Our Loving God

Third Sunday of Lent

08 March 2026

 

First Reading: Exodus 17:3-7

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8

Gospel: John 4:5-42

 

Reflection

By: Anton B. Ocampo

As we progress on our Lenten journey, the Church invites us to reflect on the readings as a form of revelation. The One we humbly exalt with all our hearts continues to reveal Himself to us. In the readings for this specific Sunday, the Third Sunday of Lent, the One we humbly exalt with all our hearts and minds, introduces Himself as the source of mercy. He does not withhold His mercy but wholeheartedly shows it to us and gives it to us, despite our sinful nature.

In the First Reading, the Lord God shows His mercy and compassion to His chosen people, the Israelites, by providing them water from rock. Even though He instructed Moses to strike the rock in Horeb with his staff so that water will flow from the said rock, it is not Moses who gave the Israelites water. Rather, it is God Himself who provided the water. This is His response to the complaints made by His chosen people as they were journeying through the desert for 40 years before they made it to the Promised Land. By doing so, God showed His people how merciful and compassionate He is. The Second Reading focuses on the greatest act of God in which He showed His grace, mercy, compassion, and love to all. God did it through His Begotten Son who is also the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity and the Word Made Flesh, Christ Jesus. Even though humanity has committed numerous sins and offenses towards Him, which can no longer be counted by hand given how many there are, He still chose to show His grace, mercy, compassion, and love through Jesus Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus introduces Himself to the Samaritan woman at the well as the source of living water. By presenting Himself as the source of living water, Jesus highlights His mercy for all. His decision to become the source of living water stems from His great mercy, compassion, and love for all.

What should our response be to the Lord who has decided to show His great mercy, compassion, and love for us? Open ourselves to Him. As stated in the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Psalm 95:8). In doing so, we exalt the Lord with wholehearted humility in our hearts and minds. This is what the Lord is looking for in us. 

Despite our sinful nature, the Lord has chosen to show His great mercy, compassion, and love to us. In response, let us exalt Him by opening our whole selves to Him and obey His will. 

    

Prayer

We humbly thank You, O Lord, for continuing to show us Your mercy, compassion, and love to us, despite our sinfulness. Help us to humbly open ourselves to You. Grant us the strength to listen and follow You throughout the days of our earthly journey. Amen.

Tune in to Jesus

   

Second Sunday of Lent

16 March 2025

 

First Reading: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14

Second Reading: Philippians 3:17–4:1

Gospel: Luke 9:28b-36

 

Reflection

By: Anabelle P. Balla

I hear a myriad of voices throughout the day, including my own, both those spoken aloud and those that swirl nonstop in my head. Like you, I live in a world filled with noise. These noises, particularly the ones I can view in my phone, can be overwhelming. There are addictive contents that steal away my precious time, health, and energy. Because of this, I often find myself too busy to truly listen. It is a challenge to pause, breathe, relax, and enjoy moments of quiet reflection, or to truly listen during conversations, both to what is said and unsaid. There is always something that steals my attention, making me restless.

Thankfully, God's grace has anchored me to Him. He gently pulls me closer when I drift away. He blesses my plans and grants me serene moments to marvel at the wonders of His creation, especially during family outings to the hills, mountains, forests, or seas. In these peaceful moments, I can hear His whispers and feel His loving presence. He provides me countless opportunities each day to connect with Him, even if only briefly—when I wake, eat, drive, gaze at the sky, trees, sunset, flowers, and plants, or feel the cool wind on my face, or look upon my daughters' faces. These moments fill me with gratitude and turn my heart towards Him.

However, this awareness of His presence in my life is not the same as truly listening to Him. I still need to devote time to genuinely listen to Him, to hear Him through His Son, our Savior, Jesus. As He said, "This is my beloved Son: hear him.", I should take time listen.  And I am certain that this instruction from God is for my best interest and my salvation.

Can you hear Him? Do you want to? I trust that you do, and you have the power to make that choice.

Choose to tune in to Jesus. Hear Him and be blessed!

Prayer

Father, help us to stay still and truly listen to Your Words through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Beautiful in White

    

Second Sunday of Lent

05 March 2023

 

First Reading: Gn 12:1-4a

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22

Second Reading: 2 Tm 1:8b-10

Gospel: Mt 17:1-9

 

Reflection

By: Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

 

Today's Gospel narrates the Transfiguration of Jesus, the moment up a high mountain when His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light, as witnessed by Peter, James, John and his brother. His disciples also saw Moses and Elijah conversing with Jesus. They even heard a voice came from the cloud that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him."

At the end of the Transfiguration event, Jesus charged His disciples to "Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

In line with the transfiguration, my father always tells me that I am God's daughter and I am robed in white garment. He then challenges me to keep my garment white until death by loving God and my neighbors in preparation for eternal life.

But isn't it difficult to make your spiritual garment white all the time, same with washing your white clothes? Sometimes, we need to try different detergents to find the perfect one that will make our clothes as white as new.

Good thing, Jesus has already given us the secrets to transfiguration: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, the three pillars of Lent.

In fact, immediately, after descending the mountain, Jesus has mentioned about prayer and fasting in His next encounter where at the multitude, He healed a demon-possessed boy. 'Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, "Why were we unable to cast him out?" Jesus said to them: "Because of your unbelief...But this kind is not cast out, except through prayer and fasting."' Following that, Jesus also taught almsgiving as He instructed Peter to pay the temple tax. "But so that we may not become an obstacle to them: go to the sea, and cast in a hook, and take the first fish that is brought up, and when you have opened its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take it and give it to them, for me and for you."

We are now on the Second Sunday of Lent, exactly 28 days before the Holy Week, may we spend well the remaining days of preparation for the much-anticipated Easter, the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Jesus, help us to prepare not only our garments but also our hearts in our journey to Holy Week and to eternal life. Help us to become prayerful, generous, and deny ourselves for a much better purpose. All these we ask in Your Mighty Name, Amen.

Christ, our Role Model

 Second Sunday of Lent

13 March 2022

 

First Reading: GN 15:5-12, 17-18

Responsorial Psalm: PS 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14

Second Reading: PHIL 3:17—4:1

Gospel: LK 9:28b-36

 

Reflection

By: Jose Paulo M. Gonzales

 

In my life, I could count in hand the number of people who for myself make awe-inspiring examples in their own regard: an insightful writer, an incisive essayist, a grounded critical thinker, a very well-rounded person; in pieces I have read on Eastern philosophy, there would be "the sage"—not only in wisdom and experience, but in overall character. Unbeknown to me, it would take some years after college to find a proximal example of the Christian character—at least one I am surprised to make my personal circle. As astounding his achievements in social charity are and as amazing the conversations on morality we have had, imagine how much better our ultimate Example is in Heaven.

Jesus transcended expectations in His [human] time and now in ours. His character and teachings go beyond divisions in time and are continuously relevant today. From His unassuming birth and overall lifestyle, His "madness" according to the Pharisees. His preference for the poor, the weak, and the downtrodden, to His salvific model of death and resurrection, Jesus was far from normative expectations. It is precisely this divergence from the norm that revolutionizes Jesus' Character. If Jesus is the Example to behold in Christianity, and if He was anything but worldly in His conduct of Self, we are more strongly acquainted with the message: we must not be of this world.

It is not exactly the departure from the norm that is moral, for that can come equally from being bullheaded; instead, it is the departure from what the norm represents. The conventions that make up the world from then to this day are built more on convenience that favors the privileged, the learned, and the illustrious and famous. While not bad in themselves, these "good things" are not confirmation of good origins, mediums, or purpose; not even are they confirmation of good hosts. Jesus' message was to seek precisely what is good and what is good for transcends what the world exalts. Gold would make no effective receptacle of the good God produces in love and goodwill for good exceeds its people-receptacles and pours into other vessels at reparable or even welcome expense. Effort, time, and money can be exhausted in the work of of good, but the product more than makes up for what has been expended. Riches, on the other hand, can only do so to an extent. Its multiplication, if ill-founded, could be deleterious to people, and the people themselves can be its unfortunate casualty. Pride is another that can come undetected for it can conflate with positive self-identifications such as achievement, leadership, recognition, and many others. These are not bad and can be used for good; what the Bible advises us against is forming unhealthy fixations on surface enticements lest we commit sin and escalate to greater works of evil. Riches and other things of equal import are only objects though they can be unwitting temptations, and it is the choice to source them from or use them for a nefarious purpose that constitutes sin.

The challenge to conform with the Image of Christ concerns us not only with the good qualities of Christ in case we fall for the appearance of these qualities in some who go by Christ's example at a superficial level or even deceitful. The challenge calls us not just to keep out of wrong examples in things and people's attitudes but also to know when to retract from bad invitations to the soul.

