We should always lift everything to God in prayers. It is in doing so that we learn the path to victory and true happiness. We are all desirous of achieving our plans and goals in life but nothing will truly bear fruit if we do not put God in the center of everything we do. We can not push God to the side and just pull Him over whenever we feel like it. God should take the center stage and we must learn to give way to Him not because God is egotistic and demands our obedience in a very oppressing way. It is only because of the truth that only God can brings us to the genuine happiness and true success that we all long for. There is no other way but God’s way. Amen. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 66:18-21
...they shall proclaim my glory among the nations.
We find in the story of Paul that he eventually regained his eyesight and started proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God. Wherever we're coming from we should strive to follow his example of groping for the truth about the light while he was in darkness and blind. We have a responsibility in our hands which is very clearly proclaimed in today's psalm. As we find our way to God may we find ourselves taking part in the mission and call that Paul himself obediently followed and fulfilled. We are not just listeners and onlookers, we apparently have to do what the psalm reading tells us today. We have all been commissioned to go out to all the world and tell the Good News. No matter who we are, what we are, where we're from and where we are. We need to strive to do our best to improve our knowledge of God for He has great plans for all of us. There is really a need to equip ourselves in order to respond as best as we can to His call. We are the temples of the Holy Spirit, that's why we should take care of our bodies too. Just think of it, whenever we are preparing to receive guests in our home we always try our best to make it look presentable and go through extraordinary efforts to make it special. I believe that we should develop this kind of attitude each day as we bear in our minds that God dwells in us. It is our duty to make Him feel at home and make it a fitting dwelling place for Him. Let us make ourselves a living testimony of the gospel. What a way to live if by just looking at us people will be blessed and praise God for we become proof of His steadfast kindness and fidelity. Sounds very difficult but as God our Father is Almighty we continue to hope that all things are possible and we can do all things through Him. God is so good indeed, and reminded about my son’s allergy. If not for it I wouldn't have known of his drinking spree and could have failed to remind and emphasize to him what a few bottles of beer could have led him. I am thankful that as early as possible it has already been put to a stop. Although I would like to give my son the benefit of the doubt that even without the allergy I know that Allan knows his limitations and can very well overcome any possible addiction that is being hurled right in front of him by the enemy for he is a Youth for Christ. As parents we need to look after the welfare of our children and give them sound advice. There is indeed a need to speak up, be bold and courageous. There is really a need to remind ourselves constantly of this truth in order to respond as best as we can to this call in today's psalm reading. Once we've made a decision to embrace the truth and turn our backs on our old ways which are not headed to the path that God wants us to travel then we can be assured that we are right on track. Shout it out to the whole world and let it be known by everyone. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 117:1bc. 2
R: Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
1 Praise the LORD, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! (R) 2 For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever. (R)
When we have already experienced various levels of discipline in the Lord and went through what we could say the longest and most elaborate process while waiting for the answers to our prayers and thriving purely on the Divine Providence of God then this consolation from today's 2nd reading assures us that in the end everything is worth it. Every trial and hardship we encounter is our training ground and could gain for us a vast amount of learning which could benefit us not only intellectually, emotionally and spiritually but most of all in unforeseen and countless ways that could only be acquired through that experience. We have to come to this realization and continue to keep our hopes up in the one and only Lord Jesus who can make all things possible for us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Letter to the Hebrews 12,4-7.11-15.
4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood 5... "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him;
6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges."
7 Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline? 11 At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it...
I am reminded of this old lady when she celebrated her birthday. Several years ago when her loved ones threw a party for her she was told prior to it that she needs to be strong enough so that she can enjoy it. She said that it was not easy for her to do her daily walking exercises most especially after she had fallen. She had become so unstable every time she stands up to walk but she painstakingly works on it despite the difficulty it was causing her. This bible passage from today's gospel somehow reminded me of it. I can't help but think of her the moment I read it. I could remember very well the words, “strong enough” that was specifically spoken to her. She knew what was required of her to achieve this as advised by her Physical Therapist (PT), to keep on walking as much as she can. We can see from the reading that Jesus advised the man to strive to enter through the narrow gate. It is not like anybody can just enter the narrow gate since it is stated that not all will be strong enough to do so. Just like this old lady who committed to her physical regimen despite her discomfort in order to achieve her goal, we too should devise a plan on how to be strong enough on that final day. It is never easy for an old lady who just suffered a fall and is afflicted with other illnesses to do such a thing. I have heard a lot of amusing statements on growing old like, “It isn’t any fun getting old, growing old ain’t for sissies, stay young and never grow old.” I guess being old itself is already a narrow door that we have to face with God’s grace if ever we will be given the chance. We all have our discomforts and difficulties that we have to tackle in life. The same thing is true with my son, Allan. He had been training really hard to the point of having to wake up as early as 4am daily to swim at least 20 laps before going to school. On top of this is the need for him to comply with all the demands of his academic subjects. He had always been very positive with a lot of things and full of confidence with the rate he is going with his physical stamina. He trains rigorously and regularly. He is very committed to his goal and does everything that is needed in order for him to improve and excel. He has gone a long way already from that overweight kid in LSM (Lourdes School of Mandaluyong) Grade School to a varsity swimmer now in DLSU (De La Salle University) who competes in the UAAP. As far as his physical state is concerned, he has achieved his tip top shape. The need to be strong enough to enter the narrow gate as gospel today mentions is not about the physical strength that we can build up through training and workout but the strength of our souls. If we can gain insight from this it is the fact that just like Allan's physical regimen, we need strength training, workout and dedication too for our souls to last through eternity. Perseverance is the key! Not everybody we expect to be first always turns out to be first. Sometimes, things don't work out the way we thought it would be, happen the way we planned it, or look the way it may seem. All our hard work will be for nothing if we will not persevere, while holding on to His promise that He will be faithful to complete what He has started in us. Serving the Lord is not a bed of roses 'coz there are times when we fail and falter. We must always reconcile ourselves to Him lest He find us in an unprepared state and everything we've worked for will all be for nothing. The present time is what counts so let us always choose the "narrow gate" leading to God. "For many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough." May we always nourish our soul so that we will cultivate a strong faith in God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 13:22-30
22 Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem . 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. 25 After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ 27 Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God kingdom of God
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