THINK, FEEL, SEE AND HEAR...

 Today the Lord reminds us in the 1st reading that we have to be careful in our words, thoughts and action. Sometimes we easily get carried away by the things we see and hear that we judge wrongly. It is important that we pray and think long and hard before we act on something. We can never be too careful especially when we are not at peace with God and ourselves at the time we are confronted with these things. There is more to it than meets the eye. We tend to see and hear things in various ways and the difference matters a lot. We encounter all kinds of people and situations in life. We sometimes succumb to the pressure and tension that build up when we are confronted with the anxiety and turmoil it brings about.  We should always seek to follow the standard of God in our judgments and we will never be led astray. There was a time when I was feeling very sick and was roused from my sleep by a sharp pain in my stomach. I felt like throwing up and I didn't know what caused it but I prayed to God to heal me and it was miraculously gone in an instant and was able to go back to sleep right away. God is good. He will always save us in our distress even before we call on Him. I always have this desire to sing a song to the Lord especially when I hear the chirping of the birds on top of the trees. I could never forget that time when I heard the birds singing along the road and thought to myself that I would continue singing if these birds would join me as I walk on, and they did. I was so overwhelmed by the fact that even before I entered the church I still heard their chirping and it gave a joyful feeling which lasted throughout that day and the following day because when I woke up, the first thing that entered my mind was this song with this lyrics, "...mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name..."  and envisioned a vast ocean with all its beauty and strength. Today's 1st reading speaks of the sea. This may be very petty for some but the feeling of joy coming from the imminent and looming presence of God in everything that surrounds us is so awe inspiring that we all have to realize. When something has been cut off, all that is left is a stump. We go through life experiencing so many things that we sometimes feel like we have been obliterated or erased from the face of the earth. I have heard someone said something about being erased from the face of the earth as if they never existed. This happens when people try to deliberately wipe out the existence of another just as what happened to the chosen people of God during the time of the prophet Isaiah when the Davidic lineage and kingship had been cut off. It was a very difficult time then but Isaiah gave hope through his prophecies which were all fulfilled in Jesus. As we all live to this day, we can also say that we are in a siege and sometimes do not know anymore who to turn to. In times when we ourselves experience trials and persecution as if our very existence is being wiped out.  Who do we trust? We have to go higher and beyond ourselves and become closer to God. God is like a mountain and He is there period whether we acknowledge Him or not. When on a mountain we can gain new perspective and build on solid grounds. It is the same when we have God in our lives. Our suffering has value and we know that we are not alone. We turn and cling to God and cultivate this loving relationship with Him. We must continue to hope that we have a God who could make miracles happen and exactly what we are being told in today's first reading that He is a God of impossibilities! Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 11:1-10

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom... Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide... Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea.

The days of December, the last month of this year is starting to roll by but we continue to hope and pray against all odds. Amidst all the negative speculations, we must be firm in our belief that God will make a way. The psalm reading should inspire us even more because it is a confirmation of God's abiding presence in our thoughts, feelings, sight and hearing. There are times when it is easier for us to just be angry and fight back but the psalm reading tells us otherwise. We should experience peace in the midst of all the problems and concerns that beset us knowing that we have a God who knows, hears and sees all. Jesus Christ our Lord entered into this world as a helpless little infant like we all did. Thus every single day, hour, minute and second of our life should constantly remind us that He is our Savior. We pray that as we earnestly wait this Advent season for the coming of the Lord who took this humbling form of an infant may we prostrate ourselves too in homage in adoration to God. What the wise and the unlearned alike sought and found in the stable is the encompassing light of heaven. Herod was so afraid that Jesus will take away his earthly kingdom without realizing that He gives away the heavenly kingdom. We have no reason to fear knowing that we have a God who saves. No matter how difficult things may seem to be if we will just persevere in prayer then nothing can ever withhold the blessings that God has promised us. We must always develop a kind of surrender and dependence on the Lord that is total and be confident that He is our Savior. God is our stronghold and our defender. His strength and power is beyond all telling. In Him alone should we trust and depend. There is really no room for doubt and this confidence should lead us to only one resounding cry to God alone. If we allow God then we would discover and find a source of inspiration that could arouse a lot of good thoughts in our mind and heart.  A talk entitled, “Life is worth living” delivered by Bishop Fulton Sheen in EWTN served as an inspiration which we could all benefit from. He was sharing about his childhood and was describing how he used to argue with her mom whenever he was asked to run an errand at a time while he was busy playing. And her mom would always reason out, “What difference does it make if you’re running around the backyard or running an errand for me?” He said he would always end up  unable to answer her mom. It was only recently when he found the answer upon reading what Thomas Aquinas said, The difference between work and play is that, work is for a purpose while play is not. It relieves a tension. He further shared about St. John the Evangelist who was seen playing with his disciple and was questioned for his behavior. To stress his point, he asked that person to shoot arrows and asked if he loved it. The person said yes so he asked him to keep on doing the same thing non stop. But the person reasoned that he would end up tired. He was able to get his message across that when we get tired it has to be relieved by play.  He called God as the Workman and quoted this beautiful statement. “I was with the Workman playing with him all through the day.” Where does play come in when we work? Love is free without any obligation. In the divine order these 2 things go together, work and play. Greek philosopher, Plato even pictured God holding the universe with His hands playing with it. The Workman playing and swinging the world. He said that according to a famous writer, when giving a serious discourse you have to play but never completely distract the discourse. Even Shakespeare from his book “Taming of the Shrew” said, Have we any play to distract us from this terrible hour? These 2 elements work and play, tragic and comic are important in life. Why does life have a serious side? Because we have freedom which implies responsibility. We have the liberty to open doors and close others. Life is great to be alive. There’s joy in it. We get the true concept of life. Who best describes this combination of life, tragic and the comic? Comedians? Is it Jack Benny? He said he represents the victim of being the butt of the joke and the laughing stock of Billy Graham’s jokes. He depicts the tragic side of it. How about the comic? He chose Bob Hope whom he said is on top of everything. He always have something to laugh about and represents the comic side. Who depicts both sides? Is it the clown, a man who combines both sides within himself? He has the laugh and the tears. There is sadness in the clown but there is also humor. He said that there is no specific group who can claim the clown because he depicts all the contradictions of human life. He could be the butt of the joke but does the same to others. Why do we like the clown? A picture of what we are. Dignified and yet we make fools of ourselves, proud and frustrated and glory in our wealth and yet impulsive. He mentioned Charlie Chaplain as an example.  A clown could be appearing in green pastures, makes us ridiculous and laugh at ourselves. Scriptures have it that God laughed, too. He laughs at the atheist, those who say God is dead. He is laughing at finite men trying to be infinite, poor man trying to be rich, and carbon copy who calls himself to be the original. The clown reveals both sides of the tragic, comic, hedonists and pessimists. It urges us to see life as a whole, tears and laughter. But in the end we have to really make the serious side or work side matter. As an ending statement he said, “What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul? There was a commentary about Bishop Fulton Sheen and what catches my attention most is what was said of him in relation to the responsorial psalm which says that he is a man loved by all peoples of faith. God is 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 confided 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. Has there ever been a time when we look back at our past and realize what it meant to us today? It is surely good to do this and would help us better understand what path we are headed for in this life. There is a need too, to look back at our life's time line most especially during the times that we can never forget for the rest of our life, the dramatic and significant events that happened which will remain forever etched in our memories. This reminds me again of what happened a long time ago in the Philippines when my son, Jude was still very small and we were strolling in Megamall and before I knew it Jude is gone and nowhere to be found. I guess what happened was Jude panicked when he realized that I wasn't by his side and ran outside the Alexis watch store where we both were, without realizing that I didn't really leave him and was still with him inside that small store. As a mother my first reaction should have been panic and fear but I couldn't understand why I have the calmness and peace in my heart although we were really alarmed and were already looking for him intently.  The unexplainable feeling of serenity in my heart came from the assurance from God that was playing at the back of my mind that everything will be alright. We were able to find him at once with an old couple already carrying him. There is really nothing to fear although things at the moment demand or compel us to be afraid. Instead of running outside the security of God's love when our limited or disturbed vision hinders us from seeing God, we should always seek God who is always by our side and never really leave us. We can not deny that God constantly communicates to us in many different ways. He knows our limitations and would speak to us in the language that we can comprehend. He is never amiss in reaching out to us in countless ways that we may run out of excuses not to draw near and be able to speak to God and listen to His messages. Several experiences in the past inspired me to start a devotion to always pray whenever I can for the poor souls in purgatory and the souls of my dearly departed relatives, friends and even those I have no relation whatsoever but just happened to know them briefly and in passing. Our God is infinite and powerful. He is able to make all things possible. We just have to entrust everything and everyone, let go and let God. Let us trust God’s judgment in everything and we can be rest assured that nothing is outside His Divine Will and Providence. No matter how unstable and unsecure things are in this world we can always look forward to the time that God promises us in today's psalm. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R: Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; he shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. R. Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. R For he shall rescue the poor 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. R. May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun his name shall remain. In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. R.

We are blessed to have a line up of brilliant and anointed preachers who share their knowledge and zeal for the word of God in EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network). But there are only a few people who take on this mission of spreading the word of God because we don't fully realize this as baptized Christians, we are all sent by Christ on this mission. We should accept God's invitation and receive the word of God by living its message. We have a great responsibility in our hands and should respond to His Word for indeed the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few. The time is now to become part of this great harvest. Jesus knows exactly the kind of life we are headed to if we heed His call. What He expects from us is courage to go on and He will do the rest. Let us trust that God is truly the Good Shepherd who never abandons nor forsakes the lambs in the midst of the wolves. We, Catholics believe that God gave human beings reason although it sometimes gets darkened by sin but still human reason can figure out some things. One of the things that human beings figure out without God having to reveal it, is that human beings need to meet 4 qualities to be deemed a human being. The philosopher, before even Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, had this figured out. We find it mentioned in Wisdom 8:7, the 4 virtues or qualities are also called the hinge virtues because it is where all the other virtues or qualities of good people would hinge. The word cardinal means hinge. The Cardinals who surround the Pope are the doorway to the Pope. They are also the ones whom he rely the most for advice. Everything else depends on the cardinal virtues. (Prudence or wisdom, justice, temperance and courage or fortitude) Prudence is the ability to make right decisions in complex situations. They are decisions that lead to the best and right thing. Without this we can be in big trouble. We’ve got to be able to decide in a situation that we’re in what the right thing to do which is the best thing to do. How do we get something done? There are some folks who probably just can’t figure out what to do. There are other folks who look at the problem and they can figure out a solution. It’s a core and they execute that core. It’s practical wisdom. We’ll find in the Book of Proverbs a lot of things about wisdom even in Sirach, Ecclesiastes and all the wisdom literature in scriptures. We can also find all the other 3 cardinal virtues, like justice which means giving each person his or her due. We all know even as kids instinctively how important justice is. The first thing that a kid cries out as soon as he learns how to talk if he has brothers and sisters is “Not fair, he got more than I did” or “You ask me to do more than what that person is doing.” This is because we have instinctively or natively offensive justice. Each person has rights and ought to get their due. There’s also another part of justice that we forget, that is, we have obligations and duties to everyone. A person who is unjust is not a good person. To be just, we need to control our passions. Temperance is a virtue that balances and controls our passions. It is like controlling our desire for that last piece of cake if we know that it belongs to our sister. In order to be just, we’ve got to control our appetites. Make our appetites come into line with justice, truth and goodness. We’ve got to have that balance in our life in order to be a good and effective person. Temperance makes this happen. We also have to be courageous. If we are not courageous then every time a difficulty arises we’re going to shrink back. If there’s any danger involved in doing the right, just and wise thing then we’re just going to crack out and find an excuse because we’re afraid. Courage or fortitude helps us to master fear and not let fear keep us from doing what’s right. We’ve got have all these things but here’s the problem. When Adam & Eve decided to sin they let loose a weakness into our race and nature that impacts all of us. We call it original sin. Sin is not so original, we just copy what other people have done. There’s nothing creative about sin. Adam & Eve’s sin was the only original sin. What they did has an impact on us. By weakening their own nature, sin weakened man’s nature. They passed on to us a weakened nature. They separated themselves and the whole human race from friendship with God and were born into that. There’s a tendency in our nature to go on a downward drift, a drift off course and a tendency to a great degree is dealt with through grace. How do we get grace? Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has made possible for us, healing of our humanity. He gives us other gifts, faith, hope and charity that make it possible for us to really have wisdom, justice, temperance and courage. Without faith, hope and charity in this life, no one can really become truly wise. All throughout human history we see people who exercise these gifts. They may not be Christians, deeply spiritual people, or in a state of grace and can exercise some of these potentials here and there. But ultimately original sin means we are going to sin seriously and mess up. We need God’s grace for those 4 great virtues to be perfected. Faith, hope and charity are supernatural. These are things that human beings would never know that they need or could have without God giving them supernaturally that’s why they are called the theological virtues. We only know about them through divine revelation and we couldn’t know about them by reason. We can only have them through God’s grace. The theological virtues, faith, hope and charity are the crown of the first 4 cardinal virtues that transform and make them possible. God doesn’t want us just to be whole human beings and restore us to what Adam & Eve were when they blew it in the Garden. God wants us to be more than that. He wants to elevate our human nature and divinize it. He wants us to share in His own Divine nature. Charity is all about loving with God’s love. Loving as the 3 persons of the Holy Trinity love each other and sharing in that goes way beyond human nature. This is an incredible thing and call. It was only possible because God became man and we can share in his virtue. This is what the real Catholic life is all about. It’s not just about making it or going to heaven by the skin of your teeth after struggling. It’s about growing in holiness and becoming like Jesus all throughout our life, a champion not without struggles. As a matter of fact without the struggles we can never become a champion. It is possible with victory and excellence not with hopelessness, despair and frustration. This is God’s desire for us which is a fantastic calling. The power to do this is given to us. We are never alone because God is always with us. We should be so thankful to God for all the wonderful things He allowed us to think, feel, see and hear. Not only for the things that are visible but also the invisible. God has given us everything that we need, the love, care and protection that a child needs from a Father who loves us so much. The readings for today from the 1st, psalm to the gospel all speak of the importance of our senses. Sometimes we have this tendency to overlook these things and dwell more on the less important things. We must train our minds and hearts to know the top priority which is everything that connects us to God at all times. All we have to do is be aware that God reveals Himself in a very mysterious way that we have to continuously work for a heart and mind that is focused on the Lord, remove all distractions in our life so that He will reveal Himself to us. God is infinite and unlimited in nature and our minds can only comprehend as far as our limited brains allow. Let us seize every moment and opportunity in order to daily grow in our knowledge of the Lord. Let us all come to our senses. Once we've seen, heard, smelled, tasted, touched, felt and experienced who the Lord is in our lives then we are really blessed in the truest sense of the word. Although we can only come to the full understanding and knowledge of God when we die, we can still work our way to knowing God using the best of our abilities for it is written, if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Have you ever experienced talking to someone but it seems that he/she is not paying attention. Let us not miss a single detail about our Lord and always be attentive to Him. If we are caught up in our own personal lives then we have a tendency to misunderstand the messages sent our way. Let us develop an attitude of total surrender to God and He in His goodness will make known to us things beyond our understanding. When we're on the phone we sometimes fail to hear what's being said to us on the other line. We can always hear this being said, Hello are you still there? It may be due to a low signal, our lack of attention and other things that disrupt the communication. We are reminded by God through the gospel to remove all hindrances and be able to hear him loud and clear. It is imperative that we heed his call and the time is now. Sometimes we end up doing things that we are not supposed to do and we get confused and that's because we are not attuned to our Life Coach, who is God and no one can lead us to the right direction only Him. We need to sharpen and make our senses very keen so that we will not miss out on anything. Some people who lack one of the senses like for example the blind people develop a keen sense of hearing, feeling and smelling. The blind have mastered well their other senses that they can hear, feel and smell the slightest sound, touch and scent that can be unnoticeable for some.  We should say from this point of view that the lack of one sense can enhance the other senses. We can also say that there are moments in our life when we have to shut out one of our senses, too. There are a lot of things being presented to us day in and out. We should know that some things are better left unsaid and ignored. In times like these we need to know exactly what we need to take in and which of our senses do we need to pay attention to and focus on in order to see and hear what the Lord is showing and telling us and be truly blessed. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 10:21-24

