Inspirations at your Fingertips!

A pure heart Mark 1:21-28 In the first reading, the priest Eli hinted that Hannah may be drunk for offering her child if the Lord would grant her request but she defended that she wasn't.  In full control of her intentions, she said what she meant.  And the Lord granted her the request. In the gospel, Jesus taught with authority and he expelled demons with great authority.  What could be the secret behind Jesus' authority?  The secret is the same as Hannah's - a pure heart. We might be asking from the Lord, but a pure intention moves us to a deeper level - we would like first and foremost to consecrate our lives to Him and to offer ourselves to serve Him. These are the marks of a pure heart.  They manifest in words and actions that reveal the power and authority of God himself. Let us pray that we may possess a pure heart in our service to God.

We as stars of Jesus Jn. 3: 22 - 30 As Christmas officially ends, our absolute relationship with him is our primary concern. As John gave himself totally to Jesus, we need to also do the same. The only star is a life lit by God in Jesus Christ make complete our unbreakable bond with him. For John, who committed to giving all of himself for God's work, now sees Jesus baptising.  He said, "You know I am not the Messiah, but I testify to Him who I now see.  Now, I must decrease while he must increase." How do we see our new selves as stars of the Lord for others?  First, establish our relationship not based on functions but on an unbreakable bond with the Lord; second, aim to be transformed to be Christ-like; third, give witness to Jesus through the conduct of life.

True love Mark 6:34-44 In the Philippines, a recent hit of the couple "Aldub" composed of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza Tandem confirmed that Filipino are truly love-oriented people.  But how many of us actually know what real love is? The first reading tells of the mystery of love, "God is love."  Moreover, real love is not our love for God but God's love for us through his Son. The Gospel qualifies more what true love means.  It is Lover practicing mercy upon the Beloved.  Jesus is the epitome of love itself.  He was so filled with mercy for the large crowd that not only did he teach them, he actually commanded his disciples to feed them as a fruit of that love. Love, to be authentic, should always be on the giving end.  The rest of the action words "take", "raise", "bless", "break", "give back", "share" are all manifestations of a love as pure as Jesus. Let us live out this love anywhe...

How do we know which come from God? 1. test the spirit 2. acknowledge Jesus 3. follow his word