TAKE THE CHALLENGE

In our journey of faith as a Christian many people would say and agree that it is like a bed of roses but not without the thorns. Ouch! We get a lot of that as we travel through life most especially if we have committed ourselves to serve God through spreading the Good News. I like this saying, "Life is God's gift to us and what we make of our life is our gift to God." We have to strive living our life as in this song, "Lord I offer my life to you, everything I've been through use it for your glory. Lord I offer my days to you, lifting my praise to you as a pleasing sacrifice, Lord I offer you my life. All that I am, all that I have, I lay them down before you Oh Lord, all my regrets, all my acclaims, the joy and the pain, I'm making them yours. Things in the past, things yet unseen, wishes and dreams that are yet to come true, all of my heart, all of my praise, my heart and my hands are lifted to you. What can we give that you have not given. And what do we have that is not already yours? All we possess. All these lives we're living, that's what we give to you, Lord." Not everybody would be as receptive and pleasant as we wanted them to be. Just like Paul in today's 1st reading who was greeted with a lot of setbacks and difficulties, we have to continue and not be discouraged. Nor should we take it personally against the people who have harmed us. It's kind of easy to say but hard to do. This is the challenge that Paul leaves us with and not everyone is brave enough to take and truly commit to it. Let us be aware that this task that the Lord our God is entrusting to us is offered to all without exception. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Timothy 4:10-17b
...Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching. 16 At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it.


If we have finally considered ourselves as a friend of God then we ought to really be one in the truest sense of the word and do as the psalm tells us today. Take the challenge and be blessed. Amen. Hallelujah!


Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R: Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
...let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. (R) 12 Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your kingdom...

Have we noticed that as we get anxious and worried about some things the more they get worse. It doesn't really help to be uptight and all stressed out. We can not always expect things to go our way and sometimes we do have to get ourselves ready for the disappointments coming to us. We may have the best intentions and motives but we can not always expect other people and the circumstances around us to go along with our plans. We just have to do what we have to do. As in today's gospel, Jesus warned His disciples what may come upon them and what to expect so as to get them ready for what awaits them as they take on the task to spread the word of God. At the end of the day, when we know we've done what is required of us and did it with the best of our abilities then we should just have to let go and let God. Amen. Hallelujah!


Luke 10:1-9
...Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. 5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ 6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. 8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, 9 cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”