At that very moment he rejoiced [in] the holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will... anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him...Turning to the disciples in private he said, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.

HAPPY FIESTA SAN ANDRES

Sometimes we come to a point in our lives when we have questions and doubts especially when we encounter situations that cloud our thinking. It may be foolish to even do so but there are times when we are not so sure about our beliefs and what to believe in. When we profess that the Lord our God is over all, in all and for all, this becomes especially difficult at times when we are confronted of the fact that we live in a world ruled with chaos, disorder and so much imperfection. We may come up with all kinds of denials, excuses and justifications but they are just what they really are, as the word and name itself suggests. In the midst of all these things there are just two things we can do, to listen and act on the word of God or not. The message from today's 1st reading is very clear. It is just a matter of living for this truth or against it. There are no ifs, buts and no in between. Everything that happens in this world is within the will of God. Sometimes terrible and unpleasant things happen and we tend to ask ourselves if they are also part of God's will. This has always been a very difficult question to answer. We all have questions and it is so inconsolable when we come to a point when we are at a loss for answers to these questions. It is like someone groping in the dark, don't really know and can't find the answers to it then we should get out of the dark and just decide not to dwell on the things that we do not know rather just focus on the things that we know. It is not, what we don't know but what we know and believe about God. He is loving, merciful, all powerful and that is all that really matters. It should and must be enough to settle us down for He will not put us through something without seeing us through it. Though, the journey we are on right now may be long, hard and tedious but it would all be worth it if we are heading for the destination that God has directed us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Romans 10:9-18

...For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 For the scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”...But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?” 17 Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for “Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”

