Today’s 1st reading brings back memories of this
priest I met in Corona .
Fr. Gerry said that he used to celebrate mass 6-7 times each day. But since
he's getting older, he noticed that after 4-5 masses he is dead tired and could
not do more. Priests have totally dedicated their lives in the service of God
and have given up so much for this. We all know that priesthood is not an easy
vocation and not everybody could answer to this call. in fact, there is a
shortage of priests all over the world. Let us pray that more men would respond
to committing to be a priest. We should all be thankful to God for the gift of
priests. It is just right and fitting that we extend whatever support we can
give to them and respond to this call in today's 1ts reading. Amen. Hallelujah!
3 John 5-8
...For they have set out for the sake of the Name and are
accepting nothing from the pagans. 8 Therefore, we ought to support such
persons, so that we may be co-workers in the truth.
As human beings we all long to be loved and be in a
relationship especially if we are in that stage of life defined by Erikson in
psychosocial development which is love. The Intimacy vs. Isolation conflict is
emphasized in this stage which is around the ages of 20 to 34. It is important
that we enter into a relationship forming intimate, reciprocal relationships
(e.g. through close friendships or marriage) and willingly make the sacrifices
and compromises that such relationships require. Though, we are also aware of
rejections such as being turned down or our partners breaking up with us. We
are familiar with pain, and to some of us, rejection is painful; our egos
cannot bear the pain. We should realize all the more the importance of
establishing an intimate relationship for that matter with God always at the
center. If we allow God to take an active
part in our life especially in our relationships then He will surely do. He
will not intrude or trespass but if we will gladly invite and welcome Him then
He will surely come to be with us. Just imagine having a good friend at our
side ready to support and help us at all times. We will never be disappointed
if we stick to God and all the things He stands for. In fact we will find that
God can be our constant companion and friend, the greatest one we could ever
get. It is never easy, we are still striving and sometimes struggling to do the
work that God has lead us to do, nevertheless, we are hopeful and persevering
that we can make a difference. Trustworthiness, honesty and sincerity is the
key. Have you ever been in darkness that you can't see even the tiniest thread
of light? I have been to such and know exactly how it feels to be trapped in
darkness. We were in a cave and it was pure black. It felt good when a torch
was lighted and shone through the darkness. We all depended on that light to
take us where we were going. The same is true with our own lives when we
stumble and fall and feel as if we are left all alone in the dark. We must not
forget that there is a light that shines within us. God dwells in each one of
us. If we conduct our affairs justly and not choose to do wrong then no
darkness can terrify us. We can always rely on the words and promises of God
for they are trustworthy. Despite all the negativities that assail us from day
to day and the list is endless, we should remain hopeful and steadfast in the
Lord for we are not relying on the limited efforts of human beings but on God.
What are we willing to put at stake just to uphold our faith and confidence in
God? Sometimes we are tested by the difficult circumstances that we are faced
with and when these trying times come up our disposition in life tend to waver
and we start to lose our ground. We can always come up with alibis and excuses
most especially the overused line which is "The Lord will
understand." Of course He will always understand but it is in these
situations that we are being offered the chance of reaping bountifully instead
of just sparingly. Let us not miss and always take advantage of every
opportunity that the Lord sends our way to really take the challenge. To have
the heart of a champion who knows no defeat only victory. It is time we
discover who we really are in the eyes of God and prove what we are really made
of. It is through the daily events in our life especially those that challenge
us to go further down the road of life that can bring us to the peak of our
faith. If we are always full of doubt and uncertainties it could mean that we
are not confident of the greatest and sole source of blessings who is God
Himself. Only the brave, daring and courageous make it big. But it is also true
that the more daring we are the more chances we have of losing more. There is
always a 50/50 probability whenever we place our bet on something. But if we
are betting, giving our all and putting at stake all that we've got on the words
and promises of our Lord then our probability turns into 100% certainty. If God
says so then it is ultimately and without a trace of doubt very true. The light
that is within us will surely break through the darkness and not have fear.
