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 pray. 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.
When we have an appointment or a schedule it requires us to
make necessary preparation for it before the date itself. There are times when
we have to go through stressful activities in order to meet some requirements
that go with it. This should make us think all the more of the greatest
appointment we have to face on that final day and act in accordance to the
demand of the inevitability and reality of this day. How much more are we
supposed to prepare for that unknown day if indeed we believe that we have to
be there and get to our destiny, where we are supposed to be in God's kingdom. We
should always be prepared for the day when we will come face to face with God.
Every single day should be lived as if it's our last. 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. There are so many things in life that worry us every day. We
encounter people and circumstances that disturb our peace. We can't help but be
stirred up and sometimes lose our focus. The truth is there is nothing that
should bother us at all. We've got to hold on to the truth always that God is
on top of everything. We have to be perfectly aware of the fact that the Lord
has the whole world in the palm of His hand and will surely rule it with
justice and constancy. It is always worth our all when we stand by the
principles of God. No matter what it is that we are going through right now we
can always draw strength and inspiration in this truth and not be moved. We
look at our own lives and see that it is dark in many ways in the form of bad
stories that we hear about. We are not perfect but we can do something to bring
the glowing radiance of Christ to the world. We must be able to calm ourselves
and silence our mind over a lot of worries and anxiety. In doing so we could
immediately feel the peace and assurance that God never ever leaves us every
step of the way. It helps to do the 3Rs: Reflecting, Remembering, Renewing. It
is really important that we constantly reflect on the word of God, wherein the
scriptures become fully alive in our life. We should always remember how God
helped us in a certain experience. In doing so, hope starts to rise again. It
is equally important that we live a balanced life by renewing so that we don't
get worn out by the daily turmoil of our life. Those who toil will reap and
will be able to reflect God's glory through the fruits of their harvest. We
have 101 reasons to always rejoice and be glad. Jesus came and entered humanity
in the most humble way. He loved us as we are and was willing to be born in a
manger. He doesn't wait for us to transform ourselves but take us for who we
are. It is very consoling to know that we have a God who was willing to be born
into the messiness of our lives. We may not have received all the things we
have been asking for specifically but we continue to believe that God in His
goodness and mercy did answer all our prayers in the way that He deemed is
best. It doesn't change the fact that He is God, always in control and every
single thing works according to His master plan and divine purpose. We can be
assured that He will carry out the plan He has for us, as in Jeremiah 29:11,
For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your
welfare, not for woe, plans to give you a future full of hope. God is over,
above, around, about and all over the world. It is only right and fitting that we
give glory to God who is above all. Let us always be grounded on this truth and
make it clear for us so as not to fall into the trap and deception of the gods
of the nations which are things of naught. Let us truly be faithful to the one
and true God who made the heavens. We should listen, learn and be part of the
task of spreading God's word to every person if we are really one with Him. No
one is excluded from God's call of love. We often hear people saying that life
is unfair but it is always a consolation to know that we have a God who is
consistently good and just all the time. We can surely rely on Him all the
time. God is sending all of us a friendship despite our coldness towards Him.
He gives us all that we need. He is as good as He is great. He is very lavish
with His promises and faithful in keeping them.
Whatever situation we are in we should always take the opportunity of
showing forth God's glory at its best in our own lives. Nowadays, people tend
to make decisions based on money. We must not discount the fact that money is
important but it should not be the sole and major deciding factor when we come
up with a decision. If we know exactly why we are here and what we are here for
then there's no reason to doubt that God is always at our side to love, support
and make things work for good. But we need to believe that God's power knows no
limit. This world of ours is amazingly designed by God. DNA a double helical
structure, which is found in every
living creature, which includes us, humans, is also existent in the solar
system. Scientists found out that the pattern in which the planets rotate
around the sun is also in a double helical conformation. It is undeniable
evidence by the signature of God scattered all over the planet and extends to the
entire universe that not even the most intelligent and brilliant astrologers
could explain. We are indeed blessed and endowed with a wealth of endless
benefits and cures just lying around us and within our reach. He is Great and
Mighty and to Him alone do we put our trust. We must not be discouraged and
continue to hope in His power. 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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