Lord, where are You when I need You? Why are You allowing me to go through this suffering? Are You for real in my life?

Have you asked these questions and felt you were in a dead end with no answers? I have, and I must say it was a difficult situation that tested my faith and trust in God. I wanted to give up, but through God’s grace and thanks to my family, friends, and The Feast Community who journeyed with me, prayed for me, and encouraged me—I didn’t give up.

Here are three lessons I got from that experience: 1) Life is not perfect, but it is still beautiful because of my loved ones; 2) It’s OK to not be OK, and it’s OK to ask for help and support; and, 3) God is with us in our journey even if we sometimes don’t recognize His presence.

I still have a lot of questions and challenges, but I know that God knows me by my name—and that’s enough for me. 

JC Libiran (coachjclibiran@gmail.com)

reflect

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)

Lord, it’s me. I am Yours and You are mine. Amen.

Saint Casimir, pray for us.

The authorities plotted against Jeremiah because they do not like to hear that they fail to shepherd the people of Israel. The people are also not pleased to be accused of failing to take their faith seriously and of worshipping false gods. Jeremiah places their woes at their own feet due to their lack of faith and trust in the Lord. God is a jealous God, and He desires us to be faithful to Him alone. We can be saved only through the work and name of Jesus. But why do so many people ignore God’s Word and trust other so-called gods?

¹⁸ The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said, “Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah. It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests, nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets. And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word.” ¹⁹ Heed me, O Lord, and listen to what my adversaries say. ²⁰ Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them.   

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 31:5-6, 14, 15-16

R: Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

⁵ You will free me from the snare they set for me, for you are my refuge. 6 Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O Lod, O faithful God. (R) ¹⁴ I hear the whispers of the crowd, that frighten me from every side, as they consult together against me, plotting to take my life. (R) ¹⁵ But my trust is in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” ¹⁶ In your hands is my destiny; rescue me from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors. (R)

Gospel | Matthew 20:17-28

Our focus should not be on how we are placed in eternal life. This is a gift and should be a sufficient motivation for us to serve the Gospel. Jesus’ response to James and John is instructive. Yes, they can make the necessary sacrifice to obey the will of God, yet He does not promise them what they want. We will endure struggles and suffering, some even martyrdom, but that does not warrant us any extra glory in heaven.

Gospel Acclamation

I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.

¹⁷ As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, ¹⁸ “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, ¹⁹ and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” ²⁰ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. ²¹ He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” ²² Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” ²³ He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” ²⁴ When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. ²⁶ But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; ²⁷ whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. ²⁸ Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read JUDE today.

Today’s readings talk about the pain that comes from loving. In the First Reading, Jeremiah laments: “Must good be repaid with evil?” It is a cry that echoes in every heart that has ever tried to love sincerely and been met with rejection, misunderstanding, or betrayal.

The Psalm continues that cry but moves it toward surrender: “Into Your hands, O Lord, I commend My spirit.” It is the prayer of someone who knows that trust in God does not mean an easy path but a faithful one.

In the Gospel, as Jesus predicts His Passion, He does not retreat to protect Himself. Instead, He presses on, knowing full well that His love will cost Him everything. And then He teaches His disciples—and us—that true greatness is embracing the humility of service, even when it hurts.

It is easy to imagine love as something that should be rewarded with love in return. And many times, by God’s grace, it is. But today’s readings remind us that love, in its truest form, does not count the cost. It is willing to be wounded.

The wounds of love are not signs of weakness or failure but are the hidden scars of those who, like Christ, chose to keep serving, hoping, and forgiving, even when it would have been easier to turn inward and build walls.

Real love exposes us and sometimes brings us into the pain of others so deeply that we carry it with them. But it also opens us to receive the strength and comfort of God in ways we would never have discovered if we had stayed safe.

Today, the Lord invites us to see the wounds we carry as proof that we are slowly, painfully, but surely, learning to love like Him. In the end, it is not the polished, protected heart that mirrors Christ—it is the pierced one. 

Fr. Albert Garong, SSP

reflection question

Have you allowed the wounds of loving to make you bitter—or can they become the places where Christ’s love shines through you?

Lord, teach me to love even when it wounds me. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________________