THE KINGDOM

We've seen and experienced a lot in this world. It can sometimes be full of sadness in the midst of broken hearts and shattered dreams. We sometimes have to learn the lessons in life the hard way. The Son of God and His Mother were not spared of this. Just think of that day when Mary stood at the foot of the Cross and all that was left of her is her Son's dead body. Even the seamless tunic that she must have made and sandals that she had kept clean for her Son were all gone. The soldiers parted His garments by casting lots as to who would get his belongings. This is a very cruel pain that is more than any woman could endure. This should inspire us to live a life according to the word of God as in today's 1st reading. We should glow in this Easter season for He is risen. God knows best, no matter what our situation is, we should have this persevering faith in God. We need to develop this positive attitude towards the hardships and difficulties that we encounter knowing that they serve as a passport to enter the Kingdom of God. Just thinking of what Paul and the Apostles had to go through in order to spread the Good News should make us realize how blessed we are at this present time when we can fully enjoy the fruits of their labor. We are being fed by the word of God on a silver platter. We need not fear for our lives in the same way that the Apostles experienced as they exercised their faith in God. There were many obstacles and hindrances during their time and yet they were able to carry out their mission and task which still live to this present day. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 14:21-27

...They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

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. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R: I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

...slow to anger and of great kindness. 9 The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. (R) 13 The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. Let them make known your might to the children of Adam, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.

Indeed everything will pass away as stated in Revelation. The heaven that exists right now is a place only for souls but time will come when Jesus will raise all the dead and be in heaven with resurrected bodies. Aren't we all interested in being a part of this New Kingdom that God offers us in today's 2nd reading? It sounded as if this present world we live in is bound to be lost. This reminds me of this movie by Keanu Reeves entitled, "The Day the earth stood still" Planet earth is invaded by the aliens who intended to wipe away humanity because it aimed to save planet earth which is slowly dying and deteriorating from the hands of people like us who carelessly neglects the environment and destroys it in the process. But in the end the alien sacrificed itself in order to stop the ongoing demolition that had already started and spare the human race instead. What made it do what it did and reversed it was when it saw that people can change. It has witnessed the transformation from its former self to the new self in the midst of all the trials and devastation and made a decision to sacrifice itself to preserve what's left of humanity. It makes us think somehow that we must not wait before it's too late to salvage what's left of us before we change.  The time to change and do something for the better is now. Amen. Hallelujah!

Revelation 21:1-5a

1 Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

The tiny group of followers which started everything and made it to what is called the Christians nowadays grew and flourished amidst the seemingly insurmountable difficulties that assailed the Church during the time of Jesus. It was this all important and encompassing commandment in today's gospel that made this happen. This love that was rooted in God's unconditional love for mankind when He poured Himself out to us and loved us to the end. He loved us all without exception. We remember that day when Jesus washed the feet of Judas on that Holy Thursday evening when he betrayed Him and sold Him for 30 pieces of gold. Let us think of that day when He went out of His way to love all people. Just think of that Samaritan woman in the well, the woman caught in adultery and Nicodemus who eventually became believers. Whether they agreed or not, He shared His love to them. He loved those who do not like Him and even those who hated him. This commandment is the most difficult to fulfill and to live since we are most tempted against it. We need to love and respect each other and all people. Let us pause and examine our conscience and see how we fulfilled it. We are into so many activities and issues involving exemplary work in many ways but we forget the most fundamental aspect and this all encompassing commandment that Christ Himself gave us. How often do we forget and criticize others and our neighbors? We try different ways to avoid those in need and lonely. If we listen to the way we speak of other people can we honestly say that we have been true to this commandment. When we encounter people whom we disagree with, don't we sometimes feel hatred growing in our hearts. We don't have to agree in every issue but we can disagree in love, compassion and understanding. We don't have to demonize and destroy the good character of others. We don't have to be alike and the same in order to respect others. We can gracefully disagree and avoid giving in to too much hatred and violence in our hearts. What must we do to comply to this invitation of Jesus? We must be the expression of Jesus to the world to make known to all that we are Christians who truly belong to the Kingdom. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 13:31-33a, 34-35

...I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. 35 This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”