IT MIGHT BE TOO LATE

 While we still have time, let's take advantage of it. We'll never know the time and the hour and not wait before it's too late. Let's not cram and lose everything. Have you ever experienced cramming for an exam and trying to read and absorb everything on the night before an exam? I did and the result was disastrous. Amos the prophet where today's 1st reading is taken calls us to act on the word of God. He is not just a shepherd and dresser of sycamores. He is a herdsman, rancher and a wealthy person. He lives in the garrison city a place dominated by people of power who live in luxury. He lived in affluence and belonged to the clan system which is a guild or crusade to maintain the purity of the tradition of the temple (Ark of the Covenant). He was well educated,  and embraced the clan wisdom.  Although he experienced a luxurious life he was also aware of the injustice and plight of the people being a sycamore dresser who worked in close contact with the people. When God called him he was already aware of both worlds. And the Lord took him from what he was doing and summoned him to prophesy to the people. If I must say he came to a point when he no longer owned the choices and decisions he made. This, I guess is given once you take upon yourself the duty of a prophet much more the will of God in our lives over our own. This reminds me of what Atty. Moya said in his talk on Family and Social Morality which really makes sense in as far as what Amos did is concerned. He mentioned that there should be no confusion between authority and power or obedience and inferiority. Amos  clearly demonstrated to us obedience to God's authority over power and inferiority owing to the inappropriate situation he was in and status in life. Amos was able to differentiate the highest authority of God over the power of the priest of Bethel and his obedience which can never be taken as inferiority since he is also a man of power and wealth during his time. In the same way but definitely based in our present status in life, whoever, whatever, wherever and whenever, we are also being led to do something in response to God's call to apostleship. It should clearly be well established that our response is based on the authority of God and out of obedience. May we like Amos also get over our own personal idiosyncrasies and really get down to the real business of God. Let us not be deceived by the false misrepresentations of the world thinking that we can get away from our accountabilities or attempt to merge opposing worlds or acquire a little of both. It is either heaven or hell, God or Satan. There is no in between.  For no one is above or over, exempted or excluded from the power of God. He will see to it that justice is served. Amen. Hallelujah!

Amos 8:4-6, 9-12

4 Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land!... 11 Yes, days are coming”, says the Lord GOD, “when I will send famine upon the land: Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the LORD. 12 Then shall they wander from sea to sea and rove from the north to the east in search of the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it.”

Another interesting event I am reminded of is one of the MI (Militia Immaculata) Meetings we had in the past  wherein we were asked to introduce ourselves briefly by saying our names, parishes where we belong and the time when we were consecrated to the Mother Mary. I can never forget the date I was consecrated (March 15, 2008) since it was the same date, but in 1995, of my mother's death anniversary but I would rather call it her birth to eternal life. It was highlighted by another significant event which was a dream I had at that same time of my aunt, Tita Edna who also passed away on the same date, March 15 in the year 1992. The dream was quite interesting and very vivid because I saw Tita Edna  riding in a van and the moment I saw her I took off immediately and ran after the van which I almost missed if I did not leap and managed to make it to the door of the van from which I almost fell. When I finally made it inside the van, I saw that she was about to eat so I offered her a hand sanitizer and saw that it made her so glad that I had it. She immediately applied it in her hands and thanked me for it. It suddenly gave me the impression that the van could be a symbol of our transportation to heaven. It is very difficult to catch that ride, we have to be always alert and vigilant we might end up missing it and worst never be able catch the ride ever again. That is, if we are too busy with other things we tend to neglect what should we be paying attention to and end up missing out on our ride and get a different ride which instead of bringing us to heaven, be brought to another destination which I guess none of us would like to be. We must always know on whose authority we are basing our actions. It will always help to examine ourselves and really be aware where our loyalty lies. Are we for God or against God or are we just for God in the superficial sense?  If we are deeply rooted in Him then we can withstand that horrible day of trial  and still find ourselves persevering in our faith. Just the thought of ending up in hell should really make us pray fervently to God.  Today's psalm teaches us the way to always be attuned to God's Spirit in order for us to truly see the word of God, as the light shining like a lamp for our feet. If we really want to be truly happy then there is just one thing we have to always do that is to always keep ourselves blameless before the Lord. We can never run away from the probing eyes of God because nothing is hidden from Him. We sometimes have this impression that our God requires impossibilities from us. We misinterpret and take things in a different way whenever we hear of rules and regulations to be followed. The decrees of our Lord are not meant to make things difficult for us nor do they burden or tie us down. This is the deception and we should start looking at it the right way. Just imagine life without God's decrees to guide us, it would be very disorderly and chaotic. It's like driving in the freeway wherein one can just go his or her own way without any regard for any traffic rules and regulations. Real freedom is the ability to follow God and being totally free of the grasp and hold of sin that brings death. Some sins bring instant death but others just like cancer slowly creep in and before we know it has already eaten us up whole.  God loves us so much that He has given us His decrees because it is in following them that we become totally free and live. The only way to true freedom is by following God's commands. In doing this we become free of the bondage of sin and live a power filled life based on the Truth. We should believe that if there is someone in and out of this world who is most reasonable, just, fair and at the same time loving, caring, slow to anger and rich in kindness that is no other than our God. One thing for sure, if He requires us something, He will definitely equip us for it because it is written, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." If we commit ourselves to following God then we will surely be blessed. Allow me to use the word "luck" or "swerte" in Tagalog in lieu of any other more appropriate word like blessed or pinagpala in Tagalog since I have always been hearing this word being used very often by some people in reference to certain situations within the broad context of this word. I just couldn't help but share it, first and foremost due to some personal circumstances. We often hear people say to another who is about to embark on something challenging, “good luck” If the word luck may have been associated with whatever negative meaning then consider it excluded from here and out of context for the mean time. Let's just say we would like to broaden the scope of our vocabulary. This is to further drive the point or message in today's psalm and is actually the catch here. This is to come up with an induction that following the law of the Lord is just as synonymous to being blessed, lucky, swerte or pinagpala or any other word that we could closely associate with this. It is not very easy to lead a life like that of the saints who followed the example of Jesus. Ignorance is not an excuse. We should always seek to enrich our knowledge about God so that we will continuously grow in our faith. Our world is ever changing with all the new technology coming up, it's so surprising that whatever is considered the latest and gold standard today may not hold true the following day. If there's one thing we should rely and hold on to in this very dynamic world of ours, then it should be something constant and enduring.  It gives us great consolation that we have a God who is true to His word. We may have heard it but we haven't learned yet. It is a lifelong journey and quest to know God better. Nothing can be more rewarding than having great peace in our lives. We can make this possible by adhering to God’s law and committing to following it in word and deed. It will always be well for us to consult the scriptures that shed light and give understanding. It is only right that we follow the law of the Lord if we are really for God then our works should follow us and testify to who we really are. We've got to make sure that what we sought and yearn for, is what should bring us genuine riches, true delight and the most precious treasure which the world can not give and only God can bring about. It is only right that we follow the law of the Lord if we are really for God then our works should follow us and testify to who we really are.

Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 119: 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131R: One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.2 Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart...

 During our clinical rotations when I was just a student nurse I have encountered several patients who are already terminally ill. One of them can no longer tolerate his oral medicines and just vomit it out. When they tried to give it intravenously the veins ruptured. No amount of medicine can heal a terminally sick person. Let us not wait for the time when we are already too sick to respond to God's healing and end up rejecting it rather than accept it. It is written in Isaaih 55:6, “Seek the LORD while he may be found,

call upon him while he is near.” And also in Ephesians 5:15-17, “Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.” We all know too well, that God will never get tired of loving, caring and running after us, for He is a perfect God  but we are imperfect and the problem lies not on the love of God but on our response to His love. If only love can be forced then God would have done that to us but He never did and never will. Love is perfect, patient and kind. Let us respond to this love while we're still in perfect shape. Jesus has the biggest and most compassionate heart for sinners especially those who choose to respond to His call and follow Him. Despite the stigma attached to tax collectors and sinners during His time, He did not hesitate to call them. We are all being called to live a life with Him no matter what our situations are. Whatever we may be going through right now, a problem, difficulty or sin that is preventing us from responding to His call, we have to always believe that God can overcome all of these if we are willing to give Him the room to act in our lives. Once we give God the go signal, He can accomplish almost anything. If we really believe this then it doesn't matter if we may be experiencing already a life of comfort and ease, our acceptance and consent to shifting to the unknown will only serve to emphasize the extraordinary nature of both our unwavering faith and the grace of God. The grace of God is worth celebrating as it can bring about wonders that will stretch the ability of our imagination. And we can not deny the fact that we’ve been privileged to watch this happen not only in the lives of people on a number of different occasions as in the life of our forefathers like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the life of the Blessed Mother but also to us. For He doesn't only call the qualified but He also qualifies the called. No one is hopeless and desperate for God. Nothing is beyond His healing love and mercy. We must not be impatient or judgmental of our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the Lord. We must keep in mind that He has a special eye for the sick and the sinners. We have all sinned and fallen ill because of the disease that sin brings to us. No matter how big and grievous our sins are, God is always able to heal us. This song which tells us, "He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities and the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him for by His wounds we are healed." should inspire us to reach out to Him more than anyone or anything else. God is indeed an Almighty God who knows our specific needs be it spiritual, emotional or physical and He will surely heal every single one of them. He is a God who makes us whole. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 9:9-13

9 As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 10 While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. 11 The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. 13 Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

TAKE IT PERSONALLY

Have you ever experienced doing something that you have not planned or intended to do and just happened before you know it or without you knowing it as if you had no other choice so to speak. This was what happened to Amos, the prophet whom today’s 1^st reading is taken from. Our bible study teacher, Bro. Willy Santa Maria was so on fire in his presentation of the Book of Amos since he said that Amos is his favorite prophet. He even tackled about who Amos really was and gave us a broad and clear picture of what it was like when God called Amos to prophesy. Which is also why it remained clearly etched in my mind and was always reminded of it whenever encountering a reading from the book of Amos. Amos apart from what is written in today's reading is not just a shepherd and dresser of sycamores. He is a herdsman, rancher and a wealthy person. He lives in the garrison city a place dominated by people of power who live in luxury. He lived in affluence and belonged to the clan system which is a guild or crusade to maintain the purity of the tradition of the temple (Ark of the Covenant). He was well educated and embraced the clan wisdom.  Although he experienced a luxurious life he was also aware of the injustice and plight of the people being a sycamore dresser who worked in close contact with the people. When God called him he was already aware of both worlds. And the Lord took him from what he was doing and summoned him to prophesy to the people. He came to a point when he no longer owned the choices and decisions he made. This is given once a person takes upon one’s self the duty of a prophet and the same is true when we put the will of God in our lives over our own. Atty. Moya said in his talk on Family and Social Morality that there should be no confusion between authority and power or obedience and inferiority. This really makes sense in as far as what Amos did is concerned. He mentioned that Amos clearly demonstrated to us obedience to God's authority over power and inferiority owing to the inappropriate situation he was in and status in life. Amos was able to differentiate the highest authority of God over the power of the priest of Bethel and his obedience which can never be taken as inferiority since he is also a man of power and wealth during his time. In the same way but definitely based in our present status in life, whoever, whatever, wherever and whenever, we are also being led to do something in response to God's call to apostleship. It should clearly be well established that our response is based on the authority of God and out of obedience. May we like Amos also get over our own personal idiosyncrasies and really get down to the real business of God. Let us not be deceived by the false misrepresentations of the world thinking that we can get away from our accountabilities or attempt to merge opposing worlds or acquire a little of both. It is either heaven or hell, God or Satan. There is no in between.  For no one is above or over, exempted or excluded from the power of God. He will see to it that justice is served. Amen. Hallelujah!

Amos 7:10-17

12 Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos: “Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying, 13 but never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.” 14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. 15 The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me: Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”

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 our 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!  

Psalms 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.

The gospel for today urges us once again to look beyond not only what the situation suggests but beyond the words being said to us by Jesus. The scribes were not only very shortsighted and  but also short of hearing in the sense that they chose to entertain evil thoughts rather than on the most essential and most important things which are the only ones that could bring healing and fulfillment in our lives. Sometimes we fail to understand and see what the situation or words being said to us really meant. We should always think that God who is Holy and All Good can never be capable of willing something bad to happen to us. Although it is a truth that almost all Christian believers would agree to, it is not always the case when it comes to the kind of life we live. Sometimes our own lives do not reflect the faith that we profess. Just like the scribes in today's gospel who are supposed to be the learned and well versed when it comes to the word of God but failed to live it in their lives. We are also guilty of this despite our frequent attendance to prayer meetings, bible, Catholicism studies and having experienced and witnessed the wonders and miracles God has done in our life, still there is a moment when we succumb to despair and doubt. May we always focus on the goodness of God and disregard the evil tendencies and inclinations that we often harbor in ourselves. The problem is that there is a great propaganda out there. It makes sin appear with all its fun, excitement and glamour. It makes virtue appear boring, lame, bland and unexciting. But the truth of the matter is, it’s not. The pleasures that God created in this world are enjoyed the most by those who don’t abuse them and use it simply. Who do we think enjoys food most? The person who doesn’t know how to fast and engorges all the time or a person after a fast experiences a feast? The virtuous person enjoys life the most. The person who uses creation and all things according to God’s plan enjoys it the most. It is because pleasure is God’s idea. All the good things in the world that people want are God’s idea. Satan can’t invent even one bit of pleasure.  But God commands them to be used so that it leads to life and a part of life is joy. The way to enjoy life is to follow God’s commands. Life is not all about rules and regulations. God did not just give us a bunch of rules and regulations that we are supposed to obey like machines. What we do does not just proceed from who we are but also makes us who we are.  The actions we engage, the words that we say and the things that we do have an impact on us. We are making ourselves all the time. God created us when we came out of the womb, our mothers and father have a great role in that but our creation continues every single day of our lives. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature and stronger or someone weaker and more despicable. There’s no middle ground. We’re going one way or another. Life leads either to heaven or to hell. That’s what the acts that we commit do. Virtuous acts build in us strength. The word virtue comes from the word manly which is strength and power. Virtue is a habit that makes it easy and pleasurable to do the right thing. Golden virtue isn’t always easy. It is hard. But what is vice, it is a habit that makes it easy to do the wrong and evil thing. Let’s take exercise as an example. People make it their New Year’s resolution and people who go to the gym noticed that it’s packed on January but they’re gone by the 3rd week. If we’ve ever engaged in an exercise program for the first time, we know that we feel bad, tired, exhausted and wake up sore. This is because we do not have the habit of exercise. We have not trained and our bodies are not used to it. It hurts and it’s hard the first time we work out. If we persevere past the first few weeks and developed a habit of regular exercise then we end up getting used to it and become easy that when we don’t exercise we feel bad. What happens is that we build up the power or the virtue. We’ve conditioned ourselves so that it becomes second nature to us. If we want a progressive course we need to do something hard. No pain no gain. The next time we work out we add up a little bit more since we are stronger. We can move forward and grow in our ability to lift weights. This is the deal. The actions we do have an impact of what we are. It’s like when we start lifting weights we start to change and look different. We look like someone who has strength, power and endurance. This is the point, God is about building champions. The goal of the Christian life is to build champions. Well, not necessarily athletic champions but spiritually. A real champion in every aspect of life. God wants us to be strong, loving, wise and to have the power to live. It’s not so much what we do that counts but it’s who we become. That’s what the commandments, teachings and God is all about.

Heaven is the realization of being a champion. In heaven we will be glorified magnificently. We will live forever with strength, power and beauty sharing a new humanity with Jesus. What about hell? Let’s look what vice is about. A habit that instead of building up, deteriorates us. It starts small just like exercise. There was a guy named Ted Bundy, who was executed in the State of Florida for horrible sexual crimes, murder and all sorts of perversion. He was sorry for what he did. He didn’t ask for mercy but he warned people before he died. He was interviewed and narrated how did this road begin. It began with looking at pornographic books which incited in him the wrong kind of attitude  towards other human beings and the opposite sex. It became in his mind, instruments and play things. One thing led to another and just gradually led him to murder, rape and all sorts of horrible things. That’s the way it is with every sin. Sins that we commit are traps and tricks that will lead us to habits and patterns of behavior that will change us. When we tell the first lie we may not be a liar yet but it makes a lot more prone to lie again. We start with kids maybe stealing a pack of candies from the store. If we don’t stop that, the next time it will be bigger. Maybe for teens it may be something like breaking in to a house and steal things. It just keeps on going and it becomes easier and easier to do more horrible things. Then we become a thief, an unjust person with just one little act. There’s a little thing that illustrates all these. Sow a thought, reap an act, sow an act, reap a habit, sow a habit, reap a lifestyle, sow a lifestyle, reap a destiny. It all begins with a decision or thought, an act and then it becomes a pattern. It has dared us to become who we are. There are 7 habits that have been identified for the last 2000 years that will lead us to success, excellence in every aspect of human life and holiness. The most important of human life is our relationship with God. But every other aspect like our relationship with other people, family, the way we are in the work place and all these things are governed by these 7 habits, patterns or qualities. These habits we can find in scriptures and see it in the life of saints. Even before God begin to reveal Himself to His people in Israel, human nature is smart and wise enough to see some things on its own. 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. 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. But 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. It is by knowing the virtues and the habits of a champion. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 9:1-8

...When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” 3 At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? ...

THE KEY

I was reminded of the time when I suddenly felt like I am going to pass out. I could not breathe and was having cold perspiration since I did not have breakfast yet and missed dinner too. I was still in Church and almost in a panic when I found myself unable to recite the remaining 2 decades of the Divine Mercy prayer although I was still able to stay until the end of the prayers I barely managed to get myself up to walk to the door. And just right on time and what I needed, a sudden gush of strong wind blew my way as if fanning my whole body. It totally refreshed me and felt better. A lady whom I don’t even know offered to bring me home. Though, I declined and told her I’d be fine since I was already feeling better, I was overwhelmed by her gesture of kindness. Whenever I look at the circumstances that surround it, I must say that God wants to show me how He keeps us safe and sound and never runs out of angels whether in disguise or real people. This is why I am reminded again of the angel miraculously imprinted in the fresh petal I got from a healing service in Oct 21, 2007 which I am still keeping with me to this day. We all had experiences wherein we can not deny the hand of God guiding and leading us through our circumstances. Even though we are already in a difficult situation, if God allowed us to be in it then God will surely see us through it. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 12:1-11

