DISCERNING HOW TO USE OUR BLESSINGS - 04/26/22 (Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter)

Acts 4:32

32 Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. 

John 3:7-8,12-13

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.' 8 The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."

12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven but He who descended from heaven, the Son of man.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings

Blessed Tuesday! As we continue with the easter season, we prepare for the celebration of the Ascension of our Lord. The ascension of Jesus into heaven gives us hope that we can also enter His Kingdom. Often, we understand that to have the hope of being united with God, we need to avoid sins, persevere in virtues, strengthen our prayer life and participate in the sacraments. However, there may be times when we forget that part of doing God's will is to use the blessings He gives to us to give Him greater glory. There are at least two things we should remember in order to please our Lord when we are using our material goods. 

First, we should be detached from the worldly ways when we are using our money and possessions. In our gospel reading, Jesus told Nicodemus that if he could not understand earthly things, he would also not understand the heavenly things. Like Nicodemus, there is a tendency for us to not ponder on how God wants us to use the blessings He has given us and instead, waste it just to give us worldly satisfactions. Some people use their money to buy extravagant things in order to be praised. Others will spend their money to go to different places for their enjoyment. And yet, true happiness is not found in worldly satisfactions which will lead us to pride, envy, and other attachments. True happiness is obtained by living a life of simplicity, following God's will and deepening our union with Him. When we learn to trust God and be detached from worldly cares, God will do the rest for us to persevere in spiritual life. 

Second, we should discern on what the Holy Spirit is inspiring us to do with these blessings. We are gifted by God in order to give to our neighbors. Our Lord explained that the wind blew wherever it willed. The same is true when we listen to the Holy Spirit. We do not know what God will tell us to do unless we remain in state of silence and beg for His guidance in prayer. The apostles and the other Christians were doing this as recorded in the first reading. They were willing to give their possessions for the poor. And, they were united with the Catholic Church in discerning as to how their possessions will give greater glory to God. How about us? May we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our prayer as we discern on how we can use our money and other blessings for other people. Perhaps, we can give food and money to the poor. We can also donate more to our Church or support financially different Catholic ministries. What's more important is to use His blessings for us to grow in our love for Christ and for our neighbors. 

Let's not be discouraged when we are mocked by others because our lifestyle is different from them. Even the saints were not concerned about the world and the worldly ways. To be detached from worldly satisfaction and discern God's will are some of the ways for us to proclaim the power of our Risen Lord, not just in our words, but also in our deeds. 

 Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic