Inspirations at your Fingertips!

Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent Luke 18:9-14 "God did not promise us an easy life, but he promised us a meaningful life." This came into mind when I was reflecting on how God chastises us as in the reading for today: "He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has struck us down, but he will bandage our wounds; after a day or two he will bring us back to life, on the third day he will raise us and we shall live in his presence." Mercy is what the Lord wants, not just sacrifice.  Search the heart on what it really loves.  If it's not the Lord, ask for forgiveness.  But if it's love that it loves above all things, then nothing is impossible.  We shall be giving to the Lord what is due him - total adoration, and to others, a pure sacrifice.

Faces of unmercy Mark 6:14-29 I would not want to dwell with unmercy or ruthlessness.  But in reflecting about it, the more we turn to mercy. First, mercy is related with a steadfastness of faith A shallow faith is totally unacceptable.  It just leads us to compromise our values.  Herod's weakness led him to the death of the innocent John the Baptist Second, mercy affects our attitudes and behaviors The letter to the Hebrews challenges our views and attitudes on specific issues - our attitudes to the sick and those in prison, welcoming strangers and treating them as friends, weeding out greed, and leadership from the point of view of God, and many others.  The assembly was an assembly of leaders, but they all took part in killing John.  They all sacrificed their values. Third, mercy is life In the end, it is John who lives forever in our minds and hearts while Herod, his mistress and daughter, and all cohorts pass through history with shameful id...

Faces of mercy Mark 3:20-21 It seems that this is one of the shortest gospels ever read in masses.  Jesus and his apostles didn't have to eat with so much crowd needing help and healing; and yet even their relatives accused him as going out of his mind. The mercy of Jesus in this gospel is found in the following points: First, thinking of others rather than the self It is in ministering to others that we are ministered.  People being fed becomes our food.  People brought to life becomes our lives as well. Second, mercy becomes dangerous Mercy becomes dangerous because it doesn't conform to society's expectations.  Society would say, "survival of the fittest"; mercy would say, "sharing".  Others would say, "eye for an eye"; mercy would say, "forgive".  But note, as these are relatives of Jesus, Jesus would say, "But who are my relatives?  Those who do God's will are my mother, brothers, and sisters." Thir...

by Fr. Lito Jopson These past days have been spirit-filled for me as I participated and covered the events that happened at the Fourth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy held in the Philippines this 16 - 20 January 2017. One cannot fathom the implications of God's mercy in our lives and how we can be instruments of mercy. As God is pure "hesed" (mercy), so too we are called to incarnate mercy in us. In order to live in mercy, we need to be in communion with God who is the source of mercy and to one another in an unconditional bond of love.  This builds us as Church. Mercy is as concrete as smiling to others to being generous to others, especially the poor, suffering, homeless, defenseless, and wayward enslaved by vices. Union with God and with one another is the most compelling force of mercy. With communion, it is almost easy to give the self, sell everything one has, or devote time, talent, and treasure. At this point it is important to make an honest...

Live out mercy Luke 11:1-4 Jonah got angry at the Lord for not punishing Israel.  But God's mercy is far above any act of vindictiveness on his part. In the gospel, Jesus taught his disciples to pray; he also taught them how to have a merciful heart. First thing to living a life of mercy is to God himself - by keeping his name holy and his kingdom come. Second life of mercy is to our ourselves - by giving us the daily bread and forgiving our sins. Third life of mercy is to our neighbors - by forgiving our debtors. By remembering Mary of the Most Holy Rosary, let us rekindle the many times she lived out mercy - by being the handmaid of the Lord and by interceding on our behalf.