BY FAITH

I have shared about church activities in honor of the feast of saints and really felt the impact and importance of such celebrations.  These festivities that we observe and celebrate have become an important and significant part of our being a Catholic. It has helped us remember and look closely at the good example of the life of these faithful followers of God. It also strengthens our faith and make us more appreciative, full of gratitude and commemorative of the great things that God has done for us and our ancestors who came long before for us and the coming generation. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Leviticus 23:1. 4-11. 15-16. 27. 34b-37

1 The LORD said to Moses, 4 “These are the festivals of the LORD which you shall celebrate at their proper time with a sacred assembly.

It is indeed another confirmation that today's psalm also speaks of solemn feast. It is a blessing to have the time to enjoy and celebrate these special occasions in our faith which has formed part of the Holy Tradition of the Church. Our Catholic Church has endowed us with a very sacred or apostolic Tradition. According to Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 82: As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, "does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence."   St. Paul in 2 Thes. 2:15 said "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." And so the Catholic Church is also consistent with the warning of St. Paul in Colossians 2:8,  "See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world  and not according to Christ." We should constantly listen to His voice and not be distracted nor tempted to change loyalty. It is in God alone that we can find true satisfaction. There is no in between with God. We have to be aware of the fact that we have to make a stand on which side we really are. We've got to make a commitment every single day and protect our faith. It is through good works and prayer that we can safeguard the victory that Jesus has already won for us since the enemy does not want to stop and continues to wage war on us, Christians and followers of Jesus Christ. There is no denying to Jesus saving and redeeming us from all our sins. Jesus opened the gates of heaven for us when He died on the cross and paid our sins but it doesn't mean that we are all bound for heaven. Our daily choices and actions could lead us to a path that may not lead to the pearly gates of paradise. We still have to work our way into that gate and not be lenient about guarding this gift of salvation which the enemy wants to steal from us. We are bombarded day in and out by the harsh reality of life and the influences of this world we live in. There is no cause for despair if we encounter these things. The Bread that God gives us will never cause us to hunger or thirst and will give us eternal life with God in heaven. If we have consulted and entrusted to God all our decisions and continue to believe then we can be assured that what God started in us, He will be faithful to complete. In the midst of all the commotion in our lives we need to press harder to hear God's voice and direct all our focus and attention in that one voice of God who alone can show us the right way and give us the right instructions. We have a God who constantly whispers in our ear in the midst of the noise created by our surroundings. All we have to do is press our ears closer to God and do as He says. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 81:3-4. 5-6. 10-11ab

R: Sing with joy to God our help.

2 [3] Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel, the pleasant harp and the lyre. 3 [4] Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast. R. For it is a statute in Israel , an ordinance of the God of Jacob, Who made it a decree for Joseph when he came forth from the land of Egypt . R. There shall be no strange god among you nor shall you worship any alien god. I, the LORD, am your God who led you forth from the land of Egypt . R.

There should never be any doubt that God will always be an almighty, all powerful, loving and ever living God. This thought should never leave our minds, always enkindled in our hearts and burning in our souls to think, speak and act just like Jesus. We are all truly blessed that despite the indirect link we have to the origins of our Lord Jesus Christ in terms of His native place and house, we are not excluded but instead have been extended with the blessings and miracles. For God does not qualify us based on citizenship and membership alone but also by faith. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?...And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.