“I am so old that I may now die at any time.” – Genesis 27:2

       Outside one of the chapels during a wake, I saw paper machés of a house, car and yacht.

       “What’s that for?” I asked my Chinese husband. He explained that the Chinese believe that by burning these, they were sending them ahead for the deceased. That way, they’d have a huge house, cars and boats to use in the next life.

       I just laughed. “You can’t take anything out of this world with you when you die,” I said. My husband grinned, “If he’s Chinese, he’ll find a way.”

       My husband was right. There is a way to send our earthly wealth in advance to heaven. But not in the way that he was talking about.

       When we’re generous to others, when we give our tithes to the Lord, when we support ministries, we are using our money to build God’s Kingdom on earth.

       Friends, let’s use our earthly wealth in such a way that when we reach our heavenly home, a huge mansion awaits us. Rissa Singson Kawpeng (justbreatherissa@gmail.com)

Reflection: Do you have eternal life insurance?

Jesus, may I use the riches You’ve entrusted to me to help build Your Kingdom on this earth. Amen.

St. Elizabeth of Portugal, pray for us.

Stealing a birthright during their time was not frowned upon by God or anyone else except the victims. Perhaps the values of society then have developed to the point that we are used to it today. Are we desperate in the way we seek the grace of God? God has enough graces to go around, so we do not need to get those of others. God’s storehouse of goodness is inexhaustible — He blesses us all with so much. It is up to us what to do with His grace.

Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29

1 When Isaac was so old that his eyesight had failed him, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “Son!” “Yes, father!” he replied. 2 Isaac then said, “As you can see, I am so old that I may now die at any time. 3 Take your gear, therefore — your quiver and bow — and go out into the country to hunt some game for me. 4 With your catch prepare an appetizing dish for me, such as I like, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my special blessing before I die.” 5 Rebekah had been listening while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau. So when Esau went out into the country to hunt some game for his father, 15 Rebekah [then] took the best clothes of her older son Esau that she had in the house, and gave them to her younger son Jacob to wear; 16 and with the skins of the kids she covered up his hands and the hairless parts of his neck. 17 Then she handed her son Jacob the appetizing dish and the bread she had prepared. 18 Bringing them to his father, Jacob said, “Father!” “Yes?” replied Isaac. “Which of my sons are you?” 19 Jacob answered his father: “I am Esau, your first-born. I did as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your special blessing.” 20 But Isaac asked, “How did you succeed so quickly, son?” He answered, “The Lord, your God, let things turn out well with me.” 21 Isaac then said to Jacob, “Come closer, son, that I may feel you, to learn whether you really are my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob moved up closer to his father. When Isaac felt him, he said, “Although the voice is Jacob’s, the hands are Esau’s.” 23 (He failed to identify him because his hands were hairy, like those of his brother Esau; so in the end he gave him his blessing.) 24 Again he asked Jacob, “Are you really my son Esau?” “Certainly,” Jacob replied. 25 Then Isaac said, “Serve me your game, son, that I may eat of it and then give you my blessing.” Jacob served it to him, and Isaac ate; he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Finally his father Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer, son, and kiss me.” 27 As Jacob went up and kissed him, Isaac smelled the fragrance of his clothes. With that, he blessed him, saying, “Ah, the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field that the Lord has blessed! 28 “May God give to you of the dew of 29 “Let peoples serve you, and nations pay you homage; be master of your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you.”

Psalm 135:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R: Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!

1 Praise the name of the Lord; praise, you servants of the Lord 2 who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. (R) 3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, which we love; 4 for the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own possession. (R) 5 For I know that the Lord is great; our Lord is greater than all gods. 6 All that the Lord wills he does in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the deeps. (R)

Every new idea, whether in religion, science or any field of human inquiry will cause discomfort. This is a natural reality which we should not fear. We have to be like the wise steward who knows when to use the old things and when to embrace new ones. As we grow more in discipleship, we will be challenged to find new and different ways of approaching old experiences.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

14 The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. 17 People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are  preserved.”

think: God’s storehouse of goodness is inexhaustible — He blesses us all with so much.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 2 Chronicles 15-16

FAST TO DEPEND ON GOD

We should not follow traditions blindly. Traditions have their contexts — they did not come from nowhere or were just a pigment of the imagination of our elders. They were experiences of faith. Knowing how traditions came about makes their celebration more meaningful.

       Fasting is one of those traditions. In the Jewish tradition, fasting is done as part of sacrifice and prayer. Jewish soldiers fast before they go to battle. Weakened physically but strong spiritually, they fight virtually on the sheer grace of God. Fasting makes the Jew more dependent on God than himself. Jesus knew the tradition of fasting. He fasted when He was growing up. His parents raised Him to be a good Jew. But since He had now started His ministry, He meant to proclaim the Good News of salvation. Part of that proclamation was to reveal who He was, teach the laws in their true spirit, and open the eyes of the Jewish leaders.

       Why did the Pharisees fast when He who is to come is already here? It was hard for the Jews to recognize Him as the Messiah. He gave them the parables of the new wineskin and cloth to remind them how closed their minds and hearts had been to new revelations from God. They had determined how God will come to them. They had relied more on themselves than on God.

       We are more fortunate than the Jews. Now, we need not worry about how and when the Messiah will come. Jesus is the Messiah. We had seen and heard Him. All we have to do is to know Him, love Him, and serve Him. He is our God. God knows what is best. Let us follow His will. Easier said than done, isn’t it? It is because we lack the faith to go with them. We again behave like the Jews waiting for the Messiah. We rather believe in ourselves. Maybe we need to fast. Fr. Benny Tuazon

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What is your favorite religious tradition? Do you know how that tradition came about? Try to do some research so you’ll appreciate more what you’re doing.