BACKBONE & MITOCHONDRIA

We see in the Old Testament the cultic practices that they have to do in order to be in contact with God. On the day of atonement, a high priest go to the holy of holys. God’s mysterious presence is simply not containable. An altar is sometimes referred to as God’s footstool. Pope Benedict XVI said that this rite is an expression of the desire to cast off sins. This appointed contact of God and man took place in the cross of Christ which took away our sins. It allowed human wretchedness and God’s Holiness to meet. God touches us today through material things, the outward sign of water and wine in the Holy Eucharist, in the water in Baptism, the oil in the Anointing, the Holy Orders and all other sacraments. This is what helps us to touch Him 2000 years later. We touch the Divine, through the sacraments and the proclamation of God’s word. This is how we make contact with God. Jesus makes us holy through the sacraments and builds us as a people of God. It is very significant for our everyday life that we recognize the identity of the Body of Christ and that we are one body. Jesus is the True Lamb and True Passover. He is the New Passover by looking at what He did on Maundy Thursday and instituted the Eucharist before He died on Good Friday as a victim of Divine love. He did it not as a substitute but as a representative so that he could reproduce Himself in us in His sonship.  As in Phil. 2:5 Jesus is reproducing His living sacrifice that transforms our bodies into His body. Suffering without love is unendurable. Love is precisely what transforms suffering into sacrifice. The Eucharist transforms the suffering into a sacrifice for us to partake the resurrected body. The resurrected body of Jesus is what we receive in the Eucharist and who Paul encountered on his way to Damascus. Jesus asked Paul, why do you persecute me? This is so because Jesus identifies himself to the Christians. The Holy Spirit inspires Paul the full teaching of the Eucharist. He introduces the Corinthians to the mystery as a Jew and well trained Pharisee. The lamb has to be sacrificed and celebrating Eucharistic liturgy is a requirement. It is the backbone and powerhouse of our spiritual life. In Jewish custom it is an act to take out all sin in order to receive God pure. Every time we are attending Holy Mass we remember the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, our Savior who took away our sin so that we may share in the life of God for eternity.  Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33

17 Brothers and sisters: In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact that your meetings are doing more harm than good. 18 First of all, I hear that when you meet as a church there are divisions among you, and to a degree I believe it; 19 there have to be factions among you... For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, 24 and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my Body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my Blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

If we have developed a great sense of confidence and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ then we can fearlessly and undauntedly do whatever He wills for us. He is the Rising Sun and Light of the world who came to live with us to direct our feet into the path of peace. Once we've known who God really is and what He is capable of doing in our lives then nothing should stand in our way of doing God's will. It may not be easy but if we have placed it in the center of our hearts then it will just come naturally as it becomes the powerhouse or mitochondria of our beings. Amen. Hallelujah! 

P S A L M 

Psalm 40:7-8a. 8b-9. 10. 17

R: Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

6 [7] Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not; 7 [8] then said I, “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!”  (R) 9 [10] I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

As Catholics, we are all familiar of these words from today's gospel (Lord I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof …) because it has become a very important part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. What's interesting here is that not everybody is fully aware of the fact that these are the very words of a centurion.  The following statements are information that can be found in the internet about them. It says, "The backbone of the Roman army were the centurions. The centurions were legionaries and they were clearly noticed because they wore a special helmet, and a more ornate harness of much better quality. They carried a short vinewood staff as a symbol of rank. They worked their way up the ranks as soldiers, and were promoted for their dedication and courage. They were loyal and courageous and were noticed by the general for their skill and courage in battle, and were made officers." -end- We can learn a lot from the good example of this centurion in today's gospel. It is also noteworthy that in Mark 15:37-39 it is written, "Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" It was really a pagan and also a centurion who first got it right because he saw the cross of Jesus as the sign of His Kingship. This means that if it was the centurion pagan who first got it right which means salvation is for everybody even to the pagans and the Gentiles. it makes perfect sense that it matches in a way the description for the centurion which is the backbone. It makes perfect sense that the powerhouse or mitochondria matches in a way the description for the centurion which is the backbone. Come to think of it, the backbone like the mitochondria is an important cell and body part that is vital to our existence. Applying these to our faith, there is no doubt that it illustrates to us the need for these vital components for the life of our souls. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 7:1-10

...“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. 7 Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”...