Jan 31, 2010 - Sunday Meditation (Have you invited JESUS to come into your Life?)

Jesus insulted His neighbors by what He said and what He did. Faith is an insult to the scientifically-data-based spirit of our day. Hope is an insult to the desperately-communicating tell me-who I am cell-phoney world. Love is an insult to our strip-me and leave-me half dead, society. Trusting, longing and cherishing are cultural and worth the passing along as Jesus did and lived. He called individuals from alone to along and beside. We see Him in today's Gospel begin His Own Cultural Revolution. The Great Insultor "passed out of their midst" and is patiently entering ours.

 

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19

Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17

1 Corinthians 12:31—13:13 or 13:4-13

Luke 4:21-30  And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.  22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" 23 And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, `Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Caper'na-um, do here also in your own country.'" 24 And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Eli'jah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Eli'jah was sent to none of them but only to Zar'ephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli'sha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na'aman the Syrian." 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. 30 But passing through the midst of them he went away.  

 

 

Meditation by Larry Gillick, S.J. ( Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality)

When I was a lad, I cracked my knuckles, bit my nails, jiggled my knees up and down and must have been a bit of a nervous fellow. I know it drove my grandmother to distraction and she would tell me all kinds of things that would happen to my fingers and ankles if I kept up these unsightly activities. She was well-meaning and of course I wanted to stop and be the calm little boy who would make my parents proud.

We hear our Grandmother God telling us often not to be afraid, to be a person of confidence, and trust always in the Lord. These are all quite comforting and our faith does bring us peace, but there are times when we are nervous believers, frightened trustlings, and worried passengers in the barque of Peter. This all means we are quite human beings and experience fears and doubts as naturally as we experience hunger and thirst.

As we pray and wander toward the Eucharist we can check out our little and large fears and doubts and pray, not that they go away, but that we can live with what is so human and good. God's grace meets us where we are and we pray to find ourselves being found.

 

REFLECTION

We hear in our First Reading for this liturgy a two-part prayer or prophesy made by God and spoken through the words of Jeremiah. God speaks firstly of how God had known and prepared Jeremiah even from the womb. Secondly, and based on the first, God indicates a future in which Jeremiah will have to speak the Word of God to Jeremiah's fellow Israelites and they will not like what he has to say. The Reading ends with confirming verses of strength and power to resist the external forces which will attempt to crush him and the internal voices which will attempt to paralyze his vocation.  

Last Sunday's Gospel ended with the same setting which begins today's Gospel. Jesus had read in the synagogue a passage from Isaiah and which Jesus tells His listeners that He Himself is the One Who fulfills this same prophetic announcement. All of His hearers speak well of this home-town product and rub their hands together in delightful anticipation of all the good things Jesus is going to do for them.

Jesus realizes this in His neighbors and speaks quite directly to them about their self-centered excitement. They had heard all the great miracles that Jesus had done elsewhere. They assume He will naturally do even greater deeds for them. What Jesus speaks to them changes their acceptance and excitement into anger toward and rejection of Him.

Jesus makes two historical and so, scriptural references about two situations about which His hearers were acquainted. Both refer to persons, a widow, (1 Kings 17, 1) and a leper, (2 Kings 5, 14), who were miraculously cared for by God through Elijah in the first instance and Elisha in the second. These God-cared for persons were not Jews nor lived in Israel . The Widow and Naaman, the leper,  were externs - foreigners and quite excluded.

 

The synagogue congregation knew instantly what Jesus was saying by making these references. Clearly Jesus was telling them that faith, more than family familiarity, was required for miracles and they did not have faith that He was the fulfillment of what He had just read to them. Jesus got what He deserved from his former neighbors. He insulted them and they wanted to get rid of this prepostor. He is led out to the brink of a hill, but slips away to live toward His final life's statement on another hill where He will again experience what it means to Him to be Savior.

After this weekend there are two more Sundays before Lent begins. We will continue hearing from Luke's account of the invitations Jesus is offering His disciples and us as well. I live in a culture of individualism which in a strange way is a contradiction in terms. A culture is what we wish to pass along to those who follow us. It is intended to continue and advance the group or community. Individualism has little concern for the common good or those who will follow, except how that group can advance the individual. This spirit is so in the cultural air that we can assume slowly that it is what is good. We can say that what is good for me will eventually be good for all.  

Jesus is inviting us these days of our conversion to follow Him toward His sisters and brothers and change the basic self-centered question into "What's in it for them?" Jesus insulted His neighbors by what He said and what He did. Faith is an insult to the scientifically-data-based spirit of our day. Hope is an insult to the desperately-communicating tell me-who I am cell-phoney world. Love is an insult to our strip-me and leave-me half dead, society. Trusting, longing and cherishing are cultural and worth the passing along as Jesus did and lived. He called individuals from alone to along and beside. We see Him in today's Gospel begin His Own Cultural Revolution. The Great Insultor "passed out of their midst" and is patiently entering ours.

"Let your face shine on your servant, and save me by your love. Lord, keep me from shame, for I have called to you." Ps. 31, 17-18

 

 

 

Supplementary Reading

Invite Jesus

 

 

"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" – Romans 8:31

 

I have confidence. And let me tell you where I get it: God is my Father. Jesus Christ is my personal Savior. And the Holy Spirit lives in me.

