Food for the soul is back!

April 24, 2022

Hi everyone. Happy, happy Sunday. I hope you are doing great and you are showered with grace by the Lord in this very moment. Today is another plate of food for the soul article. It's me coming back again after few months of stop writing this project of mine. I had missed a lot and I am very sorry about that. And as I promised that I would be back soon, here it goes. I hope you will be reading this entire episode and leave a comment right after reading. It will be much appreciated. Thank you.

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Before I would start the holy gospel as well as my reflections, let me share you first the reason of why I stop writing this project and why I came back just now.

Why I stop?

Okay, it's because I never wanted to write something that is not pure and I myself isn't putting, advices and reflection into actions. Cause months ago I was so sinful and not pure and I don't want to be hypocrite nor be a human plastic with you. I don't write that doesn't comes from the heart and soul.

Why now?

It's because I am ready for it and I passed the stage of feeling unpure and sinful. Though I don't say I don't commit sin anymore now but it's a matter of having pure thoughts and pure intentions. I already reconciled with God, my self and the people around me. I guess it happened right after the Holy week (The holy week was so personal to me) that I have felt I am ready to do the mission again. Spreading the good news. So, I think I am done with my story now let us hear the Gospel of the lord.

Holy Gospel is according to John 20:19-31

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, 'Peace be with you,' and, after saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord, and he said to them again, 'Peace be with you. 'As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.'After saying this he breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone's sins, they are retained.

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.So the other disciples said to him, 'We have seen the Lord,' but he answered, 'Unless I can see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.'

Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. 'Peace be with you,' he said.Then he spoke to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving any more but believe.' Thomas replied, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him: You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.

There were many other signs that Jesus worked in the sight of the disciples, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.

Source

Reflection

Let us ponder few things in this Gospel today. As the Lord had risen and with the disciples in a closed room. And said the following words:

'Peace be with you,'

It's a word of sincere blessings of peace for the disciples who were very much disturb and scared that very moment. Because the soldiers were after him because of Jesus. It was a words that he says that symbolize his forgiveness towards his disciples towards us.

After the incident that one of his disciples lied about him, betrayed him and deserted him as he suffered his death on the cross, he still offer everyone forgiveness. A forgiveness they don't deserve. Because he loved all of them, he loved us.

Jesus loved us so much that he did not feel anger of what we have done to him. And because of that great love that he forgive us. That he give us his blessings of peace to continue to live in this world without fear, without guilt. That is the greatest love that we ever had in this world. A love that is forgiving.

As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.

After Jesus was risen he immediately told everyone to tell the world that he is alive. To continue do the mission, to spread his good news. As he will be going to the father and couldn't be with the people he loved dearly, he instructed them to go and do the mission instead of him.

Even though his disciples had sinned against him. He still want them to do the mission. He still manage to trust him to sent them for his behalf. Like an owner of a company whom instructed his beloved employee to continue work despite messing up and making the company go down and bankrupt.

It's only Jesus who did that. To trust us despite of our sinfulness. It's his great loved and his compassion that brought to us into this mission. Who would still trust people to do something after a great betrayal. It's only Jesus. He trusted us to be his disciples even though we committed a lot of sin. Because of his forgiveness, and his trust that we continue to live out this mission. That is why as Jesus sent us, we should spread his goodness and his loved. Because we experience it in our lives.

Receive the Holy Spirit.

As Jesus give his disciples the holy spirit, he continue to live in their lives even though he will be with his father in heaven. He gave the holy spirit to his disciples for them to feel his presence and would not be afraid. Whatever the situation would be. Whatever they will encounter along the way, he gave them the holy spirit to strengthen them and for them to become brave.

We received his holy spirit through the sacraments in the church. Through recieving the Holy Eucharist. He made this remembrance for us to believe that he is really with us. Let us not waste this opportunity to recieve the holy spirit because it will give us strength to continue in this life.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.

The disciples had doubted Jesus even though they seen his works and his miracles. What more those who did not see him or his works. But as what he said to his disciples, "Blessed are those who not seen yet believe".

We are truly blessed if we believe in him even though we did not see him because we will inherit the treasures and the goodness in heaven. How can we not believe? when we experience his love and his goodness every of our life. From our breathe to all the blessings we had been experiencing.

Conclusion

Truly Jesus is loving and compassionate to all of us. He is with us every of our life that even though he died, he is risen to prove to us that he really is with us. Not dead but alive. He works in our lives. He showered us his blessings. He gave us peace and he sent us in this world to let everyone else know that he is alive and he is preparing the heaven for us.

My dear brothers and sisters. I hope you receive the message of the lord this day. I hope you will continue to believe and do everything with love just live Jesus with trust, love and compassion towards each other.

That would be all for today. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it so much if you made up to this far. God bless and keep safe.