How to perfect the following of the law
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Total reliance on God
Friday of the 3rd week of Lent Mark 12:28-34 This 24th day of Lent, let us reflect our total reliance on God. Though Assyria was the most powerful nation at that time, still God reminded the Jews that "Assyria cannot save us." Hosea also depicted the very heart of God: "I will heal their disloyalty, I will love them with all my heart, for my anger has turned from them." What are we waiting for? In the Gospel, Jesus reiterated the most important law: "This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." Love is the most profound expression of our total reliance on God. First, it openly acknowledges that everything comes from God; we are nothing without him. Second, it calls us develop and nurture ...
Thursday of week 9 in Ordinary Time, II
Following the true law Mark 12:28-34 In the gospel for today, Jesus explains the commandment by which every person of goodwill should follow. We know that Jesus further deepened this by giving a new command, "Love one another as I have loved you." The basis for following the law is Jesus himself. That's why in the first reading, St. Paul focused on following the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The basis for following the law is Jesus himself. There are three things worth fulfilling as we orient our lives to following God's law: 1. Know what is good and bad. Follow what is good. Detest what is evil. 2. Know what is better. Leave everything behind to follow Jesus. Know him in the level of the heart why He is who he is. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning the end. He is the way, the truth, and the life. 3. Live Him out. Be sent and travel on the path of salvation. The gauge is to s...
Friday of the 3rd week of Lent
The consequence of following God Mark 12:28-34 What exactly happens when we don't go back to the Lord? what would happen if after all this time of receiving the Lord in the Blessed Eucharist, we are still back to our own selfish, vindictive, materialistic ways as if there's no significant change whether we receive Him or not? What would happen? The Lord will still pour to us his overpowering love and blessings, enabling us to really change. In the Gospel, Jesus laid out the template for real life, "Love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind." This invitation calls us to leave nothing for ourselves, but to offer our entire being to God for his greater glory and honor. Unless we live this out, our lives would redound to nothing. Second, Jesus calls us to love one another as we love ourselves. This is in the area of giving to others what is due as signs that we are all special in God's eyes. And it is our desire to ...
Season of lent
God's law Jesus clarified the law: love God above all things and love neighbors as self. What does it mean to love God above all things? It means two things: to stand by God at all times and to love our neighbors as God loves us. To stand by God means to recognize that everything in this world belongs to him, even our lives. Thus, the seed of being a steward is already there.
Thursday of week 10 of the year, year II
The spirit of the law In going back to the Old Testament, the Christian re-exposes himself to God's word and check whether he adheres to His will and he binds himself to Jesus to be and "Alter Christus in the world". The story of Ahab as story of entrusting oneself to God will with the spirit of a totally dependent child to his father. From this intimacy, one learns from the father. One learns to posses the heart of the father. In the gospel, Jesus enters into the spirit of the law. We can follow the external law if we wanted to. But the Waterloo of every law is when some parts are not written. Then we can justify our every action. But in the Christian world. The law is Jesus himself who commands us to go deeper than the law. He reminds us that anger against a brother leads to death. Thus, we should take care that from the very start we don't violate our relationship with our brother. "Be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect...