Serve, despite of

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081513-mass-during-day.cfm) inspires me to serve God despite of my personal concerns.

In the movie “Facing the Giants,” the team captain Brock is the leader of the team. People look up to him and follow him, and he leads pretty well. However, during one crucial moment, when Brock is all worn out and about to give up, his coach tells him – “I know you’re tired. It’s easy to lead when you’re strong, but now is when you lead”

I believe serving God is the same. It’s easy to serve when you are with friends, it’s easy to serve when things are fun and easy. But Mama Mary shows us how it is to really serve – then she served despite of her personal concerns. She is pregnant, she do not understand fully what she said yes to, and she has a lot of questions on what will happen to her – getting pregnant without a husband, etc. but despite of that, she still went out of her way, travelled alone, and visited Elizabeth. Not just that, after all she did, she served Elizabeth when she got to their house. What a heart of service.

IT is easy to love God when we feel his love. When blessings abound, it’s easy to give away and praise Him. The same way, it’s easy to serve Him when we are with friends serving him as well. It is easy when serving is new and fun. It is easy to serve when we are so blessed and don’t seem to have problems. However, when the going gets tough, when we experience problems on our own, when we have conflicts with or experience persecutions from people we are serving with, it gets challenging, a lot challenging. However, these are the times when we really serve, these are the times when we need to focus on God, the one we are serving, the reason we serve, and not on ourselves, our problems, and other people.

As we celebrate the Solemnity of Mama Mary’s Assumption, may we be inspired by Mama Mary’s selfless service to and love for God.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for your love. Thank you for giving us Mama Mary to help and inspire us as we live our lives on earth. Lord, I am sorry for the times I focus on myself and my problems. I am sorry for allowing these things to hinder my service to you. A lot of times they seem like valid excuses – that I have personal concerns and problems so I can’t fully serve you. Sometimes also I let other people become my excuse, that they persecute me or give me a hard time from serving you. Lord, may I just focus on you, may I always remember that you are the reason for my service, and that you are pleased when I persevere in serving you despite the challenges I am experiencing. May you be glorified in my life, in my service. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-little-one-made-big.html

God Takes Care

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081413.cfm) reminds me how God takes care of us.

Years ago, I saw a sad and sweet movie about a dying father. He was terminally ill, and it pains him even more that he will not be there to be with his child as he lives his life. To make sure the child have a father figure in his life, he recorded messages for different future events in the child’s life – birthdays, graduation, first heartbreak, before getting married, etc. he tried his best to make the child feel his love and presence even if he was not physically around anymore.

Today, we are reminded how God is also like that. In the first reading, we see how Moses, the great prophet, died. However, God took care of the people by giving them Joshua to take Moses’ place. He made sure the people still had a leader and someone to guide and be with them as they journey.

In the gospel, again He takes care of us by telling us how we should approach conflicts. He tells us how to do fraternal correction, how to handle someone in sin. We should first do a one on one, then if the person does not listen, bring a couple of witnesses, then if still the person does not listen, bring it to the church. This reminds us that it should be done out of love and with the intention of correcting the person, not to shame someone. God also tells us how powerful prayer is. He may not be with us physically, but we know that as he said in the gospel, he is with us even if just two or three are gathered in his name, one in praying for something. That’s how powerful prayer is, and that’s how loving God is.

May we be comforted by the fact that God loves us so much, and continues to take care of us.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for giving me another day to live, to love, and to serve you. Lord, I thank you for always being there, for taking care of me, even if sometimes I do not feel or realize it. Thank you for loving me and making sure I am safe and well taken care of. I am sorry for the times I complain and fail to see your hand protecting and blessing me. And as I experience your love, care and protection, may I also share it to others. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

The World’s Greatest

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081313.cfm) reminds me who the world’s greatest is in God’s eyes.

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. The theme song was titled that – The World’s Greatest. He won many fights, he was a respected boxer in the ring, and his skills are superior… that’s why he is a great fighter.

However, God’s standards are different from the world. In fact, it is the opposite.

The greatest in God’s eyes are not the strong and mighty, but the dependent and childlike.

