The Best Time to Praise God

    

Fifth Sunday of Lent

17 March 2024

 

First Reading: Jer 31:31-34

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15

Second Reading: Heb 5:7-9

Gospel: Jn 12:20-33

 

Reflection

By: Gharri Tulabut

 

When I was still actively promoting financial literacy by teaching personal finance, I usually use five or six steps to financial independence. One of the steps which I usually skip is the part of managing or eliminating debt. Often I would proudly say that I don’t know anything about debts because I never had debts in my life. But that was true until… 

…I got married. 

No, this is not one of those stereotypical jokes about husbands and wives. Let me tell you the story.

Our wedding last year was just a simple one. Still, we borrowed a little amount from friends and family and we took advantage of whatever we can loan from SSS and PAGIBIG to add to our budget. These loans are supposedly manageable thru our regular income. But two months before the wedding, my fiancé lost her job due to office politics. 

A few months after the wedding, when we started paying our debts, we really had a hard time. We tried borrowing from banks and lending institutions for debt consolidation. But since only one of us had a regular income, we are always rejected. Again, we asked friends and family, and even went to some referred individuals we do not know (a.k.a. 5-6). 

I would not say we hit rock bottom. I still have a job. We have a home. We never skipped meals. Just a bit tight than before. We just experienced abstaining from eating out; We prioritizing things to buy; There were times we gas up our car with only 200 pesos just to make it home from work. Look, we still have ride.

One sad thing about our situation was that we cannot give our regular tithing.

But throughout this downside in our finances, we never ceased to praise God, to serve in our community.

And little by little we see small provisions from Him. We see small help such as when a friend and former colleague  sending me money out of nowhere. I did not know who told her of our current predicament that time but she just reached out to us just when we do not know anymore how to pay our next due date. Or one time, when two friends who initially just “seen” my messenger message asking for a loan, at the same time just messaged me asking if I still need the loan. And this was while I was attending a worship event, of all times.

As one of my preacher friends always say, “The best time to praise God is when you don’t feel like praising God.”

I and my wife never ceased praying, asking and praising at the same time. And God took care of us even with little things.

Kumapit lang kami. And continued to give glory to Him with the best that we could do. And God did not let go of our hands.

Prayer

All Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit!