"God of the universe, we worship you as Lord. God, ever close to us, we rejoice to call you Father. From this world's uncertainty we look to your covenant. Keep us one in your peace, secure in your love….."
God our Father is ever close to us. We rejoice to call Him Father. He is indeed our Father. We are His kids. Abba Father!
Nothing is certain in this world. But the word of God stands firm forever. The certainty of God's word is a covenant.
"Father, guide and protector of your people, grant us an unfailing respect for your name and keep us always in your love……" (Opening Prayer – 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
God is our guide and protector. Love and respect for God's name is grace.
"I solemnly tell you: those who have left everything and followed me will be repaid a hundred fold and will gain eternal life." (Matthew 19: 28 – 29)
What we can leave behind completely for Christ's sake?
Lord Jesus, help me to truly leave everything and follow you so that I may deserve your promise in Matthew 19: 27 – 29.
"So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6: 34)
Live one day at a time and gratefully accept all that God provides today:
Have absolutely no concern about anything beyond the present moment.
If you are absent to these concerns and present to the Lord everyday in prayer, praise and His word, all these things shall be yours at the appointed time.
"Learn to savor how good the Lord is; happy are those who take refuge in him." (Psalm 34: 9)
Other translations read: "Taste and see that the Lord is good.."
How do I know that the Lord is good to me? I take time and become aware of what is going on in my life. I realize the source of so many blessings in my life. God is the source. I give thanks. Connecting the dots of our experiences is a learning process. We can learn to savor how good the Lord is to us.
"It is, then, about my weaknesses that I am happiest of to boast, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me; and that is why I am glad of weaknesses, insults, constraints, persecutions and distress for Christ's sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
Because I suffer temptations, because I have no health insurance, because I am poor, because I am a stranger, because I am unrefined, I depend completely on Christ for all these things. Because I trust Jesus to help me, He never fails to come through to me.
When I depend on Christ for everything, I rise to the top.
"My grace is enough for you: for power is at full stretch in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12: 9)
Power is the key attribute of the Holy Spirit.
All types of power have their source and inspiration from the Holy Spirit.
Now to gain this power, we must surrender our weaknesses to the Holy Spirit. Our weaknesses are all our vulnerabilities. It is amazing how much we want to cling to these.
Lord help me to surrender my weaknesses to you so that I can gain your power.
"The Lord is my inheritance and my cup; he alone will give me my reward. The measuring line has marked a lovely place for me; my inheritance is my great delight." (Psalm 16: 5-6)
"My grace is sufficient for you." God alone is my reward. I trust in Him. My destiny is secure. It is in His hand. He is my light and my salvation. What can mortal man do to me?
"Do not store treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and woodworm destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them." (Matthew 6: 19)
How illusory are material treasures! They are there one minute. They are gone in a second. Does this truth of blessed experience prevent us from coveting material goods and storing them in every space of lives? Our Father in heaven gave us a pearl of wisdom when He taught us to ask Him each day for our daily bread.
"I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34: 5)
What are you afraid of?
Psalm 34: 5 promises that if we seek the Lord, He will deliver us from all these fears.
Jesus promises that if we "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things will be given you besides."
(Matthew 6:33)
"I have worked with unsparing energy, for many nights without sleep; I have been hungry and thirsty, and often altogether without food and drink; I have been cold and lacked clothing." (2 Corinthians 11:27)
St. Paul's zeal for the Gospel is inimitable. When I consider the trifles that I call problems, I become ashamed of myself. True, I have not resisted to the point of blood. The only way to follow Christ and imitate the zeal of St. Paul is to be attentive to one day at a time. To use my strengths as I try to minimize my weaknesses in exploiting the opportunities I see to bear witness to Christ.
"Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either." (Matthew 6: 14 – 15)
Forgive others and when you ask for forgiveness, be confident that God will hear you.
How to forgive: forgive as soon as the offence occurs. Forgive and if it is possible, inform the offending person that you have forgiven him and so you will not be tempted to go back on your word. Forgive and pray that God will bless the offender. Ask God also the grace to make your forgiveness true and genuine.
Forgiveness and reconciliation are two related important concepts in the kingdom.
"But I am afraid that, just as the snake with his cunning deduced Eve, your minds may be led astray from single-minded devotion to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11: 3)
St. Paul warns here that it is possible for one to change his mind about who Christ is and what he did. It is also possible for one to change his mind as to key content of the doctrine of our faith. How can one protect himself from these dangers? By prayer and assiduous devotion to the Sacraments particularly the Eucharist and the Penance, one develops a sense of the faith, "sensus fidei." This is an interior light that alerts us to false doctrine. The collective 'sensus fidei" of the faithful is a sure bulwark against heresy.
Moreover the third promise of Mary to those who say the Rosary is: "The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresy."
"Your almsgiving must be secret and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6: 4)
Do all things for the sake of God.
God sees everything.
God knows everything.
God rewards everything that is done for Him.
"Happy the man who fears the Lord….
Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory." (Psalm 112: 1, 9)
God is amazingly generous to the poor. I was a witness to this at Casa Juan. The Church manifests the presence of Jesus in the world. The Church continues to minister to the needs of the poor everywhere.
"But remember: anyone who sows sparsely will reap sparsely as well – and anyone who sows generously will reap generously as well." (2 Corinthians 9: 6)
What we sow:
We can never outdo God in generosity.
"You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)
Do not be complacent. God wants us to strive for perfection. His will for everyone is holiness.
"You have heard how it was said: eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer no resistance to the wicked." (Matthew 5: 38 – 39)
The Lord defends my life. He is the guardian of my rights. He knows how to defend me from the wicked. I offered no resistance when I was deprived of my rights in ncau.
"In an acceptable time I heard you; on the day of salvation I helped you." (2 Corinthians 6:2)
There is a time for everything. A time to pray and a time to answer prayers.
"Working together, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain." (2 Corinthians 6: 1)
Do not receive the word of God in vain.
Do not receive the Eucharist in vain.
Do not receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in vain.
How can we be sure that we do not receive these graces in vain? We can only be sure if we are open to the Holy Spirit residing in us.
