Inspirations at your Fingertips!

Heed God's voice Matthew 11:16-19 Since yesterday in the mass readings, God is assurance us the Jesus will do all the work; and He did. In today's readings, the Lord reminds us to listen and follow Him, "If only you had been alert to my commandments." (Isaiah 48:17-19) Even in police stories, "Don't take the law into your own hands" is a common norm.  Why not apply it with faith? But know that if only, ALL people would heed God's command, then this world will exist in abundance. But if mankind is not following God, does it mean that we would also do the same?  No, because as long as there people attuned to God, and that includes us, there is still hope for the world.

Only Jesus alone  The first reading from Isaiah 41:13-20 when the Lord said, "Do not be afraid, I will help you" is very much consoling considering the loss we experienced last voting against the RH bill.  But the Lord seems committed to convert us into something beautiful.  He is committed to change all of us for good. Problems happen so when the hour of triumph comes, we shall know that only through the power of God can we conquer such problems. "Only Jesus alone ... " even the gospel (Matthew 11:11-15) who speaks about "the least of the kingdom of God is greater than he."  When Christmas comes, all of the good works are Jesus' works.  All renewal is done by him. May we be strengthened to follow him always.

I am coming!  Luke 5:17-26 "I am coming soon!" says the Lord. These words seem to resound during this time of advent.  Time will come when all hills and mountains be made low, the earth will be filled with abundance, and people's hearts will change. The words "I am coming" may mean an immediate future; but for the God of eternity, the time may also be now.  Where are we at this point in time?  What have we done for God and our brothers and sisters at this time? Pray to utilize this time well and lead others to the Lord like the friends who brought the paralyzed man on a stretcher.   For Christmas is not far away; the time is now.

Integrity  Luke 21:25-28,34-36 Integrity, from thefreedictionary.com means: 1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code. 2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness. 3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, integrity may apply to any of the following: 1. integrity of creation - the way we take care of creation as mandated to us by God; 2. integrity of the body - to regarding the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death as coming from God; 3. integrity of human life - in all its forms, relationships, and structures; to cause the communion of mankind in God.  Integrity is what the new, renewed Judah is to be called after the coming of the branch of David, "The Lord our integrity." (Jeremiah 33:14-16)

The real hero Matthew 4:18-22 We may be celebrating a National Heroes Day through Andres Bonifacio in our country, but in the Church are are celebrating the feast of the Apostle St. Andrew who has a lot of qualities that is congruent with the Bonifacio. What is common is that both of them stood for their ideals: for Bonifacio, it is freedom from tyranny while St. Andrew fought to preach the Good News to free men from slavery of sin.   Freedom, especially in the Christian context is borne from a strong faith. Faith is born from hearing the Word. Hearing the Word is born from preaching it. Preaching the Word comes from being sent. Being sent comes from being being invited And Jesus is the one who invites us all to freedom. From being invited comes forth leaving everything behind. Now the Good News goes out to all the earth because of people who respond to leave everything behind to follow Jesus.  May we also respond to the call to follow Jesus.

Let God rule our lives Luke 21:12-19 Even though the first reading gives a gruesome picture of the end of the world like plagues and famines, why do we feel inspired and at peace?  It is simply because the Lord God continues to be in control of the situation.  He rules the world.  What's important is that we constantly check if He rules our lives. He rules our lives if we follow His commands and statues and live them out.  Let us be faithful to the teaching and commandments of the Lord in the Church. Second, we can know if he rules us if we serve him well and be counted among the saints who are pruned to perfection by the blood of the Lamb.  Let us offer our time, talent, and treasure to serve him. Third, we can know if He rules our lives if we entrust our every action to His care as children entrusting themselves to the Father.

The Word enfleshed in us Luke 19:45-48 The scroll mentioned in the Apocalypse that the angel instructed John to eat may connote the Word of God that the Lord invites us to swallow, internalize, and live out.  And even though it is two-edged, bringing sweetness and sourness as we confront the trials of our daily lives, still the power of the Word outweighs every fear in us, enabling us to respond to the invitation of the Lord to be his prophets and disciples this modern age. Let us allow ourselves to be available like the blessed Virgin, who, from day 1 till now, she never ceases to do the Father's will, all for our salvation.  May our lives be a reflection of the Word made flesh, Jesus, in us.

