Quite often we face difficult, hard, challenging circumstances and seek the way to overcome them, to get justice. How to get justice in this context? We have to ask for it! How to ask for it? By constantly and in a steady manner communicating our just demand. And by being proactive. God helps those who help themselves. Every day. With patience. With respect. With confidence that our request will be heard. There is no place to get discouraged. There is plenty of room to pray again!
Memorial of St. Joseph Pignatelli
Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9
Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43
Luke 18:1-8 And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; 3 and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, `Vindicate me against my adversary.' 4 For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, `Though I neither fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.'" 6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Meditation by Patricia Soto (Creighton)
Perseverance Empowers Me, You, Us
“The cloud overshadowed their camp;
and out of what had before been water, dry land was seen emerging:
Out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road,
and a grassy plain out of the mighty flood.
Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand,”
“Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily”
¡El poder de la oración! I have started my reflection with a sentence in my mother tongue. Why? Because I am writing these lines from my heart, as it beats peacefully and gladly remembering the words of Father Jorge (R.I.P.), our Sunday mass priest during my childhood. I go back into my memories to see and hear him talking about the power of prayer (el poder de la oración): the transformative power of prayer as a hallmark of our faith.
When I was kid I loved reading the stories in the Old Testament and so I was marveled thinking that there could be seawaters colored in red. When I was in college I wanted to know if indeed such phenomenon of redistribution of a body of water to let a walkable crossing had a scientific explanation. Now that more years have passed by I focus not on the color of the seawater nor the science of the crossing in the Red Sea. This time I read in the Scripture a metaphor of justice, of what is morally right: Justice to all. Justice to people who deserve it and persistently search for it. Justice at the right time.
I have built this interpretation by linking the crossing of the Red Sea to the parable of the widow and the unjust judge. The link I visualize relates to common situations in our daily life: quite often we face difficult, hard, challenging circumstances and seek the way to overcome them, to get justice. How to get justice in this context? We have to ask for it! How to ask for it? By constantly and in a steady manner communicating our just demand. And by being proactive. God helps those who help themselves. The deep belief that our request is fair and consistent with our faith and ethics gives more than enough reason to pray for it. To truly and honestly pray for it. Every day. With patience. With respect. With confidence that our request will be heard. There is no place to get discouraged. There is plenty of room to pray again!
Scripture and life have taught me that God listens to perseverant people, to those who wholeheartedly and persistently pray, to those whose actions are aligned with and in support of their prayers. God listens again. God gives justice. And the sense of praying with determination, of acting according and in pursuit of our request and eventually getting what is fair empowers our actions and decisions to go ahead with our lives, with our ideas, with our responsibilities, with our dreams.
Supplementary Reading
of THINGS AND mIRAClES
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” – Mark 10:51
Bad things happen. One day, my 24-year-old nephew, PJ, got really sick. MRI results revealed a blood clot the size of a golf ball. His attending physicians recommended immediate operation. The cost of operation: P1.5 million!
Some things we cause to happen. Before signing the consent for the operation, I asked my sister that we pray over PJ and ask the Lord in a very specific way that he be given a new brain. We also prayed that he wouldn’t need to be operated on since we couldn’t afford it.
Miracles also happen. First, we were able to get a reservation under a charity ward in a different hospital that handles such cases. Next, the neurosurgeon who worked in that hospital was a long-time friend of my brother-in-law. Then, after an exhaustive and intensive battery of tests in the newhospital, which included an angiogram, the final doctors’ report said there was no need for an operation and that the blood clot had disappeared!
Bad things happen. So do miracles. Hermie Morelos
REFLECTION:
“Trouble and perplexity drive me to prayer and prayer drives away perplexity and trouble.” (Philip Melanchthen)
Jesus, You are the God of the Impossible! I put my trust in You.
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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
Friday, November 06, 2009
Nov 13, 2009 - Friday Meditation (God's Judgment - Swift and Unexpected!)
It's inevitable that a thing will happen when the necessary conditions are fulfilled. The return of the Lord is certain, but the time is unknown. The Lord's judgment comes swiftly and sometimes unexpectedly. Jesus warns his listeners to not be caught off guard when that day arrives. It will surely come in God's good time!
Memorial of Saint Frances Cabrini (in the US)
Wisdom 13:1-9
Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5ab
Luke 17:26-37 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was in the days of Lot -- they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all -- 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 On that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left." 37 And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
Meditation by Don Schwager
What can nature teach us about the return of the Lord Jesus on the day of final judgment at the end of the world? Jesus quoted a familiar proverb to his audience: Where the body is, there the eagles (or vultures) will be gathered together. Eagles, like vultures, are attracted to carrion – the carcass of dying or dead animals. The Book of Job describes the eagle spying out its prey from afar (Job 39:29). What's the point of this analogy? It's inevitable that a thing will happen when the necessary conditions are fulfilled. The return of the Lord is certain, but the time is unknown. The Lord's judgment comes swiftly and sometimes unexpectedly. Jesus warns his listeners to not be caught off guard when that day arrives. It will surely come in God's good time!