 

God reached down from heaven and of all the billions of human beings in the world, he spotted me, called me by name, lifted me up, and embraced me as his own child. He has forgiven me of my sins, he put his arms around me and said, "Look—we're going to walk through life together, you and I!” WOW! There is nothing greater than that! It's called salvation. When you and I are born again, we discover the very source of confidence.

 

A young rabbi once asked a wise old rabbi, "When should a man repent?"

 

"On the last day of his life," the old rabbi replied.

 

"But none of us can be sure which day is the last day of our life," the young rabbi countered.

 

The wise old rabbi smiled and answered, "Then repent now."

 

Repentance is not negative self-condemnation. Repentance is "turning around" to walk God's way.

 

Have you repented? Have you experienced salvation? Some day you and I will stand before God. Decide today to invite Jesus Christ to come into your life and live inside you. If you do, you will discover the source of real self-confidence. After all, if God is on your side, then everyone else might as well be too.

 

 

I invite you into my life, Lord Jesus. Thank you for seeing the possibilities in me, for not condemning me, and for being for me.

 

 

 



For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
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GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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Feb 2, 2010 - Tuesday Meditation (Trust Him with your Dreams!)

Are you frustrated because you're trying to force things to happen on your timetable? Sometimes we hold on to things so tightly, but actually, when we let them go, that's when God can bring them to pass. If you'll release that frustration and not let it become the center of your attention, but instead use that same time and energy to thank God that He's directing your steps, you open the door for God to give you the desires of your heart.

 

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Malachi 3:1-4

Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10

Hebrews 2:14-18

Luke 2:22-40 And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem , whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel , and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; 30 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 31 which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel." 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in  Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed." 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan'u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband  seven years from her virginity, 37 and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem . 39 And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth . 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

 

 

Meditation by Don Schwager

Do you know the favor of the Lord? After Jesus' birth, Mary fulfills the Jewish right of purification after childbirth. Since she could not afford the customary offering of a lamb, she gives instead two pigeons as an offering of the poor. This rite, along with circumcision and the redemption of the first-born point to the fact that children are gifts from God. Jesus was born in an ordinary home where there were no luxuries. Like all godly parents, Mary and Joseph raised their son in the fear and wisdom of God. He, in turn, was obedient to them and grew in wisdom and grace. The Lord's favor is with those who listen to his word with trust and obedience. Do you know the joy of submission to God? And do you seek to pass on the faith and to help the young grow in wisdom and maturity?

What is the significance of Simeon's encounter with the baby Jesus and his mother in the temple? Simeon was a just and devout man who was very much in tune with the Holy Spirit. He believed that the Lord would return to his temple and renew his chosen people. The Holy Spirit also revealed to him that the Messiah and King of Israel would also bring salvation to the Gentile nations. When Joseph and Mary presented the baby Jesus in the temple, Simeon immediately recognized this humble child of Bethlehem as the fulfillment of all the messianic prophecies, hopes, and prayers. Inspired by the Holy Spirit he prophesied that Jesus was to be "a revealing light to the Gentiles". The Holy Spirit reveals the presence of the Lord to those who are receptive and eager to receive him.  Do you recognize the indwelling presence of the Lord with you?

Jesus is the new temple (John 1:14; 2:19-22). In the Old Testament God manifested his presence in the "pillar of cloud" by day and the "pillar of fire" by night as he led them through the wilderness. God's glory visibly came to dwell over the ark and the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38). When the first temple was built in Jerusalem God's glory came to rest there (1 Kings 8). After the first temple was destroyed, Ezekiel saw God's glory leave it (Ezekiel 10). But God promised one day to fill it with even greater glory (Haggai 2:1-9; Zechariah 8-9). That promise is fulfilled when the "King of Glory" himself comes to his temple (Psalm 24:7-10; Malachi 3:1).  Through Jesus' coming in the flesh and through his saving death, resurrection, and ascension we are made living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16-17). Ask the Lord to renew your faith in the indwelling presence of his Spirit with you. And give him thanks and praise for coming to make his home with you.

Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph and he prophesied to Mary about the destiny of this child and the suffering she would undergo for his sake. There is a certain paradox for those blessed by the Lord.  Mary was given the blessedness of being the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also would become a sword which pierced her heart as her Son died upon the cross. She received both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. But her joy was not diminished by her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises. Jesus promised his disciples that "no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22). The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which enables us to bear any sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death can take way.  Do you know the joy of a life fully surrendered to God with faith and trust?

Simeon was not alone in recognizing the Lord's presence in the temple. Anna, too, was filled with the Holy Spirit. She was found daily in the temple, attending to the Lord in prayer and speaking prophetically to others about God's promise to send a redeemer. Supernatural hope grows with prayer and age! Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfill all his promises. She is a model of godliness to all believers as we advance in age.  Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in God and his promises grew with age. She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and service of God's people. What do you hope for? The hope which God places in our heart is the desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness. How do we grow in hope? By placing our trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit. Does your hope and fervor for God grow with age?

"Lord Jesus, may I never cease to hope in you and to trust in your promises. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may always recognize your saving presence in my life. Help me to point others to Christ and to be an example of faith and devotion as Simeon and Anna were to their generation."

 

 

 

Supplementary Reading

Trust Him with Your Dreams

 

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives" John 12:24

 

It's good to be passionate about your dreams, but did you know a dream can become an idol? If that's all you think about and you're not going to be happy unless it happens your way, that's out of balance. The fact is, sometimes you have to put that dream on the altar.

