We sometimes fall prey to the trap of the enemy when we succumb to temptations. There are instances when we say words that we don't mean or fail to say words that we should have said. We sometimes ask ourselves things like, I should have said it or I shouldn't have said it. Definitely, there are words which you really need to say and some also that are better left unsaid. We really have to be careful about the words we say and be bold enough to speak out the words that should be said. Amen. Hallelujah!
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
...and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him.19 If any man will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it. 20 But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.’”
Today's psalm reading is used as a preparatory psalm in the Liturgy of the Hours just as it was used in the Old Testament. Each time we hear it, there is an emphasis to the fact that is just the same as it is proclaimed today. During the time of Moses there had been an incident of great rebellion and testing on the part of the chosen people of God. The same message is being said to us because there is a possibility that we also harden our hearts today. Massah means rebellion and Meribah means testing. It refers to the time they rebel when they had no water. Moses struck the stone in the desert and water came out. We can read in Numbers 13 when Moses sent out spies to check out the promise land and when they returned in Numbers 14 they were full of discouragement. They came back and reported that the 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 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. 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
Psalm 95:1-2. 6-7. 7-9 (8)
R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him. (R) 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...
It will always be for our own sake that God gives us this reminders. We should always be attuned to His will and conscious of the fact that we need to shelter ourselves within the confines of His Divine Presence. Let us stay always within the loving embrace and protection of God and not stray away from Him. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 Corinthians 7:32-35
32 Brothers and sisters: I should like you to be free of anxieties...I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction...
We find that the word teaching is used twice in today’s gospel. From this we draw emphasis on the fact that Jesus is a teacher. We know that the Jews have rabbis and whenever one states a particular teaching it is common practice to give reference to one as source of authority. But Jesus teaches in a different way. He conveys a new teaching and teaches with authority. His words are straight forward and without reference to anyone else but Himself for He is authority. His message is to repent and believe which is a fulfillment of the Old Testament. There are 2 things that are classic to authority first it is confrontational and second it is a defense. An example of this is when Jesus drove out an evil spirit. He demonstrated His authority through the exorcism. He said something and proved it with His actions. When Jesus said the Kingdom of heaven is at hand it is to confront and destroy the kingdom of darkness and sin. The confrontation is a violent one just as Jesus commands the evil spirit to be quiet and come out of the possessed person. But the evil spirit as a form of defense responded by saying, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? ? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” This is a strategy of the inferior to show control and put responsibility to the superior. The demon also recognized Jesus as the Holy One but it has no authority. It may know His name but it has no control for God is stronger than the one that is in the world. One of the reasons they possess people is to distort the image and likeness of God. The evil one’s last ditch effort can be seen in the fact that he is telling Jesus that he knows Him to try to wield control but he has no power. We have to keep this in mind always. The evil one will always assert authority in our lives and confront us with what he knows about us. We need to read and know the gospels because they are authoritative words. In doing so we become filled with His authority and by His authority we help bring the world to God. This we have to remind ourselves and do many times and over and over again. Jesus is up and above everything and nothing is beyond His power. God can exorcise evil spirits because He is the Exorcist. Thus our faith in Jesus should also go beyond our recognition and amazement of Him but rather go further than what the unclean spirit and the onlookers did. We should all lead a life which testifies to God's greatness. God is the Supreme authority over all things and we as His faithful followers have the same power in our hands all in accordance to His great love and care for all of us. There is really no doubt that God is the only Power that we need and will ever need. Let us not be left behind in claiming these truths in our life since even the unclean spirits themselves can not deny it, how much more, us Christians who proclaim loyalty and faithfulness to our God? Let us be challenged to make a difference. There are always two sides of a pole. It's either we go one way or the other. Today's readings have been very clear on who we really are. The most precious creature that God ever made. Do we know who we are? It is up to us to live up to who God made us to be or not. The choice is ours to make. Amen. Hallelujah!
Mark 1:21-28
Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee .
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