RE-CENTER

Oftentimes, we plan our life according to what we want without even asking God to get on board during our planning stage. Then we ask Him to bless our well laid-out plans that neither involved Him nor consulted Him. Then when things go awry, we cry out to God, “Why?!”

It’s time to step on the brakes, hit the “re-center” button, and make sure that God is with us this time in our journey. He navigates our new route that will allow us to reach our destination in the shortest time possible! Ronna Ledesma (ronna_ledesma@ yahoo.com.ph)

Reflect: “God always presses the point until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion.” (Oswald Chambers)

Father, forgive me for those times when I went ahead with my plans without even consulting You.

St. Cyprian, pray for us. 

We have a responsibility to recognize right from wrong. This is essential to the life of a disciple. If we are unable to overcome sin, we will not move forward as a follower of Jesus. Unless we are willing to embrace the call to conversion and holiness, we will not become His disciple.

Colossians 3:1-11

1 Brothers and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. 6 Because of these the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient. 7 By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths. 9 Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.

Psalm 145:2-3, 10-11, 12-13

R: The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

2 Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. (R) 10 Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. (R) 12 Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. 13 Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. (R)

GOSPEL 

Luke’s version of the Beatitudes is raw compared to Matthew’s. For example, Luke tells us that it is the poor (not the poor in spirit) who are blessed. This tells us that many in the audience of Luke’s Gospel are poor. Matthew was writing to a relatively affluent community and so, he tempers Jesus’ words with “poor in spirit.” Both versions are valid in terms of our faith—both the poor in spirit and the poor are potentially blessed by God.

Rejoice and leap for joy! Your reward will be great in heaven.

Luke 6:20-26

20 And raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. 21 Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. 24 But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. 26 Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

think: What is the most relevant lesson you have learned from the Beatitudes? How did this lesson affect your life?

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Read the Bible in one year - Psalm 86-90    

 

A BEAUTIFUL ATTITUDE

Today’s Gospel is about the Beatitudes. Because the description of each item is long, most likely few of us remember them. I memorize the Beatitudes this way: HMM, HM, PPC. That is, humility, mourn for sins, meek, holiness, mercy, purity, peacemakers, and courage. But even then, that is still a big chunk to chew.

When you read the Beatitudes, you have a choice to either focus on the woes or appreciate the blessings. You have a choice between happiness and misery, and it all boils down to the attitude.

Do you notice that some people see first all the negatives in every situation? Have you experienced being in a meeting and some people would pull you down with their discouraging remarks? These people are like prophets of doom. They are pessimistic. Many of them are angry at life.

You may meet an accident, have the dreaded C, or be cheated on by your spouse, but though these are happening in your life, you have a choice on how to react to a depressing, negative situation.

The Gospel invites us to have a beautiful attitude in life, for to live out the Beatitudes is to have a beautiful attitude. To have a beautiful disposition on the things that seem to be depressing will give you hope. A beautiful attitude brings you out from the eye of the storm; it cements your perseverance and concretizes your patience.

Oscar Wilde says, “If you don’t get everything you want, think of the things you don’t get that you don’t want.”

As Christians, our way of life is not the way of skeptical pessimism. Ours is a positive, beautiful attitude promoted by the eight Beatitudes. Fr. Haluendo Amit, OCD

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

Which of the Beatitudes remains a challenge to you?

Lord, help me to have a beautiful attitude towards life through the Beatitudes. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _____________________________