 

Are you frustrated because you're trying to force things to happen on your timetable? Sometimes we hold on to things so tightly, but actually, when we let them go, that's when God can bring them to pass. If you'll release that frustration and not let it become the center of your attention, but instead use that same time and energy to thank God that He's directing your steps, you open the door for God to give you the desires of your heart.

 

We have to remember, God already knows what we want and what we are in need of. He's the One who put those desires in us. We shouldn't be consumed by trying to make things happen. Instead, a greater act of faith is to be happy right where you are; to stay open and trust God because He has good plans in store for your future!

 

Father God, today I release my dreams, my desires, my "wants" like a seed falling to the ground. I know that You have a good plan for my future, and I trust You to bring it to pass in my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (J Osteen)

 

 
For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
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http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
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GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

Feb 4, 2010 - Thursday Meditation (Holy Spirit, We Need You!)

Are your eyes and ears spiritually sensitive so that you will know who are messengers of God? Elisha had a servant who could not see or hear with spiritual eyes and ears until Elisha prayed they would be opened. Then the servant could see the great army of God protecting them (see 2 Kings 6:17). Pray that you might see and hear with the Spirit. He may desire to reveal His purposes and plans through another individual.

 

Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Kings 2:1-4, 10-12

1 Chronicles 29:10, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd

Mark 6:7-13 And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them." 12 So they went out and preached that men should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.

 

 

Meditation by Don Schwager

What kind of authority and power does the Lord want you to exercise on his behalf? Jesus gave his apostles both the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He commanded them to do the works which he did – to heal. to cast out evil spirits, and to speak the word of God – the good news of the gospel which they received from Jesus. When Jesus spoke of power and authority he did something unheard of. He wedded power and authority with love and humility. The "world" and the "flesh" seek power for selfish gain. Jesus teaches us to use it for the good of our neighbor.

Why does Jesus tell the apostles to "travel light" with little or no provision? "Poverty of spirit" frees us from greed and preoccupation with possessions and makes ample room for God's provision. The Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves. He wills to work through and in each of us for his glory. Are you ready to handle the power and authority which God wishes you to exercise on his behalf? The Lord entrusts us with his gifts and talents. Are you eager to place yourself at his service, to do whatever he bids you, and to witness his truth and saving power to whomever he sends you?

"Lord Jesus, make me a channel of your grace and healing love that others may find life and freedom in you. Free me from all other attachments that I may joyfully pursue the things of heaven. May I witness the joy of the gospel both in word and deed."

 

 

Supplementary Reading

God's Messengers

 

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets. ~ Amos 3:7

　

"You are called to free workplace believers from the Esau life." Those were the words spoken to me years ago by someone God sent into my life. I had been in the midst of trying to understand some catastrophic events that shook my world. Years later, I was able to see that God gave this person supernatural insight that revealed God's calling on my life.

God still uses His prophets today to reveal His plans in the lives of His people. I have seen this Scripture proved over and over in the lives of people. It is as though God sends out His "scouts" to inform His servants what is ahead for them. Sometimes He does this because He knows the event will require such changes in that person's life and so He wants to assure them of His love. I have experienced the Lord using me in this way in the life of other individuals. God did this in the life of Moses. He came to Moses at the burning bush to reveal His purposes for the people of Israel and His call on Moses to free them.

Has God placed individuals in your life to speak His plans for you? Are your eyes and ears spiritually sensitive so that you will know who are messengers of God? Elisha had a servant who could not see or hear with spiritual eyes and ears until Elisha prayed they would be opened. Then the servant could see the great army of God protecting them (see 2 Kings 6:17). Pray that you might see and hear with the Spirit. He may desire to reveal His purposes and plans through another individual.  (OS Hillman)

 

 
For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
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GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

Feb 6, 2010 - Saturday Meditation (God's Perfect Time)

God takes time to develop character before anything else. God could not afford to have a prideful 30-year-old managing the resources of an entire region of the world. We can sometimes delay this timetable if we refuse His correction. Although it is sometimes difficult to understand, the Lord is just and gracious in His dealings with His children. When He does decide to move on our behalf, we will appreciate the delay and will often understand the reason it was needed.

 

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and his companions

1 Kings 3:4-13

Psalm 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Mark 6:30-34 The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

 

Meditation by Carol Zuegner

God, grant me an understanding heart.

That’s what Solomon asked God for in the first reading. He sought an understanding heart to tell right from wrong as he governed his people. God was pleased with the request and promised many other things to Solomon as well. I may not be the ruler of a kingdom, but I, too, pray for an understanding heart: To be forgiving, to be strict, to see beyond the facades of anger or humor or sarcasm that mask true feelings of fear or inadequacy or confusion. Along with that understanding heart, I also ask God for patience and strength. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the apostles to come away in a boat to find a place to rest awhile. But the people figure out where the boat is going and got there beforehand. Mark tells us Jesus saw a people who were like sheep without a shepherd and began to teach them. So much for the time away to rest awhile.  Sometimes we have to keep going, to keep our hearts open and understanding.I also thank God for those people whose understanding hearts have helped me see the right path. I am indebted beyond measure to those who help me when I am struggling.

Today is also the feast of Saint Paul Miki, a Jesuit martyr, and his companions. He and his 25 companions were put to death in Nagasaki , Japan , in 1597.  According to Loyolapress.com,  “he forgave his persecutors from his cross and told the people to ask Christ to show them how to be truly happy.”  Saint Paul Miki’s advice to those Christians resonates today. We need to look inside and ask God what we really need to be truly happy.Lord, grant me an understanding heart and the patience and strength to make the right decisions and carry through with them.

