Strong Humble Persistent

The WORD today reminds me that I should have strong faith in God, while remaining humble and persistent. 

Not a lot of people can accept rejection. Some, or probably a lot, stop after being rejected. That is why I admire the persistence of people in the sales industry. They are very used to rejections. But they keep on offering things anyway. They keep on selling. Because they know eventually someone would be interested and will buy something from them. This is similar to the woman in the gospel. 

In the gospel, we see a woman we should imitate. The Canaanite woman showed great humility, persistence, and strong faith. This is one of the few times Jesus actually “tests” a person. Usually, Jesus grants the people’s requests – for healing from sickness and disease, from freedom from evil spirits, even from death. However, today’s gospel shows us a different side of Jesus. His approach initially seems tough. “ it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” – meaning Jews first, the chosen people. Sila muna ang tutulungan ko, tsaka na kayo. Jesus even compared her (being a Caananite makes her a non Jew, a gentile) to a dog. Grabe diba, request denied na nga, tapos kinumpara pa sa aso. 

Did she stop there?

Of course not! It’s inspiring how great the woman’s faith, persistence and humility are. She was humble to come to him for her daughter’s healing, and was humble enough to accept and not be offended by Jesus words. Even though she did not get a warm treatment, she did not back down.  Then we see her faith, na kahit parang nireject na sya ni Jesus, she still believed. We also see her persistence. She did not just leave, when the disciples sent her away, and when Jesus seemed to ignore her. She humbly insisted on her request. on her faith. Sabi nya “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Kung baga, sabi nya, OK lang Lord na kung tingin mo aso kami, pero may faith parin ako na kahit konti, kahit tira tira nalang ng para sa Jews, ay makakapag pagaling sa anak ko. And when Jesus told her that her daughter is free from the demon, she did not say “Lord, sumama ka naman sakin para sure” or “Lord, are you sure?” She just went home

Hindi lahat ng bagay nakukuha sa isang dasal. Minsan kailangang magpakumbaba pa, magdasal pa, at mangulit pa. 

God is good. He is our Father. He is all powerful and all loving. His ways may not necessarily be our ways. He may not respond to us the way we want to. However, one thing is for sure - he loves us. And not only that, he has great plans for us. So we should just trust in Him, especially when it is difficult to. Especially when it does not seem to make sense. He knows what he is doing. We just need to have faith.

We have been in a pandemic for more than two years. And we have been praying to God. For safety. For healing.  For the pandemic to end. But sometimes, we may feel God is deaf. We may feel he is not answering us, or giving us the exact opposite like how Jesus responded to the woman. We now hear of monkey pox even as we ate still dealing with influx of covid cases. However, we need to have more faith. We need to be humble and pray more. We should not lose faith, but show God that no matter what the situation, we will have faith in him. And that while we are waiting for better days, we will do what we can in our own little way. 

How is my faith in God? How do we react When God seem to say “no” to our requests, even if we feel that our request is for our good, or for other people’s good, what do we tell him? Do we get mad, insisting that what we are asking is a good thing, or do we humbly accept his will but keeping the faith? Do we respectfully ask in faith, or are we proud, demanding that God grant our requests because we feel we are entitled to it?

May we always remember to have complete faith in God, yet humble enough to know and accept that His will is perfect, even if it does not seem to coincide with our will and our ways. 

Father God,

Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the inspiring reminder. Lord, I thank you for reminding me how important faith, humility and persistence are. Thank you for inspiring and challenging me, Lord. I am sorry for the times I act like a spoiled child – wanting things done my way, wanting prayers to be answered my way and in my time. Lord, I pray that you help me have a heart like the woman. May my faith be firm, even when you’re not answering me the way I want to. May I be persistent in praying even when I don’t seem to get what I want. And may I always be humble to submit to your perfect will, not mine, especially when my will is different from yours. I have faith that you will help us het through this pandemic. Amen

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

• AUGUST 2, 2022
• August 3, 2022
• AUGUST 4, 2022

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Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 409

Reading 1 

JER 31:1-7 

At that time, says the LORD,
I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel,
and they shall be my people.
Thus says the LORD:
The people that escaped the sword
have found favor in the desert.
As Israel comes forward to be given his rest,
the LORD appears to him from afar:
With age-old love I have loved you;
so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers.
Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits.
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen
will call out on Mount Ephraim:
“Rise up, let us go to Zion,
to the LORD, our God.”

For thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm 

JER 31:10, 11-12AB, 13 

R. (see 10d)  The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy.
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Alleluia 

LK 7:16 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

MT 15:21-28

At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But he did not say a word in answer to her.
His disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Walk on Water

The WORD today reminds me how important it is to focus on Jesus.

In the movie Happy Gilmore, the secret of Happy to get him focused and make a good shot is to think of a happy place. During stressful situations, he would think of a happy place to help him relax as he prepares for the shot, and it helps him. This is true as well for Peter Pan, when he says that people should just think of happy thoughts to be able to fly. In the gospel, we see something similar.

The disciples were on a boat when the sea got rough. They probably were not scared since most of them were fishermen. However, when they saw Jesus on water, they initially thought he was a ghost. Then when Jesus told them it was him, Peter asked Jesus to call him to the water. Jesus did, and Peter, full of faith in Jesus was able to walk on water. However, when he was distracted by the waves, and probably it sank into him he was walking on water and got worried. Then, he began to sink. But of course Jesus helped him when Peter cried out.

Keeping  our eyes on Jesus will keep us above the challenges of life

I am sure we can relate to Peter. Sometimes, especially when we are spiritually high after a retreat or after experiencing something great from God, we feel we can do anything with God. Like Peter, we will leave our comfort zone and walk on water when Jesus tells us. However, sometimes this doesn’t last. When the spiritual high fades away, when we are back to the daily grind of life, or when we are faced with life’s challenges, we get scared and lose our focus on God. Then we cry out to God for help, and he always comes to our rescue.

God’s power is enough to sustain us. God’s love is so great. We just have to always focus on Him. We just always have to trust in him, especially when problems overwhelm us. Yes, situations may seem scary and overwhelming, but they will only affect us if we focus on them. No problem can weigh us down if we know that God’s love and power is bigger the these problems. As they say, all the water in the world cannot sink a ship unless they enter it. We should learn to keep them outside and focus on God as we face life.

Today, we are probably in a similar situation. Still in that situation. We are in a small boat in a stormy sea. Nakaka takot. We feel small and helpless. That’s probably how we feel with the covid pandemic. However, we should just focus on God. The actions of the government are not within our control. What we can do, however, is to focus on God. Seek him. Look and see how we can help other people. How we can respond. There are calls and posters on what we can do ourselves. God is still present. God is around. And he is asking us to join him. To spread his gospel of love and hope. We can do our part. We should.

What is the biggest problem I have right now? How do I feel about it? What am I doing about it? Do I have faith that God can and will help me, or do I stress myself out finding out solutions without putting God in the picture? Do i know that God wants me to just focus on Him and trust him? How can I increase my faith?

May we be inspired and strengthened to be reminded of God’s love and power in our lives.

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 everything. Lord, sorry for the times I do not focus in you. Sorry for the times I focus on the problem. I am sorry for the times I let the water in my life, sorry for the times I let problems overwhelm and drown me. I ask that you help me always focus on you. always remind me of your love and power. help me to always fix my eyes on you and focus on you and not on anyone or anything else. I know that nothing is too big for you, and your love and power is greater than any problem or challenge in life.  Help me stay afloat and walk above the water. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

https://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2014/08/never-doubt-him.html

Daily Readings

• AUGUST 1, 2022
• August 2, 2022
• AUGUST 3, 2022

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Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time 

Lectionary: 408

Reading 1 

JER 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 

The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book.

For thus says the LORD:
Incurable is your wound,
grievous your bruise;
There is none to plead your cause,
no remedy for your running sore,
no healing for you.
All your lovers have forgotten you,
they do not seek you.
I struck you as an enemy would strike,
punished you cruelly;
Why cry out over your wound?
your pain is without relief.
Because of your great guilt,
your numerous sins,
I have done this to you.

Thus says the LORD:
See!  I will restore the tents of Jacob,
his dwellings I will pity;
City shall be rebuilt upon hill,
and palace restored as it was.
From them will resound songs of praise,
the laughter of happy men.
I will make them not few, but many;
they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.
His sons shall be as of old,
his assembly before me shall stand firm;
I will punish all his oppressors.
His leader shall be one of his own,
and his rulers shall come from his kin.
When I summon him, he shall approach me;
how else should one take the deadly risk
of approaching me? says the LORD.
You shall be my people,
and I will be your God.

