Hearers or Doers: Where do I belong?

Thursday 27^th June, 2019. Genesis 16:1-12.15-16, Psalm 106 and Matthew 7:12-29)_

_*“Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)*_

Our first reading this morning contains a very sad story. Yesterday, we read about how God promised Abram again that his descendants would be as many as the stars and we are told that Abram believed it and it was counted to him as righteousness. Today, Sarai ran out of patience, she took her Egyptian maid, Hagar to Abram but instead of Abram to reject the offer, he accepted it assuming this was God’s way of fulfilling His Promise.

This is the story of many of us today. We may be waiting patiently for God only for satan to trick us into thinking we can attain God’s promise by taking certain short cuts in life. So we end up making costly mistakes in life thinking God’s hand is with us.

Sarai would later live to regret this decision because as soon as Hagar became pregnant, she lost respect for Sarai. Of course, Hagar wanted to be treated as Abram’s wife, no longer as Sarai’s maid. (You know the saying that when you give someone a foot, they take a mile). Hagar became a thorn in Sarai’s flesh and they had it so hot that Hagar had to flee from the house. Thanks to the kind advice of the Angel who told her to go back and be submissive to Sarai, Hagar would have died in the wilderness.

When we hear God’s word and decide to take a short cut instead, we always live to regret it. In our Gospel passage today, Jesus says when we listen to the word of God and fail to put it into practice, we are merely deceiving ourselves. Holiness is not a matter of attending Church and paying attention to the message only. Holiness is a matter of doing what the Word of God says. Abram heard the word but he did something else. He committed the sin of adultery with Sarai’s consent.

Some Christians are saints in Church but demons at home. Jesus says such persons do not deserve a space in God’s kingdom. “On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.” (Mathew 7:22-23).

There are hearers and there are doers. Where do I belong? If my life does not correspond to the homilies I hear every day or if my life is different from what I preach every day, I am just a candidate for hellfire. Religiosity without genuine spirituality (practical goodness) is useless.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to practice what I profess. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Genesis 16:1-12.15-16, Psalm 106 and Matthew 7:12-29).

By Their Fruits, You Shall Know Them.

Tuesday 25^th June, 2019. Genesis 15:1-12.17-18, Psalm 105 and Matthew 7:15-20

_*“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)*_

The difference between a good tree and a bad one is not in its shape, size, age or colour. Rather, it is in the nature of the fruits it produces. A tree may appear very nice on the outside but if it bears rotten fruits, then it is good for nothing but to be cut down and used as firewood.

It is not a secret today there are many fake men and women of God claiming to be sent from God when in fact, they are simply using the name of God as a cover for their unscrupulous business. These charlatans are so good in their trade that one can almost not distinguish them from the genuine.

It is easy to pretend, it is easy to deceive others; it is easy to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing but then, no matter how much we pretend to be who we are not, our fruits will eventually sell us out.

As Jesus told the Samaritan woman: “The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him.” (John 4:23). Is my worship of God simply a show? What kind of fruits am I producing?

In today’s first reading, Abram is in conversation with God. When God told him to look at the stars and consider their number as his descendants, Abram believed it completely. His faith in God was credited to him as righteousness. We may pretend about everything else but we can never pretend about our beliefs. In truth, what we believe determine the kind of fruits that we bear.

When God promised Abram a land, he asked for proof. “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” Is it the case that Abram doubted God for asking for a proof? God sees our heart, He knows when our demand for proof is because of our faith or because of our doubt.

Mary asked a similar question when the Angel Gabriel told her she was going to give birth to Jesus: “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” (Luke 1:34). Zechariah asked a similar question but in his case, his heart was full of doubt. Instead of getting an answer, his power of speech was withheld for some time. There is no crime in asking God for proof (clarification, certainty) but be sure that there is no doubt in your heart.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, free me from self-deception and pretence. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary time. Bible Study: Genesis 15:1-12.17-18, Psalm 105 and Matthew 7:15-20).*

Today is the Feast of St. Josemaria Escriva. Josemaría was born in Barbastro, Spain, on January 9, 1902. His parents, José and Dolores, brought up their children with a devout Catholic faith. Ordained on March 28, 1925, he began his ministry in a rural parish, and afterwards in Saragossa. In 1927, with the permission of his bishop, Fr. Josemaría moved to Madrid to work on his doctorate in law. There, on October 2, 1928, God showed him clearly the mission he had been hinting to him for several years; and he founded Opus Dei. From that day on he worked with all his energies to develop the foundation that God asked of him, while he continued to fulfil the various priestly responsibilities he had at that time. These brought him into daily contact with sickness and poverty in the hospitals and the poor districts of Madrid.

