Lenten Journey: Wait for God's Time

“If I have won your favor, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me—that is my petition—and the lives of my people—that is my request." Esther 7:3

Queen Esther-Part II

Finally Esther feels courageous enough to approach the king. She has been fasting in preparation and now feels ready to face him. When she's finally in front of him, she is so scared that she faints. But God moves the king's spirit to gentleness and he feels concerned for Esther. 

Esther invites the king and Haman, the king's highest official who was plotting to kill the Jews, to a banquet. She is waiting for the proper time to inform the king about Haman's plan to kill the Jews. Here's a big lesson that we can learn from Esther. We need to wait for the proper time before we take on God's project. Maybe God has moved your heart to do something for Him. Don't just jump into it. Wait for His time. Remember Joseph? He spent many years in jail until God knew that the timing was right for him to fulfill God's plans. God will move in His time when we remain faithful and alert to His call. 

During the banquet, when the time is right, Esther reveals her Jewish heritage to the king. She also reveals Haman's diabolical plot to destroy all her people as well as herself since she's a Jew. In a rage, the king orders for Haman to be hanged. The Jews were saved and granted protection throughout all the land. As the people celebrated God's deliverance, the Jewish festival of Purim was instituted. This annual festival commemorates God's salvation of the Jewish people. 

Esther found favour with the king because of her humility. When we live a life pleasing to God, when we obey Him, we will find favour with God. God used the circumstances in Esther's life, to providentially work out His divine plan. He can do the same for us. We can trust that the Lord has a plan for us and He is in charge of every aspect of our life. We just need to wait for God's time.

Lenten Journey: Fasting brings us closer to God

"Remember, O Lord; make yourself known in this time of our affliction, and give me courage, O King of the gods and Master of all dominion!" Esther 14:12

In the past few days we were accompanied in our Lenten Journey by King David. Today we have the privilege of being joined by a queen. Queen Esther will be joining us as we begin Holy Week. Esther is another woman of courage from the Old Testament who lived approximately 500 years before Christ. Her story is so important that just like Ruth, she has her own book in the Bible.

Queen Esther-Part I

Esther, a Jewish orphan, is chosen to be queen because of her outer beauty. She lived in Persia so she hides her Jewish identity from the King. While being queen, she finds out that there is a plot to kill all the Jews. She needs to approach the King but she is afraid because she doesn't know how the King will react if she reveals that she herself is a Jew.

Before she approaches the King, she goes through a time of fasting. She is well aware that she needs God's favour if she is to be successful when she approaches the King. Fasting tends to bring us closer to God. Even Jesus spent 40 days of fasting in preparation for what He knew was coming. While we fast and do sacrifice, God refines our character and prepares us to accept His plan for our life.

That is the main reason why the Church asks us to observe 40 days of abstinence and fasting during Lent. Many people think this is a pointless exercise. I have been abstaining from eating meat on Fridays. But this past Friday the only thing I had for lunch was leftover chicken from the previous day. My first intention was just to warm up the rice, beans and plantains and leave the chicken. But the chicken looked so yummy and I was so hungry, that I looked up to heaven and said, "You don't mind, right? I've been good every Friday, what difference will it make if I eat chicken today?" Well, apparently, He did mind. I prepared my plate, put it inside the microwave for a minute and a half and went to the restroom. When I came back, the microwave was still on and I heard popping noises. The window that shows the timer is not working very well and I must have pressed a 1 too many and put it for 11 minutes instead. When I took it out, the chicken had desintegrated, literally. Only the bones were left. The rice and beans felt like plastic and the plantains were so hard they looked more like plantain chips. I guess God taught me a lesson. He didn't want me to give up my sacrifice in the last Friday before Holy Week and He knew that if I ate the chicken, I was going to feel guilty afterwards. I still had more rice and beans so that was my lunch. And I felt better afterwards because I felt closer to God.

Tomorrow we will learn how the King reacts when Esther approaches him.

Lenten Journey: The Lord is my Shepherd

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." Psalm 23:1

One of the biggest treasures that King David left us is his writings. He wrote most of the Book of Psalms during his reign over Israel. He wrote roughly 80 of the 150 songs that we find in this book. One of his most famous psalms and my favorite is Psalm 23. Even though no one knows for sure when King David wrote this psalm, many think that he probably wrote it when he was grief-stricken and heart-broken due to the loss of his son Absalom. He may have written it during the civil war caused by Absalom's rebellion or right after his death. The exact timing or place truly does not matters. What matters is that he left us this beautiful gift. How many times have we been comforted by these beautiful words when we are going through a difficult time in our lives.

On this Palm Sunday, when we begin Holy Week, let's meditate on this beautiful psalm while giving thanks to our Shepherd because He always looks out for us.

Psalm 23

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-qLa_2GPcM

Lenten Journey: Turn your Grief into Joy

"The King is grieving for his son." 2 Samuel 19:2

King David-Part 4

The story of David continues and we discover that just like he wasn't perfect, neither was his family. One of the imperfect members is his son Absalom. Absalom was an ungrateful son who made plans to steal the throne from his father. Eventually they will meet in the battlefield. Even though Absalom was a traitor, David loved him like only a father can love a son in spite of his imperfections. He specifically told his men not to harm Absalom. But his command was ignored. As Absalom rode through the dense forest, his head was caught on the branches of a thick tree and his mule kept going, leaving him hanging from the tree. Some of David's soldiers came upon the young man as he helplessly hung there and they killed him.

When David heard that Absalom was dead, he weeped for him. He cried out in sorrow: "Oh my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" (2 Samuel 18:33). At that moment, the furthest thing from David's mind was that his son had been a traitor. He was in so much pain at having lost his son that he was willing to take his place.

There is nothing worst in the world than losing a child. I can't talk from personal experience but in recent years I've had to attend one too many funerals of young people whose lives have been cut short. And I have felt their parents' pain. Even if they are people of faith, who know their beloved child is with God in heaven, they still would have traded places with their child in a heartbeat. When a child dies, a part of the parent dies too. I always think of Mary at the foot of the cross. How much pain. How much suffering.

That is why David was crying. He would have died in Absalom's place. At that moment of sorrow, being a King did not matter. He would have happily given the throne to his son if he could only rewind the clock. But he had to surrender his son to God. Just like Mary had to surrender Jesus back to God. That is the most perfect act of love that a parent can exercise towards God. As Mary surrenders her son Jesus back to God, she acknowledges that Jesus was a gift to her from God. She finally accepts that Jesus never belonged to her in the first place. He always belonged to God but she was able to enjoy him for 33 years. Now she must go through the pain of a temporary physical separation but with the knowledge that soon they will be reunited in heaven.

David and Mary show us that the death of a loved one can become an act of love on our part which can lead us closer to God and closer to our loved one. The body dies but the soul lives on. We have full trust in God that they are very much alive. They now can love us and see us through God's eyes. That is why after we lose a loved one, even though we cannot see them, we can certainly feel them. Our lives are still very much intertwined. That is why we continue to have a spiritual relationship with them. They remain forever in our hearts, our memories, our prayers and our dreams.

Don't allow grieve to consume you. Rejoice because your loved one is very much alive!!!

Lenten Journey: Sin leads to Sin

"The thing that David had done displeased the Lord." 2 Samuel 12:1

King David-Part 3

After Saul dies, David becomes king. He is the greatest king that Israel ever had and from his line the Messiah will be born one thousand years later. He made his kingdom prosper and the people loved him. But he was human and like the majority of humans, all that power and success went to his head.

At a time when David should have been in the battlefield but was at the palace instead, "David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful" (2 Samuel 11:2). David already had at least seven wives. One would think that was enough for him. But he set his eyes on this beautiful woman and he had to have her.

David inquired about the woman and found out that her name was Bathsheba. But he also learned that she was married and that her husband was on the battlefield, where David should have been. But that did not deter him. He sent a messenger to bring her to him and he laid with her. And she became pregnant. 

The Bible truly is like a soap opera. It doesn't distort the sins of the characters to make them seem perfect. It tells each story like it happened, warts and all. So the perfect King of Israel wasn't that perfect after all. 

After King David finds out that Bathsheba is pregnant, he brings back her husband and tries unsuccessfully to get him to go home to lay with his wife so he would think that he was the one that got her pregnant. Bathsheba's husband was a man of honor. He did not think it was fair to be inside his house enjoying the comforts of his home and his wife when others were dying in war. So he remains outside the house. Since David couldn't convince him to go into his home, he conspired to kill the husband. The plan worked perfectly and the husband died.

So here we have what should have been God's perfect chosen one, an adulterer and a murderer. That's the way with sin.  What may originally seem like a small thing, then leads to a bigger one to cover the first one and so on. Sin has a paralyzing effect on our common sense. When we sin, we try to cover it up with yet another sin.

God was not pleased with David and He punished him by taking the baby that he had with Bathsheba. David repented of his sin, he asked God for forgiveness, he married Bathsheba and had four more children with her. One of these children would become very important in the history of salvation and from whose line the Messiah would be born.

God weaves His plans perfectly even though what He has to work with are a bunch of imperfect human beings. Be assured that He is weaving a perfect plan for each one of us in spite of our sinful nature. All we need to do is repent and return to the Lord. This weekend is "Reconciliation Weekend." If you are Catholic and have not received this sacrament in a while, I urge you to approach a church that is offering confession tonight or tomorrow. I promise you that you will feel light as a feather after all that weight is lifted from your heart. You will enter Holy Week filled with grace. 

Lenten Journey: Be Thankful for what you have

"The Lord does not save by sword and spear." 1Samuel 17:47

We now come to David's most famous story, his defeat of the giant Goliath.

King David-Part 2

The driving force behind David's victory was God. Otherwise, little and weak as he was, how could he even dream of defeating Goliath? But God was with him and with just a sling and a stone, David killed the giant Goliath. When King Saul saw David killed Goliath, he made David a leader of his army. His army won many battles for King Saul and all of Israel loved David.

This love of the Israelites for David caused jealousy in Saul's heart. The remaining chapters of David's story in Samuel will portray the battle going on between Saul and David. Saul will try to kill David various times whereas David will spare Saul's life in more than one occasion.

Instead of building up Israel, Saul wasted all his time chasing David. His jealousy of David drove him mad and he couldn't control his thirst for revenge. He was blinded to the blessings that God had already provided.

Jealousy can do that to a person. We have to be very careful not to be jealous of others. We have to accept God's will for our lives and not live a life always desiring what others have. When we are always comparing ourselves to others, the only ones we harm is ourselves.

How different Saul's life would have been if he had made room in his heart to accept the blessings that God was sending him through David. Instead, he was so blinded by jealousy that he was more concerned by losing his power than what was best for his people.

Let's be thankful for what we have and let's rejoice in the blessings that God bestows upon us each and every day.

Lenten Journey: True Worth resides in the Soul

"The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

During this Lenten journey, I have mentioned King David at various times. Therefore, I think it's very appropriate that he joins us at the threshold of Holy Week. His story takes up a large portion of the Bible so I will try my best to summarize the most important facts during the next few days. 

King David- Part 1

When I think of David, I think of him as impossibly heroic. The story that most clearly stands out in my mind is when he fought the giant Goliath. But there is a lot more to David than getting rid of a giant. When we first meet David, we realize that he was not perfect. He was the youngest of eight brothers and he was not physically impressive like his brothers were. He was small in stature and his job was to tend the sheep. He was his father Jesse's last choice when Samuel came calling. But the Lord does not judge a book by its cover like many of us do, including me. The Lord sees straight into the heart and soul of the person. And He saw something in little David and that's why He chose him. 

We live in a very superficial world. We judge others by how they look and we are judged by others by our outer shell. Plastic surgery is a huge industry because we want to look eternally young. But God does not judge us by how we look. He knows that our true worth does not reside in our outward appearance. True worth resides in the soul. Last week my daughter was watching a movie and I sat down to watch it with her. She was watching "Shallow Hal." It's the story of a young man who only dates women that are physically perfect. But at some point in the story, he is hypnotized into seeing only the beauty within. He starts dating a young lady who is very heavy, but he sees her as a perfect ten. Eventually the blindfold is removed from his eyes and he has to struggle to accept the beautiful woman she is from the inside despite her weight issues. And I won't give away the ending in case I've peaked your curiosity and you want to watch the movie. But the point is that there is a bit of "Shallow Hal" in all of us. And we need to learn to look at the spirit within the person because that is where we find their true beauty. 

God had tremendous plans for David in spite of his physical weakness. Just like He has great plans for us. All we have to do is give our whole hearts to God in trust and obedience. Tomorrow we will learn how David gave his heart to God and how God poured His blessings upon him. 

Lenten Journey: Get Rid of the Giants

"You heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; it may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as the Lord said.” Joshua 14:12

Even though Caleb received his inheritance, he still had to conquer the land. The land he received was inhabited by the Anakim which were a tribe of giants. Most of you have probably heard the story of David and Goliath. Goliath is a descendant of the Anakim.

Many were afraid of the Giants, but not Caleb. He was not afraid because he trusted God. He knew that God was with him so that gave him the confidence he needed to defeat the Giants.

We all have giants in our life that need to be defeated before we can inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus never promised us an easy life. He never said that we would have a problem-free existence if we chose to follow Him. Every day we encounter giants that we need to fight. Who or what are the giants in your life that you need to defeat?

It could be a family member that gives you anxiety. The giant may be an illness that you have been struggling with for some time. Or possibly fear of death. Maybe you lost a loved one and the deep sadness is consuming you. You may be struggling financially and there are unpaid bills that are making you lose sleep. Or the giant could be a child that is rebellious and is constantly fighting with you. Whatever the giant is that is keeping you under a lot of stress, Jesus is with you. He is walking with you. He is the difference between hopeless frustration and rest, between defeat and victory.

