When a person turns 18 it is considered a milestone and a major turning point in one’s life. I even noticed here in the US that people at the age of 18 are already very independent. They move out of their parents' home and live on their own. Unlike in the Philippines or for the Filipinos, most of them continue to stay knitted even after having a family of their own. But I guess, this is beside the point, whether we live with our parents or by ourselves, are independent and self sufficient or not at the moment what should clearly be our goal is that we do what's pleasing in the sight of the Lord and follow His good example and everything else will follow. Amen. Hallelujah!
2nd book of Kings 24,8-17.
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his forebears had done...
Most people I believe will agree with me when I say that who we are today is the sum total of what we've done in the past and what we're still doing in the present. But the most important part of the equation that we should never forget to add in our life is the Multiplier, for whatever it is that we can do, is just a small fraction of what God can do in our lives. There is no doubt that the Lord will show us the right path if we go to Him at all times. Sometimes we go through life not really knowing what we're missing. Let us no longer miss out but rather benefit and enjoy in the goodness of God. We sometimes wonder how an act of obedience to God can seem so difficult at times even if we know for a fact that it is for our own good. It is our sins that draw us farther away from God, bury us deeper and bind us in chains. It all begins in just a slight act of disobedience or negligence on our part which takes a hold of us and before we know it we've gone so far away from God. Let's not wait any longer before it's too late. The time is now for us to repent and go back to God. There are 2 bible verses which I consider very special and of great importance to me. The first is from Romans 8:28 which says that, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God,who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son..." The second one is from Ephesians 6:10-17, "Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one.And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." It is noteworthy that we realize the important aspect in this bible passage about the need to wear an armor and most especially for us to realize the need for a weapon when we engage in battle and the only weapon mentioned is the sword which is the word of God. Sometimes we tend to look at things in a general way and miss the important details or only see, read and hear the things that we want and do not take the words of God in its entirety. There are lots of prosperity preachers who present the word of God in this manner and tend to overlook the equally important details and instructions that God also wanted us to pay attention to. God has definitely made it clear that everything will work for good but just the same, we have to take note of the following words which say that we need to conform to the image of Jesus. We definitely should not miss nor overlook this so that we can surely be saved and delivered. It is inevitable that we always give praise to God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 79(78),1-2.3-5.8.9.
R: For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Do not hold past iniquities against us; may your compassion come quickly, for we have been brought very low.
Help us, God our savior, for the glory of your name. Deliver us, pardon our sins for your name's sake.
If we really love God then we will listen to His word and act on His will. The love of God is inseparable to love of His 10 commandments. The gospel reading for today compelled me to share the lecture of Atty. Jess Moya on the Fundamental Catholic Moral Principles.
1. We can never do evil (i.e. "intrinsically evil") to bring about good. The end never justifies the means, Rom 3:8; Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1753, 1754 & 1756) Examples that were given are killing to save lives/abortion/euthanasia/artificial contraception/ethnic cleansing. The error of "Consequentialism" states that good intention is not enough. We may have the grandest intention but if your means of attaining it is not good then we should never resort to doing it at all. The same is true with the error of "Proportionalism" wherein the good desired outweighs the evil. These are just means that mitigate the problem and can never be a solution. If worse comes to worst then it can even aggravate it.
2. The principle of double effect can be applied if a good act may have evil side effect (CCC 1737) and have fulfilled the following conditions: good must be willed, must not be the result of the tolerated evil and good desired must equal/outweigh the evil effect. An example given for this is a mother who needs to undergo a life saving operation (tumor has to be removed) while she is pregnant but in the process miscarriaged her baby. The miscarriage was not intended or deliberate but is just a result of the operation done.
3. The principle of Totality states that for health reason, may mutilate, modify or remove an organ or body part. An example is removing a gangrenous arm or leg in order to save or extend the life of a person or mastectomy-breast removal due to cancer.
4. We may choose the lesser of Two Evils if the conditions are: both are unavoidable evils and must not intend the evil outcome. An example is a pilot left with no other choice but to crash the plane on a school or a residential house and he has only a few seconds to decide before he ejects himself and he decided the lesser evil which is crashing the plane in the residential house.
5. Counseling the Lesser Evil only if we are faced with an unavoidable evil and the evil outcome must not be intended. An example is if you are being robbed and instead of being shot with a gun suggested that he steals everything he/she has just to spare his/her life. To advise a robber to steal is not good in itself but is a lesser evil if we are faced with an unavoidable situation of being killed when pointed with a gun.
"God has equipped us with the totality of the means of salvation and we can overcome with the grace of God." Let us continue to call on the Lord but be sure to do His will by acting on the words that we heard from God and be like a man who built his house on rock. Amen. Hallelujah!
Gospel
Mt 7:21-29
Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven..."Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
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