"But say the word and let my servant be healed." (Luke 7: 7)
The above scripture captures the amazing faith of the Roman centurion. Lord Jesus, I want the same faith. Give me the same faith. The centurion recognizes that Jesus' word is sufficient. O that I can come by such a faith!
"God wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2: 14)
God desires not just the salvation of every human being. He wants every human being to enjoy the full knowledge of the truth.
The Catholic Church is "the pillar and foundation of truth." (1 Timothy 3: 15) The Church possesses in its entirety the whole body of truth necessary for our salvation and for living here and now the victorious life earned for us by Jesus Christ.
"So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart." (Matthew 18: 35)
Lord Jesus, grant us forgiving hearts. Teach us to forgive completely and immediately no matter the injury.
Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." (Romans 14: 8)
What does it mean to live and die for Christ? Jesus Christ becomes the raison d'être of every thought, word or deed. Is this possible? Humanly speaking no but with God all things are possible. St. Paul and other saints reached this level of spiritual development.
"Forgive your neighbors' injustice, then when you pray your own sins will be forgiven. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins." (Sirach 28 : 2 – 4)
Forgiveness of the other is one of the keys to answered prayers.
In life, expect to suffer injustice and offences. These could be at times grievous. They can come from family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and strangers. Plan ahead for unconditional forgiveness no matter the injury. Forgiveness of the neighbor is the divine instruction from the above scripture from Sirach. It is also the teaching of Jesus Christ. It is pure divine wisdom.
"Father in heaven, creator of all, look down upon your people in their moments of need, for you alone is the source of our peace. Bring us to the dignity which distinguishes the poor in spirit and show us how great is the call to serve, that we may share in the peace of Christ who offered his life in service of all……" (Liturgical Prayer)
The Church is our mother and teacher. Our prayer life can improve enormously by watching the Church pray and imitating her words. Children learn language by looking at their mother form words and sentences.
The above prayer reminds us that God is the creator of all. All means things visible to us and also those things that are invisible. Technology has revealed the solar system in a way that nobody could have imagined. The same technology gives us an incredible view of life at the bottom of the ocean. Yet all these are less than 1% of creation. How about dominions, principalities and powers created by God which may never be captured by technology? We are certainly proud to call God, Father and Creator of all.
The above prayer also encourages us to call upon God at the moments of need. Jesus taught us to call God, our Father with confidence. We should not hesitate to do so always.
"Give peace, Lord, to those who wait for you and your prophets will proclaim you as you deserve. Hear the prayers of your servant and your people Israel." (Sirach 36: 8)
All good things come from God. We wait on God for the fulfillment of all our desires.
What am I waiting for today? I am waiting for the answer to the question: What is the purpose of my life? I know for sure that in the fullness of time, God will answer me.
Prayer is a mysterious encounter with God; prayer is a reciprocal call; prayer is a covenant drama. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2567)
"I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry." (1 Timothy 1: 12)
Jesus Christ is the source of ministry. He is the one who calls. Before He calls us, He knew very well our resume. He will give us all that we need to succeed.
"Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate." (Luke 6:36)
Compassion and mercy are key attributes of God. Jesus says to us: "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate." Is it possible for us to be compassionate as God? It is possible if we give compassion in the same measure as we receive it. As we experience the mercy and love of God, we are to give the same for other.
"Always be thankful." (Colossians 3: 15)
Why should I be thankful here and now?
The 7-Wy plan is on course.
"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8: 28)
Great scripture! Great word of knowledge! Tremendous word of comfort!
What are the "all things" working for good for me here and now? My mind thinks immediately of the 6 war zones:
If only I can exercise my faith in the God's word of promise in Romans 8: 28! O that I may hear His voice speaking to me now through Romans 8: 28 and not harden my heart.
"Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm." (Isaiah 7:9) Lord, grant me a faith that is firm, firm enough to believe always that all is well, all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.