 

 

Supplementary Readin

When the Lord Tarries

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. ~ Habakkuk 2:3

 

God has a storehouse of blessings that He has reserved for you and me. However, our timing to receive those blessings may not be the same as our Lord's. God has a specific timetable that He requires to accomplish His purposes in the life of the believer. Sometimes that timetable seems excruciatingly cruel and painful, yet it is needful.

When we read that Joseph remained a slave in Egypt and was then placed in prison after being wrongfully accused, it would be easy to second-guess the God of the  universe. Oh, how cruel and uncaring, we might think. Joseph thought he was going to be delivered from prison when he interpreted a dream for a court official, but then he was forgotten another two years. Why? An early release would have disrupted God's perfect plan.  

God takes time to develop character before anything else. God could not afford to have a prideful 30-year-old managing the resources of an entire region of the world. We can sometimes delay this timetable if we refuse His correction.

Although it is sometimes difficult to understand, the Lord is just and gracious in His dealings with His children. When He does decide to move on our behalf, we will appreciate the delay and will often understand the reason it was needed. Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice.


Blessed are all who wait for Him! (Is. 30:18)

 

If you are awaiting the fulfillment of a vision in your life, ask the Lord for His grace to sustain you. It will be worth the wait.  (OS Hillman)

 

 



For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/

Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6



GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

Feb 8, 2010 - Monday Meditation (Expect God's Favor)

So many people miss out on the good things because they allow fear to distract them and hold them back. They say, "What if I fail?" "What if they don't like me?" "What if I make a mistake?" To that I say, "What if you succeed?" "What if they like you?" "What if you do it better than anyone else?" That's expecting God's goodness and favor

 

Monday in the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13

Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10

Mark 6:53-56 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennes'aret, and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, 55 and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well.  

 

 

Meditation by Tom Bannantine, S.J.

Several things catch my attention about today's gospel reading.  The first is that this reading begins by recounting the crossing of the Lake of Galilee by Jesus and his disciples.  There is nothing particularly noteworthy about that.  Jesus and his disciples often crossed the lake during their travels.  What struck me on reading this gospel for today's reflection is just that fact.  How often Jesus and his disciples traveled around and across the Lake of Galilee .  The lake was not very big, but it played an important part in the daily life of the people of Galilee , and they used it all the time.  Crossing the lake by boat between different towns was a good way to travel because it saved time as compared to going on foot around the lake shore.  It also had the advantage for boat passengers of being a more comfortable way to travel than walking was.  And Jesus was usually able to find a boat since a number of the apostles were fishermen.  The lake was obviously well stocked with fish, and a number of people like the apostles made their living as commercial fishermen.  In addition to this the Lake of Galilee provided income for many others who built the fishing boats, made the nets, and provided other fishing equipment.  Jesus and his disciples were very familiar with the lake and used it often in their travels.  Some of the most descriptive passages in the gospels recount events that took place on the lake of Galilee .

Another thing that struck me in this gospel reading was the last sentence of the reading.  St. Mark says: "and as many as touched it were healed."  The fame of Jesus in Galilee , even early in his public life, was such that when people heard he was coming they hurried to gather together their sick in hopes for a cure.  On this day Jesus was recognized as soon as he came ashore at Gennesaret.  And the townspeople rushed in a great frenzy to gather together their sick.  They placed them on mats in the marketplace where they hoped to touch the cloak of Jesus as he passed by.  When Jesus arrived he was not in a great hurry.  He probably moved slowly through the town so as to give as many as possible the opportunity to reach up and touch him.  There must have been great crowds in each town that Jesus passed through.   And so there were probably a great many healings that day.  

In some of the miracles mentioned in the gospels the evangelists give many details about the persons healed and about the words and actions of Jesus.  In the healings in today's gospel no details at all are given.  We don't know the names of those who were healed.  We don't know their illnesses.  We don't know what Jesus said or did as he passed through their towns.  But we do know the most important thing about this day.  We know that many sick people were healed.  We know that on this day Jesus was doing the work that he was sent to do.  Through these miraculous healings he was teaching all the people in those towns to believe in him.  He was giving them the gift of faith.  And I think that the important thing for us today is the gift of faith.  The details of these healings are not as important as what they represent:  The faith in Jesus that we share with all of those he heals.        

 

Supplementary Reading

Good Things in Store

 

"…time and chance happen to them all" Ecclesiastes 9:11

 

When God laid out the plans for our lives, He lined up the right people, the right breaks, and the right opportunities that we needed to fulfill our destiny. The Scripture talks about how time and chance will come together for every person. In other words, there are moments of favor that God has already released into your future. If you'll let that sink down into your heart today, it will change your whole outlook on your future.

 

So many people miss out on the good things because they allow fear to distract them and hold them back. They say, "What if I fail?" "What if they don't like me?" "What if I make a mistake?" To that I say, "What if you succeed?" "What if they like you?" "What if you do it better than anyone else?" That's expecting God's goodness and favor. And when you go out each day with an attitude of faith and expectancy, you'll see those good things He has in store. You'll walk into divine moments of favor, moments of blessing, moments of increase; and you'll be fully equipped to live the life of victory!

