Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Do Not Forget


The WORD today reminds me that I should not forget everything that God has done for me

Human beings have limited memory. They say that we only use a very small percentage of our brain. That is why we don’t get to retain all the information and knowledge we come across. However, there are things that we should never forget – like the goodness of God in our lives.

In the first reading, we see the people complaining to God and Moses. They focused on their current situation and seemingly forgot all the good God has done to them. They forgot the miracles and all the help God has given them and just focused on their current concerns, on their wants. They want God to give them their demands, to make their lives comfortable – as if God was at their disposal. This made God punish them, and when they eventually came to their senses, God told Moses how to save the people

Hindi dapat kalimutan ang lahat ng nagawa ng Diyos para sa iyo. 

A lot of times, we too are like them. We forget all the good God has done in our lives. We forget all his blessings and provisions. We forget the miracles he performed in our lives. Unfortunately like the people, it takes a lot of pain for us to come to our senses and go back to God. Our stubbornness a lot of times causes us much pain that we could have avoided in the first place if we just listened to and remained in God

Good thing God is so good, and no matter how stubborn and hard headed we become, as long as we repent and come back to Him, he will forgive us and help us. No matter how much we sin and hurt him,  no matter how much we complain, he can forgive. He will help and still come to our rescue when we repent and come to Him. 

What are the things God gave me? How has he proven his love for and protection over me? What are the blessings in my life? What are the seemingly impossible situations God helped me with? Are these enough for me to remain in Him? Do I still trust his love and power amidst this covid-19 crisis? What is he reminding me today?

May we never forget God's goodness and all his blessings in our lives, and may we always be humble and come back to him when we need to, knowing how gentle and loving he is. 

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 being patient and loving. Lord, I am sorry for the times I am like the Israelites. Sorry for turning my back on you, for complaining and forgetting all you have done for me. Help me to live my life for you, help me to focus on you and remember your goodness, especially when challenges come my way. And help me remember how gentle and loving you are, so I will always be humble and come back to you when I fall. I trust in your love and power. You are loving. You are powerful. You are faithful. You will help us with this. In a special way I lift up my daughter Emilia. May you continue to bless her and guide us so we can raise her up why way you want us to. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
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Daily Readings

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Lectionary: 252

Reading 1

Nm 21:4-9
From Mount Hor the children of Israel set out on the Red Sea road,
to bypass the land of Edom.
But with their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
"Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!"

In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
"We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us."
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
"Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live."
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent 
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. 

Responsorial Psalm 

Ps 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21
R. (2)  O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
O LORD, hear my prayer,
and let my cry come to you.
Hide not your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;    
in the day when I call, answer me speedily.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
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. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
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. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

Verse Before the Gospel

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.

Gospel 

Jn 8:21-30
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"I am going away and you will look for me,
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going you cannot come."
So the Jews said,
"He is not going to kill himself, is he,
because he said, 'Where I am going you cannot come'?"
He said to them, "You belong to what is below,
I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins."
So they said to him, "Who are you?"
Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world."
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
"When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me. 
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him."
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.
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Monday, March 27, 2023

Saved


The WORD today reminds me of the saving power and love of God.

In the first reading, we see how wicked people abuse their power. Nowadays, this is still very rampant. Even in the health crisis we are experiencing, we see rampant abuses of power and position. When it started three years ago, we hear of customs holding medical supplies instead of expediting their release. We see business people taking advantage of the need for masks and gloves by selling stocks at ridiculously high prices. Then until now, we see corruption in Philhealth, as well as concerns related to procurement of vaccines, face shields, and misuse of funds. People in power and authority abuse their position to get what they want. They prey on helpless people who in the sense of the world cannot do anything against them. A lot really feel that cannot do anything about it and just let themselves be abused, even if it is against their will. However, we know some are like Susanna who will be willing to die and suffer the consequences of going against powerful people in the world instead of going against God. 

God’s power is greater than that of the devil.

It seemed like a hopeless case. People believed the lies of the leaders, but God stirred up the holy spirit of Daniel and eventually Susanna was spared and the two wicked people were punished. God cannot be controlled by the powers of the devil in the world. even if the situation may seem hopeless, God can still and will always make a way for those who trust in Him – saving them from sin and from evil, be it in this world and the next.

However, God is not only good to those who have faith in Him. He saves not only those who trusts in him. We see in the gospel that he saves even those guilty. His goodness is greater than our sins – no matter how grave our sins are, God is able and willing to forgive us. He just asks us one thing in return – to go and sin no more.

No matter what situation we may be in - be it in a seemingly hopeless situation we cannot go out and do anything about, or in a situation where we are at fault but deeply repentant, God can save us. He will save us. His power and love are greater than our sins. We just have to come to him and trust in Him. 

