~ Put the Glass Down~

A Professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see & asked the students “How much do you think this glass weighs?”

'50g!' .... '100g!' ..... '125g' ..the students answered. 

“I really don't know unless ...I weigh it,” said the professor, “but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?”

'Nothing' …..the students said.

'Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?' the professor asked.

'Your arm would begin to ache' said one of the student.

“You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?”

“Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis & have to go to hospital for sure!” … ventured another student & all the students laughed …

“Very good, But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?” asked the professor.

‘No’…. Was the answer.

“Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?”

The students were puzzled.

“What should I do now to come out of pain?” asked professor again.

‘Put the glass down!’ said one of the students.

“Exactly!” said the professor.

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Life's problems are something like this. Hold it for a few minutes in your head & they seem OK. Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache. Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything. It's important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to ‘PUT THEM DOWN’.

God knows all our problems and struggles in life and He is inviting us to go to Him and leave all of these heavy burdens to Him so we can have rest.
Why would you want to carry your heavy burdens alone if you can always give it to God and have rest. Our God is much bigger than any problems we have in life. Surrender your life to Him and trust in Him with all your heart, mind and soul and surely you will find rest in Him.

GOSPEL READING TODAY, AUGUST 26, 2013 (Courtesy of DIDACHE)

GOSPEL

A person who fails to live the Gospel can never properly guide another person in it. This is the same as the principle of not being able to give away something we do not have. I cannot introduce you to a person I do not know myself. Let us then seek to be faithful witnesses to the truth of the Gospel, so that no one will call us hypocrites.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

Matthew 23:13-22

13 Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. [14] 14 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’ 17 Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred?18 And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’ 19 You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; 21 one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; 22 one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.”

THE TRUTH HURTS BUT HEALS - By: Fr. Benny Tuazon

Have you ever heard of a doctor who commits murder? How can someone, who had made an oath to preserve and protect life, do otherwise? Or a lawyer who exerts every effort to free his guilty client? We seem to be understanding and permissive of them. But not Jesus.

       In today’s Gospel (Matthew 23:13-22), He exposes the seven “woes” against the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. He does not let them get away with their hypocrisy. The first three woes are, namely, how they cause people to miss the Kingdom; how they convert people but make them worse than before; and their being blind guides by stressing focus on offerings and things rather than on what can really save them. The three woes were meant to let the Pharisees know that Jesus knows what they were really doing.

       The words of Jesus were strong. He earned the ire of the teachers and Pharisees, which later turned into a plot to kill Him. Jesus hated hypocrites. Truth was one of His main message. The Pharisees wittingly or unwittingly were committing a lot of deceptions. The Jews were being damaged both personally and spiritually. Jesus could not endure that. He had to speak the Word of God. He had to speak the Truth!

       Truth hurts, as they say, but it also frees and heals. The more we hide  the truth, the more painful it is when revealed. Jesus was willing to suffer the consequences of proclaiming the truth to the teachers and the Pharisees.

       I also feel this way whenever I stand before a congregation to deliver a homily. Homilies are supposed to share the truth about God and His message, and there are times when the message is unpopular and painful. We need to tell the people that it is not OK to curse, lie, steal, hurt, be unforgiving, have premarital and extramarital affairs, etc. We know that it will hurt them initially, but if they listen to and follow the truth, it will set them free and eventually heal them. If we really care for them, we must take courage to tell them the truth. Jesus cared for the teachers and Pharisees, too. Jesus will always proclaim the truth. He is the Truth! 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How courageous are you in telling the truth even if it would hurt you or your listener?

GOSPEL READING TO DAY, AUGUST 25, 2013

GOSPEL

There is a common hymn that says the road to salvation is broad and wide. I do not know where the writer got that idea from. We hear today that the road to salvation is narrow and that few willingly choose to take it. Let us make sure that we are some of those few, in that we will not allow ourselves to be led astray by thoughts that salvation is something easy and cheap to achieve — after all Jesus died on the cross to make it happen.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father, except through me.

Luke 13:22-30

22 Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them,24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. 25 After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ 27 Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

How to Deal With Egomaniacs

You've probably met them before. They're the kind of people who always have to be right. They just can't seem to accept the fact there might be another viewpoint out there. You may have even gotten into shouting matches with them before. What's worse is the fact they seem to be everywhere. At work, at school, and maybe even at home, perhaps staring at you in the mirror even?

