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!

God's Saving Moments

   

  Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

15 August 2022 

 

First Reading: Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 45:10, 11, 12, 16

Second Reading: 1 Cor 15:20-27

Gospel: Lk 1:39-56

 

Reflection

By: Grace Madrinan

 

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour

for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is His Name." - Luke 1:46-49

When was the last time you felt so much gratitude that you glorified God and exclaimed an unending hymn of praises?

Reading the Gospel today reminded me of a similar experience. It was sixteen years ago but still I remember it as if it was only yesterday. I received the news that I got accepted in another role for a different department I applied for. After working for the same thankless job for eight years, I felt redeemed and liberated. I learned from my new manager that the role was a promotion and that I need to travel to the US frequently for the job. I only asked God to be moved to another department, but God granted me more.

There are still other instances when God lifted me to praise and each time felt like I'm floating and singing. Nothing but gratitude for all the graces He bestowed upon me. He has seen me through all my tears and my quiet struggles.

How about you? Can you recall God's saving moments? He has redeemed you before and He will do it again.

Prayer

Father, we are truly elated for Your unending blessings! Teach us to be truly grateful, living a life worthy of Your grace. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

What Comes After Fear

First Reading: First Kings 17:17-24

Sometime later the son of the mistress of the house fell sick, and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing.So she said to Elijah, "Why have you done this to me, O man of God? Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt and to kill my son?" " Give me your son," Elijah said to her. Taking him from her lap, he carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. He called out to the LORD: "O LORD, my God, will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying by killing her son?"

Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times and called out to the LORD: "O LORD, my God, let the life breath return to the body of this child." The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah; the life breath returned to the child's body and he revived. Taking the child, Elijah brought him down into the house from the upper room and gave him to his mother. "See!" Elijah said to her, "your son is alive."

"Now indeed I know that you are a man of God," the woman replied to Elijah. "The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth."

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13

Second Reading: Galatians 1:11-19

Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it,

and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among

But when (God), who from my mother's womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleasedto reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; rather, I went into Arabia 5 and then returned to Damascus.Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles, only James the brother of the Lord.

Gospel: Luke 7:11-17

Soon afterward he journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her.

When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, "Do not weep." He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!" The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, "A great prophet has arisen in our midst," and "God has visited his people." This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

Reflection
By Fidji Rivera-Sarmiento

In Psychology, fear is a vital human response to physical and emotional danger. Without fear, we cannot have the instinct to protect ourselves from true, legitimate threats. But some days, we fear irrationally, and when we do not understand some facets, we become fearful. That was how the people reacted when a dead man got up upon Jesus’ command. “Fear seized them all.” And who would not be afraid? I imagine it happening today, and I am sure that it would be something pulled out from a Walking Dead series. But what is beautiful in this text is what comes after fear. They all glorified God!


Is it possible that we praise God while we feel fear? Certainly. But is it easy? Of course not. When illness strikes a family member, can we effortlessly exclaim, ‘Praise God for this cancer’? When after all your sacrifices, your efforts went nowhere and you failed, can we go around and spread the goodness of the Lord? Definitely not. When we lose from the recent election after all the physical, emotional, and monetary resources that we gave out, and still the people did not see the sincerity of your heart to serve, do we say ‘Thank you Lord for this loss’? Obviously not. Because we fear when we do not understand. But in our heart of hearts, when acceptance has finally enveloped us, we will realize that God’s hand is evident in every single happenstance. He HAS a reason and a purpose for everything. If and only if we understand God’s purpose can fear be extinguished.

Prayer

Dear Holy Spirit,

Fear has consumed me and I am getting weary living under anxiety. I hate being a worry-wart; it takes me nowhere. I don’t like being afraid, but I can’t seem to be brave enough to let go. I fear rejection, failure, and so I build walls around me instead of living the life you have prepared for me. Fear is the cancer that eats up my spirit, but I offer it all to You. Fill me, Holy Spirit. Search my heart and replace fear with trust, with love, with hope, and with an understanding that You are the director of my life and that my life script has already been written down on the palm of Your Hands. Inundate me with Your holy peace that surpasses all understanding. Calm my troubled heart. And I raise my hands in surrender to Your Will. Amen.