LOOK BACK & RECALL

Recently I have been confronted with some very disappointing news and do not exactly know how to handle it with much patience and calm. I must admit I blew my top and acted very inappropriately with regards to it. Although the world may see it as only right, fitting and normal reaction the 1st reading today clearly tells us that no matter how justifiable our anger may be in response to an injustice at the end of the day it is our love for one another that should prevail. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 John 3:11-21
11 Beloved: This is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another,…

It is such a waste that we don't always realize God's presence among us. When there is nothing more rewarding than to always be aware of God's presence and cry out to Him in joy. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M
Psalm 100:1b-2. 3. 4. 5
R: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; 2 serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful song. (R) 3 Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends.

If we just try to look back and recall we will find that all throughout our lifetimes we really have a lot of things to be thankful for. I should say that God is reminding me once again of some special events in my life. Firstly because of the gospel reading for today since it was about the story of Phillip who was the one who introduced Nathaniel or St. Bartholomew to Jesus which reminds me of this person in my life who was also instrumental for the deepening of my faith in Jesus. I could still remember the homily of Fr. Rolly when he said that today's gospel should remind us of the person who brought us closer to God. In my life she is Gloria Dar. I consider her a part of my Christian life in almost the same manner that Philip in today's gospel was to Nathaniel/St. Bartholomew. I was just new in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal then and I must admit that she was one person that God has used tremendously in my life. I could never forget when I was still pregnant with my son Jude most especially because it was Sis Gloria Dar who envisioned Jesus carrying a baby standing in the middle of our prayer circle and specifically described Him wearing the Sacred Heart attire and said these words, "I have a message for my daughter, consecrate the baby in your womb." This happened in a prayer meeting I attended during that time which happened to be on the 9th day of my novena, and Sis Gloria, the prayer leader whom I just met, did not know of my novena neither of my pregnancy nor would even suspect of it. Looking back at my life back then most especially at that time when I first had this devotion to the Sacred Heart, I can never deny and forget for the rest of my life the dramatic and significant events that happened during my novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Jude Thaddeus which opened up the door for miracles to happen. I have witnessed the revelation of God's great love to me especially when I gave birth to Jude, my 1st born son, as proof of His undeniably awesome and unbelievable miracle when he came out normal and healthy despite my problematic pregnancy. From that day forward, God never ceased to amaze me every single turn in my life since His love is beyond comprehension. If we are clueless about a lot of things then we can be assured that there is someone who knows all these things. Today's gospel gives us a glimpse of Jesus' true divinity. He is God and Immortal, nothing is hidden from Him and everything is known to Him. It gives us confidence knowing that we have a God who is able to carry us through. We can learn from Nathaniel or St. Bartholomew as we profess with confidence the very words that he said to Jesus and really believe in words, thoughts and deeds. Signs and wonders are wrought by God's mighty hand each and every day. We must continue to trust that God knows the things that happened, happening and is bound to happen as in today's gospel. On top of it all is the promise of Jesus our Savior to see greater things than we have all witnessed for the best is yet to come. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 1:47-51
...Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”