 

Father God, thank You for the good things You have in store for my future. Thank You for Your peace and joy that surrounds my every step. I choose today to keep my heart focused on the good things You have in store for my future. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (Joel Osteen)

 



For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
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Feb 10, 2010 - Wednesday Meditation (We All Need a Savior!)

We have to be aware of how often we fall short, because it is only when we realize how much we need a savior, that we will allow one to enter our lives. We can ask for Jesus' grace to change what comes out of us, to bless our envy, blasphemy, arrogance and folly, and to transform it by his love into generosity, kind words, compassion and a willingness to let go of our stubbornness.

 

Memorial of Saint Scholastica

1 Kings 10:1-10

Psalm 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40

Mark 7:14-23 And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of  you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him." 17 And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man."

 

Meditation by Maureen McCann Waldron

My husband and I were once invited to join a Jewish family for Passover dinner in their home. We loved the stories behind each course and every ritual and it gave me a better sense of my own faith. To someone unfamiliar with Jewish dietary laws, they seemed complicated, but to this family it was an important and respected part of their religous practice.

In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks to a crowd who would have been very familiar with the food laws. But, as sometimes happens to all of us, there might have been more focus on the technicalities of the law rather than the importance and meaning of the religious practice. Jesus tries to shift the focus from the rules about the defilement of our bodies to something more important – what is in our hearts.  We see a very human Jesus using the example of the most basic bodily functions.  He says that it is not what comes out of our body that defiles us but what goes into our hearts.  

Then he notes the kinds of sins that might be in our hearts.  It’s a list most of us can start reading comfortably, knowing we don’t commit those sins.  Jesus begins his list: “unchastity, theft, murder, adultery…”   Really, those are the kinds of sins other people commit.

Then Jesus gets to the end of his list: “envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly”…   Now I feel the pinch.  These are clearly things Jesus says will defile us.  Am I ever envious?  Do I use God’s name in vain?  Arrogance – it’s one of my best sins!  Folly?  It means the lack of good sense and to that I must sometimes admit guilt, most often during a good bout of arrogance.

The list of things that defile us, take away from the dignity and sanctity we have as human beings, is a list of ordinary struggles of everyday life.  When we run into a situation that is overwhelming, do we spontaneously turn to God or do we conclude we can handle this situation ourselves?  That arrogance, that independence, draws us away from feeling God’s presence in our lives.  God is still there just as deeply, but we are so busy testing our own power, sure we can go it alone.  

Today’s gospel is a reminder that we aren’t created to “go it alone” and that Jesus is our savior, wanting to heal us.   We have to be aware of how often we fall short, because it is only when we realize how much we need a savior, that we will allow one to enter our lives. We can ask for Jesus' grace to change what comes out of us, to bless our envy, blasphemy, arrogance and folly, and to transform it by his love into generosity, kind words, compassion and a willingness to let go of our stubbornness.

Lord, change my heart and what comes out of it. Bless my efforts and my life and allow me to really feel how much I need you as a savior in my life. Let my heart be open to everyone you have sent to be in my day.

 

 

Supplementary Reading

Receive His Mercy

 

"…Mercy triumphs over judgment" James 2:13

 

We've all made mistakes. We've all made wrong choices; but as believers in Jesus, that doesn't change our heritage. God doesn't kick us out of the kingdom because we're not perfect. Maybe you don't feel like you deserve God's goodness, or you think you're supposed to suffer through life and just endure that problem. But friends, this is what mercy is all about. His mercy will renew and restore you if you receive it by faith today.

 

No matter what you may have done wrong, you are still the apple of God's eye. You are still His most prized possession. You can still activate God's promises by faith today. Why don't you shake off the guilt and condemnation? Put your shoulders back and say, "I refuse to live below my privileges. I may not be perfect, but I am forgiven. I may have made mistakes, but God knows my heart is to please Him, and I am changing my ways. Even though I may have brought this trouble on myself, I'm going to stay in faith and expect God to turn it around."

 

" Gracious heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy. Thank You for receiving me, loving me, cleansing me, and changing me. I dedicate every area of my life to You and invite You to have Your way in me. In Jesus' Name. Amen." (Joel Osteen)




For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
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GOD BLESS US ALL!
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Feb 12, 2010 - Friday Meditation (Dont Allow Bitterness to Take Root!)


He knows that a bitter root grows and grows until it eventually defiles many others through a wake of bitterness. If bitterness is allowed to take root, we become imprisoned to it. God's grace will no longer have as great an effect in our lives. We become ineffective, insensitive, and spiritually dead. We can even become physically ill from it. God does not live in bitterness. He lives in grace. He has provided grace for every person to walk in.

 

Friday in the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19

Psalm 81:10-11ab, 12-13, 14-15

Mark 7:31-37 Then he returned from the region of Tyre , and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee , through the region of the Decap'olis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him. 33 And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; 34 and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Eph'phatha," that is, "Be opened." 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."  

 

Meditation by Dick Hauser, S.J.

In today’s gospel the crowd brings to Jesus a deaf man with a speech impediment and begs Jesus to lay his hand on him. Note how Jesus deals with the man, one on one,  sensitively, carefully and compassionately.

 

“He took him off by himself away from the crowd.  He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned and said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (that is ‘Be opened!)”

