GOD'S FAVORITES

Sometimes we encounter disappointments in life in the form of favoritisms when we turn out to be the person who is not the favorite. It is so disheartening for all of us especially if it is very obvious and puts us in a humiliating way that hurts our ego. It is already a big deal in itself but to love and care for a person who does not reciprocate our feelings and disregards it in favor of another person is much worse. We can't help but feel bad about it. We know that feeling this way does not make things better nor would it change how others should feel about us in a genuine kind of way. This should not put us down. God knows our heartaches and longings. By knowing that He knows no favorites because we are all God’s favorites should make all the difference and what matter most. Amen. Hallelujah!


Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
12 The LORD is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. 13 Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. 14 The LORD is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint; 16 The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. 17 The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, 18 nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right, and the Lord will not delay.


We should not care so much about gaining the approval and admiration of men rather than God. Our focus first and foremost should be to please God and everything else will follow. Even if it sometimes do not work the way we expected and planned things to be. We can be assured that the Lord heard, hears and will hear all our prayers and surely has the best answer at hand in His most perfect time. Amen. Hallelujah!


Psalm 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23 (7a)
R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
1 [2] I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 2 [3] Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad.The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. 17 [18] When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. (R) 18 [19] The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. 22 [23] But the LORD redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.

It shouldn't be just Paul who could utter these very words in today's 2nd reading. We should also be able to say it ourselves. Our fight of faith is something like choosing to be in the right frame of our life and not turn back. We may have come to a point in our life when things are harder than ever but as long as we are in the right frame we should not be moved. God permitted such situations in our life. It is only in going through some things that we gain understanding of how things work and acquire knowledge that can only be learned most effectively in actually experiencing it for ourselves. There are some things we would not have known about and discovered if not for the experiences we've gone through. As in James 2:17, "So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead." We've got to have something to conquer before we can be a conqueror, something to overcome before we can be an overcomer and a test to have a testimony. Amen. Hallelujah!


2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
...I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. 8 From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance...


Sometimes we are so preoccupied with how we are faring in the eyes of men without realizing that God's point of view and criteria should come first. We've got to discover the secret hidden in today's gospel and genuinely live it. Without truly understanding the real meaning of being humbled before the Lord then we can never apply what today’s gospel is telling us. It is important to know how we picture God in our life. It will automatically create a series of reactions in us. When we go to God in prayer we must keep in mind that God is the source of all good things and without Him we are nothing. When we get the real picture of our relationship with God we become better and better. We need not say or do anything to exalt ourselves because our efforts are merely nothing as compared to God’s. All we have to do is trust that God who sees and knows all will put everything in our life in its perfect order. Amen. Hallelujah!


Luke 18:9-14
...everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”