DON'T NEGLECT THE GRACE YOU HAVE RECEIVED

As you begin this new week, I wish to remind you that life is not a bed of roses. There are challenges of life which by the  grace of God, can not overpower you. But we must thank God always and in everywhere 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

In 2 Corinthians 6, 1-10, St. Paul is saying: We prove we are servants of God when we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labours, watching, hunger, etc.

St. Paul said that because the grace of God was sufficient for him, and he was begging the Corinthians not to neglect the grace that they had received. Because it will be by the grace of God that they will be able to receive the help from God to overcome all trials and difficulties and also to receive the salvation from God.

As you begin this new week, may God's grace be sufficient unto you, may His love go with you, may His peace overshadow you, may His healing hands stretch above you, and may you receive from Him abundance of mercies. Amen

Good morning!
Rabbi😘

WHAT IS THE ATTITUDE BEHIND YOUR OFFERING?

Talking about offering, does it mean only money? Can we offer another thing in place of money? Is money the ultimate means or medium of offering? Can we only show charity through offering money? Well, when St. Paul was talking about giving in 2 Cor. 9, 6-11,  he was certainly referring to money. But, is that all?😱

Unfortunately, even though money is the means of giving, there are other things that are equally very important like the spirituality of giving. This is made manifest in Matt. 6, 1-6, 16-18 when Jesus was talking about prayer, fasting and almsgiving. In fact, He is saying that God the Father knows the intentions of doing it 👍🏻👍🏻🙏🏻.

My dear friend(s), whether it is prayer, fasting or almsgiving, it is a form of spiritual offering to God the Father, and when God sees the purity of the intentions behind it, He will reward the giver accordingly 👏🏻👏🏻.

Answering the question, "what is the attitude behind the giving or the offering?" St. Paul answers thus: "thin sowing means thin reaping. And God loves a cheerful giver." God also will reward those who give generously of themselves in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Have you planned to give sparingly? Hmmm, have a rethink.

I am here praying for you, believing you have done that for me too. Have a beautiful day ahead, and like I always advised, eat and drink plenty of water. I just finished my pineapple juice😜.

Good morning!
Rabbi😘

FORGIVE, FORGIVE, AND KEEP FORGIVING

Who has done you more harm? Who did you say you will never forgive? Why did God forgive you? Why can't you forgive him/her? Are you better than the person you're accusing? Do you know that "small" sins can kill? Is hate and grudge not a sin also? Are you a prayer warrior without a forgiving heart? Are you expecting God to forgive your sins? 😱😱

My dear friend(s), let's take out time to answer some or all of the questions above and stop acting sanctimonious when we cannot even forgive others.    After Jesus had  taught His disciples to pray, He vehemently emphasized on forgiveness. Because when we stand before God, we stand before Him as sinners with our own set of failings.

If we as sinners cannot  forgive our neighbours and friends for their failings, then our  prayers does not make any sense, and that was what Jesus was saying. But when we realize that we are no better than the other person whom we are about to point our fingers at, then mercy and forgiveness have already begun to flow in us.

As for me, I have forgiven you a long time. We must live by examples for the coming generation. Today, I urge you to forgive him/her, and claim your place in heaven. The day is bright, eat and go to work. Meanwhile, I have taken a glass of chilled orange juice👍🏻.

Bonjour!
Rabbi😘

DON'T BE AT YOUR BEST IN THE PUBLIC AND WORST IN PRIVATE

Have you ever helped people to the point of saying, "I am tired of helping?" Or better still, have you ever been paid evil for your good deeds? Or, do you help so that people would applaud you and say all kinds of good things about you? Have you helped someone privately before?😳🙏🏻

We are told in the scripture that wherever Jesus went, people will come and approach Him with their numerous requests. Did he run away from them? Well, not all days are exactly the same. Matthew 8, 5-17 gives us a glimpse of a typical day for Jesus.

My dear friend(s), we know that Jesus had also a human nature, which means that at some point in his life, he was also tired from hectic works. So when He went to Peter's mother-in-law's house, probably it was to take a break. He needed to rest for a while 👍🏻👍🏻.

But when He saw Peter's mother-in-law in bed with a fever, did He just rest? He couldn't have rested. So whether in public or in private, Jesus poured out all His love and power. Jesus was not certainly the type who would be at their best in public, but are at their worst in private. He was the same at all times👍🏻👍🏻

What we are in public should be a reflection of who we are in private and vice versa. Is not a  case of "Christian in the day, oracle at night." Whether it is outside or inside, let us know that we are to reflect God's love and care always.

