Individual differences. I believe we are all familiar of this word. Different people, different culture, different up-bringing, different beliefs, a lot of differences. Individual differences.

We make friends with people we have things in common with. We join in a club with people of the same interests as we have. We stay in these groups because we feel that certain feeling of belongingness that we all wanted to feel. But have you ever thought of joining a group of people that is very different from what you are? Join a club that does not really suit your interest? I guess not one of us would want to do that. 

In the first reading, Joshua was upset because the other two (Eldad and Medad), who was not with Moses in the gathering, prophesied. Maybe he was thinking that they were possessed by other spirits since they were not in the same place where Moses is and where prophecies has been made. Yet Moses told him, "Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets! Would that the Lord might bestow his spirits on them all!" 

In the same way, John, in the gospel, felt the same way when he saw another person who is not with them, trying to cast out demons in the name of Jesus. He asked Jesus to stop the man. Yet like Moses, Jesus did not stop that man. Instead, this is what he told John, "Do not try to stop him. No man who performs a miracle using my name can at once speak ill of me. Anyone who is not against us in with us." 

What Jesus is trying to tell us it that, we should also be open to other people that they too, might be living witnesses of God's love and power.

In a class, when we understood the lesson first, we feel proud of ourselves. We feel so awesome and intelligent. Sometimes, the thought even came to our minds hoping that our other classmates might not immediately understand what we have understood. This happens especially when we are given enough recognition by our teacher saying, "O tingnan niyo si ___. Mabuti pa siya, nakuha niya agad yung lesson." Who would deny the good feeling we all feel whenever we are praised like this in class? Nevertheless, we should also take into consideration that the Lord gave us the knowledge to be able to suffice whatever the lesson is also in order for us to help our neighbors to be able to do the same. Let's not live in our selfish ways.

The second reading tells us that all our earthly efforts and treasures will mean nothing in the next life. Jesus said in Matthew 19:23, "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."  If we continue to work for our own selfish cause, what reward is there for us? Is it enough that we are lavished with the wealth and comfort we all aspire to have? The Lord, then, tells us to get out of our comfort zones and serve our neighbors. 

Yes, we always hear that. "Serve your neighbors." But do we really know what it really takes to serve our neighbors and place their needs before ours? It's not an easy task to do. And it remains a great challenge for each one of us to be able to do so. Just like what Jesus did.

Love moves in mysterious ways. Such cliché. Yet, we believe in it. Love moves in mysterious ways. "God is love." (1 John 4:8) Therefore, it is God that really moves in mysterious ways. It does not really matter if He moves in us or someone who is with us. What matters most is that He is moving. And He will keep on moving regardless of what we do and what we think. He gives us a daily reminder that He is always there, one way or another. We must not keep ourselves enclosed inside a box where only those who are close to our hearts are able to hear Jesus and be moved with His words of life. We must learn to share how Jesus moves in our lives. 

"Anyone who is not against us is with us." Let us, then, strive to not turn our backs on each other. I believe that it doesn't really matter if we differ in our religious preferences. What is important is that we believe that there is a God that is omnipotent and omnipresent. Also, that He exists for our sake because He loves us and believes that we are and will always be worthy of that love.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)

Suffering is a normal part of our human journey. When we were born in this world, we are bound to experience challenges that are supposed to mold us to be the persons we are destined to be. But how can we able to deal with our pains and sufferings? What if it's too much? How long are we supposed to hold on?

A movie line once said, "Without suffering, there will be no compassion." Some people actually misunderstood the concept of this line. It is does not mean that if you do not suffer, you will not be able to show compassion. A good example of this is Jesus' suffering. He suffered and died to show his compassion on humankind. Why does he need to suffer and die? Why can't he just be with the people, do miracle works and help everyone? It is because in his suffering, humanity has been redeemed. He did the greatest sacrifice no man could ever do. One could show compassion in any way, in any simple way possible. But the Lord Jesus suffered to show his compassion. We could ask ourselves, are we willing to suffer in order to be compassionate? Not all is willing to do so. If we could have it the easy way, then we would. It's human nature. Why go for the long way, when there's a short cut. You know, not all people are willing to step down and endure hardship for other people's sake. It takes more than courage to do so. It takes a willing heart and soul to do so. There are evil around us. Without evil, there will be no one to stand up for another in order to save him from the evil.

Human as we are, sometimes we are selfish or  most of the time selfish. Don't say you never thought about your needs before someone's needs? Once or more than twice, we come to think of what is good for us more that what is good for others. I don't think being selfish is always bad either. There are instances when we need to focus on ourselves. Not because we are selfish but because we have needs like everyone else too. But God wants us to understand that we must also be able to see the need of offering a hand to others.

In the gospel, Jesus was talking about how he is bound to suffer, die and rise again. His disciples did not really understand what he truly means yet remained silent about it and scared to ask. Eventually, the disciples were arguing about "who was the most important". The thought of them thinking about this makes me feel how dense they were trying to be when Jesus was talking about dying and there they were, arguing and competing against each other about who was more important. They literally ignored Jesus' words saying what is bound to happen to him. And so Jesus told them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35) What he simply means is that we must not hunger for the recognition of this world. We can do different things but if what we do is just to please the world, then it will all be nothing. We must be able to put in mind that the greatness he is inviting us possess is through service.

What service then does the Lord teaches us? Remember, Jesus took a child in his midst while telling his disciples, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me." (Mark 9:37) It is in receiving him that we are able to receive the Father as well. The child represents the kind of service that Jesus is telling us. A child cannot do more with only himself. Therefore he needs someone to assist him in different things. Yet when someone finally helped him, the child cannot give anything in return in order to pay for the help given to him. Therefore, we must be able to give service and not ask nor wait for anything in return. In this way, the service we are able to offer is something that is of pure intentions. Totally not for self-gratification nor for self-righteousness but simply for pure service.

In the second reading, James is telling us that conflicts are often self-inflicted. For example, the Lord tells us to love our enemies but we know it is really hard to do so. And so, consciously or unconsciously, we are able to create a conflict within ourselves regarding what we have to do and what is easier for us to do (which is most likely what we want to do anyway). Yet Jesus again reminds us that we live for the glory of God and not for the glory of man nor for our own glory. And to be able to be great in the eyes of the Lord, we must be able to serve others with love in our hearts even if it will cause us pain and suffering. 

It is not a simple task. But it remains a great challenge to every one. In simple context, we can put it this way. Whenever the youth ministry has an activity, we always have a choice. One can always attend and one can always ditch it over another more fun activity. We know that attending the activities can help us grow spiritually and eventually lead other people into seeing God's light in their lives through evangelization. But sometimes, we think that going to the activities will lead our other friends to turn their back on us because we chose to be in some other place than where they are. That's our simple point of suffering. We get to be rejected and judged by other people. But we must also know that on the other side of the story, we were all able to strengthen our relationship with God and can be his instrument in other people's lives (service). 

In the Bible, Peter said, "But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you." (1Peter 5:9-10) Let this verse be one of your strong hold that the Lord will be there in every suffering you will encounter in proclaiming His glory. He alone shall be your strength and this strength will be more that enough.

Jesus loves us so much. Despite our sins, he does not love us any lesser.  May we also have the grace to love as Jesus loves us that we may be able to transform our selfish hearts to giving, generous hearts.


To live is to suffer. To survive it is to find meaning in the suffering. The world is full of suffering but in every suffering, there comes overcoming.  Let Jesus be our meaning and strength in our overcoming. And see how everything will just fall into place. :)

God bless!