Be Holy

The WORD today reminds me that God wants me to be holy.

When we look up to people, we observe them. We study them. And sometimes, we want to be like them. We want to have their attitude and the good things about them. This is how we should be with God, especially that in the first reading, he told us so.

Be Holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.

Wow, ang bigat! We tend to think that holiness is something we cannot attain. We tend to think that only saints are holy. We tend to think we cannot be holy. We forget that saints are human beings too, like you and I, that lived on this earth and experienced the same things we are experiencing. We forget that since God is holy, and we are creatures of God, we are asked to be holy, and we can be holy.

But what is holy? To be holy simply means to be dedicated or consecrated to God.

Holiness does not necessarily mean you don’t sin. Holiness does not necessarily mean you’ll go out into the world and preach the gospel to everyone. Holiness does not necessarily mean you know the bible from cover to cover, and can perform miracles just like Jesus.

Holiness means being dedicated or consecrated to God. Whatever we do. Wherever we are

Holiness is praying even if the world seems to take up all your time. Holiness is going to mass even if other people invite you to go to a movie or hang out. Holiness is living the gospel values even if people around you do otherwise. Holiness is doing good to or simply treating someone fairly, even if that someone annoys you at work. Holiness is seeking God in this busy world.

We can be holy wherever we are and whatever we do.

It is easy to be holy? No. but is it worth is? Definitely!

When we are trying to be holy, we die of our self and allow God to live in us. We are giving up our wants, our worldly desires, and we are living a holy life to follow Christ. Then we will be rewarded with life with him for eternity.

What is my notation of holiness? Do I think of it as something I cannot attain, and reserved only for the saints and the religious? What is Jesus telling me today about holiness? Do I want to be holy? How can I start being holy?

May we be aware that we can be holy, and start baby steps in living a life of holiness.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another Sunday. Thank you for the reminder. Thank you for letting me know that I can be holy, and that you are calling me to be holy. Lord, sorry for the times I do not think of holiness. Sorry for the times I am too busy with the world. Lord, I ask that I be more sensitive and aware of how I can be holy in my own little way, wherever I am and whatever I do. May I always seek to be more and more like you, in holiness and love of God the Father. These I ask in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2015/06/extra-mile.html

Daily Readings

February 23 2020

«

 February 22  |  February 24 »

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 79

Reading 1 LV 19:1-2, 17-18

The LORD said to Moses,
“Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

“You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Reading 2 1 COR 3:16-23

Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

Let no one deceive himself.
If any one among you considers himself wise in this age,
let him become a fool, so as to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,
for it is written:
God catches the wise in their own ruses, 
and again:
The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are vain.

So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,
Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death,
or the present or the future:
all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

Alleluia 1 JN 2:5

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 5:38-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand over your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Be Like Peter

The WORD today reminds me to be a servant leader like Peter. 

As we celebrate the feast of the Chair of St Peter, we are reminded of him in the readings.

The first reading shows us how saint Peter, the Church’s leader, wants us to serve. He exhorts the church leaders to take care of those entrusted to their care and not abuse them – to be faithful to their task and be rewarded when Jesus, the chief shepherd, comes again. This is different from the world's view of leaders. Peter wants us to serve as we lead.

The gospel reminds us that Peter was anointed and chosen by Jesus, how Jesus entrusted the Church to Peter.

And so I say to you, you are Peter,

and upon this rock I will build my Church

and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;

and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven

Jesus loved us so much that He appointed and anointed Peter to take care of his church. God revealed to Peter who Jesus was. That is how anointed he is. Jesus trusts in us so much that he gave us one of our own to be our leader in faith. And until now he continues to take care of us. Our Pope is a descendant of Peter. That is how God loves us. That is how he continues to make his presence more alive in our lives.

I believe he is calling us to be like Peter, even if we are not church leaders. God wants us to serve Him and bring others to him as we take care of each other in following Christ. We are called to be like Peter and serve others as we lead them. To make his love more alive and more real in this world.

How do I live my faith? Do I try to positively influence others? Am I a good example of my faith and if my love for God? Do I trust God and surrender to Him so he can use me for his purpose?

