ANGEL OF GOD

We may not be physically behind bars but all of us are sometimes trapped in our own prison cells. It may be caused by our own doing, others who oppress us or the circumstances that surround us. But whatever kind of prison we may all have, it is always a consolation to know that God sends His angels to set us free. The more we learn about our faith the more we are all freed. St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of the bible is ignorance of Christ." Our lack of the proper knowledge could be considered a prison that hinders us from loving God better. The good news is that we can always choose to be set free for Jesus already bailed us out a long time ago. Another thing I am reminded of today's 1st reading is the angel imprinted on my rose petal. Although I wasn't in prison like the apostles, things weren't going too well for me during that time when I got the rose petal. Somehow it made me realize how much God loves me by sending an angel not just to set me free but to make me feel that I am being watched and cared for. I learned that if only our souls have eyes we can see myriads of angels ministering to us during the Holy Mass according to St. John Chrysostom. It was St Denis or formerly known as Dionysius in Acts 17:34 who established the hierarchy of angels. It was believed that these angels who were created by God, with God and never left His side from the very beginning enjoy the vision of God at all times as in Matthew 18:10,""See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." Of course they were unlike the fallen angels who saw their relationship with God as that of Master-Slave. The angels of light saw and reflected the love of God in a Father-Son relationship. They are the elect who decided to be with God for all eternity. We need to pray to our guardian angels who are bearers of this great love of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 5:17-26
17 The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, 18 laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, 20 “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.”...

It's been a while since I got the rose petal from a healing service. It has served as a testimony of God’s abiding love. I have no doubt in my mind that God will always deliver me from all my fears. I always keep my rose petal with me and show it to almost everyone I meet, as a way of propagating God's goodness to me. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 34:2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9
R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
...In my misfortune I called, the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
...The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them...

God in today's gospel proclaims the summary of His great love that is being conveyed in the bible. If God suffered His only Son for our sake. I do believe that everything is possible with Him and there is really no doubt that He can move the heavens and the earth that even the simplest task of sending His angels to guard and protect is something that God is really able to do. When will we allow this truth to get through our thick heads and really sink deep into our system. So that we will no longer doubt His great love for us. Who among you parents would be willing to sacrifice their own child for the sin of another? God did that and shed very precious blood for our salvation. When people experience genuine and sincere love despite all of their imperfections then we can somehow get the picture of what today's gospel is trying to convey. Although not the fullness of its meaning and depth, this reminds me of a movie entitled, "The Cutting Edge". It is about a young lady who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She practically had everything a young lady like her would wish for. Despite of it she remained to be rude, selfish and stubborn until that eventful night when this man professed his love to her even after all the things he found out about her. It only took a minute or less for her to realize it and changed everything which also led to their winning the gold medal in the Olympics. Those who have seen the movie might know what I’m talking about. This is a very shallow comparison I should say to the tremendous love of God for us to suffer His Only Begotten Son to die on the cross for our sake. Since we are still bound to the physical dimension of this world there is only partial understanding of the spiritual and all other aspects that define love. We could only hope to grasp its meaning within the context of our limited capacities. We look forward that someday when we finally come to the final and appointed day in our life when our soul separates from our physical body and thus attain the fullness of this understanding we find ourselves in the safety of His love and not very far from it to enjoy this gift of eternal life. Hoping too, on that day that the word "might" in today's gospel passage which I quoted below will be omitted and finally make eternal life a reality for all of us. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 3:16-21
...16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life...