What does Jesus mean when he says that one person will be taken and another left? God judges each person individually on how they have responded to his mercy and gracious invitation to live as citizens of his kingdom. We cannot pass off personal responsibility to someone else, such as a close friend, spouse, or family member. No one can discharge his or her duty by proxy or by association with someone else. The good news is that God gives grace and help to all who seek him with faith. The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit so that we may have the wisdom, help, and strength we need to turn away from sin and to embrace his way of love and holiness. The Lord's warning of judgment is a cause for dismay for those who are unprepared, but it brings joyful hope to those who eagerly anticipate the Lord's return in glory.
God's judgment is good news for those who are ready to meet him. Their reward is God himself, the source of all truth, beauty, goodness, love and everlasting life. The people in Noah's time ignored the Lord's warning of judgment. They missed the boat, literally! Whose boat are you taking – the world's boat to short-lived success and happiness or God's boat to an eternal kingdom and bliss with him? Those whose hope is firmly anchored in heaven will not be disappointed when God's judgment comes. They rejoice even now that they will see the Lord in his glory! Is your hope firmly placed in God and his kingdom?
"Lord Jesus Christ, I place all my hope in you because you have redeemed the world by your death on the cross and by your victory over the grave. Help me to never lose sight of the goal of heaven that I may live each day in joyful anticipation of your return in glory."
Psalm 19:1-5
Supplementary Reading
NATuRE
… if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. – Romans 8:17
I like what my friend Dinah once told me. “I woke up to the rain but then when I saw that it stopped and it became really foggy, I knew we’d have good weather,” she said. “Usually when it gets really foggy in the morning, to the point of zero visibility, strong sunshine comes after that. Don’t know if there is a scientific explanation but it’s always been like that here.” She’s based in New Zealand.
She knew, for sure, that good weather would follow. Why? It’s nature. I love how God communicates His love for us through it — through the natural occurrences of life. There was a time when I was so heartbroken and depressed. My darkness had blocked out God’s light and I couldn’t see His purpose for allowing me to experience that situation. I didn’t want to wake up the next morning to the same pain. I didn’t see the point of living another day. But after that point of zero visibility, the sun came out. I made it through. The Lord healed me and raised me up from my suffering to experience His glory once again.
Scientific explanation?
God is faithful.
And we can depend on it… because it’s His nature. George Gabriel
REFLECTION:
Just because the sun isn’t shining doesn’t mean it’s not there.
In the midst of the storm, I will be still and know You are 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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
Memorial of Saint Frances Cabrini (in the US)
Wisdom 13:1-9
Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5ab
Luke 17:26-37 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was in the days of Lot -- they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all -- 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 On that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left." 37 And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
Meditation by Don Schwager
What can nature teach us about the return of the Lord Jesus on the day of final judgment at the end of the world? Jesus quoted a familiar proverb to his audience: Where the body is, there the eagles (or vultures) will be gathered together. Eagles, like vultures, are attracted to carrion – the carcass of dying or dead animals. The Book of Job describes the eagle spying out its prey from afar (Job 39:29). What's the point of this analogy? It's inevitable that a thing will happen when the necessary conditions are fulfilled. The return of the Lord is certain, but the time is unknown. The Lord's judgment comes swiftly and sometimes unexpectedly. Jesus warns his listeners to not be caught off guard when that day arrives. It will surely come in God's good time!
What does Jesus mean when he says that one person will be taken and another left? God judges each person individually on how they have responded to his mercy and gracious invitation to live as citizens of his kingdom. We cannot pass off personal responsibility to someone else, such as a close friend, spouse, or family member. No one can discharge his or her duty by proxy or by association with someone else. The good news is that God gives grace and help to all who seek him with faith. The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit so that we may have the wisdom, help, and strength we need to turn away from sin and to embrace his way of love and holiness. The Lord's warning of judgment is a cause for dismay for those who are unprepared, but it brings joyful hope to those who eagerly anticipate the Lord's return in glory.
God's judgment is good news for those who are ready to meet him. Their reward is God himself, the source of all truth, beauty, goodness, love and everlasting life. The people in Noah's time ignored the Lord's warning of judgment. They missed the boat, literally! Whose boat are you taking – the world's boat to short-lived success and happiness or God's boat to an eternal kingdom and bliss with him? Those whose hope is firmly anchored in heaven will not be disappointed when God's judgment comes. They rejoice even now that they will see the Lord in his glory! Is your hope firmly placed in God and his kingdom?
"Lord Jesus Christ, I place all my hope in you because you have redeemed the world by your death on the cross and by your victory over the grave. Help me to never lose sight of the goal of heaven that I may live each day in joyful anticipation of your return in glory."
