THE SCARCITY

MINDSET

They tried to keep Jesus from leaving them. – Luke 4:42

In his quest to earn more, Eric stumbled upon a mobile app that gave cashbacks on purchased groceries. He got excited. The earnings weren’t much, but cents are still money, he believed. To get extra, he would sometimes ask for receipts from his mom and friends, not telling them why.

Knowing his financial goals, Eric’s friends shared with him business ideas, financial knowledge, and opportunities. He, on the contrary, was hesitant to share even just the mobile app he discovered—until he realized this: What would he gain by keeping it to himself?

In the Gospel, people wanted Jesus, the source of miracles, all to themselves. It must be because they felt a scarcity of blessings for a long time. And when Eric wanted to keep that mobile app to himself, he was like those people in Jesus’ time— scared and selfish.

Friends, God wants all of His children to prosper.

He can do that through us as we help each other grow. Osy Erica (osy.erica@gmail.com)

Reflect: God’s blessings will never run out. Give, share, and be generous.

Father, give me faith to believe You will provide for my needs. I want to love and be generous to others. Amen.

St. Rose of Viterbo, pray for us.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us that the truth will set us free (John 8:32). Today, Paul reminds us that if we follow the truth, then our lives and ministries will bear fruit. We all want to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God. Let us be committed in discovering the truth and living it out. Truth enhances our lives and takes us on an adventure of a lifetime—obeying God’s will for us.

Colossians 1:1-8

1 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the holy ones and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones 5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. Of this you have already heard through the word of truth, the Gospel, 6 that has come to you. Just as in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing, so also among you, from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth, 7 as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave, who is a trustworthy minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Psalm 52:10, 11 

10 I, like a green olive tree in the house of God, trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. (R) 11 I will thank you always for what you have done, and proclaim the goodness of your name before your faithful ones. (R)

GOSPEL

Remarkable signs and wonders—healings, exorcisms, and many more— accompanied the ministry of Jesus. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to empower our own ministries in the same way. But we must remember to always ascribe the glory to God. It is He who heals and converts, not us. We are merely men and women cooperating with His grace as we serve. 

The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.

Luke 4:38-44

38 After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. 39 He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. 40 At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. 41 And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ. 42 At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. 43 But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

think: What gift of the Holy Spirit do you need to fulfill God’s call for you?

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THE HEALTHY BALANCE

Consider it a gift when you experience the tension between being and doing. The disciples struggled with this tension too. Peter wanted only to minister to the Jews to keep the tradition while Paul expanded his mission to the Gentiles. But this tension existed not only between these two individuals. This dynamic tension is also happening within us.

Doing is to get things done—to achieve particular goals that the mind has set. Being is accepting and allowing what is. In spiritual life, doing is ministry and being is prayer. Our difficulty lies on how we balance the tension between the two.

In today’s Gospel, after Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, cured the sick and went to other towns, more people came looking for Him. The next day, however, He made a crucial move: “And when it was day, He departed and went into a lonely place.” Despite His hectic schedule, He made sure to have time for prayer—a way of fuelling His being.

Through prayer, silence, and solitude, we find a way to rejuvenate. The more we take care of our being, the more our spiritual sensitivity heightens. When we take care of our being, it propels us to “go to the other towns,” so to speak. Because this mode of being will find a way out—it will overflow.

At the same time, the more we do many things, the more we desire to sit down and pray. This gives us time to sort out, prioritize, and make sense of what we are doing.

There will always be tension. The challenge is how to hit the balance. Our consolation is that Jesus, too, struggled with the tension between being and doing. The key is to maintain a healthy tension. Fr. Haluendo Amit, OCD

------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS -------

Are you more of being or doing? How can you balance both?

 

Grant me the grace to have a healthy balance between ministry and prayer, Lord. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _____________________________