Journey with the Bible - 12/7/2011

Today's Readings - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/120711.cfm

I think I'm sick...I can't stop thinking about Jesus, if this is a disease, I don't ever want it to go away. I pray it is the same with your daily life. You see, I used to ignore Jesus, especially when I am down, and when I have problems to solve at work that I can't solve. I used to think that Jesus doesn't know programming :). But hey, I was wrong, everything belongs to Him...yes! including Science! So, if you are having trouble at work...including solving problems, dealing with people, running out of ideas or what to say...try asking the Holy Spirit, you'll be amazed at what the Holy Spirit can do. Let's be totally dependent of Jesus today and everyday, let's not exclude Him in everything that we do.

In today's reading, I took note of the words "weary" and "faint". In the first reading, I was trying to pay attention to the young men. Why do young men faint and grow weary? why do they stagger and fall? I looked back at my life. When I was younger, I worry about the things of this world...I worry about having a girlfriend, I worry about getting a job, I worry about friends, I worry about partying, I worry about who am I going to hang out with...you know those petty things in life. When I grew older, my worries changed, I became mature in my thoughts, I worry more of the things that would lead me to heaven. I worry more about others, and not just myself anymore. I think that is what God is telling me today. We have to grow mature in our walk with God, so we will not falter, we will not grow weary, we have to totally depend on Him in everything. Have you ever experience running so fast and as you are running your become weary of your speed and that you might hit someone? or when you are walking long distances, that if you are not well nourished or fit enough, that you might faint? In the same manner with our walk with God, if we don't infuse ourselves with things of God, we don't exercise our faith, and we don't have a total reliance to God...we might faint, falter or stagger.

So what did Jesus say in the Gospel reading today:

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

 

Very straightforward...all you who labor and are burdened...lift it up to Jesus. Did he say to select which burden? No! Lift it up to Him...everything...anything that is bothering you, anything that is making you feel heavy. You see, it is the same principle that "No man is an island", we need each other to survive, but more importantly we need Jesus to reach our goal in life. When you offer your suffering to Jesus and join your suffering to His suffering on the cross, it becomes lighter, all of a sudden you don't feel alone anymore, all of sudden you have a friend helping you carry the cross. 

 

I used to love going to Spas...I still do, but since the recession I have not gone in a long time. Last time I went was when I was in the Philippines. It was helpful for a while, but when you go back to the routines of life, the body pain comes back again. So what happens next? I end up wanting to go back for more spa, and spend more money. Recently, I have changed my mentality on that, as I become more and more dependent on Jesus. When I am tired and beat up from work, at the end of the day, or even before I come home, I pray something like this:

 

Lord Jesus, today I am tired, I am exhausted, and there are things unresolved from work. Lord I join my sufferings to you, though I am not worthy to experience your suffering on the cross, though little compared to what you have suffered on the cross, I lift them up to you Lord, knowing that you will take care of them, all my worries, all my pains. Lord, my back, my arms and my head hurts. You are the great healer, please touch my body Lord, though my earthly work is done, but my heavenly work does not end here. Give me the extra energy to go on from here, to minister to my family and my brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus I pray, with the intercession of our Blessed Mother, all the angels and the saints. Amen.

 

The most difficult for me is at the end of the week. When it's a rough week, I normally would not have the energy anymore to attend to anything, including prayer meetings. But when I pray, the Lord gives me enough energy to go on for the day through the night. But at the end of it, He lets me rest, and when He says rest, we have to rest our bodies. Just as important for us to work and provide for our families is to rest. Try it today, lift it up to Jesus, whatever is bothering you or burdening you...and let Jesus carry you through.

 

Jesus loves you!