For Nothing is Impossible for God

“For nothing will be impossible for God.” (Luke 1: 37)

This is the assurance that the Angel Gabriel gave to Mary when he told her that she would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit to be the Mother of God.

No word of God will be impossible to him. I appropriated this message from the scriptures one Sunday morning: “I am going to provide a place for my people Israel; I shall plant them there, and there they will live and never be disturbed again; nor will they be oppressed by the wicked anymore, as they were in former times …. I shall grant you rest from all your enemies.” (2 Samuel 7: 10) It was a consolation of the truth for me to see in the message to Mary that “Nothing will be impossible for God.”

God himself will provide a place for me.

God will plant me there and make me secure.

I learned also this morning that full belief manifests itself in obedience and patience. How do I show obedience to this word of God? “I am the servant of the Lord: may his will for me be done.” Amen.

Definition of Revelation

Definition of Revelation

“Now to him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages, but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Romans 16: 25 – 27)

The Gospel was made known to the Gentiles “that they may believe and obey.”

Some read the Bible and believe that it is the word of God (prophetic writings). But they do not obey. So they do not see the wisdom of God or his power. The Gospel can only be alive and powerful when we believe and obey it.

Mary says: “I am the servant of the Lord: may his will for me be done.” She believes. She obeys. Help me O Blessed Mother to believe and to obey.

Shalom

Shalom!

“I am going to provide a place for my people Israel; I shall plant them there, and there they will live and never be disturbed again; nor will they be oppressed by the wicked anymore, as they were in former times ….. I shall grant you rest from all your enemies.” (2 Samuel 7: 10)

I discover in this Promised Land scripture the following promises that I can appropriate:

God himself will provide a place for me.

He himself will plant me there and there I will live.

Nobody will disturb me.

The wicked will not oppress me: (for example – money, job, tools, family, health, food)

God will grant me rest from all my enemies.

As I write this, I recall one of the greatest gifts of the Mass: Peace. Peace is offered as a gift of Christ to us in the Mass at least 5 times. Lord Jesus, I truly believe that you anoint me with peace every time I meet you in the Eucharist. I know now why you give me this peace. Yes, you give it to me to enjoy and to become your instrument of peace to the world. Lord, I will never know how to do this until you teach me. Please Jesus, make me an instrument of peace.

The Scroll of the Book

The Scroll of the Book

“My task, I have said, Yahweh is to keep your word.” (Psalm 119: 57)

“In the scroll of the book it is written of me, my delight is to do your will.” (Psalm 40: 7)

It will not be possible for me to do God’s will unless God is generous to me in this direction. (Psalm 119: 17)

Unless he teaches me, gives me understanding and guides me (Psalm 119: 33 – 35; Colossians 1: 9)

Unless he averts my eyes from “pointless images”, that is, luxury, pornography, alien gods.

Unless he gives me life, that is the Holy Spirit (Psalm 119: 88)

Unless God supports me (Psalm 119: 116)

This Cup

This cup

“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26: 39)

Without overcoming the fear of physical suffering and the fear of criticism, we shall never be able to achieve our potentials in Christ’s vineyard. The Holy Rosary is the most powerful prayer I have experienced and this month of October 2006, I thank God for 12^th year of commitment to the daily Rosary. Apart from the Eucharist, nothing has brought me more power, peace and protection than the Holy Rosary.

In the First Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary, we recall the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” This is a prayer to overcome the fear of physical suffering. I have used it to pray for this intention for the past 12 years. I pray the 3^rd Sorrowful Mystery, the Crowning of Christ with thorns to overcome the fear of criticism and to accept humiliation and rejections.

We can pray confidently with Christ for God’s will to be done in our lives because we know that Our Father is almighty, loving and all wise. He can never permit harm to come to us except it is for a greater good.