Psalm 19:1-5
Supplementary Reading
NATuRE
… if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. – Romans 8:17
I like what my friend Dinah once told me. “I woke up to the rain but then when I saw that it stopped and it became really foggy, I knew we’d have good weather,” she said. “Usually when it gets really foggy in the morning, to the point of zero visibility, strong sunshine comes after that. Don’t know if there is a scientific explanation but it’s always been like that here.” She’s based in New Zealand.
She knew, for sure, that good weather would follow. Why? It’s nature. I love how God communicates His love for us through it — through the natural occurrences of life. There was a time when I was so heartbroken and depressed. My darkness had blocked out God’s light and I couldn’t see His purpose for allowing me to experience that situation. I didn’t want to wake up the next morning to the same pain. I didn’t see the point of living another day. But after that point of zero visibility, the sun came out. I made it through. The Lord healed me and raised me up from my suffering to experience His glory once again.
Scientific explanation?
God is faithful.
And we can depend on it… because it’s His nature. George Gabriel
REFLECTION:
Just because the sun isn’t shining doesn’t mean it’s not there.
In the midst of the storm, I will be still and know You are 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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
Nov 12, 2009 - Thursday Meditation (Watch, Pray and Fear the LORD!)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Fearing the Lord is the experience through which a person recognizes the purity and power of God, the limitations of human knowledge and action, and the traces of sinfulness in the best of human achievements.
Memorial of St. Josephat
Wisdom 7:22b–8:1
Psalm 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175
Luke 17:20-25 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, `Lo, here it is!' or `There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." 22 And he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, `Lo, there!' or `Lo, here!' Do not go, do not follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Meditation by John P. Schlegel, S.J.
The November days are getting shorter and darkness comes earlier. The fields have yielded their harvest and our campus is winterized. I realize I will not see my favorite begonia beds until May. During these days I crave comfort food and behold today’s readings hit the spot like a hearty broth on an autumn night.
The scripture speaks of wisdom. Christians are told to be wise. The reading from the book of Wisdom personifies wisdom as feminine, the crafter of all; wisdom is “an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty.” Wisdom is “the image of God’s goodness.” And the scribe wrote: “God loves nothing so much as the man/woman who lives with wisdom.”
Christians are told to be wise. The gospel has Jesus telling his followers not to go off and run in pursuit of an elusive kingdom of God or a fraudulent Son of Man. Rather, with reflection and wisdom, you will find both and realize that “the kingdom of God is among us.” We long for action, but the wise person knows, as Jesus knows, that the typical human state is not activity but watchfulness—“watch and pray” Jesus tells his followers.
Christians are told to be wise. I do not consider myself to be wise; experienced, well traveled, seasoned, opinionated, yes, but not wise. It is not easy to say what wisdom is or how we become wise. Yet I am wise enough to know not to look for wisdom in myself or to search for it too intently in others. But I do know that people of prayer, whoever and wherever they are, live with some (or frequent) stillness and silence in which both prayer and wisdom grow and develop through the grace of God. As our scripture notes “And passing into holy souls from age to age, she (wisdom) produces friends of God and prophets.”
Christians are told to be wise. The scriptures say: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Fearing the Lord is the experience through which a person recognizes the purity and power of God, the limitations of human knowledge and action, and the traces of sinfulness in the best of human achievements.
As mentioned above, a chilly November day begs a hearty broth, just as our soul needs silence and stillness in which both prayer and wisdom can grow and develop through the grace of God in this autumn season.
Supplementary Reading
TINy WHISPERS of THE HEART
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. – Romans 8:25
About two years ago, I told God that I wanted to find a job that will help me to fully live out my life’s purpose. At the time, I was still doing OK in my job as HR-IE Manager in my friends’ trading company. Still, something was amiss.
Meanwhile, I stayed put in my job, even enrolled in a Human Resource Management Course to equip myself with necessary skills for the HR component of my job. Deep within, though, my heart longed for something more, or something else. The longing became stronger as my 50th birthday approached. I felt a sense of urgency. What if I only have a few more years to live? I kept on praying and trusting that God had heard my prayer and His answer was on its way.
Two days before my birthday, Rissa, Shepherd’s Voice editor-in-chief, texted: “Tess, do you still want a full-time writing job?” Things moved after that message. It pays to place our hope in God who hears even the tiny whispers of our hearts.Tess Atienza
REFLECTION:
What is it that you’re hoping for? In whom do you place your hope?
Only You, O Lord, hear even the unspoken hopes and wishes of my heart. I place my hope in You.
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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
Memorial of St. Josephat
Wisdom 7:22b–8:1
Psalm 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175
Luke 17:20-25 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, `Lo, here it is!' or `There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." 22 And he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, `Lo, there!' or `Lo, here!' Do not go, do not follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Meditation by John P. Schlegel, S.J.
