FORGIVENESS

We have some fairly easy questions in life that we can answer right away but the committing part is the one thing we all have difficulty in doing. In this regard we can start by learning the act of true prayer. Today's 1st reading is a prayer of total surrender and abandonment to the Lord. This prayer is an inspiration for all who are going through suffering and trials especially to those who do not know where to turn in times of need. We will do well to learn the basic thrust of this prayer and apply it in our lives.

God's instructions to us are all very clear and consistent. It is in ourselves where we find the conflict at all times. It is when we succumb to pride and sin that we end up in a mess. We always think that we can have our way and get away with the consequences of our actions. We should realize that instead of having it our way and suffer its consequences we should rather have it God's way since He could definitely answer for us and cannot be put to shame. We can always rely on the kindness and mercy of God. He directs our actions, leads us to the right decision and supports us all the way by placing the right people in our midst at the right time. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Daniel 3:25, 34-43

Azariah stood up and prayed aloud: 11 [Dan 3:34] “For your name’s sake, do not deliver us up forever, or make void your covenant. 12 [Dan 3:35] Do not take away your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one, 13 [Dan 3:36] to whom you promised to multiply their offspring like the stars of heaven, or the sand on the shore of the sea... But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received; 17 [Dan 3:40] as though it were holocausts of rams and bullocks, or thousands of fat lambs, so let our sacrifice be in your presence today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame...And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you. 19 [Dan 3:42] Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy. 20 [Dan 3:43] Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”

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, 6, 7bc, 8, 9

R: Remember your mercies, oh Lord.

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) 6 Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your kindness are from of old. 7 In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD. (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.

 

Today's gospel is one of the memorable parables for me because of the lessons and explanations it offers and learned from it about our Catholic faith concerning purgatory. Our God is consistent to all His attributes which includes not just merciful but just. We ought to realize that God treated us with ultimate love and mercy and it is only right and fitting that we fulfill all righteousness for the glory of God. Purgatory is an expression of this great love and mercy of God for us. He gives us all the chances we can get in order for us to square our accounts with God. We ought to realize that our entry to the kingdom of heaven can be withheld or worst be denied access to it.  Let us not place the eternal inheritance that is already being handed to us in grave danger. It tells us to be wise and diligent in handling our affairs well while we are still here on earth so as not to regret later the consequences of our actions. It is a consolation that the key lies in today's gospel. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God we can't help but become the person God has meant us to be, full of compassion and mercy. And the best way to attain this is to have a forgiving heart as implied in today's gospel. Forgiving someone who offended you 77x. This may sound “Mission Impossible” (MI) if we have become so attached to the values of this world. That's why there is an urgent need for us to always align ourselves to the will of God. It is only through His supernatural grace that we can do all things. We must avail of every possible means to attain holiness. The measure that we use with our brothers and sisters is the same measure that God will use to us. If we place judgment on others then we have also placed judgment on ourselves. Let us take care not to overlook and take for granted this reality that Jesus Himself said in the gospel. It is really a must that we learn to forgive those people who hurt us. The gospel requires us to forgive in order for us to go across whatever it is that is stopping us from fulfilling our God given destiny which is surely bound for success. We can never move on if we continue to harbor ill feelings in our hearts. It can be compared to the powerful flow of water in a river that can never be put to a stop unless we surrender it to God. We should truly be able to put a halt to the raging emotions in us. Thus, it is for our own good that we overcome all the hurts that we've experienced from people and really learn to forgive them from our hearts. Unless we do this we can never move forward and reach our goals and destinations in life. We read in the gospel that Peter wanted to put a limit on forgiveness. The gospel is especially relevant for those with deep hurts. Each time the memory of that hurt comes back, we have to forgive. We have to be honest that we haven’t been without guilt ourselves. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 2843 it is stated, "Thus the Lord's words on forgiveness, the love that loves to the end,(Jn 13:1) become a living reality. The parable of the merciless servant, which crowns the Lord's teaching on ecclesial communion, ends with these words: "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."(Mt 18:23-35.) It is there, in fact, "in the depths of the heart," that everything is bound and loosed. It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense; but the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession." It is not in our power to not feel the hurt of the memory or even to forget because it is part of our emotional well being to do so when it comes back. But the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury and the memory of the hurt to compassion. This ability to love comes from the Holy Spirit and can help us transform that hurt into intercession. Just like what Jesus did at the cross when He said, Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they’re doing even to the point of making excuses. When we run into people who have hurt us it is an unbelievable feeling to rise above the need for revenge. Forgiveness should be part of our life because revenge is just a never ending cycle. We have to adhere to putting God first and be disciplined in ourselves. We learn from the experience of forgiveness from the life of people who had been through a great deal of pain but were able to overcome it. We learn through their message of forgiveness and start ourselves as we forgive the little things done against us and then eventually it will be easy to forgive the big things. The gospel reminds us of our situation. We are debtors of an even greater debt. The reality of our situation is that we have a huge debt that we can't pay back.  We’re created out of nothing and while we were still sinners Jesus died for us to inherit eternal life. The debt you and I have is far greater than we can pay back. However great our suffering may be, it does not compare to what the Lord has done for us. If we think of this we may want to ask, is there anything way too big to forgive? On our own we can't do it but through the strength given to us from His love, forgiveness and mercy. We recall the words of Jesus while He was crucified on the cross. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do, today you will be with me in paradise and behold your son, behold your mother. These are words of compassion and love at a time He was suffering and in a great deal of pain. We have to look upon the crucifix and remember what the Lord has done for us. We should picture ourselves at the foot of the cross for our sins and its forgiveness.  No one in this whole wide world ever had a perfect circumstance and situation. We have all been through our share of sorrows. The saints became saints in the midst of their trying times. They had all the reasons to be bitter. Instead of living with regret and resentment they looked at Jesus who was rejected Himself and offered their rejection in union with His. When we are assailed by pain and suffering we look to Him. Though, He was innocent but He died for us sinners. If we have deep and lasting hurts whenever they come back all we have to do is look at our Lord who is innocent but suffered and died for our salvation. We pray to Jesus and ask to turn our hearts like His own. The measure that we use with our brothers and sisters is the same measure that God will use to us. If we place judgment on others then we have also placed judgment on ourselves. Let us take care not to overlook and take for granted this reality that Jesus Himself said in his words in today's gospel. The goodness and mercy of God is repetitively mentioned thus God expects us to be just like Him full of mercy and compassion to our brothers and sisters. And as we grow in the knowledge and love of God we can't help but become the person God has meant us to be, compassionate and merciful. And the best way to attain this is to have a forgiving heart as implied in today's gospel. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Matthew 18:21-35

