Tuesday, January 6, 2015

MIRACLES HAPPEN

An All Powerful God becoming a dependent human baby on the eve of Christmas day is very overwhelming. It points to the truth that the meaning of Christmas is shocking but it is because of love. St. John of the Cross, a Carmelite said, "At the evening of this life we will be judged by love." Even Pope John Paul II in his book about the role of Christian family said that the human person's fundamental and innate vocation is to love. No other love is greater than the love that God has for each one of us. If only we are fully aware of this then we will all be compelled to share this great love. Let us always be reminded of this so that our thought, word and action resounds this truth. This reminds me of a friend who asked me how I see myself in the next five years. Instead of answering his question I returned the question to him. He said that the last 5 years of his life just passed him by without anything remarkable happening to him and his family. He said that he would make sure that it would be different this time. At first we were into some business opportunity conversation but later on without me thinking about what to say I was already speaking and quoting about famous bible passages in the bible.  He appeared to be listening and holding on to every word I said as if he was ready to ask for more. Indeed the word of God is like a double edged sword which cuts through deep into your soul. It all ended with my invitation for him and his family to attend one of our local feasts or prayer meetings being held in West Covina and my fervent hope and prayer that he will respond to it positively. It’s my way of extending God’s love to him and his family and the choice is his to make. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 John 4:11-18
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 17 In this is love brought to perfection among us,...There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear... 

The responsorial psalm for today is just a repetition of yesterday. I feel that it is God’s way of constantly assuring us of His great love for us. He never fails in reminding us of His enormous and endless love that is displayed throughout the world. Which reminds me of another incident of this old lady close to my heart who was confiding of some plans she is considering acting upon. I was just so surprised when I found myself brave enough to advise her though she’s much older than I am to be patient about her situation and not take actions without giving it much thought and praying to God for it. I know I have said this to her several times already and still continue to remain unwavering in my position with regards to that matter but then again the choice is all up to her. I just left her with this words of wisdom that was impressed to me to say to her, that the end will never justify the means and it would always help to put God first in everything we do and He will do exactly what is stated in today’s psalm. Jesus Christ our Lord entered into this world as a helpless little infant like we all did. We pray that as the 3 Magi presented their gifts before God who took this humbling form of an infant may we prostrate ourselves too in homage in adoration to God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 72:1-2, 10, 12-13
R: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor man when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. 13 He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.

We don't love properly as we ought to do in the light of God's love because of fear, anxiety, doubt and worry. We always have to keep our emotions and passion in check and balanced in order for us to love appropriately. We should not be self possessed but rather develop the proper detachment in loving and love the way God wants us. We have to be rooted in a strong and active spiritual life so that when the worst happens we can always think about the miraculous life. We have to be strong always for God is riding in our boat, navigates for us and rows us gently down the stream amidst all the storms in our lives. The miracles of Christmas confirm that nothing is impossible with God. We are sometimes terrified of the things we see around us but there is no reason to be afraid. For in today's gospel He manifested His great power to the astonishment of the disciples. It should remind us that the miraculous happens. We should focus on Jesus Christ so that nothing can shake us. God has an absolute dominion and sovereignty over our lives. Today's gospel tells us the story of His disciples who crossed the lake. This Lake or Sea of Galilee can take on a very significant meaning for all of us because of the many events in the earthly life of Jesus associated to it that can impact our lives. We too, ought to cross the lake in the midst of the storms in our lives.  When we are not focused on Jesus we tend to succumb to doubt and fear. We may be facing impossible circumstances but we need not be afraid because Jesus can cross us through the other side of the lake. We can ask the Lord to take over our boats to take us anywhere He wants us to go. We can think of a circumstance that is worrying us which is causing us to fear and be anxious. We’ve got to make a deliberate act of the will to give to Jesus our personal Lord and Savior all of these things that wear us down. What are the winds and waves that distract us in our lives? What is it that threatens to destroy our boat and capsize it? Whenever we take our eyes off Jesus we begin to be afraid and sink. We have to know what dominates us and surrender it to Him. We need to place our focus from our human point of view that humans do not walk on water to the miraculous as Jesus did. Sometimes we just don’t get it. Today’s gospel speaks of the miracle of Jesus walking on the sea which immediately took place after the feeding of the 5,000. One miracle is happening right after another. If this had happened to us in what manner are we suppose to react? We might not realize it but we can end up just like those being spoken of in the gospel whose hearts were hardened despite the miracles they themselves have witnessed. Sometimes when we succumb to fear in our lives we end up hardening our hearts the same way that happened in the gospel. The 1st reading also speaks of the same thing as it is written: There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. We must always strive to work for the perfection of God’s love in our lives. We can start by removing all traces of fear and surpass that inevitable situation wherein we are confronted with our fears and can never run away from them. We are responsible for all our actions and we can choose to go in one direction or another. We can wallow up in fear and eventually harden our hearts in order to cope with it.  Or, boost our faith in God in the midst of trials, persecutions and terrifying circumstances that come our way and consequently instead of hardening our hearts we strengthen it knowing that we have a dependable God whom we can count on. And again I say,  the choice is ours to make. It is time that we widen or broaden our sight so that we will not end up with a tunnel vision faith wherein we only see the central vision but not the peripheral vision. I know of a senior citizen lady who has this kind of medical condition and she said it's very difficult because she can't entirely see what is before her, she has to always have someone with her whenever she goes out. The same is true with our faith let us not be afraid due to our narrow visions and not fully visualize and understand the actual and real scene that God has truly prepared for us. Amen. Hallelujah!


Mark 6:45-52
...Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side...Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. 49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 50 They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” 51 He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded... 



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