When the civil war broke out in 1936, Josemaría was in Madrid. The religious persecution forced him to take refuge in a variety of places. He exercised his priestly ministry in a clandestine fashion until he was finally able to leave Madrid. After escaping across the Pyrenees to southern France, he took up residence in Burgos.

At the end of the war in 1939 he returned to Madrid. In the years that followed he gave many retreats to lay people, priests, and members of religious orders. In the same year, 1939, he completed his doctorate in law. In 1946 he took up residence in Rome. There he obtained a doctorate in theology from the Lateran University and was named consultor to two Vatican Congregations, as well as honorary member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, and prelate of honour to His Holiness.

From Rome he frequently went to different countries in Europe, including Britain and Ireland, to spur on the apostolic work of Opus Dei. It was with the same objective that, between 1970 and 1975, he made long trips to Mexico, Spain, Portugal, South America, and Guatemala, holding catechetical gatherings which large numbers of men and women attended. He died in Rome on June 26, 1975. On May 17, 1992, Pope John Paul II beatified Josemaría Escrivá. He proclaimed him a saint ten years later, on October 6, 2002, in St. Peter’s Square, in Rome, before a great multitude. In his homily on that occasion, the Pope said: “Following in his footsteps, spread in society the awareness that we are called to holiness, without distinction of race, class, culture or age.”

In recent times, I have had cause to interact with the members of the Opus Dei Society and I must say I have benefitted immensely from the legacies of St. Josemaria Escriva

The Last Man Standing.

Tuesday 25^th June, 2019. Genesis 13:2.5-18, Psalm 15 and Matthew 7:6.12-14

_*“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)*_

Would you dare to be the last man standing if you have to divide a piece of property between yourself and your cousin? Especially when it appears your cousin is now choosing the better part (or the part that appears to be better)?

Would you dare to be the last man standing when everyone around you is going left and you alone begin to walk right?

From where do you derive you sense of worth, is it from what people say or think about you or from what God knows about you?

Are you like Saul who disobeyed God’s instruction out of pressure from the people who “advised” him to keep some of the treasures for himself?

On what do you base your value system? On what the society regards as okay or on what God says is okay?

Jesus words in today’s Gospel passage have never been much truer. ENTER BY THE NARROW GATE FOR GATE IS WIDE AND THE WAY IS EASY, THAT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION AND THOSE WHO ENTER BY IT ARE MANY.

If all your friends say fornication is an act of love and you are the only one saying it is a grave offence against God, would you dare to be the last man standing?

If all your colleagues at work devise means of stealing and milking secretly the company’s resources, would you dare to be the last man standing your ground for truth, honestly and righteousness?

If all the people you know tell lies at will and you are the one who even has to suffer for saying the truth, would you dare to be the last man standing?

When Lot moved first, Abram did not complain. He allowed Lot to choose the part that seemed good in the eye but it was not until Lot got there that he discovered it was not all that glitter that is gold. The land looked good but the people there were evil, immoral and wicked. They had no fear of God.

The choices that seem most attractive or popular are not always the best. So I ask again, would you dare be the last man standing?

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, help me to choose right, to stand by you even if the world around me falls to evil. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of the 12^th Week in Ordinary time. Bible Study: Genesis 13:2.5-18, Psalm 15 and Matthew 7:6.12-14).

John the Baptist and the Rest of us.

Monday 24^th June 2019. Isaiah 49:1-6, Psalm 139 Acts 13:22-26 and Luke 1:57-66.80)_

_*“And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they all marvelled. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.” (Luke 1:62-64)*_

Today happens to be the birthday of Saint John the Baptist. Birthdays are always great days; they give us some time to reflect on the life of the celebrant, how he or she came to be born and the impact of their lives upon humanity.

From the life of John the Baptist, we can see that no human life comes into existence by a mere random act. God is the one who brings human beings to life and long before we come out of our Mothers’ wombs, God already has a plan for our life.

John the Baptist was not yet born before God sent an Angel to Zechariah his father telling him how he would have a son despite his old age who will prepare the way for the Messiah. Long before John the Baptist was formed in the womb, he already existed in the mind of God.