It always pays to be watchful and alert at all times. Although we sometimes fail to measure up due to our own shortcomings or could be the doing of another, God assures us in today's psalm that if we fall into the trap of the enemy we can always repent with a deep remorse for our sins and resolve to make the precepts of the Lord the joy of our hearts. In doing so, we find ourselves naturally restrained from sin and maintain our innocence. It is so hard to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord if we do not know exactly how to go about with it. It's just like when we have to comply to certain requirements in school and follow the standard set by it. We need to have a pattern or outline from which we can base our work. Just as it is so in other things, the more we are all in need of God's precepts. The absolute bedrock of spiritual life is to follow the 10 commandments. We are sometimes misled into thinking that when we have a type of prayer then we think that we already have a spiritual life. We’ve got to have the humility to admit that God is smarter than we are and we need to follow and obey what we are told in the 10 commandments. We should be totally and absolutely convinced that He knows best. Satan uses half truths and half lies in his devilish tricks. Satan’s claims seem to come true in one level. Take the example of our 1^st parents after eating of the forbidden fruit their eyes were opened and did become in one sense like God. The fallen angels made their free choice by radically and irrevocably rejecting God so in turn they seduce and mislead Adam & Eve. It was through sin that humanity was afflicted by death. Because of one man’s disobedience many were made sinners. When tempted in the Garden, Adam failed to remain faithful to God and His commands. Jesus, the New Adam, is God’s servant totally obedient to the Divine will. Jesus is the devil’s conqueror and takes back the plunder. What the devil has stolen from us, Jesus has recovered for us. Pope Benedict XVI commented about what the Lord experienced in the desert and said that at the heart of all temptations is the act of pushing God aside because we conceive Him as secondary. It is an act of constructing our world with our own lights and building our own foundation and setting God aside as an allusion. Temptations come in many varied forms but one thing is sure, it does not invite us to directly do evil because it is too blatant and would outright turn us off. It is very subtle and yet an act of pushing God’s commands aside and placing the devil’s temptation as primary. If we want to remain victorious throughout life, we have to keep Him in the center of our life and hold on to His words which are Spirit and life. God’s ever present help can be found in the scriptures. It's just like a soldier going to battle wearing the armor of God. It never fails and always there to defend and protect from the snares of the evil one. So always take up your sword which is the word of God. God's perfect word can refresh the soul. Have you ever wondered really how it feels to be refreshed? Whenever we take a shower or a warm bath and put on clothes that are well fitted and comfortable it refreshes our body. It could also be whenever we go to a place where we can unwind, relax, be away from the tensions, stresses, noise and turmoil of the fast paced lives that we lead and just appreciate the beauty of nature that surrounds us and the peace and quiet it offers to our tired bodies in order to be more in touch with God's voice in us. It is so refreshing it gives our minds and hearts a better view and perspective of how to live our lives. The same thing with our souls, we should always keep it clean, healthy and clothed with maximum security, protection but comfortable enough we don't even know it's there. Like it has become fused in us, there's nothing more right than following and obeying the law of God. Today's psalm reading guides us on how we should go about with our lives by always keeping in mind God's laws. None of us is perfect but through our imperfections we can always run to God for help and guidance. He will never refuse nor forsake us for He can only love and care for us. There are people who have alienated themselves from God and we can’t just force them to go back. God does not do that, it’s not how the Lord works, instead we pray and pray for them. If we wait long enough and adhere to God’s precepts then we will finally obtain joy in our hearts. As water prevails over the rock throughout the course of time so does the Holy Spirit that is continuously flooding or washing over the man’s heart.  The Holy Spirit moves in and continues to work upon us and tenderizes us. The song entitled, "Your Words Are Spirit and Life" by Bernadette Farrell was impressed to me. It is a beautiful song that I have always loved to sing and I just realized that the words of this song are taken from this psalm which made me start singing it. Well, we just have to fully discover what the words of God can make us do. When things get out of hand we have no one to blame but ourselves for God is surely not lacking in everything that He has given us for our own welfare. We've got everything we need because there's nothing more that God could and should do for us that He has not done. All we have to do is completely trust and obey the judgments of the Lord. GOD'S LAW MAKES US LIVE A VIRTUOUS LIFE (CCC 1803 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." May we truly recognize the genuine and precious treasures that we should all strive to achieve and work for which is none other than these things spoken of in today's psalm. Amen. Hallelujah!  

Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R: The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

7 [8] The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. (R) 8 [9] The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. (R) 9 [10] The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. (R) 10 [11] They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.

It happens that every time I become part of a certain parish I make it a point to know about its patron saint because of certain events that led me to it. Call it supernatural or extraordinary or whatever we prefer to call it but it has always been this way. It is like something would come up like knowing a particular thing about these saints that would make me realize how they impact my personal life. It is always good to read about the life of the saints. God is pleased with the way they lived their lives here on earth. We can always learn something from them especially in making better our relationship with God. This is what the example of their holy and exemplary life give, not just to us but also to the rest of our family to follow. Today is the feast day of St. Andrew, pray for us. Happy Feast Day!  St. Andrew was also known as the Apostle of the Greek World, had a Greek name it is not Hebrew, as might have been expected, but Greek, indicative of a certain cultural openness in his family. He also became the preacher and interpreter of Jesus for the Greek, who were also known for their pagan beliefs. Andrew, only Andrew, seemed to have kept his contemplative spirit. When there was the occasion of feeding the five thousand, it was Andrew who naively presented to Jesus the little boy who had some loaves and fish. He trusted Jesus' ability to do something from such a small and impossible beginning. Over all, in all and for all, God makes all things work for the good. We are all called to discipleship by God. It just depends on how attentive we are to His call and do we hear it at all. We have our own personal plans and expectations and God's call to us may seem unfit and does not conform to what we have in mind. This is where the problem lies when we assume things in a different way or plainly unwilling to respond to the call in the manner that God would have it. We sometimes think that we know better by having things our way especially when times are tough. Today's gospel tells us that when the first apostles were called they left their nets and boats and followed Him. It may help us to think of our own nets and boats in life and ask ourselves if we would also be willing to leave them behind. It is definitely not an easy task but it will all be worth it in the end. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 4:18-22

18 As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. 19 He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

STAND READY

There’s  no better way to start the 1st day of the New Liturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church than to look to God and focus our eyes on Him as he gives us hope to look forward toward the fulfillment of what He has promised to us as foretold in today’s 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!