The November days are getting shorter and darkness comes earlier. The fields have yielded their harvest and our campus is winterized. I realize I will not see my favorite begonia beds until May. During these days I crave comfort food and behold today’s readings hit the spot like a hearty broth on an autumn night.
The scripture speaks of wisdom. Christians are told to be wise. The reading from the book of Wisdom personifies wisdom as feminine, the crafter of all; wisdom is “an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty.” Wisdom is “the image of God’s goodness.” And the scribe wrote: “God loves nothing so much as the man/woman who lives with wisdom.”
Christians are told to be wise. The gospel has Jesus telling his followers not to go off and run in pursuit of an elusive kingdom of God or a fraudulent Son of Man. Rather, with reflection and wisdom, you will find both and realize that “the kingdom of God is among us.” We long for action, but the wise person knows, as Jesus knows, that the typical human state is not activity but watchfulness—“watch and pray” Jesus tells his followers.
Christians are told to be wise. I do not consider myself to be wise; experienced, well traveled, seasoned, opinionated, yes, but not wise. It is not easy to say what wisdom is or how we become wise. Yet I am wise enough to know not to look for wisdom in myself or to search for it too intently in others. But I do know that people of prayer, whoever and wherever they are, live with some (or frequent) stillness and silence in which both prayer and wisdom grow and develop through the grace of God. As our scripture notes “And passing into holy souls from age to age, she (wisdom) produces friends of God and prophets.”
Christians are told to be wise. The scriptures say: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Fearing the Lord is the experience through which a person recognizes the purity and power of God, the limitations of human knowledge and action, and the traces of sinfulness in the best of human achievements.
As mentioned above, a chilly November day begs a hearty broth, just as our soul needs silence and stillness in which both prayer and wisdom can grow and develop through the grace of God in this autumn season.
Supplementary Reading
TINy WHISPERS of THE HEART
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. – Romans 8:25
About two years ago, I told God that I wanted to find a job that will help me to fully live out my life’s purpose. At the time, I was still doing OK in my job as HR-IE Manager in my friends’ trading company. Still, something was amiss.
Meanwhile, I stayed put in my job, even enrolled in a Human Resource Management Course to equip myself with necessary skills for the HR component of my job. Deep within, though, my heart longed for something more, or something else. The longing became stronger as my 50th birthday approached. I felt a sense of urgency. What if I only have a few more years to live? I kept on praying and trusting that God had heard my prayer and His answer was on its way.
Two days before my birthday, Rissa, Shepherd’s Voice editor-in-chief, texted: “Tess, do you still want a full-time writing job?” Things moved after that message. It pays to place our hope in God who hears even the tiny whispers of our hearts.Tess Atienza
REFLECTION:
What is it that you’re hoping for? In whom do you place your hope?
Only You, O Lord, hear even the unspoken hopes and wishes of my heart. I place my hope in You.
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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
Nov 11, 2009 - Wednesday Meditation (Heavenly Citizens!)
We are citizens of heaven. Whether in joy or in pain, God wants to mirror heaven through us. Are we willing to be used?
Memorial of St. Martin of Tours
Wisdom 6:1-11
Psalm 82:3-4, 6-7
Luke 17:11-19 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Sama'ria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." 14 When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then said Jesus, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
Meditation by Eileen Burke-Sullivan
For my high school years I was privileged to attend a small Benedictine boarding academy for girls named after the saint we honor in the Church’s Liturgy today, St. Martin of Tours. On November 11 each year we would have a holiday and hear the stories of Martin’s love for the poor and the most famous legend of him cutting his coat in half to cover a beggar who was freezing, only to discover when he returned home that it was Christ himself who returned his half cloak. Martin is known for his compassion for the poor. That was the model that was placed before the adolescent girls who celebrated the wonderful liturgy and a luncheon on the school’s feast day when the sisters waited at our table as humble servants (imagine your algebra teaching taking away your plate and bringing dessert!)
Although the school holiday for us in high school was unique to our school I was startled to discover when I arrived at St. Mary College in Leavenworth, Kansas, that November 11 was a holiday there as well – but it had little to do with St. Martin and everything to do with the foundation of the sisters of Charity of Leavenworth who owned and operated that wonderful college now known as the University of St. Mary. For the eight years of my adolescence, then, I observed a holiday each year on November 11 that never had anything to do with World War I. Celebrating this day as a feast day of faith is a hard pattern to forget even years later! But what I learned so young was the value of taking time and honoring the great men and women of our historical tradition who have handed on the gift of their faith to us. The purpose of memorials in the Church’s liturgy is precisely this . . . to hold a day of gratitude in honor of those followers of Jesus who continue to manifest the Kingdom of God by their generous lives and labor.
