Making the most of divine opportunities

 Mark 10:46-52

bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102421.cfm

After Jesus touches our lives -- answers a prayer, gives us a healing, provides a life-changing insight, or makes any other kind of difference -- what do we do next? Our life has been changed by divine grace. Do we make the most of this new opportunity?

God never forces us to take a new direction or follow a certain path, not even if we've made a bargain with him, such as: "Lord, if you heal me, I will go to Mass every day."

Jesus says to us what he said to Bartimaeus, the man he healed in this Sunday's Gospel reading: "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Go where?

Sometimes his instructions are a little more informative than that. When he cures someone from sin, he adds: "Go and sin no more". Okay, but go where?

Every step we take is important. Where we go and what we do next makes a difference that ripples off into the future with ramifications (blessings and/or woes) that are impossible for us to predict. Jesus isn't down-playing the significance of this. Rather, what happens next is so important that he wants us to have full control over it.

Jesus told Bartimaeus "Go your way." And what did Bartimaeus do with that freedom? He "followed him on the way." He opted for the best possible direction. His life changed dramatically, not only because he had been blind and now he had good eyesight, but because he wanted to learn from Jesus and become one of his followers.

How many times have we returned to an old familiar path after an encounter with Christ? If following him means taking a new direction, getting involved in a new ministry, or changing careers or friends, we too often settle back into old routines. Comfort zones are hard to leave. But following Jesus is a life-changing adventure if we're sincere about our faith.

Following Jesus and learning from him should be our highest priority. Every encounter with Christ should change us -- even at Mass when we reunite ourselves to him in the Eucharist.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
Think of the last time Jesus responded to your need for help. What changed afterward? How long did the change last?

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
Describe a time when you changed directions in your life because of an encounter with Christ. What did Jesus do for you? How did you figure out which way to go afterward?

https://gnm.org/good-news-reflections/?useDrDate=2021-10-23

God Provides on the Way to the Miracle

 “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

Waiting for a miracle can be hard. Sometimes the road is cold, dark, and lonely; you may even find yourself stuck in a rut. You may not know where you’re going or how long the journey will take.

No matter where you are on the way to your miracle, here are some things you need to remember:

God is all you need.
You don’t need a big bank account, a full refrigerator, or even a job. If God wants to, he can have ravens drop food on you as his way of providing. That’s how he provided for the prophet Elijah, who was exhausted and burned-out in the desert; you can read about it in 1 Kings 17. When God turns off one source of provision, he can turn on another just as easily. You can trust him for all you need.

Where God guides, God provides.
After sending the ravens to feed Elijah, God told him to make a dangerous trip to Zarephath. There was a drought in Zarephath and very little food. Yet God provided for Elijah through a poor widow with a generous heart. When God tells you to go somewhere, go immediately. When God tells you to do something, do it right away. When God gives you direction, he will provide what you need to get there.

You must trust him one day at a time.
Why? Because some of your problems persist day after day. For instance, if you have financial problems, you’ll have to deal with them every day. And so we must trust God one day at a time to provide. The Bible says, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NIV).

God’s promises work when you’re obedient.
God often lays out his plan just one step at a time. He wants you to take the first step in obedience, and then he’ll show you the next step. Each step along the way may not seem logical, but you can obey in faith and confidence, knowing God’s way is always best.

Have you taken the first step of faith?
The first step of faith is asking Jesus to save you and take control of your life. If you’ve never done that, then I invite you to pray this prayer right now:

“Dear God, thank you for loving me and wanting me to depend on you. for loving me and wanting me to depend on you.Forgive me for when I’ve depended on my job, other people, and my own plans instead of you. I want to learn to trust you one day at a time. I want to go your way, not my way. I confess my sin, and I believe you are my Savior. I want to follow you, and I ask you to save me and come into my life. I claim your promise that if I trust you, I will be saved and you’ll meet my needs. When you tell me what to do, I will obey. Help me to remember you’re all I need and where you guide, you’ll provide. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

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Five Ways to Relax in God’s Grace

 Be careful that no one fails to receive God’s grace.”

Hebrews 12:15 (NCV)

How do you learn to “R.E.L.A.X.” in the liberating grace of God?