21 Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. 25 Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. 26 At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ 27 Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. 28 When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. 31 Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. 32 His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. 33 Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ 34 Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. 35 So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”

 

 

THE LIVING WATER

According to Rabbi Marc Gellman author of the book, “Does God have a big toe?’ Moses is a patient man.  When he saw the burning bush other shepherds were there too and also saw it but did not wait long enough to notice what Moses saw since they were all too preoccupied and had other things to do. Moses was also busy but he patiently waited that’s why he saw the burning bush phenomenon which the others failed to see. He therefore said that it pays to be patient. A patient man submits to God’s timeframe, respects the timeframe of others and reacts peacefully in times of delay. On the other hand an impatient man has little regard for timeframes other than his own and is troubled over delays. He further explained by citing the gardener in the parable of the fig tree. He said that the gardener exhibited a fair amount of patience and tolerance for the fig tree because he was willing to buy time for it to bear fruit and not cut it down. In today’s 1st reading, Naaman was tested for his patience and tolerance. He traveled a long way just to reach Elisha and had to be tolerant of the Jewish influence and tradition before he got healed. God calls us to follow instructions specifically and take action even though we are not comfortable doing it.  We should develop in us this kind of attitude and follow God’s instructions no "ifs" and "buts". God does not exempt anyone but will really go out of the ordinary just to make Himself known to everyone and save us. In the case of Naaman, God made use of an Israelite girl who was captured and became the slave of Naaman's wife. This little girl paved the way for the healing despite her being captured and turning into a slave. Instead of becoming bitter and defeated she was still able to proclaim and spread the power of the one true God. Isn't it challenging that we, too are given the same opportunity in our daily lives to still go on proclaiming and sharing to others the goodness of God despite the odds and difficulties that are before us. Leprosy is a sickness that speaks to us of sin. Elisha a prophet from the Old Testament speaks to us of the necessity of the sacrament of baptism. These words of Elisha, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” caused Naaman to be cured of leprosy as he went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. It was followed by his profession of faith when he returned to Elisha and on his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” This is a prefigurement of the sacrament of baptism as the church invites us to wash and be clean and the soul of a person becomes like an innocent child when plunged into the waters of baptism and asked to profess our faith. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1257 it is stated, “The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. (Jn 3:5) He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. (Mt 28:19-20)  Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. (Mk 16:16) The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.” The Lord Himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation as he spoke to Nicodemus in John 3. The Church does not neglect this mission and it is imperative for us that we proclaim the gospel to all the nations not with a sense of indifference. We are not asked to force the gospel, the Church has given a command to go and teach about Jesus and have a deeper relationship with Him. The Jordan river is beautiful because this is the water that Jesus stepped into, He has sanctified the water. The Jordan is beautiful because of our faith. We recognize it because of Jesus’ encounter with the water.  As we can see in the 1^st reading that Naaman refused at first and expected to do something extraordinary. This is how we are, how foolish we can be at times. If he was asked to do something extraordinary he would have followed right away and yet when asked to do something that seem so plain and simple, he refused.  Jesus came to us a simple man and did great things. The act of washing is very common. For whoever is brought to the fount of baptism, seems so plain but can do something tremendous to our souls. Through the union of Christ and His church there is power in the pond of baptism. One of the effects of baptism is described in what happened to Naaman. Leprosy can cause the flesh to rot and stink. Our soul rots and stink of hell and we can’t free ourselves of that unless we are baptized. It is dependent on the power of God, this need for cleansing. Jesus says come to this pond and become cleansed and by faith we know what happens to our soul. The flesh of a little child is soft and clean. Everybody loves a baby and this grown man (Naaman) is made that way, the same thing happens to our soul, it is made brand new. As CCC, 1213 states, “Holy Baptism is the basis of all Christian life. Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and in the word." Amen. Hallelujah!

