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.”

https://pastorrick.com/god-provides-on-the-way-to-the-miracle/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=God+Provides+on+the+Way+to+the+Miracle&utm_campaign=Daily+Hope+-+English+RSS+Feed+-+HTML+-+When+You+re+Hoping+for+a+Miracle+-+01%2F28%2F2021&vgo_ee=%2BJ%2BTBckOM5q5cj26yfWRLjpxdzkQNl9LgdxZ9pnzLRY%3D

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/

Christmas Day

 

Readings for Mass During the Day:
Isaiah 52:7-10
Ps 98:1-6
Hebrews 1:1-6
John 1:1-18

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Joy to the world! This is our song. This is what we should always be proclaiming as a people of faith.

Don't focus on what destroys your joy, for nothing can destroy the coming of the Lord. The absence of joy is merely a blank area in your view of what God is doing.

Look at the love that Jesus has for you! Jesus was born not only to save you from the darkness of sin; he was born because he loves you -- he loves YOU! Even if you had never sinned, he would have come into the world so that he could love YOU on your level, human-to-human.

Sometimes, great things come in surprising packages that do not seem to be great at all. The Eucharist -- in the form of a little wafer of bread -- does not look like it contains the full presence of Jesus with all of his humanity and his divinity. The baby Jesus -- a tiny, helpless child -- does not look like the conqueror of evil. But he is! And so is Jesus in the Eucharist; he is here for you.

And you! You might not seem to be a great person, but you contain Jesus. You contain greatness beyond imagining! This greatness does not dwell only in you; it comes out from you in every good thing that you do. This is a life of faith!

To be a follower of Jesus means we learn to imitate him. In doing good, evil is defeated. In this goodness, the greatness of Jesus extends outward from us. In this goodness, there is cause for great joy.

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

What's your lifeless desert?

 

We all need God's help to stay on the highway that's called the holy way.

As we nurture our spiritual lives to grow closer to Christ this Advent and Season of Christmas, we can use today's first reading to see what still needs healing or repentance:

1. How is your life like a desert, dry and lifeless except for a few prickly cactuses?

2. Are you thirsty for more of God? In what area of your life do you feel parched?

3. Are you feeble in your attempts to become more like Jesus?

4. Are your knees weak as you travel the difficult road of holy living?

5. Are you controlled and paralyzed by fear? Any fear -- even the smallest one -- paralyzes us from moving ahead into the life that God wants for us.

6. How are you blind? Are you unable to see the good that's coming from a bad situation or the hand of God working in your life or in the life of someone who's causing you to worry? Are you blind to the presence of Jesus in others because he's hidden under the garbage of their sins? Are you blind to how very, very much God loves you and wants to help you?

7. What has God been telling you that you can't hear? Maybe it's his guidance? Or his love song that he sings to you? Or his dreams for you?

8. What part of your journey toward heaven is too difficult for you? What lame excuses are you using for permission to sit down on the curb?

9. How has fear kept your tongue silent when you should be speaking up? Or what have you been saying that's so unlike Jesus that you sound horrible instead of singing of God's glory?

10. In what areas of your life are the jackals who tempt you still lurking, keeping you in sin?

11. In what ways do you act foolishly? What the world considers wise the Lord knows to be foolish. What worldly wisdom are you trusting?

12. How are you like a lion? Is there anyone you've been devouring with unkind words or impatience or contempt or bullying?

Well, the Good News is, as Isaiah points out: The Lord has ransomed us! We can escape from these faith-destroying maladies.

Today's Gospel passage shows us that Jesus was overflowing with God's power so that he could minister to people. He wants to minister to you, too. We all need this help to stay on the highway that's called the holy way. It's Jesus who strengthens the hands that are feeble and the knees that are weak.

We are like the paralytic who allowed his friends to lower him to Jesus for a healing. He had faith in his friends' love for him. If we allow our own Christian friends to help us, our faith in their love increases our faith in the loving power of Christ.

That's when Jesus says to us, "My friend, you are forgiven." With that Word, we are healed. With that Word, all the good things that Isaiah prophesied are becoming true for us.

Today's Prayer:

Praised be to You, Lord, because Your love wants to work wonders through our faith in You. Thank You for Your merciful power that restores us in body, soul and spirit. Amen.

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

Trust and follow me

 

Daily Wisdom

(PHOTO: LAURENCE FREEMAN, FRANCE) Jesus’s teaching on this question of finding oneself doesn’t put it just in terms of finding oneself but in following him. This puts a different spin on it. To follow him means what? Say you are driving in two cars somewhere and the first car knows where he is going, you don’t. So they’ll say ‘Just follow me.’ What does that mean? It means there’s trust, trust that they know where they are going. It also means you have to be very careful that you don’t lose the other person, you have to make sure that another car doesn’t come in between you and the car you are following. It’s a small example of what it might mean to follow: to pay attention, to be faithful, to stay connected, to keep going in the spirit of trust or faith. And it means to take the attention off ourselves: ‘Whoever wants to follow me must deny himself’. It sounds very negative, but we can see it in a better light if we see it in the light of meditation – taking the attention off ourselves. That is what it means to leave self behind. (Finding Oneself 1 by Laurence Freeman OSB ) https://mailchi.mp/wccm/daily-wisdom-388661?e=e0e956b448