R—Realize nobody’s perfect.
Psalm 119:96 is a verse directed toward God, and it declares, “Nothing is perfect except your words” (TLB). What society tells you isn’t perfect. What popular opinion tells you isn’t perfect. What you learned growing up isn’t perfect. But God’s Word is perfect. When you get in the Bible and build your life on it, you will have a perfect foundation.

E—Enjoy God’s unconditional love.
The Bible says, “See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children—think of it—and we really are!” (1 John 3:1 TLB). When you become a follower of Christ, you take on a role of service to him—but you’re more than a servant! The Bible says you become a child of the King. A servant is accepted on the basis of what he does; a child is accepted on the basis of who he is. A servant starts the day anxious and worried that her work will please her master; a child rests in the secure love of her family. A servant is accepted because of his workmanship; a child is accepted because of his relationship.

L—Let God handle things.
What do you do about the uncontrollable things in life? “Cast all your anxiety on [God] because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). When you’re fishing and you cast a line, there comes a point where you have to take your finger off the button and let it go. Just like the essence of casting is letting go, to overcome perfectionism you have to let go and let God do his work.

A—Act in faith, not fear.
Remember how you got into God’s family in the first place. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (NIV). Grace is the only way to get into heaven. You’ll never be good enough, and you can’t buy your way in. It’s a free gift from God.

X—Exchange your perfectionism for God’s peace.
Perfectionism destroys peace. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-29, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest . . . Learn the unforced rhythms of grace” (The Message). What a deal!

You’re going to fail a lot in life. But you don’t have to worry about it if you’ve received God’s grace. In fact, there’s only one failure you ever need to worry about: “Be careful that no one fails to receive God’s grace” (Hebrews 12:15 NCV). Receive it right now, and then relax!

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How can we know God's will?

 Hebrews 10:1-10

Ps 40:2, 4ab, 7-11
Mark 3:31-35
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012621.cfm

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus states that anyone who does the will of God is a mother or sister or brother to him. The responsorial Psalm has us declaring, "Here am I Lord (not someone else -- me!); I come to do your will." But how can we be sure we know what is the will of God for us? Here are seven ways that God communicates it:

1. AUDIBLE VOICE OF GOD: Some people have heard God speaking to them audibly. However, this form of communication is rare and should never be expected, waited for, or trusted by itself.

2. DIRECT VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: For most of us, the direct voice of God sounds like our own thoughts. It's possible to carry on real conversations with God using our imaginations, but it's difficult to know how much is only our imaginations and how much is God. Thus, we must always ask the Holy Spirit to bless and purify our imaginations.

3. INNER PEACE: Whether we're struggling to discern correct decisions or we're making them instantaneously, we should always remember to pause and ask the Holy Spirit: "What's going on? Who or what is pushing me into this?" The driving force may seem logical, the people recommending it may sound rational, but if there is no inner peace, don't trust it.

4. RIGHT PRIORITIES: Feeling peace is not the same as feeling good. It's natural to feel good about a wrong decision when our human desires are saying, "I want to do this!" And even good ideas are not always God's idea. Which choice best serves the kingdom of God? Which one strengthens our relationship with God? Which one is considerate of our own needs while at the same time respectfully cares about the needs of others?

5. SCRIPTURE: Everything we hear from the Lord will be completely in agreement with the Bible, but this means we have to build up a good understanding of what's in the Bible. We can purify our discernment and our interpretation of inner voices by studying scriptures, but if we take verses out of context, we'll use them to prove anything. It's important to learn the Bible and its message as a whole.

6. CIRCUMSTANCES: When patterns occur or "coincidences" keep happening, we need to stop and ask, "Lord, what are you trying to tell me?" God prepares the way for us to do what he asks of us, and everything generally falls into place. When we keep hitting walls (i.e., circumstances that feel like closed doors) God might be telling us to move in a different direction. However, obstacles are often really opportunities to trust God more and take a leap of faith. We cannot trust our interpretation of circumstances alone.

7. SIGNS: Scripture says that if we are living according to the will of God, signs and wonders will follow. Notice: they follow. We aren't wonder-seekers, we're God-seekers. The devil can put up misleading signs to send us off in wrong directions. True signs are the good fruits that are produced by following the leadings of Jesus.

https://gnm.org/good-news-reflections/