Make known to me your ways, Lord; teach me your paths. Guide me by your fidelity and teach me, for you are God my savior... – Psalm 25:4-5

Have you ever felt like everything was just coming to you left and right all at the same time? When your to-do list seems never-ending and your pending box is piling up to the moon?

       Earlier this year, I had a week like that. I was swamped with so much to do for work and ministry and I felt like I was drowning in a sea of deadlines. To top it off, I even had a talk to prepare for that Sunday. I was overwhelmed, stressed and desperately trying to balance everything on my own. Then a Voice from above spoke to my heart. “Stop trying, start trusting.”

       Quickly, I realized that I was trying to do things my way and on my own ability. I was reminded not to rely on my own strength and understanding, but rather to trust and lean on God’s limitless ability. Thus, when I began to put my faith in Him rather than in myself, I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. Eventually, the self-imposed pressure subsided and I was able to accomplish all my deliverables successfully. Mike Viñas (mikemichaelfcv@yahoo.com)

Reflection: “He guides the humble in righteousness, and teaches the humble his way.” (Psalm 25:9)

Father, teach me to live by Your ways. Amen.

Blessed Mary Frances Schervier, pray for us.

The prophetic tradition of Israel was an important aspect of their religious life. It is here that the expectation of the Messiah arose and this is what we inherited as Christians in our understanding of Jesus as our Messiah and Redeemer. It is, thus, important to try to understand the Jewish faith in relation to our own.

2 When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, 4 the utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled: 5 How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your encampments, O Israel! 6 They are like gardens beside a stream, like the cedars planted by the Lord. 7 His wells shall yield free-flowing waters, he shall have the sea within reach; His king shall rise higher, and his royalty shall be exalted. 15 Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, 16 the utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured and with eyes unveiled. 17 I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near. A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel.

R: Teach me your ways, O Lord.

4 Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. (R) 6 Remember that your compassion, O Lord, and your kindness are from of old. 7 In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord. (R) 8 Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way. 9 He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. (R)

The chief priests are, so to speak, somewhere between a rock and a hard place. It seems that they cannot do anything about the ministry of Jesus. To persecute Him would cause problems, and so, too, would acceptance of everything that He has to say. What are they going to do? Perhaps the best thing to do in a situation like this is to listen to what our conscience is telling us and then commit ourselves to that course of action.

Show us, Lord, your love and grant us your salvation.

23 When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them in reply, “I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” He himself said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

think:  It is important for us to try to understand the Jewish faith in relation to our own.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Hosea 11-14

HAVE YOUR WAY WITH ME, O GOD!

A pupil asked his teacher: “Ma’am, would you punish me for something I didn’t do?” The teacher replied, “Well, of course not.”

         The pupil continued, “That’s great, because I didn’t do my homework.” Students don’t usually want to do their homework. They usually resent it when their teachers give assignments.

         In today’s Gospel, the chief priests and the elders approached Jesus like unhappy students resenting their teacher. “On what authority do you do these things?” Jesus refused to answer their questions directly because they were not asking the right questions. Jesus was teaching in the Temple not on the strength of authority or power (though He obviously has both).

         The season of Advent invites us to ponder on this mystery of a God who could have directed the world on the sheer strength of power and authority but did not. Couldn’t God just have dropped a manual from heaven and directed humanity to study it and prepare for an examination under pain of damnation in case of failure? He could have, but He didn’t.

         The deep mystery of Christmas is the mystery of a God who became man in order to show humanity how to live his own humanity. Isn’t that the mystery behind the name of the child Mary was to bear? Emmanuel — the God who is with us. The deep mystery of Christmas is the mystery of a God whose way is not to impose but to propose.

         And there lies the paradox. Before Someone who does not wish to impose through sheer power and authority, I do not mind to be imposed upon. Before Someone who does not wish to impose through sheer power and authority, I can willingly surrender.

         Now we understand the docility expressed in today’s Responsorial Psalm: “Teach me your ways, O Lord.” God’s ways are not cold, whimsical instructions from a distant God residing in His ivory palace. Jesus taught nothing in the Scriptures that He Himself did not experience or practice. That is why He became Emmanuel — the God who is with us! Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTION: There is no commandment in the Scriptures that Jesus Himself did not practice or experience. Do you see God as a dictator or a companion?

“Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior.”