 

2 Kings 5:1-15

1 Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram, was highly esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram. But valiant as he was, the man was a leper. 2 Now the Arameans had captured from the land of Israel in a raid a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife. 3 “If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,” she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 Naaman went and told his lord just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 “Go,” said the king of Aram. “I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments. 6 To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 When he read the letter, the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed, “Am I a god with power over life and death, that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy? Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!” 8 When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king, “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 The prophet sent him the message, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy. 12 Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” With this, he turned about in anger and left. 13 But his servants came up and reasoned with him. “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.” 14 So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”

 

Only Jesus can make us whole and satisfy our soul. We should take note of the fact that we are not just physical human beings. The moment we leave and pass away from this world we cease to be in our physical state but our souls live on. If at this present moment we attend to the needs of our physical bodies we should also do the same for our souls which will pass from this world to life eternal. There is an end to all that we hold and see right now since we are just passing by. Our true and everlasting home belongs with God. If our physical bodies need nourishment in this life in order to live so does our souls. When we are in a state wherein we feel so deprived and famished, a helping hand can go a long way. We may not totally understand the concept of purgatory as a whole but this is what we are supposed to be to our brothers and sisters who long to see God face to face but is yet to happen. We, the Church Militant active and living can serve for them as a beaming light in the darkness and a guide to the right path. Let us not neglect to pray for the faithful departed souls of our loved ones, family and friends. Have you heard of this very vital information about survival. Our bodies can go without food for a long time but not without water. We can all die of dehydration faster than starvation. Let us make sure we don't dehydrate our souls to the point of death and exhaustion. Just like Naaman the Syrian who plunged into the water of the Jordan River and was cleansed, we should also drink from the river of God's living water and live. It always make the crowd or audience laugh whenever asked who want to go to heaven and everybody started raising their hands but if the question is changed to who want to die everybody started putting down their hands. The truth is we can only see God face to face when we die if we are worthy to stand before Him. And we have all become worthy because of Jesus' sacrifice but can we handle the truth. People who are on the verge of dying and have come to accept their situation and longed only to be with God are the luckiest people since they have found the ultimate satisfaction and consolation to all their longings. Considering that they died in the grace of God, which made me think of people who died and happened to have a lot of unfinished businesses here in this world. We may have a lot of questions about such things but we must believe that God is in control and in charge. He will take care of whatever we left behind. According to Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, a Jesuit priest and author of the book, "Holy Longing", man's desire is so intense that he called it a raging inferno. It's unstoppable and powerful that it creates holes in our souls. We can attempt in our human nature to fill in these holes but we still end up with a hollow feeling. These holes come in different shapes. We may be trying to fit in the wrong shape into these holes. These holes can only be filled in by God. Only God our Creator knows best and He is the only one who can determine which will fit into our soul. We all have our desires and longing in life but if we insist on doing it our way and not follow the pattern and shape that God has given us then we will never be truly happy.  Just like the deer in today's psalm, only God can quench the thirst in our souls. May all our basic instincts be rooted from our longing for God. Only in God can we find true satisfaction. In Him alone is the thirst of our soul quenched. If we hear the song composed from the psalm reading for today we may imagine and picture a deer panting and drinking water in the stream. This kind of longing and thirst we have all experienced one way or another in our lifetime whether it be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. We may search long and hard but find none that can fully satisfy if we fail to recognize the rivers of Living Water which only God can give and provide. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4

R: Athirst is my soul for the living God.

1 [2] As the hind longs for the running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God. 2 [3] Athirst is my soul for God, the living God. When shall I go and be hold the face of God? (R) 43: 3 Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on and bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place. (R) 4 Then will I go in to the altar of God, the God of my gladness and joy; then will I give you thanks upon the harp, O God, my God!

We may all have experienced rejection at one time in our life. It's very painful and difficult as it is to be rejected by someone but what's even worse is the fact that the people whom we expect to back us up are the ones who turn their backs on us. We must not despair if this happens for even Jesus experienced the same thing. All we have to do is follow the example of Jesus in continuing the work that God has given us to do and not lose hope. What Jesus was offering to the people in Nazareth was not wasted for it was extended to the people in Capernaum (town in Galilee) and to the whole region. We all have our own Nazareths and we must not despair over it rather we must look forward to reaching out to the Galilees of our lives and move on to the next level. We all have other aspects and regions in our life that we also need to pay attention to and develop. We just have to put our trust in the Lord who is able. Everything will come to pass and God's word will always carry out its mission and not go back to Him without accomplishing its purpose. Today's gospel brings back my focus on what I have been doing since I came here to the US. I can still very clearly remember that day of OCT 7, 2007 when I received God's Word in Habakkuk 2:2-3 which is: Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.

From then on I've taken it upon myself to write down daily reflections based on the assigned bible readings as my personal mission for Jesus. During the course of my writing I have inevitably included in my journal people whom I have encountered and inspired and touched my life in a special way which all just happened in a way that the scriptures unfold and reveal our participation in each and every message being conveyed and sent to us in the daily readings. Since then these reflections have amounted to quite a lot already and during my free time, I had been bent on compiling and organizing all the daily reflections that I have written since OCT 2007. I have made an index and table of contents for it which I have just finished and updated. It has become easier and readily available for quick reference. Several years ago the foreword in Companion for today’s gospel and the reflection of Fr. Steve Tynan in Sabbath have encouraged me to continue with this mission. In the foreword it says:

Jesus does not “pull any punches here.” He says it simply as He sees it. This is the best way to make the truth known. Jesus needs to let people know what His mission is from the beginning so that they cannot accuse Him of deception later on. Whether people understand Him or not is not the issue at the moment. What is critical is that the Gospel is proclaimed in its fullness and that everybody has the opportunity to respond to it in its fullness as well.

In Sabbath, I partly quote Fr. Steve:

...Jesus was never interested in any attention the people wanted to give Him — His sole concern was to live and proclaim the Gospel as best as He could.

