Grab the opportunity

Everything started in the grace of God.

46 They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. 47 On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.” 50 He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. 51 Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” 52 Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.-Mark10:46-52

It all began with the grace of God. Without grace, Bartimaeus would not have asked for Jesus' mercy. Bartimaeus knew and felt that 'this is it,' the moment that he was waiting for, this is the day that God's mercy is upon him. And he knew it because of God's grace. The grace of God not only made him realize that that day is a day of mercy, but also a chance to ask God for anything. If he ignored that moment, I don't think he received his sight for God sometimes would like us to articulate to Him what we want even though it is too obvious.

So many chances come our way. The chance to find love. The chance to make it big time. The chance to be free. The chance to make a difference. Sometimes we grab it, and sometimes we don't much to our regret. Today, Jesus is teaching us to be unafraid to voice out what we want to Him. If we want a miracle, let's ask for it. If we want to find love, let's ask for it. If we need His help, let's ask for it. And when the help comes, let us all be ready to accept and embrace it, otherwise, regret will eat us for the rest of our lives.

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Spirit of Truth

"I have told you this so that you may not fall away."

26 “When the Advocate comes whom I will send[a] you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. 27 And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
1 “I have told you this so that you may not fall away. 2 They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour[b] is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. 3 They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. 4 I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.
[c] “I did not tell you this from the beginning, because I was with you.-John15:26-16:4

Sometimes we experience an encounter with God at a certain point in our life that left a very deep impact or a massive turning point or change in us. It can be a loss, bankruptcy, imprisonment, or even death. These experiences bring us closer to God. Jesus is saying to us, "I have told you this so that you may not fall away." If we have Jesus in us, we need not fear. Though very tough times may come our way, Jesus is encouraging us to be steadfast in holding on to the Holy Spirit that says, "Be not afraid. I am with you." Through our own experiences of the presence of God in our life, we can contribute and help in spreading the Good News that Jesus is the true Savior and Messiah, and that He is truly with us alive and guiding us every step of the way.

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Don't be afraid

Jesus will be there for us.

45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.-Mark6:45-52

The Gospel reading today is a continuation of yesterday's reading. Jesus gave a bigger-than-life challenge to His disciples - feed five thousand men (not counting the women and children) right on the spot. It was not His disciples who solved it, it was Jesus Himself who did the wonderful miracle of feeding thousands of men, women and children out of five loaves and two fishes only. Not only that, there were twelve wicker baskets of leftover, enough for Jesus and His disciples' journey ahead. Today, another challenge came to Jesus' disciples - fear. I am not sure if they were fearful of the wind and the waves, but they were definitely afraid of a ghost (it was actually Jesus walking at them). We all face many fears - fear of getting old, fear of being poor, fear of being alone, fear of failures, fear of making a new start, fear of new relationships, fear of getting hurt again, and so forth. But Jesus' words continue to ring today and until the end of time. "Take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid." Jesus is inviting us all not to be afraid. What is past belongs to the past. New beginnings do not have the same ending. Adventures are always new and they are never the same. Every venture has a different story and a different ending. Let not our hearts be troubled by fears and problems. Jesus will always be there to help us. He will even be the One to solve it for us.

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