The readings for this memorial fit the pattern of ordinary time rather than the memorial, but they remind us of two of the great virtues that our saints and founders challenge us to share with them: The first reading speaks quite firmly about the reality that those who are given any authority must be diligently accountable for that authority; must humbly recognize that such authority comes from God and may not be exercised arrogantly to oppress others. Martin of Tours, forced to become a bishop by the need and pleas of the people of Tours, is reputed to have reported carefully to his people, as Augustine did more famously a few years later, about the state of their diocese – not his. He saw himself as their representative to the larger Church and to Christ – and so he was accountable to the Baptized – that is the whole Church – for his stewardship. The writer of the Book of Wisdom would have looked favorably upon his wisdom as a faithful shepherd of his flock.
Luke’s Gospel of the ten lepers who beg for healing calls us to gratitude. This passage invites me to more deeply grasp that my life, my health, my well being, is gift of God. As I thought about this day I recalled recently finding a book mark in an old bible that said: “We have every reason to be thankful to the Father of all for the protecting care His Divine Providence had extended over the community”. The words were attributed to Mother Xavier Ross, the founder of the Sisters of Charity who came to Leavenworth on November 11. She knew that gratitude brings us close to God and serves as the source of humility and of service – those most necessary virtues of the Christian life.
Today is a very good day for me to practice the accountability and gratitude that I learned from those heroic Benedictines and Sisters of Charity by thanking them, and thanking God for the wonderful education they provided and the model of virtue they witnessed.
Supplementary Reading
BRING BACK HEAVEN
So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God. – Ephesians 2:19
90 Minutes in Heaven is a New York Times bestselling book that tells the true story of Don Piper, an American pastor who met a terrible car accident and was declared dead. He went to heaven but came back to earth where he had to undergo 34 surgical procedures to fix the damage caused by the accident. Don described heaven as being beautiful, with happy people and unforgettably wonderful music. His words were inadequate to fully tell of his experience.
But what struck me most about the book was that when Don Piper returned to earth, he brought back heaven with him. He went through so much agony during his recovery that he kept asking the Lord why he had to go back to earth. But when he shared how his relatives, friends and church members took care of him just so his wife and three kids could continue living a normal life, I can understand why the Lord brought him back. Heaven came down through their acts of love and Don’s eventual acceptance of their help.
We are citizens of heaven. Whether in joy or in pain, God wants to mirror heaven through us. Are we willing to be used?Joy Sosoban
REFLECTION:
“To enter heaven, a man must take it with him.” (Henry Drummond)
Dear Lord, grant me the grace to let heaven shine forth through my earthly life.
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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
Memorial of St. Martin of Tours
Wisdom 6:1-11
Psalm 82:3-4, 6-7
Luke 17:11-19 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Sama'ria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." 14 When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then said Jesus, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
Meditation by Eileen Burke-Sullivan
For my high school years I was privileged to attend a small Benedictine boarding academy for girls named after the saint we honor in the Church’s Liturgy today, St. Martin of Tours. On November 11 each year we would have a holiday and hear the stories of Martin’s love for the poor and the most famous legend of him cutting his coat in half to cover a beggar who was freezing, only to discover when he returned home that it was Christ himself who returned his half cloak. Martin is known for his compassion for the poor. That was the model that was placed before the adolescent girls who celebrated the wonderful liturgy and a luncheon on the school’s feast day when the sisters waited at our table as humble servants (imagine your algebra teaching taking away your plate and bringing dessert!)
Although the school holiday for us in high school was unique to our school I was startled to discover when I arrived at St. Mary College in Leavenworth, Kansas, that November 11 was a holiday there as well – but it had little to do with St. Martin and everything to do with the foundation of the sisters of Charity of Leavenworth who owned and operated that wonderful college now known as the University of St. Mary. For the eight years of my adolescence, then, I observed a holiday each year on November 11 that never had anything to do with World War I. Celebrating this day as a feast day of faith is a hard pattern to forget even years later! But what I learned so young was the value of taking time and honoring the great men and women of our historical tradition who have handed on the gift of their faith to us. The purpose of memorials in the Church’s liturgy is precisely this . . . to hold a day of gratitude in honor of those followers of Jesus who continue to manifest the Kingdom of God by their generous lives and labor.
The readings for this memorial fit the pattern of ordinary time rather than the memorial, but they remind us of two of the great virtues that our saints and founders challenge us to share with them: The first reading speaks quite firmly about the reality that those who are given any authority must be diligently accountable for that authority; must humbly recognize that such authority comes from God and may not be exercised arrogantly to oppress others. Martin of Tours, forced to become a bishop by the need and pleas of the people of Tours, is reputed to have reported carefully to his people, as Augustine did more famously a few years later, about the state of their diocese – not his. He saw himself as their representative to the larger Church and to Christ – and so he was accountable to the Baptized – that is the whole Church – for his stewardship. The writer of the Book of Wisdom would have looked favorably upon his wisdom as a faithful shepherd of his flock.