It is this example that we must seek to follow. Otherwise, we will become distracted from the things that should be our focus and we will fail to achieve what we could have achieved, if only we had been wholly obedient to God.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 I am fully aware of my shortcomings and imperfection in spreading the Word of God but it is in what Fr. Steve said above that gave me the courage and strength to keep on going. It is in this very personal and significant events and circumstances that I encounter daily whether big or small that we have truly been part of the Word, yes, the Word that is made flesh. Jesus is indeed in each one of us. God gives me a reason to always have something to write about and the presence of each one of us in this present life have given me a lot of reasons to continue writing. Everybody has been a source of inspiration and God’s instrument. We should all find ourselves believing the same thing. God believes in us. We may sometimes come to a point in our lives when we have to act out of faith despite the uncertainty of our situation. We may also suffer the disapproval, ridicule and objection of the majority who questions the logic of our actions and doubts our motivations. I am sure that the widow in Zarephath hesitated if not faltered for a moment when asked to give away hers and her son's last meal in the time of famine just as Naaman the Syrian objected and grumbled at first when they were told of what to do by these 2 great prophets of their time. If we are to look closely at the qualifications of these 2 characters from today's gospel we would find that they both do not belong to the chosen race of God, the Israelites. Their only qualification was that they followed and obeyed what they were told to do.  You know why? God does not call the qualified rather He qualifies the called. We are all called by God. Our response depends on how we feel and think about it. They (Naaman and the widow) felt that persistent and undying spark of love that does not lie when God called and spoke to them in their hearts. Always take the opportunity to recognize Jesus in every situation of our life lest we lose the chance and fail to recognize it. God will not come uninvited. He will enter only if we open up the doors of our hearts and welcome Him. He will never force Himself on anyone. He is the Perfect Gentleman. He respects our longings and desires that sometimes without realizing it we've completely missed our chances and lost what truly matters and counts. Let us not end up rejecting Jesus in our hearts and missing the only Blessing that really matters because we are too preoccupied with other small blessings. Jesus is already with us but we sometimes drive Him away with our indifferences, doubts, fears, unbelief, and ignorance of the true wisdom of God. Let us pray fervently to God that He will always be with us to stay. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

 Luke 4:24-30

And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. 25 Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. 26 It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury...

INSPIRATION AND WARNING

This morning the moment I woke up a thought crossed my mind. It just dawned on me that God can will anything to happen. There is nothing in this world that God should give and do for us that He did not do, is not doing and will not do for us. Although there are times when the situation doesn't seem like it. We need to keep holding on to God who knows all and has our best interests in mind at all times. Let us always be confident of the fact that God makes all things beautiful in His time. He knows everything with perfection because He is who He is. No words are enough to express who really God is.  His greatness, good ness and mercy know no boundaries. Amen. Hallelujah!

Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15

...Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” 14 God replied, “I am who am.” Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites I AM sent me to you.” 15 God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. “This is my name forever; this is my title for all generations.”

We can never fathom the wisdom of God but we can always remain confident in the truth that His kindness is perfect and everlasting. He makes all things work for good. When we feel so helpless, miserable and alone, never ever doubt that He can't help but be the loving God that He is. God loves us so much that he will adjust to our needs and make things work for good. There is no reason for us to even doubt and hold back anything from the Lord for nothing is too difficult for Him. If we are confident of God's Providence in our lives then nothing should even make us doubt that God is able to redeem us and take us out of misery. God has made known His kindness, mercy and secures justice for all. He knows exactly what we need at the precise moment and brings forth everything in its appointed time. Furthermore, God wanted to take our transgressions as far as the east is from the west. How far is the east from the west? Only God knows. We know that the distance is unfathomable, that’s what the Lord does with our sins. How much does He loves us? We know that His love and mercy is immeasurable. There is really none like our God. And reading part of the psalm reading made me remember the song "Loving and Forgiving". He is our best bet for always and there is no one or nothing else that could or should take first place in our lives more than the Lord. Whenever we receive goodness and kindness from people we meet we are very much delighted and pleased with it. How much more would we feel if we have God's favor resting upon us. There is nothing else better compared to this. We may search long and hard but we can never really find true satisfaction and remain restless unless we have God in our life. We only have to believe in God's kindness and mercy and we will surely see it happen in our life before our very eyes. He is our refuge and strength. To whom can we go but to God alone. The world’s point of view is very contradictory to the message that God wanted us to live by.  We need to pray hard for the desire to always follow what is pleasing before the Lord and not forget that it is what really matters first and foremost. We are so blessed that we did not live during the time when Christians were being persecuted and martyred and what we are enjoying right now are already the benefits of God's marvelous work wrought by His mighty hand. This is why we should stop complaining and just keep our hope if we truly believe that we have a God and Father who is full of kindness and goodness. This reminds me of the prophet Amos. He is a prosperous herdsman/farmer, well educated and traveled. His time (746-786) was an age of prosperity but severely marked with moral decay and spiritual bankruptcy. He experienced a luxurious life, lived in the garrison city a place dominated by people of power and had all the time to study the scriptures. He lived in affluence, belonged and embraced the "clan system/wisdom" which is a guild or crusade to maintain the purity of the tradition of the temple of Jerusalem which houses the "Ark of the Covenant". He saw the evil of excess in Tekoa, he witnessed the "left" (poverty) and the "right" (wealth and affluence) side. Being himself a dresser of the sycamore tree who worked with his people, he also saw the plight and injustice that is existent during that time. His prophetic mission emerged as an offshoot of his kingly and priestly status and was able to go through all these stages making him a good "nabi" hebrew word for prophet. We, too as followers of Jesus should also go through certain stages and fulfill our call or mission to be king, priest and prophet in our own personal lives. What I learned in the bible study about the very relevant and essential Hebrew word "pescher" which means repetitious study, reading and pronunciation of the word of God is a tool to achieve this goal and always be reminded about the goodness and benefits of being a genuine, equipped and well fulfilled follower of Jesus. The God of yesterday, today and forevermore. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

P S A L M 

Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11 (8a)

R: The Lord is kind and merciful.

