A WAY OF LIFE “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” – Revelation 4:11 My friend was going to lead worship at The Feast for the first time so he asked me for advice. In reply, I asked him just one question, “How do you pray at night?” He looked at me with a confused expression. Perhaps he was expecting a supernatural answer. I asked him that because it was effective for me. The way I talk to God every night just gets amplified when I hold the microphone and lead a crowd in worship. During my prayer time, I shower Him with praises, glorify Him to the highest, and acknowledge that I am made to worship Him. When I take a break from work, I just plug in my earphones and listen to worship songs. After that, I feel relaxed. In difficult situations, I play worship songs and I feel God hugging me as His love overflows and peace fills my heart. Worship isn’t something you do when you’re tasked to lead worship in a prayer meeting. Worship is a way life. Jan Carlo Silan (jan@makatifeast) Reflection: Who do you worship? Do you worship your money? Your position? Your boyfriend? Or do you worship the Father in heaven who knows you completely? Lord, You are worthy of all my praise. I live this life to worship You. I pray that this way of life will touch other people’s lives through genuine service to them. St. Agnes of Assisi, pray for us. Didache | Companion | Sabbath GOSPEL God expects us to use the gifts He gives us, not just for our own pleasure and glory but also for the sake of His Kingdom. We do not have to earn our way into heaven but it certainly helps if we express our gratitude to God for His many gifts and blessings by giving back, so to speak. Let us open our hearts and minds to His call so that we will know how God wants us to serve. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord. Luke 19:11-28 11 While people were listening to Jesus speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately. 12 So he said, “A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. 13 He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ 14 His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ 15 But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’ 17 He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’ 18 Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’ 19 And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’ 20 Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ 22 He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; 23 why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’ 24 And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.’ 25 But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’ 26 ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.’” 28 After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. think: God expects us to use the gifts He gives us, not just for our own pleasure and glory but also for the sake of His Kingdom. SABBATH INVESTING OR IGNORING? The Lord was drawing near Jerusalem. The city was abuzz with the quickly spreading news. The King was drawing nigh, and both excitement and its opposite were on the rise. There were those who welcomed the news, as they showed on the day of his triumphant entry to the holy city by spreading their cloaks and waving their palm fronds. But not everyone was happy — then and now. We see the likes of them everywhere. Haters and naysayers abound, and despite the Wonder Worker’s fame and popularity, not everyone was impressed. Even now, there are people who reject Him who came “in the name of the Lord.” Those who accept Him put what they receive to work. They invest the capital from the Lord and make it grow and produce more. Matthew Kelly calls them “dynamic Catholics.” They are highly engaged and are deeply involved in advancing the cause of the Church, by investing their time, talent and treasure for God and His dream for the world. They are actively engaged in the work of evangelization, the exact antithesis of those who actively negate what the Church does and see nothing but negativity or accord nothing good to the Church and all She does for the world. There are, however, those who may not fit the category of haters and naysayers, but who do not welcome all the same the coming of the King. They do this in a variety of ways, including simply not doing anything, not cooperating, not supporting, or not putting to work the capital given. “Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.” Dynamic Catholics are those who are engaged actively in building up the Church. Haters and naysayers are those who are passionately involved in discrediting her. But there, too, are those who quietly and simply do not do anything other than hoard what they have freely been given. Which category do you belong to? Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB REFLECTION QUESTION: How are you using your God-given talents in advancing the Kingdom of God? Thank You for the gifts You have given me, Lord. May I learn to use them for Your greater glory.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 22:48:11 +0000
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