"When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them apostles." (Luke 6: 13)
The twelve men chosen by Christ stayed with Him the whole time till His passion and death. They listened to His teaching and saw His miracles. They ate with Him and relaxed with Him. After the resurrection, He instructed the now eleven men to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. Before the descent of the Holy Spirit, they elected a man to take the place of Judas. After the Holy Spirit descended on them, they were ready to perform the work of Apostles. They were now sent forth to take the good news to the whole world.
We have the same Holy Spirit as the apostles. Lord Jesus, where do you want to send us today? Grant us a hearing heart and a docile spirit to respond fully to you tofsy.
"So then, as you received Jesus, as Lord and Christ, now live your lives in him, be rooted in him and built up on him, held firm by the faith you have been taught, and overflowing with thanksgiving." (Colossians 2: 6 – 7)
The essence of Christianity is Christ Himself. The experience of Christianity is Christ in us, the hope of victory. To experience the victorious living that Christ living inside us makes possible, we must live in Him, be rooted in Him and built up on Him by means of prayer, daily reading of the word of God and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of holy exchange whereby we live in Christ and Christ lives in us.
"I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1: 6)
God knows the best and has seen the whole pattern of weaving of my life. I trust Him to make a strategic match between my:
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18: 20)
I believe in prayer. I believe in the word of God. I believe in miracle. I leave the rest to God.
I believe in prayer of agreement. I believe in prayer partnership. I believe in the Communion of the saints. I enjoy the support of my prayer partners in my struggles in life.
"Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 18: 18)
It is clear from the above passage that Christ left for the Church a clear authority to act. This conclusively shows His intention and desire that there be only one Church. In a situation of multiplicity of churches, there would be multiple and contradictory authorities as we see with the interpretation of the same scriptures. In a different scripture Jesus says:
"Whoever listens to you listens to me. whoever rejects you rejects me. and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." (Luke 10: 16)
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does not evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13: 9-10)
When I think of sins against love of my neighbor, I think of sins of commission and sins of omission. It is often the sins of omission that are most neglected. Love does no evil. True love should not just avoid evil but should be proactive.
O Holy Spirit, you are the principle of love. Fill us with your love. Teach us how to love. Love through us.
"You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me." (Ezekiel 33: 7 – 9)
What if I know for certain that God has appointed me as watchman over His word in a particular situation today? I would ask God for two critical graces:
Our fears hold us back from our full potential. Freedom from fear and courage are critical requirements of the disciple who desires to serve God unencumbered by the fear of man.
"Lord our God, in you justice and mercy meet. With unparalled love you have saved us from death and drawn us into the circle of your life. Open our eyes to the wonders this life sets before us, that we may serve you free from fear and address you as God our Father…." (Liturgical Prayer)
With incomparable love, God saved us from a life of vicious circle through the sacrifice of Jesus. Even here and now, we experience the wonders of this new life in peace and hope, in joy and consolation. Unfortunately, many eyes are still shut to the wonders of this new life. Eyes that are cast downwards to the transitory and earthy do not perceive what they miss in the new life that comes to us through Jesus Christ.
"God our Father, you redeem us and make us your children in Christ. Look upon us, give us true freedom and bring us to the inheritance you promised……" (Liturgical Prayer)
We delight to call God, Father. He is a total Father. His redemption of us is complete: body and soul. When we ask God to give us true freedom, we ask for what is most critical for our well-being. We need true freedom in order to discern God's will for us. God's will for us is the guarantee of our peace, prosperity, health and success. Fear diminishes our freedom. We pray for true freedom from:
"Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined." (Luke 5 : 37)
If Christ is in me, I am a new creation. I am fresh wine in new wineskin. I abandon the things that are old. I pursue new things with Jesus.
"He is the image of the unseen God, the first-born of all creation." (Colossians 1: 15)
Jesus Christ is the image of the unseen God, not through His physical attributes but through His personality and character. Personality and character form the core of the spiritual being. It is the spirit that gives life. The flesh has nothing to give.
"Do not be afraid, from now on it is people you will be catching." (Luke 5: 10)
Jesus realized that the call to follow Him might excite fears. Fears of the unknown, fears of detachment from familiar lifestyle are some of the fears that grip the heart at this invitation. But he who created the heart and has the destiny of man in His hands asks us not to be afraid. The challenge is whether to believe Jesus or not.