...He has made known his ways to Moses, and his deeds to the children of Israel. (R) 8 Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.

Today's 2nd reading serves as an inspiration and warning to all of us. It is an inspiration since we are asked to always be aware of the wonders that God has done for us. If we look very closely then we will discover that there are a lot of things in our lives that we have to be thankful to God. It is a warning, too because we are asked to not just look at the good things but the not so good things that happened to us. Whether good or bad we ought to realize that they can both be used to our advantage. The 1st as an inspiration to keep us going and not be discouraged and the second as a warning so as not to take things for granted in order to remain standing secure and not fall. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12

1 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, 2 and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 All ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert. 6 These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did. 10 Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer. 11 These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.

 

Today's parable in the gospel inspires and warns us once again as that of the rest of the readings for today. This also reminds me of the several trees I had the enjoyment of picking fruits from. I could still remember when Sis Zeny's sister in Baldwin invited us over to harvest the tangerines in their home. It was like an endless harvesting because of the numerous fruits hanging from it. The same with Jackie's tangerine and lemon trees in Placentia which my aunt and relatives and a lot of people from West Covina look forward to having a share of, whenever I bring  it home and is extended to Bernadeth's place of work in Rancho Cucamonga. Also with Sis Angela's persimmon in her previous place of work and Sis Fe's guava and lemon trees in Walnut, whom the people from San Lorenzo Bible Study gets to enjoy. Not to forget Sis Loreta's fig tree also in Walnut whose fruits sometimes end up falling to the ground before it gets picked since there are so many. It was like we were picking a lot of the fruits this moment and the next few days it would be sprouting with more fruits. Sis Loreta even calls her fig tree the tree of Jesus. This is why this experience with these richly productive trees always made me think of today's parable. I used to say that these trees would never end up being cut. This should also make us realize that our life should also be like these trees whose fruits have gone a long way in benefiting not just the people around and close to us but extends even to those who are not close to us and believe it or not people whom we don't even know. Jesus challenges us today to bear fruit so as to become a beautiful sight and example for others to see and follow. This should drive us to bear fruits that can be shared and enjoyed by not just the people who are near to us but by everybody. Speaking of the fig tree in today’s parable we should realize that it could be cut down after a certain period if it does not bear fruit. It is the same with our covenant with God if we read today's gospel. It reminds us that just like any other agreement there is a specified period which only lasts until we are still alive once we die, the contract is considered fully paid by Jesus but there are some conditions that apply. Let us examine our part of the deal and make sure that we don't end up like this fig tree in the parable it might finally be cut down unless we take action, allow ourselves to be cultivated, respond positively and bear fruit. The figure of speech used in the passages sounds scary. They were meant to give emphasis on the need to bear fruit as heirs of the kingdom of God, endowed with a gift, we should not waste our inheritance and be aware that although we have a merciful and loving God, He too is a God of justice and order. He has to be consistent to His nature. God is always patient with us but He must also discipline us, if at the appointed time we haven't responded yet after so many pleadings from the Lord then it is not Him who turned away from us, it is by our own decisions that we strayed far away from God, though, He is God, He can easily snatch us from the enemy lines where we have lead ourselves, He can not force us to be in a situation because He loves us so, He has given us the  freedom to choose. Although, we know that  we should choose the  path  to God, the distance  and  hindrances, represented  by  our sinfulness,  have  become  so great that it  will be  more  difficult  for us to find the right path. An example of this is when we decide to go on a trip away from home the longer the distance traveled the longer the time needed, we sometimes grow weary and tired that in our stubborn ways we just opt to stay behind and lose our way. If we haven't prepared ourselves for this trip then we fail to reach our final destination and get lost. I pray that we will prepare wisely for our journey in this present life that we may find ourselves in the loving embrace of the Lord. We must praise and thank God for the patience, opportunity, time and attention He has been giving us in order for us to grow and prosper most especially in the aspects of our life where we really need to improve. God does not give up on us. We all have a reservation in heaven but just like any reservation, it has a validity period and can be forfeited. We don't want that happening to us. We would surely want to avail of it when the appointed time comes. There is a need to fulfill certain requirements in order to fully enjoy it. It is a consolation to know that the hardest part of the requirement has been fulfilled by our Lord Jesus. All that is left for us to do is to respond to it the way the fig tree in the gospel is supposed to do after it has been cultivated and fertilized, bear much fruit. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Luke 13:1-9

...And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, 7 he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. [So] cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ 8 He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; 9 it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’ ”

 

 