...“Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”

The considered powerful and mighty of this world is what appear to be the blessed and favored ones as far as human logic and reason are concerned. The exact opposite of what Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount and Plain (Beatitudes) in the gospels. A lot of people find it difficult to really understand the beatitudes since it contradicts the values of this world we live in. The poor, weak, hungry and sorrowing are called blessed. This may not sound acceptable for everybody and would even go around its meaning to get away with the real issue that Jesus wants us to face. Whatever it may be that's still stopping us from grasping the wisdom of God let us pray to God that we will always hold on to His word as He assures daily. Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world. We’ve got to have the right heart, mind and attitude. Be poor in spirit and receptive to the Word of God. It doesn't make sense that despite these truths that are ever before us we still reject Jesus. Let's admit that we do it one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. Pope John Paul II narrated a story when he was in the hospital for his operation. Just before the surgery, he went out of his room unnoticed and visited a very sick boy on the verge of dying. His mother was so depressed that no amount of words was able to console her. She told the Pope to tell God to go away. The Pope answered her that he did tell God to go away but He wouldn't listen. He embraced the inconsolable mother and told her that God knows exactly the place where He needs to be and that is none other than with her. We should realize that God never leaves nor forsakes most especially in times of despair. He is always there for us. Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world. Have you heard of blind obedience? Following without knowing exactly why you follow. Take the example of suicide bombers, who willingly die to spread terrorism. What courage! We should know that it is always worth it to obey God, obeying and knowing fully well that it is for our own good. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. We may have encountered situations wherein we were not able to plan ahead and totally placed us in a very unexpected, uncertain and insecure position.  They just happen suddenly that we have no time to prepare and really caught us off guard. This has caused us to feel at a loss. Just imagine how it feels to be blind not knowing where to go and groping in the dark. But we can be assured that God will rescue us from all distress and deliver us from our troubles. The wickedness and the hatred may persist but let us not lose hope and despair because we have a mighty Savior and Redeemer in our Lord Jesus. This truth stated in today’s psalm reading should keep us going and do exactly what we are told. The Light of the World already came and judgment day is coming soon. In fact, judgment is happening even now. In Deuteronomy 30:15 "Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom..." God asked us to choose. It's got to be one way or another. There should be no mingling or ambiguity. It is all up to us. We can be assured that if we take God’s side then we’ll definitely taste and see His goodness. If we will just seek God at all times then we surely find Him. Let us not turn to anything or anyone else but to God alone. Let us be firm and wise in our dispositions to really stick to God's ideals and principles alone instead of the suggestions and insinuations of the so called wise and learned of this world's standard. For if we do, we'll find ourselves rescued, saved and  truly blessed. We should always keep our hopes up in the Lord no matter what our situations are because it can never change the fact that He is God and always in charge and in control. There are times when we feel forsaken or abandoned but we must always hold on to the truth that He loves us so much. He would never leave us in misery. Let us remove all doubts and fears. Nothing should make us feel afraid for God hears our cry. He will surely carry out what is clearly for our own good and the best. All we need to do is allow God to work in our lives and stop hindering His grace to flow in our lives. If there's one big obstacle that is blocking this flow then it is surely not God. It is time we analyze the things in our life that continue to build up and shut out God. We don't want that happening and it's all up to us for the Lord hears and saves us. Although there are times when we do not have to sweat at all and things just come and fall into place we also have to know that our life is mostly a product of the choices we make. Our choices must always be responsible and carefully decided on. We've got to have a reliable standard for it. One without fail and is sure to work. Actually there is only one thing that we can surely depend on and that is the goodness of the Lord. If we always have this in mind then nothing should stop us to always look at God, listen and follow Him. We should not care so much about gaining the approval and admiration of men rather than God. Our focus first and foremost should be to please God and everything else will follow. Even if it sometimes does not work the way we expected and planned things to be. We can be assured that the Lord heard, hears and will hear all our prayers and surely has the best answer at hand in His most perfect time. In guarding our faith the bible passage from Ephesians 6:10-11 which is about the armor of God is an important tool. If we read it we will find the only weapon mentioned in the said bible passage is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. We should check it once again and be aware of this important information as Catholic Christians. In the gospel about the temptation of Jesus the devil also demonstrated his knowledge of the scriptures. As it is written, we need to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. We are undoubtedly engaged in this battle every single day that's why we are in need of a weapon. This reminds us of the importance of knowing the word of God by heart since it is our only weapon. God never fails. He would always make things work for our good and rescue us in our distress. I have always believed in angels even before I got this petal from a healing service with the image of a cherubim miraculously imprinted on it. It's been a while since I got it and has served as a testimony of God’s abiding love. I have no doubt in my mind that God will always deliver me from all my fears. I always keep my rose petal with me and show it to almost everyone I meet, as a way of propagating God's goodness to me. I can still remember and will never forget how my mother used to narrate to us how I was miraculously saved by my angel several times. First was when I was about 2 months old, and I fell from a height of 2-3 ft countertop when the nanny after giving me a bath left me for only a second to get something and upon returning found me already unconscious and lying on the hard, ceramic tiled floor. I was rushed to the doctor but he told them that if I fail to regain consciousness within an hour then he said I am gone. To everybody's surprise I started to cry even before the time is up. Another one was when I was barely 2 yrs old when I almost got hit by a speeding jeepney. My parent's house is right beside my grandparent's house which is right in front of the school where my mother used to be a public school teacher. She said she was standing in the center of the stage of the school that was why she had a good view of the things around her even the terrace of my grandparent's house so she got the shock of her life when she saw me there alone running very fast heading toward the open gate while a speeding jeepney was coming and looked as if I would really get hit and it would be too late even if somebody was there to stop me. She was already screaming from afar together with the other teachers who saw it and was trying to call the attention of the driver but to no avail for he didn't even slow down because their screams were of no match to the loud engine of the jeep.  It was just a miracle that the moment I stepped on the side of the road, I suddenly stopped and stood very still as if someone was holding me back. She said it was my guardian angel who held me and prevented me from getting hit by the jeep.  I don't remember personally any of those experiences it was only through my mother's stories that I came to know about them. But when I was older like in 4th grade I could already remember how I was spared again from being hurt seriously when the fluorescent lamp right on top of my head fell on my desk a split second after I stood up and left my chair.  My classmates were really shocked and were hovering around me and told me that it was really close. One of my bestfriends, Myrsa got me even more scared of what could had happened when she said that fluorescent lamps are laden with poison that once it gets broken, the poison is released and if the broken glass cuts your skin open the poison will get in and the wound caused by it will never dry up or get healed. From then on I developed this childlike trust in God and thanked God for saving me from death. There was another instance in my life as a child when Myrsa and I were left all alone in school while waiting for our ride home and the deafening sound of lightning and thunder got me very scared. Myrsa played the role of my guardian angel when she tried to calm and stop me from crying by telling me that I should not be afraid because the lightning is the flash bulb of God's camera. She continued by saying that I should not cry but instead smile for God was just taking our picture. Myrsa's legendary stories played a role in my developing a great faith in God. Another funny story was what she told me about the needle. She said that we must be careful with needles because it will find its way into our bodies and once it's inside it will go to our bloodstream and very quickly end up pricking our hearts which can cause us to die right away. There was one time when I lost a needle and couldn't find it anywhere. I went to bed very early that day which surprised my mother and was asking me if there was anything wrong. I decided to myself that I would just wait for my death silently and not tell anybody. I was praying to God not to give me a painful death and let me not feel it once the needle pricks my heart. When I woke up the next day I was so glad that I was still alive and thanked God for sparing me from death. Those were the early formative years of my faith which started out in a funny, amusing but definitely amazing way. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. If we will just constantly nourish and fill ourselves with the words of God in scriptures then there is really no reason for us to fear rather be always filled with joy. He will never allow us to be defeated and conquered for He is always there to rescue us. Amen, Hallelujah!

Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R: The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

1 [2] I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 2 [3] Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (R) 3 [4] Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. 4 [5] I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (R) 5 [6] Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. 6 [7] When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. (R) 7 [8] The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 [9] Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

If we will just be very grateful to God for all the things He has done for us and try to look back and recall we will find that all throughout our lifetimes we really have a lot of things to be really thankful for and find that we can never out give our God. We should be able to say the very same words in today's 2nd reading with much conviction knowing that we did our best for God's greater glory. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

...I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith...The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from the every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Aren't we glad that today's gospel assures us that we have a Church built by Jesus Christ and nothing can prevail against it? We can actually learn a lot from Sts. Peter and Paul and their example. Both were very committed to our Lord. They were willing to leave everything behind and follow Him. They both lived out the cross of Jesus. We see the recognition of St. Peter in today's gospel which shows that he is very committed to our Lord and followed Him. Peter's proclamation of the truth made him a solid foundation of the Church that not even the gates of hell shall prevail against it. As members of the Church that is founded on solid rock may we become like Peter always ready and confident in announcing the truth about God. Although there is a series of problems despite this commitment, Peter was the one who told Jesus not to talk about His dying and being crucified in Jerusalem and got told, "Satan, get behind me." He was also the one in the Garden of Gethsemane after a series of important events like the transfiguration with James and John and the raising of Jairus' daughter, cut off the ear of the high priest servant with such impetuosity but also the one who denied Christ 3x.  St. Paul was also a man who made a serious commitment to Christ. He has a Roman citizenship and came from the tribe of Benjamin. He came from an affluent family that he was educated under the supervision of this prominent teacher, Gamaliel. St Paul mentioned in the scriptures that he was a persecutor of the Church but was converted to Christ. With true humility he recognized how bad he really was and doesn't deserve the favors that Christ has given him. He was willing to talk about his failures. We look at Peter and Paul who both gave a testimony of their blood for the gospel. They preferred to be executed and tormented rather than change their testimony. In doing this they both highlight something else especially St. Peter. This is the kind of man that is chosen. He is very much the man like each one of us. We can also make the best choice that is presented to us. We must recognize that our lives have to be a life of dying to ourselves. This is something that we could learn from and be the Lord's instrument for the redemption of our world. We also need to acknowledge that Jesus specifically mentioned in the gospel that He is giving the keys of heaven to Peter. Praise and thank God for sending not only angels and saints to the rescue but also a keys that can open heaven for us in the person of the priests who are representatives of Jesus on earth. Let us try to remove all obstacles in our path. This reminds me of Sister Loreta's garden in Walnut. I am so impressed at how it looks like. Despite the scorching heat of the sun during summer time her garden remains beautiful. It is does not dry up. I found out from her that whenever the gardener comes to mow her lawn she will immediately water it while the roots are exposed. Just like in our life we really have to cut off or remove excess baggage or useless garbage in us that prevents us from making the garden of our life emerge in full bloom. Funny, how we sometimes find ourselves saying one thing this minute and then another thing the next. Just like Peter in today's gospel, we witnessed the sudden shift when in the first part of the gospel, Jesus was commending him for having professed a truth that can not be revealed through flesh and blood but through our Heavenly Father. But in the latter part, Jesus rebuked him for behaving otherwise. This tells us that no matter how totally unreliable we are, at times. God does not give up on us. He continues to shower us with grace and mercy and it is all up to us if we will respond with faith and humility the way Peter did who persevered despite of all the struggles until the last hour. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 16:13-19

...He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

WHAT'S YOUR WEATHER CONDITION?

Weather forecasts and disaster and calamity preparedness efforts have always been helpful. The Japanese are very well known for these. When I was there in 2000 my sensei (professor) told me to bring my umbrella when we go on a trip because he saw on the weather forecast that it will rain on the day we'll go sightseeing in Kyoto. He even told me what color of the maple tree leaves to expect on specific days while we're there. And he was right, it did rain on that day that he predicted it to rain and the maple tree leaves really turned into the color he said it would become. Very impressing considering that it was a week in advance when he said this. The same is true with our Christian life. We should always be ready to listen and discern God's warnings and advice. Nothing could be more precise and without fail than God's word.

Amos 3: 1-8; 4: 11-12

...7Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. 8 The lion roars — who will not be afraid! The Lord GOD speaks — who will not prophesy...