Long before we were born, God knew our names and he had plans for our lives. This is what the Prophet Isaiah relates in our first reading: “The Lord called me from the womb, from my mother’s womb he named my name…”

Dear friends, if God already knows our name before we were born, it means he knew about us when we were formed in our mother’s womb. Abortion is the greatest act of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. By killing an unborn baby, we deny him or her the chance to live out the plans God already has for them. There is no justification for taking anyone’s life even if it is just a day old in the womb.

Names are not merely means of identification; names are spiritual. A person’s name can affect his or her life. Our Gospel passage this morning is a record of the naming ceremony of John the Baptist. The family members were planning to call him Zechariah after his father because they felt he would re-live his father’s life. But Elizabeth and Zechariah knew that this child had a destiny different from that of his father so they both opted for “John” instead.

It was just after naming the child that God restored his gift of speech. And guess what? Zechariah who used to complain and doubt a lot became a changed person; he sang the Benedictus, a song of praise to God. The people wondered: “What will this child turn out to be?” This is the same question we should ask ourselves each time we come across little children. Every child deserves respect, care and love because you can never know what the future of that child would be. This little baby you see today may one day be your life-saver.

Our second reading sums up the life of John the Baptist. He fulfilled his destiny. He prepared the way for Jesus. He drew people’s attention only to end up saying: “I am not he. No, but after me, one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.” The moment John the Baptist said that he had reached old age. He had finished his work and was now prepared to bow out.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, increase my respect for the life of the unborn. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Solemnity of the Birthday of John the Baptist. Bible Study: Isaiah 49:1-6, Psalm 139 Acts 13:22-26 and Luke 1:57-66.80).

The Eucharist: Nourishment for Our Souls.

Sunday 23^rd June, 2019. Genesis 14:18-20, 1^st Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 9, 11-17

_*“And they all ate and were satisfied.” (Luke 9:17)*_

Last Sunday, the central focus of our reflection was on the mystery of the Trinity; the Three Persons in One God. We recall how we were careful not to attempt an explanation considering the fact that God is just too big to be summarized or understood by the human brain. Today, our celebration centres on another central aspect of our Christian Faith; the Holy Eucharist – Jesus’ body and blood under the appearance of bread and wine.

In today’s first reading, we see that bread and wine featured prominently in the blessing of Abram by Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God. Meanwhile, in our second reading, St. Paul provides a succinct catechism of the Holy Eucharist quoting Jesus’ own words at the Last Supper. We see the divine mercy of Jesus displayed in today’s Gospel passage when he decided to feed the five thousand instead of sending them away hungry. No doubt, there are many lessons for us to learn today.

*One: The Holy Eucharist Shows us the Depth of God’s Love for Us.*

In the feeding of the five thousand, one obvious lesson we learn is that we serve a God is more than interested in our physical as well as spiritual wellbeing. Jesus would not allow the crowd go away hungry, he felt their plight and worked a miracle to feed them. This same feeling of love and concern is what inspired our Lord Jesus to sacrifice His own flesh and blood for us on our behalf. As St. Paul concludes in today’s second reading, “As often we eat this bread and drink this chalice, we proclaim the Lord’s death.

As Jesus himself noted, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). Holy Communion is deeper than just a ritual, do not become too familiar with it that you fail to reflect on its inner meaning. Each time you approach the Holy Eucharist, bear in mind that you are encountering the purest love ever shown to mankind. In the Holy Eucharist, we come before a God who would stop at nothing to provide the needs of his children even if it means shedding His own blood. There is no prayer that God would not answer when we present it as we receive Holy Commuion.

*Two: The Holy Eucharist Unites Us.*

In the miracle of the loaves, we would notice that Jesus instructs his disciples saying: “Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.” This little detail carries a lot of meaning. The Eucharist is a meal which requires bonding of hearts and minds together. When we partake of the Eucharist, we all eat and drink from one bread and one chalice. Keeping enmity with one another, fighting or backbiting should no longer exist in our community since we all share from the same source of nourishment.

On the other hand, apart from sitting together in companies, Jesus used the occasion to teach us the importance of sharing what we have with others. The miracle of the loaves and fishes did not happen all of a sudden, it was a miracle that kept happening each time the bread and fish was broken and shared. Selfishness or self-centeredness are vices we must constantly eschew from our lives as Christians. The more we share the little we have, the more it increases. If we come to partake in the Eucharist, we must also go home to become “Eucharists” to others by breaking and sharing our gifts, our resources, our time and all we have with others.