EVERLASTING LOVE

We can sometimes easily change our minds and decide against something that we were just considering at one moment. It could be contradictory to what we were earlier stating but it happens to all of us and can not deny that's how we are at times. Our minds can only be occupied with and focused on a few things if not just one at a particular time. No matter how good and brilliant we may be, we all have our limitations. We may be up to something yesterday but can suddenly change today and could definitely not tell what tomorrow may bring. Everything seems to be uncertain except for the fact that we have a God that is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever as in today's 1st reading and that is all that matters. There is none like God. There is no one and nowhere to go but only to God. We have to decide once and for all to live for Jesus alone.  It is time we have a grasp of the depth of God's love and mercy. Without realizing this we can never come to appreciate how much God wanted us to be in a relationship with Him. Today's 1st reading tells us that He is willing to go as far as the unreachable just so He can get this everlasting love across to us. We always see these words of Jesus in the gospel, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” As the Apostle Paul says, “On behalf of Christ, we are acting as ambassadors and appealing that you return to God.” God is appealing to us to be reconciled to Him through Christ. What could be done so that God is pleased with us rather than angry at us? Who can have qualms about God's mercy if we seriously return to Him? He will certainly welcome those who return as the Loving Father to His prodigal son. We are free to sin but later on must pay the heaviest penalty of the consequences of sin. When we have returned to God how can we can continue receiving His forgiveness and remain His friends, sons and daughters. What does He asks of us? Nothing except that we keep His commandments. The Apostle John explains that His commandments are not burdensome, if it is to us how much more are the torments of hell. Unless we are mad, we don't dare want to experience it. We have to think of it over and over again and never forget. Now is the time of mercy but later the time of justice. One can easily square accounts with God with a small effort of repentance we can gain great forgiveness. With a brief mourning one can avoid eternal wailing. But later the riches of the whole earth could not even gain a single drop of cold water or a dip in a burning tongue as in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:24). On the other hand any good work done now in account of charity can obtain the kingdom of heaven. What could be clearer than what the 1st reading is telling us today? The time to act is now. Amen. Hallelujah!

                                 

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20

…Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old; as in the days when you came from the land of Egypt, show us wonderful signs. 18 Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, 19 and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;20 you will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from days of old.

We can never fathom the wisdom of God but we can always remain confident in the truth that His kindness is perfect and everlasting. He makes all things work for good. When we feel so helpless, miserable and alone, never ever doubt that He can't help but be the loving God that He is. God loves us so much that he will adjust to our needs and make things work for good. There is no reason for us to even doubt and hold back anything from the Lord for nothing is too difficult for Him. If we are confident of God's Providence in our lives then nothing should even make us doubt that God is able to redeem us and take us out of misery. God has made known His kindness, mercy and secures justice for all. He knows exactly what we need at the precise moment and brings forth everything in its appointed time. Furthermore, God wanted to take our transgressions as far as the east is from the west. How far is the east from the west? Only God knows. We know that the distance is unfathomable, that’s what the Lord does with our sins. How much does He loves us? We know that His love and mercy is immeasurable. There is really none like our God. And reading part of the psalm reading made me remember the song "Loving and Forgiving". He is our best bet for always and there is no one or nothing else that could or should take first place in our lives more than the Lord. Whenever we receive goodness and kindness from people we meet we are very much delighted and pleased with it. How much more would we feel if we have God's favor resting upon us. There is nothing else better compared to this. We may search long and hard but we can never really find true satisfaction and remain restless unless we have God in our life. We only have to believe in God's kindness and mercy and we will surely see it happen in our life before our very eyes. He is our refuge and strength. To whom can we go but to God alone. The world’s point of view is very contradictory to the message that God wanted us to live by.  We need to pray hard for the desire to always follow what is pleasing before the Lord and not forget that it is what really matters first and foremost. We are so blessed that we did not live during the time when Christians were being persecuted and martyred and what we are enjoying right now are already the benefits of God's marvelous work wrought by His mighty hand. This is why we should stop complaining and just keep our hope if we truly believe that we have a God and Father who is full of kindness and goodness. This reminds me of the prophet Amos. He is a prosperous herdsman/farmer, well educated and traveled. His time (746-786) was an age of prosperity but severely marked with moral decay and spiritual bankruptcy. He experienced a luxurious life, lived in the garrison city a place dominated by people of power and had all the time to study the scriptures. He lived in affluence, belonged and embraced the "clan system/wisdom" which is a guild or crusade to maintain the purity of the tradition of the temple of Jerusalem which houses the "Ark of the Covenant". He saw the evil of excess in Tekoa, he witnessed the "left" (poverty) and the "right" (wealth and affluence) side. Being himself a dresser of the sycamore tree who worked with his people, he also saw the plight and injustice that is existent during that time. His prophetic mission emerged as an offshoot of his kingly and priestly status and was able to go through all these stages making him a good "nabi" hebrew word for prophet. We, too as followers of Jesus should also go through certain stages and fulfill our call or mission to be king, priest and prophet in our own personal lives. What I learned in the bible study about the very relevant and essential Hebrew word "pescher" which means repetitious study, reading and pronunciation of the word of God is a tool to achieve this goal and always be reminded about the goodness and benefits of being a genuine, equipped and well fulfilled follower of Jesus. The God of yesterday, today and forevermore. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

R: The Lord is kind and merciful.

Delivers your life from the pit, surrounds you with love and compassion, ...As the heavens tower over the earth, so God's love towers over the faithful...Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. (R) 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us.

