There is really nothing to be worried about. All we have to
do is follow the path that God is showing us. This reflection sharing from
Didache is an example of one of those scenarios when we are torn between 2
decisions. We are often faced with such dilemmas in life that we have to really
come up with a wise and sound decision. Whether it is based on the standard of
the world or of the Lord is something that we should set for ourselves. Here's
the story: HER WORD, HER BOND
She was praying for a job. The Lord granted her two options.
After much discernment and waiting, she went with the first
offer, the one that replied sooner. She knew the other school would’ve probably
given her a higher salary, but she was at peace with this decision. So she
signed up with them.
One week later, the other school called her, offering twice
the salary she would be getting from the one she had just signed up with. She
didn’t expect it to be that big a difference!
She could’ve backed out. It had only been a week and the start
of the school year was still far off. No damage would have been done. Except
she would’ve gone back on the agreement. Besides, they needed the money. She
was starting a family. Others may have encouraged her to take the larger offer.
But she decided to keep her word. She knew it was more
important than anything else. Now, she’s happier than ever. Blessed beyond
comprehension.
God is faithful to His Word. When we are, too, we open
ourselves to His unlimited blessings. George Tolentino Gabriel (george.svp@gmail.com)
REFLECTION:
How much value do I put on keeping my word?
Lord, help me to be
reliable as You are.
-end-
Times are hard and we can't blame some people who would make
decisions based on the salary but she didn't rely on it but rather relied on
the big difference of knowing how to honor one's word. Amen. Hallelujah!
Revelation 22:1-7
...An angel showed me the river of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal...On either side of the river grew the tree of life that
produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month; the leaves of the trees
serve as medicine for the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there
anymore...“These words are trustworthy and true,...
Some dogs are amazing in their ability to show devotion and
faithfulness although they do not even measure up to the dignity and standing of
human beings they are capable of obeying their master with so much love and
respect. This should make us realize all
the more can we do it and a whole lot better than that. We have to make a
decision to be with Christ. God is the Good Shepherd. He will not scatter but
draw people to holiness, righteousness and goodness. How can we be lost or led
astray? There are things we need to do if we want to be under the care of the
Good Shepherd, listen to His voice, follow His guiding hand and stay within the
circle of the flock He tends. The truth is that we should never have any doubts
about our decisions for as long as we know that it is all for the glory of God
first and foremost and everything else will follow. We have this faith and
confidence in God as in Philippians 4:6-8, "Have no anxiety at all, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known
to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever
is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever
is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of
praise, think about these things." When someone speaks to us we sometimes
ignore, refuse to listen, simply pretend that we haven't heard anything or
misunderstood what we heard because we are too distracted or busy to give time
to listen well. Let us always open our hearts and mind so that we become
sensitive to the voice of God talking to us. Surely there were times when we heard and
experienced the voice of God giving us “out of this world” instructions and we
responded nonchalantly as if we never heard anything, refused outright and
rejected it. If before we just choose to do it whichever way we wanted it
without much thought from now on let us respond to God in the best way we can
with hearts full of love and obedience. When we grumbled and complained we all
know for a fact that it didn't make things any better. We would have to
practice more and make perfect the art of trusting and hearing God's voice. God
is never short of anything. God is God and He will always be. Let us no longer
confuse ourselves with the inaccuracies and discrepancies of our human hearts
and minds. Let us keep it focused on Him who is Holy and Perfect. Let us all
acculturate ourselves to the Kingdom
of God Land of Canaan Canaan .
But the people believed the spies and concluded that it’s impossible to
overcome these barriers. They wanted to choose new leaders and kill Moses &
Aaron and go back to slavery in Egypt .
Due to their unbelief the whole generation never entered Canaan
only the new generation with both Joshua & Caleb did. The goal is to enter
into rest in the land of Canaan but they refused because they believed their
fears rather than believe what they’ve already seen in God’s miracles in Egypt .
Psalm 95 is used so often in the Liturgy of the Hours and encourages us how
today we must listen well. They do not just apply to the people in the Book of Numbers
13 & 14. It also applies to the Church and we consider ourselves the New
Israel. Let God call us to attention. We don’t have to fall back to the same
sin of disbelief. No matter how hard the world makes us do so. The Church is
beginning to experience persecution. Today we have to keep in mind what God
already said in the past especially as we hear the words of His Son today.
Jesus Himself gives us a greater authority than the prophets and the angels.
When we look at our day, there are a number of strains that we have to alert
ourselves. There are New Age beliefs
that everything is God including the forces of nature. It is moving towards the
act of depersonalizing God by a vague force. It clouds the truth of God the
Father, God the Son & God the Spirit. There is this New Age notion vs. the
Christian notion of God. The catch here is the fact that there are no demands
upon the faithful to be obedient. A hardened heart is equivalent to
disobedience. There is no longer a clear distinction about the truths of the
faith. It's just a matter of loving nature and taking care of the environment.