Reading 1

Jer 33:14-16

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise…

No matter how unsure life may be and how unfair it may seem we can always rely on the one true God who was, is and will always be forever. If we will just take to heart at all times the assurances of God in the scriptures then there is really nothing that should stop us from following the right path that leads to God. We should constantly implore God's help in prayers so that we faithfully live out His example in our lives. In the Philippines there is an expression being said when people are so bent over and head strong about doing a certain task like nothing can ever stop them. It is known as, “Kina-career mo naman yan” In English, “You’re making it a career!” If we will look at the meaning of career in the dictionary we’ll find that it means, course of action; height of activity or run or move at full speed. Come to think of it, that’s how we should act when it comes to the most important aspect of our life. There is really no doubt about the goodness of God. If there is one thing in this world that we can depend on that is the mercy of God. We should constantly implore God's help in prayers so that we faithfully live out His example in our lives. Our confidence in God should never waver nor falter. It should be our goal to grow and mature in our knowledge and love for God. As we move forward in it then we win for ourselves a friendship that is like no other. We have seen a lot of broken relationships in our lifetime and if we will base our understanding of the word friendship on that then we will start to lose faith and confidence in friends. It is so reassuring and comforting that in the friendship of God we can be sure that it is something we can always count and depend on. Everything comes from God. All good things come from God. All blessings come from God. God pours out to us the all abundant love in every possible way. Love and life is not simple other wise we will be living in a heavenly world where there is no strife, deceit, injustice and division.  The world we live in is fractured, unless we stop doing mundane and distracting things that pulls us away from visualizing the things of God then we will just find ourselves distracted and unfocused. We just might find ourselves going in all directions but not really finding where we are supposed to go. God teaches us His ways with the guidance of the Holy Spirit directing us every step of the way. This is how we should relate to God by aiming to encounter Him in an intimate and personal way. It is possible that all our hurts and injuries be turned to compassion for those who have caused us so much pain because God who is full of mercy and love is the one who did it first for us and we ought to follow.  It is indeed a consolation to know that we are in the hands of God. There is no reason to fear nor doubt, for the Lord will surely bless and keep us at all times. This made me think of the children who squirm and try to break free from the protecting hold of a parent. Sometimes we are no different from the children because we want God to let loose of His hold. We have a gentle and loving God who will never impose nor force Himself. It is all up to us whether we remain or wriggle free from the loving grasp of God's hands.  God always work with perfection. We can always be assured that if we allow ourselves to go through the Refiner's fire then we will surely come out perfect. God is always precise in His moves and can never go wrong. We should be very grateful and awe inspired as we realize that there is nothing beyond the power of God. If we are sensitive and attentive enough to the Lord then we would discover that God allows the events in our daily experiences to happen in a way that is best for us. Although there are times when we just can’t see it the way it is. It is in the consultation of the word of God that we can find so much consolation and hope in our daily walk in life. As we develop this communication with God through scriptures we would find it to be always connected if not perfectly fitted as God opens up our mind and allows us to grasp things in a very unbelievable way. Our God is beyond compare, awesome, wonderful and marvelous. If we give to God all our concerns and anxieties and trust in His goodness and mercy then He will always direct our steps in the way that He wanted us to go. A few years ago in a Lenten Retreat at St. Lorenzo the speaker said that Catholicism is the religion of the soul while Protestantism is the religion of the mind. This is because Protestants have a problem accepting things that are not written in the scriptures. The language of the mind makes use of words alone which are limited unlike the language of the soul which goes beyond what is written and extends to signs, images, symbols and metaphors. There are things that are beyond human comprehension and expression. This explains why we are a people attracted to signs and symbols. Dan Brown, a famous author of books, Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons are only a few of them, which deal greatly on the meaning of signs and symbols has become a hit. His style appeals to the public that's why he has earned millions and become popular. It is in this nature of ours that God speaks to us not just in physical terms and words but in spiritual language as well.  We have to be aware of the truth of the richness of our Catholic dogma, doctrine, discipline and practices. Our Catholic faith is so rich, it's like eating cheesecake and if we ever think of leaving the Catholic fold after knowing these truths it would be like exchanging the cheesecake for a sugarless donut. Liturgical cycles of the Church are very interesting in the light of the seasons of love, life and faith. Advent is defined as anticipation of something that is coming. We are well aware of the 1st coming (Parousia) when Jesus came to this world more than 2,000 years ago and the 2nd coming of Jesus which no one knows exactly when it would be. But there is one more thing we need to really prepare for which is the 3rd coming or our own personal coming of Jesus when we die. As Catholics, we might want to ask ourselves why we go to Church and attend mass. We come to the Lord at a designated time and place to know of the mystery of life. If we somehow come to know of these signs, symbols, images and metaphors although not totally then we could relate better in our relationship with God. The Mass is full of these signs and symbols that appeals to our sense of sight, sound and smell. There are lots of explanations that go with these practices. Though these practices can change in the course of time the core teachings of the Catholic Church like the dogma and doctrine are all non negotiable and would stand through time. We should no longer doubt in our minds all the things that God is capable of doing. Life is a mystery which is much like a black hole. Once we fall into that black hole then there is no more turning back from where we came from. We just go on and on learning about life until such time when we come to the knowledge of its full mystery when we die.  For God has reserved for us something special like the front row seats in a spectacular play in a theater. No less than the prime spot for the Lord will always grant our heart's delight as we faithfully cling to Him. While we still can, we must come to a better understanding of these things and strive to learn the deeper meaning of our faith. No one in his right mind can ever deny the presence of a Supreme Being who created all of us and this wonderful world we live in. It remains a mystery how the sky hangs on high without ever getting tired and falling, even the rising and setting of the sun, the moon and the stars that bedecks the sky and the planets that rotate around the sun without ever losing its alignment and end up bumping into each other. Even the wisest and most brilliant scientists are continuously amazed at the endless and infinite discoveries and revelations of the universe as they strive to unravel its mystery. From generation to generation and ages past no single human being was able to completely unfold it for human intelligence is simply insufficient and can never measure up to God's. Have we ever wondered and asked how things in our life came to be? There is only one thing that needs to be done, that is to call on God endlessly at all times for guidance. As we try to look back and recall may we always find ourselves confidently claiming all our life's events as according to what God has planned for us and if not then it is about time that we call on to God with these words in the psalm reading. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10, 14

R. (1b)  To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

4 Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. (R) 8 Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. 9 He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. (R) 10 All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees. 14 The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction.

There are times when we are confronted with very difficult tasks at hand and it seems impossible to do it if we will just rely on our own capabilities. Today’s 2nd reading reminds us that we are not to do it on our own but through the help of God who strengthens our hearts to conduct ourselves honorable before God and men. Amen. Hallelujah!