Luke’s Gospel of the ten lepers who beg for healing calls us to gratitude. This passage invites me to more deeply grasp that my life, my health, my well being, is gift of God. As I thought about this day I recalled recently finding a book mark in an old bible that said: “We have every reason to be thankful to the Father of all for the protecting care His Divine Providence had extended over the community”. The words were attributed to Mother Xavier Ross, the founder of the Sisters of Charity who came to Leavenworth on November 11. She knew that gratitude brings us close to God and serves as the source of humility and of service – those most necessary virtues of the Christian life.
Today is a very good day for me to practice the accountability and gratitude that I learned from those heroic Benedictines and Sisters of Charity by thanking them, and thanking God for the wonderful education they provided and the model of virtue they witnessed.
Supplementary Reading
BRING BACK HEAVEN
So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God. – Ephesians 2:19
90 Minutes in Heaven is a New York Times bestselling book that tells the true story of Don Piper, an American pastor who met a terrible car accident and was declared dead. He went to heaven but came back to earth where he had to undergo 34 surgical procedures to fix the damage caused by the accident. Don described heaven as being beautiful, with happy people and unforgettably wonderful music. His words were inadequate to fully tell of his experience.
But what struck me most about the book was that when Don Piper returned to earth, he brought back heaven with him. He went through so much agony during his recovery that he kept asking the Lord why he had to go back to earth. But when he shared how his relatives, friends and church members took care of him just so his wife and three kids could continue living a normal life, I can understand why the Lord brought him back. Heaven came down through their acts of love and Don’s eventual acceptance of their help.
We are citizens of heaven. Whether in joy or in pain, God wants to mirror heaven through us. Are we willing to be used?Joy Sosoban
REFLECTION:
“To enter heaven, a man must take it with him.” (Henry Drummond)
Dear Lord, grant me the grace to let heaven shine forth through my earthly life.
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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
Nov 10, 2009 - Tuesday Meditation (Sacrificial, Generous, and Selfless Love)
What makes our offering pleasing to God is the love we express in the gift of self-giving. True love is sacrificial, generous, and selfless.
Memorial of St. Leo the Great
Wisdom 2:23–3:9
Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19
Luke 17:7-10 "Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down at table'? 8 Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"
Meditation by Don Schwager
Are you ready to give the Lord your best, regardless of what it might cost you? Perhaps we are like the laborer in Jesus' parable who expected special favor and reward for going the extra mile? How unfair for the master to compel his servant to give more than what was expected! Don't we love to assert our rights: "I will give only what is required and no more!" But who can satisfy the claims of love? Jesus used this parable of the dutiful servant to explain that we can never put God in our debt or make the claim that God owes us something. We must regard ourselves as God's servants, just as Jesus came "not to be served, but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). Service of God and of neighbor is both a voluntary or free act and a sacred duty. One can volunteer for service or be compelled to do service for one's country or one's family when special needs arise. Likewise, God expects us to give him the worship and praise which is his due. And he gladly accepts the free-will offering of our lives to him and to his service. What makes our offering pleasing to God is the love we express in the gift of self-giving. True love is sacrificial, generous, and selfless.
How can we love others selflessly and unconditionally? Scripture tells us that God himself is love (1 John 4:16) because he is the author of life and source of all relationships. He created us in love for love and he fills our hearts with the boundless love that gives whatever is good for the sake of another (Romans 5:5). If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us (1 John 4:12). God honors the faithful servant who loves and serves others generously. He is ever ready to work in and through us for his glory. We must remember, however, that God can never be indebted to us. We have no claim on him. His love compels us to give him our best! And when we have done our best, we have simply done our duty. We can never outmatch God in doing good and showing love. God loves us without measure. Does the love of God compel you to give your best?
"Lord Jesus, fill my heart with love, gratitude and generosity. Make me a faithful and zealous servant for you. May I generously pour out my life in loving service for you and for others, just as you have so generously poured yourself out in love for me."
Supplementary Reading
DADDy! DADDy!
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” ¬– Luke 14:5
My two nephews, aged 11 and 7, were circumcised recently. I had scheduled a meeting at the same time as their surgery. But my brother asked his eldest son, Dave, if he wanted me to be there for them during the operation. Trying to act like a big boy while being betrayed by his trembling lips, Dave said yes. I postponed my meeting.
The days afterward were difficult for the boys. During early mornings and throughout the day, one of them would cry out in pain, “Ouch, ouch, ouch.” Or when the pain got worse, they’d cry out “Daddy! Daddy! Where’s my daddy?!”
One night when my brother was out, I was left to comfort them, pitying their difficult state. I realized how our Heavenly Father must feel when we cry out in pain. If I felt moved by the plight of my little nephews, how much more must He feel when He seesus in pain and suffering? And If I wanted to do all in my power to help them, how much more must He feel towards us?
When we want to rage against heaven for our circumstances, let’s remind ourselves that God shares our pain. He even came down to be with us. Joy Sosoban
REFLECTION:
Do I blame the Lord when life becomes difficult?
Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times that I have been angry with You for my circumstances. Enable me to see Your love for me even in those circumstances.
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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
Memorial of St. Leo the Great
Wisdom 2:23–3:9
Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19
Luke 17:7-10 "Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down at table'? 8 Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"
Meditation by Don Schwager
Are you ready to give the Lord your best, regardless of what it might cost you? Perhaps we are like the laborer in Jesus' parable who expected special favor and reward for going the extra mile? How unfair for the master to compel his servant to give more than what was expected! Don't we love to assert our rights: "I will give only what is required and no more!" But who can satisfy the claims of love? Jesus used this parable of the dutiful servant to explain that we can never put God in our debt or make the claim that God owes us something. We must regard ourselves as God's servants, just as Jesus came "not to be served, but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). Service of God and of neighbor is both a voluntary or free act and a sacred duty. One can volunteer for service or be compelled to do service for one's country or one's family when special needs arise. Likewise, God expects us to give him the worship and praise which is his due. And he gladly accepts the free-will offering of our lives to him and to his service. What makes our offering pleasing to God is the love we express in the gift of self-giving. True love is sacrificial, generous, and selfless.
How can we love others selflessly and unconditionally? Scripture tells us that God himself is love (1 John 4:16) because he is the author of life and source of all relationships. He created us in love for love and he fills our hearts with the boundless love that gives whatever is good for the sake of another (Romans 5:5). If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us (1 John 4:12). God honors the faithful servant who loves and serves others generously. He is ever ready to work in and through us for his glory. We must remember, however, that God can never be indebted to us. We have no claim on him. His love compels us to give him our best! And when we have done our best, we have simply done our duty. We can never outmatch God in doing good and showing love. God loves us without measure. Does the love of God compel you to give your best?
"Lord Jesus, fill my heart with love, gratitude and generosity. Make me a faithful and zealous servant for you. May I generously pour out my life in loving service for you and for others, just as you have so generously poured yourself out in love for me."
Supplementary Reading
DADDy! DADDy!
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” ¬– Luke 14:5
My two nephews, aged 11 and 7, were circumcised recently. I had scheduled a meeting at the same time as their surgery. But my brother asked his eldest son, Dave, if he wanted me to be there for them during the operation. Trying to act like a big boy while being betrayed by his trembling lips, Dave said yes. I postponed my meeting.
The days afterward were difficult for the boys. During early mornings and throughout the day, one of them would cry out in pain, “Ouch, ouch, ouch.” Or when the pain got worse, they’d cry out “Daddy! Daddy! Where’s my daddy?!”
One night when my brother was out, I was left to comfort them, pitying their difficult state. I realized how our Heavenly Father must feel when we cry out in pain. If I felt moved by the plight of my little nephews, how much more must He feel when He seesus in pain and suffering? And If I wanted to do all in my power to help them, how much more must He feel towards us?
When we want to rage against heaven for our circumstances, let’s remind ourselves that God shares our pain. He even came down to be with us. Joy Sosoban
REFLECTION:
Do I blame the Lord when life becomes difficult?
Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times that I have been angry with You for my circumstances. Enable me to see Your love for me even in those circumstances.
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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
Nov 9, 2009 - Monday Meditation (We - Temple of the Holy Spirit)
Jesus’ cleansing of the temple is also a prophetic sign of what he wants to do with each of us. He ever seeks to cleanse us of sin and make us living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Do you want to be holy as God is holy?
Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17
John 2:13-22 [alternate reading: Luke 17:1-6] The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade." 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for thy house will consume me." 18 The Jews then said to him, "What sign have you to show us for doing this?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
Meditation by Don Schwager
What can keep us from the presence of God? Jesus’ dramatic cleansing of the temple was seen by his disciples as a prophetic sign of God’s action. The temple was understood as the dwelling place of God among his people. When God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt, he brought them through the sea, and finally to Mount Sinai where he made a covenant with them and gave them a new way of life embodied in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). God gave Moses instruction for worship and for making the Tabernacle, or tent of meeting, which was later replaced by the temple. The New Testament tells us that these “serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary” – God’s Temple in heaven (Hebrews 8:5). Jesus’ cleansing of the temple is also a prophetic sign of what he wants to do with each of us. He ever seeks to cleanse us of sin and make us living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Do you want to be holy as God is holy?
Jesus referred to the temple as his Father’s house which was being made into “house of trade” (John 2:16) or “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). That is why he used physical force to expel the money-chargers. The prophecy of Malachi foretold the coming of the Lord unexpectedly to his Temple to “purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord” (Malachi 3:1-4). Jesus' disciples recalled the words of Psalm 69: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” This was understood as a Messianic prophecy. Here the disciples saw more clearly Jesus as the Messiah who burned with zeal for God's house. The Jewish authorities, however, wanted proof that Jesus had divine authority to act as he did. They demanded a sign from God to prove Jesus right, otherwise, they would treat him as an imposter and a usurper of their authority. Jesus replied that the sign God would give would be Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews did not understand that the temple Jesus referred to was his own body. The “tent of his body” had to be destroyed to open the way to the presence of God for us. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus not only reconciles us with God, but he fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes us temples of the living God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God's word enlightens our minds and purifies our hearts that we may offer God fitting worship and enjoy his presence both now and forever. Do you burn with zeal for the Lord’s house?
