Journey with the Bible - 12/16/2011

Today's Readings - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/121611.cfm

A blessed friday to all! Christmas is almost here. Can't wait to see my kids' face when they open up their gifts. It is such a delight to give them gifts nowadays because they appreciate it with their full hearts.

You know everyday, aside from work and daily routines, I get discouraged from writing. There's this voice that's telling me..."It's just a waste of time", "No one's listening", "No one's reading"...etc. So there were days that I don't feel like writing at all, though I still get my personal revelations. So last night, I went to mass. And the priest' homily goes like this:

There was a prophet who was instructed by God to tell a city to repent and stop their evil ways. And so he went, going around the city proclaiming the Good News of the Lord and telling them to repent. But no one listened. So 10 years, 20 years and 30 years have gone by, the city grew in size and more wicked, but still no one listened to the prophet. So finally, a close friend of the prophet said to him, "Why don't you just stop? No one is listening to you". The prophet said "I can't stop, because I know that the moment I stop, I will start to change and become like them".

You see there is a good change and a bad change. But God's words, faithfulness and teachings never change. And that is something that we should not remove from our life. Stick to the teaching of the Gospel. And do not be lured by the wickedness and worldliness of this generation.

In the gospel today, my struck is more like a question. I could not understand the line "I do not accept testimony from a human being". I said to myself, "How can this be? If we are to preach the Gospel, we have to testify that Christ is our risen Lord and Savior, and we are human beings". One thing I always remind myself, is that the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old. So I went back to the First Reading (Old Testament). Then I read this verse again:

The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
ministering to him,
Loving the name of the LORD,
and becoming his servants--
All who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
Them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
For my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.

Putting together both New and Old testament, it came to this. That Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. Through Jesus Christ, we (Gentiles) are now part of the salvation plan (1 Cor 11:1-18). Human beings signifies us, and Jesus signifies God. Not accepting testimony from human beings means that in the Old Testament it was only the Jews that can participate in God's plan, but now that Jesus came, His testimony is greater than John, meaning He opened the doors to everyone, John 5:34 says "but I say this so that you may be saved". That anyone who loves the name of the Lord and becoming his servants is acceptable to Him. Isn't this great?

Lord Jesus, I recognize the love that you have for everyone regardless of our race and nationality. We pray that the same love you have for humanity be inflamed in our hearts that we may never stop sharing Jesus to others, of which is also an act of love for others. This we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord, through the intercession of Mary and all the saints. Amen.

St. Therese...Pray for us.

Jesus loves you!