Reading II

1 Thes 3:12-4:2

Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.  Amen. Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God

God has given us all the signs and warning we need to know of in order to prepare us well. There can never be a good excuse for not being prepared unless we ignore and take them for granted then we just might find ourselves unable to stand and in for a surprise. We can never deny the fact that we are constantly being tapped in the shoulder by God so that we do not forget and always remember the important things that we need to pay attention and attend to. Normal reactions in the face of danger and adversity are fear and dread but very rarely and in extraordinary cases do people react in an audacious, dauntless and "no fear" manner. This is the so called, "fight or flight" response which characterizes the sympathetic nervous system. It is very amusing, interesting and amazing because it could elicit various reactions as to compensate or otherwise give rise to instability that could cause tremendous effects depending on how our bodies choose to respond. In today's gospel we are asked to react extraordinarily and called to be what is expected of God's extraordinary people. Instead of cowering in fear, we should stand erect and raise our heads. The scary signs of the times that we often hear about should never distract us and maintain our composure by standing erect and raising our heads amidst all the turmoil happening around us. We should keep in mind that according to Gen. 1:27 God created man in His image and should always glory in that truth. We are His carbon copy. We live up to the greatness of our creator. We should always stand tall  because our God is our Father, no matter what happens around us the fact remains, and will stand forever, he is God and in control. Today’s gospel tells us that everything in this world will eventually come to an end but we have no reason to be afraid if we have confidence in the promises of God to us. We should always feel secure in the words that God gives us in the scripture and claim redemption in Jesus name. The message of God is repeatedly being declared and very persistent in every manner possible. God has given us all the signs and warning we need to know of in order to prepare us well. There can never be a good excuse for not being prepared unless we ignore and take them for granted then we just might find ourselves unable to stand and in for a surprise. We can never deny the fact that we are constantly being tapped in the shoulder by God so that we do not forget and always remember the important things that we need to pay attention and attend to. Amen. Hallelujah!

Lk 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,  for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

NEVER COMPROMISE

It feels good to be nostalgic from time to time and see how things worked out as they did and were connected in a way. It goes to show that the Master Planner carry out things in a mysterious way and may continue to benefit us even for years without even realizing it. Everything really works out for good. Looking back at all the things that happened make us appreciate things even more.  It may be many years ago but it still impacts our lives. In doing so we are witnessing how God in His goodness continues to amaze us with His endless and timeless solutions. We just have very thankful that we have a God who always makes us feel loved. He reveals to us His greatness at the proper time and hour, all we have to do is trust Him. Though, it is very sad that nowadays, people are no longer interested in matters about God the way they are with matters of this world. It could have been a lot more understandable if people who are caught up between the conflict of secular and religious matters would just keep silent or remain neutral about it but what’s worst is that these very people who claim to be believers and followers of God are the very same people who disregard the feast days and the laws of the Church and speak ill about the faith. Sometimes we fall prey into the same trap without realizing it whenever we fail to focus on what’s really most important and essential in life. Today is the last day of the Liturgical Calendar of the Church and tomorrow we will celebrate the 1st day of Advent and the New Liturgical Calendar. Sometimes I wonder why we do not give much attention to such occasions in the Church the way we do when we celebrate New Year. I guess we sometimes lose our sense of priority and direction as to where we should be heading because we are bombarded by the commercialism of this world that our judgment gets clouded. We tend to be slowly and discreetly lured to compromise. If there’s one thing we should keep in mind that is to never deal with the enemies of our faith that can be compared to a beast which is exactly what today’s 1st reading is about. Amen. Hallelujah!

Dn 7:15-27

I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its sheath of flesh, and I was terrified by the visions of my mind...But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast, so very terrible and different from the others,… He shall speak against the Most High and oppress the holy ones of the Most High, thinking to change the feast days and the law…

These past few days I noticed that the Response (R) for the psalm readings were all the same which could probably due to the fact that we are coming to the end of the Liturgical Calendar of the Church and preparing to usher a new one. I also noticed that on the previous days, non living things and all that is part of nature followed by animals or living creatures of all forms that inhabit the earth are being called to give glory and eternal praise to God. On this last day of the Liturgical Calendar, the most priced creation of God whom He has chosen and destined to be holy are the ones called to give glory and praise. On the last and final day nothing else matters everything in this world will cease to exist. Only those people called (Sons of men), who faithfully responded, finally chosen to be priests and servants of the Lord whose spirits and souls are just and holy with humble heart  will remain standing. No other than us, humans whom God has chosen to be the leader of His handiwork are given this privilege and honor to share in His Kingdom which emphasizes the truth that we are God’s beloved and on top of His creation. Amen. Hallelujah!

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“You sons of men,… “O Israel,… “Priests of the Lord,… “Servants of the Lord,… “Spirits and souls of the just,… “Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

Let us stay focused on the Lord and remain steadfast in our faith no matter what situation we are in, let us not be dissuaded and be prepared always. I could never forget the time when I was watching “Deal or No Deal” on TV and saw this lady contestant who was so full of confidence when she bravely and proudly said that she is going home with a $1,000,000. As the game went on, her confidence started to ebb down when one by one she was opening very high amounts and started to lose the confidence that she had during the start of the show. It finally came to a point when only cases containing very low amounts as low as below $400 and the $1,000,000 were left behind. Her defenses finally gave way and made a deal for $115,000 instead of continuing to play. Only to find out in the end that the case she had chosen really contained the 1 million dollars. It gave me the impression that sometimes we are like that with God when everything seems to be safe and sure we hold on to God’s promise and continue to hope for the best but when the tough gets going that’s when we start to doubt if there’s really something good in store for us if we continue to stick to the Lord through thick and thin. When the lady contestant finally decided to deal she said these words, “I may believe that my case has the 1 million dollars but it may not be so.” She doubted her gut feeling in the beginning. We can not blame her for what she did because she just wanted to make sure that she can at least win something from the game instead of going home with nothing. With regards to our dealings in the matters of our faith we should never make a deal nor compromise for we are 100% sure that we will come out as the winner if we choose God above all. When we engage ourselves in things that we consider worthy of our time and energy then we should always make a conscious effort to examine it if they will lead us to something that draws us away from God. We can do this by always lifting to God in prayer whatever decision we make whether it is big or small. As we do this more often time will come when we will eventually develop sensitivity and an open mind to the will of God. As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect." At first it may not seem to be relevant at all because people make wise decisions every day and nothing seems to make any difference at all whether it is offered to God in prayer or not for as long as it is the right thing to do. As rational human beings we are all capable of making a logical decision. The big difference lies in the fact that every time we make decisions and develop a conscious act of placing God in the center we strengthen our bond with God. It is just like when we want to involve someone in our life then we eventually develop a close relationship with the person because of the constant interaction that is being formed which eventually leads to a more meaningful relationship. Today's gospel is a warning to all of us not to be lenient about our faith. An evil force is out to destroy this bond and if we are not going to actively participate in keeping it intact then we may easily fall into the trap. We should take every opportunity that comes our way to exercise our faith. As we grow in strength and work our way to developing a strong and spiritually fit soul we make ourselves ready and able to stand firm on that final day. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Lk 21:34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life,

and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

BE PREPARED

Today’s 1st reading is taken from the Book of Daniel which is written even before the time Jesus was born. This passage which speaks of the Son of Man refers to Jesus. This I’ve learned from our bible study and since then I have come to learn, discover and appreciate better a lot of things in the bible more than I used to. Especially the relevance of the scriptures in the Old Testament to the New Testament and the overwhelming connection to each other which is shown in the gradual but steady building up of the realization of the ancient prophecies in Jesus. All the prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus.  The readings point only to one thing, the Kingship, Majesty and Dominion of God over all the earth. In today's 1st reading, God is described as seating on His throne and gave an impression of great power. It takes us to another aspect or level of understanding of the majesty of our God. We ought to be glad and rejoice that we have a God who is Almighty and Immortal that no one or nothing can ever be over and above Him. Whenever we hear the word throne then we immediately paint a picture in our minds about royalty, highness and being on top of everything. This is all true when we speak of God. Although we may never be able to fully visualize God, the Ancient One sitting on the throne, it reminds us of the truth that He is King of kings and Lord of lords.  We just can’t put the right words into our mouth when we speak of God’s majesty. God is almighty and all powerful. He is beyond words! Amen. Hallelujah!

Daniel 7:2-14
…One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed…

God never runs short of the nicest things to convey to us every day. All we have to do is look around us and see the wonderful creation of God. From the sun that shines, the rain that waters the earth and the air we breathe, how can we miss it? We are filled with so many signs and wonders of God's love to us that never fails. Amen. Hallelujah!

Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him!
“Mountains and hills,… “Everything growing from the earth,… “You springs,… “Seas and rivers,… “You dolphins and all water creatures,… “All you birds of the air,… “All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.”

I believe that God speaks to us through the daily circumstances and events in our lives. When we see these things happening to us we must consider them as like the fig tree and all the other trees in today’s gospel that served as an indicator of something that is coming our way. It is always good to look back and recall the things that we’ve been through as a form of assessing our lives in order to gain insights, important tips and strategies to be well prepared for something or to really recognize what needs to be done. In the same way that the fig tree became a sign that summer is near, we also must learn how to detect or identify some events in our life that can serve as an aid to guide us to make better decisions with regards to our life. I just realized that these words that I just wrote in relation to the fig tree in the gospel are the very words that I always quote whenever I counsel someone who is having trials and difficulties. What made me remember it even more is the fact the word of God as spoken of in the gospel is the very foundation of our hope and trust in the Lord as it is written, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.”  With this we pray that we continue to hold on to the Lord's promises for in it alone we can trust. We may have said things that we shouldn't have said and can no longer take back but what He said we can have full confidence for we have a God who fulfills His word. We can stand secure. Amen. Hallelujah!

Gospel
Lk 21:29-33
Jesus told his disciples a parable. “Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away,  but my words will not pass away.”

THANKSGIVING

According to Catholic therapist, Monica Breaux there are strategies in order for us to move to wholeness especially those people with certain addictions. Let’s take sexual addiction as an example. We may think that “anything goes” but our body does not think that everything goes. Some behaviors can cause physical and mental health problems. The blessing of our church is that we have such good wisdom when it comes to guidance around sexuality and that wisdom is validated by scientific evidence. We don’t need science to prove our faith but to those who tend to say that our faith is outdated and antiquated then they are wrong about that. Science is absolutely on the Church’s side. There is great wisdom in the faith about sexuality and good guidance. Sometimes people don’t know what the church teaches. What the church teaches is acceptable in marriage and for those who think otherwise it is perhaps caused by the cultural idea that “anything goes.” They are wrong, whether they accept the faith or not, there are some physical and mental health consequences to some behaviors. Any habit can become a compulsion. The problem is that the culture encourages us to move from disappointment to resentment. When we become full of self pity and resentment we want to escape that pain, the emotional pain is unbearable and that’s when people move into something for comfort to escape pain and to increase pleasure. The culture offers all kinds of ideas for comfort and pain escaping. Those become habits and this happens simply to deal with the pain created by resentment and self pity. A habit limits the freedom of desire.  In addiction, it is that which limits the freedom of human desire. Let’s say we eat a particular kind of food  every night and then someone offered something very special but we don’t want it. We just want what we are accustomed to. This is very typical in people who could not receive love in the way it is offered because their habit has become a compulsion. A compulsion means a person could not stop even if they want to. It is like we do that which we don’t want to do. It’s really about slavery and no longer having that freedom of human desire. There are all kinds of ways people try to stop. The only way, is simply to stop. Once an addict stops there’s an enormous amount of pain that one must know how to deal with. At the core of an addiction is a wounded heart, a malady of the heart. We are people with legitimate needs (physical and emotional) and in the natural someone responds. Like when a baby cries we try to do our best to console the baby but when every drop of comfort and love is not received then it becomes very frustrating. The addiction, compulsions and obsessions are blocking the ability to receive that love and comfort that we need. Sometimes somebody settles down because somebody cares and listens. We can not give love until we properly receive it. All therapy starts with a change of thought. We have to separate our value from our behavior. Until we change our thoughts we can not remove our compulsions. Compulsions lead to addiction. Jesus loves us as we are and knows already our bad behavior. God loves us in spite of our bad behavior. We need to claim the truth that God the Father gave us value, there’s nothing we do that will make us less or taint it. Amen. Hallelujah!

Sirach 50:22-24

And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb, and fashions them according to his will!

May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you; May his goodness toward us endure in Israel to deliver us in our days.

There is really none like our God. We can have all the things that this world can offer but in the end we will still be wanting and not satisfied if we do not have God in the center of our life. The Lord has always been faithful and not a single moment would He ever not be. We should have the confidence always of a beloved child of God and the honor of being on top of God's creation. The Lord is always ready to extend His help and shower His blessings on us, His people. The question is, are we willing to accept His help and stay within the circle of His blessings? This question is very critical and sometimes left unanswered, neglected and taken for granted. When we choose to continue in the path that does not lead us closer to God the answer is clear, it is a no. When we direct our actions in things that draw us closer to God then it is a yes. If this is so true for us then we ought to do as the psalm reading today tells us. All our thoughts, words and actions should reflect how great our God is. As humans we tend to downplay God's role in our life because we subject our experiences to human terms and conditions. We are still bound by the limitations of this world we are in and we can't help it. We sometimes just go with the flow and get carried away by the pressures imposed to us by our present and existing situations. Our study of World History tells us of the different and various kinds of kingdoms and dynasties which ruled throughout the length of time. None of the most famous and powerful of these kingdoms still stand today and remain as influential to the entire world as it used to be. This tells us one thing that earthly kingdoms will eventually cease to exist. Only God's Kingdom prevails for eternity. Sometimes we might even have to come to a point when we look and sound strange  for others or even suffer the ridicule of not just others but the very people who comprise our circle of close family, relatives and friends. What matters most is that we ought to give God what He rightly deserves, to be extolled and praised forever. Today's psalm tells us that we owe God more than just plain courtesy for His goodness. Whenever we watch box office hit super hero movies, news about it spread like wildfire and the promotion for it is international that almost everybody around the globe gets to know about it and watch it. If only we can devote that same fervor and enthusiasm in spreading word about the greatest Super Hero of all times, Jesus and make a decision to watch His life unfold and be part of our own, then we can someday be a part of God's great Kingdom in Heaven. If we truly desire this then we should always be mindful of the words of God written in the bible since it is indeed what its acronym stands for which is B - basic I-instructions B-before L-leaving E-earth. It is very important that we have read and understood well what is written in the bible before we exit this world. This reminds me of the video games that my sons used to play. When they finish one level they have to enter into the next level which is more difficult and so on and so forth until they reach the ultimate task and win the final battle. It was like they needed to be well prepared and more skillful for each level. This somehow reminds us of how we should approach our final day here on earth. The gate of heaven has been opened and made accessible for us, there is no question about it but the question is, "Are we ready and able to go through it?" As in Eph. 6:13, "Therefore, put on the armor of God,  that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground." Another thing is we have no idea when will that day come because we really do not know the time or the hour. One thing for sure, the only way to go through it is by being well prepared for it. Thus I wanted to share this story which I got from an email.

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.

He loved the 4th wife the most and adored her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.'

Thus, he asked the 4th wife , 'I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No way!', replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word.

Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, 'I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No!', replied the 3rd wife. 'Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!'

His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, 'I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me.

When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!', replied the 2nd wife. 'At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.'

Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: 'I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go.'

The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the King said, 'I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!'

In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.

However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity. Amen. Hallelujah!

Responsorial Psalm PS 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

R. (see 1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. R. Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might. They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works. R. They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds and declare your greatness. They publish the fame of your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your justice. R. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. R. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,

and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom

and speak of your might. R.

With all the shortages that affect the whole world and the different crises that we are all facing today we can't help it, if we feel insecure and afraid. Especially in times when we start to run out of resources, this usually happens to most of us these days. We must realize that there is only one thing needed and we have to make it our choice so that it will not be taken away from us. We need not be worried and anxious about a lot of things. As in Lk. 10:41-42, The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." If we choose the right thing then we can claim all other things, as in Mt. 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides." To top it all, we are assured in today's 1st reading that we are sufficient for God alone provides. They say experience is the best teacher. As we go on with our daily life and charge each day to experience, there is a need to really open the door of our hearts and allow Jesus to not just be a part of our life but be guided by the WWJD (What would Jesus do?) principle and do exactly what Jesus would do if he happens to be us. Amen. Hallelujah! 

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,5 that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, 6 as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

A leper could not go anywhere because of fear of contagion. This is what leprosy does to a person, it does not just eat up a person’s flesh but it could also be spread through contact. We must realize that before Jesus came to redeem us we were all like lepers isolated and banned from entering heaven but we have all been healed from the sin of our 1^st parents and restored to wholeness. In today’s gospel 10 lepers were made whole but only 1 came back. It is important that we learn to be thankful. We sometimes imagine that life owes us a living. Take the example of a teenager who is not allowed to use a family car and gets upset over it. We feel the same way when we feel slighted it is because we are immature and arrogant. None of us are self sufficient and we are all totally dependent on God. Everything we have is a gift from God. We must learn to acquire the heart of gratitude. We should pray to the Lord who have given us so much to give us one more thing, a grateful heart. Our gratitude to God should have no limit. He has given us so many blessings but we have a tendency to take it for granted and just turn our backs on him just like those 9 lepers in today's gospel. There is no doubt that Jesus is able to do all things even the most impossible ones. The problem lies not in the part of Jesus to do what is supposed to be done it is in our part that we fail. Sometimes we go through life complaining and moaning about our problems without realizing that we have a lot more to be thankful to God for. The gospel is a statistical illustration of it since only 1/10 lepers came back to God and recognized what He has done. It's time we realize which part of that statistic do we belong? Or better yet, to try to make a statistical shift from that number to 10/10 as we all go to God and give Him thanks. Technically speaking if we are to refer to this statistical formula we will find it to be known as shift invariance. In other words, if a statistic, S  is shift-invariant, then addition of an arbitrary value, a, positive or negative, to all elements of the sample results in the increase/decrease of S by the same amount a. We can take it as something that is subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision. Let us do our part in making a difference for in the end it will all return to us more than a hundredfold. Can we expect to hear the same words of Jesus spoken to the cleansed leper to be spoken to us? Are we the grateful Samaritan or one of the other 9 who did not return to give thanks. Giving thanks come in so many ways and Jesus tells us the importance of it not for His own sake but for ours. Our thanks to God will not add anything to the greatness of God. God is great and mighty with or without our thanks. It is us who needs it. The more thankful we are the more we acknowledge God's goodness and become more open to His graces. Giving thanks to God works for our own good and advantage more than anything else. God can take away all our sufferings if He wills it just like the instant healing of the ten lepers in the gospel. So why does he still allow suffering? This world we live in is the way it really is, imperfect. We need to be content in every circumstance and must not depend on anything in order to be contented or happy. We can decide to be content and grateful where we are right now and not end up like the ungrateful 9 lepers who were healed. It is very sad that only a few people recognize the goodness and blessings that God bestows on each one of us. In today's gospel only one gave thanks to God for the healing that they received. We tend to always assume that God owes us something and become ungrateful for the blessings we received. Or we take for granted the things that God gives and tend to focus more on our personal agenda which surely is not always the best thing for us. Only God knows what's best for us and by accepting our circumstances right at this very moment the more God can bless us. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Luke 17:11-19

11 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he travelled through Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him 13 and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” 14 And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; 16 and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? 18 Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 19 Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”