Do you know that every step you take, Jesus is walking with you? He has paved the way for you and He gives you everything you need to follow Him. As you walk the road that God has laid out for you, ask Him to help you defeat the giants in your path.

No matter how difficult the road seems in front of you, Jesus will never leave you. His mercy will cover you and His strength will empower you. Just trust Him. He will help you get rid of the giants. 

Lenten Journey: Be Faithful to God

"I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God." Joshua 14:8

Today we are joined by another great character from the Old Testament. His name is Caleb and he lived approximately 1400 years before Christ. He was 40 years old when Moses sent out 12 spies to survey the Promised Land. He was one of the 12. And only him and Joshua will make it to the Promised Land. Of the entire multitude of Israelites who conquered the Promised Land, only Joshua and Caleb crossed the Red Sea with Moses. When we meet Caleb, he's already in his 80s.

Story of Caleb

Caleb is chosen by God to enter the Promised Land because of his faithfulness to God. The entire nation of Israel, because of their unbelief and ungratefulness, had been condemned by God to 40 years of wandering in the desert. Around and around they went until the entire generation died. Even Moses died before he reached the Promised Land.

Caleb belongs to the tribe of Judah, the tribe from which the Messiah will be born. Joshua is distributing all the land among the tribes and Caleb requests the land that had been promised to him by Moses, Hebron, the land that he had spied out. In ancient times, Hebron was the prime city to possess because it contained the tombs of the patriarchs, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. Hebron would later become the first kingdom of David.

Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron. Caleb is blessed with a special inheritance because he "wholeheartedly followed the Lord." We also have an opportunity on this journey to "wholeheartedly" follow the Lord. But we tend to hold back. Either because we are afraid or we don't have time or we don't want to make the commitment or a multitude of other excuses that keep pulling us to the world and away from God.

Caleb can teach us about discipline. For 40 years he never lost his focus and his focus was God. He knew who His Master was and he obeyed him with his lips, with his heart and with his mind. Caleb had a great heart and that's what we need to imitate. We need to remain faithful to God. When everyone else is moving in the opposite direction, we need to swim against the current and remain strong in our convictions. We can't give up.

If we love the Lord with all our heart, the way Caleb loved God, we also will receive a special inheritance from the Lord. We will inherit His Kingdom.

Amazing Grace

On this beautiful Sunday, just two weeks before Easter, I wanted to share this beautiful 

song. Never forget the One who set you free.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbe7OruLk8I

Lenten Journey: Be Submissive

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today! Blessed be your good sense, and blessed be you, who have kept me today from bloodguilt and from avenging myself by my own hand!" 1 Samuel 32-33

David was anointed by Samuel as king of Israel. He was supposed to replace King Saul who had turned out to be a rebellious king. Saul didn't want to give up his kingdom. He was very jealous of David. Samuel was acting as mediator between David and King Saul. But when Samuel died, David feared for his life. So he took his men with him and he hid in the wilderness.

This is where Abigail finds him. A man filled with anger and ready for revenge. The only problem is that he was directing his anger to the wrong person. Abigail's soft words bring him to his knees and make him recapacitate. 

David was impressed by Abigail's devotion to her husband and his household. Even though Nabal probably mistreated Abigail, she respected him because he was her husband. David gives her a blessing: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today! Blessed be your good sense, and blessed be you, who have kept me today from bloodguilt and from avenging myself by my own hand! For as surely as the Lord the God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there would not have been left to Nabal so much as one male.” Then David received from her hand what she had brought him; he said to her, “Go up to your house in peace; see, I have heeded your voice, and I have granted your petition" (1 Samuel 32-35).

When Abigail arrives to her house she finds that Nabal had thrown a great feast. He was totally drunk so she wisely waits until morning to share with him what she had done. In the morning she tells him that David was going to kill him and destroy their entire household. But she intercepted him and in doing so had saved his life and his household. Apparently Nabal was greatly affected by her words because his heart died within him and he became like a stone. Ten days later he was dead. 

When David found out that Nabal had died, he sent for Abigail and asked her to become his wife. David had recognized Abigail's humility and he had been impressed by her loving and faithful heart. These were the qualities that made him desire her as a wife. Abigail promptly accepts his offer and becomes the mother of David's second son. 

Abigail is one of the humble women of the Bible, of whom not much is known, but because of her courage and submission, in spite of the danger she was facing, she became a hero for many women. There is much that we can learn from her. We need to stay up to date with current events and what is happening around us. We cannot afford to be ignorant. We need to be aware of what goes on in our home, in our city, in our country and in our Church. There is so much happening in our world today that we cannot afford to be caught off guard. Listening to the news sometimes scares me. I prefer to turn it off. I don't want to hear what is happening in the Middle East with all those radical groups. But I know that I must have courage and I cannot put on a blindfold. What is happening on the other side of the world may not affect us directly and may not affect us today, but it could affect us tomorrow and it will definitely have an impact on future generations. 

Abigail can teach us to be resourceful. In today's world we have many resources at our disposal. We need to learn to use them. But we cannot limit ourselves to our social networks. We may have lots of friends on Facebook but this cannot replace personal interactions. We need to build a community of friends, a community of faith, a network of people that we can lend a helping hand when they are in need and who in turn will lend a helping hand to us when we are in need. Abigail has this network in her servants. They turn to her when they find out that their household is in danger. 

The last big lesson that we can learn from Abigail is submission. To be submissive does not mean to be weak. If a woman or man today is in an abusive relationship, being submissive does not mean staying and putting up with abuse. True submission is not passive. God does not want us to be doormats. And Abigail is certainly not a doormat. It takes character to go and confront a future king. But she knows her place and when she meets him, she bows before him. She demonstrates both confidence and humility. It is this combination of traits that earned her a place in David's heart and that could help us a lot to deal with the arrogant and foolish people that we are sure to encounter on our daily walk through life. 

Lenten Journey: Cultivate your Inner Beauty

"Please forgive the trespass of your servant; for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord; and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live." 1 Samuel 25:28

Today we are joined by another beautiful woman with a beautiful mind: Abigail. She lived approximately 970 years before Christ. Here is her story:

Abigail

Abigail lived in a very unhappy home. Her husband, Nabal, was described as being "surly and mean" (1 Samuel 25:3). He thought only of his possessions and he was also a drunken scoundrel. We can also add "stupidity" to his list of faults. Nabal means "fool," and Abigail has to plead with King David because of her husband's foolishness. Nabal had insulted the upcoming king of Israel and David was very angry. He had every intention to destroy Nabal and his entire household. 

Abigail had brains as well as beauty. Loveliness and intelligence went hand in hand. We can learn a lot from her. Many of us ladies are always working on our outer beauty but we neglect our inner beauty. We must take care of both. The inner should be even more important than the outer. When we are beautiful on the inside, it will reflect on the outside. 

