UNWAVERING HOPE

The following passages from today’s 1st reading are statements of bravery of a dying person with a sure hope in God who brings us to everlasting life. It is in this kind of courage that we can see unbelievable acts of faith even in the face of death. They have recklessly abandoned whatever life that is left for them to hold on in this present and tangible world. This is in lieu of their loyalty and unwavering hope in God who can raise them up to live forever and restore whatever has been lost. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14

We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.” 9 At the point of death he said: “You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying.” 10 After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands, 11 as he spoke these noble words: “It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again.” 12 Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man’s courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing. 13 After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way. 14 When he was near death, he said, “It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the God-given hope of being restored to life by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.”

If we are to die this very day, can we proclaim to the Lord with confidence these words in today's psalm? We ought to develop in ourselves the attitude of these 7 brothers who have no fear of death. This doesn't mean that we have to be masochists and desire for a morbid death. Rather it should all because of the fact that we can firmly stand on the promises of a God who is able to supply us with everything. For only God who is Himself the author of true happiness can grant us lasting and genuine joy to the full. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15 (15b)
R: Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
1 Hear, O LORD, a just suit; attend to my outcry; hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit. (R) 5 My steps have been steadfast in your paths, my feet have not faltered. 6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my word. (R) 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. 15 But I in justice shall behold your face; on waking, I shall be content in your presence.

We’ve got to straighten up some things about God. Who He is and what He wants for our life. What is our picture of God? It’s not surprising to know that most of us think that God doesn’t want us to have fun. It’s like all the things that we want to do with our friends that are interesting and exciting when we were young is against God’s commandments. It may seem like we have to settle for less. What’s worse is that all the faithful Catholics get less out of life. This is part of the propaganda way back in the Garden of Eden. God gave us a magnificent paradise wherein there is perfect intimacy and no shame with each other. In the Garden they have everything they need but gave just one limit, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is very interesting because God said, “Don’t do this because you will die.” The reason why God commands us something is because He is a loving Father who cares for us. He wants us to have the best. But then came the serpent, he didn’t even create Adam & Eve, nor gave the garden or anything at all. All the serpent gave was a lie and told Adam & Eve not to listen to God or they’ll lose out and won’t become like God. They were made to believe that God is holding out something from them and is actually their rival because God doesn’t want them to have what He has. So instead of trusting the one who gave them everything, they trusted a stranger. They disobeyed God and listened to the liar. They were hooked into a downward spiral of destruction. This is what sin is all about. It is a trap. It is disguised as an apparent good because the fruit looks good and desirable but it ends in disaster. The relationship with God is messed up and so creation turned against them, thorns and thistles appear and things in life become hard. This is what sin does, it seemed small but it gets out of control. Things get worse and worse and there are broken lives everywhere. This is the reality about sin, we are draining life out of ourselves unless we recognize the Lord our God who is faithful. Amen. Hallelujah!


2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5
...the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one...

My amazement of God just never stop instead it continues to build on top of each other every single day. I was just talking to this friend of mine yesterday and sharing to her about how I am always blessed with circumstances and events that happen to be very appropriate and timely for the daily mass readings that inspire and encourage me even more to commit to writing my daily reflections. Early this morning, I was just surprised while talking to another friend that our topic was about love and marriage since she confided to me about her love life if I may say so. There are people who have been married several times already, failed and came to a point where they are no longer sure if they ever want to get married again. This especially becomes hard when there is a certain person wanting to enter into a relationship. There is a need to assess her current situation as to where this would lead. And now this bible passage from today's gospel comes right on time and really caught my attention since it speaks of marriage. It tells us that marriage is very legitimate and could be availed of several times without violating any Church laws for as long as there are no impediments to it. In fact it is considered as one of the 7 sacraments in the Church. What's important here I suppose is the fact that just like any other sacrament, we should keep in mind that it is a covenant not just between 2 people who love each other but with God most of all. In the event that marriage came to an end we could still have something to hold on to that is not bound by anything in this world nor in our life after death. It should remind us that we must always put God in the center of everything. In all our relationships and commitments, it is the one with God that will persist to the end of time and through eternity. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 20:27-38
... “The children of this age marry and remarry; 35 but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.