THE PLAN

St. Paul in today’s 1st reading emphasized the importance of holding on to what we have been taught about Jesus our Savior. There are many things in this world that lure us away from Jesus. We’ve got to always focus and not allow ourselves to be carried away by it. We ought to know by now that only Jesus Christ can make us whole and satisfy our souls. Amen. Hallelujah!

Colossians 2:6-15
6 Brothers and sisters: As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, 7 rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.

The Lord knows what we are going through as the song tells us. “He walked where I walked, He stood where I stand, He felt what I feel, He took my frailty, He understands. God with us, so close to us, Emmanuel.” If only we draw to Him as close as we can get then we would be blessed by the loving touch of God who knows each one of us in a very personal way. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Psalms 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11
R: The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
1 I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. (R) 8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. 9 The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. (R) 10 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might. (R)


Today’s reflection in Didache entitled, “Regret…Not” is very timely and appropriate for a particular concern I needed to point out to my son. I must say that God never really fails to send us answers to the many questions we have in life. We just have to be always open to His inspirations and go to Him in prayer at all times. Here it is for the benefit of all those who continue to believe that we have a God who has a great plan for us. We must never lose sight of it. Amen. Hallelujah!

REGRET ... NOT
Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God. – Luke 6:12

Art is my first love. Before I learned how to read or write, I already knew how to draw. I even had my own comic book characters when I was a kid. But I didn’t pursue a career in the arts. As a teenager, I was led to believe that there was no money in it. Though I was satisfied taking up engineering, I still regret not becoming a graphic artist or an animator.
Why do regrets come only in the end? Why do we feel sorry about the things that happened or didn’t happen in the past? Maybe it’s because we didn’t ask for God’s guidance before we made a decision. Because if we did, then we would have the confidence that whatever has happened was His will and was part of His bigger plan.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus had to spend overnight praying on top of a hill before making a big decision of naming His 12 Apostles. And guess what, one of those He chose would become a traitor. But did Jesus regret it? I don’t think so. For He knew that it was part of the Father’s plan. Edgardo Tulabut (ylnoseye@gmail.com)

REFLECTION:
When was the last time you consulted God for a big decision?

Guide me, Lord, when I make choices in life so I will live according to Your plans.

Luke 6:12-19
12 Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.