We look to God in all the things that come our way and offer it in prayers. We should not take matters into our hands but rather entrust it to God who leads us in His justice. We should always be vigilant and be aware of how we conduct ourselves before God. Get rid of hindrances and disturbances that get in the way for us to receive all signals coming from the Lord, so that we can get His message loud and clear. Let us always work toward the goal of becoming a pleasing sacrifice before God because He is faithful so we should be faithful and remain steadfast too. When things do not go the way we wanted and expected it, we must never lose hope and continue to focus on the truth of God's goodness and mercy. No matter how dark and menacing the clouds in the sky may seem it doesn't change the fact that behind it the sun continues to shine and never dim for a moment. If we call on to the Lord in our distress He will surely hear and answer us. This we should know and believe for sure because God can not be any other but goodness, mercy and compassion. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 5:4b-6a, 6b-7, 8

R: Lead me in your justice, Lord.

At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you. 4 [5] For you, O God, delight not in wickedness; no evil man remains with you; 5 [6] the arrogant may not stand in your sight. (R) You hate all evildoers. 6 [7] You destroy all who speak falsehood; the bloodthirsty and the deceitful the LORD abhors.

The gospel for today is another scene at the Sea of Galilee which should made us think and recall once again all the unforgettable, awe inspiring and amazing events whether in our own life or in the life of the apostles during that time that were related to it. We may have heard of this story of a mountain climber who fell and was hanging on a rope and prayed to God for help. He heard a voice telling him to let go of the rope. It was dark and could not see what’s below him and so did not follow the voice. It was already morning when he found out that he was just one foot above the ground. How attached are we to our own rope? Examples of most common attachments are the following. Belief that they were born poor and lowly with a low self worth.  They forget that they are children of God and become weak. God wants to bless the poor to have a rich and comfortable life. We have some unpleasant character and attitude that we find hard to handle but we must believe it can still be changed. By the grace of God everybody can change. We have to overcome bad practices like being habitually late, TV addiction and gossiping. Vices and sins like smoking, drinking, drugs, gambling, fornication and illicit sexual relationships. Old ways or bad habits can be attributed to “homing instinct” This happens when we keep on going back to the same old same environment where we came from despite bitter memories and pain in the past. This may sound unimaginable but we feel comfortable with the old ways, beliefs and environment. Will we let go of our attachments? It is written in Isaiah 41:13 For I am the LORD, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, Do not fear, I will help you. How will we counter these attachments? First we need to admit it and open the door of change. Then we act on it and rebuild. Whenever we are tempted we have to do the opposite. We have to pray constantly for change, improvement and growth. In the gospel we are reminded to take courage. Here are some guidelines that can help us overcome our attachments. Identify our common attachments hindering growth of our Christian life. Explain. How real is “homing instinct” in our life? Knowing our present attachments, what are our steps to counteract them and grow?  There is no doubt really to the amazing power of God that could make all things possible. But what was impressed to me today was the fact that we have to be sure that we are riding on the same boat where Jesus is. If we are caught in a violent storm at sea and we have Jesus on board then there is really nothing to worry about. What should make us worry is that if we know that we did not get into same boat where Jesus is. We have to look back and recall or even go back to the shore of the Sea of Galilee in our lives when Jesus was calling us if we indeed obeyed and followed Him and boarded on the same boat where He got into. Sometimes in our lives when Jesus calls us to do something we end up making decisions for ourselves that are not in accordance to His will so when a great storm comes we become shipwrecked since we were not on the same boat where Jesus was. How many times in our lives have we encountered the most violent storms in our lives but we remained steadfast and unmoved by it and still emerged peaceful and calm? And how many times have we encountered much less violent storms and we ended up terrified and at a loss? In both occasions we can all benefit from it if we look closely at our own lives during these trying times and figure out what could have caused the shipwreck. Or even recall what happened to Lot's wife in the Old Testament when she failed to follow instructions and turned into a pillar of salt. I am sure that we can all find that if and only if we obey and follow Jesus and go on board in the boat of our lives where He is leading us then we can truly be at peace no matter how violent the raging storm is around us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 8:23-27

23 As Jesus got into a boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. 25 They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. 27 The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

THE BATTLE

Today’s 1^st reading reminds me of a sister in the community who is very gracious in sharing her mouth watery and appetizing food during our prayer meetings. She desires to always be of service to our brothers and sisters in the prayer group. It is her way of offering herself to the Lord. We need to think of ways and means on how to serve God and be selfless instead of always focusing on ourselves. If we continue our own selfish ways and not pay attention to God's unrelenting reminders to us then we might find ourselves waging war against God. We can never win this battle and might as well realize by now that God is on our side and should very well decide to be on His side and ours as well. Amen. Hallelujah!

Amos 2:6-10, 13-16

...Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong man shall not retain his strength; the warrior shall not save his life, 15 nor the bowman stand his ground; the swift of foot shall not escape, nor the horseman save his life. 16 And the most stout-hearted of warriors shall flee naked on that day, says the LORD.