Added to her charm and wisdom was her faith in God. Even though the Bible doesn't say anything about Abigail's genealogy, her religious witness and knowledge of Jewish history testify that she probably came from a godly home which taught her about the true God and His values. She knew who David was and she knew the God he served. Therefore she combined her wisdom with her wealth and she went out to meet the future king of Israel. 

When Abigail met David, she didn't say a word. She prostrated herself before him, bowing herself to the ground. Falling at his feet, she delivers a humble plea to David asking for his mercy in order to save her household. She reminded David that his life was in God's hands. She reminded him that his God was a God of justice. He had a plan for David and He would destroy David's enemies. The only thing that she asked of David is that he remembers her when God's plans come to fruition. 

David's heart was moved by Abigail's humble request. He realized the grave sin he was about to commit. Living in exile had turned him impatient and angry. He was about to destroy an entire household simply because Nabal had insulted him.

How many times do we act impulsively when we are angry? As we approach the end of our Lenten journey, it may be a good idea to seek the gift of reconciliation. All the anger that we carry within our hearts doesn't hurt anyone except ourselves. Let's offer up our anger to God and ask Him to heal us. Let's work on making ourselves beautiful from within.

Tomorrow we will find out how David responded to Abigail. 

Lenten Journey: Respect your MIL

I asked Ruth to remain one more day on this journey because I wanted to reflect on the wonderful relationship that she has with her mother-in-law, Naomi. MILs are the topic of many cruel jokes. They are the central theme of many sitcoms, like "Everybody Loves Raymond" and plenty of movies, like "Monster-in-Law." The world portrays them as a curse upon marriages. And in many cases they are but in many they are not. Yet, because we tend to generalize, we may mistreat them when they truly don't deserve it.

I was blessed with a wonderful mother-in-law. I hope I learned from her so that one day I too will be a good mother-in-law. She never interfered in my marriage, she always took my side and she never offered unsolicited advice. She was a very humble, hard working woman. I never heard her complaint about having to work in a factory and my husband is the man he is because of her. She loved to cook and nothing pleased her more than to have us over for a Sunday meal. She lived in a tiny apartment but she accommodated all of us around her table and made us a meal fit for Cuban royals. I discovered "rabo encendido" (ox tail) because of her and she would always invite me over when she made it because she knew how much I liked it. She left us two years ago but her memories and traditions remain. Lucky for me and my kids, my husband inherited her cooking abilities. And my sister-in-law learned from her how to be a wonderful MIL who always puts the needs of her daughter-in-law and her grandkids before her own.

Ruth and Naomi had the kind of relationship that we all should have with our in-laws. Ruth was devoted to her MIL and treated her as if she was her own mother. Naomi cared deeply about Ruth and felt responsible for her. Their relationship is a reflection of God's love. Their story illustrates how wonderful life can be between in-laws when there is commitment on both sides to place each other needs before their own. That is what God expects from us, to have love and concern for one another. After all, our in-laws are our spouse's parents, our kids' grandparents and we should honor and respect them. And if you have already become an in-law yourself, you have to remember that your son or daughter-in-law was chosen by your child.  He/she will become or already is the parent of your grandchildren. It is to your benefit to get along with this person. And it begins with you. We as parents have to set the example. And Naomi can teach us a lot.

If you are blessed to have in-laws in your life, whether parents or children, love them and care for them. May the book of Ruth be a model to follows in our life so that we may be compassionate, generous and selfless to the people that God has placed in our lives.

Lenten Journey: God's Ways are Not Our Ways

“Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” Ruth 4:14-15

I remember when I did my Emmaus many years ago, they recommended that we should read the Bible on a daily basis. But at the time, I found the Bible to be a bit boring. I was not ready to exchange my romance novels for the Bible. Little did I know that the Bible was filled with romantic stories, suspense novels, mysteries and the most interesting tales. Today, I hardly have time to read any romance novels. I want to read and study every book of the Bible. And Ruth tops the list. I'm glad that my parish is doing a four-week study on Ruth in just a few weeks. Reading it these past few days has just given me a glimpse and now I want to learn all the hidden meanings behind every sentence. 

Today we conclude this fascinating story: Ruth Chapter 4

Boaz doesn't waste any time, after Ruth proposes to him, to go find the mysterious relative that has rights over Ruth before him. Boaz is very smart. At first, he doesn't mention Ruth. He tells the relative that Naomi is selling the land that belonged to her late husband. The relative, of course, is interested in acquiring the land. But then Boaz drops the bomb. The land is part of a package deal. If he takes the land, he must also take Ruth. The relative wants the land but he is not interested in Ruth. He tells Boaz, "take my right of redemption yourself."

This is a blessing for Boaz because he is very interested in Ruth. He fulfills his duties with love and joy. And in doing so, he has just become a link in God's plan of salvation. Ruth and Boaz get married and they have a baby boy whom they name Obed. Their hope and inheritance all rest on this infant. He will carry on the family name and inherit the land. He will be King David's grandfather and will become another branch in the family tree of the Messiah.

It fascinates me to see God's plans evolve. God's ways are definitely not our ways. It's like looking at a knitted tapestry from behind. All we see is a mess of threads, knots and colors without shape or form. But God sees the finished tapestry from the front. He knows that from that mess of threads, knots and colors, a beautiful pattern will emerge. His designs are often beyond our understanding but all we need to do is trust that from the mess of our lives, He is knitting a beautiful tapestry that is part of His plan of salvation. 

Lenten Journey: The Plot Thickens

"All that you tell me I will do." Ruth 3:5

Ruth Chapter 3

As we begin chapter three, the plot thickens. Naomi feels responsible for Ruth and devises a plan to prod Boaz into marrying Ruth. Under the Levirate Law (an ancient Israelite law), if a man dies before he produces an heir, his brother must marry the widow in order to give descendants to the dead brother. Ruth doesn't have a brother-in-law, but Boaz is her next of kin so he is the perfect candidate.

Naomi gives Ruth specific instructions on everything she must do. Ruth had the good sense to listen. She perfumed herself, dressed in her most beautiful clothes and waited at the threshing floor until Boaz had eaten a good meal. Naomi knew that a man with a full stomach was easier to handle.

The threshing floor was the center of activity and the workers would sleep on the threshing floor to protect the mounds of grain from being stolen. When Boaz finally lays down to sleep, Ruth approached him where he lay. When I first read this, I did not like where this was headed. My first instinct was to misjudge Ruth. That is so typical of me. I told you a few days ago that I have this bad tendency of judging a book by its cover. So right away, I thought that Ruth was going to become a harlot like Boaz's mother had been. But that was not the case at all. Ruth was a woman of worth. Lying beside Boaz, Ruth suggested that because he was a relative of her dead husband, he should "cover her with his blanket", a euphemism for marriage.

Just as Naomi had predicted, Boaz happily agreed, but pointed out to her that there was another man who had that right, a closer relative even than himself. Boaz was a man of honor so he will give the opportunity to that relative to marry Ruth. If the relatives chooses not to marry Ruth, then Boaz will become her husband.

