Daily Nourishment For the Soul

Acts 4:32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unity and sharing, all possessions are common to all. The early followers of our Lord Jesus Christ were all united in their faith and belief practices. No one is rich nor poor because all of their poss essions were shared by everyone. They set a great example for generations to follow. Jesus Christ our Lord commanded His early disciples to love one another.  And they care for each other, pray together. Important practice they had is the baptism of new members and communal meals, meaning,  they share their food to all members.  The communal meals had developed into what we call now as the Eucharist. Early members of the church were filled with the Holy Spirit as promised by our Lord, that ...

We have a lot to be thankful....everyday.. To begin the with: 1. Sound sleep and well rested body.  How many of us have the luxury of this during the night? 2. The alarm that sounded that wake you up on time  or we were given another day to spend.  3. We can see, we can hear, feel,  savor food, think,  breath , smell, move without any pain in our body. In short, we are in good line of health.     4. We have food eg. rice, fruits and vegetables, meat, bread to eat, water to drink and use for bathing, washing and cleaning, clothes, shoes and apparels to wear. 5. The air we breath, sun to give us heat and energy, rain that gives water back to earth for our personal consumption and to irrigate fields. 6. Families eg Father, mother, husband and wife, children, brothers and sisters, grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins and friends. 7. Work, school, knowledge and wisdom. 8. Our freedom  of expression and money to spend. 9. Gadgets s...

John 20:29 You believe in Me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe. Are we more blessed than St Thomas? That is what our Lord Jesus say in the above verse written by John the Evangelist beloved apostle of our Lord. If we have faith, it is enough for us to persevere in times of  struggle. As I am writing this piece I was watching a basketball game in the television, one of the team is struggling in scoring as they are down 17 big points in the third quarter. Shot after shot they are missing and their opponent seem to find the basket has a bigger hole. But they believe they can still catch up. They managed to diminish the lead into a single digit before the quarter ended, with tough defense and tough rebounding on both ends of the floor. Just  2 minutes had gone by in the 4th quarter they tied the ballgame. And from there the lead seesawed for both teams.  They even had a chance to win it i...

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:13-14 Prayer is the best tool, for millennial the best gadget we can ever have in communicating  with our  creator, our GOD. We can always call on Him anytime, anywhere, no matter what  your  circumstances are. When we are happy, in feast, famine, lonely, terrified, at peace,  anxious, angry, sick, healthy or facing any trouble, we should have a word  or two for Him.  He is always beside us,  ready to listen. Whether the words are jubilant, sorrowful, penitent,  praising or angry, He is patiently  waiting, listening never giving up on us. There are  four elements of a good and complete prayer and it goes by the acronym 'ACTS' A for adoration --  this sets t...

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face   trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Problems in money, relationships, health, bad habits, ...etc, sometimes or oftentimes takes a heavy toll on our well being or in our lives as a whole.  Reactions range from sulking in a corner and do nothing, dwell on self-pity and cry their heart out.  Others become dependent on something like drugs, alcohol or  over eat. Some would rely on sleeping, hoping that upon waking up their problems are over or gone. Some vent their feelings on getting angry on everything even their love ones. Others would be quiet for a while and after sometime take actions. But sometimes these unguided actions would only result to more problem. Others meanwhile ask God for help,  guidance, wisdom...

Psalm 75:9-10 As for me, I will declare  this forever;      I will sing  praise to the God of Jacob, 10  who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,      but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.” In the eyes of God we are all the same. No one is rich nor poor, old nor young, gentile nor Jew. He does not see you as king nor a pauper. He does not judge you as doctor, lawyer, accountant, engineer nor a janitor nor a messenger. He  does not see you as a senator nor a congressman, President nor a barangay captain.  You are being loved whether you are a saint or a sinner. No one can exalt  himself in the eyes of God. No one can boast in his sight. He accepts no gold, no silver, no precious stones for your salvation. Not even all your material  properties is enough. You know why? Because what you consider as your own possession is already His own. Even your knowledge or you...

