There are key words in today's 1st reading that we could
definitely benefit a lot from. These are words we could use for our own welfare
so that we, like Lydia
could enjoy the presence of God in our life. These words start with L and O.
It's easy to figure it out. All it takes is to make a conscious and committed
effort to really listen and open ourselves to God. Although it may not be as
easy as it may seem to be or else there would no longer be any struggles on our
part. But we know for a fact that when
we Listen and Open our hearts to the Lord the consequences of these actions are
unimaginable and endless. If we follow what happened to Lydia it was not just herself but
her household as well who turned to God. Let's just give it our best shot and
see for ourselves. We have nothing to fear as long as we are always worshiping
and listening for God can see through our hearts. I am filled with joy whenever
I am reminded of the time when my son Jude told me that he is the highest in
their Statistic class. He was in his 3rd year Chemical Engineering at De
LaSalle University in Taft Ave ,
Manila Lydia and her
favorite color is purple. It is so timely that the name of the person from
today’s 1st reading is a woman named Lydia , a dealer in purple cloth.
This boss of ours traditionally gives gift to the young children during
Christmas time. She is a woman of faith and very generous especially with
children. She usually ask all the children to fall in line and give each one
their Christmas gift. When my son got his gift he continued to stand in front
of her and still waited to be given another gift. When asked why, he said his
younger brother Allan was still sleeping and asked another one for his
brother. Of course she did not hesitate
to give my son another one. But everybody was laughing out loud and teasing me
that I have trained my son very well. Now I know why he's very good in
Statistics, he never missed anything, recall, remember and count every single
thing most especially his beloved baby brother. Which also reminds me of how
very affectionate he is to his young brother most especially when Allan was
still a baby. I know in my heart that Jude will always be the same loving
brother and son in Jesus name, amen. Amen. Hallelujah!
Acts 16:11-15
...a woman named Lydia ,
a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira , a worshiper of God, listened, and
the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. 15 After
she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, “If you
consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,” and she
prevailed on us.
We may have seen people who are exercise and health buffs
and really take care of their bodies well. Just by looking at them we can
already say that they work hard to develop a muscular and strong body. They
were able to get good results because they have committed themselves to a
strict diet and exercise regimen. In the same way, we should work hard and
stick to a regimen that will maintain our souls in perfect shape. No matter who
we are, what we do and where we are we can no longer have any excuse not to
praise and give glory to God “as is where is”. We are all God's children and we
should rightfully assert our place in the kingdom of our God the Father. We are
the Church of God
which does not pertain to just the physical structure but also the Spiritual
Church of God which is our souls dwelling in the physical temple of God Japan . I was late and did not see
the demonstration so when I was given the flowers to arrange I just did it for
the sake of just getting it over and done with. What do you expect? I was not
proud of what I did. In fact I even removed the label from my work so nobody
would know that I was the one who did it since I am representing the Philippines .
It is a consolation to know that we have a God and Creator who knows perfectly
well what He is doing. No matter what we do to ourselves He will never disown
us. Since we are still in this world but definitely not of this world, which is
temporary. It should always be our daily commitment to God that we reconnect,
refocus, realign and all kinds of action that will redirect us to God in order
to withstand this constant battle and tug of war between good and evil. We just
have to realize that it is ourselves who eventually disown and turn our backs
on God knowingly or unknowingly. If we remain faithful to the Lord and live our
lives according to His decrees then we will always find ourselves rejoicing as
stated in the psalm reading today. We just need to remind ourselves always that
when He created us, humans, He saved the best for last. He even fashioned us in
His own image and likeness. In fact, up to this present time, scientists and
scholars have not fully solved and understood the mysteries and wonders of the
human body and soul. As far as science is concerned we the humans are the most
advanced living creatures in this planet endowed with all the capacities that
no other creatures are capable of. God will never run out of good things in
store for us. We might have hit rock bottom or the lowliest place in our lives
but we can always be assured that our God speaks in our hearts and will never
forsake nor abandon. If there's one thing that should never leave our minds and
hearts then that is the truth that we are on top of God's creation and takes
delight in us. If we are faithful to God then we can claim all the benefits of
being God's kingdom of priests. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a, 9b
R: The Lord takes delight in his people.
1 Sing to the LORD a new song of praise in the assembly of
the faithful. 2 Let Israel
be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king. (R) 3 Let them
praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel
and harp. 4 For the LORD loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with
victory. (R) 5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon
their couches; 6 let the high praises of God be in their throats. 9 This is the
glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
The circumstances are pointing us to the task of always
remembering and not forgetting all the good things that God is doing for all of
us. We should always be full of gratitude as we recall, remember and count
every single blessing that comes our way. We should fill our hearts with all
the good and nice things that God has gifted us so that we can withstand that
hour of trial and be strengthened by the memory of Jesus sent by God our Father
in union with the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Let us guard the special
abilities that God has given to us. Among all other creatures on earth we
should be proud that God created us, as man and woman. Let us maintain this
profound human dignity that He has given to us alone. There may be times and
circumstances when we neglect this truth or forget it. There is nothing more
unfortunate than this. No matter what happens let us not be distracted by the
cares, worries, anxieties or it could be allurements and false promises of this
world. If at any time we feel that we are under attack of some kind and
starting to fall away from the truth then we need to break this bad spell and
get back to our senses. God wants us to take action and make a stand for Him
for He is always with us in Spirit. Today's gospel tells us that we are capable
of doing so since we are not alone, we have an Advocate who is always with us
and don't we ever forget that. Amen.
Hallelujah!
John 15:26-16:4a
26 Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes
whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from
the Father, he will testify to me. 27 And you also testify, because you have
been with me from the beginning. 16: 1 “I have told you this so that you may
not fall away...I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may
remember that I told you.”
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