Ruth stayed beside Boaz until morning, stealing away before first light to return to Naomi, who pounced on her and demanded to know how things had gone. Was Ruth to be married to Boaz or to the mysterious relative? The two women waited impatiently to see how the events would unfold. And so will we.

Lenten Journey: Where you go, I will go

“Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God." Ruth 1:16

Today I am thrilled with our companion because I'm finally going to meet Ruth. I have heard a lot about Ruth in the past few months but I truly don't know her very well. All I know is that she is an ancestor of Jesus Christ, the great-grandmother of King David and one of only three women that happens to have a book in the Bible. This means that she must have been someone very important.

Her book is not very long, just four chapters, but it's a beautiful love story. Ruth is a humble woman with an incredible devotion and faithfulness to God. You can read the first two chapters of her story here:

The Story of Ruth Parts 1-2

Ruth is a Moabite woman. The Moabites were enemies of Israel. But Ruth marries into an Israelite family that was living in Moab. Ruth becomes a widow before she bears children. Her mother-in-law, Naomi, is also a widow and she decides to return to her hometown of Bethlehem where she has other family members. 

Ruth pledges her loyalty to Naomi. She clings to Naomi and her God even if it means losing her own gods and her family. They both set out on the long journey and arrive to Bethlehem in time for the barley harvest. Ruth is determined to take care of Naomi and thus she offers to go out into the fields to find work. 

Ruth goes to help glean the barley in the fields. Gleaning was a form of charity for the disadvantaged in ancient Israel. The poor could walk behind the harvesters picking up what they left behind. This is what Ruth did. This would provide food for herself and for Naomi. 

Ruth ended up in the fields that belonged to Boaz, a rich relative of Naomi. And guess who were the parents of Boaz. They were Salmon and Rahab. Remember Rahab? We met her a few weeks ago. She was the harlot who helped the two spies when the Israelites were trying to conquer the Promised Land. She eventually married Salmon, one of the spies, and they had a son, Boaz. Do you think it was a coincidence that Ruth ended up working for Boaz? I don't think so. I see God's hand weaving this tale. 

Boaz has heard about Ruth and her loyalty to Naomi. He asks God to bless Ruth. He then goes to great lengths to make sure that Ruth picks up extra grain to take back to Naomi. He even invites her to sit at his table and share his meal. Some commentaries suggest that it was love at first sight.

We will have to wait until tomorrow to see the conclusion of this Bible love story. 

Above All

Happy Sunday!!! Easter is just three weeks away. Today, let us honor the One that loves us unconditionally, the One that gave His life for us, the One that always thinks of us above all...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzOgA2RV6Hs

Lenten Journey: Stand Firm in Your Faith

"One who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals." Matthew 3:11

Yesterday I spent the day anticipating Alex's arrival. My baby was coming home for spring break and I was filled with anxiety. I kept checking my phone to see if he had texted me. I must have checked the flight at least ten times to confirm the time of arrival. And when I finally saw him, after a two month absence, all the anxiety melted away and was replaced by excitement at having him home for ten days.

John the Baptist must have had similar feelings as he waited for the arrival of the Messiah. He didn't have the benefit of technology, so he didn't know the date or the time. He must have looked towards the horizon hundreds of times, wondering when he would spot Jesus walking towards him. And when he finally saw him, he must have felt great joy and excitement that his mission was about to be fulfilled.

While John waited for Jesus, he wasn't sitting around doing nothing. He was busy preparing the way for the Lord, by preaching and baptizing people in the Jordan River. Many thought that John was the Messiah, but he was quick to correct them. He had a clear vision of his mission. He knew that his job was to announce the coming of Christ, not to take his place. He was merely a messenger sent by God to proclaim the good news. He knew that once Jesus showed up, his work would be finished. But he was humble enough not to mind passing the torch to Jesus. He didn't want to be on the spotlight. He knew that the glory belonged to God.

Jesus finally arrives and to John's surprise, requests to be baptized. John doesn't feel worthy to baptize the Son of God but Jesus insists. This is one of the greatest acts of humility by both Jesus and John. Jesus did not need to be baptized. He was sinless. But he requested baptism as a way of identifying himself with us. And John, in humility, obeys him and baptizes him.

John, like many of Christ's followers, faced a horrible death. But even in his death he taught us to stand firm in our faith no matter what the circumstances. At some point in our life, our faith will be put to the test. Hopefully we will remember John the Baptist who clinged to Jesus and stood firm in his faith until the very end.

Lenten Journey: Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30

I have a confession to make. I was not thrilled when I found out who was joining our journey today. I have given the wheel of this journey to the Holy Spirit. He's been the one leading the way and choosing our companions. All I did was put about 50 names in a little box, I pray over them and I ask the Holy Spirit to guide my hand when I pick out the name. When I read last night that John the Baptist was our next companion, I was not happy. I was very tempted to put his name back inside the box.

John the Baptist

I find John the Baptist to be a little weird and somewhat scary. He lived in the wilderness and ate locusts and wild honey. I didn't even know what locusts were. When I found out they were grasshoppers I was horrified. No wonder I don't like this strange man. I like his mother Elizabeth a lot more.

But we cannot judge a book by its cover and I have the tendency to do just that. So as I began to familiarize myself with John the Baptist, I realized that he had a big mission to fulfill and if I look beyond the wild man, I find a man with a blind devotion to Jesus Christ.

His mission was to proclaim the coming of the Messiah. His faith was amazing. He can certainly be a role model to those of us that wish to share our faith with others (just as long as we are not expected to eat grasshoppers).

John was destined to spend many years by himself living in the desert while preparing for the job that God had entrusted him. He spent his days preparing the way for Jesus Christ. His whole purpose in life was to introduce others to Jesus. And this was not an easy task. Tomorrow we will learn about all the obstacles he had to face in his mission and how he placed his trust in God during all his challenges.

Lenten Journey: Love

"Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." 1 Cor 16:13-14

We conclude our journey with St. Paul the same way we began, in love. 

St. Paul was a strong man. He traveled great distances to spread the good news. He spent years in prison. He was tortured. He was persecuted. And at the end, he was beheaded. This was not a soft, sentimental man. And yet, in his letters, he continually mentioned love.

Love was the power behind everything he did. His source of strength was his love for Christ. His own capabilities, great as they were, could not sustain him without love. Only Christ could sustain him. It took great love to be courageous and strong in the face of persecution. It took great love to withstand all the trials that he had to face. His strength emerged from his love for Christ.

We also have our own trials and tribulations. St. Paul teaches us that the key to be able to endure our sufferings is a deep love for Christ. Our own individual courage and strength will not be enough to sustain us. Only our love for Christ will give us the tools we will need to be able to carry the cross, no matter how heavy it is.

No matter what storms come our way, as long as we love Jesus, He will give us the strength to endure. Love will keep us going. If we love Jesus, we can do all things because He will strengthen us. Love is the key. Let us spread the good news so that the world may know God's love. 

Lenten Journey: Pray to the Holy Spirit

"When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts4:31).

