Jeremiah reminds us today that we ought to follow God's commands. He even reminded us of the day His people left the land of Egypt. God has done wonders and miracles as in Exodus 8:15 "the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." Yet Pharaoh remained obstinate and would not listen to them, just as the LORD had foretold." Plagues overwhelm the magicians of Egypt. Each of the plagues were all attached to Egyptian deities like frogs and flies. By using these plagues God has clearly demonstrated His power to defeat Egypt and showed that their gods is not god at all. We should not be lacking in understanding how great the power of God is and finally come to our senses that our faith should rely on the one true God alone. Amen. Hallelujah!
Jeremiah 7:23-28
23 Thus says the LORD: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. 24 But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me. 25 From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day, I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets. 26 Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed; they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers.
Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
...For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
We have to make a decision to be with Christ. God is the Good Shepherd. He will not scatter but draw people to holiness, righteousness and goodness. Amen. Hallelujah!
Exorcism of demons is part of Jesus’ ministry. In today's gospel people were amazed at how Jesus was able to cast out evil spirits. These various evil gods and demons are a real presence at the time of Jesus and appear to rule even in the ancient world. The crowd is looking for a sign and they have seen enough to bring them to amazement but with it go together, the blindness and the hardness of the heart. This is a perennial problem when people see what God is trying to do but because of the hardness of heart it just won’t sink in. We have to examine our conscience and should ask ourselves what are the signs of the presence of God in our life. How are we paying attention or listening to the signs that God gives us. This is the call of today’s readings. Christ answered His critics in the gospel that every kingdom divided against itself will be laid to waste. Is satan divided against itself? Do we think that satan will tolerate a civil obedience in his kingdom? The answer of course is that satan is not divided against itself, he won’t tolerate that. He will terrorize and make people absolutely frightened to make them follow his bidding. This is satan's way. As God works in His mercy, satan operates through terror. Who are we imitating? There is no doubt that God can defeat Satan and has already shown this since time immemorial to all generations. Jesus' ability to cast out demons is similar to God casting out the power of Egypt. Christ is using the power of God to liberate his people. He is the new Moses. He is doing a great liberation from delivering us from satan and sin. Like the multiplication of the loaves and the manna from heaven. Christ is leading and invading the power of evil and bringing the kingdom of God into the presence of this darkness, to Israel and the whole world to gain freedom of the demonic. In His short parable in the gospel he likened a strong man and his army to satan and his devils. He controlled people’s lives and continue to debilitate and deform human nature. We are made in the image and likeness of God but he distorts this image because that’s his goal. There are other ways he does this, through violence and any of the capital sins. He uses the lust industry and distorts human love. This demonic distortion is what Christ wants to conguer. The violence, oppression, anger, lust and the capital sins are all part of the distortion but Jesus has overcome and the forces of evil are defeated. He can take souls away from the clutches of evil but He sets a challenge for us. He said that whoever is not with me is against me. We see so many forces of the anti Christ in the world today through violence, avarice and sex which are very rampant. They are the demonic devices and ways which the evil one works. We should make a decision to always be for Christ and not compromise with the enemy. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 11:14-23
14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute person spoke and the crowds were amazed. 15 Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” 16 Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. 17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. 18 And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. 19 If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
OUR DESTINY
Today's 1st reading tells us that we are to live the covenant and at its heart are the statutes and decrees spoken of by Moses. If we live the heart of the covenant then we could take possession of the Land. This land is a foreshadowing of heaven. Right now we take the land interiorly as we receive communion, we become one with Christ. Jesus is in communion with God the Father and we take communion with Christ. What faith confesses, the sacraments communicate. Baptism makes us sons of God. We see in scriptures, that we have the right to become children of God. As in 2 Peter 1:3-4, "His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power. Through these, he has bestowed on us the precious and very great promises, so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature, after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire." He has granted His precious and magnificent promises for us to be partakers of the divine nature. Also in Col 2:12 You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. Baptism makes us sharers of the divine mystery. In Romans 8:14-17, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, 3 Father!" The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” We share in the very destiny of Jesus. We live out this call that we’ve been given. We are called by God and destined for God. We are called to beatitude to take possession of the land and to lay hold of the beatific vision of the light. We have the dignity as human persons and are moved by grace to direct ourselves to this fulfillment. It is by our act of choice and the grace. It is our duty to develop an informed conscience and also through revelation. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1849) Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law." It violates eternal law, reason, humanity and our dignity as children of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
1 Moses spoke to the people and said: “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Psalms 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
R: Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! 16 He spreads snow like wool; frost he strews like ashes.
Jesus is very clear in today’s gospel that He has come not to abolish but to fulfill the law. He comes in obedience to the Father and lives it perfectly. We fall into this vicious cycle of believing in Jesus and still continue to sin. He did not come to overturn but to fulfill the law. We are to avoid sin and do good. We trust ourselves to the mercy of God. Though, we still grow as we struggle with sin. We must humble and renew ourselves in charity. Lent is the time for conversion of our life to goodness. We should assess ourselves. Are we become holier as we struggle against sins? Are we moving away from sins of our predominant fall? What sins do we usually repeat in our confession? Are we struggling and fighting against it? What do our friends and families remind us of? How do we worship? How is our moral life? Is it lived in the whole pillar dedicated to the commandments? Our personal sin is the enemy that we’re fighting. Our pitfall is that we’re trying to change the external all the time. The other people around us and the situation instead of looking at the battle we have to find in ourselves. The usual loophole is our covetousness towards our neighbor’s goods. It comes up in different forms, these desires that is not in harmony with reason. It is the concupiscence and lust of the flesh. Lust is a huge epidemic and problem to live the 6th & 9th commandment. We need help and God’s grace. We need chastity and appeal to Him for that grace. We should avoid near occasions that cause us to sin. It’s in the heart so we have to make the radical approach not to let it enter our heart. We need to work on the purity of heart in order to see God face to face when our time comes. We are called to be like Him and see our brothers and sisters as children of God. We also have to fight our desires to have more and more. The more we have the more secured we are. There is this deep tendency in us to place our security in things and people. We are always confronted with the temptation to do predominant work in our life and pull us away from God. It scatters our energies and focus to do something to build up our esteem pride and ego. We tend to desire to control others, call the shots and not to submit to God. We need to seek His direction and His will. It should be the trajectory of our life, to prefer God over everything else. When we lack security then we should cling to God. Whatever sin it is that defeat us, we should make a firm and conscious effort to get out of our selfishness, go to others, fight sin and appeal to God for grace. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 5:17-19
17 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
1 Moses spoke to the people and said: “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Psalms 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
R: Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! 16 He spreads snow like wool; frost he strews like ashes.
Jesus is very clear in today’s gospel that He has come not to abolish but to fulfill the law. He comes in obedience to the Father and lives it perfectly. We fall into this vicious cycle of believing in Jesus and still continue to sin. He did not come to overturn but to fulfill the law. We are to avoid sin and do good. We trust ourselves to the mercy of God. Though, we still grow as we struggle with sin. We must humble and renew ourselves in charity. Lent is the time for conversion of our life to goodness. We should assess ourselves. Are we become holier as we struggle against sins? Are we moving away from sins of our predominant fall? What sins do we usually repeat in our confession? Are we struggling and fighting against it? What do our friends and families remind us of? How do we worship? How is our moral life? Is it lived in the whole pillar dedicated to the commandments? Our personal sin is the enemy that we’re fighting. Our pitfall is that we’re trying to change the external all the time. The other people around us and the situation instead of looking at the battle we have to find in ourselves. The usual loophole is our covetousness towards our neighbor’s goods. It comes up in different forms, these desires that is not in harmony with reason. It is the concupiscence and lust of the flesh. Lust is a huge epidemic and problem to live the 6th & 9th commandment. We need help and God’s grace. We need chastity and appeal to Him for that grace. We should avoid near occasions that cause us to sin. It’s in the heart so we have to make the radical approach not to let it enter our heart. We need to work on the purity of heart in order to see God face to face when our time comes. We are called to be like Him and see our brothers and sisters as children of God. We also have to fight our desires to have more and more. The more we have the more secured we are. There is this deep tendency in us to place our security in things and people. We are always confronted with the temptation to do predominant work in our life and pull us away from God. It scatters our energies and focus to do something to build up our esteem pride and ego. We tend to desire to control others, call the shots and not to submit to God. We need to seek His direction and His will. It should be the trajectory of our life, to prefer God over everything else. When we lack security then we should cling to God. Whatever sin it is that defeat us, we should make a firm and conscious effort to get out of our selfishness, go to others, fight sin and appeal to God for grace. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 5:17-19
17 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
FORGIVENESS
We have some fairly easy questions in life that we can answer right away but the committing part is the one thing we all have difficulty in doing. In this regard we can start by learning the act of true prayer. Today's 1st reading is a prayer of total surrender and abandonment to the Lord. This prayer is an inspiration for all who are going through suffering and trials. It is an inspiration to those who do not know where to turn in times of need. We will do well to learn the basic thrust of this prayer and apply it in our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!
Daniel 3:25, 34-43
Azariah stood up and prayed aloud: 11 [Dan 3:34] “For your name’s sake, do not deliver us up forever, or make void your covenant. 12 [Dan 3:35] Do not take away your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one, 13 [Dan 3:36] to whom you promised to multiply their offspring like the stars of heaven, or the sand on the shore of the sea...And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you. 19 [Dan 3:42] Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy. 20 [Dan 3:43] Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”
It is possible that all our hurts and injuries be turned to compassion for those who have caused us so much pain because God who is full of mercy and love is the one who did it first for us and we ought to follow. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: Remember your mercies, O Lord.
... Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your kindness are from of old. 7 In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD...
In today's gospel, Peter wanted to put a limit on forgiveness. The gospel is especially relevant for those with deep hurts. Each time the memory of that hurt comes back, we have to forgive. We have to be honest that we haven’t been without guilt ourselves. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 2843 it is stated, "Thus the Lord's words on forgiveness, the love that loves to the end,(Jn 13:1) become a living reality. The parable of the merciless servant, which crowns the Lord's teaching on ecclesial communion, ends with these words: "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."(Mt 18:23-35.) It is there, in fact, "in the depths of the heart," that everything is bound and loosed. It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense; but the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession."
It is not in our power to not feel the hurt of the memory or even to forget because it is part of our emotional well being to do so when it comes back. But the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury and the memory of the hurt to compassion. This ability to love comes the Holy Spirit and can help us transform that hurt into intercession. Just like what Jesus did at the cross when He said, Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they’re doing even to the point of making excuses. When we run into people who have hurt us it is an unbelievable feeling to rise above the need for revenge. Forgiveness should be part of our life because revenge is just a never ending cycle. We have to adhere to putting God first and be disciplined in ourselves. We learn from the experience of forgiveness from the life of people who had been through a great deal of pain but were able to overcome it. We learn through their message of forgiveness and start ourselves as we forgive the little things they do against us and then eventually it will be easy to forgive the big things. Today’s gospel reminds us of our situation. We are debtors of an even greater debt. The reality of our situation is that we have a huge debt that we can't pay back. We’re created out of nothing and while we were still sinners Jesus died for us to inherit eternal life. The debt you and I have is far greater than we can pay back. However great our suffering may be, it does not compare to what the Lord has done for us. If we think of this we may want to ask, is there anything way too big to forgive? On our own we can't do it but through the strength given to us from His love, forgiveness and mercy. We recall the words of Jesus while He was crucified on the cross. Father, forgive them for they not what they do, today you will be with me in paradise and behold your son, behold your mother. These are words of compassion and love at a time He was suffering a great deal of pain. We have to look upon the crucifix and remember what the Lord has done for us. We should picture ourselves at the foot of the cross for our sins and its forgiveness. No one in this whole wide world ever had a perfect circumstance and situation. We have all been through our share of sorrows. The saints became saints in the midst of their trying times. Some of them like St. Margaret Castello had all the reasons to be bitter. She was a hunchback and abandoned by her parents. Instead of living with regret and resentment she looked at Jesus who was rejected Himself and offered her rejection in union with His. When we are assailed by pain and suffering we look to Him. Though, He was innocent but He died for us sinners. If we have deep and lasting hurts whenever they come back all we have to do is look at our Lord who is innocent but suffered and died for our salvation. We pray to Jesus and ask to turn our hearts like His own. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 18:21-35
21 Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. 25 Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. 26 At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ 27 Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. 28 When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. 31 Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. 32 His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. 33 Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ 34 Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. 35 So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
Daniel 3:25, 34-43
Azariah stood up and prayed aloud: 11 [Dan 3:34] “For your name’s sake, do not deliver us up forever, or make void your covenant. 12 [Dan 3:35] Do not take away your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one, 13 [Dan 3:36] to whom you promised to multiply their offspring like the stars of heaven, or the sand on the shore of the sea...And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you. 19 [Dan 3:42] Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy. 20 [Dan 3:43] Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”
It is possible that all our hurts and injuries be turned to compassion for those who have caused us so much pain because God who is full of mercy and love is the one who did it first for us and we ought to follow. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: Remember your mercies, O Lord.
... Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your kindness are from of old. 7 In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD...
In today's gospel, Peter wanted to put a limit on forgiveness. The gospel is especially relevant for those with deep hurts. Each time the memory of that hurt comes back, we have to forgive. We have to be honest that we haven’t been without guilt ourselves. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 2843 it is stated, "Thus the Lord's words on forgiveness, the love that loves to the end,(Jn 13:1) become a living reality. The parable of the merciless servant, which crowns the Lord's teaching on ecclesial communion, ends with these words: "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."(Mt 18:23-35.) It is there, in fact, "in the depths of the heart," that everything is bound and loosed. It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense; but the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession."
It is not in our power to not feel the hurt of the memory or even to forget because it is part of our emotional well being to do so when it comes back. But the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury and the memory of the hurt to compassion. This ability to love comes the Holy Spirit and can help us transform that hurt into intercession. Just like what Jesus did at the cross when He said, Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they’re doing even to the point of making excuses. When we run into people who have hurt us it is an unbelievable feeling to rise above the need for revenge. Forgiveness should be part of our life because revenge is just a never ending cycle. We have to adhere to putting God first and be disciplined in ourselves. We learn from the experience of forgiveness from the life of people who had been through a great deal of pain but were able to overcome it. We learn through their message of forgiveness and start ourselves as we forgive the little things they do against us and then eventually it will be easy to forgive the big things. Today’s gospel reminds us of our situation. We are debtors of an even greater debt. The reality of our situation is that we have a huge debt that we can't pay back. We’re created out of nothing and while we were still sinners Jesus died for us to inherit eternal life. The debt you and I have is far greater than we can pay back. However great our suffering may be, it does not compare to what the Lord has done for us. If we think of this we may want to ask, is there anything way too big to forgive? On our own we can't do it but through the strength given to us from His love, forgiveness and mercy. We recall the words of Jesus while He was crucified on the cross. Father, forgive them for they not what they do, today you will be with me in paradise and behold your son, behold your mother. These are words of compassion and love at a time He was suffering a great deal of pain. We have to look upon the crucifix and remember what the Lord has done for us. We should picture ourselves at the foot of the cross for our sins and its forgiveness. No one in this whole wide world ever had a perfect circumstance and situation. We have all been through our share of sorrows. The saints became saints in the midst of their trying times. Some of them like St. Margaret Castello had all the reasons to be bitter. She was a hunchback and abandoned by her parents. Instead of living with regret and resentment she looked at Jesus who was rejected Himself and offered her rejection in union with His. When we are assailed by pain and suffering we look to Him. Though, He was innocent but He died for us sinners. If we have deep and lasting hurts whenever they come back all we have to do is look at our Lord who is innocent but suffered and died for our salvation. We pray to Jesus and ask to turn our hearts like His own. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 18:21-35
21 Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. 25 Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. 26 At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ 27 Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. 28 When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. 31 Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. 32 His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. 33 Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ 34 Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. 35 So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
Monday, March 28, 2011
THE WATER OF BAPTISM
Leprosy is a sickness that speaks to us of sin. In today’s 1st reading, Elisha a prophet from the Old Testament speaks to us of the necessity of the sacrament of baptism. These words of Elisha, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” caused Naaman to be cured of leprosy as he went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. It was followed by his profession of faith when he returned to Elisha and on his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” This is a prefigurement of the sacrament of baptism as the church invites us to wash and be clean and the soul of a person becomes like an innocent child when plunged into the waters of baptism an asked to profess our faith. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1257 it is stated, “The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. (Jn 3:5) He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. (Mt 28:19-20) Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. (Mk 16:16) The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.” The Lord Himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation as he spoke to Nicodemus in John 3. The Church does not neglect this mission and it is imperative for us that we proclaim the gospel to all the nations not with a sense of indifference. We are not asked to force the gospel to anybody, the Church has given a command to go and teach about Jesus and have a deeper relationship with Him. The Jordan river is beautiful because this is the water that Jesus stepped into, He has sanctified the water. The Jordan is beautiful because of our faith. We recognize it because of Jesus’ encounter with the water. As we can see in the 1st reading that Naaman refused at first and expected to do something extraordinary. This is how we are, how foolish we can be at times. If he was asked to do something extraordinary he would have followed right away and yet when asked to do something that seem so plain and simple, he refused. Jesus came to us a simple man and did great things. The act of washing is very common. For whoever is brought to the fount of baptism, seems so plain but can do something tremendous to our souls. Through the union of Christ and His church there is power in the pond of baptism. One of the effects of baptism is described in what happened to Naaman. Leprosy can cause the flesh to rot and stink. Our soul rots and stink of hell and we can’t free ourselves of that unless we are baptized. It is dependent on the power of God, this need for cleansing. Jesus says come to this pond and become cleansed and by faith we know what happens to our soul. The flesh of a little child is soft and clean. Everybody loves a baby and this grown man (Naaman) is made that way, the same thing happens to our soul, it is made brand new. As CCC, 1213 states, “Holy Baptism is the basis of all Christian life. Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and in the word." Amen. Hallelujah!
2 Kings 5:1-15
1 Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram, was highly esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram. But valiant as he was, the man was a leper. 2 Now the Arameans had captured from the land of Israel in a raid a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife. 3 “If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,” she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 Naaman went and told his lord just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 “Go,” said the king of Aram. “I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments. 6 To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 When he read the letter, the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed, “Am I a god with power over life and death, that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy? Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!” 8 When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king, “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 The prophet sent him the message, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy. 12 Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” With this, he turned about in anger and left. 13 But his servants came up and reasoned with him. “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.” 14 So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”
Psalms 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4
R: Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?
1 [2] As the hind longs for the running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God.
Luke 4:24-30
...there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
2 Kings 5:1-15
1 Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram, was highly esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram. But valiant as he was, the man was a leper. 2 Now the Arameans had captured from the land of Israel in a raid a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife. 3 “If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,” she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 Naaman went and told his lord just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 “Go,” said the king of Aram. “I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments. 6 To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 When he read the letter, the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed, “Am I a god with power over life and death, that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy? Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!” 8 When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king, “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 The prophet sent him the message, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy. 12 Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” With this, he turned about in anger and left. 13 But his servants came up and reasoned with him. “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.” 14 So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”
Psalms 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4
R: Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?
1 [2] As the hind longs for the running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God.
Luke 4:24-30
...there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
Sunday, March 27, 2011
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
The question in today's 1st reading is something we are tempted to ask ourselves, too. Especially at times when we are in a situation where it seems that nothing good is happening. We know too well the answer to this question or do we not. When we are confronted with trials and difficulties then there is a sudden shift or change in the level of confidence in what we believe in. This should not be the case but some things are easier said than done. Just like the Israelites who have been delivered by God so many times in the past and have been bestowed with so many wonders and miracles and yet they still are doubting and lacking in trust. We are no different, I guess. When we find ourselves so focused on that one disappointment or event that upsets us just like the Israelites then we tend to forget all the other benefits that God has bestowed us. It is always best to count our blessings rather than dwell on our so called "misfortunes". We never really know what's in store for us but if we keep on trusting the Lord we can be assured that God is there standing at our side, never will He leave us hungry or thirsty. Amen. Hallelujah!
Exodus 17:3-7
...I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.” This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel. 7 The place was called Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled there and tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD in our midst or not?”
When we grumbled and complained we all know for a fact that it didn't make things any better. We would have to practice more and make perfect the art of trusting and hearing God's voice. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
...For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. (R) Oh, that today you would hear his voice: 8 “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, 9 where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.”
It would help if we would always think of what God did for us. We never deserved any of the blessings we are enjoying today but it's all because of God's grace and love. Amen. Hallelujah!
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
...God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
Time will come when we would have to decide in the same way that the Samaritans did in today's gospel. We can't forever stay in the same frame of mind that is lacking in our faith in God. We need to boldly confess on our own that we truly believe that Jesus is our Savior in words, thoughts and deeds. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 4:5-42
...Many more began to believe in him because of his word, 42 and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”
Exodus 17:3-7
...I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.” This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel. 7 The place was called Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled there and tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD in our midst or not?”
When we grumbled and complained we all know for a fact that it didn't make things any better. We would have to practice more and make perfect the art of trusting and hearing God's voice. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
...For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. (R) Oh, that today you would hear his voice: 8 “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, 9 where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.”
It would help if we would always think of what God did for us. We never deserved any of the blessings we are enjoying today but it's all because of God's grace and love. Amen. Hallelujah!
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
...God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
Time will come when we would have to decide in the same way that the Samaritans did in today's gospel. We can't forever stay in the same frame of mind that is lacking in our faith in God. We need to boldly confess on our own that we truly believe that Jesus is our Savior in words, thoughts and deeds. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 4:5-42
...Many more began to believe in him because of his word, 42 and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”
Saturday, March 26, 2011
WE CAN DO BETTER
It is time we have a grasp of the depth of God's love and mercy. Without realizing this we can never come to appreciate how much God wanted us to be in a relationship with Him. Today's 1st reading tells us that He is willing to go as far as the unreachable just so He can get this love across to us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
...Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, 19 and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;...
Furthermore, God wanted to take our transgressions as far as the east is from the west as spoken of in the responsorial psalm. Are we ready and willing to turn to Him as we approach Easter? How far is the east from the west? Only God knows. We know that the distance is unfathomable, that’s what the Lord does with our sins. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
R: The Lord is kind and merciful.
...Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. (R) 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us.
These passages of the Parable of the Prodigal Son from the gospel today invite us especially during this Lent to be like the son who rehearses his lines when he said “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” In response, his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Or we could be like the older son who became angry and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. Judging from these we can say that neither of these sons younger or old truly knew their father. When the younger son squanders the property and said "I am not worthy just treat me like your hired hands." He did not grasp the depth of His father's love and mercy. Sometimes we are like this when we are not totally convinced that God will receive us back. Many of us can identify with the older son upon coming back and hearing the celebration instead of welcoming back his younger brother was dominated with the hardness of his heart. When his father came to him, the oldest son reveals his depravity and voices out his bitterness as he recounts the sins of the younger brother. This is what resentment does, he makes his own the sins of his brother. He was not able to welcome back the younger brother. He is in fact like the younger brother to a certain degree. This is because every single thing that he does he will calculate as shown by his words as he said that all these years the father hasn’t given him a darn thing. This is deep seated resentment and bitterness. Both sons wanted to lay claim of all that their father possess. They just wanted to take hold of what their father has. All that the father wanted them to do is to be like him. This is very important in our relationship with God our Father. We should realize that if we become like the Father that’s when we truly inherit everything. Do we truly know our heavenly father? Well, we can do better than these two sons, if we wish to lay hold of heaven and the glory that is His. The beautiful thing to effect here is that God has given us Jesus and the way to do it is through Him. Jesus knows the Father and He and the Father are one. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
...“A man had two sons, 12 and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. 14 When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. 15 So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. 16 And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. 17 Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. 18 I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” ’ 20 So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ 22 But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. 25 Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. 27 The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. 30 But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ 31 He said to him, ‘My son, youare here with me always; everything I have is yours. 32 But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ ”
Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
...Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, 19 and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;...
Furthermore, God wanted to take our transgressions as far as the east is from the west as spoken of in the responsorial psalm. Are we ready and willing to turn to Him as we approach Easter? How far is the east from the west? Only God knows. We know that the distance is unfathomable, that’s what the Lord does with our sins. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
R: The Lord is kind and merciful.
...Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. (R) 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us.
These passages of the Parable of the Prodigal Son from the gospel today invite us especially during this Lent to be like the son who rehearses his lines when he said “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” In response, his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Or we could be like the older son who became angry and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. Judging from these we can say that neither of these sons younger or old truly knew their father. When the younger son squanders the property and said "I am not worthy just treat me like your hired hands." He did not grasp the depth of His father's love and mercy. Sometimes we are like this when we are not totally convinced that God will receive us back. Many of us can identify with the older son upon coming back and hearing the celebration instead of welcoming back his younger brother was dominated with the hardness of his heart. When his father came to him, the oldest son reveals his depravity and voices out his bitterness as he recounts the sins of the younger brother. This is what resentment does, he makes his own the sins of his brother. He was not able to welcome back the younger brother. He is in fact like the younger brother to a certain degree. This is because every single thing that he does he will calculate as shown by his words as he said that all these years the father hasn’t given him a darn thing. This is deep seated resentment and bitterness. Both sons wanted to lay claim of all that their father possess. They just wanted to take hold of what their father has. All that the father wanted them to do is to be like him. This is very important in our relationship with God our Father. We should realize that if we become like the Father that’s when we truly inherit everything. Do we truly know our heavenly father? Well, we can do better than these two sons, if we wish to lay hold of heaven and the glory that is His. The beautiful thing to effect here is that God has given us Jesus and the way to do it is through Him. Jesus knows the Father and He and the Father are one. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
...“A man had two sons, 12 and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. 14 When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. 15 So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. 16 And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. 17 Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. 18 I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” ’ 20 So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ 22 But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. 25 Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. 27 The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. 30 But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ 31 He said to him, ‘My son, youare here with me always; everything I have is yours. 32 But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ ”
Friday, March 25, 2011
PART OF THE EQUATION
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. The wonderful phrase from the lips of the angel is pregnant with meaning as He announces to Mary she is full of grace. When something is full there is no room for anything else just like a glass there’s a limit to what it can hold. When the angel announced the words in the present tense by saying you are full of grace. She has no room for sin and is where the Church got its dogma that Mary is conceived without sin. The angel could have said, hail who will be full of grace. She is already filled with the grace of God, special grace from God and for God so He can do His work. God made Mary the untainted human nature and spotless. We may wonder why celebrate this great feast on a Friday in the middle of the Lent. We should realize there wouldn't have been any Lent if not for the Annunciation. We know that 9 months from now is the birth of Jesus. There's this painting of the Annunciation where the angel is hovering over Mary with a ray coming from his mouth to Mary’s ear. Though, this is not a literal depiction of the Incarnation but a metaphor. The angel spoke the Word of God because the angel can only speak the word of God and this painting is a beautiful depiction of what happened in the annunciation. Jesus conceived in her womb without the assistance of husband or father but with the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary hearing the Word and accepts the Word became flesh. We also hear the Word and must accept that the bread and wine in Holy Mass is transformed in the Body & Blood in the Eucharist. We celebrate this when we pray the Hail Mary which is recorded by St. Luke spoken by the angel and also taken out from the words of St. Elizabeth inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is a prayer that we should say often each day. In the Annunciation we celebrate the Incarnation, the Word made flesh. We recall when God said let there be light and God created the world. In John’s gospel (John 1:1), the very first words are, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. The word made flesh is not just a concept, He is a person who dwelt among us. Mary is a part of that she heard, accepted and said yes. Eve was also created holy and in innocence. Eve and Mary are two innocent women created by God. Lucifer tempted and spoke a lie to Eve. The devil starts off by telling a lie while Mary is greeted by an angelic being speaking the truth. Eve gives in to the devil's allurement. At first Eve spoke the truth when the devil said in Gen 3:1-3, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?" The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'" but Eve was allured and gave in. Mary on the other hand when greeted by the angel, instead of propping herself up like God she said I am the handmaid of the Lord and said yes. Eve is the mother of the living while Mary is our spiritual mother. In the beginning humanity fell flat on his face when Adam & Eve sinned so we needed a Redeemer. We should remember these words in Gen 3:14, "Then the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. These are the words we should say to the devil everytime we are tempted. Following that is Gen 3:15, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." We know that the woman spoken of is Mary, the New Eve, Mary crushes the serpent’s head by her Son and defeat the devil once and for all. Lucifer’s no to God made him lose heaven. As we celebrate the Annunciation we remember that God breaks into human history and becomes one of us, wanting to be like us, as true God and true Man, filled with divinity and humanity. This is a glorious day and everytime we pray the Hail Mary. We should say it with love and not embarrassed. When we speak of something important we say it with intention, deliberation and reverence. We ought to keep this in mind that the Hail Mary is the inspired word of God. It is a beautiful prayer and a sign of God’s love for us. It is God's poem to us to get us to participate in the plan of salvation and to motivate us to say yes. If we say no to God then we’re in trouble but if we say yes then we are saved. There’ll be suffering, even Mary who is without sin suffered the 7 sorrows. When Jesus is just a baby she was told of the sword that will pierce her heart. The sword pierced her heart when Jesus was missing for 3 days but the most intense was when He died on the cross. She had to go through sorrow and she is without sin. Do we think we are to get away scar free? How we get there is not as important what matters most is that we get there. It is God's divine will that He chose Mary to be part of the equation. Her immaculate heart keeps the heart of Jesus alive while He was in the womb. He loves us and He loves her so we say yes to Mary and be a handmaid of the Lord. She will definitely help us get to where Jesus is. We will never regret it for we are a people of the Word like Mary is. Amen. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
...Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, 8: 10 “God is with us!”
Psalms 40:7-8, 8-9, 10, 11
R: Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
...“Behold I come”; (R) “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, 8 [9] to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!”
Hebrews 10:4-10
...“Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. 10 By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Luke 1:26-38
26 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”...Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
...Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, 8: 10 “God is with us!”
Psalms 40:7-8, 8-9, 10, 11
R: Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
...“Behold I come”; (R) “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, 8 [9] to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!”
Hebrews 10:4-10
...“Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. 10 By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Luke 1:26-38
26 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”...Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
HEAVEN RULES
In today’s 1st reading Jeremiah deals with the situation of the people of Jerusalem being divided into different camps. The cursed trust in human beings because they trust in the King of Egypt to save them from the king of Babylon. Jeremiah warns them to obey the law and stay out of any alliances with the King of Egypt but they don’t want to listen. They switched alliances on a regular basis. He told them that to trust in humans is their own doom but blessed is the man whose trust is in the Lord. This trust and hope can give life in the presence of difficulties. At that time Israel is in a real threat in the presence of Babylon but it is trust in the Lord that gives life. This applies not only in the time of Jeremiah but also to us. If we trust in human enterprises in the midst of the problems in our modern world despite the comforts and ease we enjoy today then we are doomed. We still have problems no matter how well developed one can be like the Japanese people with the problem of nature. It affects their enterprises and can’t control nature. They have problems to be clean up their nuclear reactors and they need to do the best just as we too need to do the best we can with the gifts of the modern world but most of all is to trust in the Lord. We don’t accommodate ourselves to the culture instead we should be putting our trust in what God has revealed. The curse is on us if we keep on putting our trust in human beings instead of what God has revealed in what’s right and wrong. God alone can probe the mind and test the heart. This is a very unpopular part of Jeremiah’s prophecy. We should not look at the exterior. Even Jesus warned us not to judge one another. But we should never be afraid to call sin for what it is, that’s part of the good sense. God makes it clear what a person deserves. All we can do is see the outside behavior and know that what is bad is bad. We should never be afraid to say that those are wicked things but we’re not supposed to say that the person is going to hell. What we should worry about is if we’re going to hell or heaven since it is difficult enough to probe our own hearts let alone probe others. God probes our hearts but He gives us guidelines as Jeremiah tells us today. Amen. Hallelujah!
Jeremiah 17:5-10
...Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. 8 He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream. It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit. 9 More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it? 10 I, the LORD, alone probe the mind and test the heart, to reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds.
Today’s psalm continues to give us the guidelines we need to live by to truly prosper in the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6
R: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
1 Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, 2 but delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night. (R) 3 He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.
Today’s parable may make us want to think of the parable of the Prodigal Son because he got his inheritance but lost everything. He became impoverished but he repented. The parable in the gospel today is about a rich man who is not named and the poor man named Lazarus. His name means God is his help despite the catastrophe for him who is impoverished and sick. The rich man did not do anything particularly bad to Lazarus. He didn’t kick him nor did he steal money from him but he committed the sin of neglect when he had plenty. For that he ends up condemned and God judges him to be worthy of the flame while Lazarus is in the bosom of Abraham for having suffered with God as his help. He trusted and hoped in God. It’s interesting that the rich man is burning in hell and still trying to give orders by saying, tell Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. Notice that he still doesn’t call him by name the second time when he asked to send him to their father’s house, for he has five brothers, so that they may be warned. He is still trying to run things on his own. Hell does not rule in heaven. There is no authority as Abraham said a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing. He further reminded him they have Moses and the prophets and have plenty of warnings with the commandments, in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. We are shown how important it is to share with those who are poor. This is something very important. When the rich man insisted that it’s not enough because they need someone from the dead to tell them, it is also for us to realize that Jesus already came back from the dead. In the creed every Sunday we say we believe in the Holy Spirit who has spoken through the prophets. We trust that the Lord spoke through the prophets and still speak to us in the old and the new testaments. We will be amazed at how the Lord calls us away from the judgment as He infinitely do for He does want to send us all to heaven. Most of us want to go to heaven but God wants us there infinitely more. He gives us the means in the scriptures and the sacraments in the church where we belong. We trust in the Lord as Jeremiah said that He will bring us to heaven as we follow His ways, read scriptures and receive the sacraments so as to make it to that heavenly way to the heavenly joy. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 16:19-31
19 Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. 20 And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. 22 When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ 25 Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. 26 Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ 27 He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 30 He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
Jeremiah 17:5-10
...Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. 8 He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream. It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit. 9 More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it? 10 I, the LORD, alone probe the mind and test the heart, to reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds.
Today’s psalm continues to give us the guidelines we need to live by to truly prosper in the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6
R: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
1 Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, 2 but delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night. (R) 3 He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.
Today’s parable may make us want to think of the parable of the Prodigal Son because he got his inheritance but lost everything. He became impoverished but he repented. The parable in the gospel today is about a rich man who is not named and the poor man named Lazarus. His name means God is his help despite the catastrophe for him who is impoverished and sick. The rich man did not do anything particularly bad to Lazarus. He didn’t kick him nor did he steal money from him but he committed the sin of neglect when he had plenty. For that he ends up condemned and God judges him to be worthy of the flame while Lazarus is in the bosom of Abraham for having suffered with God as his help. He trusted and hoped in God. It’s interesting that the rich man is burning in hell and still trying to give orders by saying, tell Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. Notice that he still doesn’t call him by name the second time when he asked to send him to their father’s house, for he has five brothers, so that they may be warned. He is still trying to run things on his own. Hell does not rule in heaven. There is no authority as Abraham said a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing. He further reminded him they have Moses and the prophets and have plenty of warnings with the commandments, in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. We are shown how important it is to share with those who are poor. This is something very important. When the rich man insisted that it’s not enough because they need someone from the dead to tell them, it is also for us to realize that Jesus already came back from the dead. In the creed every Sunday we say we believe in the Holy Spirit who has spoken through the prophets. We trust that the Lord spoke through the prophets and still speak to us in the old and the new testaments. We will be amazed at how the Lord calls us away from the judgment as He infinitely do for He does want to send us all to heaven. Most of us want to go to heaven but God wants us there infinitely more. He gives us the means in the scriptures and the sacraments in the church where we belong. We trust in the Lord as Jeremiah said that He will bring us to heaven as we follow His ways, read scriptures and receive the sacraments so as to make it to that heavenly way to the heavenly joy. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 16:19-31
19 Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. 20 And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. 22 When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ 25 Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. 26 Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ 27 He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 30 He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
BAD TIMING
Sometimes we just can't get a good picture of how the world operates. There are times when we have been doing everything good and yet something else happens apart from our expectations. We live in a world that is disorderly and full of chaos as we look all around us we can see its proof and evidence. These should not cause us to despair but rather hold on to God even more who is the source of all that is good. Amen. Hallelujah!
Jeremiah 18:18-20
...Must good be repaid with evil ...
We look to God always in the midst of all the turmoil. No matter how long and hard we try to search for happiness outside God we can only find it in Him as St. Augustine says, My soul is restless until it rests in Thee." Only with Him do we find rest, fulfillment and satisfaction. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 31:5-6, 14, 15-16
R: Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
...my trust is in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” 15 [16] In your hands is my destiny;...
