BE BRAVE

Today’s 1^st reading is taken from Hosea chapter 2 which according to Fr. Tony from our bible study is the key to the whole book. Hosea married Gomer, a prostitute whom he loves but was unfaithful and deserted him. His painful relationship with his wife symbolizes the covenant relationship of God's love and relationship to man. Hosea can be described as a book of relationship and fidelity, God's faithfulness despite our unfaithfulness. Chapters 1-3 is about the life of Hosea focusing on his failed and broken marriage, chapters 4-13 about his preaching, oracles against infidelity and adultery in relation to worship to "Baal", chapter 14 is about the return to hope after judgment. God's fidelity to his people is described in terms of marriage, a divine love, fiery and affectionate for Israel as the "bride of God." From the time of Creation when God created man who fell into sin and became unfaithful, God continuously calls us back to Him in order to show us who He really is throughout the length of time most especially the special love He has for us. Fr. Tony compared God's demonstration of His love to a strip teaser who one by one strips herself of clothing before she comes out totally naked. He said that God throughout time has sent emissaries, patriarchs, prophets and kings to declare His great love for us and in the fullness of time has ultimately revealed His naked love in its entirety by sending His only begotten Son Jesus who was not spared to suffer and die on the cross just to show His great love for us. God never ceases to love us every single turn in our life since His love is beyond comprehension. God continues to strip tease constantly, consistently and continuously just to lure us back to His loving embrace. His love knows no boundaries, it gets more intense, longer, higher and deeper as the days go by. Amen. Hallelujah!

Hosea 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22

16 Thus says the LORD: I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart. 17 She shall respond there as in the days of her youth, when she came up from the land of Egypt. 18 On that day, says the LORD, She shall call me “My husband,” and never again “My baal.” 21 I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; 22 I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the LORD.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

His heart sank and turned cold.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R: The Lord is gracious and merciful.

2 Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. (R) 4 Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might. 5 They speak of the splendour of your glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works. (R) 6 They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds and declare your greatness. 7 They publish the fame of your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your justice...slow to anger and of great kindness. 9 The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.

Today’s gospel tells us that fear is useless, what we need is trust. Jesus throughout the gospels have been telling us, “Where is our faith?”,  “Men of little faith”, “If you have the faith the size of a mustard seed you can move a mountain.” A lot of people were touching Jesus but this one woman in the gospel who touched His tassel was healed and it’s because of her faith. Just as the scene is ending with the healing of this woman they had a confrontation when Jesus was met by this scene when the little girl was pronounced dead. What is very interesting here is that, Jesus tells them, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.” In our faith we should realize that fear is useless. Many of us are dominated by fear as we go through life. It dominates our spiritual life. As we know from the rest of the New Testament, when fear goes down and we are following what we are supposed to be doing then our level of love is going to increase. Many times, they are inversely proportional. These are very important principles for us to know. Jesus, when we approach Him and deal with Him, He wants us to have courage and not to fear because He wants to heal and cure us. If we apply this to our spiritual life everyday especially those who attend daily mass, we must realize that this woman just touched the tassel of His garment and did not even touch a part of Jesus’ body. What about us? We actually receive, the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity in Holy Communion. If we have faith we can be healed. As we grow in our spiritual life which happens and may not realize it, we can be fearful of what Jesus demands of us if He heals us. We should not be afraid and have courage in the spiritual life. Courage is the virtue of bravery in facing difficulty especially in overcoming the fear of consequences. In this case this woman is afraid of the consequences of what was going to happen to her. In general, as we continue on with our spiritual life which is a battle, we all need and should have courage to overcome fear which dominates our life, especially our spiritual life. More courage will enable us to pursue which is deemed to be right whenever a person may incur disapproval from other people. Physical courage is a bodily and emotional strength to withstand opposition. We often speak of soldiers and it’s in the battle field when we see if they are brave or not. Bravery is a virtue in facing difficulties and it differs from fortitude because it is patience to withstand difficulties. We often think of a soldier who goes out in battle to show that he is brave. The lessons we learn today are, fear is useless and we must cultivate the virtue of bravery and courage especially in our spiritual life regardless of how people are going to treat us whether with contempt, disapproval or with great opposition against us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 9:18-26

...“My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. 20 A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” 22 Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. 23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. 25 When  the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. 26 And news of this spread throughout all that land.