“Happy spouse. Happy house.” 
“Eat healthy. Exercise regularly. You will be fit and healthy.” 
“Live below your means. Save. Invest. You will be financially free.” 
“Love God. Love others. Pray. Read Scriptures. Run away from temptations and avoid occasions of sin and you will have a fantastic relationship with God.”

All these are common knowledge, right? So why are there are a lot of broken homes, broken bodies, broken finances, and broken faith? Because we hear but don’t do. We know but we don’t go. We learn but we don’t obey. Imagine if you apply everything that you know. Imagine if you did everything that God told you to do. How would your life look like?

Blessed would be an understatement! I believe that it will be exceedingly and abundantly above all that you could ask for or think of. Truth is, the life that you truly desire is just one act of obedience away. Keep on obeying God’s Word and see how God will turn your life around. Knowledge is not power.Applied knowledge is. 

Velden Lim (veldenlim.firedup@gmail.com)

reflect

Are you putting off something that God is asking you to do? Now is the time to do it.

Lord, give me the grace to do the things I ought to do so You can do the things I cannot do.

Saint Placidia, pray for us.

It seems that in this world, evil triumphs and the people of God suffer. In today’s reading, we see that, in the end, God will judge all the nations of the earth and vindicate His people. Appearances can be deceptive. All that Satan creates is built on the sand of lies and deception. On the day of God’s judgment, these lies and deceptions will collapse. Even if we do not see the immediate fruit of our labor, let us not give up but completely trust in God.

¹² Thus says the Lord: Let the nations bestir themselves and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit in judgment upon all the neighboring nations. ¹³ Apply the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come and tread, for the wine press is full; the vats overflow, for great is their malice. ¹⁴ Crowd upon crowd in the valley of decision; for near is the day of the Lord in the valley of decision. ¹⁵ Sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withhold their brightness. ¹⁶ The Lord roars from Zion, and from Jerusalem raises his voice; the heavens and the earth quake, but the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the children of Israel. ¹⁷ Then shall you know that I, the Lord, am your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain; Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall pass through her no more. ¹⁸ And then, on that day, the mountains shall drip new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk; and the channels of Judah shall flow with water. A fountain shall issue from the house of the Lord, to water the Valley of Shittim. ¹⁹ Egypt shall be a waste, and Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, because they shed innocent blood in their land. ²⁰ But Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem for all generations. ²¹ I will avenge their blood, and not leave it unpunished. The Lord dwells in Zion. 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12

R: Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

¹ The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. ² Clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. (R) ⁵ The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. ⁶ The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. (R) ¹¹ Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. ¹² Be glad in the Lord, you just, and give thanks to his holy name. (R) 

Gospel | Luke 11:27-28

Mary was truly blessed to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, and it was a great joy for her to suckle the infant Jesus. Yet the ultimate virtue of the Virgin Mary was her total devotion to the will of God. All that she did and had achieved was an outcome of her prayer: “Be it done unto me according to your word.” Let us make Mary’s prayer our own prayer today. 

Gospel Acclamation 

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.

27 While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” 28 He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” 

Reflect:

What about the Blessed Mother’s obedience inspires you? 

Like her, how do you surrender your will to the Lord?

Read the Bible in one year! Read AMOS 7 - 9 today.

In Filipino families, parents take great pride in their children’s accomplishments. Thus, the statement from the crowd in today’s Gospel, “Blessed is the woman who carried you in her womb and nursed you!” is not far from how Filipinos show amazement toward parents who are “fortunate” to have successful children.

Such reaction from Jesus’ followers may be brought about by their amazement at His words, His miracles, and His patience in doing good to people, even to His opponents. There is a point in honoring Jesus’ mother, for a parent plays a significant role in shaping a child’s character. But Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” Was Jesus disregarding admiration for His mother? No. Rather, He wants to draw the attention of the crowd to something more noble: listening and obeying the will of God. 

Thus, the true reason for the admirable nature of Mary and Jesus shines even more. It is not only because of the great things they do but also because of their unwavering obedience to the will of God, even when it is not easy for them. 

This is what is truly amazing.

From when Mary said “yes” to the Angel Gabriel, to her standing at the foot of the cross, she showed the true meaning of being “blessed.” With Jesus, she walked the path of God’s will despite everything. Greatness, for Jesus, is not measured by successes in this world because they are also just blessings from God. What is truly noble is responding to His will even if it is not considered a “success” by others.

This isn’t saying we should not strive to succeed in the world. Studying and having a job are still important because they are necessary to fulfill our mission, especially for our family. However, no matter what success we achieve in this life, nothing can compare to the destiny that awaits us in heaven.

Fr. Franz Dizon

reflection question

What success are you aiming for in this life? 

Lord, thank You for the successes I have achieved, but may this not be the standard of my life. May I align myself to Your will, even if in the standards of others, I cannot compare. Amen.

Today, I pray: ___________________________________