The end times Reading:  Luke 17:26-37 This does not apply only to businesses or companies that we should begin with the end in mind, but on life itself. Just what is our end?  Jesus and Jesus alone.  If he is our end, then we should try our best to align all our actions and orientations to him and what he wills.  He wills us to have life, that is why he gave us this command, "Love one another." He wills that every moment, he may find us loving and serving one another and not ourselves.

Christ's body of earth John 2:13-22 As we celebrate the feast of a dedication of Church, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is the seat of Pope, we are reminded of the following: 1. the Church, in reference to Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12, our first reading, is the source of life and grace for humanity. 2. the temple is the very body of Jesus Christ, our source of life and salvation. 3. the temple resides in us as the Lord's living Church on earth. The physical church mirrors the living Church which is us, the Body of Christ.

Work out our salvation Luke 14:25-33 Modern-day Catholics should get a renewed outlook on "working out our salvation" as St. Paul says in the first reading.  This is in sharp contrast with toiling for food and family survival and thinking about spiritual things afterwards. We need a blueprint for salvation.  Already supplied by our Lord, we need to align our lives and every decision and action we undertake to the grand plan of salvation.   This thinking not only for the family, but for others most specially the poor; thinking not only for this generation but for next generations to come; and thinking not only for us but most importantly, for God.

Luke 14:15-24 Why did God exult his Son when he humbled himself?  Because he became like all of us and carried all of us.  Most of all, notice these words, " every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord,to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:11) How many of us are conscious that what we do glorifies the Father and not ourselves?  If we are to define what life really means, it can only be in the context of serving God to the Glory of his name. The gospel underscores the importance of responding to God's invitation.  This too is a humbling act like Jesus.  But remember, to those who offend God by not humbling themselves and serving him, " not one of those who were invited shall have a taste of my banquet." (Lk. 14, 24)

Husband and wife: mirrors of Christ and the Church The Church is a picture of God.  But a way to explain it is through the love that is happening between the husband and wife.  It is so sad to see wounded relationships today. The picture of the husband and wife is the exact picture of Christ and the Church.  The relationship of husband and wife is governed by love, obedience and unity.  These three should also be the qualities of a living Church - with members totally united to God in Spirit and Truth; it totally abides to God's commands in Jesus Christ; and it is governed in every way by faithful love.  If we want to know what Church means, reflect on the love of husband and wife and their relationship to God.

Comunio What is Comunio?  Comunio or Koinonia means "fellowship, sharing in common, communion".  Such is God's will to save us and enable us to be His adopted sons and daughters in Jesus Christ.  he wants us to be in communion with Him.  What are the qualities of Comunio? Comunio destroyed alienation and makes us friends.  Comunio made us citizens with the rights of children.  Comunio made us part of the building of Christ's body. We need to destroy any vestige of sin that alienates us from one another.  We need to destroy the structures of sin that separates us from one another.  We need to create a world where we become the living body of Christ, contributing every time, talent, and treasure to serve God and others.  Grant that as Catholics, we may participate actively in building Christ's body by becoming instruments of communion to others and most of all, to God whom we offer our very lives.

No compromise I believe that this is the glimpse of the beatific vision - to see Jesus for who He really is for us as One sent by the Father and how he brings healing to a world wounded by sin and division. Must we continue compromising the Lord's values just because we think it to be pleasurable or it would give us more money or power? If we know who Jesus really is for us, we would give ourselves totally to serve him.

The cross is not a curse but a blessing How many of us can convert our crosses from curses to blessings?  First, we need to see what message every cross brings - every cross is a sign of our humanity and woundedness. Each cross can be carried with love.  We need to embrace our crosses.  Only then can we help ourselves through the process of healing. Finally, each cross leads us directly to Christ as he leads us to salvation.  Look then for ways to produce life and healing while being with Jesus as he carries our crosses.