In today’s gospel we can say that James and John have a bad timing. It is not exactly the time you ask for exalted positions or title of prestige or power when the Lord was just telling them of His passion and death but He does not come down hard with them unlike with the Pharisees. Jesus wanted them to understand that Christianity’s greatness is not as the world sees it. Jesus wanted us to realize that as He drink the cup of His suffering and death on the cross and took upon Himself our sins we too, share in that baptism as we renew that on Easter. We have been baptized into His death and resurrection and we have to embrace that baptism. Jesus is the One Mediator who won our salvation. He redeemed all an gave His life as ransom for many. The cross is a unique sacrifice of God because of His Incarnate Divine Nature but we are called to share in the cross and be one with Him. Christ suffered for us and He desires to associate us with this sacrifice which we do in the Holy Mass. We can also offer our very selves as we offer it up to the Lord to draw closer to Him. As in Col. 1:24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church,…” This is a challenging teaching and we can share in His redemption and be generous in the giving of ourselves to obtain graces for others those who do not know the Lord. We are pouring out ourselves and this becomes redemptive if we do it by faith and unite it with Christ. We totally abandon ourselves to Him. Unlike the world that exercise authority and make their authority felt by lording it over and chase power and success, to be great is to serve in Christianity’s view and the only path to holiness. The race that the world is after is for higher status, to dominate and lord our achievements, to wield our special knowledge and insights over others and try to beat off and fight them. St. Francis just totally took himself out of such a race of worldly power. For him, what a man is in the eyes of God is just so much he is and no more. In everything is grace by God’s election and no one could boast. We just have to go on living under obedience so we know for certain what the will of God is. We just have to trust God in everything. All we have to do is strive to follow the way of the Lord in our life and be confident that He is always looking out for our best interest. Sometimes we think that we can have our own way with God and that we are smarter than Him for devising our own plans and questioning Him when things do not turn out the way we wanted it. In moments like these can we truly exercise our faith in God and see how far we are willing to go with God's plan. When we see things happening to us and not understanding the reason for it we may as well look at Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when He said, "Let this cup pass me by but not my will, but Yours be done." We should have the same courage to say the same thing knowing that He will not put us through something without seeing us through it. THOSE THAT WAIT ON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS AN EAGLE. THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY AND WALK AND NOT FAINT. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 20:17-28
...“You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?”
Jeremiah 18:18-20
...Must good be repaid with evil ...
We look to God always in the midst of all the turmoil. No matter how long and hard we try to search for happiness outside God we can only find it in Him as St. Augustine says, My soul is restless until it rests in Thee." Only with Him do we find rest, fulfillment and satisfaction. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 31:5-6, 14, 15-16
R: Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
...my trust is in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” 15 [16] In your hands is my destiny;...
In today’s gospel we can say that James and John have a bad timing. It is not exactly the time you ask for exalted positions or title of prestige or power when the Lord was just telling them of His passion and death but He does not come down hard with them unlike with the Pharisees. Jesus wanted them to understand that Christianity’s greatness is not as the world sees it. Jesus wanted us to realize that as He drink the cup of His suffering and death on the cross and took upon Himself our sins we too, share in that baptism as we renew that on Easter. We have been baptized into His death and resurrection and we have to embrace that baptism. Jesus is the One Mediator who won our salvation. He redeemed all an gave His life as ransom for many. The cross is a unique sacrifice of God because of His Incarnate Divine Nature but we are called to share in the cross and be one with Him. Christ suffered for us and He desires to associate us with this sacrifice which we do in the Holy Mass. We can also offer our very selves as we offer it up to the Lord to draw closer to Him. As in Col. 1:24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church,…” This is a challenging teaching and we can share in His redemption and be generous in the giving of ourselves to obtain graces for others those who do not know the Lord. We are pouring out ourselves and this becomes redemptive if we do it by faith and unite it with Christ. We totally abandon ourselves to Him. Unlike the world that exercise authority and make their authority felt by lording it over and chase power and success, to be great is to serve in Christianity’s view and the only path to holiness. The race that the world is after is for higher status, to dominate and lord our achievements, to wield our special knowledge and insights over others and try to beat off and fight them. St. Francis just totally took himself out of such a race of worldly power. For him, what a man is in the eyes of God is just so much he is and no more. In everything is grace by God’s election and no one could boast. We just have to go on living under obedience so we know for certain what the will of God is. We just have to trust God in everything. All we have to do is strive to follow the way of the Lord in our life and be confident that He is always looking out for our best interest. Sometimes we think that we can have our own way with God and that we are smarter than Him for devising our own plans and questioning Him when things do not turn out the way we wanted it. In moments like these can we truly exercise our faith in God and see how far we are willing to go with God's plan. When we see things happening to us and not understanding the reason for it we may as well look at Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when He said, "Let this cup pass me by but not my will, but Yours be done." We should have the same courage to say the same thing knowing that He will not put us through something without seeing us through it. THOSE THAT WAIT ON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS AN EAGLE. THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY AND WALK AND NOT FAINT. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 20:17-28
...“You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?”
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
LOOK UP
Having found out about what had happened to a dear departed relative have caused so mush sorrow and pain to our circle of family, relatives and friends. At this time of grief no words can suffice to ease the great pain of a loss of a loved one. But one thing is sure as I have witnessed in my own mother having passed through almost the same loss that the wife of our departed relative is experiencing right now, it has made my mother a woman of great faith and courage. For it is written in today's 1st reading that the Lord would never forsake the widow and the orphan and that we can surely rely on. Amen. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 1:10, 16-20
...Make justice your aim, redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. 18 Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD.
No matter how difficult things may seem to be at present we can always count on God at all times. The Lord hears our cries and supplications. He knows and sees all and He will surely make things right for us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23
R: To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
...He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
In the 1st reading today we can see that it begin with a criticism addressed to the people of Jerusalem, Sodom & Gomorrah, to indicate that they are doomed people unless they repent and in the gospel Jesus addressed the scribes and the Pharisees, He compliments but criticizes strongly. The Pharisees represent the lay party and the priesthood the Sadducees. At the time of Jesus during the Roman rule, they figured the way to peace is through adaptation. The houses of priests are decorated just as the Romans, as in Pompei and very much like it. They have identified themselves with the oppressive dominant culture and though they would keep some Jewish law they deny judgment, heaven, hell, and eternity. On the other hand, the Pharisees or the lay counteract the way priests are living. They had 2 principles, to take the rules of ritual purity so that the laity would be pure as they offer sacrifices like a kingdom of priests as in Exodus 19:6 “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites." The people of Israel is a kingdom of priests and they put a fence around the law so that no one would break the law. An example is “Thou shall not use the Lord’s name in vain” In order to make sure they don’t break the law, no one is allowed to say the Lord’s name. A death penalty is given to those who break it. This is precisely the oral tradition that our Lord is talking about in the gospel. The Pharisees were not helping people live the law because they don’t practice it themselves and made life complicated. In Chorazin, there would be a seat of Moses for the Rabbi, which symbolizes the authority to teach in the synagogue. The Lord says pay attention to what they teach but don’t do what they do. One of the things they are being criticized for is pride and arrogance. Jesus warns us against that vice especially for religious people not so much for the people outside. Church people can try to show that we are holy so that people would compliment us and they would think that we’re religious and they’re not. This is a constant problem for religious people at all levels, whether laity or the priesthood. The devil will try to tempt us with whatever works, if we’re not religious he can use things of the flesh to tempt us, but if we are religious then he can tempt us with our pride and change it into something spiritual. It is impossible to detect pride in ourselves. People around us will know so its important to pay attention to what they say to us so that so we learn from it. It is too difficult to detect a vice on our own because it is easier to detect it in other people or to listen to what other people say. Jesus mentions about those who widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. Jewish men wear a phylactery which is a small leather box that they wear on their forehead and one on their left arm as in Deut 6:8, Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. They took it literally as a part of the way to obey the law. They make it really big so to show people that they are more pious than others and because it is bigger they stand out more than them. The tassel is a sign of royalty in the ancient times. Jewish men wear this to show that they are a kingdom of priests for God. They even tie 613 knots in the tassel which represents one tie for every 613 laws as a sign of obeying the entire commandment. Jesus wears a tassel Himself if we may recall the woman who touched the tassel of Jesus and got healed. He’s not against it, but feeding the pride is the issue. He mentioned not to be called Rabbi or teacher which is important in this context because at that time there were different rabbis that start various sects called a House. They are rival sects of Pharisees and disagree among themselves which can be found in the collection of Rabbinic sayings, the Mishnah. What He is speaking about here is that we may not call anyone a Rabbi for He did not want us to be divided. Oneness among ourselves is an important virtue that He commends among His disciples. He did not want Christianity to be divided and wanted us to submit to the oneness of the Church. Humility is the antidote to the pride as He said that the least is the greatest. We have to keep in mind the division among the Pharisees is the underlying reason for this restriction of why they should not be called rabbi or father. In Corinthians Paul insists on being called a Father because he preaches to them. There is nothing wrong it with because he knows that the real work is done by the Holy Spirit and he is part of a community known and a spiritual father but not in the sense of a father that Christ is speaking of in the gospel like sects which is something that we’re not to do. Christ calls us, as Isaiah to set things right. All of us needs to have the sense especially this season of Lent to repent especially of religious pride. The readings call us to humility. It does not mean putting ourselves down but rather saying the truth about ourselves, not more not less. Pride is looking down at other people who is below me. We need to think of it this way, when we look down on people, Christ hits us at the back of the head. We better just look up at people. When we are looking up at the skies, we feel small, so how much more would we feel looking up to God. That’s when we realize what humility is all about. We see our sinfulness and smallness in reference to God, which is the antidote to our pride. If we do, then Christ will save us and bring us to the joys of heaven. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 23:1-12
1 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. 5 All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, 7 greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ 8 As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. 10 Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you must be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Isaiah 1:10, 16-20
...Make justice your aim, redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. 18 Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD.
No matter how difficult things may seem to be at present we can always count on God at all times. The Lord hears our cries and supplications. He knows and sees all and He will surely make things right for us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23
R: To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
...He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
In the 1st reading today we can see that it begin with a criticism addressed to the people of Jerusalem, Sodom & Gomorrah, to indicate that they are doomed people unless they repent and in the gospel Jesus addressed the scribes and the Pharisees, He compliments but criticizes strongly. The Pharisees represent the lay party and the priesthood the Sadducees. At the time of Jesus during the Roman rule, they figured the way to peace is through adaptation. The houses of priests are decorated just as the Romans, as in Pompei and very much like it. They have identified themselves with the oppressive dominant culture and though they would keep some Jewish law they deny judgment, heaven, hell, and eternity. On the other hand, the Pharisees or the lay counteract the way priests are living. They had 2 principles, to take the rules of ritual purity so that the laity would be pure as they offer sacrifices like a kingdom of priests as in Exodus 19:6 “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites." The people of Israel is a kingdom of priests and they put a fence around the law so that no one would break the law. An example is “Thou shall not use the Lord’s name in vain” In order to make sure they don’t break the law, no one is allowed to say the Lord’s name. A death penalty is given to those who break it. This is precisely the oral tradition that our Lord is talking about in the gospel. The Pharisees were not helping people live the law because they don’t practice it themselves and made life complicated. In Chorazin, there would be a seat of Moses for the Rabbi, which symbolizes the authority to teach in the synagogue. The Lord says pay attention to what they teach but don’t do what they do. One of the things they are being criticized for is pride and arrogance. Jesus warns us against that vice especially for religious people not so much for the people outside. Church people can try to show that we are holy so that people would compliment us and they would think that we’re religious and they’re not. This is a constant problem for religious people at all levels, whether laity or the priesthood. The devil will try to tempt us with whatever works, if we’re not religious he can use things of the flesh to tempt us, but if we are religious then he can tempt us with our pride and change it into something spiritual. It is impossible to detect pride in ourselves. People around us will know so its important to pay attention to what they say to us so that so we learn from it. It is too difficult to detect a vice on our own because it is easier to detect it in other people or to listen to what other people say. Jesus mentions about those who widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. Jewish men wear a phylactery which is a small leather box that they wear on their forehead and one on their left arm as in Deut 6:8, Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. They took it literally as a part of the way to obey the law. They make it really big so to show people that they are more pious than others and because it is bigger they stand out more than them. The tassel is a sign of royalty in the ancient times. Jewish men wear this to show that they are a kingdom of priests for God. They even tie 613 knots in the tassel which represents one tie for every 613 laws as a sign of obeying the entire commandment. Jesus wears a tassel Himself if we may recall the woman who touched the tassel of Jesus and got healed. He’s not against it, but feeding the pride is the issue. He mentioned not to be called Rabbi or teacher which is important in this context because at that time there were different rabbis that start various sects called a House. They are rival sects of Pharisees and disagree among themselves which can be found in the collection of Rabbinic sayings, the Mishnah. What He is speaking about here is that we may not call anyone a Rabbi for He did not want us to be divided. Oneness among ourselves is an important virtue that He commends among His disciples. He did not want Christianity to be divided and wanted us to submit to the oneness of the Church. Humility is the antidote to the pride as He said that the least is the greatest. We have to keep in mind the division among the Pharisees is the underlying reason for this restriction of why they should not be called rabbi or father. In Corinthians Paul insists on being called a Father because he preaches to them. There is nothing wrong it with because he knows that the real work is done by the Holy Spirit and he is part of a community known and a spiritual father but not in the sense of a father that Christ is speaking of in the gospel like sects which is something that we’re not to do. Christ calls us, as Isaiah to set things right. All of us needs to have the sense especially this season of Lent to repent especially of religious pride. The readings call us to humility. It does not mean putting ourselves down but rather saying the truth about ourselves, not more not less. Pride is looking down at other people who is below me. We need to think of it this way, when we look down on people, Christ hits us at the back of the head. We better just look up at people. When we are looking up at the skies, we feel small, so how much more would we feel looking up to God. That’s when we realize what humility is all about. We see our sinfulness and smallness in reference to God, which is the antidote to our pride. If we do, then Christ will save us and bring us to the joys of heaven. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 23:1-12
1 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. 5 All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, 7 greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ 8 As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. 10 Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you must be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Monday, March 21, 2011
LIVE DIFFERENTLY
We should be rid of whatever it is that is keeping us from fully experiencing the compassion and forgiveness of God as spoken of in today's 1st reading. Let us not be tied down with our guilt and get it on with repentance. Our sins can never be bigger than the love and mercy of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Daniel 9:4-10
...O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you. 9 But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!