As you go out today, think of doing good. Did you take your favourite juice the whole of this week? I did, trust me. Happy new month and weekend.

Good morning!

Rabbi😘

   

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN HIM?

Do you agree that what we see mostly depends on what we are looking for? Well, we can reason together based on logistics..😜
If you're a young man or woman in love with a particular person, every other person may almost be non-existent to you until you find him/her.

Scripturally, the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate was looking at Peter and John to  beg them for something (Acts 3, 1-10). What was he looking for? Material things to support himself. But in the gospel of Luke 24, 13-35, the two disciples on the way to Emmaus saw Jesus but something prevented them from recognising him. Wow!

My dear friend(s), in these two occasions, both the crippled man and the disciples on the way to Emmaus were looking but not really seeing more other than what they wanted for themselves. Terrible! 😳😳

While the cripple man wanted some material assistance, maybe by way of money, the two disciples on the other hand wanted some sympathy for their misery and disappointment. We must learn to look beyond what we want for ourselves. If everything is about you, what about those around you?😱😱

Truly, what Jesus wants to give us is not mere silver or gold or some consolation in our disappointment, but a revelation. When Jesus is who we are looking for, we will see Him.

Now, as you go out today, I ask you again: What are you looking for in Jesus? Eat your breakfast in peace, I'm enjoying my orange juice 😜

Good morning!
Rabbi😘

THE RISEN LORD HAS CALLED YOU BY YOUR NAME

Have you ever gone to a place you presume no one will know you, and suddenly someone called your names? How was the experience? Were you startled? Were you happy? Were you having mixed feelings whether you were the one actually called? Well, whatever your experience, that was exactly what happened to Mary Magdalene in John 20, 11-16😳

My dear friend(s), in the gospel pericopee, something very unusual and  personal, something very scary but intimate happened to Mary. The
Risen Lord called her by her name, Mary,  and she turned round and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabboni'. Indeed, that was the turning point in her life of brokenness, weeping, grieving and lost 👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻

This experience of Mary with the Risen Lord gave her back her identity and a mission. That is what happens to you and I when we have an intimate encounter with the Risen Lord. No matter our past, once there is an encounter with the divine, our lives must surely change for the better🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Have you forgotten that the Peter who spoke on the day of Pentecost was a different person from the one who denied Jesus three times and wept? Surely, something must happen whenever you experience the Risen Lord. You must regain your identity and find a new purpose and mission in life🙏🏻

My most cherished friend(s), whenever you feel that life has come to a halt, whenever your dreams are broken, and whenever you have more fears than hopes, the Risen Lord comes to you and calls you out
as He called Mary. Are you ready to respond? ☝🏻☝🏻

As you go out today, the Risen Lord will call you by your name. Please, listen and respond with your heart so that your life can have a meaning and a mission.

Like I always said, eat before you leave your house and if you're lucky to be around my neighborhood, I shall be delighted to host you for lunch. Let me know on time, life is fun with friends like you😜😜

Guten Morgen!
Rabbi😘😘

TRUTH CAN NEVER BE CONCEALED.

Wow! There is no doubt in my mind that the past 40 days of the Lenten season and the Holy Triduum were saturated with lots of activities. In fact, many people were praying that it should end faster than expected, because every Wednesdays and Fridays were Stations of the Cross, fasting,  abstinence, penance, and Reconciliation services.

My dear friend(s), have you noticed that the season of Easter which we started yesterday seems to be less busy compared to the Lenten season? In fact, it's all about wining and dining...😁😁 Yes, there is actually nothing much to do.

The same thing happened to the disciples when they heard the news of the resurrection of their master. It seems also that it was
only the guards and the elders who were trying to do something as the gospel of Matthew 28, 8-15 reports. What were they doing? 😳😳

Unfortunately, what they were doing was wrong by trying to cover the truth of the resurrection. But, can the truth be concealed or suppressed? No, that is the power of the resurrection.

St Peter affirms this truth when he said, "This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified and killed by men outside the law. But God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades, for it was impossible for him to be held in its power."🙏🏻

Today i pray for you: whatever lies the enemies may have told over your head to destroy you, whatever your enemies may have done to cover your face from success, and breakthrough, and marriage, and employment, may the power of the resurrection uncover and  lead others  to the truth about you. Amen

I am happy now because I have resumed my juice therapy which was on hold since the beginning of the Lenten season. I was so excited when I took a chilled glass of pineapple juice at about 6am 😜.. Hope you have taken breakfast? See you tomorrow, God willing. Love you!😘

Good morning!
Rabbi