Reproving Another Who Sins

The Sunday Gospel [September 4, 2011]

Matthew 18:15-20

15 “If your brother* sins [against you], go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. 16 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.18 Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.19 Again, [amen,] I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Reflection

"Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." ~ v. 18

One night when St. John Bosco was still a small boy, he dreamed that he was surrounded by a pack of wild beasts. He was trying to bring them under control by violence. Suddenly, a beautiful woman stood before him. “Go gently,” she told him. He ceased his violence, and the beasts little by little changed into lambs that followed wherever he led.

Our desire to change others may not be taking the form of physical violence, but so long as we are trying to use any type of pressure on our family, our friends – even ourselves – to force change, we are exercising a form of violence. We are setting up a standard and expecting them or ourselves to measure up to it.

Concern for others will be genuine only when it takes the form of an affirming support that allows those we wish to help the freedom to develop their potential for good – and do it at their own pace.

Credits: Sr. Terese Donze, A.S.C., Living Faith


Source: The Reflection is from Bro. Abel Navarro (you can visit his blog at http://myblogabelnavarro-abel.blogspot.com/).

For the sake of his "Triple Crown"

[Diary 604]

At the same time, I saw a certain person [Father Sopocko] and, in part, the condition of his soul and the ordeals God was sending him. His sufferings were of the mind and in a form so acute that I pitied him and said to the Lord, "Why do you treat him like that?" And the Lord answered, For the sake of his triple crown. And the Lord also gave me to understand what unimaginable glory awaits the person who resembles the suffering Jesus here on earth. That person will resemble Jesus in His glory. The Heavenly Father will recognize and glorify our soul to the extent that He sees in us a resemblance to His Son. I understood that this assimilation into Jesus is granted to us while we are here on earth. I see pure and innocent souls upon whom God has exercised His justice; these souls are the victims who sustain the world and who fill up what is lacking in the Passion of Jesus. They are not many in number. I rejoice greatly that God has allowed me to know such souls.


Source: DIARY, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul © 1987 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.  Stockbridge, MA 01263.  All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

Note: If you like my post then consider buying the Book "Divine Mercy in my Soul" from the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception website. The owner of this blog have no other intention but to spread and proclaim the "Divine Mercy".


Image Source: http://thedivinemercy.org/news/story.php?NID=3361

Jesus Foretells his Death and Resurrection

The Sunday Gospel [August 28, 2011]

Matthew 16:21-27

21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he* must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. 22* Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”23 He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

The Conditions of Discipleship.

 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,* take up his cross, and follow me.25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.

Reflection

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” ~ Jesus in v. 24

Today’s Gospel instructs us in the way to handle the cross that comes with life. Jesus indicates that the way to become his disciples involves forgetting self, carrying the cross, and following him. He encourages us to have the determination and strength to pick up the cross and fight to the finish. When Jesus tells us, “Fight!” he knows what it means. When we say the Resurrection is Christ’s victory, we know that it is only because he fought for it.

The problem with many of us is that instead of Fight, our favorite word is Flight. When we realize the enormity of the challenges before us, we do not pick up the cross. When there are problems between couples within the family or workplace, isn’t it that many people would rather flee, keep quiet, seek liquor or drugs, hang out with friends, than courageously face the issues?

That explains why many people are unfulfilled, full of regrets, sad, and depressed. A life of constant running from our responsibilities and our possibilities deplete our energy and strength. It moves us away from the destiny planned by God, our own “resurrection.”

Jesus points to us the cross not as a sign of pain but as a symbol of hope, a path of victory. If we ignore the cross of life, we will never grow, mature, or develop beyond our comfort zones. We need to take up the cross and experience “creative suffering” – the necessary task of identifying our problems, confronting them, and overcoming them. This is the path of the strong, the hero, and the saint. They were blessed because they chose “fight” over “flight.”

Credits: Fr. Ramil R. Marcos, MA, STL; I am with you always, reflections on the Sunday Gospels

Source: The Reflection is from Bro. Abel Navarro (you can visit his blog at http://myblogabelnavarro-abel.blogspot.com/).

Fulfilling a Promise made to God

[Diary 396]

My traveling companions were very kind; several women of the Sodality of Mary were in the same compartment with me. I sensed that one of them was suffering greatly and fighting a difficult battle in her soul. l began to pray in spirit for this soul. At eleven o'clock these women went to another compartment for a chat, leaving only the two of us behind in the carriage. I could feel that my prayer was causing this soul's struggle to become even fiercer. I did not console her, but prayed all the more fervently. Finally, the lady turned to me and asked if she was obliged to fulfill a certain promise which she had made to God. At that moment, I received inner knowledge of the promise and replied, "You are absolutely obliged to keep it, or else you will be miserable for the rest of your life. This thought will pursue you everywhere and give you no peace." Surprised at my answer, she opened her soul to me.