"Lord Jesus Christ, you open wide the door of your Father’s house and you bid us to enter confidently that we may worship in spirit and truth. Help me to draw near to your throne of mercy with gratitude and joy."
Supplementary Reading
WoRlD WITHouT GoD
“The concern of the flesh is death…” – Romans 8:6
I received a signature campaign letter protesting the plan of the South African government to close down their child protection unit. The reasons cited were horror stories.
A three-year-old girl was raped in South Africa. And the rapist was released on bail. At the time of the petition letter, he was walking free. They said that there’s a myth that having sex with a virgin cures AIDS. And the younger the virgin, the more potent the cure.
This myth led to an epidemic of rapes committed by infested males. They further reported that in Cape Town, six men raped a nine-month-old baby How horrible! I wonder if it could have been worse in Sodom and Gomorrah. But this is what happens when the Spirit of God is absent. I dread to imagine that similar situations may be happening in other parts of the world. That’s why we Christians must work double time to keep the Spirit of God alive to save souls. Cristy Galang
REFLECTION:
What am I doing to build the Kingdom of God where He planted me?
My God, I offer all my joys and sorrows for the spread of Your Kingdom all over the world. Jesus, Mary, I love you. Please save souls. Amen.
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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17
John 2:13-22 [alternate reading: Luke 17:1-6] The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade." 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for thy house will consume me." 18 The Jews then said to him, "What sign have you to show us for doing this?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
Meditation by Don Schwager
What can keep us from the presence of God? Jesus’ dramatic cleansing of the temple was seen by his disciples as a prophetic sign of God’s action. The temple was understood as the dwelling place of God among his people. When God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt, he brought them through the sea, and finally to Mount Sinai where he made a covenant with them and gave them a new way of life embodied in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). God gave Moses instruction for worship and for making the Tabernacle, or tent of meeting, which was later replaced by the temple. The New Testament tells us that these “serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary” – God’s Temple in heaven (Hebrews 8:5). Jesus’ cleansing of the temple is also a prophetic sign of what he wants to do with each of us. He ever seeks to cleanse us of sin and make us living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Do you want to be holy as God is holy?
Jesus referred to the temple as his Father’s house which was being made into “house of trade” (John 2:16) or “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). That is why he used physical force to expel the money-chargers. The prophecy of Malachi foretold the coming of the Lord unexpectedly to his Temple to “purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord” (Malachi 3:1-4). Jesus' disciples recalled the words of Psalm 69: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” This was understood as a Messianic prophecy. Here the disciples saw more clearly Jesus as the Messiah who burned with zeal for God's house. The Jewish authorities, however, wanted proof that Jesus had divine authority to act as he did. They demanded a sign from God to prove Jesus right, otherwise, they would treat him as an imposter and a usurper of their authority. Jesus replied that the sign God would give would be Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews did not understand that the temple Jesus referred to was his own body. The “tent of his body” had to be destroyed to open the way to the presence of God for us. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus not only reconciles us with God, but he fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes us temples of the living God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God's word enlightens our minds and purifies our hearts that we may offer God fitting worship and enjoy his presence both now and forever. Do you burn with zeal for the Lord’s house?
"Lord Jesus Christ, you open wide the door of your Father’s house and you bid us to enter confidently that we may worship in spirit and truth. Help me to draw near to your throne of mercy with gratitude and joy."
Supplementary Reading
WoRlD WITHouT GoD
“The concern of the flesh is death…” – Romans 8:6
I received a signature campaign letter protesting the plan of the South African government to close down their child protection unit. The reasons cited were horror stories.
A three-year-old girl was raped in South Africa. And the rapist was released on bail. At the time of the petition letter, he was walking free. They said that there’s a myth that having sex with a virgin cures AIDS. And the younger the virgin, the more potent the cure.
This myth led to an epidemic of rapes committed by infested males. They further reported that in Cape Town, six men raped a nine-month-old baby How horrible! I wonder if it could have been worse in Sodom and Gomorrah. But this is what happens when the Spirit of God is absent. I dread to imagine that similar situations may be happening in other parts of the world. That’s why we Christians must work double time to keep the Spirit of God alive to save souls. Cristy Galang
REFLECTION:
What am I doing to build the Kingdom of God where He planted me?
My God, I offer all my joys and sorrows for the spread of Your Kingdom all over the world. Jesus, Mary, I love you. Please save souls. Amen.
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
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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
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