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Catholic Church / Pacoima, CA

If You Listen to God, He Will Also Hear You

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9

If you do not listen to him and obey him, you leave him out of your life, so he cannot help; he can only help you if you let him in, and that’s what he wants most. He is knocking at the door; if you hear him and open, he will enter (Rev 3:17) His help comes to you by the fulfillment of his word; that’s the way in which he is let in, when he is given his place of head and good shepherd, his voice is heard and he is followed; this is what gives you energy, light, love, force, etc. saving you a lot of suffering and making it possible in you the happiness and abundant fruit of the Holy Spirit.

That is why Jesus insists us so many times to pay attention to him, for being active and passive, because he loves us and wants to save us a lot of suffering, just like the mother to her little son, for she knows what is best for him.

Unfortunately, stubbornness and foolishness are common, both in small children as in adults, relying more on their own clumsiness and ignoring what they tell us for our own good, as God always does.

John 15,7. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 10. “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, as I have kept my Father’s commandments and I remain in his love… 14 You are my friends, if you do what I tell you.

1 John 3:22…and whatever we ask we receive from Him, is because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

We want Him to listen to us always, but we in our clumsiness and selfishness we don’t want to listen to him; we want him to listen to us, but we don’t we heed Him.

In sin we carry the penance, as it always happens, because by ignoring him we suffer more for everything, because we are separated from him, and thus we do not receive his comfort, strength and help; we deprive ourselves from the abundance of gifts that he wants to give us, more and better than the crumbs and whims that we usually ask for. We should blindly trust Him and seek his will more than our own, knowing of our shortsightedness and lack of eternal perspective.

John 8,29. The One who sent me is with me; he has not let me alone, because I always I do what pleases him….31. If you remain faithful to my words, you will truly be my disciples, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

John 14,21. He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me; and whoever loves me will be loved by my Father; and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

By praying we receive vitamins and minerals; when practicing, we take them. Only then they give us vitality, health and strength. LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.

Readings for the Week

Monday: 2 Cor 4:7-15; Ps 126:1bc-6; Mt 20:20-28
Tuesday: Jer 14:17-22; Ps 79:8, 9, 11, 13; Mt 13:36-43
Wednesday: Jer 15:10, 16-21; Ps 59:2-4, 10-11, 17-18; Mt 13:44-46
Thursday: Jer 18:1-6; Ps 146:1b-6ab; Mt 13:47-53
Friday: Jer 26:1-9; Ps 69:5, 8-10, 14; Jn 11:19-27 or Lk 10:38-42
Saturday: Jer 26:11-16, 24; Ps 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34; Mt 14:1-12
Sunday: Eccl 1:2; 2:21-23; Ps 90:3-6, 12-14, 17; Col 3:1-5, 9-11; Lk 12:13-21

Saints & Special Observances

Sunday: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time; World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
Monday: St. James
Tuesday: Ss. Joachim and Anne
Friday: Ss. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
Saturday: St. Peter Chrysologus; Blessed Virgin Mary

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