For Jesus' good qualities, the Bible is teeming. He is our "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6), "Advocate with the Father" (1 John 2:1), and the "Friend Who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). His qualities converge with the characteristics of love in the well-known verse, 1 Corinthians 13, so we know that in our following of Christ, we are in good hands, for we are in the keeping of One who loves us truly; but before we become pristine masterpieces as the Lord transfigured into a Figure of dazzling white, we are called to an arduous journey of spiritual refinement. The process is long and taxing, but "at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). Further, it is not like we have no good examples to emulate, as Paul expressed in the Second Reading for today (Philippians 3:17—4:1), for we will likely meet good examples along the way as God's Hand is present in our lives, and we will always have the best example in Christ. If there is still wonder within us if anything good can come up from a start so simple, we should find our answer in Christ, for Christ has showed that a humble beginning is no deterrent to the making of a salvation story. Until we are eternally with Christ, we are called to be in this world not to be engulfed by it, but to be its salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16), that in each attempt at doing good, we conform more closely with His Image, and make possible the same to others with our interactions.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for being a good Father and for all the graces You give us. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us become the best imitators of Christ that with our mere presence, more so with our actions, we lead each other to You. In times when we know not what to do—and in times when we know what we should do but refuse it anyway—please let us not lead others astray and forgive us our sins. In everything, please lead us to You. These we ask in Jesus' Most Holy Name, Amen.

Do You Believe?

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 29 September 2019
First reading Amos 6:1, 4-7

Alas for those who are at ease in Zion, and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.

Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music; who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.

Second reading                                                          1 Timothy 6:11-16

As for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time-he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.

Gospel                                                                          Luke 16:19-31

(Jesus said to the Pharisees):
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.

In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’

He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house- for I have five brothers-that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'”

Reflection

By Benj Santiago

“If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.”

About 2000 years later, billions of people still do not believe in God that we Catholics believe in. Even in Jerusalem where the Lord Jesus was born, a lot of people there remained in unbelief that Jesus is the Messiah. That He is the Son of God!

I thank God that I was born and has been raised to believe in God, and that Jesus is Lord. I believe because God does not impose, or force everyone to believe Him. He allows the unbeliever to experience Him in a personal way. 

In moments of unbelief, do not harden your hearts! Listen to God's gentle voice calling you.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the grace and wisdom to believe that Jesus is your Only Son. That He is our Savior. We thank You Father for the gift of faith in You! We ask You to make us a beacon of light that others might believe in You too! We ask this in Jesus' mighty name, Amen. 

Transfigured as Christ

Second Sunday of Lent Mar 16
First reading Genesis 12:1-4

The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.

‘I will bless those who bless you:

I will curse those who slight you.

All the tribes of the earth

shall bless themselves by you.’

So Abram went as the Lord told him.

Psalm                                                                            Psalm 32:4-5,18-20,22

Second reading                                                        2 Timothy 1:8-10

With me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.

Gospel                                                                        Matthew 17:1-9

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ When they heard this the disciples fell on their faces overcome with fear. But Jesus came up and touched them. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus.

  As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, ‘Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.’

Reflection by Mark Vertido

This Sunday, we read the account of the Transfiguration of our Lord up in a mountain that was witnessed by three of His disciples. Through it, God manifested that Jesus is truly a God and not just a human being. It is important to take note that Moses, who introduced the 10 Commandments, and Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, are present in the event and they were talking to Jesus.

How is then Jesus, Moses, and Elijah associated with one another? The Gospel tells us that suddenly a bright cloud covered them in shadows and a voice from God says This is my Son, my Beloved, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” Taking into account the Old Testament, Moses was also God’s chosen one who led God's chosen people of Israel away from the persecutions in Egypt. Elijah, whom we see as the perfect example of the prophets, is also God’s chosen who was called to speak to the people in His name to encourage them in their faith. And of course, Jesus is the Son of God, who redeemed us from our sins and gave us eternal life as adopted sons and daughters of the Father in Heaven.

Also, all three of them went up a mountain. Moses went to Mount Sinai where he received the Ten Commandments or the Law. And it is known that Elijah resided in Mount Carmel and it is here where he defeated the prophets of Baal. While both Moses and Elijah were led by God to these holy mountains to witness His glory as God, Jesus led the disciples to the mountain, which is believed to be Mount Tabor, to manifest His glory as God.

As Christians, we are the disciples of Christ and we ought to “listen to Him.” The First Reading gives us an account of what it means to listen and follow the invitation of God. He calls us not to be forsaken but to be blessed forever and be a blessing for others. And in the Second Reading, the Apostle Paul clearly explained that we are saved and called by Christ not through our merits, but through His holiness. He came to us to destroy death and sin among us so that we may have life. This is the manifestation of God’s glory to us that we may be transfigured as Christ did in the mountain. And as God calls us, the Psalmist reminds us to “place our trust in” God and ask for God’s mercy.

