Being vulnerable isn’t something that comes easy to me. As a seminarian and an achiever, it’s hard for me to admit my brokenness. During one of our evaluations in the seminary, my priest-formator called me for an individual colloquium, a one-to-one conference. He asked, “How are you?” I had been writing my undergrad thesis for the last couple of days so he knew I was going through a tough time.

At first, I said I was OK with a poker face. But I was caught off guard when he said, “When are you going to stop lying to yourself and admit what you really feel?” The room fell silent. I broke down as I ranted about my frustrations and disappointments over my plans that wouldn’t happen. I was pressured by the demands of my academics.

After my spiritual direction with him, I realized how arrogant I was. It was difficult for me to admit that I wasn’t OK and I needed help. I hid behind a Superman mask and concealed my woundedness because I wasn’t used to accepting help. Red Dioso (redantejrdioso@gmail.com)

reflect

“If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.” (Brené Brown)

Jesus, You came into the world in human form. Teach me to embrace my vulnerability so I may learn to ask help from You and others. Amen.

St. Joseph Cafasso, pray for us.

God repeated His promise of progeny to Abraham. When we reflect on this promise in the light of Romans 4, we understand its true significance: Paul presented Abraham as the Father of our faith. He is the perfect example of a man of faith. Thus, Abraham’s progeny is not only his blood descendants but all men and women of faith. Through faith, Abraham has fathered and bequeathed to humanity his greatest legacy.

¹ The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield; I will make your reward very great.” ² But Abram said, "O Lord God, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being childless and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?” ³ Abram continued, “See, you have given me no offspring, and so one of my servants will be my heir.” ⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him: “No, that one shall not be your heir; your own issue shall be your heir.” ⁵ He took him outside and said; "Look up at the sky and count the strs, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.” ⁶ Abram put his faith in the Lord, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness. ⁷ He then said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a possession.” ⁸ “O Lord God” he asked, “How am I to know that I shall possess it?” ⁹ He answered him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰ He brought him all these, split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up. ¹¹ Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram stayed with them. ¹² As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him. ¹⁷ When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. ¹⁸ It was on that occasion that the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates.”

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

R: The Lord remembers his covenant forever.

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name; make known among the nations his deeds. ² Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds. (R) ³ Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! ⁴ Look to the Lord in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. (R) ⁶ You descendants of Abraham, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! ⁷ He, the Lord, is our God; throughout the earth his judgments prevail. (R) ⁸ He remembers forever his covenant which he made binding for a thousand generations ⁹ which he entered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac. (R)

Gospel | Matthew 7:15-20

Satan uses men and women as false prophets. This is why we need to be formed in our faith. If we know its basic tenets, false prophets will not be able to lead us astray. Ignorance of our faith makes us vulnerable to false doctrines.

Gospel Acclamation

Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.

¹⁵ Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So by their fruits you will know them.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read 2 KINGS 23 - 25 today.

People always wonder how true the stories in the Bible are, especially in the Old Testament. Take our First Reading today: Did God really appear to Abraham when He promised him he would become the father of a great nation and made that covenant with him in the desert? What did Abraham see in the desert that he put his faith completely in God?

The words of God found in the Sacred Scriptures have different levels or layers of interpreting and understanding. We do not have to go into the details, like in a Bible class, but one thing we are asked of when we read and pray over the Word of God is to trust in Him and to let that gift of faith operate and experience Him speaking to us in the Bible.

To have faith in God like Abraham is to see more of what our eyes can perceive.

To have faith in God like Abraham is to see and experience the fruits of that belief in Him.

To have faith in God like Abraham is to see nothing but God.

Anyone who had gone on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land knows very well there is nothing much to see in the desert except its vast wilderness. Most likely during the time of Abraham, it must have been more barren than today, yet it was in that nothingness that he saw God, that he put his faith in Him.

How ironic that it is only when there is nothing left that we can truly see God’s great gifts for us—our being special, our being loved and cherished by the Lord. It is in our nothingness and in our simplicity that we become fully aware of God’s abundant blessings and start to have faith in Him. This is the reason why Jesus reminds us in the Gospel today to be on guard against many false prophets who impress us for us to believe them than God. Fr. Nick Lalog

reflection questions

What attracts you most in believing and trusting God? Why?

Open our eyes of faith, Lord Jesus, to always look in us for Your fruits of love and kindness, mercy and forgiveness, life and fulfillment. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _______________________