Jesus said that His sheep hears His voice.
"….We ask that through perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding, you should reach the fullest knowledge of his will and so be able to lead a life worthy of the Lord, a life acceptable to him in all its aspects." (Colossians 1: 9 – 10)
The fruit of perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding is discernment of God's will for our life. Perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding come from regular reading and reflection of God's word and prayer. This leads to a clear understanding that God's will for us is not arbitrary or tyrannical but the best policy. When we live by discernment of spirits, our decisions are guided by the question – "What is God's will for me here and now?"
Without the gift of discernment of spirits, it is impossible "to lead a life worthy of the Lord, a life acceptable to him in all its aspects."
"I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns too, because that is what I was sent to do." (Luke 4: 43)
Christ came to proclaim the good news of the kingdom everywhere.
Every Christian has the obligation to proclaim the good news everywhere. The Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of mission will enable us to accomplish this.
"I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last." (John 15: 16, 19)
"I will be a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers, alleluia!" (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)
"But you, brothers, do not live in the dark, that the Day should not take you unaware like a thief." (1 Thessalonians 5:4)
About times and seasons, be always prepared.
The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Opportunity will come like a thief in the night. Disaster will come like a thief in the night.
Prepare yourself always through prayer, word of God and the sacraments. And nothing can take you unaware. The Psalmist says that those who trust in God fear no bad news. They fear no bad news because they are always prepared for anything.
"The spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted." (Luke 4: 18)
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of mission. He anoints us for a specific mission.
"I have chosen you from the world to go and bear 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, alleluia!" (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)
"We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, to make sure that you do not grieve for them, as others do who have no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4: 13)
Those who died in Christ shall rise again. This is the central truth of Christianity. This is the end of religion. This is the entire objective. This is the big hope.
"Lord, you renew us at your table with the bread of life. May this food strengthen us in love and help us to serve you in each other." (Communion Prayer on the 22nd Sunday)
Means of renewal of mind and body:
The Eucharist also strengthens us in love.
"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.
"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.
"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:
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.
"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, 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 22nd 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!
"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 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Every good thing comes from God:
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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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)
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"Alas for you, blind guides!" (Matthew 23: 16)
Who is the guide?
Jesus Christ or the media?
"Alas for you, blind guides!"
"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.
"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)
"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!
"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)
I learned that the above scripture foreshadows the promise of Jesus Christ to Peter in Matthew 16: 18 – 19"
"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)
"Lord our God, all truth is from you, and you alone bring oneness of heart. Give your people the joy of hearing your word in every sound and of longing for your presence more than life itself. May all the attractions of a changing world serve only to bring us the peace of your kingdom which this world does not give ….." (Alternate Prayer 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time)
All truth is from God; so is all goodness. In every sound, God is speaking to us. He is present in every event. Help us Father to find you in everything. May we long for your presence more than life itself.
Some of the attractions of a changing world:
The world cannot offer the peace of God.
"Father, help us to seek the values that will bring us lasting joy in this changing world. In our desire for what you promise make us one in mind and heart." (Prayer on the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time)
What values bring lasting joy?
Everything is changing in the world all the time. The only constant and certainty is change. God has promised us eternal life. The values that bring us joy in this world are the values that help us focus on eternal life.
"You have one Father, your Father in heaven; you have one teacher: the Lord Jesus Christ." (Matthew 23: 9,10)
Father, I rejoice to call you Father. What a joy and consolation to know that God is our Father every single minute.
Lord Jesus, you are a great Teacher. Open my eyes to your truth.
"Blessed be Yahweh who has not left you today without anyone to redeem you. May his name be praised in Israel." (Ruth 4: 14)
God rewards goodness and faithfulness. God rewarded Ruth and Naomi.
"I will never fail you. I will never forsake you." (Hebrews 13: 5-6)
"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind…..You must love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22: 37 – 38)
Most Holy Spirit, make us a genuine and great lover of God and neighbor.
