SIGNS, WONDERS & MIRACLES

What a mighty God we serve! I can never forget the cartoon movie, “The Prince of Egypt”. Today's 1st reading was animated in the said film. I watched it together with my 2 sons who were still very young then.  I fervently hope and pray that the lessons taught in the movie will forever be etched in their hearts as I continuously plead God for their well being today and for the rest of their lives. Sometimes we sound just like the Israelites in today's 1st reading when we question God's will in our lives when we encounter hardships and difficulties.  The Israelites regretted having left Egypt and gone with Moses to the Promised Land. They were in the stage of “If only I had known that this would happen then I could have gone back.” We may be in a situation when we can most definitely relate to the Israelites, especially when there are moments when we suddenly feel that we could have been better off if we hadn't obeyed or followed what God was telling us to do. We come to a point when we think that maybe it would have been easier if we had just followed our own or the world's standard of wise, quick fix and practical suggestions or solutions. We sometimes succumb to this dilemma every single day whether in major or minor events in our lives.  I guess, we are no better than the Israelites because there are even times when we complain to God at the slightest inconvenience. At least these Israelites were on the verge of being killed and feared for their lives seeing that the Egyptians had already caught up with them. It might be just a natural reaction when we encounter grave danger but even in the face of death God calls us to go beyond our fears and continue to stand our ground. Just like the Israelites who may have thought of turning back but simply couldn't anymore for there is no other choice but to move forward or die in the hands of the Egyptians. We also may have come to a point when we ask ourselves how we've ever come to reach this far, to a point where there is no turning back and feel like there is no way out. For as long we know that we are rooted in God with regards to what we did, are doing and will do then we have surely seen, are seeing and will surely see the victory that the Lord won, is winning and will continue to win for us. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

 Exodus 14:5-18

...The Egyptians, then, pursued them; Pharaoh’s whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers, caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea, at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. 10 Pharaoh was already near when the Israelites looked up and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them. In great fright they cried out to the LORD. 11 And they complained to Moses, “Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? 12 Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said, ‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians’? Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert.” 13 But Moses answered the people, “Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today...

Let us always equip ourselves with the strength and courage of the Lord for He is our mighty warrior who saves us from all our enemies. Our hope lies in the God who is incomparable in all things, in greatness, in love, King of all kings, Lord of all lords, praise be to you Oh Lord God for all eternity. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Exodus 15:1bc-2. 3-4. 5-6

R: Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

...My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. He is my God, I praise him; the God of my father, I extol him. (R) 3 The LORD is a warrior, LORD is his name!...Your right hand, O LORD, magnificent in power, your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.

May we all have a transforming experience all the days of our lives brought and effected by the truth of the victory of Jesus' Resurrection from the dead. Jesus has taken away the obstacle and hindrance for us to enter into new life with Him by His resurrection. Let us not forfeit this benefit and truly believe with the heart and soul of our faith. It seems impossible for somebody to rise from the dead that is why Mary of Magdala got confused despite her being able to witness with her own very eyes the many wonders that Jesus did when He was still with them. There are some instances when we just can't get it. But we should never doubt the truth that God is all powerful and able to do beyond our imagination even though at times we fail to grasp the meaning of some things happening in our lives. Through His resurrection we are able to enter into new life with Him. I can still remember very vividly what Fr. James de Souza preached when I attended his seminar way back in the Philippines more than 20 years ago when the gospel for today was the focus of his teaching. He commended St. John for being the most intimate and affectionate to Jesus. From that time on, I always have this constant hope and prayer that I will grow more daily into that overwhelmingly deep affection of St. John for Jesus to always see and believe Him in order to run and go to Him first. John is the only apostle who did not leave Christ and stayed beside Him all the way to the foot of the cross. He was also the beloved apostle who rested his head at the chest of Jesus during the last supper.  It is him who Jesus entrusted His mother with at the foot of the cross. This bible passage from today's gospel has left a remarkable impression in my memory. He ran as fast he could to be closest to the Lord. It made me think of our attitude towards God. Do we also have the same enthusiasm and fervor as John? And yet he still hesitated and got a hold of such strong emotions and still acted accordingly as dictated by the virtue of prudence. He was full of love and devotion for the Lord but he did not let it get in the way or disrupt the proper order of things that needs to be followed.  He outran Peter in the rush to the tomb where Jesus was buried, but he let the more superior leader of the Twelve enter the tomb first. We can follow the example of St. John’s humble deferment to someone higher, his self-sacrificing and humble disposition vis-à-vis seniority. We should learn from him in the way he conducted himself in such situations, full of love and abounding in grace. He definitely acted the right thing at the right time in all the right places. We should focus and hold on to things that are from heaven above rather than the things of this world. We cling to temporary and material things without realizing that what matters most is the permanent or the gift of eternal life. Mary of Magdala was a woman of the world but she was restless until she found Jesus. The same way with us, we could be experiencing some unexplainable emotions that make us anxious but if we continue to see and experience God in our lives then we are always assured that we are never alone and He will always be with us. All we have to do is follow the example of Mary Magdalene by making a complete turn (180 degrees) from our old ways and decide for Jesus. Let us get this straight, apart from God we are nothing.  We must be able to connect, completely trust and surrender to God every single aspect about us especially those that we are strongly holding on to and consider very important and vital in our lives. We may be clinging on to something for the wrong reasons. Our motivation and underlying reasons whether evident or not should always have something to do with God. Whether it is a minor or major thing it is always wise to align it to God. Our wills should no longer be our own but of God our Father. Let us keep in mind that no matter how imperfect and unlimited our capacities and capabilities are for as long as we put God first in everything we say, think or do in the midst of trials and difficulties then we can surely experience God's resurrection. We have dreams, desires and longings that drive us to action. We sometimes get stuck with the idea that life here on earth is all there is to it. We must look on and move forward to the one ultimate goal that can make all things perfect and beautiful. It is important that we all come to the realization that the fullness of all things is in heaven. Mary Magdalene was in deep grief. She is one of the witnesses that stood by the cross, watched and observed Jesus died and laid in the tomb. Mary was not focused on the resurrection and did not recognize Jesus. Her mind was focused on her assumption that someone has taken Jesus’ body. Whenever we are gripped by grief, anxiety or any strong emotion it has a way of obscuring our vision of God and blinds us from seeing His blessing or presence. When we encounter moments when we are on the verge of weeping and depression we can always remind ourselves that it doesn’t help at all rather we have to stay calm. She did not expect the resurrection, only in the calling of her name that she recognized Jesus. She was warned by Jesus not to cling or hold on because she is being sent to spread the word as Greeks refer to her as the female apostle to the Apostles. She did as she was told, went and announced to the disciples that they too believed and came to faith. Thinking about these things is like we are being given a picture and scenario to broaden our perspective and understanding of the things that are happening in our life. Learn from the experience, be imaginative and creative for better appreciation of the Word of God as we reflect on it. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 20:1-2. 11-18

1 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”

...Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her.