She was a schoolteacher. When she was about to take her examinations, she had promised God that if she did well in her examinations she would devote herself to His service; that is, enter a religious congregation. She passed the examinations very well. "But," she said, "when I entered into the hustle and bustle of the world, I no longer wanted to enter a convent. However, my conscience has given me no peace, and despite amusements I am always unhappy."

After a lengthy conversation, she was completely changed and told me that she would immediately take steps to enter a convent. She asked me to pray for her, and I felt that God would be generous with His grace.


Source: DIARY, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul © 1987 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.  Stockbridge, MA 01263.  All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

Note: If you like my post then consider buying the Book "Divine Mercy in my Soul" from the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception website. The owner of this blog have no other intention but to spread and proclaim the "Divine Mercy".

Peter’s Declaration About Jesus

The Sunday Gospel [August 21, 2011]

Matthew 16:13-20

13. Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14.They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15. He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16. Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17.Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.18. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.18.I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 19. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 20. Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Reflection

God is always with us and in us. We can explore the thoughts of the eternal, immortal, invisible, Almighty Creator!

Today’s Gospel illustrates this point when Peter calls Jesus the Messiah. Immediately, Jesus praises him – but not for his powers of deduction. “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 16:17). Jesus knew that Peter had to have this gift from God!

That is the key word: receive. Revelation is a gift. It isn’t something we can produce on our own. It’s a gift that God wants us to receive with our open hearts and quiet minds. It’s God’s words coming alive in our hearts and filling us with his wisdom, his insights, and his peace.

Today at Mass, try to focus your heart on Jesus. Quiet your mind and tell Jesus that you want to receive whatever he wants to give you. Put your worries and cares aside and simply listen. You’ll know that what you heard is from God when your own heart starts echoing Paul’s prayer: To God be glory forever!

Source: The Reflection is from Bro. Abel Navarro (you can visit his blog at http://myblogabelnavarro-abel.blogspot.com/).

The mercy of the Lord I will sing forever

[Diary 522]

+The mercy of the Lord I will sing forever,
Before all the people will I sing it,
For it is God's greatest attribute
And for us an unending miracle.

You gush forth from the Divine Trinity,
But from one single womb filled with love.
The mercy of the Lord will be revealed in the soul
In all its fullness, when the veil falls.

From the fountain of Your mercy, O Lord,
Flows all happiness and life,
And thus, all creatures and the whole of creation
Sing out in ecstasy a song of mercy.

The bowels of God's mercy are opened for us
Through the life of Jesus, stretched on the Cross.
O sinner, you must not doubt or despair,
But trust in mercy, for you also can become holy.

Two streams in the form of rays
Have gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus,
Not for Angels, nor Cherubim, nor Seraphim,
But for the salvation of sinful man.

Source: DIARY, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul © 1987 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.  Stockbridge, MA 01263.  All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

Note: If you like my post then consider buying the Book "Divine Mercy in my Soul" from the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception website. The owner of this blog have no other intention but to spread and proclaim the "Divine Mercy".

The Canaanite Woman’s Faith

The Sunday Gospel [August 14, 2011]

Matthew 15:21-28

21 Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." 23 But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." 24 He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." 28 Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Reflection

“Lord, help me. Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” ~ Canaanite woman in v. 25, 27

When is prayer powerful? Is it effective when it comes with offerings of eggs, as we normally do when we ask the Poor Clare nuns to pray for our intentions? Is prayer guaranteed with positive answer when it is accomplished by sacrifice, like self-punishment or personal torture? Will prayer be granted if we promise something to God in return for his favor? There are many occasions we look at prayer as a business deal or negotiation, as if God’s goodness can be bought.

The gospel describes to us the secret of powerful prayer – one that guarantees favorable results. A woman, who was a Gentile, living outside the Jewish circles of Jesus’ time, approached the Lord to ask him for the healing of his daughter. Jesus, at first, seemed to put her off. But in the end, she got her miracle. Her daughter was healed. How did she emerge victorious in her difficult dialogue with Jesus?

Well, the woman knew how to love. She was not begging for herself, her comfort, or her welfare. She came to seek healing and deliverance of someone she loved. The Lord is not drawn to selfish prayers. Selfish prayers will not be heard. But if our prayers are for the good of others, made out of love, then the Lord listens and takes action. The response of the Lord may not be the same response we expect, but he will surely do something, do the best thing for our petition.

The woman loved deeply and that was why she knew how to persevere. When at first she did not seem to get proper attention from the Lord, she did not get discouraged. She cheerfully continued to ask, to bargain, to press on with her request. She had such genuine love for her daughter that she was willing to draw all her energy so that she can obtain her heart’s desire. She made her daughter’s misery her own. She was willing to suffer like her, for her. Jesus, whose heart overflows with the same compassion for others, found in the woman’s love a resemblance to his own heart.

Credits: Fr. Ramil R. Marcos, MA, STL; I am with you always, excerpts

Source: The Reflection is from Bro. Abel Navarro (you can visit his blog at http://myblogabelnavarro-abel.blogspot.com/).