AUGUST 11TH 2013~19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Readings: Wisdom 18:6-9, Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-22, Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 , Luke 12:35-40, ARE YOU READY? There is a story of an old rich man complaining to his friend. “People don’t like me, people say I am bad, But they don’t know that in my last will, I will donate all my possessions to charity.” To this the friend replied “Let me tell you the story of thepig and the cow” The pig was complaining to the cow “Life is unfair. I give others everything - my knuckles, my belly, my ears, my whole body. But people don’tlike me! They say I smell bad, that I am noisy. People even call me baboy! Unlike you, you just give your milk but people like you. They even made a drink named after your sound, Moo!” To this the cow replied – “May be this is because I give while I am still alive” My dear brothers and sisters, all of us will eventually meet our creator. And it doesn’t matter how much money you will leave to charity when you die, What matters to God is not what we willleave behind in this earth, but what we give while we are still alive. What we give while it still hurts. How we live our life on earth. Let us start to gird our loins. Let us start preparing as we meet him..... LET US PRAY: Father God, I know that ultimately, I will come face to face with you and will give an account of my life to you, Lord. Based on how I live my life on earth, you will tell me where I will spend my eternity. Lord, I want tospend eternity with you, so I pray that you help me live my life preparing for it. As I examine my life, I ask myself, am I prepared? Am I doing what God wants me to do.Yes, I go to mass, but is that it? I receive the sacraments, but is that it? I read the bible and pray, is that it? Willthose things take me to heaven? Lord, as I reflect, I realize that those things are just outwardmanifestations of my inner state. Those acts – readings, sacraments, prayers, are not enough to get me to heaven. BecauseI can attend the mass without being there. I can confess without meaning it. I can receive you without being prepared. I can read the bible, pray, and attend mass with wrong intentions. Lord,only one thing is needed for me to be ready - a surrendered heart. A heart ready to receive you. a heart ready to follow you. a heart ready to die of myself so that you maylive in me. Lord, as I look inside my heart, I know it is not so clean. But, like your presence in the manger in Bethlehem, it is enough to make it clean, to make it a worthy place for you. Lord, I give you my heart – with all the sins, impurities and desires. Take it Lord. Live in it, Lord. And as I do so, I know you will slowly transform me tobecome more and more like you. As I do so, I will slowly become ready to face you. In the gospel it is written that “blessed are the servants the master finds ready upon his arrival…” Lord I know that waiting may not be easy, but being ready when we meet face to face will have heavenlyrewards. So Lord, I praythat you help me wait on you as I prepare to meet you. Help me live a life pleasing to you. help me live a life of surrender to you. So that when we meet face to face, I know that I can be happy, knowing I can spend eternity with you. Amen..... Blessed Sunday!
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 06:06:57 +0000