Always love in our hearts It may seem impossible for us to think only of positive things that we can do for others, starting from our thoughts to our actions, considering that we are born in an imperfect world and concrete persons have done us more good than bad. In the world of movies, it is impossible that all characters appear good.  There will always be someone who would take the role of a contrabida. But loving our brothers and sisters is precisely what Jesus commanded us to do.  And we can start the ball rolling by not judging them.  We too have fallen short of the glory of God.  Thus, we have no right to treat others in a judgmental way. But the main reason is that Jesus has loved us and continues to love us, even our enemies.  This is the very source of our salvation. Thus, be preoccupied with repairing relationships rather than destroying ties, building bridges rather than walls, and healing rather than inflicting.  By this, we are shari...

A prayer of thanksgiving that a Christian community has been born year 2 Would it be nice that all our efforts have not been in vain?  The dreams and hopes of a parent, a president, a parish priest all have the same common denominator - that in the end, looking at the beneficiaries and their conditions, everything is in order. Would we also deprive God of that dream?  to see life in the children He created? All we need to do is to respond to him as children respond to the goodwill of their parents, the parishioners to their parish priest, and the citizens to their country.  Whatever we reap, we shall sow.  If we sow goodness, it will come back to us a hundredfold.

Hold on to Tradition  Tradition is the process of handing down a set of beliefs, culture, and behavior from generation to generation. The Tradition of Church is deeply rooted in Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the main source of divine Tradition. Everything is based on the love and mercy of God by which we are alive and that we are taught to love one another as Jesus loves us. When Jesus passed on the Tradition, he passes his very own heart so we may know the ways of the Lord and be oriented towards Him. We need to question if everything that is passed is rooted in God or not.  If we not, we need to renew ourselves and put on an authentic one - one that produces life, love, and mercy.

To let God's love flow So far, we've been following the book of Hosea, the prophet.  Yesterday, his theme was the love of God in structure through the Christian community. It is a call to coversion because of the powerful and life-changing love of God vs. the hardheadedness of the people whom he loves. This flows in the very heart of Jesus who instructed his apostles while sending them on a mission to preach the Good News.  They shall not be exempt from the trials of this world.  Rather, they shall even be subjected to their violence.  But Lord reminds them, "By the time it happens, the Good News shall be preached through out the world." Clarify whether we are the apostles or the hardheaded people; the meek and humble victim  who loves or the persecutor.  Time will come when in our actions we shall know whether we have caused the Good News to run freely or hindered its growth.  Let God's flowing love be our guide in this world.

Doing what is right In the book of Amos, the prophecy continues.  The children of the next generation would suffer because of the injustices.  We don't to see that far to realize what we have done for every sin we commit in our generation and how they affect the next generation. In gospel, Jesus does something right - he starts healing those who were affected by the sin of society. Matthew is one of them. We can also do our part to stop the cycle of sin and corruption around us by turning to the victims of sin. It's time to do what is right.

Faith and the process of building it The parable of the house build on solid rock calls us to make our faith deeply rooted in God and not only on empty promises. But do we wonder why Jesus chose the process of building to picture faith and not just present its reality?  Because eventually, faith is a process that needs to be built.  It begins as our lives begin and we are baptised.  It continues as our lives mature in this world, and it reached its maturity upon the completion of our lives. In the Church, we believe that the kingdom of God is here, but it is not yet.  Why? It still needs to grow in hearts and lived out concretely.  It needs to be fruitful. Let us aim to build our faith on solid grounds which on Jesus can supply for us.

Making everything holy We cannot desecrate what is holy.  But we can make this world holy by consecrating it.  We cannot use the mindset of the world and use it to interpret the language of God. The language of God is different from the language of the world. God's language is that of sharing; mankind's language is full of self.  The language of God demands self-sacrifice for the sake of others.  Man's language is self-survival. If we desire to truly live, let us abide in God and we shall remain in Him.  That is holiness.

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...

How does one learn? One learns through word; i.e., through the teachings of others. But in the first reading, St. Paul was quick to remind Timothy of his patience, love, and constancy as he preached in different places.  He also shared with him his persecutions and how Jesus rescued him. In the Gospel, Jesus had to refute earlier claims that he was an impostor and not the Son of God.  But it takes the Son of God to explain it in the most convincing way.  And the most convincing way to explain God's love is through the offering of one's own life. How else can the next generation know about Jesus?  How many can commit themselves to His work?  Only the persons who have the heart of Christ, those whose knowledge about God are converted into concrete actions have the capacity to see the life in their children, the life that comes from God.  They shall live forever.

