Sunday, March 18, 2018

Hoping Against Hope

How many times have we prayed hard for something to happen even if we know that in our human mind it is near to impossible? We cried, kneeled, beg before God and yet nothing happens.  But we continued, because we have this faith that somehow someday something will happen.

Such was the faith of Abraham who long for a child for many years. The 2nd reading today taken from Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 talks about how this promise of God was fulfilled after many years of waiting. His prayer was not answered moments after praying, nor was it answered after an hour or a day or weeks but years! The reading says, “He believe, hoping against hope.”

Abrahams story continued in the life of Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary.  He hoped for a wife and a family. He finally found one but then along the way, he found out the Mary was pregnant and it was not his. What a devastating blow to his hopes and dreams. Like Abraham, he believes, hoping against hope and all these is gone. However, while he has these feelings, Joseph also has this deep and abiding faith in God. And we know how the story ends when he took Mary home. What a wonderful faith!

He decided to take Mary home because His heart knows, whether Mary is pregnant or not, he loves her anyway, it doesn’t matter! But most importantly because of faith he truly believes that what he heard and saw in the dream was true and is from God.

He built a family on the foundation of faith, hope and love.

Lord, whatever our hopes and dreams are, we believe that you have great plans for us and so we hope against hope knowing that you are a promise keeper. Amen.


On the Feast Day of Saint Joseph.
March 19, 2018

Saturday, March 17, 2018

When Love is Longer

Once somebody asked, how does long distance relationship works and he answered, “Kapag mas mahaba ang pagmamahal kaysa sa distansiya, okay lang.” (When love is longer than the distance, then it’s okay.”) Very true indeed! If we love with the love of the Lord, love knows no distance. It brings people together even those miles apart.

There are things that human measurements cannot measure because if our love is Gods love then it is immeasurable and unquantifiable.

Romans 8:38-39 pointed out this truth, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

No height, no depth, no measuring tools can measure love.


by aats

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

We Ask

We ask for answers? There will be no answers when we just choose what to hear and what to do. Selective hearing and doing is a hindrance to answered prayers.

by aats