Keep giving!

Someone noted that on the night the Titanic sank, all classes of people were in it—wealthy and poor, famous and unknown, literate and illiterate, bosses and workers. A few hours after it sank, there were only two categories of people posted in the Cunard office in New York—“LOST” and “SAVED.”

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In today’s Gospel (Matthew 21:33-43), Jesus reminds us that we are all tenants working in the vineyard of a Master who will require our produce at vintage time. Those who produce will be saved; those who do not produce will be lost. It would be good to check and make sure that we will make it to the “SAVED” list.

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Do you have God in your life? Do you acknowledge Someone greater than yourself? Do you accept there is Someone who knows deeper, sees farther, loves more than you can, Someone greater than you and I, who deserves our praise, gratitude, and obedience?

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Do you live for God? Do you see your life as a mission for Him? Is there service, love, and sharing in your life? Whatever, don’t live for I-me-myself. That is not living. That is just existing. Live for God. Live for love!

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Do you work for God? Do you work at all? Do you accept that you have a responsibility for others and that you are accountable to God at the end of your life? Do you report for duty, or do you just do whatever you like, get whatever you want, and spend all your time relaxing, enjoying pleasures, and just having a good time?

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Do you love God? Are you close to God? Are you sure? How much of your time, talents, and treasures are you giving back to God? Are you loving God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength? And consequently, are you loving your neighbor as yourself?

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There are some trees that are so full of leaves but do not bear fruits. In life, too, there are many people who are so filled with blessings and adornments but do not share their fruits with others. As it were, their fruits are all for display for everyone to see. Worse, they leave behind their rotten fruits on the ground when they are gone.

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It pains me to think how a few people could make so many people suffer because they used and abused Mother Nature for their selfish and greedy business. It pains me likewise to think how a few people could make the public suffer because of their greed and selfishness, corrupt government leaders and officials who have mastered the act of stealing, all under the guise of “public service.”

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Let us not be dismayed when we see people who prosper by evil ways, and somehow seem to get away with it. God does not sleep. He knows. He takes care of each one of us in His own way. Yes, God will make a way, and He makes all things beautiful in His time!

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A night of giving. That’s how I would describe my birthday celebration last week, which started with a Mass of thanksgiving for my 70th birthday, attended by friends united in giving help to our missionaries, highlighted by a program with personalities like Jose Mari Chan, Celeste Legaspi, Marco Sison, Michael Angelo Lobrin, Maja Salvador, and Maestro Robert Shroder giving their time and talents for a cause. So giving was 82-year-old Annie Lukban who won the grand raffle prize of a trip to the Holy Land and who gave it to 27-year-old Fr. Joemari Berme, SVD, who in turn gave it to 70-year-old Fr. Joseph Panabang, SVD, who spent 38 years as a missionary to Ghana, Africa. Praise God for people of goodwill who continue to take the road of loving and who keep on giving!

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A moment with the Lord.Lord, help us to live lives filled with sharing, loving, and giving. Amen.

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momentswithfrjerry@gmail.com