St. Paul found his strength in the Holy Spirit. First he was transformed by his encounter with Christ and then he was emboldened by the power of the Holy Spirit. Before God sends Paul out into the world, He sends the Holy Spirit over him: "Be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17).

Every time God asks something from us, it's a good idea to pray to the Holy Spirit for discernment. We should seek counsel from the Holy Spirit. Whenever I need to find the right words to say something important to my sons or daughter or when I need to find words of comfort for someone who is hurting, I first pray to the Holy Spirit. Every day when I sit down to write on this blog, I first say the following prayer:

"Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen."

Every Sunday at mass we affirm our belief in the Holy Spirit when we pray the Creed. "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son..." But most of the time we don't reflect on the power of the Holy Spirit and what an important asset the Holy Spirit can be in our lives. 

Whenever an idea pops up in our mind combined with thoughts of love or mercy, we should try it out and see if it brings us joy, hope or peace. If it does, the Holy Spirit is probably behind it. The more we practice listening to the Holy Spirit, the clearer His voice will become.

Lenten Journey: Find your Strength

A few years ago, I was blessed to join a Bible study in my Church that covered both of St. Paul's letters to the Corinthians and to the Romans. This made me develop a special relationship with St. Paul. The more I got to know this humble man, the more my appreciation for his teachings blossomed.

St. Paul served the Lord in humility, despite all the sorrows and trials that he had to endure because of his love for Christ. St. Paul taught constantly since he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He was not afraid of the persecutions and the threats that he was constantly receiving. His only concern was that he would not be able to complete the service entrusted to him by God of being a witness to the Gospel. He was on a race against time.

The more I read his letters, the more I wanted to get to know St. Paul. In my search, I found a book which will be the third book that I recommend on this journey. It was published by Magnificat in 2008 and the title is: "Praying with St. Paul: Daily Reflections on the Letters of the Apostle Paul." The reflections are truly amazing and it gave me an insight as to why God had chosen St. Paul to spread His message.

If we were to compare ourselves with someone like St. Paul, we would wonder, what can God possibly want from us? There is no way that we could come remotely close. But St. Paul tells us that "God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are" (1 Cor 1:28), which basically means that God chose those that think they count for nothing to reduce to nothing those that think they are something. In other words, we have no excuse. No matter how inadequate we may think we are, God chooses people like us. Our deficiencies are used by God as a tool to help others. God "consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God" (2 Cor 1:4).

Even though we may think that we have nothing to offer, as followers of Jesus Christ we in fact possess everything (2 Cor 6:10). Our weaknesses should not be an excuse because it is in our weaknesses that we turn to Christ. That is why St. Paul tells us that "whenever I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10). It is in our weakness that the power of God dwells within us.

That is why St. Paul was so humble. He knew that his strength was in the Lord. Where is your strength?

Lenten Journey: Spread the Good News

"I have chosen him to serve me, to make my name known to Gentiles and kings and to the people of Israel." Acts 9:15

We first meet Saul (Paul) when he is persecuting his fellow Jews who had chosen to follow Jesus. In the midst of all these hatred towards Christians, God sets His eyes on Paul and chooses him to be an apostle. God knew that Paul would be the perfect candidate to spread the good news to all people.

Once Paul converted, he preached and taught the good news. He showed the Jews that had not converted that Jesus was the fulfillment of their hopes. Paul believed that Jesus was sent by God to die as a sacrifice for human sin. Jesus was seeking to bring all people together as members of God's family. God sent the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen Jesus' followers so they could serve God by sharing the good news about Jesus. The Spirit, Paul said, produces love, joy and peace (Gal 5) as well as the ability to do God's work in the world (1 Cor 14).

Let's pray today to the Holy Spirit so that we can also be encouraged to follow and serve God in all things. Let's tell all the people that we encounter on our journey that Jesus died to save us. And one day we will rise with Him. That is the Good News.

Lenten Journey: All we need is Love

"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Today we have the privilege of being joined by St. Paul (formerly Saul). He will accompany us on our journey for a few days. His conversion story is one of the most powerful stories in the Bible. It shows us that when God sets His eyes on someone, He will do whatever it takes to convince him/her to join Him. St. Paul was very stubborn but God wasn't about to give up on him so easily. If He couldn't convince Him with words, then He threw Him off his horse and blinded him temporarily. God needed Paul and He didn't give up on Him. He also needs you and me. What will it take for God to convince us?

Paul's conversion story

This week Paul will translate for us everything that Jesus came to teach us. We tend to complicate our lives with rules and regulations. But at the end of the day, it's very simple. In order to get to heaven, there is only one formula. We need to love with all our hearts and souls. We need to love God above everything else and we need to love our neighbors more than we love ourselves. If we love, truly love, God who knows the depths of our hearts, will be waiting for us at the end of our journey.

Lenten Journey: Expect a Miracle

"When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” Luke 1:41-45

Elizabeth's cousin, Mary, was alerted by the angel Gabriel that Elizabeth was expecting a child. Mary hurried to go visit her. Upon arriving and greeting Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaped for joy. The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth and she blessed Mary.

Elizabeth had a vital role in God's plan of salvation. Her duty was to bring John the Baptist into the world. He would precede and pave the way for Jesus. If Elizabeth had given up on God because of her infertility, she would have failed in the role that God had planned for her.

The beauty about Elizabeth was her humility. Even though she played such an important role in God's plan of salvation, her focus was always on God, never on herself. This is demonstrated when she asks Mary: "Why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?"

We should never underestimate God's tremendous love for us. When we least expect it, He will touch us with a miracle and our life will be changed forever.

Lenten Journey: Waiting for the Lord

"Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her." Luke 1:57-58

I have always planned my life to the last minute detail. I picked my wedding date two years in advance, I knew the names of my children while I was still dating my future husband and I planned exactly when they would be born. It never occurred to me, in my very organized life, that I would not conceive a child on the first attempt. Two years into our marriage was the right time for us to have a baby. That was our plan but it wasn't God's plan.

After six months of trying unsuccessfully to have a baby, I started to get a little desperate. It was not supposed to be like that. I should have been pregnant already. I went to a specialist and after a lot of testing, treatments, medications and prayers, I found out I was expecting sixteen months after I started trying. It was the sixteen longest months of my life. Having a baby had almost become an obsession.

Elizabeth had already given up hope that she would ever have a child. She was past menopause so getting pregnant was not an option anymore. I know the agony that she must have gone through while she was a newlywed and month after month passed and she couldn't conceive a child. In those days, not being able to have a child was more than a misfortune. It was a disgrace.

But God had a great plan for Elizabeth. Against all odds and to her surprise, she became pregnant in her old age. God wanted to make sure that nobody doubted that her pregnancy was a miracle. And nobody did. Her family and friends were amazed. The only one that doubted God, in spite of the fact that an angel appeared to him to give him the good news, was her husband Zechariah. And for doubting, he lost his voice.

