“I
cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is
just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent
me." -John 5:30
THE HIGHWAY
It was a thrilling experience to drive to Subic through the new SCTEX highway. I was cruising at top speed!
I noticed that many mountains were cut to make way for the wide and long, straight road.
This brings me to recall the time when I was called to start The Feast in a foreign country.
I was facing a mountain of challenges: no co-servants to help, no
venue, no one to sing in the prayer meeting, etc. There was literally no
Light of Jesus (LOJ) presence in the city.
But the Lord has His ways.
One by one, I began to see the hand of the Lord moving: mountains were cut, roads were built.
I was able to easily arrange for an audience with the archbishop. I was
given quick approval to establish the LOJ Family in his archdiocese.
Out of nowhere, a man called up and volunteered to help. I was
introduced to a worship leader. Everything just fell into place! In a
few months, we started The Feast in Port Moresby.
How wonderful it is to journey with the Lord. He can cut mountains and make highways level to pave a better way! Danny Tariman
1ST READING
The
time of the Messiah will be recognizable by many signs. One is that the
highways of the Lord will be made level. What does this mean? I believe
that this is a prophecy indicating the universal nature of salvation
that the Messiah will bring — that is, salvation will not be exclusively
for the Jews but will be available to all peoples of all nations.
Isaiah 49:8-15
8 Thus
says the Lord: In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation
I help you; and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the
people. To restore the land and allot the desolate heritages, 9 saying
to the prisoners: Come out! To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture, on every bare height shall their
pastures be. 10 They
shall not hunger or thirst, nor shall the scorching wind or the sun
strike them; for he who pities them leads them and guides them beside
springs of water. 11 I will cut a road through all my mountains, and make my highways level. 12 See, some shall come from afar, others from the north and the west, and some from the land of Syene. 13 Sing
out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, break forth into song, you
mountains. For the Lord comforts his people and shows mercy to his
afflicted. 14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” 15 Can
a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her
womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.
P S A L M
Psalm 145: 8-9, 13-14, 17-18
R: The Lord is gracious and merciful.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. 9 The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. (R) 13 The Lord is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. 14 The Lord lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. (R)17 The Lord is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R)
GOSPEL
We
cannot do anything without the grace of God. If Jesus relied on unity
with His Father in order to do anything, why do we think it would be any
different for us? As we learn to accept our need for God’s grace to do
anything good, let us pray that we never waste the opportunities given
to us to both live the blessings of the Kingdom of God starting now, and
also share it with others whenever we can.
John 5:17-30
17 Jesus answered the Jews, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” 18 For
this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not
only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making
himself equal to God. 19 Jesus
answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, a Son cannot do
anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he
does, the Son will do also. 20 For
the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be
amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. 22 Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so
that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does
not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Amen,
amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who
sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has
passed from death to life. 25 Amen,
amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead
will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself. 27 And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and
will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of
life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of
condemnation. 30 “I
cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is
just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent
me."
REFLECTION
HONORING GOD WITH OUR WORKS
Every
day, I pray my “Morning Offering.” Since my days in Catholic school, I
have regarded lifting up to God “my prayers, actions, joys and
sufferings of this day” an appropriate way to begin acknowledging the
day as truly a gift from God.
Jesus’ words deepen for us what it means to work for God and to do His
work. Constantly and continuously repeated by Jesus — like a mantra — is
the allusion to God as “Father.” In fact, the English text of the
Gospel periscope today mentions “Father” around nine times. This is
primordial: As true Christians, we honor God not just as the Great and
Absolute Maker, but as the Loving Father.
To work for God as Father is to:
Love work.
The first two chapters of Genesis tell us the story of how the universe
and all that is in it are the product of God the Father’s deliberate
and orderly work. God the Father directly willed to make everything. The
universe is not, in any way, the result of an accident.
Work with power and confidence.
Jesus says what He does are what the Father “has given” to Him.
Therefore, even the resistance and opposition of the Jewish leaders
failed to bring down Jesus. Likewise, it is the Father who supplies us
breath, time, inspiration, talents and resources for all our work.
Await all from the Father.
Jesus was led by the Father. He waited for the “hour” as the Father has
determined. Jesus declares: “I cannot do anything on my own... I do not
seek my own will...” It is not enough that one is empowered, but that
one must truly be led by God.
Give all glory to the Father. Like Jesus, let us remember that we are only “sent” and we cannot be greater than the One who sends! Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP
"Our Father, thank You for today and for all that is to come."
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