Sometimes we go through life not really knowing what we're missing. Let us no longer miss out but rather benefit and enjoy in the goodness of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 79:8, 9, 11, 13
R: Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
8 Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. (R) 9 Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake. (R) 11 Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you; with your great power free those doomed to death. 13 Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; through all generations we will declare your praise.
All these benefits and blessings that the Lord gives us come in a clause. As in today's gospel we are called to be just like God, loving, merciful and forgiving. Jesus speaks of it too in the Lord’s Prayer. We receive all the blessings "as we forgive those who trespass against us." We should always have compassion for our brothers and sisters especially those who have been in rough and grave situations. We should think in this way, "Had we been born in a different family and had these experiences they had then we could have committed the same thing they did, or had we been raised in much different circumstances we could have done the same thing." We should stop judging and condemning people and be more accepting of them. Our broken nature originated from original sin and thus we have this inclination to sin. In the Middle East we find an endless retribution in people always trying to get back at each other. We dread war and bloodshed that cause human sorrow needlessly. There is violence that go around the globe but if everyone will live the gospel today then we can witness how beneficial forgiveness is in our own lives. Resentment is just like drinking poison and sitting there while waiting for the other person to die. When we learn to forgive we set the prisoner free and find out that the prisoner is ourselves. Unforgiveness makes us smaller but forgiveness makes us go beyond. The past hurts devour the present and until we let go of the past we can never move forward. We should not choose to be miserable. We should rather be thankful for the suffering and think of the comradeship, humility, courage and greatness of our lives that are fruits born from it. We should put ourselves up to the challenge of great love to see how far we can go just like our Lord when He was nailed on the cross still asking forgiveness for us. We have to be ready to forgive as we study the crucifix and see the ability to do as Jesus did, even making excuses when He said, “they don’t know what they’re doing.” We are called to live differently today as the world is living today. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 6:36-38
36 Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful. 37 Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. 38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
Daniel 9:4-10
...O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you. 9 But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!
Sometimes we go through life not really knowing what we're missing. Let us no longer miss out but rather benefit and enjoy in the goodness of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 79:8, 9, 11, 13
R: Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
8 Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. (R) 9 Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake. (R) 11 Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you; with your great power free those doomed to death. 13 Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; through all generations we will declare your praise.
All these benefits and blessings that the Lord gives us come in a clause. As in today's gospel we are called to be just like God, loving, merciful and forgiving. Jesus speaks of it too in the Lord’s Prayer. We receive all the blessings "as we forgive those who trespass against us." We should always have compassion for our brothers and sisters especially those who have been in rough and grave situations. We should think in this way, "Had we been born in a different family and had these experiences they had then we could have committed the same thing they did, or had we been raised in much different circumstances we could have done the same thing." We should stop judging and condemning people and be more accepting of them. Our broken nature originated from original sin and thus we have this inclination to sin. In the Middle East we find an endless retribution in people always trying to get back at each other. We dread war and bloodshed that cause human sorrow needlessly. There is violence that go around the globe but if everyone will live the gospel today then we can witness how beneficial forgiveness is in our own lives. Resentment is just like drinking poison and sitting there while waiting for the other person to die. When we learn to forgive we set the prisoner free and find out that the prisoner is ourselves. Unforgiveness makes us smaller but forgiveness makes us go beyond. The past hurts devour the present and until we let go of the past we can never move forward. We should not choose to be miserable. We should rather be thankful for the suffering and think of the comradeship, humility, courage and greatness of our lives that are fruits born from it. We should put ourselves up to the challenge of great love to see how far we can go just like our Lord when He was nailed on the cross still asking forgiveness for us. We have to be ready to forgive as we study the crucifix and see the ability to do as Jesus did, even making excuses when He said, “they don’t know what they’re doing.” We are called to live differently today as the world is living today. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 6:36-38
36 Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful. 37 Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. 38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
Sunday, March 20, 2011
CAN'T RESIST
It doesn't matter much where we are going what matters most is that God is directing us every single step of the way. There is no doubt about the will of God to walk side by side with us but are we willing to walk side by side with Him. God and sin can never be put together. If we truly want to be united with God at all times we have to separate ourselves with sin. It is not so hard to know where God is leading us. We have been given long before we were born the 10 commandments and the teachings of the Church. They have all been planted in our hearts. Let us not stray any longer and truly follow where the Lord leads us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Genesis 12:1-4
1 The LORD said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you...Abram went as the LORD directed him.
We should place our trust not in men or in things but in God alone. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
R: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
4 Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy...Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. 22 May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you.
What is true in the name of the athletes who work so hard to win is also true for us. Just as St. Paul said in today’s 2nd reading, we have to do a little bit more beyond pushing ourselves until we acquire a new level of endurance and strength. We have to do some sacrifices in order to strengthen our will. As the saying goes, no pain, no gain. Lent is about giving up something as a form of sacrifice in union with Jesus’ own sacrifice. In the situation of the world today we have to bear our share of hardship for we are called for a holy life. We have to be determined to do this in proportion to the life we live. We all have our own hardships and we can overcome through God’s strength. Amen. Hallelujah!
2 Timothy 1:8-10
8 Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. 9 He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus...
Six days before His passion, Jesus showed to His the apostles His transfiguration to give them strength and courage in bearing witness to the gospel. We, too in our lives have our moments of transfiguration but we can’t always hold on to that in the same way that Peter intended it to be. We have to go down from the mountain and face the passion ourselves. Although this may sound so disheartening we know the end of the story, we know the reward that awaits those who will persevere. It is not easy but we go to the Lord for strength in our life so we can have peace in this valley of tears. As we go on from one event in our life to another we are being transfigured by the Holy Spirit. God transforms us to be in the glory and be stouthearted as we carry our crosses. We keep in mind that the glory prepared for us is far greater. St John Mary Vianney said that our soul know if it receives Holy Communion well if it is mortified, gentle, at peace with everyone and is capable of every sacrifice go to Jesus with love and confidence. Let us not always think that we have to much to do, rather think of His words, come to me all who are burdened for my yoke is easy and light, can we resist such an invitation so full of love? Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 17:1-9
1 Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him...
Genesis 12:1-4
1 The LORD said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you...Abram went as the LORD directed him.
We should place our trust not in men or in things but in God alone. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
R: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
4 Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy...Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. 22 May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you.
What is true in the name of the athletes who work so hard to win is also true for us. Just as St. Paul said in today’s 2nd reading, we have to do a little bit more beyond pushing ourselves until we acquire a new level of endurance and strength. We have to do some sacrifices in order to strengthen our will. As the saying goes, no pain, no gain. Lent is about giving up something as a form of sacrifice in union with Jesus’ own sacrifice. In the situation of the world today we have to bear our share of hardship for we are called for a holy life. We have to be determined to do this in proportion to the life we live. We all have our own hardships and we can overcome through God’s strength. Amen. Hallelujah!
2 Timothy 1:8-10
8 Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. 9 He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus...
Six days before His passion, Jesus showed to His the apostles His transfiguration to give them strength and courage in bearing witness to the gospel. We, too in our lives have our moments of transfiguration but we can’t always hold on to that in the same way that Peter intended it to be. We have to go down from the mountain and face the passion ourselves. Although this may sound so disheartening we know the end of the story, we know the reward that awaits those who will persevere. It is not easy but we go to the Lord for strength in our life so we can have peace in this valley of tears. As we go on from one event in our life to another we are being transfigured by the Holy Spirit. God transforms us to be in the glory and be stouthearted as we carry our crosses. We keep in mind that the glory prepared for us is far greater. St John Mary Vianney said that our soul know if it receives Holy Communion well if it is mortified, gentle, at peace with everyone and is capable of every sacrifice go to Jesus with love and confidence. Let us not always think that we have to much to do, rather think of His words, come to me all who are burdened for my yoke is easy and light, can we resist such an invitation so full of love? Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 17:1-9
1 Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him...
Saturday, March 19, 2011
THE ANAWIM
Today’s 1st reading speaks of Samuel telling David of a prophecy which was fulfilled 900 years later in Jesus. Before I got myself involved in bible study I was just taking the title of Jesus as "Son of David" for what it is, just a title they have decided to call him. After several sessions I've had things become clearer to me and taken on a deeper meaning. People who address him in the New Testament as Son of David are people who know of the salvation history of Israel or the chosen people. They are the very people who have come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah because they have been promised of one who will come from the House of David as foretold by the prophets of old. This is very interesting that we find our Christian faith rooted in Jewish heritage. The more we know of the ancestral beginning of Christianity the better our appreciation of it and eventually and inevitably lead to awe and marvel of God's wonders and miracles. Amen. Hallelujah!
2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16
4 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: 5 “Go, tell my servant David, 12 ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. 13 It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
If we are to look closely and pay attention to the succession of events of the salvation history or covenant history which goes back to the time of Adam & Eve and Noah and dates way back to 1800 BC during the time of Abraham, Moses (1200), David (means the favored one,1000), Exodus (600) to the birth of our Lord Jesus we will see God’s faithfulness and steadfast love for His people. In this time line are significant events that happened from the time of Creation when God created man who fell into sin and became unfaithful and how God continuously called us back to Him by showing us who He really is throughout the length of time. As dramatic events unfold, like the entrance of the Israelites to the promised land, the pockets of rebellion as they took over the 12 tribes and settled into a life of monarchy (kings) from their 1st king (Saul) to King David and King Solomon, the time of David is described as the greatest time of the people of God. Today’s psalm speaks of how God is pleased with His faithful servants and promises to maintain kindness forever. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
R: The son of David will live forever.
...“I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: 4 [5] Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.” (R) 26 [27] “He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the rock, my savior.’ 28 [29] Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him, and my covenant with him stands firm.”
We can see from the readings today that the big moments of history are based on the simple, intuitive comprehension of the faith of David, Abraham and Joseph, the so called the Anawim of God. We have all the reasons to rejoice and be glad. God is always true to His word and fulfills His promises to the poor in spirit. Amen. Hallelujah!
Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
...He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “Thus shall your descendants be.” 22 That is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Today’s gospel speaks of the Annunciation scene of Joseph when the angel said to him not to be afraid to take Mary into his home. He woke and did so as the angel had commanded him. God’s beauty and Mary are one in the heart of Joseph. Pope John Paul II said in his book that Joseph did not suspect Mary but was afraid and held back since did not want to interfere in this great mystery of God’s plan. He has great respect for her holiness and felt unworthy but the angel assured him and he obeyed. We can see the inner drama of Joseph and the test of faith that we sometimes think holy people do not encounter. We have this notion that when we’re holy we don’t have to walk in the darkness of faith. Even Mary had her dark night of faith in Calvary. We are invited to emulate her faith and Joseph’s too. We can see Joseph’s radical humility at his disposal to God’s will and his quiet and firm determination to obey God and be at the service of God’s plan. He shares in the very faith of Mary. They have a union of hearts and souls through marriage since he is the husband of Mary and so is considered the father of Jesus although not biological. In this union, we see the humble service of Joseph. He does not speak any words and yet achieves his great holiness through his loving service to love the Church and Jesus and takes Mary into his home. The word of God comes to us through the Church and calls us like Joseph to bring out the fullness of Christ in whatever situation. Joseph is there at the birth, the presentation, the circumcision, the flee to Egypt and all other mysteries of the life of Jesus. Jesus comes to us in the beautiful institution of the sacraments we should radiate His presence to the world. This is the challenge being posed on us today as we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary. He is an icon of faith and obedience to God. He followed well the example of his ancestors, Abraham and King David. We can see how the hand of God made all things possible throughout all generations what He said would be. We should never have any doubt in our minds that God has a great plan for all of us and He is able to carry them out for our welfare. We find out from the gospel that Joseph had other plans and intentions in mind but God’s plan and will prevailed over him. This is how we should follow his example. We may have other things in mind and think that it is for the best but we must not lose sight of what God has in mind for us. We may be encountering some disappointments and struggles at the moment as most people do but our faith, hope and love should always rest firm in the Lord who is able to make us stand firm forever. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 (or Luke 2:41-51)
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. 18 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16
4 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: 5 “Go, tell my servant David, 12 ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. 13 It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
If we are to look closely and pay attention to the succession of events of the salvation history or covenant history which goes back to the time of Adam & Eve and Noah and dates way back to 1800 BC during the time of Abraham, Moses (1200), David (means the favored one,1000), Exodus (600) to the birth of our Lord Jesus we will see God’s faithfulness and steadfast love for His people. In this time line are significant events that happened from the time of Creation when God created man who fell into sin and became unfaithful and how God continuously called us back to Him by showing us who He really is throughout the length of time. As dramatic events unfold, like the entrance of the Israelites to the promised land, the pockets of rebellion as they took over the 12 tribes and settled into a life of monarchy (kings) from their 1st king (Saul) to King David and King Solomon, the time of David is described as the greatest time of the people of God. Today’s psalm speaks of how God is pleased with His faithful servants and promises to maintain kindness forever. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
R: The son of David will live forever.
...“I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: 4 [5] Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.” (R) 26 [27] “He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the rock, my savior.’ 28 [29] Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him, and my covenant with him stands firm.”
We can see from the readings today that the big moments of history are based on the simple, intuitive comprehension of the faith of David, Abraham and Joseph, the so called the Anawim of God. We have all the reasons to rejoice and be glad. God is always true to His word and fulfills His promises to the poor in spirit. Amen. Hallelujah!
Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
...He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “Thus shall your descendants be.” 22 That is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Today’s gospel speaks of the Annunciation scene of Joseph when the angel said to him not to be afraid to take Mary into his home. He woke and did so as the angel had commanded him. God’s beauty and Mary are one in the heart of Joseph. Pope John Paul II said in his book that Joseph did not suspect Mary but was afraid and held back since did not want to interfere in this great mystery of God’s plan. He has great respect for her holiness and felt unworthy but the angel assured him and he obeyed. We can see the inner drama of Joseph and the test of faith that we sometimes think holy people do not encounter. We have this notion that when we’re holy we don’t have to walk in the darkness of faith. Even Mary had her dark night of faith in Calvary. We are invited to emulate her faith and Joseph’s too. We can see Joseph’s radical humility at his disposal to God’s will and his quiet and firm determination to obey God and be at the service of God’s plan. He shares in the very faith of Mary. They have a union of hearts and souls through marriage since he is the husband of Mary and so is considered the father of Jesus although not biological. In this union, we see the humble service of Joseph. He does not speak any words and yet achieves his great holiness through his loving service to love the Church and Jesus and takes Mary into his home. The word of God comes to us through the Church and calls us like Joseph to bring out the fullness of Christ in whatever situation. Joseph is there at the birth, the presentation, the circumcision, the flee to Egypt and all other mysteries of the life of Jesus. Jesus comes to us in the beautiful institution of the sacraments we should radiate His presence to the world. This is the challenge being posed on us today as we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary. He is an icon of faith and obedience to God. He followed well the example of his ancestors, Abraham and King David. We can see how the hand of God made all things possible throughout all generations what He said would be. We should never have any doubt in our minds that God has a great plan for all of us and He is able to carry them out for our welfare. We find out from the gospel that Joseph had other plans and intentions in mind but God’s plan and will prevailed over him. This is how we should follow his example. We may have other things in mind and think that it is for the best but we must not lose sight of what God has in mind for us. We may be encountering some disappointments and struggles at the moment as most people do but our faith, hope and love should always rest firm in the Lord who is able to make us stand firm forever. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 (or Luke 2:41-51)
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. 18 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
Friday, March 18, 2011
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Today's 1st reading makes perfect sense. I guess, we better make sense ourselves and follow what it tells us to do. Amen. Hallelujah!
Ezekiel 18:21-28
...If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die...And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die.
There is no use in denying, covering up, pretending or doing whatever other defense mechanisms we have before the Lord. We can not hide anything from the Lord. Sometimes we miss the point when we do things so that we look pleasing before the eyes of others, but what about in the eyes of the Lord? We don't have to bother about hiding because the Lord is able to find us. We might as well get our acts together so that when He finds us He'll like what He'll see. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 7-8
R: If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; Lord, hear my voice! 2 Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication. (R) 3 If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand? 4 But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered. (R) 5 I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. 6 My soul waits for the LORD more than sentinels wait for the dawn. More than sentinels wait for the dawn, 7 let Israel wait for the LORD. (R) For with the LORD is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption; 8 and he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
Our righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees. They may be observing all the rules and precepts but only because they want to be pleasing in the eyes of others but what about in the eyes of God. God can see through us and dig deep into us. It’s time to do something not just with our outward appearances but with our hearts. Just think of farmers at work. They have to plow the field and dig deep into the soil so that new life can be planted and grow. It’s quite the same with us. We need to remove the dirt in our hearts so that the Holy Spirit can plant new life in us. We need some work to be done. It involves pain, suffering and recovery but it is all worth it. Our fidelity is not with God if we keep up and hold on to our defenses, justifications, gripes and complaints. We may not be aware of it but it becomes our false idols. We have to throw it away and stop worshipping a false God. It’s time we recognize who really is Lord of our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 5:20-26
20 Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21 “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. 23 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
Ezekiel 18:21-28
...If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die...And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die.
There is no use in denying, covering up, pretending or doing whatever other defense mechanisms we have before the Lord. We can not hide anything from the Lord. Sometimes we miss the point when we do things so that we look pleasing before the eyes of others, but what about in the eyes of the Lord? We don't have to bother about hiding because the Lord is able to find us. We might as well get our acts together so that when He finds us He'll like what He'll see. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 7-8
R: If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; Lord, hear my voice! 2 Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication. (R) 3 If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand? 4 But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered. (R) 5 I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. 6 My soul waits for the LORD more than sentinels wait for the dawn. More than sentinels wait for the dawn, 7 let Israel wait for the LORD. (R) For with the LORD is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption; 8 and he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
Our righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees. They may be observing all the rules and precepts but only because they want to be pleasing in the eyes of others but what about in the eyes of God. God can see through us and dig deep into us. It’s time to do something not just with our outward appearances but with our hearts. Just think of farmers at work. They have to plow the field and dig deep into the soil so that new life can be planted and grow. It’s quite the same with us. We need to remove the dirt in our hearts so that the Holy Spirit can plant new life in us. We need some work to be done. It involves pain, suffering and recovery but it is all worth it. Our fidelity is not with God if we keep up and hold on to our defenses, justifications, gripes and complaints. We may not be aware of it but it becomes our false idols. We have to throw it away and stop worshipping a false God. It’s time we recognize who really is Lord of our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 5:20-26
20 Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21 “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. 23 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
Thursday, March 17, 2011
ELY, EILEEN & ST. PAT.
I still miss and long for my mother as my heart aches for her. Although she is no longer physically present with us, she never fails to constantly make me feel that she is still watching over me especially with the dream that I had on the very day of her death anniversary or birthday in heaven. This is further confirmed by Eileen a friend and a former classmate. Yesterday I told her how I would never forget her birthday since it is also the date when my mother left us and went to be with God. Another thing is that my mother's name is Cecilia but her nickname is Ely so it is almost close to Eileen. Does this sound lame? But on top of it is the fact that she said things that I would always treasure in my heart. I was deeply touched by the words she said about my mother. I never quite expected that she would have such a clear recollection of her. She brought back very nice memories of my departed mother and just as today's 1st reading tells us, has brought so much joy into my heart. Amen. Hallelujah!
Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25
...Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God. “And now, come to help me, an orphan...turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness.
God never fails in sending us people, circumstances and situations that always build up strength in us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 7-8
R: Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
...Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. 3 When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me.
Today is St. Patrick’s Day, who is a great missionary to Europe. St. Patrick is from England, captured in Ireland and worked as a shepherd slave until he escaped. He did not try to get revenge by capturing some Irish and making them slaves like they did to him. Instead he became a priest and a bishop and returned to Ireland as a missionary which at that time was a land of Druids and pagans. The whole world gets to rejoice and benefit from what he did in spreading the Good News of Salvation that continues to this day. He did to them what Jesus Christ did to him. He spread the Good News of salvation and forgave others so he could be forgiven too. Ireland is not just a Catholic country now but a land of scholars and saints. It became a jewel of a Catholic country. We can learn from him and make him a model to live out the gospel. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 7:7-12
…Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”
Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25
...Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God. “And now, come to help me, an orphan...turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness.
God never fails in sending us people, circumstances and situations that always build up strength in us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 7-8
R: Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
...Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. 3 When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me.
Today is St. Patrick’s Day, who is a great missionary to Europe. St. Patrick is from England, captured in Ireland and worked as a shepherd slave until he escaped. He did not try to get revenge by capturing some Irish and making them slaves like they did to him. Instead he became a priest and a bishop and returned to Ireland as a missionary which at that time was a land of Druids and pagans. The whole world gets to rejoice and benefit from what he did in spreading the Good News of Salvation that continues to this day. He did to them what Jesus Christ did to him. He spread the Good News of salvation and forgave others so he could be forgiven too. Ireland is not just a Catholic country now but a land of scholars and saints. It became a jewel of a Catholic country. We can learn from him and make him a model to live out the gospel. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 7:7-12
…Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
THE GREATEST SIGN
This 1st reading taken from the Book of Jonah has very siginificant signs and symbols that we can attribute to our Lenten observance. The theme for Lent is penance from sin and conversion. The Ninevites believed in God, converted and repented of their sins. The Church reminds us of these very important things that we should always keep in mind so as to gain the favor rather than the wrath of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Jonah 3:1-10
...it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” 5 when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth...When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he relented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
God will not refuse nor turn His back on us if we are truly sorry for our sins and are willing to mend our ways. Let us not be so naive into thinking that we can get away with anything and cheat God. Let us be fair and truly square in dealing with things that concern not just our future but our eternal destiny. Whether it's heaven or hell, we would have to decide for that not God. If we choose to do evil then we are surely headed where it's bound but if we remain faithful to God and all that He represents then we are headed to a place prepared for us by God in heaven. We are sure to go where our hearts lead us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19
R: A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
1 [3] Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 2 [4] Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) 10 [12] A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 11 [13] Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
Let us not be fooled or tempted by the false propaganda of the world and its lies. If we are to look very closely and think deeply we are not going to end up making the wrong decisions and choices. God never runs out of things, situations and circumstances that constantly reminds us of what we are supposed to do. We ought to keep our hearts, minds and souls open to these inspirations that God gave, is giving and continues to give and not miss the greatest sign ever known, Jesus. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 11:29-32
...This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. 30 Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation...and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
Jonah 3:1-10
...it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” 5 when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth...When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he relented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
God will not refuse nor turn His back on us if we are truly sorry for our sins and are willing to mend our ways. Let us not be so naive into thinking that we can get away with anything and cheat God. Let us be fair and truly square in dealing with things that concern not just our future but our eternal destiny. Whether it's heaven or hell, we would have to decide for that not God. If we choose to do evil then we are surely headed where it's bound but if we remain faithful to God and all that He represents then we are headed to a place prepared for us by God in heaven. We are sure to go where our hearts lead us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19
R: A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
1 [3] Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 2 [4] Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) 10 [12] A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 11 [13] Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
Let us not be fooled or tempted by the false propaganda of the world and its lies. If we are to look very closely and think deeply we are not going to end up making the wrong decisions and choices. God never runs out of things, situations and circumstances that constantly reminds us of what we are supposed to do. We ought to keep our hearts, minds and souls open to these inspirations that God gave, is giving and continues to give and not miss the greatest sign ever known, Jesus. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 11:29-32
...This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. 30 Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation...and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
THE EGGS
Today is the day when my mother was called to eternity by the Lord God. We have a very rich treasure of faith as Catholics and one of them is our belief in life after death. We all know that our faithful departed loved ones are now enjoying the beatific vision of God and are constantly praying and interceding in our behalf. Yesterday I was just talking to my son and mentioned about my mother and told him that one’s death anniversary is a person’s birth to eternity. I told him that she is already with God in heaven and since this is the case we can ask her for a favor since she is now constantly in the presence of God. Everyday we get blessings from the Lord there is no doubt about it but for these blessings to be explicitly shown and demonstrated to us in a very special way is another thing. This morning I had a very beautiful dream of my mother. She was showing me underneath our green sofa a lot of duck eggs. There was even one that hatched right before my eyes. When my mother was still living she has not failed in showing us how much she loves us and up to this time even if she is no longer physically present I could still feel the love she has for us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 55:10-11
10 Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, 11 so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.