Obedience "The fullness of the revelation of God is found in the Catholic Church."  This has been the official stand of the Catholic Church, specifically referring to our Lord Jesus Christ who is God's revelation.  The way to salvation is definitely through following Jesus. The effects of following Jesus is explained by the gospel today."I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life." (Mk. 10, 28 - 31) If we can only reflect on the true meaning of following Jesus; if only we have heeded Jesus throughout our lives, we could have been living in a Spirit-filled Christian community.

"To glorify the Father" St. Paul delivered a farewell speech that moved the whole Christian community at Ephesus - he was to be delivered to Jerusalem to be persecuted and tried. This is reminiscent of Jesus who readied himself and the apostles to what awaited him in Jerusalem - crucifixion - all because of love. As we are readied by the Church to live life in the Spirit, the Word exhorts us to be faithful to Jesus who was glorified by the Father as he glorifies Him.  This is the true mark of the Holy Spirit - none of my life and glory belong to me; everything belongs to the Father.  Every act, gesture, and intention glorifies Jesus and the Father. To glorify Jesus and the Father also means fulfilling the mission entrusted to us the moment we were born.  Whatever that mission is, it will end up fulfilling what God wants for all of us here on earth - life. Thus, let us live lives in the Spirit.  As Jesus says, we are in the world but not of this world. ...

Increase the zeal to evangelize It dawned upon me that the resurrection story is now grounded in our own experiences of the resurrection of our lives here on earth and in the world to come. In this resurrection, we can review every moment of our lives when the hand of the Lord touched us.  Now we see the Lord through the eyes of our faith.  Now we know our mission in this world.  This mission is now as clear as the proclamation of St. Paul in the first reading: I am going to the gentiles with a clear conscience. The fruits of all our work of love is found in the first reading: we may be sad, but our sadness will turn into joy.  Jesus further said, "You will not see me; but in time you'll see me back."  We shall see the fruits of all our patience, our generosity, and our love: we shall see Jesus.

Love heals all wounds This is the start of the application of Christianity: will the newly baptized Christians be circumcised or not?  Will they be warned against eating the blood of the meat or not? These and other things can only be resolved by those who have faith and love.  If there is love among people, all problems can be solved. In the gospel, Jesus commands not only the apostles but all of us to "love one another as I have loved you."  In this kind of love, we are not slaves but friends.  In this love, we know our reference point: Jesus himself who sends us to go forth and bear fruit that will last. The remedy to sin and division is love.

Reflections on bread Stephen died a martyr's death for giving witness to the resurrection of Jesus. In the gospel, Jesus is inviting the people to believe in Him, the real bread that came down from heaven. Bread connotes a lot of things. Life is simply one of these. Every bread is meant to give life. Jesus and Stephen gave their lives so others may live. With bread, there is no space for death, only life. Bread is not just for the self to enjoy; rather, bread, shared with others, causes others to live. With bread, there is no space for others to die; all live. Finally, bread is what connects us with God in total inticmacy let us take in the reality of bread. Let us be signs of life to others. Let Jesus' life be upon us.

Jesus is Himself the gift  Our Easter observance takes us now to Stephen, the first martyr. He was a deacon. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he gave witness to Jesus' resurrection even he hadn't seen him. Two signs that he was living out Jesus - his vision of the heavens opening and seeing the angels, and asking for forgiveness for those who were persecuting him. Stephen is a living sign of the resurrection of Jesus. In the gospel, Jesus invites us to purify our intention for serving Him. It is not because of the many gifts that we receive from him; rather, he himself is the gift. And through the Holy Sacrifice of the mass, he freely gives himself to us. Jesus, his very person, is the gift. On our pilgrim way to heaven, may we opt to be like Jesus day by day, believing totally in His care and love, and slowly be transformed according to His image and likeness.

In God's heart is life itself "If it is God's work, nobody can stop it." The point is, after thinking this way, the apostles continued their mission to bring about God's reign here on earth. In the multiplication of the loaves, on can see the very heart of Christ - he wants to feed us all and fill us with life.  Who are we to stand in his way? May we know God's will and his desire for all of us.  Life.  He intends us to experience the fullness of life.