 

Jesus is not a mass healer. Jesus looks individually on those who come to him for help and  adapts his help to their specific need, be it for physical or psychological healing or for encouragement and forgiveness.  This poor man was “deaf and dumb.”  So Jesus touches his ears as well as his tongue, and prays to his father. The gospel notes that immediately the man’s ears were opened and his speech impediment removed.  

 

The basic question for Jesus is always: What does my neighbor need from me today?

 

How often we find ourselves selfishly reversing the question  to  What  do I need from my neighbor?  

 

As members of the Body of Christ our primary vocation is extending Christ’s presence: we are Christ’s hands and hearts on this  planet.   God depends on us to touch our neighbor as Christ would if Christ were here. Let’s thank God for giving us the  Spirit of Christ in baptism and ask God to be open to this Spirit so we might truly be  Christ’s presence for others.

 

 

Supplementary Reading

Forgiveness Ensures Freedom

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ~ Hebrews 12:15

 

In business and life the opportunity to harbor bitterness for a wrong suffered is great. We are given plenty of opportunities to grow bitter from relationships that bring hurt and pain. The writer of the Hebrews passage above admonishes us not to miss the grace of God so that we won't take up bitterness as a response to life's pain. He cautions us against this because he knows that a bitter root grows and grows until it eventually defiles many others through a wake of bitterness. If bitterness is allowed to take root, we become imprisoned to it. God's grace will no longer have as great an effect in our lives. We become ineffective, insensitive, and spiritually dead. We can even become physically ill from it. God does not live in bitterness. He lives in grace. He has provided grace for every person to walk in.

One day I was challenged to deal with an individual who hurt me terribly. I was faced with a decision. Would I choose bitterness, or would I choose grace? Oh, how my natural tendency was to choose bitterness. But God provided the courage to choose grace. With that grace came freedom-a freedom to love and even accept the person who was the source of such pain.

This is the real place where Christ's power is most revealed. We cannot live without His supernatural grace. Are you in need of grace today? It is there for the receiving. It will take courage to accept it and walk in it. This will be your step to freedom.  (OS Hillman)

 



For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
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GOD BLESS US ALL!
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Feb 14, 2010 - Sunday Meditation (Let's Be Rooted in GOD!)


From the moment of His unrolling the scripture in the synagogue to his unrolling of His life on the cross, Jesus is inviting His followers to reverse their own value-system and assist the value-rerooting of others. Jesus called Peter out of his boat, and away from the identity by which he was known and knew himself. The question will always be about where are your roots, what or who tells you who you are, and what are you going to do with it all.



Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 17:5-8

Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20

Luke 6:17, 20-26 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; 20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 "Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. 24 "But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 "Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. "Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 "Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.



Meditation by Larry Gillick S.J. Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality



As we enter the worship-space of our church we remind ourselves of our having entered the Church through baptism. We dip our fingers in the holy water and sign our bodies with the tracing of the cross. It is a reminder that God has claimed us as holy and set us aside for living the unusual life.



We are, at each moment of our days, making our way toward celebrating our beliefs together. We live the Eucharist in the particular manner with which each of us lives this unusual life. The dispersed, regathers, the particular rejoins, the individual reforms into the one Body of the living Christ. Each of us has a different walking-style. One takes little quick steps, one strides, and an other shuffles. How we walk toward the Eucharist and how we walk living the Eucharist can be different, but the particular way we live the Eucharist makes our lives unusual. Living His life in our unique manner is how we best prepare to rejoin His Body, the Church.



REFLECTION



Today’s First Reading is an interruption of Jeremiah’s prophetic denouncement of how the people have been doing false worship. They have let go of the temple worship of their tradition. They have forsaken the God of their history. Jeremiah says that he is writing this with an iron pen and a diamond tip. The prophesy will continue after the verses we hear in this liturgy.



Our Reading is a bit poetic and similar to verses from the Book of Proverbs. There are reversals, similar to those of today’s Gospel. In a sense, there are two kinds of persons as there are two kinds of trees and how they are planted will make all the difference. The challenge is about where are our roots. What strengthens us. What is the source of our life’s activities.



Those who rely on the shallowness of the immediate now will live in the barrenness of the changeless. Those whose lives are propped up by their hope totally in human support have to make sure that everything remains predictable and stable. What they receive is the experience of the changeless desert. The only spice in their lives is the salt of preserving and endless thirst.



Those who reverence the now as it leads to the then are like trees rooted near a nourishing stream. They trust the beyond and are available to distress, and thirst during the times of the unknown. Their strength derives from something other than themselves or their kind.



This picture of contrasts challenges God’s people to return to trusting God rather than themselves for strength and security. They have pulled up their roots from the fertile soil of God’s goodness which apparently has not been good enough. They have forgotten who they are and are trying a new way of being their own persons. When these verses end, Jeremiah will speak of God’s anger and punishment by exile.



We continue the program of learning to listen and really hear what Jesus has come to teach us about the “Good News”. We will hear Luke’s account of the talk Jesus gives to His early group of disciples. Luke has four Beatitudes and four “woe-to-yous”, or maledictions. These are four strong statements about how things or conditions now will be reversed by those who will follow Jesus. Matthew has eight Beatitudes which predict the good life later in heaven for those who live the blessed life here on earth. Luke presents Jesus as telling His disciples that they, personally, are responsible for bringing about material justice and peace. He tells them that by doing this they will provoke resistance and they should expect persecution and rejection.



Jesus is fulfilling His role as prophet. He is announcing how He intends to live and predicting how He expects to be heard and received. He is inviting His listeners to follow Him as prophets of “root-changing”.