May we look up to Peter and his love for God, and may we always allow God to lead and shepherd us as the psalmist says, us as we serve others.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for reminding me how much you love me. Thank you for giving us saint Peter to take care of us. Thank you for continuing to guide us through the Pope which we consider as the successor of Saint Peter. Sorry for the times I do not allow myself to be used. Sorry for rejecting you. Sorry for being hard headed. Lord, We pray for the Pope, the servant of the servants of God.  Lord, I also ask that in my own little way, you use me as your servant and may I bring glory and happiness to you. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 22 2020

« 

February 21  |  February 23 »

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle
Lectionary: 535

Reading 1 1 PT 5:1-4

Beloved:
I exhort the presbyters among you,
as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ
and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
Tend the flock of God in your midst,
overseeing not by constraint but willingly,
as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
Do not lord it over those assigned to you,
but be examples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd is revealed,
you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3A, 4, 5, 6

R. (1)  The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Alleluia MT 16:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church;
the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 16:13-19

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 

Choose Him Daily

The WORD today reminds me that I should choose God daily. 

In the first reading, we are reminded of what God wants from us. God wants us to act. To do good. As we saw, faith without works is dead. Simple. It is not enough to say we have faith in God. It is not enough to say we love God. We should prove it. We should do it. And the gospel further tells us that we should do these things daily.

We make a lot of small decisions everyday: what to eat, what to wear, where to eat, what task to do, how to do it, etc. However, we sometimes do not realize that these small decisions are part of a “bigger decision” of following God. The gospel tells us that if we want to follow Jesus, we must do so everyday.

Our little everyday decisions contribute to our decision to follow Jesus daily.

They say that your thoughts become your words, and your words become your actions, and your actions become your habits, then your habits eventually determine your character. This has a lot of sense into it, and following it, we are reminded that we should start our decision to follow God with our thoughts, for they eventually shape us. We should start our decision to follow God through our simple everyday decisions for they contribute and eventually determine the kind of life we are living.

No decision is too small that it is trivial.

What we wear shows if we are following God and treating our body with the dignity it deserves as the temple of the holy spirit. What we eat shows if we follow God, if we nourish our bodies properly and keep it healthy so we can continue to serve God. How we react during situations of stress or even traffic shows if we are following God. How we treat others shows if we are following God.

Following God is not a one time, major decision. It is a conscious, everyday decision, just as Jesus said in the gospel. And as we are reminded to live our faith, we should do so daily.

How do I live my faith in God? Do I love God? How do I show him? Do I live my faith with my life? Do I live right and choose what God wants for me in little decisions? What is he challenging me to do today?

May we make everyday decisions to love God, to serve Him through others, and to do our love offerings or sacrifices for him. Daily.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another day to experience your love. Thank you for the reminder of how you want me to live and how I can follow you. Lord, sorry for the times I ignore these things. Sorry for not giving you the importance you deserve. Help me live pleasing to you. Be with me and guide me as I live my life.  May I grow closer to you as i choose you daily. May I praise and glorify you through my acts, through my life. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

https://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/02/faith-without-works-is-dead.html

Daily Readings

February 21 2020

« 

February 20  |  February 22 »

Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 339

Reading 1 JAS 2:14-24, 26

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,  
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
You believe that God is one.
You do well.
Even the demons believe that and tremble.
Do you want proof, you ignoramus,
that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works
when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
You see that faith was active along with his works,
and faith was completed by the works.
Thus the Scripture was fulfilled that says,
Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,
and he was called the friend of God.
See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
For just as a body without a spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead.

Responsorial Psalm PS 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (see 1b)  Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Blessed the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.

Alleluia JN 15:15B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 8:34–9:1

Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the Gospel will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
What could one give in exchange for his life?
Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words
in this faithless and sinful generation,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of
when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

He also said to them,
“Amen, I say to you,
there are some standing here who will not taste death
until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power.”

Who is God For Me?

The WORD today reminds me to examine who God is in my life.

Parents are very fond of their children, especially babies. And as they start to talk, parents love to ask their children to say their name. Daddy. Mommy. Papa. Mama. They love to hear their children calling their name. They love the fact that their children know who they are. This is probably what God wants from us as his children.

The gospel shows us Jesus asking the disciples the question: Who am I to you? He asked them who other people said he was, but it was really not important to Jesus. What matters to him is who his disciples saw him for. Who he is to his disciples. Peter proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ of God. Jesus then affirmed it, and reminded them that even though he is such, he will have to suffer in the hands of people – telling them that they would suffer too as his followers, but with the assurance of victory when Jesus told them he will be raised on the third day.

Today, God is asking us the same question: Who am I to you? It does not matter what other people say Jesus is. It does not matter what sins we have committed in the past. It does not matter what we intend to do in our lives. What matters for Christ is our answer to his question. And we can only say he is our God if we have an intimate and personal relationship with him. if we don’t pray, if we don’t hear mass and take the sacraments, if we don’t read the bible, if we don’t experience Jesus, we cannot honestly say that he is our God. Probably we can say that other people say he is, or other people say he is a great and loving God, but unless we build an intimate relationship with Him, we cannot say the same.

We are challenged today.

Proclaiming who Jesus is for us is not a one time decision. we cannot just say he is our God and forget about it. We need to constantly work on our relationship with God. We need to constantly be conscious of how we live our lives. Our relationship with God today will not automatically extend until forever. We need to do our part. Otherwise, we may be like Peter who one moment proclaimed who Jesus was, and the other referred to as satan by Jesus because he was not willing to submit to God's plans. 

Who is Jesus to you? Who is Jesus in your life? Do you put Him first in your life? Do you believe that He is the all loving, all merciful, all powerful God? Do you believe that He can work great things to and through you? Do you work on your relationship with God? Do you do it constantly?

May we find it in our hearts to answer him like Peter did – that he is Christ the God, that he is God in our lives. May we work to have an intimate and personal relationship with Him, and work harder to maintain and grow it.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the reminder and challenge. I praise and adore you for who you are. Lord, I am so blessed that you are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and that no matter what I do, you will not love me less. I am so grateful to be worshiping the same God that Peter worshiped, and I believe that you will use me in a mighty way the same way you used Peter for your glory. Lord, sorry for the times you are not God in my life. Sorry for putting others above you. Sorry for not having the desire and will to work on my relationship with you. Lord, I ask that you help me live proclaiming that you are the Messiah, that you are my God, so that I can bring people to you and glorify you. Help me build and sustain an intimate and personal relationship with you. This I ask in Jesus name, Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 20 2020

February 19  |  February 21 »

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 338

Reading 1 JAS 2:1-9

My brothers and sisters, show no partiality
as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person with shabby clothes also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say, “Sit here, please,”
while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,”
have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?
But you dishonored the poor.
Are not the rich oppressing you?
And do they themselves not haul you off to court?
Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?
However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well.
But if you show partiality, you commit sin,
and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 

Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Glorify the Lord with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the Lord heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Alleluia JN 6:63C, 68C

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 8:27-33

Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” 

Not Giving Up On You

The WORD today reminds me that Jesus will never give up on me.

Almost everything in life should be learned. Even the simplest things. When we were kids, we did not know how to walk. It took multiple attempts and multiple failures before we were able to walk and run. Even eating. It was a slow process of learning how to eat. How to chew. Our parents never gave up on us. That is why we should never give up at once when we do not succeed.

Jesus never gives up on us.

In the gospel, the people brought a blind man to Jesus. It is interesting to see that Jesus took him away. He did not immediately heal him. He did not just touch him, like the people begged him to. He took him away outside the village. Away from the people. He wanted to have this intimate and personal experience with the man, away from the crowd, the spectators. When they were alone, he put spittle in the man's eyes and his hands. And when he still could not see clear, Jesus did not give up on him. He did not get mad. Instead, he did it a second time until the man saw clearly.

God will never give up on you. God will never be frustrated at you.

Usually, when Jesus heals, immediate results follow. Healing of sick people. Cleansing from demons. Even raising up from the dead. However, it was a different case with this blind man. Probably he did not have enough faith in Jesus. Probably his focus was not all on Jesus. Probably he just had a lot of concerns, fears and worries even when he was with Jesus. But Jesus did not give up on him. Nag effort ulit si Jesus para sa kanya. And that's what he will do to and for us, especially when we are hard to deal with. God will never let us go. God will be patient with us. God will be with us. Until we are better. Until we come to our senses.