Where have we left off? Yesterday, we witnessed Peter giving an account of Jesus' resurrection in the light of Scriptures, to the amazement of the Pharisees who were supposed to be the learned in Israel. He was talking from the heart.  From a direct testimony of Jesus who resurrected, he now proceeds to touching people's lives with the authority of Jesus himself. In the gospel, an intimate experience with the Lord makes the apostles fully convinced and without question that the one who was directing them was Jesus himself.  But what struck me was not just because Jesus had risen from the dead.  Rather, he continues to give them life as he continues to give us life. He converts the sadness of people into joy.  He fills them with food.  He consoles and he heals.  He has the power to give us life everyday of our lives. Let us be sensitive to the signs of life.  Let us vow to give life and only life to others.  This will be our direct testim...

I told you so! "See I told you so!" is a term we use to prove to another we are right all along.  In explaining to another, everything we say now makes sense.  Sense is what finally molds us into who we are. Peter didn't know any better about Jesus.  But after Pentecost, his spirit was way above to explain to people the mystery of Jesus and who he was - the Son of God, the resurrected Lord. The "I told you so" syndrome is finally realized in Peter who, in experiencing Jesus crucified and resurrected, now becomes the source of strength for the new converts to Christianity. Jesus also told the apostles in the today's gospel, "This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you ... " I told you so.  All the apostles need to do was to be faithful to Jesus until he reveals his full self to them. In our lives, how many times have we lost faith and hope in God?  How many of us thought that following God makes no sense and that people who ...

What do we do after the resurrection? It's two days after the resurrection. What has become of us? Peter makes an offer others can't refuse.  What is Easter for us?  That through the communion of God and man in Jesus Christ, our lives are already meant from heaven. Our new vocation is simply to tell the story of Jesus' resurrection.  We tell it through our words and actions.  What seemed impossible is now possible.  We can now live holy lives.  We can generate holiness in the world instead of the usual folly of man.

Father, forgive them As Jesus lay hanging on the cross, the first words he uttered are words of forgiveness instead of hatred and vengeance, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." There are two realities to this: first, Jesus' willingness to forgive not a few, but all of us.  But the second one is worth reflecting: "for they know not what we do." It pays to realize that we do not know what we are doing in this world.  If we know what we are doing, we could not have acted the way we are doing today, considering the coldness of our actions and dedication to God while we pour out all efforts making things work in our companies where we are paid.  We may not know it, but because we know not what we do, we consequently put Jesus on the cross. We know not what we do when we think that life is simply eating and drinking, raising a family, doing a bit of good, and dying. We know now what we are doing when we think religion is for kids. We k...

To be healed As we are entering the holiest of days, i.e, Thursday - Sunday, the Lord continues to implore to us to listen and learn from him and in learning, that his word may bear fruit in our lives. Learn from his wisdom, his gentleness and compassion, and his capability to bring life to the wearied soul.  Live out his truth and it shall set us free. This intimacy with the Lord makes us totally secured.  In whatever situation in life, given its imperfect and wounded stature, we pray that as the Lord enters the situation, we find ourselves and this world healed. After reflecting on betrayal and the destruction it does on our humanity, I would like to focus now on healing.  Healing can only be possible if we embrace these important truths: first, that it is not our power that brings order into our lives but God's power.  Second, if we confess our wounded nature and bring it into the light, then nothing will be kept hidden; God will help us.  Third, if w...

Decide once and for all After yesterday's event that Jesus is calling us to a relationship that is deeper each day, he wishes us to rekindle the new covenant by which we know that God now calls us in the most intimate way possible through the calling of our names. In today's reading, Jeremiah is subjected to the most violent rejection possible that only God remains his stronghold. Jesus too in John's gospel is faced with the most terrible rejection of all - the rejection of being God's Son. In this gospel, there are no more grey areas.  Man on one side has lost all his sensibilities to God's presence by wanting to kill the Son of God.  Jesus on the other hand has been constantly pleading for man to open his eyes, mind, and heart to recognize him even in the least of what he does. Where are we in this battlefield?  We cannot stay forever in the middle.  Even for the lukewarm, God has this message:  "I will spit you out of my mouth!" Either we ar...

