Saturday September 28, 2024

Whole-hearted faith means giving God your best

Good News Reflections:
Making scripture meaningful to your daily life
by Terry Modica


“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD!” (Psalm 90:12)


Good News Reflection for:

Saturday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time
September 28, 2024

Today’s Readings:

Ecclesiastes 11:9–12:8
Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17
Luke 9:43-45
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092824.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-september-28-2024

What does whole-hearted faith look like?

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Jesus calls us to whole-heartedness. What does that look like?

Total surrender, throwing ourselves and our lives at the feet of Christ so he can do whatever he pleases with us. Jesus accomplishes much with (in and through) those who are totally available to him. God calls us to this life of surrender and whole-hearted love, worship, adoration and ministry right where we are, in our ordinary lives, in our struggles and sufferings and imperfections.

When God invites us to do anything, we must give him our “yes”, even if we doubt we can do it, otherwise we sin. Any “no” we say to God has ramifications that are not good.

When we feel spiritually dry or confused or blocked, or if it seems like we’re in a battle with demonic forces and our victory is elusive or temporary, it’s often because we’ve said “no” to God somewhere, sometime, perhaps a long time ago.

When you’re invited to do something good, do it! The Lord will work out the details. God equips us for success based on our “yes”, not on our “maybe after I feel ready for it”. Not sure if the invitation is from God? Say yes anyway! He’ll protect you from doing what he is not asking you to do (if you’re listening).

What do you need to repent from in order to give God your 100 percent very best? Go to the Sacrament of Confession for this before it’s too late. All of this Saturday’s readings remind us of the reality of death. Time is short. Why not give God your very best — all the time, every day while he is still giving you time on earth to make a difference?

We could die at any moment. Even if we live to a very old age, will we be able to say that we gave God our very best? Time is precious, because the “now” moment is gone before we can finish saying the word “now”.

This moment right now is a gift from God. And the next and the next and all the way until we reach eternity. Why not commit your life whole-heartedly to giving God your very best today? Right now!

Giving God our best starts with a personal relationship with Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer. But that is just the beginning. We also need to have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit because this is the Person of God that Jesus gave us to empower us to be holy. The Holy Spirit guides us in our calling to continue the mission of Christ using. The Holy Spirit helps us to excel in the use of the gifts and talents and resources that God has given us.

Come Holy Spirit, renew me!
Come Holy Spirit, fill me.
Come Holy Spirit, help me to become whole-hearted in my faith.
Come Holy Spirit, You have my permission to change me.
Amen!

© 2024 by Terry A. Modica

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Cecilia Rudbeck
Cecilia Rudbeck
Guest
September 29, 2024 2:23 pm

Why is there no access for reading today´s (sunday) reflections? Only yesterday and tomorrow. I find thes the same every sunday when you want to read them they are not there. Why?