“I knew it because the Lord informed me…” – Jeremiah 11:18

I’m in the pre-need business. One of my prospects was Ate Cindy, a former officemate. I offered her a life plan. She was interested but she told me that the plan was really intended for her elderly and sickly mom but she wasn’t ready to get the plan due to financial constraints.
One day, I had this urge to check on Ate Cindy. Maybe she was already financially ready. I learned though that her mom was getting weaker by the day. I could sense the urgency of the need and advising her to get the plan was not the best option. I felt a prompting to give her the number of a certain memorial chapel that offered an affordable yet decent “at need” package.
The following morning, her mom passed away. Since she was able to make inquiries from the memorial chapel before her mom died, she experienced no problem when the time came for her mom’s body to be picked up.
I learned from this experience that in life — and in business — what’s important is being sensitive to the needs of others. It’s not as much about what we have gained but how much we have loved. Judith C.

REFLECTION:
Do you make yourself sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit?

Thank You for speaking to my heart, for helping me guide others.

Jeremiah 11:18-20

Jeremiah draws some sort of comfort from the knowledge, or at least his belief, that he will be vindicated in the end. Yes, he will be vindicated but it may not be in the way that he first thinks. The mercy of God will be slow to punish his tormentors if they repent of their sins. Thus the vindication of Jeremiah in this case will be that he is proven right and that his tormentors have come to repentance and salvation through his ministry.

18 I knew it because the LORD informed me; at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings. 11:19* Yet, I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized that they were hatching plots against me: “Let us destroy the tree in its vigor; let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will not be spoken no more.” 20* But you, O Lord of hosts, O just Judge, searcher of mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause!

P S A L M

Psalm 7:2-3, 9-10, 11-12

R: O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.

1 [2] O LORD, my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, 2 [3] lest I become like the lion’s prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me. (R) 8 [9] Do me justice, O LORD, because I am just, and because of the innocence that is mine. 9 [10] Let the malice of the wicked come to an end, but sustain the just, O searcher of heart and soul, O just God. (R) 10 [11] A shield before me is God, who saves the upright of heart; 11 [12] a just judge is God, a God who punishes day by day. (R)

G O S P E L

John 7:40-53

Not all of the leaders of the Jewish people agreed as to what the problem was with the teaching and ministry of Jesus and what they should do about it. Such confusion should have led them to re-examine the situation more carefully but unfortunately they did not. Even today, Christians often disagree over various elements of faith and morality. Let us pray that we will be able to discuss such issues carefully in order to come to a common agreement as to the true content of faith and morality.

40 Some in the crowd who heard his words said, “This is truly the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But others said, “The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? 42 Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” 43 So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. 44 Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45 So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.” 47 So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, 51 “Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” 52 They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” 53 Then each went to his own house.

my reflections
think: The Lord vindicates the just.

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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 1 Kings 1-3

As a pastor I have come to accept the fact that, like so many other priests, I have a very public life. I guess we cannot just help it. People go to us and see us in the most important occasions in their lives—birthdays, weddings and funerals. We are the most visible persons in the community because we get to stand before a lot of people in so many instances. And even if we try to withdraw, there are still ways when people can come and compel us to come out—like, for counseling. Such condition makes a priest’s life subject to people’s scrutiny. So comments like, “Suplado ang paring yun” or “Mabait ang paring ito” are commonplace.
While I recognize and accept this reality, I find it sometimes unfair to simply be judged because of some instances where I seemingly have been remiss or I failed to measure up to some people’s expectations. Although it has not been my style to defend myself in those situations when I feel I have been unjustly judged, I still feel the need to at least explain my side.
Paul Decker shares this story: A small-town police officer was sitting in his car on a Saturday morning when a motorist sped past him down Main Street. He quickly pulls the car over. “Officer, I can explain…”
“Quiet!” snapped the officer. “We don’t ‘tolerate’ reckless driving in this town! I’m going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back.”
“But, Officer, you don’t under…”
“And I said to keep quiet!” he barked, reaching for his nightstick to convince the man he meant what he said. A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, “Lucky for you that the chief’s at his daughter’s wedding. He’ll be in a good mood when he gets back.”
“Don’t count on it,” replied the fellow in the cell. “I’m the groom.”
In his life on earth, Jesus would always find himself in situations where accusations were unjustly hurled at him. It is heartening to know that in one such occasion, there was a man by the name of Nicodemus who was very much willing to hear Jesus out and who was not quick to judge. Although his peers won over him, his efforts were not at all useless. We can commend him for the effort, because that was the least that he could do to really bring out the truth.
We need to see ourselves always in Jesus’ shoes so that when the need to hear other people out comes, we’ll have the heart to do so. Fr. Sandy V. E.

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are we ready to hear others out?

You never turn a deaf ear, are always slow to judge. For this, Father, thank You.

St. Aldemar, abbot, pray for us.