God never fails. He would always make things work for our good and rescue us in our distress. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19
R: From all their distress God rescues the just.
...When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. 18 [19] The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Today's gospel and all the readings are telling us that God’s word will always achieve its end. Pope Benedict XVI said that Jesus is the definitive and perfect Word made flesh who dwelt among us. The Word exists before creation, the 2nd person of the Trinity and everything that exist is willed by God. The very basis of reality is pulled together because of Him. If we build our lives on this Word we build our lives on rock. We’re made through and in Him. The fulfillment of creation and this fullness we are to have finds its true meaning in Him since we come from God. Verbum Domini, the Word of God precedes and exceeds sacred scriptures. We find that necessary truth in the sacred scriptures. It renews the Church and gives life. The Word is the constant source of renewal. When we encounter Jesus Christ we are renewed. We become His disciples and He gives us His teachings. He speaks to us and gives us eternal life. In the gospel we read that the disciples approached Jesus and asked how to pray. Catholics are often accused of babbling on like the pagans because of memorized prayers. We see that today Jesus teaches us the Our Father prayer. The misunderstanding with memorized prayers come from the practices at the time of Jesus of pagans who babble on while thinking that they can manipulate their gods if they do such a thing. Our Catholic prayers are not a form of manipulation. When we pray we also seek to listen and we don’t try to control God in some way. A good suggestion of the Holy Father is the prayerful reading of the scriptures. We have to spend time in the scriptures and prayerfully read. It is good to study but we must not neglect to go to the scriptures in prayers. This is fundamental in spiritual life. The Word of God is at the basis of all spirituality of a Christian life. We need to pray and meditate on the scriptures. Apply the scriptures in our life with perseverance and doing it while believing in and pleasing God. We ask God in prayer what it means and listen to God. As in Matthew 7, Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find and knock it will open unto you. We need to ask from God for the meaning of the scriptures through the Holy Spirit. Pope Benedict XVI gives a method for prayerful reading in the following. 1. Reading of the text and find what’s the literal meaning which leads to a desire to its content, 2. Meditation, know what the biblical text says to us and must ask ourselves and know what it says to us. 3. What do we say to God? Offer Him prayers, adoration and speak to Him. 4. Contemplation, is a gift of God. It is His own way of seeing things which leads us to conversion. We need to know where we need to change. This is the concrete reality of our life, to conform our lives to the word of God. Sometimes we are more infected by the worldliness than we are by the Word of God. God gives in His Word the gift of renewal that creates within us a truly wise and discerning reality which leads to forming the mind of Christ that brings about a conversion. God wants to join us in this journey of conversion and penance. When we take the scriptures in faith it's like we walk once more with God in the Garden of Eden like in Genesis when Adam & Eve walked with God in the garden and received the fullness of life. This is what He wants to give us now that Jesus Himself obtained for us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 6:7-15
7 Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread; 12 and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; 13 and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Isaiah 55:10-11
10 Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, 11 so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.
God never fails. He would always make things work for our good and rescue us in our distress. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19
R: From all their distress God rescues the just.
...When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. 18 [19] The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Today's gospel and all the readings are telling us that God’s word will always achieve its end. Pope Benedict XVI said that Jesus is the definitive and perfect Word made flesh who dwelt among us. The Word exists before creation, the 2nd person of the Trinity and everything that exist is willed by God. The very basis of reality is pulled together because of Him. If we build our lives on this Word we build our lives on rock. We’re made through and in Him. The fulfillment of creation and this fullness we are to have finds its true meaning in Him since we come from God. Verbum Domini, the Word of God precedes and exceeds sacred scriptures. We find that necessary truth in the sacred scriptures. It renews the Church and gives life. The Word is the constant source of renewal. When we encounter Jesus Christ we are renewed. We become His disciples and He gives us His teachings. He speaks to us and gives us eternal life. In the gospel we read that the disciples approached Jesus and asked how to pray. Catholics are often accused of babbling on like the pagans because of memorized prayers. We see that today Jesus teaches us the Our Father prayer. The misunderstanding with memorized prayers come from the practices at the time of Jesus of pagans who babble on while thinking that they can manipulate their gods if they do such a thing. Our Catholic prayers are not a form of manipulation. When we pray we also seek to listen and we don’t try to control God in some way. A good suggestion of the Holy Father is the prayerful reading of the scriptures. We have to spend time in the scriptures and prayerfully read. It is good to study but we must not neglect to go to the scriptures in prayers. This is fundamental in spiritual life. The Word of God is at the basis of all spirituality of a Christian life. We need to pray and meditate on the scriptures. Apply the scriptures in our life with perseverance and doing it while believing in and pleasing God. We ask God in prayer what it means and listen to God. As in Matthew 7, Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find and knock it will open unto you. We need to ask from God for the meaning of the scriptures through the Holy Spirit. Pope Benedict XVI gives a method for prayerful reading in the following. 1. Reading of the text and find what’s the literal meaning which leads to a desire to its content, 2. Meditation, know what the biblical text says to us and must ask ourselves and know what it says to us. 3. What do we say to God? Offer Him prayers, adoration and speak to Him. 4. Contemplation, is a gift of God. It is His own way of seeing things which leads us to conversion. We need to know where we need to change. This is the concrete reality of our life, to conform our lives to the word of God. Sometimes we are more infected by the worldliness than we are by the Word of God. God gives in His Word the gift of renewal that creates within us a truly wise and discerning reality which leads to forming the mind of Christ that brings about a conversion. God wants to join us in this journey of conversion and penance. When we take the scriptures in faith it's like we walk once more with God in the Garden of Eden like in Genesis when Adam & Eve walked with God in the garden and received the fullness of life. This is what He wants to give us now that Jesus Himself obtained for us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 6:7-15
7 Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread; 12 and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; 13 and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Monday, March 14, 2011
PRACTICE HEAVEN
We should be imitators of God because we are all created in His image and likeness (Gen.1:26). We too are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). We may come up with all kinds of excuses not to be the person God has meant us to be and live up to it but we only have ourselves to blame for this. We have been well equipped in all aspects to bring out the best in each of us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
...Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy...
The absolute bedrock of spiritual life is to follow the 10 commandments. We are sometimes misled into thinking that when we have a type of prayer we think that we already have a spiritual life. We’ve got to have the humility to admit that God is smarter than we are and we need to follow and obey what we are told in the 10 commandments. We should be totally and absolutely convinced that He knows best. Satan uses half truths and half lies in his devilish tricks. Satan’s claims seem to come true in one level. After eating of the forbidden fruit their eyes were opened and did become in one sense like God. The fallen angels made their free choice by radically and irrevocably rejecting God so in turn they seduce and mislead Adam & Eve. It was through sin that humanity was afflicted by death. Because of one man’s disobedience many were made sinners. When tempted in the Garden, Adam failed to remain faithful to God and His commands. Jesus, the New Adam, is God’s servant totally obedient to the Divine will. Jesus is the devil’s conqueror and takes back the plunder. What the devil has stolen from us, Jesus has recovered for us. Pope Benedict XVI commented about what the Lord experienced in the desert and said that at the heart of all temptations is the act of pushing God aside because we conceive Him as secondary. It is an act of constructing our world with our own lights, building in our own foundation and setting God aside as an allusion. Temptations come in many varied forms but one thing is sure it does not invite us to directly do evil because it is too blatant and would outright turn us off. It is very subtle and yet an act of pushing God’s commands aside and placing the devil’s temptation as primary. If we want to remain victorious throughout life, we have to keep Him in the center of our life and hold on to His words which are Spirit and life. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 19:8, 9, 10, 15
R: Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
7 [8] The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. (R) 8 [9] The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye.
We can deny ourselves some little sacrifice during this Lenten season. We can offer that as our Lenten observance. We have to let go of things that we are too attached and do something intentionally like alms giving as a form of loving our neighbor as ourselves. What we do, we don’t do for Jesus according to Mother Teresa rather we do it to Jesus. There was a story of a young man who inherited a large fortune and decided to just eat drink and be merry throughout his life. But what he was experiencing in that is depression and suicidal thoughts which he can’t get out of his dark thinking. Until one day someone suggested him to see Bishop Fulton Sheen. When they finally met, Bishop Sheen listened to him and when the young man had concluded he handed to him in a piece of paper, a telephone #. He was told to call the # and volunteer there for a year in an orphanage in Mexico. He did as he was told and after a year came back to Bishop Sheen with his attitude changed. He has experienced being with the least of his brothers and sisters. It was there that he experienced the joy and blessing of giving more than receiving. He finally discovered the meaning of his life and how to grow in love of God and neighbor completely. Heaven is a communion with God and eternal fellowship with all the angels and saints. We might as well practice it now. We are called to that life of communion and even now called to practice it rather than practice the philosophy of hell where we live in isolation and just for ourselves. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 25:31-46
...‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ 46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
...Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy...
The absolute bedrock of spiritual life is to follow the 10 commandments. We are sometimes misled into thinking that when we have a type of prayer we think that we already have a spiritual life. We’ve got to have the humility to admit that God is smarter than we are and we need to follow and obey what we are told in the 10 commandments. We should be totally and absolutely convinced that He knows best. Satan uses half truths and half lies in his devilish tricks. Satan’s claims seem to come true in one level. After eating of the forbidden fruit their eyes were opened and did become in one sense like God. The fallen angels made their free choice by radically and irrevocably rejecting God so in turn they seduce and mislead Adam & Eve. It was through sin that humanity was afflicted by death. Because of one man’s disobedience many were made sinners. When tempted in the Garden, Adam failed to remain faithful to God and His commands. Jesus, the New Adam, is God’s servant totally obedient to the Divine will. Jesus is the devil’s conqueror and takes back the plunder. What the devil has stolen from us, Jesus has recovered for us. Pope Benedict XVI commented about what the Lord experienced in the desert and said that at the heart of all temptations is the act of pushing God aside because we conceive Him as secondary. It is an act of constructing our world with our own lights, building in our own foundation and setting God aside as an allusion. Temptations come in many varied forms but one thing is sure it does not invite us to directly do evil because it is too blatant and would outright turn us off. It is very subtle and yet an act of pushing God’s commands aside and placing the devil’s temptation as primary. If we want to remain victorious throughout life, we have to keep Him in the center of our life and hold on to His words which are Spirit and life. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 19:8, 9, 10, 15
R: Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
7 [8] The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. (R) 8 [9] The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye.
