O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrong-doing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.
For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.
Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.
Second reading 1 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.
Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
The apostles said to Jesus, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'”
“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'”
Reflection
By Fely C. Santiago
“If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed”
“If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed”
God always writes a very beautiful story for us. We just have to trust that He
is orchestrating and custom-making everything for good. We can never fathom the
goodness and greatness of the Lord. We just have to stay in faith and continue
to increase our faith.
Six days before the wedding of our daughter, her fiancé got
afflicted with dengue and has to be confined in the hospital. My daughter
really broke down. Everyone we know and we don’t know stormed heaven with
prayers. Personally I kept a strong faith that 2 days before the wedding, the
groom will be healed and discharged. I even borrowed the miraculous Tilma of
Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico from a prayer group friend. I kept the faith.
But 2 days before the wedding, the platelets count started to go down so the
couple made the most difficult decision to postpone the wedding! Otherwise they
will be penalized big time. In my mind, I questioned their decision why they
did not keep the faith. With the difficult task of postponing the wedding I was
already thinking the implications of the postponement. So see, I thought
I have a strong faith but I also had bouts of doubt!
Most of us live like this. We want to keep the faith, but trials
and challenges sometimes make us waiver in our faith. That’s why Jesus is
challenging us if we can only have faith as small as the mustard see we can
really move mountains. To continue my story, the engaged couple were able to
reset the wedding 10 days from the original date. And the greatest miracle --
all the suppliers, the entourage, the sponsors, the Church, and the venue are
available on the reset date without any penalty!! Whew! Truly God works in
mysterious ways. God’s grace abound. We just have to trust Him, increase our
faith and never entertain any doubts. God is faithful. So the wedding pushed
through on the reset date and it was a very beautiful wedding and I really saw
God’s Hands at work! All by His GRACE.
Prayer
Lord Jesus it is easy to say I will trust you. But just like Peter who walked in the water and saw the great storm, we can also get overwhelmed by the storms of life. The trials and challenges we face can really haunt us and make us doubt and be full of fear. But You tell us to stay in faith. Lord, continue to increase our faith. Be the Lord of our life so we can easily surrender everything to you and trust that You are orchestrating everything for good! Thank You Jesus. All this we pray in Your name, Amen.
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