God have long ago established everything there is for us to follow
and do. It is now just a matter of choice and we always have a choice and the
free will to decide. Today's 1st reading speaks of Joshua's declaration to
serve the Lord and the obvious firmness in his decision without considering
whether they will follow him or not. He made it clear that his decision to
serve the Lord is his personal commitment and will not have anything to do with
the decision of others. He is so convinced of it that he did not have to say
anything more to win them over to his side rather left them all to decide for
themselves. God will never force Himself on us and will always be the Perfect
Gentleman. It is all up to us to decide. Amen. Hallelujah!
Joshua 24:1-2a. 15-17. 18b
...Joshua addressed all the people 15 “If it does not please
you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers
served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are
dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” ...
The considered powerful and mighty of this world is what
appear to be the blessed and favored ones as far as human logic and reason are
concerned. The exact opposite of what Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount
and Plain (Beatitudes) in the gospels. A lot of people find it difficult to
really understand the beatitudes since it contradicts the values of this world
we live in. The poor, weak, hungry and sorrowing are called blessed. This may
not sound acceptable for everybody and would even go around its meaning to get
away with the real issue that Jesus wants us to face. Whatever it may be that's
still stopping us from grasping the wisdom of God let us pray to God that we
will always hold on to His word as He assures daily. Our God indeed is a
perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing
that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His
power that we exist in this world. We’ve got to have the right heart, mind and
attitude. Be poor in spirit and receptive to the Word of God. It doesn't make
sense that despite these truths that are ever before us we still reject Jesus.
Let's admit that we do it one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. Pope
John Paul II narrated a story when he was in the hospital for his operation. Just
before the surgery, he went out of his room unnoticed and visited a very sick
boy on the verge of dying. His mother was so depressed that no amount of words
was able to console her. She told the Pope to tell God to go away. The Pope
answered her that he did tell God to go away but He wouldn't listen. He
embraced the inconsolable mother and told her that God knows exactly the place
where He needs to be and that is none other than with her. We should realize
that God never leaves nor forsakes most especially in times of despair. He is
always there for us. Have you heard of blind obedience? Following without
knowing exactly why you follow. Take the example of suicide bombers, who
willingly die to spread terrorism. What courage! We should know that it is always
worth it to obey God, obeying and knowing fully well that it is for our own
good. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of
despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind,
heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. We
may have encountered situations wherein we were not able to plan ahead and
totally placed us in a very unexpected, uncertain and insecure position. They just happen suddenly that we have no
time to prepare and really caught us off guard. This has caused us to feel at a
loss. Just imagine how it feels to be blind not knowing where to go and groping
in the dark. But we can be assured that God will rescue us from all distress
and deliver us from our troubles. The wickedness and the hatred may persist but
let us not lose hope and despair because we have a mighty Savior and Redeemer
in our Lord Jesus. This truth stated in today’s psalm reading should keep us
going and do exactly what we are told. The Light of the World already came and
judgment day is coming soon. In fact, judgment is happening even now. In
Deuteronomy 30:15 "Here, then, I have today set before you life and
prosperity, death and doom..." God asked us to choose. It's got to be one
way or another. There should be no mingling or ambiguity. It is all up to us.
