Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Refining and purifying God’s kingdom


October 22, 2015

Thursday of the Twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time  
         

Readings


19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature. For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness for lawlessness, so now present them as slaves to righteousness [1] for sanctification. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.[2] 

21But what profit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification,[3] and its end is eternal life.

23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


1Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. 2Rather, the law of the LORD is his joy; and on his law he meditates day and night. 3He is like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever he does prospers.

4But not so are the wicked, not so! They are like chaff driven by the wind. 
5Therefore the wicked will not arise at the judgment, nor will sinners in the assembly of the just. 6Because the LORD knows the way of the just, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.


49"I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing![4]
50There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished![5]

51Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."




Notes on Readings

[1] Romans 6:12-19 Christians have been released from the grip of sin, but sin endeavors to reclaim its victims. The antidote is constant remembrance that divine grace has claimed them and identifies them as people who are alive only for God's interests.

[2] Romans 6:20 You were free from righteousness: expressed ironically, for such freedom is really tyranny. The commercial metaphors in Romans 6:21-23 add up only one way: sin is a bad bargain.

[3] Romans 6:22 Sanctification: or holiness.

[4] Luke 12:49-53 Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom is a refining and purifying fire. His message that meets with acceptance or rejection will be a source of conflict and dissension even within families.

[5] Luke 12:50 Baptism: i.e., his death.

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Dear Humanity,

I personally encourage everyone to emulate JESUS' values on LOVE, FAITH, HOPE
and CHARITY, as the humanity has been a failure; which resulted to the more than two (2) years of pandemic and its after-effects on economy, not only here in the Philippines but worldwide.

And the saddest part of it, is that, it affected the POOREST of the POOR to even extremely be more poorer, in exchange of the affluent to be more richer.

Thank you and may GOD bless you and the whole family to have an enjoyed life's journey at home, Church, schools/universities, corporate commitments, public and places of interest.