We cannot doubt God's plan for us. He keeps showing us over and over through all these characters from the Bible, that He can do amazing things if we just believe. The problem is that we get impatient and we don't like to wait. But we have to keep in mind that while we wait, He works. He will fulfill His plan for us in His time. We may not always understand His plan but we must continue to trust Him. If Elizabeth had not trusted Him, she might never have had the child that she had always longed for. God took His time but He never forgot her. 

Search Me, Know Me

After spending five days with Joseph, I need to catch my breath. I hope you enjoy this beautiful song:

Search me, know me - Kathryn Scott - YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxWX95tNFAU

Tomorrow we will jump forward 1900 years and we will meet Elizabeth, Mary's cousin 

and the mother of John the Baptist. If you want to read her story, here's the link:

The Story of Elizabeth

Lenten Journey: A Family Reunion

"Joseph hurried out, because he was overcome with affection for his brother, and he was about to weep." Genesis 43:30

The conclusion of Joseph's story

When I left Cuba at the age of seven, my father and two brothers stayed behind. Little did I know that I would not see them again for 25 years. That is why this part of Joseph's story touches me so deeply. I know what he was feeling because I experienced it in my own skin.

Twenty years have passed since Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. The famine has reached Jacob and his family. Jacob sends his ten oldest sons to Egypt, where he has heard there is
plenty of food. Benjamin, the youngest, stays behind. Imagine Joseph's reaction when he sees and recognizes his brothers. I remember my own reaction when I found out that one of my brothers was on his way to Miami in a raft. The combination of nerves, fear and excitement at seeing him again was too much for me to contain within my heart. I was ready to burst.

The same thing happened to Joseph. He had all this conflicting emotions swirling within. On one hand he had the unpleasant memories of the day his brothers betrayed him and on the other hand he had the love and nostalgia that he felt for his homeland and his family. A storm is raging inside Joseph's heart. But blood is thicker than water. Family bonds are strong and enduring. Even though Joseph was betrayed, he is still deeply moved by the sight of his brothers. And he weeps.

The brothers do not recognize Joseph. They bow in front of him with their faces to the ground, just like Joseph had seen in his dreams so many years earlier. Joseph restraints himself and controls his impulse to tell his brothers who he is. He treats them like strangers and accuses them of being spies. Joseph then throws all ten brothers into prison. Joseph keeps them imprisoned for three days and then releases nine of the brothers. He wants to see his younger brother, Benjamin. His only "full" brother through their beautiful mother, Rachel. He holds Simeon hostage as a guarantee that the brothers will return with Benjamin.

It takes a while to convince Jacob, but the horrendous famine forces him to relent and he allows Benjamin to go to Egypt. When Joseph sees Benjamin he is deeply moved. I completely understand his emotions. When I saw my brother Eddy, that I had last seen when he was 19 months old, and all of a sudden I had him in front of me, a grown man at 26, I had a very hard time holding my emotions inside. I was not surprised that Joseph had to leave the room to weep in his chamber.

The time arrives for the brothers to return home. Joseph still has not revealed his identity and he's still struggling with his emotions. Bitterness is fighting with love and he sets a trap. The worst possible thing that could happen to the brothers and to their father would be for some disaster to fall upon young Benjamin. And that is precisely what Joseph does. He lays a trap to see if his brothers have changed. He hides his silver goblet, a symbol of his rank and position, in Benjamin's sack of grain. Joseph then proceeds to accuse the younger brother of theft. And Judah pleads for his little brother. He even offers his own life in exchange for Benjamin. The rest of the brothers also appear to be genuinely concerned. It's good to know that they do have a conscience after all.

Joseph weeps for the third time. He can no longer control himself. Through his sobbing and tears, he announces, "I am Joseph." Can you imagine the brothers' reaction? They must have been frozen in disbelief and utter shock. Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined that their brother Joseph was the Vizier of Egypt.

What a family reunion this must have been. After the initial shock, hugs, kisses, apologies... All the pain of the past twenty years dissolved in a hug. Joseph tells them that all that happened was part of God's plan and therefore they don't need to apologize.

But now comes the hardest part. They have to tell Jacob the truth of what they did twenty years ago. When they tell Jacob that his beloved son, Joseph, is alive and that he's the Vizier of Egypt, Jacob doesn't believe them. When they confess their sin, Jacob struggles between being angry at them and rejoicing at the news that the son he thought was dead is very much alive. He forgives them, they all go to Egypt and live happily ever after. Not quite, but that's a story for another day.

God used Joseph in His plan of salvation. Just like he uses each one of us. We all have a part. Maybe not as big as Joseph's but each small part plays a major role in the big story. I had a role in my family history and so did my brother Eddy. By choosing to jump in a raft and escape from Cuba, he eventually brought the rest of our family to Miami. My husband always says that when he married me, I was an only child and one day, in the blink of an eye, I had this huge family: brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. God surely works in magnificent ways.

Lenten Journey: Joseph interprets Dreams

The Story of Joseph continues

"Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house and all my people shall order themselves as you command, only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you." Genesis 41:39-40

In ancient times, God would speak to man through his dreams. God used dreams to communicate to the patriarchs as well as others throughout the Scriptures. That is why at the time of Joseph, dreams were a serious business. They were messages from God and they had to be interpreted. Joseph, the dreamer, has now become the interpreter. God spoke to Joseph in his dreams as a prophesy of future events and now God speaks through Joseph.

Eleven long years have passed since Joseph was sold into slavery. He still remains in prison. While there, the cupbearer and the baker at Pharaoh's service are thrown into prison. They each have a dream and Joseph accurately interprets them. This establishes his ability and credibility. He then asks the cupbearer to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf. But the cupbearer soon forgets about Joseph and Joseph has to remain in prison for two more years. God takes His time to develop His plans. We are the ones that are always in a hurry.

Those two years in prison must have seem like a lifetime to Joseph. He had faith in God but he must have felt a little impatient. He spent his 20s between slavery and jail. Think back to the time when you were 20 years old. I remember my 20s as the best years of my life. I was a newlywed without a care in the world. I had my whole life ahead of me and I had no worries. Life was good.

Not for Joseph. Life was anything but good for Joseph. And yet, he didn't grow bitter or vengeful. He never gave up on God. He continued to pray and he kept his eyes on God. What a role model we have on Joseph. We, people of little faith, who complaint if God doesn't answer our prayers within 24 hours.

Finally, one day, Joseph's time of waiting came to an end. The day started just like all the previous ones. There was no great sign from above that anything different was going to happen. But in the middle of the day, some servants from the Pharaoh come looking for Joseph. They are in a hurry. Pharaoh wants to meet Joseph. They give him clean clothes. They ask him to shave. He has to be clean and presentable to meet the ruler of Egypt.

Pharaoh has been dreaming and no one has been able to interpret his dreams. The negligent cupbearer finally remembers Joseph and mentions him to Pharaoh. When Joseph is taken to the Pharaoh, he humbly tells Pharaoh that it is not he who can interpret dreams. God is the interpreter. Joseph doesn't take the credit for his talent. He gives the credit to God. And he assures Pharaoh that God will provide him with a favorable answer. Joseph doesn't doubt for a minute. He knows that God did not bring him this far to fail him. The time in jail did not diminish his faith, on the contrary, it strengthened it.