Luke’s presentation of Jesus here and often in his Gospel account emphasizes the poverty of riches and esteem. There are the poor and hungry as well as the rich and full. There are those who weep and those rejected and hated as well as those who enjoy being thought well of. From the moment of His unrolling the scripture in the synagogue to his unrolling of His life on the cross, Jesus is inviting His followers to reverse their own value-system and assist the value-rerooting of others. Jesus called Peter out of his boat, and away from the identity by which he was known and knew himself. The question will always be about where are your roots, what or who tells you who you are, and what are you going to do with it all.



I suspect that some of Jesus’ disciples may have been a little more well-off than others. They would not have considered themselves “rich” of course so they were okay. I suspect the rich of our days would always want more, so they do not consider themselves “rich” so they are okay. There are the hungry and those who weep because of their own poverty and hunger and that of others. Jesus says that they belong to the kingdom. Those who will speak about the poor and hungry will belong too, but they will be spoken against and will be given a sense that they do not belong. Those who will follow Jesus in His prophetic denouncings will receive what He received. They will belong to the Kingdom.



The rich, the unconcerned, the full and the esteemed belong to the” Now Generation” and they are already receiving all that they desire. The “Then Generation” will live the unusual way of grounding their roots in the “now” only as a way to bring about a better kingdom on earth. The Rich sing, “It’s now or never” so they take the “now road”. The poor, hungry and aware sing, “Here comes the sun” and live invested and rooted in the prophetic ways of Jesus. As we bless ourselves with holy water as part of our entering the worshiping community, we re-immerse our selves into the nourishing stream of Christ and His being immersed in the poverty and hunger of His family. We become the “sun” that is coming. We are the “now” and “then” generation begotten by the Spirit and given life in Christ to do something with it all.



“They ate and were filled; the Lord gave them what they wanted: they were not deprived of their desire.” Ps. 78, 29-30





Supplementary Reading

What Defines Your Future?



"You will also declare a thing, and it shall be established…" (Job 22:28, NKJ)



In the Old Testament there was an Israelite woman who was about to give birth. She had just heard that the Ark of the Covenant that housed God's presence had been stolen. She was so upset about it that she named her baby boy Ichabod, which means "the glory has departed." Notice what she did; she named her future by what was happening in her present. She could have just as easily named him "the glory will return," but she was so focused on the negative, so caught up in where she was at that moment that she defined her future by it.



Friend, don't ever name your future by your present day circumstances. You may have had some hard times in the past, but get that "Ichabod" spirit off of you. It may look like you're stuck in a rut and you don't really see how you could ever rise any higher, but don't speak defeat over your life. Instead, name your future: blessed, prosperous, successful, victorious, healthy, whole, strong, talented, creative, wise. Declare what God's Word says so that you can move forward in the destiny He has prepared for you!



Heavenly Father, thank You for the good future that You have prepared for me. Today I choose to come into agreement with Your Word and declare Your blessing over my life. Keep me close to You as I surrender every area of my life to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (Joel Osteen)


For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
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GOD BLESS US ALL!
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PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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Feb 16, 2010 - Tuesday Meditation (Avoid Fermented Dough!)

Why did Jesus tell his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod? To the Jew leaven was a sign of evil. It was a piece of dough left-over from a previous baking. In due course it fermented and this fermented dough became leaven. Fermentation was associated with decomposing rot. Jesus warned his disciples to avoid the evil influence of the Pharisees and of Herod who sought their own counsels rather than the will of God.



Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

James 1:12-18

Psalm 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19

Mark 8:14-21  Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 16 And they discussed it with one another, saying, "We have no bread." 17 And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." 20 "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." 21 And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"



Meditation Don Schwager

What do you do when you come to the end of your resources – when you feel inadequate, shorthanded, or empty? Do you wring your hands, complain, fret, and give in to worry, fear, and despair? Mark tells us that the apostles set off in their boat across the Sea of Galilee only to discover that they forgot to bring enough food for their journey. What were they to do miles away from land and any place where they could buy food and supplies? They were anxious of course, and this was right after Jesus had performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes where the disciples fed more than four thousand people (Mark 8:1-9). Jesus knew the trouble in his disciples' hearts even before they could speak. Jesus dealt with their anxiety by first warning them to not fear what can harm the body rather than what can destroy the very heart and soul of their being.

Jesus cautioned the disciples to beware of the bread that corrupts and leads to death, such as the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Our "daily bread" is whatever nourishes us, not just physically, but spiritually, intellectually, and morally as well. Why did Jesus tell his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod? To the Jew leaven was a sign of evil. It was a piece of dough left-over from a previous baking. In due course it fermented and this fermented dough became leaven. Fermentation was associated with decomposing rot. Jesus warned his disciples to avoid the evil influence of the Pharisees and of Herod who sought their own counsels rather than the will of God. As the apostles continued to worry about their lack of bread, Jesus reminded them of his miraculous provision of bread in the feeding of the four thousand. He then upbraided them for their lack of trust in God. Do you not yet understand? It's easy to get preoccupied with the problems and needs of the present moment and to forget the most important reality of all – God's abiding presence with us and his abundant provision for our lives as well. Do you pray with joyful confidence, Father, give us this day our daily bread?

"Lord Jesus, you alone can sustain me with your life-giving Word and Spirit. Give me joy and strength to serve you always and help me to turn away from the leaven of sin and worldliness which brings corruption and death."





