“Let us destroy the tree in its vigor…” – Jeremiah 11:19

       Religious people define sin as something that offends God. That’s true. But with this definition, some people think God is an uptight King with an immaculate palace — and you walk in with muddy shoes.

       Hey, God is a Big Guy. Nothing happens to Him when we sin. The only reason sin affects Him is because it affects you. Sin doesn’t violate His holiness as much as it violates His heart — because you are His heart.

       As a father of two growing boys, I experience this firsthand. One time, my son came home frustrated over something that happened in his ministry. When I asked him a question, he answered me in a belligerent tone. So I told him gently, “Son, I know you had a rough day, but when you answered me right now, I felt disrespected.” Quickly, he said, “I’m sorry, Dad.” (I have a fantastic son.)

       When he spoke to me in a disrespectful tone, I was hurt, yes. But more than anything else, I felt hurt at what the habit of  disrespect will do to his future. It will steal away his relationships, his potential, and his success. And I didn’t want that to happen. I urge you now: Quit sin. Quit bad habits. Quit anything that is destroying your future. Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com)

Reflection: What sin or bad habit do you need to cut now?

Dearest Lord, thank You for treasuring me in Your heart. Help me to quit my sinful ways. Amen.

St. Hugh of Grenoble, pray for us.

Jeremiah, the reluctant prophet, accepted his fate of persecution and death at the hands of his enemies. He believes that God will vindicate him in the end. He knows that he will be counted among the just because he obeyed the Lord.

18 I knew their plot because the Lord informed me; at that time you, O Lord, showed me their doings. 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!

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)

Sometimes, we worry about things that do not matter. We must focus on the right things and follow the will of God. Let us avoid the distraction of the many interpretations of the Scriptures and signs. The miracles of Jesus reveal His identity as the Messiah. But some people doubted this truth because they were focused on Jesus’ birthplace and lineage.

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.

40 Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, “This is truly the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Christ 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 man.” 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.

think:What different opinions do you hear about Jesus today? Why do you think there is still a confusion about Him?

Read the Bible in one year Exodus 7-9

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

in one year PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

The ultimate purpose of my life

GOALS FOR THE QUARTER

Priority areas God wants me to work on

DOUBTS AND DECENCY

The Lord walked into the equivalent of an impromptu SWS — a social weather survey of sorts. Some in the crowd were ready to vote for Him as the “prophet.” Some were just as ready to give Him the title of the “Anointed One.” But there were those who, as usual, expressed doubts. “No! Surely a man so great cannot come from a place so forgettable!” “Galilee, you mean?”

       And just like what happens in our beloved country during elections, the doubters and believers soon take up defensive but definitely different positions that soon translate into full-blown divisions.

         I have attended so many meetings in my life, big and small. A convention, or a big meeting, is a coming together of people. They are convened by a person, aptly called a convenor, in order to find common cause and reach common ground on certain issues. But many times, they end up being more divided than they were at the start.

       For a non-biblical scholar like me, I entertain some little theories about biblical characters. For the longest time, I believed that Corinthians were exactly like us Filipinos. We never get our act together. We always take sides against other opposing sides. We are often at loggerheads with one another.

          But now, I tend to think that Jerusalem is also not far different from Metro Manila. Anybody in the crowd could take a position and hold on to an opinion. Like the Metro Manila mayors, who could not agree on a unified traffic scheme, the Jerusalem crowd could not come up with a solid position on who Christ was.

           Doubters and deniers outnumbered the decent. Simple ones saw a reason to be a bit more sympathetic, for “never has anyone spoken like Him.” The proud and the learned — the usual suspects — that is, the Pharisees, looked at everyone with disdain. “Dumb people who know nothing of the law are accursed!” It was then a toss-up between the doubters, the dumb, and the doctors of the law.

           But… hold it! God sends a decent man in Nicodemus! Not all is lost yet. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

Do you know the difference between the truth and an opinion?

Lord, enlighten my mind and lead me always to Your truth. Amen.