Although many people misunderstand the fear of the Lord. Recalling the verse in
Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10, the fear of the Lord is called the beginning or
foundation of wisdom. In Proverbs 15:33, the fear of the Lord is described as
the "discipline" or "instruction" of wisdom. They think
that the fear of the Lord is something that is good to have when we first start
out as a Christian, but that we should grow beyond it. That should not be the
case; rather, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because it is one
of the foundations of our religious life. It is one of the seven gifts of the
Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. When we are infused with the gifts of
the Holy Spirit, we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit the way that
Christ Himself would. It confirms the virtue of hope. We often think of hope
and fear as mutually exclusive, but the fear of the Lord is the desire not to
offend Him, and the certainty that He will give us the grace necessary to keep
from doing so. It is that certainty that gives us hope. The fear of the Lord is
like the respect we have for our parents. We do not wish to offend them, but we
also do not live in fear of them, in the sense of being frightened. In other
words, it is not a fear of punishment, but a desire not to offend God that
parallels our desire not to offend our parents. This gift "fills us with a
sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread, above all things, to offend Him.
It is always for our own good to have a holy fear in the Lord. It is not the
same as fear in the sense that we are just compelled to do something solely
because of fear but rather with love and respect. God is indeed one who speaks
to us in many ways especially through the circumstances that surround us. He
knows exactly the day and the hour and make everything fit perfectly according
to His plan. Nothing can ever be wiser than a man who follows the Lord with all
his mind, heart and soul. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 112:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R: Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
1 Blessed the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights
in his commands. 2 His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright
generation shall be blessed. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who
conducts his affairs with justice. (R) 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his
house; his generosity shall endure forever. 4 Light shines through the darkness
for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. (R) 5 Well for the man
who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; 6 he shall
never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance
Sometimes we feel that God is slow in answering us despite
our constant and persistent prayers since nothing seems to happen. We must keep
in mind that God is on our side. "We can stand secure and put our hope in
His Holy Word." This is one of the lyrics of the inspirational songs of
Renee Bondi entitled, "Back on my feet again" She was at the prime of
her life and about to marry her fiance, 20 years ago when she met a bizarre
accident which left her quadriplegic. She kept on with her faith in God. She is
now happily married to her husband who never left her side since then, gifted
with a 14 year old son, continues to make waves in the Christian recording
industry and have been traveling all over in spreading God's word through her
testimonies and songs. When we hear stories of people like Renee who
encountered mishaps in life but emerged victorious through the help of God, it
gives us hope to always go to God in prayer. Just like in today's gospel where
a widow did not give up in imploring the judge for a just decision on her
behalf, we too, must not falter or faint in praying to God. In our daily
circumstances we sometimes meet people like this judge in the gospel who is
supposed to protect the interests of those treated unjustly but turned out to
be the one making things even more difficult. Today's gospel gives hope to us
all who continuously rely on God's goodness, never give up and persevere in
prayer. For in the end of it all, God will always look after our welfare. We
may have been praying for a particular intention and until now we are still
waiting. We should wait patiently and continue to strive although sometimes
struggling in our faith in God because He who allowed us to be in such
situation will surely see us through it. We have probably heard the story in
today’s gospel for quite a number of times already. It usually leaves us with the wrong
impression that we have to be very persistent in our prayers in the wrong
sense. There is this tendency to think that God is like this judge in the
gospel whom we can gain approval through constant persistence and prodding. As
if we can delude and sway God over to our whims and caprices. God does not
change, we change. As the song goes, “His works are perfect and all His ways
are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, good and upright is He.” For
a change why don’t we think of the judge as ourselves and the widow as God
since He has been persistently following us and never stopped getting our
attention. We can be assured that our God is not anything like this dishonest
judge from today's gospel. And yet crooked and wicked as he is, he was still
able to render a just decision for the widow. Come to think of this bible
passage especially the questions that go with it. Several times in our lives we are confronted
with so many hard to deal questions that we simply can't lock it in. It is just
like this game show when contestants find it very difficult to answer when the
host asks them this question, "Deal or No deal?" They are full of
doubt and uncertainty because they can never be sure if they answered right
unless the case is opened. But do we doubt God who is all good and perfect not
to do more than this judge in the gospel and deal fairly with us? Have we
answered the question and are we so sure that we could lock it in? We better
be. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 18:1-8
Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to
pray always without becoming weary. He said, There was a judge in a certain
town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that
town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my
adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because
this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she
finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what
the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen
ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I
tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily...
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