Planted by Water

Jeremiah 17:7-8

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

The Way of the Cross

Matthew 16:24-25
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

"Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and all my will, all that I have and possess. You have given them to me; to you, O Lord, I restore them; all things are yours, dispose of them according to your will. Give me your love and your grace, for this is enough for me." (Prayer of Ignatius of Loyola, 1491-1556)

Built on solid rock

"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."  (Matthew 16: 18)

Matthew 16: 18 is the words of Jesus Christ.  It is also a prophecy.  It is one of the prophecies in the Gospels that proves the Gospel's authenticity.  Put briefly, Jesus Christ says that the Church can never fail come what may!  The question is:  Has the Church failed?  The answer is obvious.  St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is built over the tomb of St. Peter, the Apostle who was addressed in Matthew 16:18.  Pope Francis, the present Bishop of Rome is a successor of St. Peter in a long line of unbroken succession that numbers about 265 popes since St. Peter.

In the 2000 years history of the Church, the Church had faced many near death experiences.  For over 250 years, the Church lived through a period of relentless persecution by the Roman empire.  The Roman empire became defunct and extinct just like other empires in the West and in the East.

The devil, the arch enemy of the Church attacks the Church not only from the outside but also from the inside with schisms, scandals, heresies, fratricidal wars, etc.  The Church is still standing.  Many governments had risen and fallen and forgotten by history.  What makes the Church different?  The Church has no army, no police force, no large mineral resources or gold mines. The Church has faced dire financial crisis.  But the Church is standing.

The reason why the Church is still standing inspite very severe crisis in its history is the promise of Jesus:
"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."  (Matthew 16: 18)

No army, no financial crisis, no scandal, no apostasy can nullify the promise.  It is a promise built on solid and immovable rock and that rock is Jesus Christ.

Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time.
Enjoying one moment at a time.
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.
Taking as He did, this sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him forever.
(Reinhold Niebuhr)

Listen! Understand! Act!

Luke 9:35

“This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

Psalm 95:7, 8
'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."

John 2:5
" His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you”

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How God provides His man

"He said in reply, “It is written:
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."  (Matthew 4: 4)

How does God support His man?
Not by bread alone.  Since God is not only God but Father, He is first and foremost a provider.  Unlike the human father, He has no limitations as to how, what, where and when of His provision.  He created the human person and therefore knows what he needs.

Man also does not live by money alone.  Money is only a means of exchange.  God can choose to provide directly what we need and bypass money altogether.  God's perennial and pervasive ability to provide whatever we need, when we need, the amount we need and where we need can only be poorly compared to a universal and unlimited credit card.  The main point of difference is that while the plastic card is an inanimate unthinking thing, God is pure thought Himself.  He knows exactly what we need, how much, when and where we need it.  And He is always able to satisfy all our needs big or small.  Read below how He taught this lesson:

"What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"  (Luke 11: 11 - 13)

God is not a wicked Father.  He knows what we need and would never give us a snake for a fish or a scorpion for an egg.

When He instructs us to pray, "Give us each day our daily bread" (Luke 11: 3), He is teaching us two lessons:  First, Prayer is the efficient cause of answer and secondly, He wants us to trust completely in Him for our provision.  One day at a time.  Because this is the most efficient means of supply and living.  If you do not wake up the next morning, you need a coffin and not bread.

Is all truly vanity?

"Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!"  (Ecclesiastes 1:2)

" Let nothing trouble you,
let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing;
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who possesses God lacks nothing:
God alone suffices."
(St Teresa of Avila)

What is happiness?

I like the answer below from the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1723:

1723 The beatitude we are promised confronts us with decisive moral choices. It invites us to purify our hearts of bad instincts and to seek the love of God above all else. It teaches us that true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement - however beneficial it may be - such as science, technology, and art, or indeed in any creature, but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love:

All bow down before wealth. Wealth is that to which the multitude of men pay an instinctive homage. They measure happiness by wealth; and by wealth they measure respectability. . . . It is a homage resulting from a profound faith . . . that with wealth he may do all things. Wealth is one idol of the day and notoriety is a second. . . . Notoriety, or the making of a noise in the world - it may be called "newspaper fame" - has come to be considered a great good in itself, and a ground of veneration.

Do you measure happiness by wealth?

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Vanity of vanities

Ecclesiastes 1:2
"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,vanity of vanities! All is vanity."

" Let nothing trouble you,
let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing;
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who possesses God lacks nothing:
God alone suffices."
(St Teresa of Avila)

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Let your face shine upon me

"May God be gracious to us and bless us;
may his face shine upon us.
So shall your way be known upon the earth,
your victory among all the nations."  (Psalm 67: 1 - 2)

Why did my heart latch onto this word as my scripture verse for today?  Because  this phrase   "His face shine upon us" catches my attention always and everywhere.  I noticed this phrase several years ago from the liturgy of the first of January, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.  The word is contained in the first reading for the solemn Mass, the priestly blessing from Numbers 6:

"The LORD said to Moses:
Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!"  (Numbers 6: 22 - 26)

I appropriated the blessing then and had repeated it in my own words before I leave my home.

