When we make decisions we should be ready for its pros and
cons. Even though things sometimes lean on the cons as it may always seem, we
should not lose our confidence. This is based on the assurance that God has our
best interest in mind. If we know that everything we did before and after such
decisions have been consulted to God in prayer and asked for consent then we
should remain steadfast. Whatever may be the outcome, we must freely and firmly
stand by all our decisions based on our faith in God that He will always work for
the good. This reminds me of the time
when my son asked me to help him ask permission from his father to attend 2
parties in a row, which is 2 consecutive days. Knowing his father, I did the
best that I could so that I could obtain his approval. In fact my friend
Bernadeth and I even agreed in prayer during our Divine Mercy and Rosary hour
to lift this particular intention. I guessed that I was just 50% successful as
far as obtaining permission is concerned because he was not allowed to go to
both parties but just one. Once again I would like to take this opportunity to
honor my son for his obedience and cool in the face of these circumstances
because he did not insist in what he wanted but calmly accepted his father's
decision. This was considering the fact that he tried to comply with the
standing rule when it comes to partying to ask ahead of time which he did.
Nowadays, most young people are no longer amenable to this kind of set up
especially if they are 18 years old and older. They no longer consider asking
for their parents' consent when it comes to this kind of thing. Some would even
think of sneaking out and deal with it later or never. I am glad that my son
still does and maintains the honor and respect due to us as his parents. This
event became more significant for me as I come across this passage from the 1st
reading today. I'm sure this time that every prayer is not just 50% success
rate but 100%. Amen. Hallelujah!
Philemon 7-20
...14 but I did not want to do anything without your
consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. 15 Perhaps
this is why he was away from you for a while,...
Not once did the word of God ever failed. My mother used to
say that God loves the fatherless and the widow in a very special way as if nothing
else matters. I grew up as a child constantly hearing her say this and
believing it myself as I was growing up and knowing more about the Lord. She
has greatly influenced my faith in God. I should say that wherever she may be
right now, which I feel, think and believe is in the company of God with all
His angels and saints in heaven, her memory will live on forever in my heart
and the hearts of the people whose lives she touched. According to St. Therese,
the poorer you are the more Jesus will love you. The world's point of view is
very contradictory to the beatitudes. The world chooses strength over weakness
and poverty. What seems to be foolish for the world and folly to man is wisdom
to God. Jesus is attracted to our poverty and weakness because it is where we
meet Jesus. Unlike the world who is attracted to strength and hires the
smartest and world’s greatest. We have all kinds of difficulties and struggles.
These are what drive us to Christ to cling to Him. Instead of always trying to
complain and talk about it what we do is keep our eyes on the Lord. Sometimes
He places something before us that He wants us to do. The challenge for us is
to turn to Him in our weakness and cling to Him in prayer, faith, hope, love
and abandon ourselves to Him. Let us trust God's mastery and expertise to mold
and make of us a masterpiece, a genuine work of His hands. Today’s psalm
reading mentioned the word captives which reminded me of priest’s talk on “New
Kind of War” several years ago. There are always captives in war and he
mentioned that we, Christians must be aware of the war that our adversary, the
devil is waging on us. We have a very committed and determined adversary.
Looking at the present moral condition of people here in the US he said that he is not surprised
at all at how things are turning out in the present moment since the moral
demise of a country precedes the ultimate demise. Whatever may be happening
around us and could be getting worse with each passing day, we can be assured
that God will help His friends but not His enemies. We need to know on which
side we are. It is indeed a difficult battle we are facing in our lives but we
must remember that human beings do not do well when all is well. We are
strengthened by the trials just like steel that is subjected to heat in order
to temper it. Greatness is forced on a lot of people just like what happened to
those people after the incident in the Sept. 11 tragedy. It is pushed in the
crucible of tribulation but despite of it we can be assured of the promises
stated in today psalm. We should continue to rely on our one true source of
help for only Him can satisfy our soul. God's help is all the help we need,
nothing more and nothing less. We ought to realize by now what the wisest thing
to do is not based in the standard of the world but of the Lord our God. Our
confidence and trust must rest on the Lord alone who makes all good things
possible. If we will always fill our hearts with gratitude and praise for the
Lord then we will realize how things in our life turned out for good which seem
to be not the case at the time it was happening for our God is faithful and
everything that is said in today's psalm. Our hope should only be in the Lord
for He alone keeps faith, secures justice, gives good, sets captives free,
gives sight to the blind and raises up the lowly. It is a consolation to know
and be reminded of it so as to always keep in mind that we have a God who is
everything that we ever need, want and long for.
If God is able to do all things then there is really nothing
to fear. We can always count on God to make things turn out for the best. Let
us not be dismayed or discouraged by our circumstances for He will surely
fulfill what He has promised. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
The Lord secures justice for the oppressed, gives good to
the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. (R) 8 The LORD gives sight to the
blind. The LORD raises up those that were bowed down; the LORD loves the just.
9 The LORD protects strangers. (R) The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts. 10 The LORD shall reign forever; your
God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
Have you ever experienced looking for something like eyeglasses
placed on top of the head and end up going round and round wasting all your
energy? Isn't it funny when we tire ourselves over this kind of things when
there is really no need for it. Sometimes we are all guilty of looking for
something far and wide without realizing that it is already right before our
very eyes and under our noses. The same is true with God who is always with us
and among us. We sometimes focus too much on the external things around us when
there is obviously and absolutely nothing else we should focus on but God
Himself if we want to be spared of going round and round and end up tired and
confused. We are also reminded in the gospel today that we should not just go
off unprepared. There is no room for excuses and we must recognize the need to
be mindful of the things we do and take the right action. We should always
remember that we have a gentle and compassionate God who deals with us very
calmly. There is no need for us to panic or fret for God knows exactly where we
are headed. Today's gospel tells us not to overreact by running in all
directions not knowing where to go. We may have all been into a specific
situation in life when we exhaust all means and use up our energies for
something just to find out that we need not go through it at all. Sometimes we
resort to a lot of needless things which eventually leave us tired and weak
just to find out that in the end there was really no need for us to go through
all the trouble. God wants to meet us where we are and we are in the path where
God wants us for He, Himself can lead us out of it without any sweat, no matter
how hopeless and desperate it may seem. All we have to do is give our full
trust and confidence in Him and be at peace with whatever situation we are in
at the moment by first accepting wherever we are right now and from there start
to improve in our lives. The kingdom
of God
Luke 17:20-25
20 Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom
of God would come, Jesus said in
reply, “The coming of the Kingdom
of God kingdom
of God
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