My reflections for Feb. 07, 2006 - Tuesday

February 7, 2006

Reading I
1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30

Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD
in the presence of the whole community of Israel,
and stretching forth his hands toward heaven,
he said, “LORD, God of Israel,
there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below;
you keep your covenant of mercy with your servants
who are faithful to you with their whole heart.

“Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth?
If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you,
how much less this temple which I have built!
Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, O LORD, my God,
and listen to the cry of supplication which I, your servant,
utter before you this day.
May your eyes watch night and day over this temple,
the place where you have decreed you shall be honored;
may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place.
Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel
which they offer in this place.
Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.”

(Solomon gives praise and thanks to God for the gift and blessings of His presence in the Temple in the midst of His people. Let us always remember to do the same no matter how close or far we may feel from God at any particular moment of our lives. The truth is simple: God is with us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It may not always feel like this but this is His promise to us and we can be absolutely certain that He always keeps His promises.)

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 84:3, 4, 5 and 10, 11

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young—
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
O God, behold our shield,
and look upon the face of your anointed.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
I had rather one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Gospel
Mark 7:1-13

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”
He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
In vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
He went on to say,
“How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!

For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
‘If someone says to father or mother,
“Any support you might have had from me is qorban”’
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things.”

(Love is the supreme rule of law and, without it, our actions come to nothing. It is all very well to be able to keep to the letter of the law, but if it is without love there is an essential ingredient missing in the recipe of our life. If you forget the yeast from the load of bread, all you will get is a rock, like piece of bread as a result. Let us pray that we season or leaven our lives regularly with the love and mercy that we have first received from God.)

God's special verse/thought for me today.

I normally doesn't read newspaper but something pushed me to read it and here is what I found. Whoever published it in the newspaper is someone who is guided by the Holy Spirit to do God's will.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation, replace the tubulence within us with a sacred calm. Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence. Replace the fear within us with a strong faith. Replace the bitterness within us with the sweetness of grace. Straighten our crookedness. Fill our emptiness. Duff the edge of our pride, sharpen the edge of our humility.
Light the fires of our love.. Quench the flames of our lust, let us see ourselves as you see us. That we may see you as you have promised.
O Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything that you permit to happen to me, only show me what is your will.

initialed as TAC - whoever you are - God bless you.

my reflections
think: Let us pray that we season or leaven our lives regularly with the love and mercy that we have first received from God.
Yes Lord, I love to season or leaven my life regularly with your love and mercy that I first received from you. TAC the one who published the prayer to the Holy Spirit is a perfect example who leaven his or her life regularly. Lord help me to leaven my life regularly and consistently.

thank You Lord for: helping me to season and leaven my life regularly with the love and mercy that I have first received from you.

Thank you Lord for continuing showing me everyday how to leaven more my life.

Thank you Lord for giving the 'Prayer to the Holy Spirit' through your servant TAC.

Thank you Lord for being with us 24 hours a day.

Thank you Lord for keeping your promises.