April 30 Gospel Reflections

April 29 Reflection for April 30,2020

2:30pm

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, enkindle in them the fire of thy Divine love, send forth your Spirit, and it shall be created, and Thou shall renew the face of the earth.”

**

Here are some questions that we can ponder on for today’s scripture readings:

“ Do you understand what you are reading?”  Acts 8:30

This was the question Philip asked the Eunuch reading Isaiah in today’s first reading.

Next, how much grace do you need in your life today?

Often times, we read scripture without much understanding. There are times, it is a much enlightening experience, when we feel the words jump out of the page and resonate with us in a deep manner.

Perhaps, it answers a specific query we may be having.

Other times, it  makes us more aware of the wonderful working of God in our lives.

But, beyond understanding of the words of scripture…we can still move  beyond mere understanding to the actual living out the gospel…or the manifestation of the word in our lives.

After all, understanding is just left within us…but when we act it out, make it visible in our lives…love in action.

When we decide to forgive and let go of a  past hurt…that is living out what Jesus did as He hangs on the cross and asks the Father to forgive His persecutors.

When we give without counting the costs or expect any returns, we live out the Jesus’s example of feeding the multitude and His directive to Peter, feed my sheep.

When we pray with people or with them in their needs,  we are examples of Jesus’s teaching us the Lord’s prayer.

When we bring people to Mary, The Mother of our Savior, we fulfill His instruction to John, to take Mary as his Mother and the Mother of all humanity.

Understanding of scripture, demands more from us today…it demands the manifestation of it in many ways of acts of love to people around us and those especially who are challenging to love.

My prayer:


Lord, by your most wonderful favor, grant us the grace and the wisdom from the Most Holy Spirit, to know your will for our lives, every minute of our lives, so we do not go around in circles...but be more intentional and fruitful in the Spirit and in works of mercy. Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

O Taste and See How Great Our God Can Be

April 28,2020

12:10am

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, enkindle in them the fire of Thy Divine Love, send forth your Spirit, and it shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth.”

**

Reading 1, Acts 8:1-8

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7

Gospel, John 6:35-40

**

"...there was great rejoicing in that town."

"How awesome you are! "

"Jesus answered them: I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever hunger; no one who believes in me will ever thirst."

In the first reading, we learned about the early Christians, bravely proclaiming the gospel to as many people as possible despite the threat of death to their lives as experienced by Stephen.  Despite the fact that Saul was heavily persecuting them, even endorsing the death of Stephen, the early Christians, like Philip continued to do what they needed to do and that is to spread the work and words of Jesus.

How about us? What is stopping us from fulfilling the great commission of Christ to us, to spread His message, His good news, far and wide?

Are we experiencing too much hunger and thirst that we are not able to do what is expected of us?

Are we allowing the threat of COVID 19 to keep us in the chains of darkness and fear?

God is still in control and for this we should give thanks.

He still gives us each day to wake up. He still provides for our daily bread and water to sustain us.

He provides for us shelter.

Basic things He has provided for us.

Should we not give thanks by doing us we are told?

God is so awesome and powerful that he…

My thoughts were cut short when I received a call from my friend at this time.

She told me she just placed an order for a 6 seater  Bjursta Ikea dining set to be delivered to me soon.

How awesome is our God in deed!

This comes at the heels of another friend who just said out of the blue, I will take care of your fee of 80 CAD so I can start my training to become a Financial Advisor plus the  janitor of this property calling me to say he brought the corner lamp he wants to give us.

Thank you God for sending angels among us to give us messages of your hope and providence.

Alleluia !

Praise to you now and forever Oh Lord!

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us who have perpertual recourse to thee.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle.

April 28 Reflections

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, enkindle in them the fire of thy Love, send forth your Spirit, and it shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.”

**

This morning, I am doing the reflections for April 28 gospel reflections questions.

 What do you hunger and thirst for the most? Come to Jesus, the Bread of Life and Living Water.

What controls you? Are you the master of your instincts and drives?

The first reading tells us about Stephen being stoned to death. It describes to us  the act of love he showed before he breathed his last. He prayed that  God may forgive his persecutors, he believes that the people stoning him to death didn’t know better.

He had no need for self preservation. Nor the need to seek retribution or vengeance.

I on the other hand, have not yet properly overcome certain tendencies in me to have the last say.

To express my thoughts and feelings.

To seek justice when there is wrong doing especially implicating me in a very bad light.

Several weeks now, I have been reminded to forgive the unforgiveable, to love the unlovable and to keep hoping in the midst of this cover of darkness called COVID 19.

I continue to fail.

I seek my redress in the  giver of life, the living water, the bread of life…Jesus.

He reminds me to forgive and let go of the pain and hurt.

Jesus reminds me to surrender everything at the foot of the cross.

Jesus reminds me to immerse myself in His precious blood of mercy…so that my family and I will continue serving Him, confident of His protection and guidance.

He reminds me that He is in control and with that  knowledge, I do not worry, and instead TRUST in His greatness, power and strength.

Mary, the Mother of God, pray for us.

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle.

April 21,2020 Gospel Reflections

" Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, enkindle in them the fire of thy Divine love, send forth your Spirit, and it shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth."

April 21,2020

12:14pm

How is your Christian life? Is it marked by involvement or indifference?

The Christian life is a journey from conception to death to the afterlife.

The Christian parents can introduce/withhold  this life to the life of the child in vitro by their active or inactive involvement in the life of the church, their own prayer life, individually and as a couple.

This life can be either a life  filled with stations of the crosses moments or it could have it’s joyful and glorious moments and  hopefully, it can have clarity and determined purpose with the wisdom  obtained from the mysteries of  LIGHT of the holy Rosary.

My life today, as in all global citizen’s life is facing unprecedented challenges because of an invisible and yet clever virus.

This is the moment of testing. Is my Christian life authentic as gold?

Do I reveal the face of my maker in the moment to moment challenge of saying YES to life and NO to the snuffing of life?

Do I make choices that are compatible to Christian morals of right versus wrong?

Do I have love as my underlying motive and intent?

These are just some of the  questions I have to contend with in doing my daily examination of conscience…so that the God who knows everything will truly see the heart of my heart.

WHAT IS INDIFFERENCE AND INVOLVEMENT?

When I am actively acting and expressing love in all my ways...then I can say, I have involvement in the  communal life of my immediate family.

I also can apply this in my interior life of prayer and communion with my Maker.

When I refuse to be in a relationship with anybody or my Maker, then, I can be labeled as INDIFFERENT.

When one does not care or have no concern whatsoever, that is choosing a different path..that  diverges opposite to where my end goal is.

Now, as a Christian, I am challenged to use my free will to choose God’s will in my life..and that in the end, is the best for me…which gains me the reward of heaven, after my valley of tears experiences in the toggling back and forth of being involved or indifferent in the challenge to love the unlovable, forgive the unforgiveable and to hope when all things are hopeless.

Mary, Mother of  God, pray for us.

St. Michael, pray for us.

All Praises and Thanksgiving Belong To the Risen Christ

April 14,2020
6:56pm


"Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, enkindle in them the fire of thy Divine love, send forth your Spirit, and it shall be created, and you shall renew the face of  the earth."

**

Starting tomorrow, we will not be having any internet connection for several days until BELLMTS will set us up with it. We are moving into our new accommodations nearby.

Thus, for tonight, I shall focus on the wonderful Psalm verses that has truly made my heart burn in the love that our Great God has for all of us.

Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

R: Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.

1 Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name; make known among the nations his deeds. 2 Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds. (R) 3 Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! 4 Look to the Lord in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. (R) 6 You descendants of Abraham, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7 He, the Lord, is our God; throughout the earth his judgments prevail. (R) 8 He remembers forever his covenant that he made binding for a thousand generations, 9 which he e

R: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

4 Upright is the word of the Lord, and all his works are trustworthy. 5 He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full. (R) 18 See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (R) 20 Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield. 22 May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you. (R)ntered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac. (R)

Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R: Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

1 Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; 2 I say to the Lord, “My Lord are you.” 5 O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. (R) 7 I bless the Lord who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me. 8 I set the Lord ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. (R) 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence; 10 because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption. (R) 11 You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. (R)

Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. 2 Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” (R) 16 “The right hand of the Lord has struck with power; the right hand of the Lord is exalted. 17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” (R) 22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. (R)

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us always.

Easter Monday

April 13,2020

9:22am

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, enkindle in them the fire of thy Divine love, send forth your Spirit, and it shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.”

**

Yesterday, I decidedly  to affirm words that can hopefully manifest in my life.

Words of patience, kindness, calmness to permeate my thoughts, words and actions.

I forgive myself for failing hours later.

I lost my cool when Lilli started to whine and pine in protest to the single task I made her do with her sister.

Marina kept reminding her that when she was Lilli’s age, she would obey without much complains when I make her do 100 sentences as a result of some infraction.

Theirs was just 50 sentences of 2 complex sentences, trying to affirm the need for order in our days.

I think it was more than 3 nights ago that they went beyond the limit of two movies for the night before lights off.

I announced the following day that there will be a corresponding action to that.

But then, it was only yesterday that I made them do 100 sentences of affirming the action of promoting order in our days and being obedient to instructions.

Anyway, we got into a deal with Lilli, much to the dismay of the older sister, that she will do her 100 words in installments of 20/day.

Good enough for me.

**

This morning, during prayer time, I reviewed again the psalm readings for the past days which have really resonated with me so much..let me share them here:

PSALM 118:17   “ I will not die, but live and  declare the wonderful works of the Lord.”

Alleluia!

Alleluia!

Alleluia!

Jesus, King of Mercy, I trust in you.

Easter Sunday Reflections

Easter Sunday

12:18pm

April 12,2020

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, enkindle in them the fire of thy Divine love, send forth your Spirit, and it shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.”

**

The Lord is risen!

Let us rejoice and be glad!!!

Blessed Eastertide one and all!!

May the peace and joy of that first Easter morning bring light to the darkness, freedom from captivity, sight to our blindness and  warmth to the coldness of our hearts as we continue to face the challenges of this pandemic.

By the mighty and glorious resurrection of Our Lord Jesus, COVID 19 cease and halt your spread.

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the raging battles and storms of our lives and assist us into our resurrection each time we fall and suffer the blows of the evil one.

**

Today, I affirm the LOVE our Lord Jesus has shown my way, by His passion, death and resurrection through the words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthian 13:

I write and speak with the LOVE of Our Lord Jesus experienced in my heart and life.

I have faith that can move mountains and with LOVE I share this to others.

I give and share unselfishly of myself to others with LOVE.

I am patient.

I am kind.

I am calm.

I am happy for the blessings of others in their lives.

I boast of the LOVE God has for me and what He did for me and my sins.

With love in my heart, I will give honor to those who require of it  and need it the most.

I will try not to seek to be understood as to understand others more with the LOVE of Jesus.

With love for myself and others, I will be more patient and not easily irritated by the shortcomings of others.

With love in me, I will  not count their wrongs.

I will rejoice in the truth.

With faith and hope in our God who grant me the peace that surpasses all human understanding, and graces to do His will, I will give LOVE to those who need along the journey I walk.

Mother Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us.