We will never ever come to the full realization of this great and immense love that God has for us until the time we come into perfect union with God in heaven. For that to happen we have to die first, leave our human bodies and depart from earth. For the mean time God is trying to get this across to us in a variety of ways that we can relate to, in the things that we are familiar of, here on earth. Today's gospel, Jesus cited not just 1 but 3 parables like the love of  the Holy Trinity, just to get His message across. The story of the Prodigal son never ceases to amaze us. By man's standards what the son did was unforgivable for it is an act of disrespect and dishonor for a father. By God's standards we may not fully understand for it is simply His nature to love us with such careless abandon even if we don't measure up. In other words we have a God who loves us to the max, no holds bar. Thus, these passages of the Parable of the Prodigal Son from the gospel today invite us especially during this Lent to be like the son who rehearses his lines when he said “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” In response, his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Or we could be like the older son who became angry and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. Judging from these we can say that neither of these sons younger or old truly knew their father. When the younger son squanders the property and said "I am not worthy, just treat me like your hired hands." He did not grasp the depth of His father's love and mercy. Sometimes we are like this when we are not totally convinced that God will receive us back. Many of us can identify with the older son upon coming back and hearing the celebration instead of welcoming back his younger brother was dominated with the hardness of his heart. When his father came to him, the oldest son reveals his depravity and voices out his bitterness as he recounts the sins of the younger brother. This is what resentment does, he makes his own the sins of his brother. He was not able to welcome back the younger brother. He is in fact like the younger brother to a certain degree. This is because every single thing that he does he will calculate as shown by his words as he said that all these years the father hasn’t given him a darn thing. This is deep seated resentment and bitterness. Both sons wanted to lay claim of all that their father possess. They just wanted to take hold of what their father has. All that the father wanted them to do is to be like him. This is very important in our relationship with God our Father. We need to become better in whatever relationship we presently have with God. We could be one of the 2 sons and could definitely learn a lesson from this. There is a need for us to assess what kind of relationship we have with God. We might think we are in a higher level of relationship with God but we could be wrong. In the same way that the older son taught that what he and his father had was the real thing. It turned out that he had not perfected yet the kind of love that God wanted us to have in our hearts. We sometimes fall into the same trap when we think we are doing everything that is good. Our love should know no boundaries in the same way that God loves us. We should realize that if we become like God the Father that’s when we truly inherit everything. Do we truly know our heavenly father? Well, we can do better than these two sons, if we wish to lay hold of heaven and the glory that is His.  The beautiful thing to effect here is that God has given us Jesus and the way to do it is through Him. Jesus knows the Father and He and the Father are one. Since the story tells us of a father's great and unconditional love for his son this reminds me of the 4 levels of happiness. The 1st level is known as laetus which is short lived just like eating a favorite dish. The 2nd one is felix and is much like the 1st one also. It could be something that we've been hoping to have and received as a gift from someone. Although the happiness here is not as short lived as the 1st and may last longer it would still eventually wear off. The 3rd is beatitudo which is the happiness coming from service to others and emanates from the joy that we feel when we help other people. We could probably take the example of the saints who lead a selfless life dedicated to others. This is long lasting happiness. Although this definitely lasts longer than the 1st and 2nd it is still not everlasting happiness. The 4th level of happiness is gaude which is perfect since it is depicted by agape, unconditional love of God. This produces everlasting happiness. Let us not settle for anything less. It should drive all of us to attain and reach this level as the father who loves his son so dearly in today's parable in the gospel. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

...“A man had two sons, 12 and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. 14 When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. 15 So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. 16 And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. 17 Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. 18 I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” ’ 20 So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ 22 But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. 25 Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. 27 The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. 30 But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ 31 He said to him, ‘My son, youare here with me always; everything I have is yours. 32 But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ ”

BE THE DREAMER

The story of Joseph the Dreamer has become an inspiration to Christians throughout generations. It has been told from age to age for it displayed the power of God in people who remained faithful and proved themselves true to God against all odds.  It tells us of God's wonderful plan for Joseph who despite of the harsh blows and unfortunate events that happened in his life remained steadfast in his faith in God. What could be worse than being hated by his own brothers in flesh and blood to the point of wishing him dead. No matter how hard and difficult the path he had to go through, God was in it every step of the way and made it sure that his dreams all came to pass. Amen. Hallelujah!

Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a

Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he had made him a long tunic. When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him... They noticed him from a distance, and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him. 19 They said to one another: “Here comes that master dreamer! 20 Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here; we could say that a wild beast devoured him. We shall then see what comes of his dreams.”

