Speak Lord!
Someone said: “If you see me talking to myself, just move along. I am self-employed and I’m having a staff meeting.”
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Today is Palm Sunday, the start of the Holy Week. We commemorate the Lord’s entrance to Jerusalem, and we hear the account of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 15:1-39). This is a time for reflection, remembering, and thanksgiving to Him who suffered so much, died, and rose again for you and for me. Amen.
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The Holy week is the time to have a “staff meeting,” to talk and listen to God, to ourselves, and to other people, not just shallow talk, but honest-to-goodness talk about what really matters in our lives. Below are some suggested “talking points” with the Lord, with yourself, and with people this Holy Week.
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THERE IS A GOD AND YOU’RE NOT HIM. There is someone greater than you and me. We have a Master, to whom we owe everything. Let us not play “god” to other people. Obey, love, and serve God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
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THERE IS A GOD WHO LOVES YOU. Our God is a loving Father, a generous Creator, a forgiving God who wants us all to be saved. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him may not perish but, have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
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WE ALL ARE CHILDREN OF GOD. God wants us to respect and love each other. The worth of every person is not his/her money, fame, achievements, color, or creed. There are no greater “gods” among us. “Love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)
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LIFE IS SHORT. We all will die, sooner or later. If life is short, let us not postpone our conversion to God. “If today you hear His voice, harden not your heart” (Hebrew 3:15). And if life is short let us not postpone our loving and appreciation of people around us. May we have little or no regrets in the end that we loved too little, too late.
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MONEY CAN BE EARNED. Money is not the most important thing in this life. Money can make life comfortable and easy, but it cannot give meaning and true happiness in life. Let not money destroy our peace, our character, our relationships, and our very souls. “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” (Mark 8:36)
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QUARRELS CAN BE RESOLVED. There will always be conflicts, but as much as possible, without surrender, let us not give up on mending the bonds that bind us. Let’s give peace a chance. Let’s give love a chance by taking the road of humility. Let us learn to forgive, and ask for forgiveness from one another. “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” (Luke 11:4)
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THE LIFE OF A LOVED ONE IS IRREPLACEABLE. Don’t take for granted nor hurt the people God has given to us, especially the “difficult” ones who irritate or even hurt us. Give the extra smile, and be patient and more understanding, as God never gives up on us. “Be patient with one another.” (Colossians 3:13)
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THE LOSS OF YOUR SOUL IS YOUR GREATEST FAILURE. You may be successful and, admired by the world, but if you lose your soul, you are a failure. May God bless and prosper the work of your hands, but more so, increase the love in your heart. In the end, may we not come before God with hands that are full, but with hearts that are empty. May the Lord tell us in the end: “Well done, good and faithful servant! … Come and share your Master’s happiness.” (Matthew 25:21)
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This Holy Week, let us all stop, look, and listen to the Lord speaking to us. Let us also slow down, step back, and step aside, so that the Lord can enter into our hearts.
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A moment with the Lord.
Speak Lord! We, your servants, are listening. Amen.
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