Do I have faith that God will never give up on me? What is my reaction when I do not understand things that are happening? How does God remind me that he will not give up on me?

May we always remember that God will never give up on us, no matter what the situation is. And may this lead us to come to him whatever state we may be in.

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 that you will never give up on me. Lord, sorry for the times I give up on myself. Sorry for being too hard on myself. And sorry for not coming to you for help. Help me be like the blind man. Help me humble myself and come to you. As I do, i know you will mold me and transform me to be pleasing to you. Amen. 

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 19 2020

« February 18  |  February 20 »

Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 337

Reading 1 JAS 1:19-27

Know this, my dear brothers and sisters:
everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger
for anger does not accomplish
the righteousness of God.
Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess
and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.

Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,
he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror.
He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets
what he looked like.
But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres,
and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts;
such a one shall be blessed in what he does.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue
but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:
to care for orphans and widows in their affliction
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Responsorial Psalm PS 15:2-3A, 3BC-4AB, 5

R. (1b)  Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the Lord.
R. Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?

Alleluia EPH 1:17-18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to his call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 8:22-26

When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,
people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
“Do you see anything?”
Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”
Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”

When You Do Not Understand

The WORD today reminds me that I should be sensitive to God's teachings and love, especially when I do not understand what is happening. 

The gospel shows us Jesus explaining something:

Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out,

guard against the leaven of the Pharisee

and the leaven of Herod.

They concluded among themselves that

it was because they had no bread.

When he became aware of this he said to them,

"Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?

Do you not yet understand or comprehend?

Are your hearts hardened?

We can see that Jesus was not referring to physical bread. The warning was not because they were not able to bring bread. He was able to feed thousands, why should Jesus be concerned about their bread? In Matthew 16:11-12, we see that he was referring to the teachings or beliefs of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herod. These people have their hearts closed to Jesus. They were not living in the light. They rejected Jesus and his teachings. This is why Jesus was warning his disciples to be on their guard so they don’t act like these people.

Similar to what the disciples felt in the gospel, sometimes we too don’t understand what is happening. We forget the great things Jesus has done for us, and we tend to worry about material things, about things in this world. The Lord’s prayer asks us to pray in faith and confidence ‘Give us this day, our daily bread.” When we pray, we should have faith that God will provide. If we serve God, if we seek his will, we can be sure that all other things will be given to us (Matthew 6:33). May this give us strength and inspire us to continue to trust in God.

We also don’t understand why we are tempted. We question God why he is tempting us, or why he is testing us. The book of Job tells us that God allowed the enemy to tempt us (Job 1:12) but God did not do it. Today’s reading tells us further that God do not tempt us..

No one experiencing temptation should say,

"I am being tempted by God";for God is not subject to temptation to evil,

and he himself tempts no one.

Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.

Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

As we can see, sin starts with an evil desire. This brings us back again to the gospel – to look what is in our hearts, to see what we believe in, because these beliefs inside us are what causes us to sin. As they say, what causes dirt comes from inside, not from outside. We need to examine our hearts. What we believe in. What we value.

What are the things I do not understand? What is my reaction when I do not understand what is happening in life? How is my relationship with God? How do I handle temptations? What is God telling me today?

May we pray for faith to trust in God’s will and his perfect plan, even if we don’t understand everything, and may we pray that God continue to bless our hearts to seek and follow his will in our lives, knowing that our lives would be more meaningful once we live in the light of Christ.

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 not being sensitive to you. Sorry for focusing on the wrong things. Sorry for being hard headed. Sorry for the times I am insensitive and I do not understand you. Be patient with me. Help me humble myself. Guide me. Help me do my best to be aligned with you. I have faith in your great power and love, and I know you will guide and help me live right and pleasing to you. Amen. 

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

February 18 2020

«

 February 17  |  February 19 »

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 336

Reading 1 JAS 1:12-18

Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,
for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life
that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say,
“I am being tempted by God”;
for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,
and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Responsorial Psalm PS 94:12-13A, 14-15, 18-19

R. (12a) Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;
When cares abound within me,
your comfort gladdens my soul.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

Alleluia JN 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”