OUR NATURE

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we should all desire to have is discernment. This is the gift of the Holy Spirit that is being spoken of in today's 1st reading. Let us think about it and ask ourselves who would not like to know God's counsel and conceive what He intends. If we truly ask from the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul then He will surely not withhold it from us. The problem lies in our failure to realize the importance of this gift and tend to neglect and take it for granted. It is available for those who ask as it is written in Matthew 7:7, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Amen. Hallelujah!



Wisdom 9:13-18b
13 Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what our LORD intends? 14 For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. 15 For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. 16 And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? 17 Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given Wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? 18 And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

God is Almighty and Powerful. Nothing is beyond His power and might. We marvel at the capability of the human mind to function the way it was made to be but how much more can we not be amazed at how the mind of the Lord works from whom all things come. As humans we can not even go past a hundred years old and too lucky to be able to make it to that age nowadays. Everything passes away but what we can depend on to last for a lifetime through eternity is to fortify our soul with wisdom of heart. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
R: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
...For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R) 5 You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, 6 which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades. (R) 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart...

Let us not get ahead of people and rob them of the opportunity to do good on their own without being robbed of the dignity and respect that is due to a Christian in word and deed. We've got to allow each person to make decisions on their own without any imposition or undue pressure coming from others. Let us have hold fast to the belief that we are all capable of doing what's good and right because it is in our nature and not because we were just influenced or forced to do so. Amen. Halleujah!


Philemon 9-10, 12-17
...but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.


The Lord is not being unreasonable when he said this statement from today's gospel. He is simply stressing a point with regards to making God the center and driving force of everything that we do. In this respect there should be a balance in everything we do and know the art of detachment. Whatever may be our situation in life we've got to know how to let go of it and trust God who makes all our efforts worthwhile. Amen. Hallelujah!


Luke 14:25-33
...everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”