No other demands like obeying the 10 commandments. The truth is not existent
with the New Age. They water down the Person of Jesus and lead others to
disbelieve in Him. Certain scholars deny Him as a historical figure or is
believed that He had a wife as depicted in the fictitious Da Vinci Code. These
are all things that are far from the authentic gospel. The image of Jesus is
being shaped to imitate our worst moments and sins. It makes him appear like He
is no better than we are and attack His moral character. It is an act of
impunity to God’s character as if He is just a character of fiction. It looks
like God is on the dock as C. S. Lewis put it. Instead of us being on trial,
God appears to be the one who’s on trial. Let us not fall into this kind of
thinking nor continue in our lack of faith or let anything shake our faith.
Indeed, if today we hear His voice, let us not harden our hearts and let Jesus
come. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab
R: Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
...Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the
LORD who made us. 7 For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the
flock he guides.
Though, God is the Good Shepherd who looks after us, let us
always be wise and stay safe for we are engaged in a battle. Do not be deceived
by the enemy with his lies and deception and get caught in his trap. Which
reminds me of the "Safety first" signs that we usually see in
hazardous construction areas. There are precautionary signs and measures in
order to ensure safety at all times. This bible passage from Ephesians 6: 10-18
works like a safety first sign to our soul.
10 Finally, grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of
his power.
11 Put on the full armour of God so as to be able to resist
the devil's tactics.
12 For it is not against human enemies that we have to
struggle, but against the principalities and the ruling forces who are masters
of the darkness in this world, the spirits of evil in the heavens.
13 That is why you must take up all God's armour, or you
will not be able to put up any resistance on the evil day, or stand your ground
even though you exert yourselves to the full.
14 So stand your ground, with truth a belt round your waist,
and uprightness a breastplate,
15 wearing for shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the
gospel of peace
16 and always carrying the shield of faith so that you can
use it to quench the burning arrows of the Evil One.
17 And then you must take salvation as your helmet and the
sword of the Spirit, that is, the word of God.
18 In all your prayer and entreaty keep praying in the
Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for
all God's holy people,...
Let us stay focused on the Lord and remain steadfast in our
faith no matter what situation we are in, let us not be dissuaded and be
prepared always. I could never forget the time when I was watching “Deal or No
Deal” on TV and saw this lady contestant who was so full of confidence when she
bravely and proudly said that she is going home with a $1,000,000. As the game
went on, her confidence started to ebb down when one by one she was opening
very high amounts and started to lose the confidence that she had during the
start of the show. It finally came to a point when only cases containing very
low amounts as low as below $400 and the $1,000,000 were left behind. Her
defenses finally gave way and made a deal for $115,000 instead of continuing to
play. Only to find out in the end that the case she had chosen really contained
the 1 million dollars. It gave me the impression that sometimes we are like
that with God when everything seems to be safe and sure we hold on to God’s
promise and continue to hope for the best but when the tough gets going that’s
when we start to doubt if there’s really something good in store for us if we
continue to stick to the Lord through thick and thin. When the lady contestant
finally decided to deal she said these words, “I may believe that my case has
the 1 million dollars but it may not be so.” She doubted her gut feeling in the
beginning. We can not blame her for what she did because she just wanted to
make sure that she can at least win something from the game instead of going
home with nothing. With regards to our dealings in the matters of our faith we
should never make a deal nor compromise for we are 100% sure that we will come
out as the winner if we choose God above all. When we engage ourselves in
things that we consider worthy of our time and energy then we should always
make a conscious effort to examine it if they will lead us to something that
draws us away from God. We can do this by always lifting to God in prayer
whatever decision we make whether it is big or small. As we do this more often
time will come when we will eventually develop sensitivity and an open mind to
the will of God. As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect." At
first it may not seem to be relevant at all because people make wise decisions
every day and nothing seems to make any difference at all whether it is offered
to God in prayer or not for as long as it is the right thing to do. As rational
human beings we are all capable of making a logical decision. The big
difference lies in the fact that every time we make decisions and develop a
conscious act of placing God in the center we strengthen our bond with God. It
is just like when we want to involve someone in our life then we eventually
develop a close relationship with the person because of the constant
interaction that is being formed which eventually leads to a more meaningful
relationship. Today's gospel is a warning to all of us not to be lenient about
our faith. An evil force is out to destroy this bond and if we are not going to
actively participate in keeping it intact then we may easily fall into the
trap. We should take every opportunity that comes our way to exercise our
faith. As we grow in strength and work our way to developing a strong and
spiritually fit soul we make ourselves ready and able to stand firm on that
final day. Amen. Hallelujah!
Lk 21:34-36
Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not
become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day
will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all
times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are
imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
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