"For wherever you go, I shall go, wherever you live, I shall live. Your people shall be my people, and your God will be my God." (Ruth 1: 16)
Ruth showed loyalty to Naomi. The Holy Spirit gives us this scripture as an example of how to serve and follow Jesus. Our goal in life should be:
Help us God.
"Tell those who have been invited: Look, my banquet is all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding." (Matthew 22: 4)
The invited guests were given a timely reminder of the wedding feast. They chose to ignore the invitation and the reminder. Each had his convenient excuse. They behaved as if the wedding party is a daily affair. Jesus Christ continues to invite His friends to the wedding banquet every Sunday. Many choose to ignore the invitation. This is a mysterious and said trait in human character.
"I have made a promise before Yahweh which I cannot retract." (Judges 11: 35)
Keep the vows you have made to Yahweh.
Jephthah kept the vows he had made to Yahweh. May the Holy Spirit remind us of all the vows we have made to Yahweh.
"You too go into my vineyard." (Matthew 20: 7)
In the vineyard, there is much work to be done. The owner of the vineyard pays a fair wages to all the workers. The Lord Jesus is a generous employer.
"I shall be with you and you will crush Midian as though it were one man." (Judges 6: 16)
Yahweh was with Gideon. Is Yahweh with me, yes or no? Yes, Yahweh is certainly with me. He promised not to abandon nor forsake me. If Yahweh is with me, it is accomplished.
"If you will be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." (Matthew 19: 21)
Jesus said these tough words to a rich young man. The rich young man turned and walked away. But the truth remains. If you wish to follow Christ more closely, you must be totally detached from material things, conditions and circumstances. Just as it was not easy for the rich young man, so it is not easy for many who today are followers of Christ. When Jesus Christ enables us, we can do anything.
"Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtorth, the anger of the Lord flowed up against Israel, and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them. He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies whom they were no longer able to withstand." (Judges 2: 13 – 14)
The gods they worshipped took advantage of them. The instrument of sin became the instrument of punishment.
"Our freedom is weakened because of original sin. This weakness is intensified because of successive sins. Christ, however, set us free 'so that we should remain free' (Galatians 5:1). With his grace, the Holy Spirit leads us to spiritual freedom to make us free co-workers with him in the Church and in the world."
"The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name." (Luke 1:49)
Mary in her Magnificat recalls all that God has done for her and sings in praise of God. God has done great things in my life and I believe He will do more. May I imitate Mary in praising His holy name every day.
"For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the first fruit; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ." (From 1 Corinthians 15: 20 – 27)
In heaven, there is a hierarchy of merits. There is also a "proper order" in the resurrection of the body:
It is God's plan and wisdom that Mary will be raised body and soul into heaven before the general resurrection of the body. The Church has made this teaching a doctrine of faith. As it is bound on earth, so it is in heaven.
(Insight from the Mass of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
"Now have salvation and power come, the kingdom of our God and the authority of his anointed One." (Revelation 12: 10)
Salvation, power, kingdom and authority come through Jesus Christ, Son of Mary. One of the titles of Mary is Ark of Covenant.
"Father in heaven, all creation rightly gives you praise, for all life and all holiness come from you. In the plan of your wisdom she who bore Christ in her womb was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven. May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness and join in her hymn of endless life and praise…" (Mass Prayer in the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary)
"All powerful and ever-living God, you raised the sinless Virgin, Mother of your Son, body and soul to the glory of heaven. May we see heaven as our final goal and come to share her glory….." (Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary)
How I would love to see heaven as my final goal every day. What difference would it make? It gives a supernatural perspective to everything I do. It shows clearly the transitional nature of everything here on earth.
"Mercy is what pleases me not sacrifice." (Matthew 9: 13)
Lord, grant me a merciful heart. Show me how to exercise mercy today.
"So now, fear Yahweh and serve him truly and sincerely; banish the gods whom your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh." (Joshua 24: 14)
Fear Yahweh
Serve Yahweh
Serve Him truly and sincerely
To serve God truly and sincerely, these gods must be banished:
This is a hard saying. Who can do this? We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.
"It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted." (Matthew 19: 11)
Some teachings of Christ are hard, for example:
What percentage of the teachings of Jesus do I accept today? I know what I desire: to accept 100%. As God's kingdom expands its hold on our hearts, we accept more and more of Christ's teachings. Lord grant me the grace to accept all your teachings and live them.
"It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted." (Matthew 19: 11)
Some teachings of Christ are hard, for example:
What percentage of the teachings of Jesus do I accept today? I know what I desire: to accept 100%. As God's kingdom expands its hold on our hearts, we accept more and more of Chris's teachings. Lord grant me the grace to accept all your teachings and live them.
"And now I have given you a country for which you have not toiled, towns you have not built, although you live in them, vineyards and olive groves you have not planted, although you eat their fruit." (Joshua 24: 13)
Before the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land, they fought and won many battles through the help of God. The Enterprise is a journey through the wilderness. I must fight and win many battles with the help of God. It is wonderful to know that God is on my side. Because God is on my side, the mission is accomplished. At the end of the journey, may I be blessed to hear God say to me, "Well done good and faithful servant."
"You wicked servant, I canceled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servants just as I had pity on you?" (Matthew 18: 32 – 33)
Forgive others as the Father forgives you.
Give to others as the Father gives to you.
Do for others as the Father does to you.
"Yahweh said to Joshua, 'This day, I shall begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel so that they will know that, as I was with Moses, so shall I be with you." (Joshua 3: 7)
God appointed Joshua to succeed Moses. In Joshua 3:7, we see God equipping Joshua for the job. He is made great in the eyes of the people to facilitate the work of his leadership. He was not made great for his sake. All gifts come from God. God is the source of all inspiration and power.
"If the Lord does not build the house, they labor in vain who builds it." (Psalm 27: 1)
"In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them." (Matthew 18: 19 – 20)
When I meditated on the above scripture in 1999, I had a hot wish. Filled with faith, I called a number of friends to pray in agreement with me for an answer to that desire. Today, 2010, I am still waiting for an answer. What happened? What went wrong? Is Jesus unfaithful to His promises?
My understanding of prayer has grown since I responded to this scripture the way I did in 1999. Looking back at my frantic prayer and the apparent No Answer to that prayer, I feel like somebody who knows the mind of Jesus better today than I did in 1999. I feel that Jesus is saying to me: "I have heard your prayer. Just trust me completely with your life. You will have nothing to regret." I know and believe that Jesus is in control. I have come to see and believe that He knows what is best for me. I have peace and I surrender. Answer or no answer does not matter as much as knowing that Jesus is with me here and now. My devotion to Jesus has not lessened. On the contrary, it has increased.
"Joshua son Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him and him the Israelites obeyed, carrying out the order which Yahweh had given to Moses." (Deuteronomy 34: 9)
Where the Holy Spirit is, there is the power to perform great tasks. We see this in the lives of Moses, Joshua, David, the prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter and Paul and so on. The Spirit is the source of inspiration and power for big tasks and big missions.
"All you need is the Holy Spirit." Dearest Mother of the Redeemer and Most Beautiful Spouse of the Holy Spirit, obtain for me great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
"God of mercy, you inspired St. Clare with the love of poverty. By the help of her prayers may we follow Christ in poverty of spirit and come to the joyful vision of glory in the kingdom of heaven….."
St. Clare embraced the gift of God to love the poverty and simplicity of Jesus Christ.
What am I inspired to love?
God is the source of inspiration and power
"Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12: 25)
The world holds up for us models of people who love their lives and enjoy life. They have the following characteristics:
The Gospel on the other hand presents us with models of people who "hate" their lives in this world. They too have their characteristics:
If one lives and clings to his life in this world, he loses the real life. "It is the spirit that gives life. The flesh as nothing to give."
"God is perfectly able to enrich you with every grace, so that you always have enough for every conceivable need, and your resources overflow in every kind of good work." (2 Corinthians 9: 8)
Every good gift comes from God. Our time, talent and treasure all come from Him. Whenever God asks us to do something or give something, He wants us to remember the above promise. God is able to enrich us with every grace. He is able to provide all the resources we need for every kind of good work. Therefore let us respond to God with open and generous spirit. Can we ever outdo God in generosity? Never!
"Go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that rises, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for yourself." (Matthew 17: 27)
Jesus has shown before that He knows where all the fish are hiding. In the above scripture, He shows that He knows the particular fish that had swallowed a shekel. Now He commands the fish to release the shekel.
All things serve God. All things are possible for God. To know that my destiny is safely in the hands of God gives me a lot of comfort.
"The Lord, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve; hold fast to him and swear by his name." (Deuteronomy 10: 20)
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear?" (Psalm 27: 1)
What we fear:
The Lord wants us to fear Him alone. If we have fear of God in our hearts, we fear nothing. If we do not have the fear of God, we tend to fear everything.
"God of power, giver of the gifts we bring, accept the offering of your Church and make it the sacrament of our salvation……." (Offertory Prayer at Mass)
God is the giver of every gift. The offering we bring to Mass comes from Him. He inspires the work and gives the power that earns the money. Therefore, we should not be mean in offering Him our first fruits. We should remember that we can never outdo God in generosity.
The Eucharist is a great exchange of gifts. We bring our offering. God accepts it and in exchange gives us the Body and Blood of His Son, Jesus.
"Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened; and beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me!" (Matthew 14: 29 – 30)
How we become frightened in projects when we take our eyes off Jesus to focus on strong wind, earthquake and fire. But all is not lost, if we recover our senses and cry out like Peter, 'Lord, save me!"
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you, in God, whose word I praise, in God I put my trust and have no fear, what power has human strength over me?" (Psalm 56: 3 – 4)
"After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave." (1 Kings 19: 12 – 13)
Notice how God chose to reveal Himself to Elijah – "a tiny whispering sound."
"Be still and know that I am God."
"My salvation is in tranquility, my strength in confidence."
"My ways are not your ways."
Elijah first perceived loud wind, earthquake and fire. But when he heard the tiny whispering sound, he knew the difference. He probably knew the difference by the application of the gift of discernment. The servant of God knew the attributes of his Master.
"Almighty and ever-living God, your Spirit made us your children, confident to call you Father. Increase your Spirit within us and bring us to our promised inheritance….." (Opening Prayer at Sunday Mass)
The Spirit makes us God's children. We rejoice to call God Father. We are confident that God is our Father. God our Father is not inferior to our human father in any way. If our human father can provide us bread when we ask for it, God our Father can provide us much more.
We also pray that God increase His Spirit within us. Jesus promises that this is a prayer that the Father will grant as a matter of priority and urgency. How do we recognize n increase in the Holy Spirit within us? If we notice an increase in faith, patience, humility, wisdom, courage, we know the source is the Holy Spirit. By His fruits, we shall know Him.
"The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
One thing I ask of the LORD
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD"
Two consoling truths from the Responsorial Psalm of today:
"Fear is useless; what is needed is trust." (Luke 8: 50; Mark 5: 36)
"Wait for the Lord with courage." (Psalm 27: 14)
"I, the Lord, am with you always, until the end of the world, alleluia." (See Matthew 28: 20)
If the Lord is with me, it is accomplished."
Emmanuel!
"The Lord says, 'I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last, alleluia." (See John 15: 16, 19)
"I will be a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers, alleluia." (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)
"In truth I tell you, if your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there, and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17: 20)
Faith is simply believing that God's word is true; that God will do what He promises. In the Gospels, the evangelists emphasize again and again that things turn out exactly as Jesus had said. I am delighted when I read this. God's faithfulness to His promises is one of His attributes that I love very much. We cannot live a victorious life without faith. This is the message of the whole of Chapter 11 of Hebrews. The author gives a list of all the Old Testament giants that overcame daunting odds through faith. The message is clear. If they overcame by faith, we too can overcome by faith.
"When Yahweh has brought you into the country which he swore to your ancestors …. That he would give you, ..... be careful you do not forget Yahweh who has brought you out of Egypt, out of the place of slave labor." (Deuteronomy 6: 10 – 13)
Is it possible to forget Yahweh when He brings us into our Promised Land? The answer is an unequivocal Yes. If this is impossibility, scripture would not have warned us of it.
