MOST CHERISHED AND FAVORITE

The 1st reading for today contains one of my most cherished and favorite bible passages. This is also found in the lyrics of a Christian song entitled, "Dios ay Pag-ibig" meaning God is love which is also the favorite song of my nanay (mother). She already passed away and her birthday was last Oct. 21. Every time I encounter this bible passage I am always reminded of how strong the faith of my mother was. It is one of the reasons why I grew up with the same kind of conviction that she has in the kind of love that God has for us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Romans 8:31b-39
...If God is for us, who can be against us?...For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In observance of the upcoming feasts of All Saints and Souls Day, let us not forget in our prayers the souls of those who already left this world ahead of us, not only our loved ones but especially those who have none to pray for them. May God's mercy be upon them. May they find God at their right side ready to rescue their souls. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M
Psalm 109:21-22. 26-27. 30-31
R: Save me, O Lord, in your mercy. ...I will speak my thanks earnestly to the LORD, and in the midst of the throng I will praise him, 31 for he stood at the right hand of the poor man, to save him from those who would condemn his soul. (R)

Today's gospel also contains one of my most cherished and favorite bible passages due to the special memory it holds for me and my son. When Jude and Allan were still small I used to tell them bedtime stories that they love to hear over and over again except for this one. It is about the story of a hen who gathered her brood under her wings in order to protect them from the fire that broke out in the farm. The hen got burned and died but was able to spare the life of her brood which she shielded from the blazing fire with her protective wings. My son Allan, cried when he heard about that story because he had associated me with the mother hen and said that he doesn't want me to grow old and die. Looking back at that incident now that my 2 sons are both grown ups, Jude is 22, Allan is 19, I can narrate a better story about the love of God depicted in a mother hen who protects her brood under her wings but will not end up burned and dead but instead resurrected and living in eternity. We are all God's children that He yearns to gather under His protective wings. May we always recognize the doting love and care of a mother hen to its brood in the Lord and just like Allan, respond with the same kind of affection towards God. If a mother hen can do such a thing, how much more can a perfect God who is Father and Mother and created all of us with great love and care not protect us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 13:31-35
... how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling...