ESNE - Actualidad y Fe · El Sembrador Ministries

¿Qué le estás regalando a Dios?

·54 min·3 clips

Father Roberto names the 'God-of-a-truck' trap: approaching God only for what He gives, then pulling away when nothing is needed.

1. ESNE Actualidad y Fe broadcasts on Holy Monday with host Moisés and guest Father Roberto Figueroa, a priest from the Diocese of Matamoros-Reynosa, on the topic '¿Qué le estás regalando a Dios?' (What are you giving to God?). 2. Father Roberto Figueroa is a diocesan priest serving nine chapels in Matamoros-Reynosa; he entered the seminary at age 11 and is involved in organizing the 2026 Diocesan Congress. 3. The episode's core thesis is drawn from John 12:1-8: Mary of Bethany's decision to pour an entire flask of pure nard perfume on Jesus's feet — an extravagant, total gesture of love — is presented as the model for what we should give God. 4. The nard perfume is described as expensive both monetarily and spiritually; Judas criticized the gesture, ostensibly on behalf of the poor, but the Gospel reveals he was a thief who wanted the money for himself. 5. Father Roberto names the 'God-of-a-truck' pattern: treating God as a vending machine where you insert prayers and receive favors, then withdraw when no favor is needed. 6. He contrasts this transactional approach with authentic faith: recognizing a constant need for God's grace, love, forgiveness, and mercy regardless of circumstance. 7. The theological argument for attending Mass is made practically: the Eucharist provides forgiveness, Word of God, and communion with Christ — none of which is wasted time since it 'repercutes to salvation.' 8. Father Roberto shares a personal memory from age 11: when he confessed missing Mass and said it 'didn't hurt him,' a priest gave him a sharp sermon — 'it must hurt you, because this time is for God.' 9. The point is generalized: when missing Mass, prayer, or charitable action doesn't cause any pain, it reveals a failure to value time given to God — and that indifference is itself the problem. 10. Three concrete Holy Week gifts are proposed: quality silence (10 minutes before the Blessed Sacrament), a gesture of nard (act of charity toward someone difficult), and identifying and exercising one's specific God-given talent. 11. The 'gesture of nard' is compared to the Good Samaritan — stopping to help someone you might otherwise pass by, not because it is convenient but because it is charity. 12. On identifying one's talent: Father Roberto addresses the internalized belief (sometimes instilled by family criticism) that 'I'm not good for anything' — God has given everyone a specific gift that must be identified and placed in service. 13. Moisés adds that giving God a sin to change — definitively abandoning a pattern of sin — is itself a precious gift. 14. Father Roberto discusses 'sins of omission' — failures to act on opportunities for good, to change attitudes, to help when capable — as gifts not yet given. 15. A specific Holy Week challenge is issued: your most expensive nard might be your time, your reputation, or your fear of being seen as too devout. 16. The episode addresses social pushback against conversion: family and friends who mock those who deepen their faith, saying 'tell the priest to build you a little room in the church.' 17. Father Roberto cites Saint Paul's teaching that believers must carry 'the smell of Christ' — leaving a trace of transformation wherever they go, even if others resist acknowledging the change. 18. Father Roberto notes that on Palm Sunday he celebrated five Masses across nine chapels and tries to make each one as good as the last — offering quality time and full disposition rather than rushing through obligations. 19. Devout Catholics preparing their Holy Week practices through prayer, fasting, and charitable acts, especially those in the Matamoros-Reynosa-Los Angeles corridor of El Sembrador's audience, will find the most direct value. 20. Listeners seeking non-denominational, non-liturgical, or general Christian content will find the Catholic sacramental focus and organizational promotions less relevant.

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