Saturday, December 3, 2022

Laborers Are Few


The WORD today reminds me that God needs me to work for his kingdom. 

In the gospel, we see that Jesus tirelessly worked for God’s kingdom. He proclaimed the gospel and healed the sick everywhere he can. However, he cannot do it alone, not because he is powerless, but because we need human interaction to feel God’s love. God needs us to help him in building his kingdom on earth. God needs warm bodies to reach out to others, to make others feel His love for them. We cannot just think that God is powerful and will send someone to help. Maybe we are that someone God is sending to help others.

God needs workers for his kingdom

As Jesus sent his disciples on a mission, he too is sending us. Life on earth should not just be about us. It should not be just about what we want to do or to happen. We should not forget who gave us life in the first place. We should not forget who loved us first, who saved us, and who continues to bless us

As we are blessed, as we are filled with God’s love, we are also called to pass it to others. We are blessed not for us to keep it, but bless others as well. We experience God not just for us to treasure the moment, but share him with others. We have a relationship with God not just for ourselves, but for others to have the same relationship as well.

It is easy to just focus on oneself, on the people you love, on what you want. But God reminds us that we should also be workers for him. No matter where we are and what we do, we are called to be workers for God’s kingdom, especially during these challenging times. The more challenging and difficult the situation is, the more God needs workers to remind people he is alive and present in this world. 

Do I work to proclaim God’s kingdom? In what way do I make people aware of God’s love and power? What can I do today to remind people that God’s love is alive and real, especially amidst this pandemic? 

May we be ready and willing to work for God's kingdom and make his love more real and more alive.

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to rest this weekend. Thank you for another opportunity to feel your love. Thank you for all the blessings. Thank you for the reminder of what you want and need me to do. Lord, sorry for the times I am too lazy. Sorry for the times I am not willing to work for you. help me be a willing worker for your kingdom. Help me be like Jesus and the disciples who tirelessly worked for you. May I be willing to step out of my comfort zone and do things for your kingdom. As I do my best, I ask that you bless my actions and bless my efforts so people can get to know you and get to feel you. Amen.

Blessed Weekend!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
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Daily Readings

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

Lectionary: 180

Thus says the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or to the left.

He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.
On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.

Responsorial Psalm 

R. (see Isaiah 30:18d)  Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers. 
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Great is our LORD and mighty in power:
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

 

 

Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King;
he it is who will save us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness. 
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.” 

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness. 

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Friday, December 2, 2022

According to my Faith


The WORD today reminds me work on my faith and personal relationship with God. 

We Filipinos love basketball. We love to watch games. And when we do, we almost always have something to say, either about the players or coaches. We say that a particular player lack speed, or power, or shooting. Or this and that can be improved. Same with coaches. We have something to say about them. However, that's it. We can give our inputs or comments, but most cannot do what they are able to do. We cannot play or coach at the same level as they do. This should remind us to look up to them and give them the credit due them, because we cannot do these things ourselves. It is similar to what Jesus said in the gospel. 

Your personal faith is important to God. Not that of other people. 

In the gospel, two blind men came to Jesus for healing. And when Jesus asked them if they believed, they said yes. Then Jesus told them that they will be healed according to their faith. Not according to God’s power or according to the faith of others. But according to their faith. To their own personal faith in Jesus and his power. Well, they were healed, so they really had faith in Jesus power. How about us?

If God would ask us if we had faith in him, what would he tell him? If he asked if we really believe that he could do things we pray for, or if he could really answer our prayers, can we honestly say yes? Can we honestly say we believe in him, his love, and his power - despite the situation we are in?

This should encourage us to work on our faith and relationship with God. Only if we have an intimate relationship with God can we build our faith. And we can build our relationship with him by working on it. By getting to know him more. By reading his word, attending mass, and praying. This season, as we prepare for Christmas, is a good time to work on our faith and relationship with him so we can have a more meaningful celebration. 

We may not be in a perfect situation, but we should still work on our faith. On our relationship with God. We should use this time to build and strengthen our relationship with him as this would help us get through these challenging times. 