Bible Verses with "I Will Sing Praises"  Psalm 28:7  The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my  heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him. 2 Samuel 22:50 "Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the nations, And I will sing praises to Your name. Psalm 18:49 Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, And I will sing praises to Your  name. Psalm 57:7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! Psalm 108:1  My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul. Psalm 27:6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm ...

Two successive magnitude 6 in less than 24 hours had struck  the country once called Ophir in the Bible,  currently named the Philippine Islands. Videos and pictures of destruction and, death and injury are flashing on the television, social media websites and newspapers. Tales of suffering are being fed to us where ever is the source.   Our faith in our creator is once again put to the test, shaken but not somehow diminished. Yet in 1 Peter 1:7  " These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." God's plan of salvation is still working in our times.  We must remain strong and steadfast in faith despite all what is happening in our lives. We must continue to finish the race like St. Pa...

His Gift for us, as He promised is this 'Eternal Life'.  He gave us His own life for our salvation. Now He lives forever in glory. The product of his perfect and eternal love for us and the forgiveness that comes along with it. He also commanded us to do the same way. He set us an example when He was on this earth: In Colossians 3:12-14  The Apostle Paul said everything Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Perfect love conquers  everything.  It casts out our fear, doubt, anxiety, distress and even death, as He has exemplified, when He rise from death. No better love has been expressed than His love for us. He cast ou...

Gospel Luke 24:1-12 At daybreak on the first day of the week the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, "Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day." And they remembered his words. Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles, but the...

Our Lord Jesus Christ is Risen! Three days after He breathed His last in the cross, our Lord Jesus has left the tomb He was buried in. Alive! He over-powered death. His mission of redeeming mankind from sin is complete. Rejoice, oh my soul, for you now free. The stains of crimson red of sin, has been washed by the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. He lives forever more. In my heart He is risen, He lives and He is now in control of my life. He is the Light of the world which has been living in darkness. He shines brightly on His resurrection. This is the product of His great love for mankind. That we may live joyfully, peacefully  and free from sin. His love is unconditional and perfect. He is the Living Bread, the life giving food. He shared His Body for us to eat and His Blood, the true drink. The blood of a new and everlasting covenant. Shed for our sins. Shed for our salvation. Praise and honor be with You now and forever more O Lord Jesus.     ...

The cross is still still standing over the hill dear Lord, but it is now empty. They took Your body away after a loving follower of Yours, Joseph of Arimathea, asked Pontius Pilate that he will take care of Your burial after You expired, You breathed You last on it. The heavy Cross which You carried for our many sins. You had patiently bear that cross for us and carry it to Calvary. You fell three times because of exhaustion, yet You did not complain. No one dared to help You, not even me, for I was afraid of the Roman soldiers,  I was afraid to be mocked and laughed at. I don't have the courage Lord to lend a hand. So like Peter I just have to watch You from afar and weep. I denied You too Lord. , No one lend a hand except for that man Simon the Cyrenean, whom the Roman soldiers force to take the cross for You when they notice You can not continue anymore. How I wished I could be him. But no, I was away from You, watching You suffer. Wala akong lakas ng loob para tulongan ka. ...

The Salvation of Mankind We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body. Hebrews 10:19-20 It was a dark and somber day in the outskirts of Jerusalem. On a hill just outside the city walls, a Man who’d been attracting crowds of eager followers for the past three years hung in disgrace and pain on a rough wooden cross. Mourners wept and wailed in sorrow. The light of the sun no longer brightened the afternoon sky. And the intense suffering of the Man on the cross ended when He cried out in a loud voice, “It is finished” (Matthew 27:50; John 19:30). At that very moment, another sound came from the great temple across town—the sound of ripping fabric. Miraculously, without human intervention, the huge, thick veil that separated the outer temple from the holy of holies tore in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). That torn curtain symbolized the re...

CHRISM Mass Gospel Luke 4:16-21 Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,  and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." The Chrism Mass is one of the most solemn and important liturgies of the liturgical year. Usually held in the diocesean cathedral, it is generally held on the morning of Maundy Thursday, but may in some dioceses tak...