*Three: The Eucharist is Tied to the Priesthood.*

Do you notice that without the priesthood, there is no Holy Eucharist and without the Holy Eucharist, there is not priesthood? In fact, it was right there at the Last Supper that the Priesthood began. When Jesus said to the twelve, “Do this in memory of me” He was basically giving them the power of the priesthood. The entire life of the priest revolves around the Holy Eucharist. Just as Melchizedek blessed Abram, the priest basically is ordained to bless the people.

We must avoid the temptation of looking down our priests so as not to fall into the error of Jesus’ close relatives who regarded him simply as the carpenter’s son. Mark tells us that Jesus “could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.” (Mark 6:5-6). Today, the priesthood is severely under attack, the sins and mistakes of a few are blown by the media out of proportion. Satan’s real aim is to prevent mankind from the Holy Eucharist, the food of our souls but he knows the only way to get to the Eucharist is by first destroying the priesthood.

How many of us today still believe in our priests? No wonder we are running from church to church seeking miracles when the only miracle we need happens every day on our Altars; the changing of bread/wine into the body and blood of Christ.

*Four: The Eucharist is Food for our Souls.*

Our final lesson today comes from our Gospel acclamation. Here we hear Jesus say: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever…” (John 6:51). Are you a communicant? When last did you receive the Holy Eucharist worthily and in a state of grace? What is stopping you from taking Holy communion today? Dear friends, if Jesus has given us his own flesh and blood, it is because He knows that just as our bodies need food to survive, our souls need the Eucharist to survive. The more we strive to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, the more we strive to live a sinless life and the more we receive Jesus, the more we become strengthened with more grace and power to be holier Christians. Do not stay away from communion, it is your ticket to eternal life.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, deepen my appreciation and devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Amen.

Happy Sunday. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Year C. Bible Study: Genesis 14:18-20, 1^st Corinthians 11:23-26 and Luke 9, 11-17).

Relax: Your Master Can Take Care of You.

Saturday 22^nd June, 2019. 2^nd Corinthians 12:1-10, Psalm 34 and Matthew 6:24-34)_

_*“And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27)*_

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus begins by saying: “No one can serve two masters.” This means that no matter how we try to pretend, we are either serving God or serving mammon. Now, the question is; who is your master? In other words, who do you trust?

It may be very easy for us to say “God is my master” but the truth is that if we were to examine our hearts thoroughly, we would discover that we are worshippers of mammon. How? We cannot claim to have God as our master when we do not trust Him. We cannot claim to worship God when we continue to worry after we have prayed?

According to Jesus, if God were truly our master, we wouldn’t have to be worried about anything whatsoever just like the birds of the air and the grass of the field. The very fact that we worry about not having what to eat or what to wear and so on proves that we have so little faith in God’s providence. In fact, we do not even need to remind God of what we need because the very fact that He is God means that He knows already.

Jesus says that all we need to do is to seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness and wait on Him to provide for us. This attitude of complete trust in God is what St. Paul relates to in today’s first reading where he noted: “I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, save me from the mistake of serving another Master other than you. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 11^th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 2^nd Corinthians 12:1-10, Psalm 34 and Matthew 6:24-34).

We are More Than Conquerors.

Monday 17^th June, 2019. 2^nd Corinthians 6:1-10, Psalm 98 and Matthew 5:38-42

_*“We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:8-10)*_

The Christian life is a real battle. In John 10:10, Jesus warned us of “the thief (the devil) who comes only to steal, to kill and to destroy.” The devil does not like anything good and would work as hard as he can to frustrate the children of light. This is exactly what St. Paul is talking about in today’s first reading. We are attacked on all sides but not destroyed.

A lot of the misfortunes we face in life are merely physical manifestations of real spiritual battles but too often, instead of increasing our prayer life, we end up picking wrong fights with people around us. As St. Paul told us, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers” (Ephesians 6:12).

In our Gospel passage, Jesus admonishes us not to engage in physical battles. He says “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also…” (Matthew 5:38-39). Jesus is not asking us simply to allow people to override us, Jesus wants us to fight in the right place. The real enemy is not the one who struck you in one cheek, it is the one who comes to steal, to kill and destroy.

I once read a commentary on Job. Basically, the author was saying that one of the strategies the devil employs when he wants to get into our skin is to take the physical things around us which we cherish so much. Do not lose your calm when these things happen, just know that you are more than a conqueror.