Check your own ego at the door. Is the egomaniac worth your time and energy? Think of how you can reduce the amount of time and energy you put into dealing with the problems caused by the egomaniac.

Try finding a point of agreement even if you don't agree completely. So one thing egomaniacs are looking for is approval. They have a driving urge to win or validate themselves by being right. For example, let's say your e.m. is saying abortion is wrong no matter what the circumstance is. Normally you would argue back because you believe there are some gray areas (such as when the woman's life is in danger where it may be permissible to have one). Instead of offering a contradictory position off the bat, try making a general statement everyone would agree with, such as "Yes, all life is precious and we should find a way to save them when possible." It's pretty hard for anyone to argue with that isn't it?

Be assertive. Don't let the e.m.'s bully you into doing things you don't want. It's one thing to make agreeable statements but quite another to let them to force you to take action you wouldn't have taken otherwise. If an e.m. asks you to do something you just can't do, be firm. Try to explain if necessary, but if you don't owe an explanation, don't feel you have to give one. Live your life to the fullest by honoring your commitments and values.

Make sure it isn't you. Do you find yourself getting into fights with everyone over every little thing? Think of 2-5 important people in your life whose opinion you value and who will be honest with you. Ask them for no-holds barred feedback. Do they think you're a little argumentative or always need to win? If you feel the urge to dispute their opinion during the feedback process, stifle it (this may also be a sign that they're right) until they're done. Try to remember that one of the fundamentals of emotional wellness is keeping your own ego balanced and in check.

Shift your perspective and have a little fun. To keep yourself from letting the e.m. get to you emotionally, you can use this little trick to put a little psychological distance between you and the e.m. On issues that won't make a difference if the e.m. gets his or her way, think about the e.m. as a pet or animal of some kind. What animal do they most remind you of? Does their long neck remind you of a giraffe? Then in your head you can think to yourself, "How do I want to deal with Jeremy the giraffe today?" What do I need to do to soothe his ego? Try not to smile too much lest your new pet e.m. ask you what you're smiling about.

HERE IS HOW YOU CALL UPON THE LORD

Do you admit that you are a GUILTY sinner, under the condemnation of God's LAW, deserving of Hellfire?

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God (God in the flesh) who died upon the cross, sacrificing His precious blood to pay for your sins? Do you believe that Jesus was buried and rose again three days later?

That is the good news of the gospel... Jesus DIED, He was BURIED and He is RISEN!

If you'd like to be saved, simply come in your heart as a guilty sinner and BELIEVE upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you'd feel comfortable praying a sinner's prayer as did the publican in “ Lucas 18:11-13 - Tumayo ang Pariseo at nanalangin nang ganito tungkol sa kanyang sarili: 'O Diyos, nagpapasalamat ako sa iyo sapagkat hindi ako katulad ng iba na mga magnanakaw, mandaraya, mangangalunya, o kaya'y katulad ng maniningil ng buwis na ito. Dalawang beses akong nag-aayuno sa loob ng sanlinggo at nagbibigay rin ako ng ikasampung bahagi mula sa lahat ng aking kinikita.' Samantala, ang maniningil ng buwis nama'y nakatayo sa malayo at di man lamang makatingin sa langit. Dinadagukan niya ang kanyang dibdib at sinasabi, 'O Diyos, mahabag po kayo sa akin na isang makasalanan!'.”

Dear Jesus,

I admit that I am a sinner deserving of Hell. I believe that you died, were buried and rose again. Please forgive me of my sins and take me to Heaven when I die. I now believe upon You alone, apart from all self-righteous works and religion, as my personal Savior. Thank you. Amen.

Just as you were born physically to your parents, so you were born spiritually into the Family of God when you received Jesus! Please understand that we are not saved because we pray a prayer; but because we believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It is certainly appropriate to ask the Lord in prayer to forgive and save us; but it is our faith which prompts us to pray. You could just as easily believe in your heart upon the Lord to be saved, and not pray at all. Salvation is of the heart, as we read in Romans 10:10, “Sapagkat sumasampalataya ang tao sa pamamagitan ng kanyang puso at sa gayon ay pinapawalang-sala ng Diyos. Nagpapahayag naman siya sa pamamagitan ng kanyang labi at sa gayon ay naliligtas...”

It's not what you're doing that gets you to Heaven, it's where you're looking. Look to Jesus!