We can be assured that if we take God’s side then we’ll definitely taste and
see His goodness. If we will just seek God at all times then we surely find
Him. Let us not turn to anything or anyone else but to God alone. Let us be
firm and wise in our dispositions to really stick to God's ideals and
principles alone instead of the suggestions and insinuations of the so called
wise and learned of this world's standard. For if we do, we'll find ourselves
rescued, saved and truly blessed. We
should always keep our hopes up in the Lord no matter what our situations are
because it can never change the fact that He is God and always in charge and in
control. There are times when we feel forsaken or abandoned but we must always
hold on to the truth that He loves us so much. He would never leave us in
misery. Let us remove all doubts and fears. Nothing should make us feel afraid
for God hears our cry. He will surely carry out what is clearly for our own
good and the best. All we need to do is allow God to work in our lives and stop
hindering His grace to flow in our lives. If there's one big obstacle that is
blocking this flow then it is surely not God. It is time we analyze the things
in our life that continue to build up and shut out God. We don't want that
happening and it's all up to us for the Lord hears and saves us. Although there
are times when we do not have to sweat at all and things just come and fall
into place we also have to know that our life is mostly a product of the
choices we make. Our choices must always be responsible and carefully decided
on. We've got to have a reliable standard for it. One without fail and is sure
to work. Actually there is only one thing that we can surely depend on and that
is the goodness of the Lord. If we always have this in mind then nothing should
stop us to always look at God, listen and follow Him. We should not care so
much about gaining the approval and admiration of men rather than God. Our
focus first and foremost should be to please God and everything else will
follow. Even if it sometimes does not work the way we expected and planned
things to be. We can be assured that the Lord heard, hears and will hear all
our prayers and surely has the best answer at hand in His most perfect time. In
guarding our faith the bible passage from Ephesians 6:10-11 which is about the
armor of God is an important tool. If we read it we will find the only weapon
mentioned in the said bible passage is the sword of the Spirit which is the
Word of God. We should check it once again and be aware of this important
information as Catholic Christians. In the gospel about the temptation of Jesus
the devil also demonstrated his knowledge of the scriptures. As it is written,
we need to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. We are undoubtedly
engaged in this battle every single day that's why we are in need of a weapon.
This reminds us of the importance of knowing the word of God by heart since it
is our only weapon. God never fails. He would always make things work for our
good and rescue us in our distress. I have always believed in angels even
before I got this petal from a healing service with the image of a cherubim
miraculously imprinted on it. It's been a while since I got it and 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. I can still remember and will never forget how my mother used to narrate to
us how I was miraculously saved by my angel several times. First was when I was
about 2 months old, and I fell from a height of 2-3 ft countertop when the
nanny after giving me a bath left me for only a second to get something and
upon returning found me already unconscious and lying on the hard, ceramic
tiled floor. I was rushed to the doctor but he told them that if I fail to
regain consciousness within an hour then he said I am gone. To everybody's
surprise I started to cry even before the time is up. Another one was when I
was barely 2 yrs old when I almost got hit by a speeding jeepney. My parent's
house is right beside my grandparent's house which is right in front of the
school where my mother used to be a public school teacher. She said she was
standing in the center of the stage of the school that was why she had a good
view of the things around her even the terrace of my grandparent's house so she
got the shock of her life when she saw me there alone running very fast heading
toward the open gate while a speeding jeepney was coming and looked as if I
would really get hit and it would be too late even if somebody was there to
stop me. She was already screaming from afar together with the other teachers
who saw it and was trying to call the attention of the driver but to no avail
for he didn't even slow down because their screams were of no match to the loud
engine of the jeep. It was just a
miracle that the moment I stepped on the side of the road, I suddenly stopped
and stood very still as if someone was holding me back. She said it was my
guardian angel who held me and prevented me from getting hit by the jeep. I don't remember personally any of those
experiences it was only through my mother's stories that I came to know about
them. But when I was older like in 4th grade I could already remember how I was
spared again from being hurt seriously when the fluorescent lamp right on top
of my head fell on my desk a split second after I stood up and left my
chair. My classmates were really shocked
and were hovering around me and told me that it was really close. One of my
bestfriends, Myrsa got me even more scared of what could had happened when she
said that fluorescent lamps are laden with poison that once it gets broken, the
poison is released and if the broken glass cuts your skin open the poison will
get in and the wound caused by it will never dry up or get healed. From then on
I developed this childlike trust in God and thanked God for saving me from
death. There was another instance in my life as a child when Myrsa and I were
left all alone in school while waiting for our ride home and the deafening
sound of lightning and thunder got me very scared. Myrsa played the role of my
guardian angel when she tried to calm and stop me from crying by telling me
that I should not be afraid because the lightning is the flash bulb of God's
camera. She continued by saying that I should not cry but instead smile for God
was just taking our picture. Myrsa's legendary stories played a role in my
developing a great faith in God. Another funny story was what she told me about
the needle. She said that we must be careful with needles because it will find
its way into our bodies and once it's inside it will go to our bloodstream and
very quickly end up pricking our hearts which can cause us to die right away.
There was one time when I lost a needle and couldn't find it anywhere. I went
to bed very early that day which surprised my mother and was asking me if there
was anything wrong. I decided to myself that I would just wait for my death
silently and not tell anybody. I was praying to God not to give me a painful
death and let me not feel it once the needle pricks my heart. When I woke up
the next day I was so glad that I was still alive and thanked God for sparing
me from death. Those were the early formative years of my faith which started
out in a funny, amusing but definitely amazing way. We all have fears in life
and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the
case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm
tells us then there is no reason for it. If we will just constantly nourish and
fill ourselves with the words of God in scriptures then there is really no
reason for us to fear rather be always filled with joy. He will never allow us
to be defeated and conquered for He is always there to rescue us. Amen,
Hallelujah!
P S A L M
Psalm 34:2-3. 16-17. 18-19. 20-21. 22-23 (9a)
R: Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
1 [2] I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall
be ever in my mouth. 2 [3] Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear
me and be glad. (R) 15 [16] The LORD has eyes for the just, and ears for their
cry. 16 [17] The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them
from the earth. (R) 17 [18] When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and
from all their distress he rescues them. 18 [19] The LORD is close to the
brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves... But the LORD
redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in
him.
Today's 1st reading specifically commands the husband to
love the wife while the wife was told to respect the husband. If we are to look
very closely then we'll find that it is very characteristic of a man and a
woman. We can say basing from this statement that respect is primary for a
husband and love for a wife in order for a marriage to really work. Basically
speaking it is just as it says so and as simple as that. Let us not make things
complicated, take seriously what the scriptures tell us and get down on it. This
has always been an issue for married couples. Who calls the shot and who's on
top of things. As suggested in Companion, the key here is for the couple to
work out how the dynamic of mutual submission works! There is no ‘one rule that
fits all situations.’ Such would be a denial of the individuality of the human
person. It is a mystery. We get mixed up with a lot of things and just have to
make things right. When we commit blunders whether it is our own doing or not
we just ought to strive to make things work with everybody's best interest in
mind but always in reference to Christ and the Church. The love of Christ for
the church is like the love of the groom for his bride. Amen. Hallelujah!
Ephesians 5:21-32 (or Ephesians 5:2a. 25-32)
21 Brothers and sisters: Be subordinate to one another out
of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to
the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the
church, he himself the savior of the body. 24 As the church is subordinate to
Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything... In
any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should
respect her husband. ...This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to
Christ and the Church.
Some things do not always come easy. There are things that
we might find hard to accept and believe unless we are totally convinced of it.
So how do we become totally convinced of something? We must be able to witness
it and come to a decision that it is proven and tested. There is a need to make
use of our faculties in order to achieve this. The nature of Jesus’ death on Calvary is a sacrifice. All Christians recognize this
sacrifice as a mystery. That Jesus offered His life on the cross as a supreme
sacrifice but most Christians don’t realize how difficult it would have been
for 1st century Jewish Christians to come to that conclusion. Why?
If we were there on Calvary on Good Friday
even the most devout Jewish disciples would have been unable to describe that
experience as a sacrifice because for them there’s really nothing more to it
than a Roman execution. It took place outside of the walls of Jerusalem , far from the place where there
were no burnt offerings, odors and no priests and thus there is no sacrifice.
And yet in one generation all Christians came to conclude that indeed what
Jesus suffered on the cross was the supreme sacrifice. How did they reach such
a conclusion? Only by looking at Good Friday in a light of what Jesus did on
Maundy Thursday. When He instituted the Eucharist He didn’t simply celebrate
the feast of the Passover He established the Passover of the New Covenant and
it was more than just words. He took bread and said, this is my body which is
given up for you and then he took the chalice and spoke about how this blood of
the new and everlasting covenant will be poured out for the remission of sins
do this in remembrance of me. Was this just a rhetoric and ritual or is there a
reality and truth to what Jesus said and did? The proof that Jesus really gave
us His body and allowed his blood to be poured out for the remission of sins is
precisely given to us there on the cross. But the nature of Jesus’ death on the
cross is illuminated as a sacrifice only by retracing and looking at it in the
light of the Passover of the new covenant. The Eucharist and Calvary
are inseparable. There are 2 sides to
the same sacrifice. Jesus shows us that in His death He did not lose His life
for in the Eucharist He already made His life a gift of love. This love is what
conquers death and the conquest of death is what occurs on Good Friday. As
Catholics we have a lot to teach other Christians who do not understand the
mystery of the Mass.
For indeed it’s the Eucharist that illuminates the mystery of Jesus’ death as a
sacrifice just as Jesus’ death shows us that the Eucharist is more than just
mere ritual but is the mystery of Jesus high priestly act of self giving
love. Sometimes we reach a point in our
lives when we experience so much trials and hardships in life that makes us
doubt and lead us to question God. We better be convinced and not falter knowing
that God is able to fulfill all His promises. In this day's gospel, Jesus asked
Peter if he wanted to leave, may we also find ourselves saying these same words
that were professed by Peter. We should carefully look back and examine our own
lives. And very often this is what I always hear people say especially
Christians who have a big faith in God. At hindsight we come up with a better
understanding of the things that have already occurred and could come up with
the best judgment in relation to the things that are happening. I believe that
God has given us enough proof and evidence for us to be totally convinced and
believe. The only question lies if we are willing to not just profess the same
words of Peter in today's gospel but really believe, act on it, find the
courage to live it through and hold on until the end. The gospel for today is a
continuation of the Bread of Life discourse which is the heart of the gospel of
John. There are many words of Jesus in the bible where we are not supposed to
take literally but rather figuratively. His words that spoke of Himself as the
Gate, Door and the like are titles attributed to Him that are meant to be taken
figuratively. The Bread of Life should be understood literally and
sacramentally. If we are to read the previous gospel from John we would see
that Jesus makes a noticeable shift and used the verb "eats",
"drinks" and "feeds". The reaction of His followers in
today's gospel and in the previous explain and attest to this. Jesus really
meant it when He said to eat and drink His blood. It is indeed a very hard
teaching that we ought to accept and believe. Take note of John 6:66 (which has
the #666)in today's gospel " As a result of this, many of his disciples
returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him." We
need to be clear of this truth and be united with Christ in Holy Communion. We
must receive with the proper disposition
for this to take effect in our soul. Anyone aware of mortal sin and receives
Communion is receiving unworthily. We must receive worthily otherwise we are
putting judgment on ourselves as St. Paul says"...whoever eats in an
unworthy manner is guilty of profaning our Lord..., he who eats and drinks
without discerning brings judgment upon himself..." (1 Corinthians 11:29)
We have to receive Christ in a state of grace. According to St. Justin, no one
may take part in the Bread and Wine, the Eucharist unless he believes what the
Church teaches is true and lives in keeping with what Christ taught. Unworthy
Communion is a sacrilege. It outrages God more than all other mortal sins
because it attacks not just the 10 Commandments but the Person of Jesus Christ.
It is a profanation, crucifies Jesus Christ in our hearts and brings to
ourselves chastisement. It is a greater crime than in Mt. Calvary
John 6:60-69
60 Many of his disciples who were listening said, “This
saying is hard; who can accept it?” 61 Since Jesus knew that his disciples were
murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? 62 What if you
were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the
spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken
to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who
would betray him. 65 And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one
can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” 66 As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer
accompanied him. 67 Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words
of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the
Holy One of God.”
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