My reflections for Feb. 14, 2006 - Tuesday

February 14, 2006

Reading I
James 1:12-18

Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,
for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life
that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say,
“I am being tempted by God”;
for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,
and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

(The prize of eternal life is won only if we stand firm against the lies of the world and are willing to pay the price for doing so. Sts. Cyril and Methodius, today's saints, paid the price of their lives when evengalizing the Slav people of the Balkans. They knew the dangers they faced in their mission but were undaunted and ultimately made the supreme sacrifice. Are we willing to imitate them as they imitate Jesus?)

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19

R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;
When cares abound within me,
your comfort gladdens my soul.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

Gospel
Mark 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

(When we are dealing with spiritual realities we have to train our minds to look beyond the material and seek a deeper meaning in the events of our lives. This is why it is so important to stop every now and then and reflect upon the things that have been happening to us and ask ourselves what God might be saying to us through them. If we do not do this we may find that we miss some of the things that He is saying - we may miss some of the directions that He is giving to us.)

God's special verse/thought for me today.
Today Lord, You made it clear to me why I'm living with hunger for the Eucharist so You could infuse a new life unto me and change my heart so that I will not cease wasting my life, but also draw others closer to You.
I allow You Lord to enter into the kingdom of my action.
I invite You Lord into everything that I undertake and I ask You to act through me.

my reflections
think: It is important to stop every now and then and reflect upon the things that have been happening to us and ask ourselves what God might be saying to us through them.
Lord, ask the Holy Spirit to come down to me and guide me so I may be able to reflect upon the things that are happening to my life and see clearly what is it that you want me to do for You. Through Your words, you are clearly sending me a message that I have to keep Trusting You and that blessing is on the way so I could focus more on my mission to lead people to become closer to You.

thank You Lord for: training my mind to look deeper beyond the material and seek a deeper meaning in the events of my life.
thank You Lord for making it clear to me what is my mission in life.
thank You Lord for entering into the kingdom of my action.
thank You Lord for coming into everything that I undertake and for You to act through me.