God saves. There is no question about that but we have to also be diligent in fulfilling our part of the bargain. This reminds me of the vow I have made when it was impressed to me way back Oct. 7, 2007 in the reading from Book of Habakkuk 1,2-3.2,2-4. “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 been writing daily reflections that can be read by everybody and to my surprise it has become integrated in my daily activities. As time and days go by, a lot of things started to unfold before me, most especially the enormous message contained in that prophecy in Habbakuk. This has given me inspiration and joy to continue doing it. Definitely God is not asking us to resort to some extreme or out of this world act. The emphasis is on the importance of following the commandments of God and doing what we've got to do. We need not wait any longer and see any further for God wants us to start paying attention to His commandments and apply it in our very own lives in order to make a return for all the good He has done. There are times when we just have to ignore what other people may say or think and continue in the belief that we are God's people and have to be obedient in what He has asked us to do and stay loyal to Him no matter what the cost is. We've got to make things very clear for us. Sometimes we insist on doing things our way and more often than not we end up in trouble. It's about time we realize that there is no other way but the Lord's way. We get the impression that if we do one good thing for the Lord then the rest of our actions are already covered and justified. Well, that's what the enemy wants us to think so we can go on doing our own thing without much care whether is it really pleasing to God or not. Our God is perfectly and wholly good in every aspect and we can't expect Him to yield to a partly good and bad child. Because He loves us, we need to be disciplined in order for us to straighten up. There is this Catholic convert who was raised in the belief that the Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon. When he encountered for the first time listening to the Palestrina, he said that it doesn't sound like it came from hell and sounded much more like what the angels sound in heaven. When he visited for the first time, St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, he figured that the whore of Babylon could not be something this beautiful. He realized and understood that there could not be such a disconnection of what could be so beautiful and what is good and true. He could find all of these elements of goodness, beauty and truth in the Catholic church and what eventually brought him to the faith. The beauty that the faith produces is something that shines throughout more than 2000 years of the Church. We are not supposed to engage in a battle that is not destined to win at all. If we know that we are losing in the first place why pursue it? There are so many battles in life that we have to face everyday but there is no need to fight them all. It is not about us but about God. The only guarantee that we are going to win it through and through is to be sure first which side we are on and make sure that it is God's side. Let our words coincide with our work and action so that men will see and become convinced that we are God's obedient people. Sometimes we say one thing and mean something else. If we can confuse, convince and win people over to our side then we are definitely wrong if we think that we can do the same with God or even get away with it. If there's something we should be doing with our life then that is to be upright before the Lord first and foremost and everything will follow. It is not wise to gain the admiration of men at the expense of losing the approval of God. Nothing else matters more than being upright in the eyes of God. No matter how difficult things may seem to be at present we can always count on God at all times. The Lord hears our cries and supplications. He knows and sees all and He will surely make things right for us. No matter what happens to us we can always be assured of a God who will always look after us and will make sure that we are not taken advantage of. If God is for us, who can be against us? If we respond to His call and faithfully follow His precepts and be the person He has meant us to be then we are assured of His saving power. There are moments in our life when things happen to us and we feel that God is touching us in a special way. It seems so obvious that God is speaking to us in a variety of ways through our situations and circumstances. Today’s psalm reading tells us something very specific. It says that God will not just make us feel that we can somehow conclude that He is trying to communicate something to us but really show and demonstrate to the upright His saving power. There will always be times when we seem to not know where to go. No matter how difficult our situations may be, God will never leave us groping in the dark. All we have to do is to really take into serious consideration the words in today's psalm reading. The present civilization is in decline. There is so much moral decline and decay going on around us. The solution can be found in the psalm today. We have to have self discipline and will power to put a stop to the atheistic society that is on the rise. We need to become an active participant of the on going seminar for self restraint to control our appetites. To not pursue our own selfish good but the common good in order to rebuild our society and witness the saving power of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 50:16bc-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23

R: Remember this, you who never think of God.

...“Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, 17 though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” (R) 21 “When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes....“Consider this, you who forget God, lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you. 23 He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”

It will never be easy to follow Jesus, but one thing is sure if your life is too easy then think twice before you rejoice. God gives us the challenges because He has faith in our capabilities to carry out all our tasks. Be merry and glad if you have worries and concerns in life for God knows we are able to go through it all. The slow pokes, the half hearted and the lukewarm have no place in the kingdom. There is a Jewish expression found in the gospel "Let the dead bury the dead!" which can be interpreted in English as the dead being the "slow pokes and half hearted people"  in Filipino are the so called " mga papatay-patay" This can also be related to God's call to us in in the Book of Revelation 3:14-19 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea, write this: " ...I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth..." This is a picture of hypocrisy and duplicity which the Lord rejects. Today's gospel is rather radical at first glance. If we are to look at it very closely we will realize that God does not ask us to do impossibilities. He is just trying to emphasize an important point by giving us such examples in today's gospel. Faith without the works is dead. We've got to be really decided, focused and set our priorities right. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 8:18-22
18 When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side. 19 A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” 21 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

THE PATH

"Where your treasure is, there your heart is." this can somehow contain the essence of the readings for today. Elisha, the son of Shaphat, a wealthy landowner in Abelmeholah, grew up on the farm until he, though not one of the "sons of the Prophets," was summoned from the plow by Elijah. Thereupon, after kissing his father and mother, and making a sacrificial feast of his oxen for the people, he followed Elijah, his "master" and "father," upon whose hands he poured water as a servant. During that time, farming was their source of income and way of earning a living. Elisha chose to follow Elijah and he chose well. Let us set our hearts on the real treasures that neither insect nor moth can destroy. We may have made decisions that led us not to accept a very tempting offer even if it's very clear that we will benefit from it. God constantly woos, courts and entreats us to win our love and reside in our hearts once we've answered “Yes” to Him. Thus, we must align our decisions with God’s will and should not be based on what's beneficial and convenient alone. We all hope to be just like Elisha who willingly, openly and wholeheartedly turned his back on what he used to hold dear in his life just to say “Yes” to God. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21

...Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please, let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and I will follow you.” “Go back!” Elijah answered. “Have I done anything to you?” 21 Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

