For the Lord’s word is true; all his works are trustworthy. – Psalm 33:4

       “I will give to you, and your descendants after you, the land....” God used this verse from Genesis 17:8, featured in another Didache reflection entitled “This Land Is Mine,” to make a promise to me last year. Danny, the writer of that reflection, shared how he and his wife prayed for a property where they could build a home, how God led them to one that matched their requirements, and how God helped them buy the land even when at the start they didn’t have enough money to purchase it.

       I read his story at the most perfect time! I just visited a property that also matched my requirements — “peaceful, secure neighborhood and within walking distance to a church.” And my husband and I didn’t have money to buy the property, too. But God made a way for us to reserve the property and pay for the down payment in the months that followed.

         My heart was filled with praise and thanksgiving to God for His faithfulness to His Word. God said that He would give me and my family that land. That’s exactly what He did!

         Remembering this wonderful blessing from God makes my heart sing one of our favorite songs at The Feast: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag (teregmps@yahoo.com)

Reflection: How much do you trust God’s Word? Do your actions show that you trust Him and His Word?

Lord, may Your Word serve as my life’s compass and anchor.

St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr, pray for us.

God’s choice for us is a mystery — we know He destines us for eternal life and at the same time gives us the freedom to choose otherwise. This is really a lesson in love — love is not love unless it is freely given and received. Herein lies the challenge of faith — to not only freely receive God’s love into our hearts, but to freely choose to offer our love in return. This is what it means to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus.

11 Brothers and sisters: In Christ we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, 12 so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. 13 In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

1 Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting. 2 Give thanks to the Lord on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises. (R) 4 For 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) 12 Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. 13 From heaven the Lord looks down; he sees all mankind. (R)

If there is one thing that Jesus despises, it is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is the deliberate attempt to cover up aspects of one’s character and present a false image to the world. Perhaps we all have a little bit of this from time to time but let us pray that we will be honest enough to stand for what we believe to be true and not lie about it.

May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us; who have put our hope in you.

1 At that time: So many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot. Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven — that is, the hypocrisy — of the Pharisees. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. 4 I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. 5 I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. 7 Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”

think:  The challenge of faith is to not only freely receive God’s love into our hearts, but to freely choose to offer our love in return.

OF GOD AND GRANDMOTHERS

I wonder how many of us now really value the five-centavo or even the 10-centavo coins. For one, they are so small. Second, they are practically worthless, for there is absolutely nothing now that you can buy with them.

       I remember a time when the segment of Taft Avenue in Manila fronting the Philippine General Hospital was lined with huge acacia trees. To a child’s mind then, the avenue was such a wide thoroughfare, so spacious, airy and shady. It had another memorable trait.  Sparrows filled the air, the shady trees, and the ground where we waited for our bus ride to Mendez, Cavite.

       They were so commonplace, so visible, yet unnoticed. And they were so many. We didn’t mind them at all. How do you value something so available, so numerous, and so worthless in your eyes? What does one do to so many moths during the onset of the rainy season, apart from letting them die when the sun comes back in the morning?

       What a good teacher the Lord is! He found use for something so useless and worthless. He found meaning in a reality that does not merit a second look. He found it useful to make the lowly sparrow a stepping stone towards increasing our self-worth and self-image vis-à-vis the loving God.

       I guess love is really that, essentially. It is all about loving even seemingly useless things. My grandmother loved us truly. She kept away and stored everything she found lying around: a hair clip, a paper clip, a piece of string, a used paper bag. She kept and stored everything “useful” for some rainy day, not for herself, but for us. Guess who came to our rescue when we were looking frantically for a clip, or a piece of cloth, or the like!

       God and grandmothers! They sure are alike in at least one thing. They both value even the valueless — for love. Even though we may feel like worthless little paper clips, or useless five-centavo coins, Someone up there loves us and cares for us. God values me and you and, mind you, we are worth more than many paper clips. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTION: What value do you put on seemingly useless things and, more importantly, weak and useless people?

Lord, thank You for still loving me and making me feel worthy despite my unworthiness because of my transgressions.