The message has been very consistent since yesterday through the 1st reading also taken from the Book of James. We have often heard people say, "If it's nice and beautiful then it must be good." We have to make a clear distinction of this because it's like we're in a masquerade ball. We're in for a lot of excitement because everyone is all dressed up in a costume and mask. Let us not be carried away and stick to the perfect rather than the imperfect gift in disguise. The reality of temptation is something we all experience. Its sources are the world, the flesh and the devil. We should be aware of it and not take for granted. It is so powerful that if it goes unchecked could lead us to sin. Sometimes we are fooled into believing that God causes all the things that happen in our lives even the bad ones. We are being corrected by James from this wrong mindset and made to realize that we have a loving God who wills all good things for us. We have our free will and thus we are responsible for our own doing. Whatever it is that we are going through right now we must not lose hope in a God who is all good giving and from whom every perfect gift comes. He is consistently good and never for a single moment be other than Holy and Perfect. If such is our belief in God then we are indeed blessed and the first fruits, in other words on top and the best of all His creatures. To this, we should all live up to. Amen. Hallelujah!
James 1:12-18
12 Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. 13 No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers: 17 all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. 18 He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
I could never forget this young lady when I was watching this TV game show in the The Filipino Channel (TFC). This very young contestant was barely 18 years old at that time. She was so firm in her convictions that she did not change her mind not even once with the color she had chosen which she was hoping to contain the jackpot prize despite the rising money offers given to her and the probability that what she chose contains nothing at all. She said that every time she's at home and watching the show she already promised herself that she would choose the color blue if she would be given a chance to play as a contestant. She even said that she was not supposed to be in the show, it so happened that somebody backed out that's why she got the reserved slot for that person. So she felt it that it was already a great opportunity that she was able to go there and much more to be the final contestant who got the chance to play and win the jackpot prize. She said that before she went there she had no money in her pocket and got nothing to lose. All these things she figured out and realized and gave her the confidence to go through it all to the end. She was so brave in declaring that no matter what happens she would not change her choice as if telling everybody that she wouldn't be there for nothing and could really feel it. She did not doubt nor falter for a moment even when her siblings who were called to join her were already doubting and wanted to go for the cash offer rather than risk getting nothing. When the game came to a point when the host was offering her a big amount of money in exchange for the color she had chosen she did not give in and bravely stood her ground. When she was asked for the last time, she remained firm and true to her word. She was right and got the jackpot prize. Sometimes, we too, are confronted with life situations when we are tempted to doubt and falter in our faith in God. We should not lose sight of the things that God has promised us no matter how uncertain things may be, we should not forget that we are God's people and He would never turn His back on us and we can always count on Him. Just like that young lady who is barely 18 years old we should also find in ourselves the courage and strength to be firm in our convictions and stand our ground. If we truly believe and are confident that we have a loving God who looks after our welfare then we should not have any more room for doubt that we have to choose God above all. Even if there are or will be times when we are really driven by our emotions, let's keep it at bay and believe that God knows what we're going through and entrust our anger to Him. If we lack understanding and knowledge of the things we ought to know then we can always ask from God who would never deny any good thing from us. He would surely grant it to us if we truly ask from our hearts. The wisdom of the world is folly to God. No matter how wise and intelligent a person may be if his or her whole being is not surrendered to God then all our efforts are futile or will eventually end up for nothing. God governs all and everything that happens is within His knowledge and will. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19
R: Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
12 Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD, whom by your law you teach, 13 giving him rest from evil days. (R) 14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, nor abandon his inheritance; 15 but judgment shall again be with justice, and all the upright of heart shall follow it. (R) 18 When I say, “My foot is slipping,” your kindness, O LORD, sustains me; 19 when cares abound within me, your comfort gladdens my soul.
Although we know that our God is Perfect and Holy today's gospel from Mark depicts a God who has somehow grown impatient over His disciples, if that could be the right word. He sounded tired for having to remind them over and over again when they should have understood well enough given the several times Jesus has manifested His divinity to them and after witnessing His power through all the signs, wonders and miracles He did right before their very eyes. We can not deny the fact that we too, are like that when we fail to see, hear and understand in the way God wanted us to. Though, God has made all things possible for us in His goodness by allowing things to be within our mind's reach if only we would turn away from our stubborn and mindless ways. We can always choose to open our minds, hearts and senses to God's inspiration and promptings because this is definitely within our reach and capacity and God in his goodness will definitely not refuse to fill us to the brim and overflowing. Today's gospel also speaks of the yeast. It is written, "Be on your guard for the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod." Also in Gal 5:8-10 it is said, "That enticement does not come from the one who called you. A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. I am confident of you in the Lord that you will not take a different view, and that the one who is troubling you will bear the condemnation, whoever he may be." The baker breaks up a solid block of yeast and spreads it over the dough, and just a small crumb of yeast causes the bread to rise. The secular culture constantly sprinkles its yeast into our lives. It is very sad and frightening but it has taken on a very consistent pattern in the lives of men and women of this world. At first, the reaction is initial shock but later on move to neutrality then to a life of sin. We have seen so many devout Catholics who started out good but then eventually stopped going to mass for fear of being judged as a Christian prude. We all know where these things are headed and sadly enough this leads to a lack of faith. One small thing leads to another until we come to a point where we start living a life of unfaithfulness to the commands of God. As it is written in 1 Cor. 5: 6-8 , “Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Let the unleavened bread of the Eucharist be our bread, where our Lord is truly present. If life permits it, we should daily go to Holy Communion. We have to toss out the yeast of the world and culture. Although we want to transform the world we still have to be cautious and be on guard. We have to let the Eucharist raise us up and lead us to our vocation of holiness. The world tries to lead us away from God. We are all disciples of Christ. Every disciple is responsible in his or her own measure, for the spread of the faith. We’ve all been given a sphere of influence and upon all Christians rest the noble obligation of working to bring all peoples throughout the world to hear and accept the message of Jesus. The Church is founded to enable people to share in this vocation and enter into relationship with Christ. The Apostolate from the word mission means one who is sent, a missionary and this is a call to and for all. We have to do our part by taking part in the Apostolate as dictated by our vocation, state of life, employment and health. We have to live our Catholicism and strengthen it. If we will just try to look very closely at the richness of the resources we have at hand at the present moment in order to fully comprehend the love, goodness and mercy of God then we can honestly say to ourselves that we are very blessed. Let us not waste every opportunity that comes our way daily so that we may become more and more knowledgeable about God in all aspects and grow more in our love and faith in Him. Amen. Hallelujah!
Mark 8:14-21
...Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
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