Go into your prayer room again, wipe off the dust from your prayer books, open that clean sparking bible again, spend more time in God’s presence, and drop whatever vices, bad habits or sinful deeds in your life. Get serious with God, let Him fight for you. Stop wasting time, fighting people.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, I commend myself to you. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the 11^th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 2^nd Corinthians 6:1-10, Psalm 98 and Matthew 5:38-42).

The Trinity; Living Miracle of God in Unity.

Sunday 16^th June, 2019. Proverbs 8:22-31, Psalm 8, Romans 5:1-5 and John 16:12-15)_

 

_*“I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:12-13)*_

In our celebration today, we shall try to answer one simple question: “Who is God?” As simple as this question appears, the answer might be so complex that even the person attempting to provide the answer may not even understand what he or she is saying. We can actually spend five hours talking about God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit and still many of us would say: “Father, what have you really said?”

Jesus Christ understood this complexity perfectly and that is why he said in today’s Gospel passage: “I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now,” meaning, “you cannot understand everything I want to tell you.” Jesus then went on to say: “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.” That is to say, if we want to understand Trinity, we only need to listen to the Holy Spirit and this brings us to our lessons for today

*Lesson One: God is Too Great to be understood by Humans.*

Hear what Saint Columbanus has to say concerning the Trinity: “Who is God? He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God. Seek no further concerning God; for those who wish to know the great deep must first review the natural world. For knowledge of the Trinity is properly likened to the depths of the Sea, according to that saying of the Sage: And the great deep, who shall fathom it? Since, just as the depth of the sea is invisible to human sight, even so the godhead of the Trinity is found to be unknowable by human senses.”

That is to say, there is no way I can explain how there are three persons in just one God in a way that you will understand. So instead of attempting to explain, I can tell you why it is impossible to explain: God is greater than what our human brain can carry. Don’t try to understand the Trinity, just believe it. God is both Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our Psalmist today sings: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name through all the earth.” God is just too much!

*Lesson Two: The Trinity teaches us Unity.*

There are three persons perfectly united in one God. This is a mystery we cannot understand but we can learn from. God as Trinity, teaches us to live in harmony with one another seeing each other as part of us and ourselves as part of one another. What makes this unity possible?

*Consultation.* At Creation, God spoke: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;…” (Genesis 1:26). Our first reading from the book of Proverbs centres on this creation account of Genesis. It speaks of how God as Father was not alone while forming the heavens and the earth. Never think you can succeed or survive alone. No one is an island. Even God is a community of three persons. Always consult others in whatever you want to do. As a Christian community, we can only stay united when we constantly talk with one another and discuss our plans. Keeping malice or staying away from zonal meetings or societal gatherings is inimical to our progress as a people.

*Collaboration.* When Mary was asked Angel Gabriel how she was going to become the mother of Jesus Christ, he said: “The Holy Spirit (God the Spirit), will come upon you, and the power of the Most High (God the Father) will overshadow you; therefore the child (God the Son) to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. (Luke 1: 35). The Trinity works together, each person playing their part in bringing about the mission at hand. We see this perfect collaboration (team spirit) at the baptism of Jesus. God the Son rising from the water, God the Holy Spirit present in the form of a dove and God the Father spoke: ““This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

This is the beauty of team spirit. Life itself is one big collaboration. The plants around us, the trees, the rivers etc. are all playing their part to ensure our survival. We need them and they need us. There is no limit to what we can achieve as when we all decide to play our part and work for the common good.

*Contentment.* In describing the Holy Spirit, Jesus says: “he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak… He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-14). You see, there is a perfect sense of contentment in the Trinity. None of the three persons is trying to take the place of another. There is no competition, no politics, no back-biting. None is thinking about who gets the glory.

*Lesson Three: God allows Suffering in our Life for a Purpose.*

Our third and final lesson today comes from our second reading. Here St. Paul teaches us not to be discouraged by whatever suffering we are faced with in life. In fact, St. Paul says we should rejoice in our sufferings because suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope and hope does not disappoint us. This is so true!

If things are rough for you today, don’t worry, don’t give up, don’t think of suicide, you are only passing through a stage. Tough times don’t last, tough people, do. I will leave you with the words of Hebrews 12:5-7 “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to live with others just as you live in perfect harmony with the Father and the Spirit in one God. Amen.

*Happy Sunday. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Trinity Sunday. Year C. Bible Study: Proverbs 8:22-31, Psalm 8, Romans 5:1-5 and John 16:12-15).