Heavenward
Dearest Father, Thank You for giving us a clear goal in this life - heavenward. God's call to the life above in Christ Jesus. As written in the Second Reading.
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Today's Readings
First Reading: Isaiah 43: 16-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 126: 1-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6
Second Reading: Philippians 3: 8-14
Verse Before the Gospel: Joel 2: 13
Gospel: John 8: 1-11
Reading 1, Isaiah 43:16-21
Isaiah 43:16-21 GNBDK
[16] Long ago the LORD made a road through the sea, a path through the swirling waters.
[17] He led a mighty army to destruction, an army of chariots and horses. Down they fell, never to rise, snuffed out like the flame of a lamp!
[18] But the LORD says, “Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago.
[19] Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already — you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.
[20] Even the wild animals will honour me; jackals and ostriches will praise me when I make rivers flow in the desert to give water to my chosen people.
[21] They are the people I made for myself, and they will sing my praises!”
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
1 When the lord brought back the captivity of Sion, we became like men comforted.
2ab Then was our mouth filled with gladness; and our tongue with joy.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
2cd Then shall they say among the Gentiles: The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us: we are become joyful.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as a stream in the south.
5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
6 Going they went and wept, casting their seeds. But coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Reading 2, Philippians 3:8-14
Philippians 3:8-14 GNBDK
[8] Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere refuse, so that I may gain Christ
[9] and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith.
[10] All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death,
[11] in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.
[12] I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.
[13] Of course, my brothers and sisters, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.
[14] So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
Gospel, John 8:1-11
John 8:1-11 GNBDK
[1] Then everyone went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
[2] Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered round him, and he sat down and began to teach them.
[3] The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all.
[4] “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
[5] In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?”
[6] They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger.
[7] As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened himself up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.”
[8] Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground.
[9] When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there.
[10] He straightened himself up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?”
[11] “No one, sir,” she answered. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.”]
Dearest Father,
Thank You for giving us a clear goal in this life - heavenward. God's call to the life above in Christ Jesus. As written in the Second Reading.
Philippians 3:14 GNBDK
[14] So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
In another version:
Philippians 3:14 NIV
[14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
And what is the goal? God's call, through Christ Jesus, to the life above - heavenward.
How can we win this life above? Knowing Christ, living in Him (loving, serving, and obeying) here on earth so we can be happy with Him forever in Heaven, our eternal city.
Philippians 3:10-11 GNBDK
[10] All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, [11] in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.
In SpeakChrist terms, to live the RichLife in Christ, now and forever.
Yesterday, I stumbled upon this YouTube channel, Duchess Dollars, that gives a first-person perspective or point of view on the luxurious lifestyle of the rich and famous and how we can be like them, in a sarcastically funny way.
I'm not sure if she's real or just a persona but she talks about the mindsets of the truly rich, how they become rich, and how they act rich as being one who has attained this status.
She had started her quest to become rich and then she met and married Mr. Millionaire, as she calls her husband, who opened up a new world for her of investing and working, as well as living, among the truly rich.
I got hooked, because, as one who wants to be a trillionaire, I've been looking into the mindsets of billionaires and how they achieved this status.
Two major things I got from her so far:
They have this rich identity that is evident in the way they handle themselves and live their lives. They are no longer striving hard to be rich. They know they are rich and act like one.
They have this sense of abundance that gives them confidence in moving forward toward their goals and desires. They are not limited in their thinking and acting. They are not trying hard to have, they just be and do what they're supposed to be and do, and, naturally, they have. You know what I mean?
I'm so happy I found this channel and got to know this Duchess Dollar persona. She gives me a worldly perspective of how it is to be rich in this world.
But my goal is more than that.
I want to be rich now and forever.
To live a rich and satisfying life here on earth now, and, more importantly, forever in that eternal city where the streets are paved with gold, the city walls are covered with gems, and gates are made of pearls. And, most especially, where God is the center that gives life and light to the city.
Revelation 21:18, 21-27 NIV
[18] The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
[21] The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. [22] I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. [23] The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. [24] The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. [25] On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. [26] The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. [27] Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
To be rich and happy forever.
How many people do you know are stretching to achieve that?
And how can we do that?
Live in Christ.
As Paul says in the Second Reading today:
Philippians 3:10-11 GNBDK
[10] All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, [11] in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.
And how can we live in Christ?
I propose living the RichLife In Christ Playbook that God has shown me, my Tatatian RichLife Spirituality.
Here are the 4 Pillars of the RichLife Playbook:
Pillar 1 - our RichLife Divine identity as a child and heir of God, already having the rich and satisfying life Jesus Christ has won for us (Galatians 4:7-8),
Pillar 2 - pursuing His GodX vision for our life, what He wants each of us to be, do, and have, not from desperation and need but from overflow and purpose (John 10:10),
Pillar 3 - seeking and remaining in Christ and His words, our Rock Foundation (John 15:7), and
Pillar 4 - living pillars 1-3 every single day, within a 24-hour activation window and our 24-hour activation code, activating God's grace and help now and today, not holding on to yesterday and not waiting for tomorrow (2 Corinthians 6:2).
We do it for as long as we wake up in the morning. Waking up in the morning is a sure sign that God is not finished with us yet and we still have 24 hours to be, do, and have what He called us to be, do, and have.
So forget about what lies behind us. Go forward towards our calling in Christ Jesus for the life above. Heavenward.
Yes, you can be rich now here on earth like the Duchess Dollars and all the other rich and famous people out there. But why stop there when you can actually be rich now and forever in Christ?
Let's do it together.
Philippians 3:12:14
[12] I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.
[13] Of course, my brothers and sisters, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.
[14] So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
If you want to learn more how to live the RichLife in Christ Playbook everyday so you can be rich now and forever, join me in our SpeakChrist RichLife Club. We'll do it together. St. Katharine Drexel, pray for us.
Live the RichLife in Christ today
God's call is for you to live the life above.
In Christ Jesus.
Heavenward.
Free 🎁 for you. 👼
God's call for you is Heavenward.
Rich now and forever.
In Christ.
Press on towards that goal.
Philippians 3:14 NIV
[14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Now Your Turn
(Questions to ask yourself when scripture journaling)
What verses spoke to me strongly and powerfully from the scripture readings?
What is God saying to me in these verse or verses?
What does God want me to do today?
Journal prompts of the day
Is your goal heavenward? Or just earthbound?
Are you pressing on towards the ultimate prize?
Are you living rich in Christ now so you can live rich with Him forever?
Your Actionable Steps to Do This Week:
Give your life to Jesus
Live the RichLife now in Christ
Keep your aim Heavenward as you remain always in Christ
Let us pray:
If you want to live the rich life in Christ every day - living rich in Christ now so you can live with Christ forever - give your life to Jesus.
That’s the first step.
Say this prayer with me:
Dearest Father,
Father, forgive me of my sins. I receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for making me now Your child and heir, with power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory, and blessing. Thank You that in Christ, Father, I can live the rich life now and live rich with You forever in Heaven.
In Jesus’ Name.
This is it for now. Until next time.
Vivo dives vitae in Christo. Live the RichLife in Christ.
P.S.
If you want to develop daily discipline and consistently achieve what God wants you to be, do, and have, without struggle - live the rich life in Christ. Join the RichLife Club now. We’ll do it together.