During this Season of Lent, Christ invites us once more to "transfigure" so that we may present ourselves as Christ-like to other people and be a blessing to them. Let us be prayerful and repent from our sins. Let us fast that we may allow God to be our strength.

Prayer

As His people who are ever trusting in Him, let us be like Abram who is open to the will of God. Let us listen to the words of Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of God. May the song that follows be our prayer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k2JyiXYPTU

Thank You

First Reading: Nm 11:25-29

The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied. Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp. They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent; yet the spirit came to rest on them also, and they prophesied in the camp. So, when a young man quickly told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, " Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses?aide, said, "Moses, my lord, stop them." But Moses answered him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14

Second Reading: Jas 5:1-6

Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one;

he offers you no resistance.

Gospel: Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

At that time, John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us." Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ,  amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."

REFLECTION:

by Cris Balla

Equal Employment Opportunity. This is what came to my mind when I was reading the first part of the Gospel.

                       

While equal employment opportunity is probably a recent invention, it appears that even Moses had espoused the idea thousands of years ago. And so did Jesus 2 millennia back. 

But more than the equal employment opportunity clause, I think that God is also telling us to partake in His goodness by doing good things as well.  I think that Jesus is calling us to do something good - not literally driving out demons, but something probably within the bounds of our abilities. 

It could be as simple as teaching our children good manners and right conduct. Or it could be giving up some of our precious time to help build houses for our less fortunate brothers.

There are many good things we can do. Maybe to start with, avoid doing something that is obviously not good.

"Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us." What Jesus did was encourage the performance of good deeds.

How often do we encourage others to perform good deeds?  How often do we appreciate someone doing a good deed? How often do we say the words "Thank You!"? 

...I think that maybe if we do more of it, this could be a better place to live… Think about it.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for giving us the grace to partake in Your goodness. Help us to role model gratefulness and to develop the habit of encouraging others to do good so many will give glory to Your name. Amen.

                                                           

If All The Raindrops Were...Pan de Sal & Monay (Oh What A Rain That Would Be! - Barney)

First Reading: 1 Kings 19:4-8

Elijah went a day's journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death saying: "This is enough, O LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers." He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree, but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat. Elijah looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, but the angel of the LORD came back a second time, touched him, and ordered, "Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!" He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Second Reading: Eph 4:30-5:2

Brothers and sisters:

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption. All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for usas a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

Gospel: Jn 6:41-51

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven," and they said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, 'I have come down from heaven?'" Jesus answered and said to them, "Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

Reflection

By Fidji Rivera-Sarmiento

If you have read last Sunday’s reflection, you’d know that I am a bread girl (and I’m an old soul, loving Bread songs too, tee-hee!). Oh, and today as I write, it is raining here at my end. I suddenly realized what if it rained bread instead? Yes, bread from heaven! Can you imagine how many hungry street kids would be flocking about, collecting what could be their only meal for the day? Imagine the hullaballoo of baguettes falling from the sky only to land on jeepneys and buses in EDSA – an instant baon for a young professional who’s still adamant to spend their 5-peso change. Or the starving lola under the shed picking up a large monay that just fell beside her makeshift pillow. This idea leaves a smile on my face now, I look like this --> (^^,). Ooooh bread.

Growing up, this was how I pictured Yahweh giving manna to Moses and his people. I thought it rained bread! Now, archaeological research discovered that manna may not actually be bread but was fungus instead. You read that right –Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms that grew in abundance in dewy climates. Coupled with manure from the Israelites’ cattle and sheep, the camp became a healthy environment for these mushrooms to grow. The biblical description matches what is now known as magic mushrooms that according to some, give a person “spiritual” visions once ingested.

This is just one of the many theories of what manna truly is. But one thing’s for sure – God provides. He never failed to give us what we specifically need. The hardships, the successes, the material and spiritual blessings, all of these are part of the grand scheme of things. No accidents, but all in accordance with plans, because that’s how the Father loves us. He only asks that we eat the Bread of life. We do this through partaking in the Eucharist, and more so by digesting the Scriptures. This way we transcend beyond our human weaknesses and overcome our sins, so we may also be like Jesus whose fragrance rises to God.

Now ask yourself:

1. Do I always worry about so many things?

2. Do I trust God’s plan for me?

3. Do I belittle some people I meet, the way the Jews looked down on Jesus?

Prayer

Thank you Father for being our ever generous Provider! With You, everything is in abundance! Amen.

*Tip from a bread girl: Put your bread inside an airtight container/bag and place it in the freezer, if you don’t intend to finish it within the day. It makes the shelf life longer. Thaw, microwave, or toast it before eating. Enjoy!