Depth of Kindness

"O Lord, how great is the depth of kindness which you have shown to those who love you." (Psalm 31: 20)

God loves everyone. When we respond to His love, we experience the depth of His kindness.

Daily Cross

"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." (From Matthew 16: 21 – 27)

Christian walk with Christ is taking up the cross everyday and following Jesus. The cross of yesterday is laid to rest. Focus on the cross of today. Do not waste a moment of the cross of tomorrow.

Renew your mind

"Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12: 1 – 2)

Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. God's word transforms and renews our mind. But it is a gradual process.

The world is desperately trying to transform and control our minds through the following:

• Mass media
  
• Marketing and advertising gimmicks
  
• False ideas circulated through books and blogs
  
• Pseudo sciences
  
• Pseudo statistics
  

For example: The word of man screams – "Control population because the earth's resources are depleting. There won't be enough for everybody."

The word of God says: "God's resources are infinite. He supplies all living things with food in due season. God is a compassionate and responsible Father."

What you believe depends on what you consume most. If you consume more the word of man, you tend to believe it. If you consume more the word of God, your faith in God and His ways grow.

Word of man is aggressive. It shouts the message through every media, using all resources. Word of God is like the gentle soft sound that is heard in deep silence.

Servant of the word

 

"You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed. All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me.

Whenever I speak, I must cry out, violence and outrage is my message; The word of the LORD has brought me derision and reproach all the day.

I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it." (Jeremiah 20: 7 – 9)

 

Being a servant of the word of God is not easy. Expect derision and reproach. Expect to be unpopular. The good news is that the Holy Spirit is there to always help us. We shall never be alone.

Lord, may your word triumph in or life. Overcome us by your word.

Lord of power and might

"Lord of power and might, nothing is good which is against your will, and all is of value which comes from your hand. Place in our hearts a desire to please you and fill our minds with insight into love, so that every thought may grow in wisdom and all our efforts may be filled with your peace….." (Alternate Prayer on the 22^nd Sunday)

Our Father is Lord of power and might. Nothing is good which is against the will of God. In His will is our peace, health, success and prosperity.

All is of value which comes from His hands. Our delays, disappointments and obstacles are formative when they are permitted by God. Examples are the trials of Joseph in Egypt. God used it for the utmost value not only for Joseph but for his race.

We also ask in this great prayer for the gift of desire to please God. The prayer concludes by asking that all our efforts be filled with peace. How would I feel if all my effort this Tuesday is filled with peace? Joyful, cheerful and very happy!

God is the source of every good thing

"Almighty God, every good thing comes from you. Fill our hearts with love for you, increase our faith, and by your constant care protect the good you have given us…." (Mass Prayer on the 22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Every good thing comes from God:

• Casa
  
• SFW
  
• Msable
  
• Health
  
• Books
  
• Todo
  

Help us to love you, the giver of the gift. Increase our faith to trust you to provide us what we need. Protect all the good that you have given us.

Persistent Plea

"I call to you all day long, have mercy on me, O Lord. You are good and forgiving, full of love for all who call to you." (Psalm 86:3,5)

In crisis and distress, we should call on God all day long. God is good and merciful. He is full of love to anyone who calls on Him. This truth delights my heart. I will call on God in all my distress. I will trust His word that He will hear and answer me.

Two more talents

"You entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made." (Matthew 25: 22)

Lord, help us to use well the talents you have given to us.

Brotherly love

"As for brotherly love, there is no need to write to you about that, since you have yourselves learnt from God to love one another." (1 Thessalonians 4: 9)

God Himself through the Holy Spirit living in us teaches us how to love. The Holy Spirit is the source of genuine love. The love of the world is counterfeit love.

Spirit of St. Augustine

"Lord, renew in your Church the spirit you gave St. Augustine. Filled with this spirit, may we thirst for you alone as the fountain of wisdom and seek you as the source of eternal love." (Prayer on the feast of St. Augustine, August 28)

Like Saints Stephen and Paul, St. Augustine was filled with the spirit of wisdom and knowledge. Cooperating with this spirit, he was able to bear fruit that lasted up to now.

"I have chosen you from the world to go and dear fruit that will last." (John 15: 16, 19)

• "I will bear a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers." (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)
  

  
   

St. Augustine

"The Lord opened his mouth in the assembly and filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and clothed him in a robe of glory." (Sirach 15: 5)

I captured the above scripture on the feast of St. Augustine – 082899. It is the Lord who made St. Augustine great.

Be Prepared2

"Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. …..So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour." (Matthew 25: 10, 13)

Be prepared. Be always prepared. You will not be warned when the Master will come. He will arrive suddenly. When the Master arrives, let Him meet you at your duty.

Holiness is the best policy

"God wills you all to be holy. He wants you to keep away from sexual immorality." (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

If God wills me to be holy, it means that He knows that holiness is possible for me. I accept the word of God that I can be holy. If God wills me to be holy, it also means that holiness is the best policy.

What does the word of man say about holiness? Holiness is impossible for man. Holiness is only for the weak and the unsuccessful.

Keep away from sexual immorality. Keep away from anything that could excite sexual immorality.

Eternal Vigilance 2

"So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your Master is coming." (Matthew 24: 42)

The wise and trustworthy servant stays awake, vigilant and doing his work. His master came back suddenly without warning and found him at his task. The Goodnews calls us again and again to eternal vigilance.

We exercise vigilance in faithfulness to our purpose.

Welcome the word of God

"As soon as you heard the word that we brought you as God's message, you welcome it for what it really is, not the word of any human being, but God's word, a power that is working among you believers." (1 Thessalonians 2: 13)

The word of God is near us. It is easily available and accessible. It blesses those who take it up and read it. It works within those who welcome it for what it is. The seed is the word of God. It will bear fruit in due season.

St. Bartholomew

"The city walls stood on 12 foundation stones each one of which bore the name of one of the 12 apostles of the Lamb." (Revelation 21: 4)

Christ promised eternal reward to His apostles. We see this promised fulfilled here in Revelation 21: 4. This is a very appropriate scripture today, the feast of the apostle, St. Bartholomew. This scripture is for our encouragement. Jesus Christ is faithful to all His promises.

Blind guides

"Alas for you, blind guides!" (Matthew 23: 16)

Who is the guide?

Jesus Christ or the media?

"Alas for you, blind guides!"

Anointed for great service

"We know, brothers loved by God that you have been chosen, because our gospel came to you not only in words, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with great effect." (1 Thessalonians 1: 4 – 5)

The choice, the call and the anointing

We have been chosen. We have been called and anointed for great service in the vineyard of the Lord. Thank you Father. Help us to bear much fruit for your Son.

The Keys

"You are Peter, and to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven."

"I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim's shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open." (Isaiah 22: 19 – 23)

"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

 

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16: 18 – 19)

Inscrutable Judgments

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable are his ways!" (From Romans 11: 33 – 36)

God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. As far as the heaven is from the earth, so far is God's wisdom from ours.

Can God be trusted? Yes indeed!