1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
...For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness. 8
Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who
also gives his Holy Spirit to you...
We don't want to be losers here in this life, do we? All the
more should we not want to be losers in the next life for eternity. We have a
God who fights our battles and we are assured of His victory already. We should
all be well aware of God’s angels that surround us and are sent by God to us to
always light, guide, rule and guard. It is just a matter of persevering and
committing to the task that we are all called to fulfill. To live a life of
faith in words, thoughts and deeds in our Lord Jesus Christ who lived, died and
resurrected all for our sake. Erase all doubts and be faithful to the One God
who is most high above every other god. We should develop an image of God that
is fitting to Him as described in today's psalm. There are significant events
in our life that we can associate with certain major decisions we made and can
never forget. The place where we are right now is exactly where God wants us to
be. If God brings us here then He will bring us through it. God knows exactly
and with perfection what is being allowed to happen to us in our life at this
precise moment. God's purpose for us is simply perfect. He wants to show us
things that only we can understand by living what we are living and by being in
the place where we are now. That's God, He passes us through a lot of things
for us to see His glory. We all long to become a member or even be identified
with groups and associations that hold a good name and reputation. It helps us
in many ways and keeps us abreast with the latest trends in our profession for
example. It could be considered an asset and we would definitely not leave it
out from our resume because it speaks well of us. There are even associations
that require us to fulfill certain requirements in order to qualify. We even
have to go out of our way and make some sacrifices such as go through rigid
screening, pass certain examinations and maintain certain units in order to
comply with the qualifications. All of these we are willing to do and make
ourselves able just to belong. Considering that these are all earthly
memberships that could only last a lifetime. What about eternal memberships
that continue even after this life is over? To be a part of the Kingdom where
our Lord is King is the ultimate goal we should all set our eyes on. Whenever
we are faced with problems and difficulties in life we should always find consolation
in a God whom nothing is lost for He knows and sees all. We may still not be in
perfect shape for the Lord but God is constantly at work in those who are just
and upright of heart. We have all the
reasons to rejoice and be glad knowing that we have a God who is just. We
should always acknowledge that without God we are nothing and God's power over
us can only go as far as we allow Him to. Nothing else matters more than this
truth that we have a God who is high over all the earth and exalted far above
all gods. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 97:1 and 2b. 5-6. 10. 11-12
R: Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
...Clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and
judgment are the foundation of his throne. (R) 5 The mountains melt like wax
before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his
justice, and all peoples see his glory. (R) The LORD loves those that hate
evil; he guards the lives of his faithful ones; from the hand of the wicked he
delivers them. (R) 11 Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright
of heart...
If there’s one thing I am sure of
then it’s the fact that I am very sensitive to coffee or anything with
caffeine. I’ve proven this several times already and have always ended up not
being able to sleep and still awake even until the wee hours of the morning if
I drink coffee very late in the afternoon. It works for me as an upper that
makes me feel energized and could go on and stay up for the rest of the night
without sleep. Today's gospel speaks of the need to always be alert, awake and
prepared in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is not enough, as we can
see from the story, to just wait, we've got to be wise and alert because we
really never know the day or the hour when the Second coming of the Lord is.
One way or another we may have experienced being too sleepy or inattentive that
we've totally missed something. It is a very awful feeling that we have to go
through but nothing could be more awful than to hear these words of Jesus in
today's gospel (‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ) when that hour
comes. It is really imperative that we are always ready and alert at all times.
There are certain preparations that we need to do and be in perfect shape in
order for us to make it through the door to God's Kingdom. We can't take any
chances here and really be wise and resourceful in employing all means because
what's at stake is not simply an entrance to a limited engagement or a lifetime
but eternity. Amen. Hallelujah!
Mt 25:1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of
heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the
bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones,
when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks
of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became
drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all
those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the
wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may
not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready
went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the
other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in
reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you
know neither the day nor the hour.”
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