As we go on with our
lives today can we claim to be really wise and understanding in the way James
states it in today’s 1st reading? This is something we have to ask
ourselves, answer honestly and commit to doing. Amen. Hallelujah!
James 3:13-18
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his
works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you have
bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false
to the truth...
It always pays to be watchful and alert at all times.
Although we sometimes fail to measure up due to our own shortcomings or could
be the doing of another, God assures us in today's psalm that if we fall into
the trap of the enemy we can always repent with a deep remorse for our sins and
resolve to make the precepts of the Lord the joy of our hearts. In doing so, we
find ourselves naturally restrained from sin and maintain our innocence. It is
so hard to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord if we do not know exactly
how to go about with it. It's just like when we have to comply to certain
requirements in school and follow the standard set by it. We need to have a
pattern or outline from which we can base our work. Just as it is so in other
things, the more we are all in need of God's precepts. The absolute bedrock of
spiritual life is to follow the 10 commandments. We are sometimes misled into
thinking that when we have a type of prayer then we think that we already have
a spiritual life. We’ve got to have the humility to admit that God is smarter
than we are and we need to follow and obey what we are told in the 10
commandments. We should be totally and absolutely convinced that He knows best.
Satan uses half truths and half lies in his devilish tricks. Satan’s claims
seem to come true in one level. Take the example of our 1st parents
after eating of the forbidden fruit their eyes were opened and did become in
one sense like God. The fallen angels made their free choice by radically and
irrevocably rejecting God so in turn they seduce and mislead Adam & Eve. It
was through sin that humanity was afflicted by death. Because of one man’s
disobedience many were made sinners. When tempted in the Garden, Adam failed to
remain faithful to God and His commands. Jesus, the New Adam, is God’s servant
totally obedient to the Divine will. Jesus is the devil’s conqueror and takes
back the plunder. What the devil has stolen from us, Jesus has recovered for
us. Pope Benedict XVI commented about what the Lord experienced in the desert
and said that at the heart of all temptations is the act of pushing God aside
because we conceive Him as secondary. It is an act of constructing our world
with our own lights and building our own foundation and setting God aside as an
allusion. Temptations come in many varied forms but one thing is sure, it does
not invite us to directly do evil because it is too blatant and would outright
turn us off. It is very subtle and yet an act of pushing God’s commands aside
and placing the devil’s temptation as primary. If we want to remain victorious
throughout life, we have to keep Him in the center of our life and hold on to
His words which are Spirit and life. God’s ever present help can be found in
the scriptures. It's just like a soldier going to battle wearing the armor of
God. It never fails and always there to defend and protect from the snares of
the evil one. So always take up our sword which is the word of God. God's
perfect word can refresh the soul. Have you ever wondered really how it feels
to be refreshed? Whenever we take a shower or a warm bath and put on clothes
that are well fitted and comfortable it refreshes our body. It could also be
whenever we go to a place where we can unwind, relax, be away from the tensions,
stresses, noise and turmoil of the fast paced lives that we lead and just
appreciate the beauty of nature that surrounds us and the peace and quiet it
offers to our tired bodies in order to be more in touch with God's voice in us.
It is so refreshing it gives our minds and hearts a better view and perspective
of how to live our lives. The same thing with our souls, we should always keep
it clean, healthy and clothed with maximum security, protection but comfortable
enough we don't even know it's there. Like it has become fused in us, there's
nothing more right than following and obeying the law of God. Today's psalm
reading guides us on how we should go about with our lives by always keeping in
mind God's laws. None of us is perfect but through our imperfections we can
always run to God for help and guidance. He will never refuse nor forsake us
for He can only love and care for us. There are people who have alienated
themselves from God and we can’t just force them to go back. God does not do
that, it’s not how the Lord works, instead we pray and pray for them. If we
wait long enough and adhere to God’s precepts then we will finally obtain joy
in our hearts. As water prevails over the rock throughout the course of time so
does the Holy Spirit that is continuously flooding or washing over the man’s
heart. The Holy Spirit moves in and
continues to work upon us and tenderizes us. The song entitled, "Your
Words Are Spirit and Life" by Bernadette Farrell was impressed to me. It
is a beautiful song that I have always loved to sing and I just realized that
the words of this song are taken from this psalm which made me start singing
it. Well, we just have to fully discover what the words of God can make us do.
When things get out of hand we have no one to blame but ourselves for God is
surely not lacking in everything that He has given us for our own welfare.
We've got everything we need because there's nothing more that God could and
should do for us that He has not done. All we have to do is completely trust
and obey the judgments of the Lord. GOD'S LAW MAKES US LIVE A VIRTUOUS LIFE
(CCC 1803 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any
excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these
things.") May we truly recognize the genuine and precious treasures that
we should all strive to achieve and work for which is none other than these
things spoken of in today's psalm. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15
R: The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
7 [8] The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. (R) 8 [9]
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the
LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. (R) 9 [10] The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. (R)
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you, O
LORD, my rock and my redeemer. R.
Today’s gospel could be a picture of Jesus who reached a
point of exasperation for His disciples who never seem to learn from His
perfect example. We have already been given by Jesus by not just one but
numerous no fail and sure ball examples and patterns of how to make it big in
the Kingdom but we surely are slow learners at times. It is just sad that when
it comes to the Kingdom of this world, often times we are very quick to follow
and understand its way. We have to always hold on to the word of God and build
faith in it. Our prayers should consist
of God’s word and pray it back to Him. We need to strengthen our faith through
prayers of various forms for the enemy that we face everyday is also committed
to winning its own battle. We can liken the gospel for today with our own
parents when they try to instruct us and teach us when we were still young,
though they are not perfect. The get so impatient with us at times and somehow
Jesus felt that way, too. Definitely, Jesus has all the right in the world to
feel that way because unlike our own parents He is the perfect teacher and we
can learn from Him everything there is to know. Amen. Hallelujah!
Mark 9:14-29
...I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were
unable to do so.” He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how
long will I be with you? How long will I
endure you? Bring him to me.” They brought the boy to him. And when he saw
him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the
ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. He questioned
his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since
childhood. It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion
on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can!’ Everything is
possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do
believe, help my unbelief!” Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command
you: come out of him and never enter him again!” Shouting and throwing the
boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many
to say, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he
stood up. When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “This kind can only come
out through prayer.”
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