But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength… – 2 Timothy 4:17

        “When the night has come. And the land is dark. And the moon is the only light we’ll see. No, I won’t be afraid. Oh, I won’t be afraid. Just as long as you stand, stand by me.”

         I was reminded of the lyrics of this old, popular song after I read the passage above from the book of 2 Timothy. We become brave enough to endure the different seasons of darkness in our lives when we know that we are not alone… when we know that someone is standing with us or beside us while we face these dark times.

      We are bravest, though, when we know that that Someone who stands with us in the dark is God. His presence alone drives away all our fears and enables us not only to endure the darkness but also to overcome it. He gives us courage and strength to step out in faith even though we have just enough light for the next step.

       Because of this, we can sing: “So Jesus, Jesus, stand by me, oh stand by me, oh stand, stand by me, stand by me.” Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag (teregmps@yahoo.com)

Reflection:Do you rely on God for strength in times of trouble? Or do you rely on other people or yourself alone?

Lord, please stand by me and give me strength in times of trouble so that I can proclaim the Good News in season and out of season.

St. John of Capistrano, priest, pray for us.

This passage tells us that God hears the cry of the poor. But why does it seem like He is not doing anything about the plight of the poor in the world? Is this His fault? Who is responsible for helping the poor? In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that we will always have the poor among us. It is our responsibility to care for their practical needs.

Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18

12 The Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. 13 Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. 14 The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint. 16 The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. 17 The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, 18 nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right, and the Lord will not delay.

Psalm 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23

R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

1 [2] I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 2 [3] Let my soul glory in the Lord; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (R) 16 [17] The Lord confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. 17 [18] When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. (R) 18 [19] The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. 22 [23] The Lord redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him. (R)

Paul affirms that his life is drawing to a close — he has been poured out in the service of the Gospel. Hopefully we will say the same words at the end of our lives. How are we doing in the service of the Gospel? Do we give ourselves in the work of the Kingdom of God or have we been lazy? God gave His Son’s life for our salvation. Surely we can do everything we can to serve Him and the Church.

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

6 Beloved: I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. 8 From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. 16 At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Hypocrisy is a horrible reality and we can easily slip into it if we are not careful. We should remember that salvation is a gift that we have been given, not something we have earned. We lose sight of the true nature of the Gospel the moment we think we deserve a place of privilege due to our work.

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of salvation.

9 Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. 10 “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ 13 But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

think: Salvation is a gift we have been given, not something we have earned.

Thank You Lord for: __________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR  Malachi 1-3

THANK YOU LIST

SPECIAL NEEDS

HIDDEN TREASURE

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FIGHT OR FLIGHT

It takes a lot of courage to own up to one’s mistake. People err, but ownership is a different story. Although there is an awareness of the infraction committed, we usually have difficulty owning up to our mistakes because of fear.

       Fear makes us choose between fight and flight. It makes us avoid things which we think would harm us. It also makes us immobile, preventing us from making decisions for fear of its consequences. But fear could also push us to fight the peril we expect to confront, face the uncertain, and do our responsibility to avoid liabilities.

       The most logical thing to do when a person commits an error is to fix it. But because facing the consequences involves fear, a person might just leave it as it is or forget that it ever happened. With self-imposed animosity, what started as fear may grow evil roots and turn into pride.

       Jesus speaks of humility as a way to liberate us from our sinfulness. According to Sirach, “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord.” It is when we own up to our sins that we are justified. “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted,” says the Lord. Owning up to our sins is an act of embracing our inadequacy, shortcomings and an act of oblation before our Savior. This is a bold step in welcoming the Lord into our lives and giving Him full control of it.

       Yes, everyone commits a mistake, but not all own up to it. Let us ask the Lord to help us reconcile with ourselves and embrace our being despite our inadequacies. After all, the Lord came for us, sinners, that we may find our way home. Fr. Sonny Cotiamco

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you have secret sins that you have not confessed and repented of? What’s keeping you from availing of the sacrament of reconciliation now?

God is waiting for you. God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.