Supplementary Reading

When a Problem Turns Into a Calling



As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family? ~ 1 Samuel 9:20





Saul and his servant were out seeking his father's lost donkeys. This was symbolic of the waywardness of the nation of Israel . The people of Israel had just asked the prophet Samuel to have a king rule over them. This saddened God greatly, yet God granted their request.



Saul and his servant heard of a man of God named Samuel. "Perhaps this man of God can tell us where to find our donkeys," said the servant. Isn't that just like us? We seek God to solve the issues related to material life. Saul was about to receive the greatest opportunity of his lifetime. He was about to be crowned as king of Israel . His life would never be the same. What was he concerned about? His donkeys. We don't have to be worried about the material things of life if we are about the things He's called us to do.



God called Saul to be the next king in order to free the people from the Philistines. God sent a messenger, the prophet Samuel, to inform him of his new career. The messenger also had to ease his mind about his donkeys. Donkeys often represent commerce in the Bible. They were the primary means of transporting goods; therefore, in essence, what was Samuel saying to Saul? He was saying, "You don't need to worry about your business if you respond to the call of God on your life. All the material things will take care of themselves."



Jesus said the same thing to the disciples years later. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt. 6:33).



When God calls us, it often involves making major adjustments in our lives. Saul went from one kind of business to another. He went from working for his father to being a king. What changes is God calling you to make today in order to join Him in His work? (OS Hillman)




For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/

Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6


GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
Facebook Acct: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph

Feb 18, 2010 - Thursday Mediation (Choose God's Kind of Life!)

Follow me, and you can expect to be targeted for some rejection and shaming. Identify with me, and some will reject you as they rejected me. Stand for life in the way I’m teaching you to understand life, and those elements of society who support deathly things (like ignoring the needs of the poor, or acting as if might makes right), and some people are sure to reject you. That’s the bad news. But, if you remain faithful to my way nonviolence and of love of enemies, you will gain the fullness of life—now and hereafter. It is in that sense that whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (Luke 9:24b).



Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Luke 9:22-25 "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third  day be raised." 23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

       

Meditation by Dennis Hamm, S.J.

“Choose life!” says Moses to the Israelites in the desert. And that statement is not short for, “Eat right and get your exercise.” As the context makes clear, he means, “Choose to live the life of the covenant bond with the God who got us out of slavery in Egypt ! Live the life spelled out in the covenant law of Sinai!” Not to do that is to worship and serve something other than God, to seek life where life is not. Seeking a God substitute leads only to empty death.

Psalm 1 says the same thing with a set of vivid images. Living the law of the Lord is like being a tree planted next to living water. Planted like that, you grow into something that bears fruit. Failure to live the way of the Lord is to be like chaff blowing in the wind. No hope of fruitfulness there!

The teaching of Jesus in the Gospel reading is similar, but more complicated and paradoxical. Like Moses and the psalmist, Jesus calls us to choose fullness of life, but with what challenging imagery! If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:24).

Let’s slow down and listen to this image carefully. Reference to the cross, of course, evokes the Roman death penalty for non-citizens, the kind of execution that Jesus himself would eventually suffer. The word “daily” makes it clear that he is not talking about a once-in-a-lifetime martyrdom. It is a daily opportunity. And notice that Jesus is not saying that his followers must get crucified daily. The metaphor is specifically about carrying the cross. So the reference is to a specific part in the process of Roman execution, the part where the criminal is led through the streets carrying the crosspiece on his shoulders, thus marking him as an enemy of Roman law and order, so that the crowds could insult and spit upon him as he passed by. The point was to shame the criminal and make an example of him, deterring others from committing the same crime.

So the immediate point of Jesus’ image was this: Follow me, and you can expect to be targeted for some rejection and shaming. Identify with me, and some will reject you as they rejected me. Stand for life in the way I’m teaching you to understand life, and those elements of society who support deathly things (like ignoring the needs of the poor, or acting as if might makes right), and some people are sure to reject you. That’s the bad news. But, if you remain faithful to my way nonviolence and of love of enemies, you will gain the fullness of life—now and hereafter. It is in that sense that whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (Luke 9:24b).

Just three chapters before this scene, Jesus put the same thing in the form of a Beatitude: Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you and denounce your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way (Luke 6:22-23).





Supplementary Reading

Seekers of God



God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. ~ Psalm 53:2



Are you a man or woman who is a seeker of God? The Lord delights in seeing those children of His who truly understand the meaning of life and why there is only one thing worth seeking God Himself.

I can always tell when I have not been seeking God. The cares of this life, the urgent over the important, and the petty irritations-these are the symptoms of a life that has not been in the presence of God. Do we understand, really understand? That is the question God raises to each of us today. If we understand, then why do we spend day after day toiling and fretting over what doesn't matter? Can we set proper boundaries in our lives that don't allow our time with Him to be continually stolen away? It is a challenge in a world that screams "activity, activity!"

Do you have a consistent time of seeking Him in your life? Are you committed to developing that intimacy with your Lord that He so desires? If not, ask Him today to help you. This is the longing of His heart. Ask Him to make it the longing of your heart. Then you will demonstrate to Him that you understand, and you will be a seeker of God.


For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/
http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html
http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


http://www.tlig.org/en/messages/

Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6


GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
Facebook Acct: bobot.apit@yahoo.com.ph