Responsorial Psalm 

PS 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 AND 22-23 

R. (17)  The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence,
That the name of the LORD may be declared on Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

Alleluia 

JN 1:49B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

MT 14:22-36

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.

or:

Mt 15:1-2, 10-14

Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?
They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.”
He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand.
It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man;
but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.”
Then his disciples approached and said to him,
“Do you know that the Pharisees took offense
when they heard what you said?”
He said in reply, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted
will be uprooted.
Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.
If a blind man leads a blind man,
both will fall into a pit.”

Be A Part

The WORD today reminds me that Jesus invites us to be a part of his work and do great things. 

When we see news about topnotchers or achievers, we usually see that they did not expect it. They would say that they were just studying to pass or do good, or doing their best, but before they knew it, they were able to achieve something great. This is similar to what we see in the gospel. 

In the gospel, we see the familiar story of Jesus feeding five thousand men. With just 5 loaves and two fish, he was able to feed thousands of people. This not only shows the great power of God, but his invitation to us as well. Jesus did not just make food appear for everyone. He took what was available and made a great miracle out of it.

Jesus invites us to be part of something great. 

In the gospel, Jesus asked the disciples what they had, what they were willing to let go of and did something great with it, he too until now constantly invites us to take part of his mission, to be co workers with him and he will turn into something great whatever small part we can give him.

This is true especially now. In this pandemic, we know government response is needs a lot more help. It is not enough. We need more help. We need more people to share their blessings. Community pantries. Sharing what we have with friends and family who needs it. Donations. Prayers. There are a lot of ways to share our blessings and be a part of God’s work. 

I believe that no good deed is futile. And no work done for God will ever be futile. God will take whatever we can give him, add to it and multiply it to bless other people. So we can be part of God's great plans. 

Do I recognize God calling me to serve him in various ways? Do I realize that this is his way of inviting me to be a part of his grand plan? Do I share my blessings with others? Do I say yes to be a part of God’s plan here on earth? In this pandemic, how can I be a part of God’s work? 

May we be willing to give our share, no matter how small it may seem, and allow God to turn it into something great.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another week. Thank you for another chance to love you. Thank you for the reminder Lord that you can do great things through simple things from me. Sorry for the times I am not willing to be part of it. Help me to surrender to you, to let go and serve you, no matter how small my talent or contribution may seem, I know you can easily turn it to something great for your purpose and glory. Amen.

Blessed Week!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

• JULY 31, 2022
• August 1, 2022
• AUGUST 2, 2022

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Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 407

Reading 1 

JER 28:1-17 

In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah,
in the fifth month of the fourth year,
the prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, from Gibeon,
said to me in the house of the LORD
in the presence of the priests and all the people:
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Within two years I will restore to this place
all the vessels of the temple of the LORD which Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, took away from this place to Babylon. 
And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah,
son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the LORD,
‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”

The prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah 
in the presence of the priests and all the people assembled
in the house of the LORD, and said:
Amen! thus may the LORD do!
May he fulfill the things you have prophesied
by bringing the vessels of the house of the LORD
and all the exiles back from Babylon to this place!
But now, listen to what I am about to state in your hearing
and the hearing of all the people.
From of old, the prophets who were before you and me prophesied
war, woe, and pestilence against many lands and mighty kingdoms.
But the prophet who prophesies peace
is recognized as truly sent by the LORD
only when his prophetic prediction is fulfilled.

Thereupon the prophet Hananiah took the yoke
from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it,
and said in the presence of all the people:
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Even so, within two years
I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
from off the neck of all the nations.’” At that, the prophet Jeremiah went away.

Some time after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke
from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah,
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
Go tell Hananiah this:  
Thus says the LORD:
By breaking a wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
A yoke of iron I will place on the necks
of all these nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
and they shall serve him; even the beasts of the field I give him.

To the prophet Hananiah the prophet Jeremiah said:
Hear this, Hananiah!
The LORD has not sent you,
and you have raised false confidence in this people.
For this, says the LORD, I will dispatch you from the face of the earth;
this very year you shall die,
because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.
That same year, in the seventh month, Hananiah the prophet died.

Responsorial Psalm 

PS 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102 

R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let those turn to me who fear you
and acknowledge your decrees.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let my heart be perfect in your statutes,
that I be not put to shame.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Sinners wait to destroy me,
but I pay heed to your decrees.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
From your ordinances I turn not away,
for you have instructed me.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

Alleluia 

JN 1:49B 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

MT 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over–
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.