There is a lot to learn from the life of Joseph especially the part when he kept on with his faith in God when he became a slave and was almost driven to despair when he was tormented by a lot of trials during that time. All we need to keep in mind is that our time will come and all we have to do is just continue to trust God in His goodness and mercy and never let go of our faith. Just imagine what Joseph had to go through. We will never know of the physical torture and demand of being a slave nowadays. Thanks to God that slaves are already a thing of the past and no longer existent in today's world. But more than anything else is the mental torture of the fact that he was well loved by his father and would have not been in this kind of situation if his brothers had not done such a horrible and unfair thing to him. If it were us and not Joseph who had fallen into this kind of fate we could have responded and reacted to this situation differently. Are these words familiar to us? I do not deserve to be treated this way. I did not do anything bad for God to punish me like this, as if God is a tyrant that is ready to strike us with every wrong move. Why me and not the others who are a lot more sinful than I am. And all these kind of things that we say without much thought. If we are to look at the life of Joseph very closely we would discover that he never let go of his faith in God despite the seemingly desperate and hopeless situation he went through. He remained firm in his faith and continued to trust in the word of the Lord. Joseph was tested and found to be true. In our own lives, we too are called to prove ourselves worthy before the Lord in order for all of the blessings to flow freely without any block or hindrance. We don't expect a mango fruit if we planted a banana tree. It is pretty much the same with our lives. If we strive to live up to the expectations of a child of the Lord by giving Him honor and praise then we will surely be not disappointed with the outcome. For God inhabits the praises of His people. Although we have a tendency to forget or become out of focus since we are surrounded in this world we are in by elements most especially the physical ones that make us more inclined to pursue worldly things. We become sidetracked or worse completely off track of the path where God is leading us. Let us live every single day of our life conscious of the wonderful truth that we are God's people and He has made a covenant with us. Almost everybody knows this famous Christian song from kindergarten, “Father Abraham has many children, some of them are small, some of them are tall, all of them are beautiful...” We remain beautiful as long as we keep God's covenant and remain obedient and faithful to God. He is the reason for everything and the source of all good things. Sometimes morbid thoughts enter into our mind and immediately we'd think that it is always the devil who does it but whether it is true or not this thought could be a wake up call and reminder that in worst case scenarios or life and death situations there is always a God ready to help us at any time. All we have to do is call on Him. It is indeed good advice to always look intently on God and find all the joys waiting for us. There is really no doubt that we need to further explore, know and understand about our faith. In doing so we have to constantly look to the Lord, seek Him and recall His goodness. Jesus' name is undeniably powerful and beyond measure. Its worth is more than all the riches we can gain in this world. There is really nothing we can find even if we search far and wide, high and low more than what the Lord can offer.

We could go on and on with so many options we are confronted with daily in our lives. There is an endless list of "To Do Things" but what comes first and last is always dependent on our priorities. In deciding on our priorities we have to always involve God in all the things happening around us. We would  be so glad to discover that as we place Him in the center of our heart, body and soul He never fails in guiding and directing us. If we live by the word of God which is perfect and remains forever then nothing could go wrong. Our hearts will abound with joy and gladness. There is indeed great power in the name of Jesus. He is worthy of all praise and thanksgiving. Every single day we are confronted with so many challenges in life and we have to be always hopeful that the fulfillment of everything that we have been praying for has come. We should believe that whatever delays or setbacks we are encountering serve as lessons to be learned that benefit our spiritual journey with Jesus. There is a need to go through the different seasons throughout the year for there is indeed a time and a season for everything. Thus, we all go through different situations and circumstances in life. Some of them do not make any sense if we fail to acknowledge the power of God moving in it. There are numerous things that we can think, focus and decide on but there’s only one thing I am sure of. We’ve got to acknowledge that despite of it all God’s power remains to be above all things no matter what it may seem to be. We should always keep in mind all the wonderful things He has done for us. The Lord will never forsake nor abandon us. In the midst of all the turmoil we inevitably face in our daily lives may we remain hopeful in the Lord who is Almighty, provides for all means and prevails now and forever. Whenever we experience difficulties in life we tend to question God right away and somehow blame Him for what came upon us. Sometimes we come to a point in our lives when we tend to question the will of God in our lives. I have plans and you have plans but sometimes things do not fall into place and ask why things happened the way it did and not the way we planned and expected. We just need to always remember the marvels the Lord has done and always hold on to it. If we live by the word of God which is perfect and remains forever then nothing could go wrong. Our hearts will abound with joy and gladness as we further explore, know and understand about our faith. In doing so we have to constantly look to the Lord, seek Him, recall His goodness, keep our spirits up and make our hearts rejoice like what today's psalm is telling us about. There is really nothing we can find even if we search far and wide, high and low more than what the Lord can offer. We may have experienced a situation in our life when we encountered a lot of trials and difficulties. Just when we're about to give up and lose hope, suddenly we came across a particular incident or inspiration that perfectly fits or matches our specific problem which gave us this hope and feeling that God knows exactly what we're going through and promises to see us through it. The Lord is telling us is in today's psalm and assures us that He remembers what He has promised and will surely bring about what He said to us that He would do. If God remembers, so must we. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

 

Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21

R: Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

Then he called down a famine on the land, destroyed the grain that sustained them.

He had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, sold as a slave.  (R) 18 They had weighed him down with fetters, and he was bound with chains, 19 till his prediction came to pass and the word of the LORD proved him true. The king sent and released him; the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him lord over his palace, ruler over all his possessions,...

 

If we feel that we've been going through tough times, feeling rejected and we are already down on our knees then we need not despair for Jesus Himself stated in one part of the Gospels: “When the world hates you, realize that it hated me before you.” Let us persevere and not lose hope and be the people of God that can lay claim on His legacy and inheritance.  If we continue to live our lives without much care and attention to the building up of God's kingdom here on earth then we might end up forfeiting the benefits that is rightfully ours. We may not be fully aware of it but what we are doing right now may be rejecting God in our lives since we can easily be distracted and fooled by the false values and practicalities of this world. An example that came to my mind was during the grand draw of winners for a raffle in my previous place of work. Whenever a winner's name is called and the person was not present to claim the price then he/she lost the chance of claiming the prize. Lord, we pray that we may be always guided and led to bearing the fruits of your Holy Spirit and not lose the gift of God's Kingdom. May we always respond and be ever present to answer God's call. Let us not forfeit what is rightfully ours and end up empty handed. Seize the opportunity right now and right here which is right before us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

...Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes’? 43 Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit...