DRAMATIC & SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

Today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and it should remind us of the love that God has for us since time immemorial. It goes as far back to our salvation history or covenant history from 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. From this time line we can see 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. Like the period (721) when Hosea started to prophesy for God and ministered. There are dramatic events like the entrance of the Israelites to the promised land and the pockets of rebellion as they took over the 12 tribes. They settled into a life of monarchy (kings) from their 1st king (Saul) to King David and King Solomon. The time of David is the greatest time of the people of God when the kingdom grew bigger while the time of Solomon is the time when the temple is at its best owing to the "wisdom of Solomon which was manifested in the 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs he wrote. But it was also marked by an event when the kingdom was divided due to Solomon's involvement to 1005 wives. It was a very difficult time marked by political upheaval, assassinations and adultery in the manner of the people's worship to Yahweh mixed with the pagan god, Baal. This was also the time when Hosea came into view. During that time of existing oppressive situation, Hosea married Gomer a prostitute whom he loves but was unfaithful and deserted him. His painful relationship with his wife symbolizes the covenant relationship of God's love and relationship to man. Hosea's life demonstrated to us his immense love for his wife despite all the unfaithfulness and deception he experienced from their relationship. Hosea can be described as a book of relationship, fidelity and God's faithfulness despite our unfaithfulness. Today's 1st reading was taken from Hosea which impressed and confirmed in my heart to share about it. Chapters 1-3 is about the life of Hosea focusing on his failed and broken marriage, chapters 4-13 about his preaching, oracles against infidelity and adultery in relation to worship to "Baal", chapter 14 is about the return to hope after judgment. God's fidelity to his people is described in terms of marriage, a divine love, fiery and affectionate for Israel as the "bride of God." The love of God can be likened to a man who married a woman out of his great love for her. How can we relate that kind of love when it comes to our longing and desire to be in union with God in the sacraments especially when we become one in the Holy Eucharist? Is it the same fiery and compassionate love of a man for the woman he longs to make love to? God throughout time has sent emissaries, patriarchs, prophets and kings to declare His great love for us and in the fullness of time has ultimately revealed His naked love in its entirety by sending His only begotten Son Jesus who was not spared to suffer and die on the cross just to show His great love for us. Amen. Hallelujah!


Hosea 11:1. 3-4. 8c-9
...I drew them with human cords, with bands of love;...


I have this habit of waking up early in the morning to write bible reflections and pray. A prayer that I got from an e mail really caught my attention. It has personally touched my heart when I came upon this prayer and decided to write it down in a notebook so that it can always come in handy whenever I need an inspiration. This is the prayer: "None goes to the river early in the morning and brings dirty water. As you are up this morning may your life be clean, calm and clear like the early morning water. May the grace of the Almighty support, sustain and supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Amen." The psalm reading today reminds me of it because it somehow speaks of the same message conveyed in the prayer. Amen. Hallelujah!


P S A L M

Isaiah 12:2-3. 4. 5-6 (3)
R: You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
2 God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior...


Our God is a perfect and precise God. No hit and miss and trial and error kind of thing. We would just be continuously amazed at how God speaks to us in a very specific way. God throughout time has sent emissaries, patriarchs, prophets and kings to declare His great love for us and in the fullness of time has ultimately revealed His naked love in its entirety by sending His only begotten Son Jesus who was not spared to suffer and die on the cross just to show His great love for us. Today’s special occasion reminds me of a lot of miracles and unforgettable events in my life through the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Looking back at my life's time line most especially when I first had this devotion, I can never deny and forget for the rest of my life the dramatic and significant events that happened to me. My novena to the Sacred Heart and St. Jude Thaddeus during that matter of life and death situation for my 1st born son opened up the door for miracles to happen. In a prayer meeting I attended during that time which happened to be the 9th day of my novena, the prayer leader whom I just met and did not know of my novena neither of my pregnancy nor would even suspect of it announced her vision of 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." I have witnessed the revelation of God's great love to me in its naked and stark reality. 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 sacred love is beyond comprehension. God continues to lure us back to His loving embrace. His love knows no boundary, it gets more intense, longer, higher and deeper as the days go by. Amen. Hallelujah!



Ephesians 3:8-12. 14-19
... and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

As Catholics we have this great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which we now celebrate today. Our Catholic practices can be found in the bible. God has made a covenant with His people and has been fathering us in order to bring us together into His loved flock in heaven. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is widespread all throughout the world. We are body and soul and need the external festivities. We have to remember that it's one thing to celebrate this great solemnity and it's another to live His great love and make it alive in our daily lives. It has to be more than a mere devotion and celebration. We encounter people who have a condescending and sneering attitude towards popular devotion of the Catholic Church and consider them as meaningless routines. We are reminded through these devotions that there is no material or event in our lives that can not be directed for the greater glory of God. Although sometimes we come to a point when these practices and devotions that lift us up simply become like magic and opium for our troubles and miseries. We fail to grasp the essence of these devotions and treat them like the hypocrites in prayer and the pagans with some superstitious beliefs. Some Catholics fall into the trap of looking at these as a never fail prayer. Sometimes there is a magical or manipulative misuse like an abracadabra. It should not predispose us to a ritualistic behavior and must not lead us down to the path of nowhere. Although the absence of it may appear as we are like those idealists that once saved we are always saved so there is no need for such devotions. We may fall into the dangerous scenario as if we are putting God to the test. These devotions should be a means of communication between God and His people. God is not telling us to do away with these things but rather do it with a sincere and repentant heart. It should blossom into a relationship since God is continuously searching for us and wants to bring us together in a family of love. Our devotion to the Sacred Heart should develop in us a confidence to draw near to God. Unless we relate our life to the scriptures and really transform us to the likeness of Jesus then everything that we learn will be for nothing. As we come to believe in what we've heard, learned and witnessed about God, today's gospel poses the challenge to fulfill the scripture passage in our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!


John 19:31-37
... but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. 35 An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may [come to] believe. 36 For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled: ...