We can deny ourselves some little sacrifice during this Lenten season. We can offer that as our Lenten observance. We have to let go of things that we are too attached and do something intentionally like alms giving as a form of loving our neighbor as ourselves. What we do, we don’t do for Jesus according to Mother Teresa rather we do it to Jesus. There was a story of a young man who inherited a large fortune and decided to just eat drink and be merry throughout his life. But what he was experiencing in that is depression and suicidal thoughts which he can’t get out of his dark thinking. Until one day someone suggested him to see Bishop Fulton Sheen. When they finally met, Bishop Sheen listened to him and when the young man had concluded he handed to him in a piece of paper, a telephone #. He was told to call the # and volunteer there for a year in an orphanage in Mexico. He did as he was told and after a year came back to Bishop Sheen with his attitude changed. He has experienced being with the least of his brothers and sisters. It was there that he experienced the joy and blessing of giving more than receiving. He finally discovered the meaning of his life and how to grow in love of God and neighbor completely. Heaven is a communion with God and eternal fellowship with all the angels and saints. We might as well practice it now. We are called to that life of communion and even now called to practice it rather than practice the philosophy of hell where we live in isolation and just for ourselves. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 25:31-46
...‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ 46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Sunday, March 13, 2011
POINTS TO PONDER
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 are 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 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. It's time we know who we should listen to for the enemy is wise and deceiving so let us not be duped any longer. Amen. Hallelujah!
Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7
...Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, “ ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! 5 No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it...
The problem is that there is a great propaganda out there. It makes sin appear with all its fun, excitement and glamour. It makes virtue appear boring, lame, bland and unexciting. But the truth of the matter is, it’s not. The pleasures that God created in this world are enjoyed the most by those who don’t abuse them and use it simply. Who do we think enjoys food most? The person who doesn’t know how to fast and engorges all the time or a person after a fast experiences a feast? The virtuous person enjoys life the most. The person who uses creation and all things according to God’s plan enjoys it the most. It is because pleasure is God’s idea. All the good things in the world that people want are God’s idea. Satan can’t invent even one bit of pleasure. But God commands them to be used so that it leads to life and a part of life is joy. The way to enjoy life is to follow God’s commands. Life is not all about rules and regulations. God did not just give us a bunch of rules and regulations that we are supposed to obey like machines. What we do does not just proceed from who we are but also makes us who we are. The actions we engage, the words that we say and the things that we do have an impact on us. We are making ourselves all the time. God created us when we came out of the womb, our mothers and father have a great role in that but our creation continues every single day of our lives. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature and stronger or someone weaker and more despicable. There’s no middle ground. We’re going one way or another. Life leads either to heaven or to hell. That’s what the acts that we commit do. Let us always ask God's mercy for our sins and repent of it. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
R: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
1 [3] Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 2 [4] Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) 3 [5] For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always. 4 [6] “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.” (R) 10 [12] A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 11 [13] Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. (R) 12 [14] Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. 15 [17] O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
God doesn’t want us just to be whole human beings and restore us to what Adam & Eve were when they blew it in the Garden. God wants us to be more than that. He wants to elevate our human nature and divinize it. He wants us to share in His own Divine nature. This is an incredible thing and call. It was only possible because God became man and we can share in his virtue. This is what the real Catholic life is all about. It’s not just about making it or going to heaven by the skin of your teeth after struggling. It’s about growing in holiness and becoming like Jesus all throughout our life, a champion not without struggles. As a matter of fact without the struggles we can never become a champion. But with victory and excellence not with hopelessness, despair and frustration. This is God’s desire for us which is a fantastic calling. The power to do this has already been given to us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Romans 5:12-19
12 Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned — ...In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. 19 For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.
Today's gospel speaks of an important aspect of the season of Lent and the particular mystery of Jesus’ life when immediately after He fasted and prayed in the desert for 40 days was tempted by the devil. Jesus rebuffs this attack and points to Adam & Eve’s temptation and Israel’s journey in the desert for 40 years. What is represented there are 3 basic temptations. Eve was tempted to eat of the fruit because it is pleasing to the eyes. This tempts us to greed because it looks good to eat and can satisfy one’s self. The desires of the flesh tempt us also to lust. It is also said that it is desirable for the knowledge so it can give power and prods a person to pride. From the very beginning since the fall of Adam & Eve in the garden, the devil has capitalized on these 3 things, greed, lust and pride. Even before the fall these were with us already and the devil capitalized on it to trick Adam & Eve hence the fall. As we can see, the devil also used these 3 basic temptations to Jesus. After fasting for 40 days, Jesus was hungry and tempted to turn the stone to bread for satisfaction of the flesh, which is connected to lust. The devil also told Jesus to throw Himself off from the top of the temple since the angels would be there to catch Him. This is the sin get a hold of power and pride. The devil asked Jesus to look at all the cities and offered to give Him power and glory which is the sin to greed. As we can see these are the same 3 temptations that Adam & Eve fell into but the devil is dumb to think that Jesus could be tempted with the same temptations. We may also want to look at Israel’s journey in the desert which took them 40 years trying to get to the Promised Land. This is the salvific meaning of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert. He is the new Adam, who remains faithful to fulfill the promise to Israel. He is totally obedient to the divine will and is the devil’s conqueror. He binds satan that tricked Adam & Eve in giving into and robbing us of all the graces we have before the fall. He takes back the plunder and anticipates His further victory at the passion on the cross which is the supreme act of obedience. Jesus’ temptation reveals the Son of God who is the Messiah. He is our high priest who has been tested as we are and yet did not fall into sin. This is the mystery that the Church wants to unite us with each year, Jesus in the desert who is the same Christ who vanquished the tempter for us. These solemn 40 days of Lent should make us keep this at the back of our minds and connect it to the mystery of Jesus at the desert which has a two fold character. First is by recalling our baptism or those preparing for it like the catechumens preparing to be baptized at the Easter vigil of the church on Holy Saturday. What it means to be a baptized person and what does it entail? Do we recognize that? Second is to recognize it as a time of penance. Think of what we have done to offend God. It is a time to reflect at where the state of the world is heading and the culture which we have been disposed of. It calls us to pray more diligently and be faithful to the word of God. This is also a time of preparation for Easter so that we become predisposed to a faithful reception of the graces that Christ merited on his death on the cross. We can also observe interior penance which can best be manifested in many ways which the scriptures insist on always. There are 3 forms, prayer, fasting and alms giving. These once again make connections to the mystery of Christ in the desert for 40 days. These 3 forms are what every person struggles with most of the time but can help us in many ways to fight those 3 main temptations. Prayer expresses conversion in our relationship with God. Alms giving make better our relationship with other people to overcome greed and selfishness. Fasting to one’s self which is the focus for today’s readings is to fight against lust and sensuality. It develops mastery over our instincts and attains freedom of heart. In this way, we are preparing ourselves for the fruitful celebration of Easter by recalling our baptism as the Church unites herself to Jesus on the desert. Not to forget the 3 forms of penance which help us in conversion to fight the ancient temptations of pride, greed and lust. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 4:1-11
1 At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. 3 The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” 4 He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’ ” 8 Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, 9 and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” 10 At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7
...Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, “ ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! 5 No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it...
The problem is that there is a great propaganda out there. It makes sin appear with all its fun, excitement and glamour. It makes virtue appear boring, lame, bland and unexciting. But the truth of the matter is, it’s not. The pleasures that God created in this world are enjoyed the most by those who don’t abuse them and use it simply. Who do we think enjoys food most? The person who doesn’t know how to fast and engorges all the time or a person after a fast experiences a feast? The virtuous person enjoys life the most. The person who uses creation and all things according to God’s plan enjoys it the most. It is because pleasure is God’s idea. All the good things in the world that people want are God’s idea. Satan can’t invent even one bit of pleasure. But God commands them to be used so that it leads to life and a part of life is joy. The way to enjoy life is to follow God’s commands. Life is not all about rules and regulations. God did not just give us a bunch of rules and regulations that we are supposed to obey like machines. What we do does not just proceed from who we are but also makes us who we are. The actions we engage, the words that we say and the things that we do have an impact on us. We are making ourselves all the time. God created us when we came out of the womb, our mothers and father have a great role in that but our creation continues every single day of our lives. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature and stronger or someone weaker and more despicable. There’s no middle ground. We’re going one way or another. Life leads either to heaven or to hell. That’s what the acts that we commit do. Let us always ask God's mercy for our sins and repent of it. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
R: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
1 [3] Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 2 [4] Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) 3 [5] For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always. 4 [6] “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.” (R) 10 [12] A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 11 [13] Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. (R) 12 [14] Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. 15 [17] O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
God doesn’t want us just to be whole human beings and restore us to what Adam & Eve were when they blew it in the Garden. God wants us to be more than that. He wants to elevate our human nature and divinize it. He wants us to share in His own Divine nature. This is an incredible thing and call. It was only possible because God became man and we can share in his virtue. This is what the real Catholic life is all about. It’s not just about making it or going to heaven by the skin of your teeth after struggling. It’s about growing in holiness and becoming like Jesus all throughout our life, a champion not without struggles. As a matter of fact without the struggles we can never become a champion. But with victory and excellence not with hopelessness, despair and frustration. This is God’s desire for us which is a fantastic calling. The power to do this has already been given to us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Romans 5:12-19
12 Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned — ...In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. 19 For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.
Today's gospel speaks of an important aspect of the season of Lent and the particular mystery of Jesus’ life when immediately after He fasted and prayed in the desert for 40 days was tempted by the devil. Jesus rebuffs this attack and points to Adam & Eve’s temptation and Israel’s journey in the desert for 40 years. What is represented there are 3 basic temptations. Eve was tempted to eat of the fruit because it is pleasing to the eyes. This tempts us to greed because it looks good to eat and can satisfy one’s self. The desires of the flesh tempt us also to lust. It is also said that it is desirable for the knowledge so it can give power and prods a person to pride. From the very beginning since the fall of Adam & Eve in the garden, the devil has capitalized on these 3 things, greed, lust and pride. Even before the fall these were with us already and the devil capitalized on it to trick Adam & Eve hence the fall. As we can see, the devil also used these 3 basic temptations to Jesus. After fasting for 40 days, Jesus was hungry and tempted to turn the stone to bread for satisfaction of the flesh, which is connected to lust. The devil also told Jesus to throw Himself off from the top of the temple since the angels would be there to catch Him. This is the sin get a hold of power and pride. The devil asked Jesus to look at all the cities and offered to give Him power and glory which is the sin to greed. As we can see these are the same 3 temptations that Adam & Eve fell into but the devil is dumb to think that Jesus could be tempted with the same temptations. We may also want to look at Israel’s journey in the desert which took them 40 years trying to get to the Promised Land. This is the salvific meaning of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert. He is the new Adam, who remains faithful to fulfill the promise to Israel. He is totally obedient to the divine will and is the devil’s conqueror. He binds satan that tricked Adam & Eve in giving into and robbing us of all the graces we have before the fall. He takes back the plunder and anticipates His further victory at the passion on the cross which is the supreme act of obedience. Jesus’ temptation reveals the Son of God who is the Messiah. He is our high priest who has been tested as we are and yet did not fall into sin. This is the mystery that the Church wants to unite us with each year, Jesus in the desert who is the same Christ who vanquished the tempter for us. These solemn 40 days of Lent should make us keep this at the back of our minds and connect it to the mystery of Jesus at the desert which has a two fold character. First is by recalling our baptism or those preparing for it like the catechumens preparing to be baptized at the Easter vigil of the church on Holy Saturday. What it means to be a baptized person and what does it entail? Do we recognize that? Second is to recognize it as a time of penance. Think of what we have done to offend God. It is a time to reflect at where the state of the world is heading and the culture which we have been disposed of. It calls us to pray more diligently and be faithful to the word of God. This is also a time of preparation for Easter so that we become predisposed to a faithful reception of the graces that Christ merited on his death on the cross. We can also observe interior penance which can best be manifested in many ways which the scriptures insist on always. There are 3 forms, prayer, fasting and alms giving. These once again make connections to the mystery of Christ in the desert for 40 days. These 3 forms are what every person struggles with most of the time but can help us in many ways to fight those 3 main temptations. Prayer expresses conversion in our relationship with God. Alms giving make better our relationship with other people to overcome greed and selfishness. Fasting to one’s self which is the focus for today’s readings is to fight against lust and sensuality. It develops mastery over our instincts and attains freedom of heart. In this way, we are preparing ourselves for the fruitful celebration of Easter by recalling our baptism as the Church unites herself to Jesus on the desert. Not to forget the 3 forms of penance which help us in conversion to fight the ancient temptations of pride, greed and lust. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 4:1-11
1 At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. 3 The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” 4 He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’ ” 8 Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, 9 and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” 10 At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
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