Again, I find the same phrase coming after my favorite Psalm 31:16 in Psalm 31: 17:

"My destiny is in your hands;
rescue me from my enemies,
from the hands of my pursuers.

Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your mercy."  (Psalm 31: 16 - 17)

We find it also in that great Psalm that extols the word of God, Psalm 119.

"Let your face shine upon your servant;
teach me your statutes."  (Psalm 119: 135)

With all the above, it is hardly surprising that I would jump on the phrase when I encountered it this morning.   I pray to Christ every time I leave my home thus, "Let your face shine upon me graciously and grant me abundant mercy, peace and prosperity.  Protect me from all evil and  anxiety.  Bless and protect Casa."  After this prayer, I always step out with confidence.

The Carpenter's Son

“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?"  (Matthew 13: 54)

Where do we get the wisdom and power to share the word of God?  We get the wisdom from the Holy Spirit.  He is the best Teacher.  He gives us words and vocabulary suited to our audience.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

"1845 The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon Christians are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord."

"When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes."  (Matthew 7: 28 - 29) 

Jesus taught and performed mighty deeds in the power of the Holy Spirit.  With the Holy Spirit firmly in control of our ministry, our performance will always be in line with the measure of God's gifts to us.

EXACTLY

"Moses did exactly as the Lord had commanded him." (Exodus 40: 16) Why is my pain continuous? Seekfirst.blogspot.com

Diamond is forever

"When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."  (Matthew 13: 46)

Diamond is forever.
Jesus Christ is the pure DIAMOND.
I found the real Pearl and not counterfeit.
All that you need is the Holy Spirit.  He is the one thing that is necessary.

O Lord Jesus Christ, you are all that I have.  Do not allow me to have a buyer's remorse.

Lord come to my house

"As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him."  (Luke 10: 38)

Lord come to my house.

"“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me."  (Revelation 3: 20)

Lord, the door is always open for you.  Do not stand at the door.  No need to knock.  Come right in.

"The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed."  (Matthew 8: 8)

Your word O Lord is sufficient.  You exalted your name and your word above everything.  I rely on your word.  It is all that I have.  I have no Plan B.  I have no Alternative.  You are all that I have, O lord.

He answered me

"I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
in the presence of the angels to you I sing.
I bow low toward your holy temple;
I praise your name for your mercy and faithfulness.
For you have exalted over all
your name and your promise.
On the day I cried out, you answered;
you strengthened my spirit."  (Psalm 138: 1 - 3)

A sacrifice of thanksgiving

"Offer praise as your sacrifice to God;
fulfill your vows to the Most High.
Then call on me on the day of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall honor me.” (Psalm 50: 14 - 15)

Enjoy every Sunday and you will be paid for it

"Remember the Sabbath day—keep it holy.
Six days you may labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the LORD your God."  (Exodus 20: 8 - 9)

God gave His law to us for our benefit and not for His.  The law of God is perfect and trustworthy.

Sunday is the perfect illustration of the intention of God in the Ten Commandments.  If we enjoy  Sunday and honor it, God commits Himself to blessing us.  It is as if your boss says to you: "You can have every Friday in addition to Saturday and Sunday off. Enjoy yourself, have fun and you will be paid fully for the three days."  You would call him the best boss in the world.

 

Earthen vessel

"But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us."  (2 Corinthians 4: 7)

Earthen vessels, vessels of clay, weak morality, inconstancy, concupiscence, sinful nature; these are  synonyms for earthen vessel described  by St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 4: 7.

How about "this treasure"?
Genuine riches, Holy Spirit, Faith, Christ in us the hope of glory, the Sacraments are some of the treasures of redemption.

I don't feel confident in securing this treasure in my fragile earthen vessel. I hand them over to the Blessed Virgin Mary to keep  safely for me.  Nothing in her safekeeping can be touched by the enemy of mankind.

The produced a hundredfold

"But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."  (Matthew 13: 8 - 9)

What makes the soil that produces much harvest rich or good?  The soil is not trodden under foot; it is not stony or full of thorns. The soil is well broken, tilled and manured.  Through the action of the Holy Spirit, it is disposed to receive the good seed.

"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."  (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)

Who is my mother?

"For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matthew 12: 50)

I want to be the brother of Jesus today.  Only today?  I live one day at a time.  If I am alive tomorrow, I will ask for the same favor.

Lord Jesus, help me to do the will of your Father today.  Father, may your will be fully accomplished in my life today.

Double your time of prayer

“If you find that you are working so much that you don’t have enough time for your regular time of prayer, just double It!” St. John of the Cross