When things are going well in your life, do you praise and thank God for all your blessings? - Daily Reflections July 14,2015

WHAT DOES IT TAKE?   The Gospel today had very strong words from Jesus. He was disturbed by the lack of faith of the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, all Jewish towns. He made a lot of miracles in those places, yet their response was unbelief. He was so upset that He compared them to other places like Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, whose people had repented.        What does it take for us to repent? Do we need to get sick, be out of job, or experience a tragedy before we bend our knees and pray? Do we have to suffer and face death so we can see the hardness of our hearts and blindness of our eyes? Unfortunately this is true for many people. We tend to easily set aside, ignore and forget the Lord when life goes smoothly. In our quest to get ahead, rich, powerful and famous, we succumb to sin.       The people of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum did not appreciate the full import of Jesus’ words and miracles. They failed to recognize and welcome the Messiah, the one they had been waiting for!        I remember the story of a man who was relatively poor and did not finish a degree. He learned how to bake bread and started a bakery business. He got married and supported his family through his business. They were happy and thankful to God. Then his bakery grew big and he was able to grant franchises. He became very rich. With a lot of money, he got into a a lot of vices. Worse, he stopped praying and forgot God. Later, when he realized his mistakes, he came to me for counseling and confession. It was fortunate that he saw the light and was able to recover. He repented, changed his life, and his family was happy again.        We must always be on guard. The devil lurks beside us and strikes at our weakest moment. When we lose focus on God and fail to appreciate His goodness, we will easily be tempted. Let us not stop believing because the devil does not stop tempting. Let us not stop praying because the devil does not stop distracting. And let us not stop being good because the devil never stops at making us bad. Fr. Benny Tuazon   REFLECTION QUESTIONS: When things are going well in your life, do you praise and thank God for all your blessings? Or do you forget Him and  remember to pray only when you are down and out?   Help me to be faithful to You, Lord, no matter what circumstance I am in.