Return to God
The story is told about a group of wives who were instructed during a recollection to send a message of gratitude to their respective husbands. These are some of the responses that the women received: “Are you sick?” “Do you need anything?” “Can you repeat your message, please?” The best one was: “Who you?”
—————-
In today’s Gospel (Lk. 17,11-19), Jesus teaches us the value of gratitude and how often we forget or take it for granted in our lives. “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” All too often we focus on the gift and forget to thank the giver of the gift!
—————-
There are a lot of things we cannot understand or explain in our lives. There are a lot beyond our control, too, so if you are a “control freak,” sooner or later you may become stressed or discouraged and may end up distressed. The sooner we let go of the game called control, the better. May we be given the gift to see life as a gift, a mission, and a lifetime full of gratitude and appreciation. Remember, we have received more, compared to what we have achieved in life.
—————-
Worse than physical leprosy is the political leprosy that has been caught by our political system and government. It all starts with greed, and greed is caused by lack of values and faith. In the time of Jesus, lepers were outcasts of society. Nowadays, our political lepers are well-entrenched in the very halls of the administrative, judicial, and legislative branches of our government.
—————-
If you have experienced healing, forgiveness, deliverance, or prosperity do not forget to look up with gratitude to God and look around you to help others in any way you can. Remember, those who have been given surprises and second chances must generously and gratefully share their blessings.
—————-
Thought for the journey: “The finest hour in our life is when we have done good things to nameless people without expecting them to remember our acts of love and kindness. The mathematics of life is not the multiplication of wealth, but the division of tasks, subtraction of greed, and addition of humility.”
—————-
We all are indebted to God. May we not forget that all we are, all we have is from Him, and all we do are made possible by Him. But, all too often, we are not only forgetful but also ungrateful people. “Is this how you repay the Lord, O foolish and senseless people? Is He not your Father and Creator? Has He not made you and established you?” (Deut. 32, 6)
—————-
To return to God does not only mean coming back to the right way, but also giving back to God what is due Him. Go back to God’s heart. Conversion time! “… Come back to me with all your hearts, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” (Joel 2: 12) It also means to give back to God what is due Him. Payback time! “How can I repay the Lord for His goodness to me?” (Psalm 116:12)
—————-
May we not forget to return to God, and keep on returning to Him as we journey on. Let us not stay too far and too long away from Him. May the lures and pleasures of this world not make us forget who we are, what our purpose in life is, and our final destination, heaven.
—————-
“Till I find to my wonder, every path leads to thee … All that I can say is please, stay with me, stay with me.” I borrow this last line from the theme song of the movie “The Cardinal” to remind us that God accompanies us in our journey, and that all roads, no matter how narrow and winding, ultimately lead to Him.
—————-
“Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you, all things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.” (St. Teresa of Avila, October 15)
—————-
A moment with the Lord:
Lord, help us to return and keep going back to You, and to return and keep giving back what is due unto You. Amen.
—————-
momentswithfrjerry@gmail.com