I have always been amazed of the fact that the scriptures of the Old Testament has always been spoken of as the foreshadowing of the New Testament which is the fulfillment of everything that was written. The apostles were able to connect Jesus to the scriptures in the Old Testament and became very convinced that He is indeed the Messiah and Savior of the world. The 1st reading and the Psalm reading for today were written almost 500 years apart. This is judging from the timeline of the reign of King David (1000BC) to whom the Psalms were attributed. Despite the time gap we can detect the uniformity of the messages. We live in a dynamic world and it changes so fast. They say that nowadays, whatever we hold true for now may not be the case later. It is a consolation to know that in the midst of this unsure world we still have something that we can hold on to. The words of God can stand the test of time and will remain to be true from generation to generation. There may be some negative speculations and forecasts that are being hurled right in front of us about our present situations most especially with the uncertainty and unpredictability of prevailing conditions. We need to keep this in mind, only God can keep us safe from all harm. A holy man once said this, "If we don't go to the desert we have nothing to bring in the marketplace." If we have no prayer then nothing works. We have to pray. We need to take time to be alone with God because if we don't, then we make ourselves vulnerable to the enemy. The scriptures tell us of stories based on real life experiences of holy men and women who lived at a different time and period than today. It is a consolation to know that the God of yesterday is still God of today and tomorrow. This gives us the confidence to really hold on to Him for He is living and true now and forevermore. The message of the readings tells us to turn our gaze on the inevitable which is sure to come. If we try to look at the facts of life there are very few things that we can permanently hold on to. All these things will come to pass and we will all eventually leave this world no matter how long we may have lived already, it will eventually come to an end. When that final day comes we must be found prepared and ready for the inheritance that God gives us. When we went to Las Vegas I saw that one of the shows we can watch for entertainment is a magician named Angel. I was reminded of the time when he was a guest in Oprah. He wowed the viewers and the crowd by being able to predict 5 days before the show the things that Oprah and 2 random guests from thousands of people from  the audience are going to say. He wrote in a piece of paper these three things: delicious, John and Kevin and kept them in a suitcase with a surveillance camera on for 5 days so that no one can see it or even come near it before the show. What’s very interesting was the fact that on the day of the show when Oprah was asked what word comes to her mind she answered, “delicious” and the other 2 who were chosen randomly from almost more than a thousand crowd along Michigan Ave. in Chicago. It was done by throwing a ball and whoever catches it will be the one who will be asked. The man from the crowd who got the ball was asked the name of his first pet and he answered, “John” while the woman who got the other ball was asked who was her first kiss and she answered, “ Kevin”. All of their answers matched the 3 things that he wrote 5 days in advance. It was kind of unbelievable to see something like this and couldn’t quite come up with a good explanation how it came to be. If it was just a trick he did make a good presentation because it appeared very convincing. How can a man predict in advance the things that these people are going to say? If this man who claims to have the power of prediction was able to do it all the more can a powerful God predict our future. But we must keep in mind that it’s choice not chance that determines our destiny. There is only one real failure in life that is possible and that is not to be true to the best one knows. We should always settle for best and make God our choice. For there is nothing more assuring than the fact that we have a loving God and Father who surely has our destiny secure. We must be secured in the knowledge that as children of God our Father we are heirs of His Kingdom and co-owners of this vast creation. May we find the Lord as the only treasure in our lives worth keeping. When God calls us for a task we should always be ready, willing and able to follow Him no matter what the cost. Always follow where the Lord leads us. Nothing else could be worth more than God's inheritance. Sometimes we are confronted with so many allurements that we begin to be influenced by the way the world judges things. Let us always hold fast to God's views and ideals that we may not lose sight of the path to life and our inheritance. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R: You are my inheritance, O Lord.

1 Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; 2 I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you. 5 O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot.”… I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. (R) 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence; 10 because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption. (R) 11 You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.

We may have been through tough times and would never even think of reliving them again but we must not forget the valuable experience gained from it and the lessons we have learned. They say experience is the best teacher and it is. The art of being patient and knowing how to wait is something that we don’t acquire overnight. It is a product of our experiences with all the unexpected twists, turns and the agony of the uncertainty of the waiting. It wasn't an easy thing to wait but it will always pay off and worth it if we wait with joyful hope in our hearts knowing that God is Good and Almighty. Nothing is impossible with God. Sometimes we just miss the point and fail to see things in the proper perspective. When we do something and engage ourselves in activities that we consider as our offering to the Lord we immediately think that we have already been made righteous and holy. We can never fool God by masking our wrong doings through these things. If we think that we can deceive God and go along with our show then we are wrong in the same way that Paul puts it in today’s 1^st reading. It is not that God is very difficult to please but more of our hearts, who alone God can see, that has the wrong motives. We have to get rid of all malice, pretense and ill feelings that do not conform to the Holy Spirit of God. The word freedom has certainly been misused, misunderstood and interchanged for free will most of the time. Our free will is unlimited but freedom is limited. As today's 2nd reading tells us, if we submit to the yoke of slavery due to sin then we certainly lose this freedom. We are free to do anything that we will but we are bound by the consequences of our actions. The more we choose to do good and follow God the more we become free because everything that God stands for leads us to freedom. If we succumb to evil and fall into sin then we become bound to it and lose our freedom.  Let us not be confused any longer and continue to be duped by the enemy's false ideals and padded lies. Amen. Hallelujah!

Galatians 5:1, 13-18

1 Brothers and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. 13 For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another....live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. 18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

“I have decided to follow Jesus no turning back. Though no one follows, still I will follow.” This is part of the lyrics of a song that contains the message of what God wants to convey in today's gospel. We may want to ask ourselves, who is fit for the kingdom of God? Do you know how many times the word heaven or the kingdom of God is mentioned in the bible? 832 times. That's how many it is. There are so many images and symbols used to describe heaven. God obviously wants us to know about it so that we can be with Him there. God the Father, Jesus, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Most Blessed Trinity is in heaven. Jesus the 2nd Person in the Trinity has gone before us to prepare a place for us. He said that He will come back again so that where He is we can also be. Jesus teaches about heaven in so many ways. Sometimes it is easier to picture something in stories and words. When Jesus taught, He liked to take examples of everyday life of the people and teach us about the kingdom of heaven a place of joy and happiness beyond our imagination. There are many images of heaven that are presented to us by Jesus in the bible. Everything that we suffered for the kingdom of God will be rewarded a hundredfold in heaven. God invites us to join Him and enjoy heaven that was prepared for us before the foundation of the world. It is not easy to always do the right thing. Sometimes we fail to respond in the best manner possible. Today's gospel gives a tip on how to do it according to the way of Jesus. Life of detachment, this is the pathway to a simple life. Also in Luke 12:32-34- store treasures in heaven, let go of possessions in Luke 14:25-35 and Luke 16:13 which is about God and mammon. Money is not evil in itself but the love of money. Resources not shared is greed and talents not shared is lust.

We should always do things for the greater glory of God without any hesitation or doubt. Every single day we are always confronted with a lot of decisions that demonstrate where our loyalty lies. We may have decided on something but as we go along the way we find things that do not suit our comfort and expectations. This may cause us to have 2nd thoughts and doubts whether we really made the right decision or worse whether we still maintain the same conviction that we have before encountering a discouraging situation. For as long as we honestly and sincerely know in our hearts and minds that we intended to follow Jesus and acted on it then we should make a decision to really stick to it and never back out for to be fit for the kingdom of God is all worth it. Amen. Hallelujah! 

                     

Luke 9: 57-62

57 As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” 59 And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” 60 But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” 61 And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” 62 Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”