GOD CAN DO MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER ASK

 Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Isa 55:6-9; Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-19 (R.v.18a); Phil 1:20c-24, 27a; Matt 20:1-16a

GOD CAN DO MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER ASK

May the peace of Christ which is beyond all things dwell with you. Amen.

After a long time of suffering in exile, the prophet of the Deutero-Isaiah had, right from the beginning, in Isaiah 40:1, embarked on the project of comforting and encouraging the people. Throughout the book (Isa 40:1 – 55:13), he prophesied restoration and the coming of the Messiah. At the end, in Isaiah 55, he reminds the people that God is able to provide all that they need, but they need to do one important thing: to come back to God (cf. Isa 55:6).

As we gradually approach the end of the Church's liturgical year as well as the end of the civil year, that call of the prophet is equally made to us to remind us of our own inevitable end.

To prepare for that end, St Paul, in his letter to the Philippians encourages us to live in Christ always in such a way that we might never be afraid or worried about living or dying, because alive or dead, we belong to Christ (see Phil 1:20-24).

Most times, what makes us lose touch with Christ is our pursuit of ephemeral things. Yet, paying more attention to Jesus is really all we need. The Psalmist said that "The Lord is close to all who call upon him" (Ps 145:18). Have you called on God to take care of those little worries that are dragging you away from the vineyard of God? Remember that it is almost time for harvest! Are you ready to give an account of your stewardship?

In case you see yourself in a distant land from the vineyard of God, never lose hope. God is ever ready to welcome you back in the same way the Father welcomed the Prodigal Son (cf. Luke 15:11-24). He only needs you to take a step back home.

In the light of the above, the Gospel (Matt 20:1-16) encourages us to fill our minds with the benevolence of God and so never think that any sin of ours is beyond God's mercy. God does not think as man thinks, and his mercy extends from everlasting to everlasting upon those who seek him (cf. Ps 103:17).

So what are you waiting for? "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; all other things will be added for you" (Matt 6:33). "Place all your worries on him since he takes care of you" (1Pet 5:7).

Think of this! Assuming the labourers refused to follow Jesus when he invited them into his vineyard, do you think they would have received the payment he made to them? Today, as you hear his voice, harden not your heart.

May God give us the grace to wait on him in all things, and as we place all our hope on him, may his generosity be ever abundant in our life. In the end, may eternal life not elude us through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed and spirit-led Sunday. Peace be with you.

https://www.fadajbcezeonwumelu.com/god-can-do-more-than-you-can-ever-ask/

Why must we appreciate the simple everyday moments of joy?

 

The simple moments of joy are usually the ones that add the greatest comfort in our lives but also the ones that go unnoticed.

Most of us associate our happiness with achieving our goals in life. We disregard this simple moment that makes our lives beautiful. In this process, not only do we miss out on life but we don't feel happy even when we achieve what we want in life.

Focus on your goals but appreciate what life brings to you every day. The moments with family and friends, quiet time spent with yourself, a walk in the park, and conversation with your closed one, there are many more moments that once appreciated, can make us happy.

Dr Bhawna Gautam

Self determination

I had to break to become

Who I was born to be

I had to break to level up

Within my poetry

I had to break so I would know

How strong I really am

I had to break so I'd let go

Of all that held me back

I had to break so I could build

A palace with my pieces

I had to break so I could see

Just how strong my reach is

I had to break so I could make

A new mosaic soul

I had to break; it was the only way

I'd ever let me go.

~Mandy Kocsis©2020~

The challenge that tried her

She made the choice a long time ago to never surrender to the problems and challenges that tried to bring her down.

She never set out to become strong, tough or brave, her story never gave her another option.

She’s always done whatever it takes to make it where she’s trying to go, but she’s never sold her soul or sacrificed her values to reach her goals.

She’s not perfect, and she gave up trying to be a long time ago.

She’s made her fair shares of mistakes, wrong turns and bad love choices, but that never dissuaded her from pressing forward.

She never asked “why me,” she just found a way through the struggles..every time.

She’s more than just a simple woman, though you may not know that at first glance.

She’s a warrior spirit, with the soul of a dreamer and the heart of a lover..

More than anything, she’s been searching for peace and love since the very beginning.

She’s always been that person that loves with all her heart-

Herself, her people, her life..and perhaps, one day, her “forever person,” when he shows up.

She’s never questioned the timing of life, she’s learned to do the hardest thing of all:

Trust.

Herself, her heart, life’s timing..all the things that she should have stopped believing in so long ago, but never did.

She’s had her heart broken into a million pieces and she’s always been the one to pick up the pieces and put herself back together again..

Each time better and stronger than before.

She’s a complex person with simple needs and she’s never abandoned her desire to be happy in the things that matter.

She’s more than a survivor- though, some days, she felt like that was all she was doing.

Most importantly, she’s always kept her fire burning and kept her light shining brightly in her eyes..always believing in herself throughout it all.

Maybe one day she’ll rest and take some time for herself..but that time isn’t now.

She still has much to do and an entire future full of possibilities..

Falling in love with being alive every day.

Strong, beautiful and free.

One day,

She’ll be in love with herself and her life, finally at peace and content..perhaps, even more..

And she can’t wait to write the best chapters of her life.

|ravenwolf

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Life will break you

 “Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could.”

Louise Erdrich

Why is being your best self more important than being the best of all?

 

Becoming our best self means recognizing our shortcomings, learning from our mistakes, and improving ourselves. It not only helps us in personal growth but also creates a pattern of overall development for us.

We live in a competitive world and focus on other people's abilities rather than our own because our goal is only to surpass them. This attitude may lead to initial success, but in the long run, it hinders our progress because we never allow ourselves the opportunity to know how far we can go, how much we can explore, and what we can become.

To discover your true capabilities, you need to focus on self-development. Analyze yourself every day, challenge yourself to do something more, stay strong in difficult situations and aim to improve every day. Once you start focusing on becoming your best self, you will look to others only to learn from, not to compare.

Dr Bhawna Gautam