What happens to us when we are going through a difficult time? Does our faith diminish or does it grow? Do we pray or do we give up? Do we wait patiently for the Lord or do we get angry at Him?

Joseph stood up in front of the Pharaoh by God's grace. After spending 13 years as a slave and as a prisoner, he listens to Pharaoh explain his dreams and he doesn't even blink. Anyone else would have been scared to death. And then, as if it was the simplest thing in the world to interpret a dream, he tells Pharaoh: "Expect seven years of plenty and seven years of famine."

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, the slave who had been in prison just that morning, became Pharaoh's right hand. Joseph began his day in a dungeon and ended it as master of all of Egypt. How did this happen? Easy. When God is in charge anything can happen. In addition to interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph, with a wisdom that could only come from God, boldly, yet humbly, suggested a course of action for Pharaoh. At that moment, Pharaoh recognized that God was with Joseph and he put Joseph in charge of his entire house, placing all the citizens of Egypt under his command.

God used Joseph to save the Egyptians, but His plan was much bigger than that. The great-grandsons of Abraham sold their little brother into slavery intending it for evil. But God intended it for good. Tomorrow we will find out how God works all things for His glory.

Lenten Journey: The Lord was with Joseph

"The Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man." Genesis 39:2

The Bible summarizes Joseph's trip to Egypt in one short sentence: "And they took Joseph to Egypt." (Genesis 37:28) Even though the Bible doesn't give us any details, we can be certain that his trip to Egypt was not a walk in the park. It was probably a very long and difficult trip. Joseph was now a slave so I am sure he had to walk the entire trip, tied with chains, treated like an animal and all he had to look forward to is a life of servitude in a foreign land where he doesn't even know the language.

When I visualize Joseph's trip to Egypt in my mind, I can't help but compare it to Jesus' walk to Calvary. They were both treated like scoundrels, laughed at and humiliated. They were both stripped of their clothing and their honor. Jesus was weighed down by the cross while Joseph was weighed down by his chains. But in both cases, God had a plan.

Once Joseph arrives in Egypt, he is taken to the market to be sold as if he was a piece of meat. He is purchased by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. Despite his horrible situation, the Lord was with Joseph so that everything he touched was abundantly successful. Potiphar noticed and he promoted Joseph. The slave was now in charge of his master's house.

No matter what horrible situation we may be going through, the Lord is with us. He has a plan, we just need to trust Him. But we must stay alert because the enemy doesn't want God's plan for us to be fulfilled. He is going to try to do everything in his power to separate us from God. But we don't have to fear, God is near. God is more powerful than the enemy and He will help us overcome all the temptations that the enemy will surely place in our path. "We must have confidence in Christ's victory over suffering and death." St. John Paul II

Joseph had grown into a handsome and muscular young man. Potiphar's wife wanted him. She is the mistress of the house and she commands him to lie with her. Here's the enemy at work trying to separate Joseph from God's plan. But Joseph trusted fully on God and he resists every advance. Out of jealous anger and to get even with him for refusing her advances, Potiphar's wife accuses Joseph of attacking her. She has his garment, which she ripped from him, to prove it.

Potiphar believes his wife and he sends Joseph to prison. Just when we thought things were starting to get better for Joseph, they take a turn for the worst. But even in prison, God was with Joseph. It doesn't take long for the prison keeper to notice it and he puts Joseph in charge of the prison and all the prisoners.

Joseph was the perfect example of "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." He never lost faith in God and God turned something good out of every bad situation. God had a destiny for Joseph just like He has a destiny for each of us. And just like the Lord was with Joseph, He is also with each one of us. God is faithfully working out His plan for us while we wait. The waiting may be difficult, our situation horrific, but we have to obey and trust Him, with the assurance that He will bless us. "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Lenten Journey-At the Bottom of the Pit

"Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild beast has devoured him and we shall see what will become of his dreams." Genesis 37:19-20

While the brothers tend to the flock, Joseph, the loved son, stays home with his father. This too, would stir envy and hatred among the brothers. Jacob, clueless father that couldn't see what was happening in front of his nose, asks Joseph to go check on his brothers.

The older brothers have been tending their father's sheep under the hot blazing sun, sleeping on the ground and here comes their pesky little brother, fresh like a lettuce, wearing his colorful royal robe, the sight of which probably irritates the brothers to no end. They were certainly not happy to see Joseph.

Envy, greed and jealousy are really bad feelings to carry in a human heart. "The tenth commandment requires that envy be banished from the human heart... Envy can lead to the worst crimes. Through the devil's envy, death entered the world." (Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2538) The news is filled daily with reports of people murdering each other, there's robbery, vandalism... All of these crimes usually generate from envy, greed or jealousy.

And that is what happened to Joseph's brothers. When envy, hatred and jealousy took control of their hearts, they lost their minds and decided to kill Joseph. And to add another sin to their sinister plan they planned to lie to their father by telling him that Joseph had been devoured by wild animals. These were the great-grandsons of Abraham. Their hearts had been hardened by envy.

When Joseph arrives, they strip him out of his special robe and they toss him down into the pit. They showed him no mercy. Have you ever been down in the pit like Joseph? Maybe you are in the pit right now. Maybe you have health issues or someone you love is battling a serious illness. Joseph was thrown in the pit because he was hated. Maybe you were thrown into the pit by your own spouse who wants a divorce or by your self-centered children who rarely come to visit you or by a close friend or relative who has betrayed you. Maybe you have lost your job and are having a hard time making ends meet. Whatever your personal situation, we have all been down at the bottom of the pit at some time in our lives. When the world turns its back on us, there is only one way out of the pit. We have to look up and ask God to come to the rescue.

I am sure that as Joseph sat by himself at the bottom of the pit, he had time to think about what he could have done differently. Maybe he should have kept his dreams to himself. Maybe he shouldn't have been a tattletale. He screamed for help but his brothers' ears had been shut just like their hearts. I'm certain that he prayed. After all, Jacob was a man of great faith which he had to pass down to his sons. As Joseph was about to give up hope, he hears a commotion coming from above. A group of merchants with their camels have arrived. While Joseph is hopeful down below, his brothers decide to make a profit out of Joseph. Joseph's life is about to become much worst. When he sees one of his brothers being pulled down into the pit with a rope and his brother grabs him and pulls him up, Joseph probably thought that they had a change of heart and they were giving him a second chance. The last thing he imagined was that they would sell him into slavery.

I have been down at the pit like Joseph many times. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worst, it did. I have felt many times that God has abandoned me. But all the time, God had a plan. He also has a plan for you just like he had a plan for Joseph. As his life takes a turn for the worst, Joseph never loses his faith. Don't give up on your faith. Be patient. God will reveal His plan for you soon enough.