Recently I was able to connect with a friend and brother in Christ whom I haven't seen and talked to for a long time already. It is very timely indeed that he is now residing in Singapore since my son is scheduled to go there next month. He gave me his number so that my son could contact him while he is in Singapore. Every time I encounter him I am always blessed especially by his devotion and dedication to the Lord. Bro. Hendrie is a good man with a strong faith in God. He is always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need and would never hesitate to go out of his way even to the point of inconvenience. I could never forget how he had helped me several times with problems regarding my computer which has brought me to the point of calling him Mattathias. Mattathias is a bible character in the Old Testament who fought hard for his faith during that severe time of trial and hardship for the people of God. He eliminated the enemy of his faith with such zeal and bravery. At that time when my computer was bugged down I was definitely in serious trouble. This computer is not just what it may generally seem to be. I consider it as my key to heaven. This has reference to the story I heard about a tailor who is about to die. This tailor was asking his loved ones to bring before him his key to heaven. At first they were confused as to what key he is referring to but later on find out being a tailor it was his needle that he considers his key to heaven. This made me say that I consider my laptop as my key to heaven. This computer is what I am using to spread the word of God through my everyday reflections on the word of God that I write and share to others through e mail. When it was assailed with very harmful viruses that rendered it unserviceable, it was Hendrie who fixed it. This is the reason why I considered Hendrie as the fixer of my key to heaven and called him Mattathias who eliminated and tore down all threats and viruses of my key to heaven. I am sure that he is a source of inspiration not only for me but also to a lot of people who know him in the same way that Paul feels for the Thessalonians in today's 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 7 We have been reassured about you, brothers, in our every distress and affliction, through your faith. 8 For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 What thanksgiving, then, can we render to God for you, for all the joy we feel on your account before our God? 10 Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith. 11 Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, 13 so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
It is through these people who continue to be a source of inspiration and blessing for the community of God that I can gather the strength and courage to keep on fighting a good fight of the faith. Amen. Hallelujah!
P S A L M Psalm 90:3-4a. 12-13. 14 and 17
R: Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
...Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. 13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! ...And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us!...
Today’s gospel is a kind of wake up call for us Christians who claim to be faithful followers of Jesus. We should always think that we are always lacking when it comes to serving God. We should not think that if we are observing all the commandments and living a holy life then we are already holier than thou people rather we should always keep our feet on the ground and always strive to keep our focus on God for we might be led astray. It is in these off guard moments when we sometimes miss an important thing or in just a wink of an eye lose something that we've been waiting and watching out for. Before we know it, it is gone or has just passed us by. As in today's gospel, we really have to stay awake and keep watch! Blessed Teresa of Calcutta wrote, “One thing that will always secure heaven for us: acts of charity and kindness with which we have filled our lives. We will never know how much good just a simple smile can do. We tell people how kind, forgiving and understanding God is – are we the living proof? Can they really see this kindness, this forgiveness, this understanding in us?” These are very good questions we ought to ask ourselves and if we can answer this truthfully with our hearts then we are ready anytime for the coming of the Master. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 24:42-51
42 Jesus said to his disciples: “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 43 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. 44 So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come...
No comments:
Post a Comment