How did these foundations survive the pandemic?” That was the question to us when we applied for a grant for the Feast Mercy Ministries. We shared that we survived because of generous donors, effective fundraising campaigns, and corporations that support the 10 foundations. 

Honestly, our first answer to why these foundations survived was God’s grace.

Feast Mercy Ministries is God’s work: helping the abandoned elderly and underprivileged students; feeding hungry babies and street children; healing sexually abused girls; loving cancer patients and lepers; and sharing hope to the depressed, broken, and lost. 

Yes, none of our 10 foundations closed down during the pandemic. And we can only attribute it to God who was and is with our beneficiaries and staff. 

So it’s true. When we gather with Him, we will not scatter. When we stay in His presence, we will not only survive—we will thrive.

Shellie Follero (shelliejavier.follero@gmail.com)

reflect

How has God helped you survive and thrive? Remember His amazing works in your life today and thank His goodness. Dear Lord, thank You for Your work that never fails to surprise us. 

Thank You for allowing us to be in Your presence all the time. Align our works to Yours, Lord. Amen.

St. Francis Borgia, pray for us.

We seem to have lost a practical understanding of penance in today’s westernized world. Our focus is on the pleasure and ease of life, and we hardly think of doing penance. We forget the price paid for our salvation by Jesus, crucified on the cross. As His disciples, we forget to intercede for one another. The Old Testament records the times when the people of God showed their commitment to conversion through penitential acts. We can neither manipulate God nor earn His favor. Let us remember that penance is about showing God that we are serious about the issue at hand in our lives.

¹³ Gird yourselves and weep, O priests! Wail, O ministers of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! The house of your God is deprived of offering and libation. ¹⁴ Proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the elders, all who dwell in the land, Into the house of the Lord, your God, and cry to the Lord! ¹⁵ Alas, the day! For near is the day of the Lord, and it comes as ruin from the Almighty. ^2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; ² yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom, a day of clouds and somberness! Like dawn spreading over the mountains, a people numerous and mighty! Their like has not been from of old, nor will it be after them, even to the years of distant generations.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 9:2-3, 6, 16, 8-9

R: The Lord will judge the world with justice.

² I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds. ³ I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, Most High. (R) ⁶ You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; their name you blotted out forever and ever. ¹⁶ The nations are sunk in the pit they have made; in the snare they set, their foot is caught. (R) ⁸ But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has set up his throne for judgment. ⁹ He judges the world with justice; he governs the peoples with equity. (R)

Gospel | Luke 11:15-26

When we get rid of our vices, we free up time and space for both good and bad. This is what Jesus addresses in today’s Gospel. When we give up alcohol, for example, what are we going to do with all the free time we now have? Will we put it to good use or will we waste it with another vice? It is up to us how we use our time well and profitably, or otherwise.

Gospel Acclamation 

The prince of this world will now be cast out, and when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all to myself, says the Lord.

¹⁵ When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” ¹⁶ Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. ¹⁸ And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. ¹⁹ If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. ²¹ When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. ²² But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. ²³ Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ²⁴ “When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ ²⁵ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”

Reflect:

What bad habits do you need to give up? 

What good habits will you replace them with?

Read the Bible in one year! Read AMOS 4 - 6 today.

I once asked an elderly woman why, when reciting the Rosary, the “Hail Mary” is interrupted by the “Holy Mary” before it is even finished. She said it is necessary so that the devil does not interrupt. Amusing, but we find wisdom in the old woman’s statement. While rushed prayers may not sound pleasant, continuous and sincere prayer throughout the day, every day, leaves no room for evil influences to sneak in. As Saint Benedict of Nursia said, “Idleness is the playground of the devil.”

In the Scriptures, we read that demons tempt people to sin. Evil spirits are also believed to be the cause of illnesses that afflict people. We cannot treat the enemy as just a figment of our imagination. This is very real, and we must be prepared to fight against them because they can attack any time. We do not need to be exorcists to do this. In fact, we already have protection against evil, which we received at baptism: the sanctifying grace. However, we cannot fully benefit from it when we commit mortal sins. The first attack of the demon is the temptation to sin. If we give in to this first battle, the enemy has more opportunity to destroy us. This is where we see the value of the Sacrament of Reconciliation to restore and strengthen the sanctifying grace within us. We also receive the strength from God to avoid sin.

Many people think that exorcism is the only defense against demons. It is not. Accepting the sacraments and having a life of prayer are also helpful in keeping us away from evil. It is important to fill ourselves with the grace of the Holy Spirit through continuous prayer and good deeds. Holiness of life is our first defense against evil. 

Fr. Franz Dizon

reflection question

When a temptation to sin presents itself to you, how do you respond?

Lord, fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we may always strive to live holy lives. Amen.

Today, I pray: ___________________________________