Do I have faith in God? Do I realize that God’s love and power are greater than anything in this world? Do I call on to him? Do I trust him, especially when the situation may seem challenging? What is God reminding me today? Am I frustrated with the way our government is handling the crisis? Am I doing something in my on little way to help others, or do I just complain? Do I still have faith in God’s power and goodness?

May we be inspired to know how loving, forgiving and redeeming our God is, and may it lead us to come to him in humility and faith. 

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another week. Thank you for the reminder, Lord. I am sorry for the times I turn my back on you. Sorry for the times I feel I cannot or you cannot do anything about the situation. Sorry for succumbing to the enemy. Lord, I ask that you help me surrender to you. Help me submit to your will. Help me trust in your power. As I experience your love, your power and your forgiveness, may I live my life pleasing to you. Help me do my part to help our brothers and sisters, and help me to continue to trust in you. I know you will help us get through this. Amen.

Blessed Week!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
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Daily Readings

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Lectionary: 251

Reading I

Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62

In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim,
who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna,
the daughter of Hilkiah;
her pious parents had trained their daughter
according to the law of Moses.
Joakim was very rich;
he had a garden near his house,
and the Jews had recourse to him often
because he was the most respected of them all.

That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges,
of whom the Lord said, “Wickedness has come out of Babylon:
from the elders who were to govern the people as judges.”
These men, to whom all brought their cases,
frequented the house of Joakim.
When the people left at noon,
Susanna used to enter her husband’s garden for a walk.
When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk,
they began to lust for her.
They suppressed their consciences;
they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,
and did not keep in mind just judgments.

One day, while they were waiting for the right moment,
she entered the garden as usual, with two maids only.
She decided to bathe, for the weather was warm.
Nobody else was there except the two elders,
who had hidden themselves and were watching her.
“Bring me oil and soap,” she said to the maids,
“and shut the garden doors while I bathe.”

As soon as the maids had left,
the two old men got up and hurried to her.
“Look,” they said, “the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us;
give in to our desire, and lie with us.
If you refuse, we will testify against you
that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you.”

“I am completely trapped,” Susanna groaned.
“If I yield, it will be my death;
if I refuse, I cannot escape your power.
Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt
than to sin before the Lord.”
Then Susanna shrieked, and the old men also shouted at her,
as one of them ran to open the garden doors.
When the people in the house heard the cries from the garden,
they rushed in by the side gate to see what had happened to her.
At the accusations by the old men,
the servants felt very much ashamed,
for never had any such thing been said about Susanna.

When the people came to her husband Joakim the next day,
the two wicked elders also came,
fully determined to put Susanna to death.
Before all the people they ordered:
“Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah,
the wife of Joakim.”
When she was sent for,
she came with her parents, children and all her relatives.
All her relatives and the onlookers were weeping.

In the midst of the people the two elders rose up
and laid their hands on her head.
Through tears she looked up to heaven,
for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly.
The elders made this accusation:
“As we were walking in the garden alone,
this woman entered with two girls
and shut the doors of the garden, dismissing the girls.
A young man, who was hidden there, came and lay with her.
When we, in a corner of the garden, saw this crime,
we ran toward them.
We saw them lying together,
but the man we could not hold, because he was stronger than we;
he opened the doors and ran off.
Then we seized her and asked who the young man was,
but she refused to tell us.
We testify to this.”
The assembly believed them,
since they were elders and judges of the people,
and they condemned her to death.

But Susanna cried aloud:
“O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me. 
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me.”

The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
“I will have no part in the death of this woman.”
All the people turned and asked him, “What is this you are saying?”
He stood in their midst and continued,
“Are you such fools, O children of Israel! 
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.”

Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
“Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age.”
But he replied,
“Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them.”

After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
“How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together.”
“Under a mastic tree,” he answered.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two.”
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.
Daniel said to him,
“Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you,
lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.”
“Under an oak,” he said.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both.”

The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

OR:

The assembly condemned Susanna to death.

But Susanna cried aloud:
“O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me.”

The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
“I will have no part in the death of this woman.”
All the people turned and asked him,
“What is this you are saying?”
He stood in their midst and continued,
“Are you such fools, O children of Israel!
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.”

Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
“Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age.”
But he replied,
“Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them.”

After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
“How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’ 
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together.”
“Under a mastic tree,” he answered.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two.”
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought. 
Daniel said to him, “Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah,
beauty has seduced you, lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.”
“Under an oak,” he said.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,”
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both.”

The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

Responsorial Psalm

23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (4ab) Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
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. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
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. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
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. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

Verse before the Gospel

Ez 33:11

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion, that he may live.

Gospel

Jn 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, 
and all the people started coming to him, 
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman 
who had been caught in adultery 
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught 
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin 
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”



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