Friday, June 1, 2012

NOT ON THE GIFTS BUT ON THE GIVER

Life is so fleeting and uncertain. Sometimes we wonder why we are here. What are we doing here on earth? We know and we are taught that we are here to know, love and serve God and be happy with Him now and hereafter. We are not just to know Him as we may know a person in History or a best friend but to know God with an intimacy, satisfaction and completeness that is more than we can know of a human being. When we were baptized we were given a right which enables us to have a relationship with our God. This is the most satisfying experience of our lives. Where is our God? He is within us and nearer to us than we are aware of. He is living in the depths of our beings day and night. God wants us to spend eternity with Him. He is our Good Shepherd who says, "I know my sheep and my sheep know me." There would be no other greater tragedy in life than to be in the grave's edge and still not know God to whom we pray. St Augustine once said, May I know God that I may know myself and be madly in love with God and His gifts. We love life, our families, our work and friends but do we stop at the gifts and miss the Giver. Let us not focus on the gifts alone but on God who is the Giver. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Peter 4:7-13
7 Beloved: The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober-minded so that you will be able to prayers. 8 Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining.

How easy it is to put ourselves in the center of the universe. We are not the center of the universe, God is. We are just here on earth for a few fleeting years. 70 if we are strong in which to serve God. St. Theresa of Avila said to never waste a moment in time because she knows that every moment in time can secure heaven. When all is over and the battle has been won as in Revelation, God's name will be written in our foreheads and it will never be night again nor will we still need lamp or sunlight again because the Lord is our Light. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 96:10, 11-12, 13
R: The Lord comes to judge the earth.
10 Say among the nations the LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity. (R) 11 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; 12 let the plains be joyful and all that is in them! Then shall all the trees of the forest exult. (R) 13 Before the LORD, for he comes; for he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy.


Today's gospel tells us of the fate of the fig tree that failed to bear fruit. We are presented with challenges daily to live our lives, as we sink our roots into our foundation, bearing the fruits that we desire. We must not be naïve in thinking that we can always be protected. The best defense is the best offense. We have to make our move, a strong and faithful defense. We’ve got to be prepared. By understanding what is being presented to us, recognizing and being equipped in whatever form we are best able to do it. We are called to this world not out of this world with a heavenly perspective. This is a great challenge and with this we hope to rise as great men and women of God. We must always remember that no matter how weak or wayward we may all be, God is madly in love with us whether we love Him or not. It is because His name and His nature is love. With an act of love He created all of us. There is nothing more that God could do for us that He has not done. This should be our faith and confidence in God's love for us which should be enough to drive us to bear fruit and be who God has meant us to be. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 11:11-26
...Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God. 23 Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.

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