How is my faith? How is my relationship with God? Do I have faith that God can answer my prayers? Do I sincerely believe he can and will help me with what I am praying for? How can I improve my faith and relationship with God?

May we do our best to work on our relationship with God so our faith can increase. 

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 the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times I lack faith. And sorry for not doing my best to build my relationship with you. Help me do my part. Increase my faith as I do my best to build and strengthen my relationship with you. Help me make my faith greater than my fears and problems. Amen. 

Blessed Day!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
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Daily Readings

Friday of the First Week of Advent

Lectionary: 179

Reading 1 

Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.

Responsorial Psalm 

R. (1a)  The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
 of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

 

Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, our Lord shall come with power;
he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!” 
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?” 
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him. 
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 
And their eyes were opened. 
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.” 
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.





Thursday, December 1, 2022

House On A Rock


The WORD today reminds me that I should anchor my life on God. 

In Tagalog, we have a saying: "Para kang nakasandal sa bato o pader". This means that one usually do not worry of there is someone powerful backing the person up. Someone powerful to rely and lean on, someone you know will have your back. This is very nice to have. And the readings today reminds me that we can have this in God. 

The first reading reminds us that God is powerful. We sometimes forget this, just because he is gentle as well. The gospel compliments this, and says that trusting in him and doing his works is like having a house built on a rock cannot be destroyed by rain, flood, and wind… Having a strong foundation enables us to withstand these challenges that could destroy others - like a house built on sand. 

All of us are in this earth for a brief moment only. This is a temporary stage for us. We are just travelling, But as we travel, we are actually building our house – our permanent home, whether in heaven or not. The things we do in this world, the choices we make in this life, and the actions live our lives by, would determine how we want our eternal home to be. We are building a home. We are building a foundation. We are starting in this life.

As we build our eternal home, it is good to ask who is our foundationWho is the rock upon we are building our house? The first reading tells us that it is to God that we should build our foundation. The strong and eternal rock, so it is indeed wise to build our foundation on him.  The gospel further says that we should listen AND ACT upon God’s words. It is not enough to recognize God. Satan recognizes God as well – but he does not follow God. We should recognize God and follow His waysHindi pwedeng puro realizations. Hindi pwedeng puro lip service. We should act and follow God’s will in our lives.

God has given us a lot of things. Gifts. Time, talent and treasures. We know that we cannot physically bring anything when we die. All of our time, talents, and treasures will be left in this earth. This is why we should use them - not only for ourselves but also for others. This is why we should do our best to share them, so our earthly blessings can be used to build our heavenly home. 

Do do I rely on in life? Do I rely on worldly power and connections, or do I rely on God? What is my foundation in this life? Do I listen to the word of God? Do I act on the word on God? How can I strengthen my foundation in life? Do I live serving and loving God through others especially this pandemic?

May we be wise and use this life to work towards building our house on a rock, a solid foundation.

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another reminder. Lord, I thank you for your strong love. Thank you for your power. And I thank you for the opportunity to make the most of this life. Lord, sorry for focusing on other things. Sorry for building my foundation on other things. Help me be a wise builder and build the foundation of my house, of my life, on you. Help me make good choices in life. Help me make the right choices in life. May I always choose you, in the little and big things, Lord. May I use this life wisely to build my eternal home in heaven with you. Amen.


Blessed Day!

In Christ,
-g-

Daily Readings

Thursday of the First Week of Advent

Lectionary: 178

Reading I

On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:

    “A strong city have we;
        he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
    Open up the gates
        to let in a nation that is just,
        one that keeps faith.
    A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
        in peace, for its trust in you.”

    Trust in the LORD forever!
        For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
    He humbles those in high places,
        and the lofty city he brings down;
    He tumbles it to the ground,
        levels it with the dust.
    It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
        by the footsteps of the poor.

R.    (26a)  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, 
    for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
    than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
    than to trust in princes. 
R.    Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
    I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD’s;
    the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
    and have been my savior.
R.    Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
    O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
    we bless you from the house of the LORD.
    The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R.    Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call him while he is near.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house. 
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house. 
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”



Christ is Risen!

The WORD today reminds me that  Christ is Risen and has won over sin and death. The gospel tells us different accounts/stories about Christ’...