The hearts

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes but the Lord pondereth the hearts - Proverbs 21:2

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Dear brothers and sisters, we rarely find honesty, sincerity and purity of the heart in this time of our modern days. Many times we find people or even ourselves give a hand to others, offer helps, or lend others people whatever. Everyone who sees it will say that it is a commendable act, he or she is good, it surely bring praise, and people will say it is surely be blessed. Dear brothers and sisters, this can also be possibly our own experience. We give and we help and we know that it will bring great award. It will bring praise without wanting to know, wanting to inspect, to introspect the motivation lay behind. 

We can say to others that I am telling the truth or others also can say that they are telling the truth and so the people will easily trust. We have to beware that no one knows what is in our heart but God knows. Manipulation in its negative sense will never be blessed. Never be deceitful, don't trick others. It is our dear God who knows perfectly the "texture of our heart, the interior of our heart". God will bless us immediately when He knows we are doing good.

God will always be happy knowing his children are doing good. Doing good in the eyes of people is possibly always good but not always good for our dear God! He wants us to always be honest, sincere, and pure in our heart. We need to inspect our heart all the time and it will always lead our step to heavenly blessings and more to our eternal salvation. Blessings for us all!

Reflection by Ceisy NW

Probare seipsum | To examine oneself

Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup 

(1 Cor 11:28). 

As we prepare to approach the Lord's table, Saint Paul's words echo in our hearts. This self-examination is not meant to discourage us, but to draw us deeper into communion with Christ.

In the Catholic tradition, we prepare ourselves for the sacrament of penance through a prayerful examination of conscience. This sacred practice invites us to reflect honestly on our thoughts, words, and deeds. We can root this examination in the Ten Commandments, which teach us how to love God and neighbor, and in the Beatitudes, where Jesus shows us the path to true blessedness.

Paul himself understood the importance of a clear conscience. He could say with confidence: "I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day" (Acts 23:1), and he urged Timothy: "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith" (1 Tim 1:5). Like Paul, we must strive for integrity before God and others.

Let us ask ourselves: Are my actions, words, and thoughts aligned with God's will? How have my deeds impacted those around me—my family, my community? Have I loved as Christ commanded? As we read in John's Gospel, Jesus said: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (Jn 13:34).

We must be honest about our faults and failings, yet never forget that God is our merciful Father. As Paul reminds us: "But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world" (1 Cor 11:32). The Lord's discipline is an act of love, calling us back to Himself.

When we come to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, let us echo the words Jesus taught us to pray: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us" (Mt 6:12). We cannot approach the altar with resentment in our hearts. We must forgive others as God has forgiven us, for "if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Mt 6:15).

In this way, we become true disciples, following Paul's exhortation: "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Cor 11:1). May our examination of conscience lead us not to despair, but to conversion, gratitude, and deeper union with the Lord who gave Himself for us. 

Bible Reflection on 1 Corinthians 11: 27-34 by Fr. Joseph Trzebuniak SVD.

(Listen to podcast here)

Ad manducandum | To eat

For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk (1 Cor 11:21).

Dear friends in Christ Jesus, the early Christian community shared everything in common. We read about it in the Acts of the Apostles 4:32 –"And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any one of them that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common." At the same time, we can not say that they were perfect. They, too, had their shortcomings. In today's passage, St. Paul is reminding the Corinthians about their division, selfishness and indifference. It is true that they gathered together as one community to celebrate the Lord's Supper. Which is a really wonderful time of prayer, worship and communion.

The people used to bring along food and drinks from their home. When the time came to eat they ate alone without sharing it with others. There were also poor people who had no food. It was a very humiliating and painful experience for the poor who had nothing. The indifference and selfishness caused division among them rather than communion.

Dear friends, in our lives too, God is blessing us with a lot. Are we grateful to God and are we willing to share it with others? We all know that everything that we have is a gift from God. As long as we have them, let us be generous. It can be our time, energy, health, materials, money, knowledge, experiences etc. Let us not expect anything in return other than God's blessings. May God bless each one of you.

 

Bible Reflection on 1 Corinthians 11: 17-26 by Fr. George Joseph SVD.

(Listen to podcast here)

Imitatores Christi | Imitators of Christ

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ (1 Cor 11:1).

Reflecting on 1 Cor 11:1-16, focus verses 14-16, and St. Paul's teaching about the wearing of veils by women in worship, I struggled with this passage which I felt archaic and patriarchal, by putting women down in a lowly position, until the Holy Spirit pointed to the deeper spiritual truths that Paul was pointing out that a woman's unveiled hair could be point of pride in her heart as it could attract unwanted suitors, and a passage from St. Luke's gospel was brought to my mind, who as a doctor, could accurately narrate a scene that would have shocked many 1st century Jewish readers, as modest Jewish women would conventionally veil their hair as a sign of modesty in the presence of Jewish men, all the more so if the men were Jewish religious leaders or a respected rabbi, so picture the Jewish reader imagining a sultry woman brazenly walking into a room with her hair untied, and carrying a bottle of expensive nard, you can imagine the kinds of associations those readers would make in their minds, "How could Jesus, a Holy Man of God allow such a kind of woman to approach Him in such an immodest manner and even anoint His Feet with her expensive alabaster jar of nard (equivalent to 3 years wages)!" However, Jesus used this controversial scene to become a teaching point, with a parable about the 2 debtors by asking Simon, the dinner host, a pointed question about the endless mercy of God, "Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

We, too, live among people who are too caught up in sinful situations, unable to break out of those painful situations, let us each in our own way go out and proclaim boldly, "Jesus saves!", especially to the spiritually blind, the lame, and the ones who have lost all hope in life. As St Luke has recorded, Jesus began His Judaean ministry with a public proclamation from Isa 61.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19).

I'll close my short sharing with this beautiful hymn, "People Need the Lord", by Steve Green.

Every day they pass me by

I can see it in their eyes

Empty people filled with care

Headed who knows where

On they go through private pain

Living fear to fear

Laughter hides their silent cries

Only Jesus hears.

 

Chorus

People need the Lord

People need the Lord

At the end of broken dreams

He's the open door

People need the Lord

People need the Lord

When will we realize People need the Lord?

 

Verse 2

We are called to take His light

To a world where wrong seems right

What could be too great a cost

For sharing life with one who's lost?

Through His love our hearts can feel

All the grief they bear

They must hear the words of life

Only we can share. 

Youtube: https://youtu.be/1uZcGaixMhg?si=epKoopM64HPdEoSt

Title: People Need the LORD

Singer: Steve Green

CCLI: 18084

Copyright: Integrity Worship

Reflection by Chris Tan