man must not separate.

God loves us and gave us our families to remind us of that love. But in marriage, we leave our family to start a new one with our spouse. We become one – starting a new family and preparing ourselves to give the kind of love our parents gave us. To be Jesus to our own family. God instituted this sacrament so his love can be more alive and more real in the lives of people, especially children of the family.

What is my perspective towards marriage? Do I still see it as an important sacrament? Do i keep my marriage vows no matter what? Do I prepare myself before getting married or do I rush myself into it for the wrong reasons, only to find out how challenging staying faithful is? Do I trust in God when faced with life’s challenges?

May we work hard and do our part to preserve the sanctity of marriage, by praying for and supporting married couples, and protecting marriage from external threats.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another Sunday. Lord, I thank you for the gift of love. Thank you for the sacrament of holy matrimony. I lift up to you all married couples. Be with all of us, guide us and protect us. May we all always realize the sanctity of marriage, and do everything we can to protect and preserve it. Help us be supportive of marriage as we live. help us protect and nurture it. May married couples continue to experience your love, so they may be able to love each other, and pass this love to people around them, especially their families. Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

• OCTOBER 2, 2021
• October 3, 2021
• OCTOBER 4, 2021

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Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 140

Reading I

Gn 2:18-24

The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him."
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name. 
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep,
he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib
that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
    "This one, at last, is bone of my bones
        and flesh of my flesh;
    this one shall be called 'woman, '
        for out of 'her man’ this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6

R. (cf. 5)  May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
    who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
    blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
    in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
    around your table.
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
    who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life.
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
May you see your children's children.
    Peace be upon Israel!
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.

Reading II

Heb 2:9-11

Brothers and sisters:
He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, "
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated
all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers.”

Alleluia

1 Jn 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If we love one another, God remains in us
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 10:2-16 or 10:2-12

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,
"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" 
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" 
They replied,
"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her."
But Jesus told them,
"Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment. 
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh. 
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate." 
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. 
He said to them,
"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery."

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
"Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these. 
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it."
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.

Greatest

The WORD today reminds me who the greatest in God’s eyes is. 

A few years back, there was a movie about the life of Muhammad Ali, whom many considered one of if not the world’s greatest boxer, although today Floyd Mayweather insists he is the greatest. The theme song of the Ali movie  had the title. “The World’s Greatest”. He won many fights, he was a well-respected boxer in the ring, and his skills are superior… that’s why he is a great fighter.

However, God’s standards are usually opposite as those of the world’s. The greatest in God’s eyes are not the strong and mighty, but the dependent and childlike.

In the gospel, Jesus told his disciples that a child is great in God’s eyes, and they should welcome and be like children. That they should humble themselves like the children. Back then, children together with women were the least in the society, so women and of course children are naturally humble because of their situation. 

Why is a child great? Because of his humility and nothingness. He knows he cannot do anything on his own, so he is fully dependent on his parents. Children does not only rely, but also obey their parents – even when they do not understand what the parents are asking them to do. The same way, God wants us to be like that, to know and remember that we really cannot do anything on our own… that we should be fully dependent and obedient on God, our father. This is something difficult, especially for successful and independent people who think they can do anything and can exist on their own.

If we know and accept our nothingness, and fully depend on God, then we are great. For it is when we humbly ask for His grace and guidance that we can be filled with everything God wants to give us. And when we are filled with God, then we are certainly great, for God is in us.

How do I see greatness? What is my perspective on greatness? Do I realize that God’s hand was upon me all my life? Do I humble myself before him? What is God reminding me today? 

May we be reminded of what it takes to be great in God’s eyes, and do our best to be one.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for your reminder. Thank you for loving me and for blessing me. Lord, this gospel has been repeating a number of times these past few weeks, and I believe that you just want me to remember how important this is to you. Thank you for sending people in my life who remind me how much you love me and how special I am to you. Lord, I am sorry for the times I put you out of the picture, when I just rely on myself and do things on my own. Sorry for the times I focus too much on myself, how I can be great in the eyes of the world. Help me have the childlike attitude and faith that will always rely on you as I live. Help me live like your child so I can be great in your eyes. As we celebrate the memorial of the Guardian Angels today, I thank you for my guardian angels. Thank you for always protecting us and watching over us. May you continue to protect us especially from the evil one. We will do our best to live a life pleasing to the guardian angels and especially to you. Amen.

Blessed Weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

• OCTOBER 1, 2021
• October 2, 2021
• OCTOBER 3, 2021

• Readings for the Memorial of the Guardian Angels

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Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

Lectionary: 460/650

Reading I

Bar 4:5-12, 27-29

Fear not, my people!
    Remember, Israel,
You were sold to the nations
    not for your destruction;
It was because you angered God
    that you were handed over to your foes.
For you provoked your Maker
    with sacrifices to demons, to no-gods;
You forsook the Eternal God who nourished you,
    and you grieved Jerusalem who fostered you.
She indeed saw coming upon you
    the anger of God; and she said:

“Hear, you neighbors of Zion!
    God has brought great mourning upon me,
For I have seen the captivity
    that the Eternal God has brought
    upon my sons and daughters.
With joy I fostered them;
    but with mourning and lament I let them go.
Let no one gloat over me, a widow,
    bereft of many:
For the sins of my children I am left desolate,
    because they turned from the law of God.
Fear not, my children; call out to God!
    He who brought this upon you will remember you.
As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God,
    turn now ten times the more to seek him;
For he who has brought disaster upon you 
    will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy.”

Responsorial Psalm

69:33-35, 36-37

R.    (34) The Lord listens to the poor.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
    you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
    and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
    the seas and whatever moves in them!”
R.    The Lord listens to the poor.
For God will save Zion
    and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
    and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
    and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R.    The Lord listens to the poor.

Alleluia

Ps 103:21

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 18:1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

Opportunities

The WORD today reminds me that God gives us opportunities to repent. 

There was a time when there were a lot of game shows in the Philippines. And one of the usual highlight of these shows is the host making the contestant choose between cash and the contents of a chosen box. Content could range from zero to one million. And in most cases, the host knows what is inside the box. That is why sometimes the amount of cash offered is proportionate to the amount in the box. Some contestants insist on choosing the box , and when the host knows that the amount in the box is zero, he usually gives opportunities for the contestant to change his mind and choose the cash. However, the show needs to end. And no matter how the host tries to persuade the contestant to change his mind, final answer will come from the contestant. This is similar to how God deals with us. 

God gives us opportunities to change our ways and choose him. He can try to persuade us, but the final decision is ours. 

In the gospel, Jesus reminds us that not all towns and people chose him. Not all repented. But he gave it all he can. He performed mighty deeds and actions in the hopes that the people will change their ways and realize who he is. He gave them a lot of opportunities to change and repent. But it does not last forever. Time will come that God will take note what they really want to happen - If they want to follow God or not. those who choose to ignore him will be punished. 

In the first reading, we saw that some people really disobeyed God. They did evil. They knew how great and loving God is. However, they did not change their hearts. They still disobeyed and did evil in his sight. 

In the same way that contestants are given opportunities to change their minds, God gives us opportunities as well. He sends us reminders. He sends us people. He uses different ways and different things to reminds us of who he is, to remind us of how we should act. However, he cannot force us. He cannot make us do something we don't want. He cannot save us if we don't want to be saved. He will honor our choice and will reward or punish us accordingly. 

How do I act towards God? How do I treat God? Do I love him and serve him? Or do I do evil in his sight and just do whatever I want to? What is he telling me today? 

May we be sensitive to God's reminders. And be moved into changing for, following and serving him. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for another reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I ignore you. Sorry for the times I choose to love myself more, to do my desires, even if they are not what you want. Help me be humble. Help me be sensitive. Help me choose you and live for you. Because I want to spend eternity with you. Amen. 

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

• SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
• October 1, 2021
• OCTOBER 2, 2021

• Readings for the Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church

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Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 459

Reading I

Bar 1:15-22

During the Babylonian captivity, the exiles prayed:
“Justice is with the Lord, our God;
and we today are flushed with shame,
we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem,
that we, with our kings and rulers
and priests and prophets, and with our ancestors,
have sinned in the Lord’s sight and disobeyed him.
We have neither heeded the voice of the Lord, our God,
nor followed the precepts which the Lord set before us.
From the time the Lord led our ancestors out of the land of Egypt
until the present day,
we have been disobedient to the Lord, our God,
and only too ready to disregard his voice.
And the evils and the curse that the Lord enjoined upon Moses, his servant,
at the time he led our ancestors forth from the land of Egypt
to give us the land flowing with milk and honey,
cling to us even today.
For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God,
in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us,
but each one of us went off
after the devices of his own wicked heart,
served other gods,
and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God.”

Responsorial Psalm

79:1b-2, 3-5, 8, 9

R.    (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
    they have defiled your holy temple,
    they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
    as food to the birds of heaven,
    the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R.    For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
    round about Jerusalem,
    and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
    the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
    Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R.    For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
    may your compassion quickly come to us,
    for we are brought very low.
R.    For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
    because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
    for your name’s sake.
R.    For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Alleluia

Ps 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 10:13-16

Jesus said to them,
“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,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me. 
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”