Thursday, 5th week of Lent Perhaps, Abraham's story may be our own faith story of our journey to Jesus. In our own journey, there is a time we have been called, when we have been saved, forgiven, and given life.  Our lives have meaning only with, in, and through God who loves us eternally. There was a time when we were given a name.  Name is a mark of intimacy and familiarity.  Only people who are familiar with other peoples names know them through and through. A name is a visible sign of a covenant.  God loves us as to give us a name.  Our names are manifestations that God values us. God also has a name, "I am who am."  Through this He is inviting people of all generations to be familiar to Him and really know Him." Jesus said, "Before Abraham, I am."  Jesus establishes his link with the Father; He too is God-with-us. For us to truly live eternally, let us rekindle our covenant with God in Jesus Christ.  This is the key to salvation...

On the occasion of the 19 years of priesthood As I celebrate the 19th anniversary of my priesthood, I have come to celebrate it in a most peaceful way.  For my only consolation is to be in communion with God. I have come to realize this during the times I was studying in Rome.  I didn't have any big celebrations such as this one.  But to wake up early in the morning and go to St. Peter's Basilica to celebrate mass with Fr. Greg Gaston is enough for me to feel deep consolation that God loves me and His love goes on forever.   Despite my sinfulness and unworthiness He sanctifies me and makes the priesthood fruitful. Here in the parish, my delight is to receive the sincere prayers of people filled with compassion.  For them I am truly grateful.  This also gives me the reason to go on and on until God recalls me from this life.  But know that I am eternally grateful.  The priesthood is Jesus; but the priesthood is composed of countless men a...

4th Thursday of Lent Isn't it remarkable that God allows people to be His mirrors?  In the first reading, Moses reflects God's concern for His people. In the gospel, Jesus mirrors His Father's love for all of us.  John reflects Jesus' love. This coming Holy Week, strive not just to ask for forgiveness.  Rather, aim more to reflect the love and action of Jesus.  Realize the meaning of Comunio when Jesus would suffer for our sake just to make us one with the Father.  We can already live this Comunio in this very world by being one with God and with one another, when all our actions would gear towards building that community of love and life.

The spirit of Lenten challenges us to reflect on the minute details of our lives whether they reflect the presence of God or not. God is particularly interested in one virtue - obedience.  The lack of it causes havoc to the entire human existence. Our lives should be spend knowing God's will that we are bound to obey.  There it is in this premise that we call him "Teacher."  Even teachers refer to God as the great teacher.  If we all follow his will, the entire universe might yet be saved.

Can we make our own Lenten mission statement?  Certainly, Christ did.  He would suffer greatly, be killed, but on the third day, he would rise again. Our mission statement should lead us to life.  But what is true life?  Jesus said, "He who wants to save his life will lose it.  But he who loses his life for my sake shall find it."  We may be saving our lives here on earth, but we are actually dying.  Notice the signs of death around us.  If we choose real life, we need to offer ourselves to God and others so we may all live in God.  A parent who denies himself or herself of all material comforts to prove a point to his or her children that life with the Lord really matters is actually a source of life for the children. Let's celebrate Lent by entering into the death of our own selfishness so that through our sacrifice, all may life as Christ did.

The one killing us is our notion of ordinariness.  We think we are just ordinary human beings with ordinary needs and wants just like any other.  Meanwhile, we let others control our destiny. Our lives are not ordinary; we are living witnesses of our world today.  Either we do what we are supposed to do or rue it all. Our children our growing, the clock is ticking, and we have only one life to live. If we are to decide to act accordingly, pray, that it be fruitful - not only do our families benefit but all people; not only do we think of our own generation but the next; and finally, not only do we think about our stay in this world but what is to come - eternity in heaven with God.  It is God whom we should reflect.  It is Him whom we should serve.

Week 1, Thursday It is surprising that a leper who in dire need of healing would not impose himself on Jesus.  But he would ask him: "If you want to, you can cure me." Yesterday, Samuel said, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening" and "Here I am, Lord.  I come to do your will."  The reading reflect God's will and our will. A factor that enables us to be like the image of God is our freedom to choose on what we want. Unfortunately, we also use that to come into conflict with what God wants. God's will brings out the good in us.  His will causes us to be free.  His will causes us to be fruitful.  Think about the opposite of this and we end up doing our own wills.  And we dare not impose our wills on God. May our prayer then be, "If it is your will..."  We would surely hear our Lord saying, "Of course, I want to!"