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 becomes humble like this child

is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.

And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me

Why is a child great? Because of his nothingness. He knows he cannot do anything on his own, so he is fully dependent on his parents. 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 on God, our father. This is something difficult, especially for successful and independent people who thinks they can do anything and can exist on their own.

Only when we have this childlike attitude, this childlike faith, will we be able to do what Moses has been telling the people in the first reading – do not be afraid. Only when we fully trust and surrender to God will we not be afraid of anything, because we know that God our Father is always on our side.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. 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. Help me have the childlike attitude and faith that will always rely on you as I live this life on earth. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflections:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/07/are-you-childlike.html

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/01/sto-nino-2013.html

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/05/dont-you-worry-child.html

Faith and Action

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081213.cfm) reminds me that faith and action should go hand in hand

In the bible it says that “Faith without works is dead” and today in the gospel we see it’s true.

Jesus asked Peter to do something familiar – to catch fish. Peter was a fisherman so It was no big deal for him. However, what Jesus asked him to do aside from that is something else.

and take the first fish that comes up.

Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.

Give that to them for me and for you

Peter had faith in Jesus words, that is why he did what he was asked. His faith moved him into action.

Again we see how Jesus needs us to act as well. How he wants us to be part of his plans. how he loves us so much because he involves us and wants us to experience him and grow in love with him. He could have easily produced the coin/s, but he included Peter so Peter can experience firsthand the power of Jesus. As a result of Peter’s faith and action, he had an experience of faith and he got a coin to pay for his tax.

May we be ready to move and act to experience God’s love and power in our lives.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another week to love and serve you. Lord, I pray for good weather. I ask that you bless and protect us, especially those really affected by the typhoon. In a special way, I pray for faith. May I have faith that will move me into action, and as a result of that, I know I will experience you in a personal way, and it will increase my faith even more and deepen my love for you. Amen.

Blessed Monday!

In Christ,

-g-

Are You Ready?

I would like to share my prayer based on the WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081113.cfm)

Often times, we read and hear words from the Bible like “gird your loins, my yoke is easy, my burden is light”... and we don’t even bother to find out what it means. We choose to ignore it or just take in those words that we know and are familiar with and that’s it . . . without taking the initiative to  understand and know its real meaning. . . we focus on things that we understand without really grasping the intended message of God’s words.

There is a story of an old rich man complaining to his friend. “People don’t like me, people say I am bad, masama and madamot. But they don’t know that in my last will, I will donate all my possessions to charity.” To this the friend replied “Let me tell you the story of the pig and the cow”

The pig was complaining to the cow “Life is unfair. I give others everything - my knuckles, my belly, my ears, some even lechon my whole body. But people don’t like me! They say I smell bad, that I am noisy. People even call me baboy! Unlike you, you just give your milk but people like you. They even made a drink named after your sound, Moo!” To this the cow replied – “Maybe this is because I give while I am still alive”

My dear brothers and sisters, all of us will eventually meet our creator. And it doesn’t matter how much money you will leave to charity when you die, kasi hindi mo talaga madadala yun sa pupuntahan mo. What matters to God is not what we will leave behind in this earth, but what we give while we are still alive. What we give while it still hurts. How we live our life on earth. Let us start to gird our loins. Let us start preparing as we meet him. As we start this prayer meeting, let us leave behind all the concerns of the world, all the plans we have, and let us prepare our hearts, and open our hearts to receive him and experience him in a special way tonight..

Father God, I know that ultimately, I will come face to face with you and will give an accounting of my life to you. Lahat kami, Lord, dadating sa oras na yun. And based on how I live my life on earth, you will tell me where I will spend my eternity. Lord, I want to spend eternity with you, so I pray that you help me live my life preparing for it.

As I examine my life, I ask myself, am I prepared? Am I doing what God wants me to do.  Yes, I go to mass, but is that it? I receive the sacraments, but is that is? I read the bible and pray, is that it? Will those things take me to heaven?

Lord, as I reflect, I realize that those things are just outward manifestations of my inner state. Those acts – readings, sacraments, praying, are not enough to get me to heaven. Because I can attend the mass without being there. I can confess without meaning it. I can receive you without being prepared.  I can read the bible, pray, and attend community activities with wrong intentions. Lord, only one thing is needed for me to be ready - a surrendered heart. A heart ready to receive you. a heart ready to follow you. a heart ready to die of myself so that you may live in me.

Lord, as I look inside my heart, I know it is not so clean. But like your presence in the manger in Bethlehem, it is enough to make it clean, to make it a worthy place for you. Lord, I give you my heart – with all the sins, impurities and desires. Take it Lord. Live in it, Lord. And as I do so, I know you will slowly transform me to become more and more like you. as I do so, I will slowly become ready to face you.

In the gospel it is written that “blessed are the servants the master finds ready upon his arrival…”

Lord I know that waiting may not be easy, but being ready when we meet face to face will have heavenly rewards. God will also gird his loins and bless those who are ready upon his arrival. So Lord, I pray that you help me wait on you as I prepare to meet you. help me live a life pleasing to you. help me live a life of surrender to you. so when we meet face to face, I know that I can be happy, knowing I can spend eternity with you.

Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

Receive to Give

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081013.cfm) reminds me that God gives us a lot so we can share it with others

They say that the sea of Galilee is healthy because is gives away whatever it receives, while the dead sea is the exact opposite because it keeps what it receives (See reflection http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/06/give-and-take.html ). If we want to have an abundant life, we have to do something that seems to contradict it – give away.

I know of a number of people who are very blessed financially, and looking in their lives, it is obvious that they give a lot to others – not just to family, but to others who really need their financial help. This is what God is telling us in the first reading

Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work

God is a very generous God. His blessings are never ending – infinite. And he does not plan to hold on to them. Only thing is, he gives it to those who can handle it, those who know how to properly use it, those who are willing to give away whatever they receive.

Once we choose and decide to serve God, once we show him we are doing his work despite our limitations, he will continue to give us more. As they say, we need to be empty to be filled again. God cannot be outgiven, he will give us back much more than what we give him. As we look back in our lives, we will surely see God’s provident hand blessing us as we serve him, as we try to be blessings to others.

May we be reminded of God’s infinite love and blessings he is excited and ready to give us – once we are ready to give them away to others.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to glorify you with my life. Lord, I thank you for your endless love, for you infinite blessings and goodness. Lord, I thank you for continuing to bless me. A lot of times I am unworthy, but you still bless me nonetheless. Lord, as I experience your love and blessings, may I be moved to share them to others as well. I know that as I give cheerfully to others, you will bless me more, so I can give more. Open my heart that I may desire to share you and your blessings to others. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related readings

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/06/give-and-take.html

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/08/give.html

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/03/die-to-live.html

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/03/empty.html

Payback Time

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/080913.cfm) reminds me that God will repay us according to our life on earth.

Actions speak louder than words, and in a lot of situations this is true – including our spiritual life.

Probably, everyone wants to go to heaven. It is actually easy to say that we want to go to heaven. The harder, and the more important part, is acting like it. Proving it.

In the gospel Jesus said that the Son of Man will come in his glory and repay everyone according to his conduct, that is, according to how he lived his life, not according to what he said. Talk is cheap, action is needed. If we say we want to go to heaven but continue to focus on earthly things and disregarding heavenly things, something’s wrong. If we say we want to be with God, but refuse to go out of our way to bring Christ to others, we are telling a lie. IF we say we love God but refuse to love our neighbours  here on earth, then we really don’t love him. Actions speak louder than words, and in cases where our actions contradict our words, God honors our actions to know where we really want to go.

We all will have to give an accounting of our life on earth. May we be ready and prepare ourselves when payback time comes.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for giving me an extra day to rest! Thank you for this holiday! Lord, I pray for our Muslim brothers and sisters. May I be able to maximize this day and make it worthwhile. May I be able to use this day to tell you, not just through my words but more so through my actions, that I love you and I want to be with you in heaven. Help me be able to prove it and live it everyday… so that I know what to expect when you come to pay me back. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-