My God, your word is true. I know you will lead me to the PL. I know too that I can forget you in the PL. Father of mercies, may your grace forbid this from happening.
"Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves." (Matthew 17: 1)
The gang of three, Peter, James and John are representatives of the Church who became witnesses to the Transfiguration of the Christ. Jesus Christ strengthened their faith through this experience.
Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see your glory and give us the grace to bear witness to it in our lives.
"So we have confirmation of the words of the prophets; and you will be right to pay attention to it as to a lamp for lighting a way through the dark, until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds." (2 Peter 1: 19)
What is the evidence that the word of God in scripture is true?
The Church as the Body of Christ is the visible sign and confirmation of the words of scripture. The Church is what scriptures foretold it would be:
Trust the word of God.
"On him was conferred rule, honor and kingship, and all peoples, nations and languages became his servants." (Daniel 7: 14)
The "Him" is Jesus Christ to whom all honor, power and majesty belongs. I want to publish this truth with all my time, talent and treasure.
Lead me, guide me and use me, dear Lord Jesus Christ.
"But you,'he said,' who do you, say I am?" (Matthew 16: 13: 15)
You are Jesus Christ:
Lord Jesus, that I may know you more, love you more and serve you more. Amen
"These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites laid blame on Yahweh and where by their means, he asserted his holiness." (Numbers 20: 13)
In the desert, the Israelites were stretched to the breaking point at the Waters of Meribah. They failed the test and murmured against God. Every crisis is a test of faith. Where do you go first for help? Whom do you trust? Are you prepared to wait for God for deliverance?
Meribah is the type of all testing grounds. Where is your desert or Meribah?
The geography is the theology.
"I, the Lord, am with you always, until the end of the world." (Matthew 28: 20)
Jesus is Emmanuel – God with us. But in Matthew 28: 20, He promises to be with us always till the end of our life. Consider this for a moment. A medical doctor can be very powerful and highly competent. But can he promise to be with you always until the end of your life? Of course not! Only Jesus can make this promise and keep it.
"Woman, you have great faith. Let your desire be granted." (Matthew 15: 28)
My simple definition of faith is putting our trust in God's word. This happy woman has just heard that her desire is granted. Her faith led her to ask confidently. She went away believing that it would be done to her according to what Jesus said. I want to exercise my faith like this woman. I want to hear Jesus say to me: "Let your desire be granted."
"We have made our way to the country where you sent us. It does indeed flow with milk and honey; here is what it produces. At the same time, its inhabitants are a powerful people…." (Numbers 13: 27 – 28)
The Enterprise is a journey to the Promised Land. Indeed milk and honey flow here. At the same time, it is occupied by the Anakims, that is very powerful demons. In the name of Jesus I will conquer. I came, I saw and in the name of Jesus I conquered.
"They are blind leaders of the blind and if one blind person leads another both will fall into a pit." (Matthew 15: 14)
Who are the blind leading the blind? Many journalists today are blind leaders leading the blind. Many pretend that are guardian of public morality. But in fact their self-interest is evident and it betrays their pretension. They act as if they are neutral and unbiased commentators in the public domain but in fact are narrow minded with entrenched self-interest. The recent attacks on Pope Benedict XVI are vile and selfish. They want to silence him and thought they found a good cause in the so-called sexual abuse of minors which they claim occurred over a generation ago. They will not succeed in intimidating him. They win this game with politicians. Pope Benedict is not a politician.
"Is Moses the only one through whom Yahweh has spoken? Has he not spoken with us too? Now Moses was extremely humble, the humblest man on earth." (Numbers 12: 2 – 3)
The trials and tribulations of Moses
Even Aaron and Miriam joined the rebels. They became part of the problem and not the solution.
Those that ate with me raised their heels to strike me. Moses allowed God to fight for him. God was the guardian of his rights. Moses exemplified the leadership principle. The leader is a servant and not a master.
