NO IN BETWEEN

What's your standard? I used to do R & D (Research and Development) work at the ITDI (Industrial Technology Development Institute) when I was in the Philippines and if there's one important thing that you've got to have that is to establish a set of standard to be used for the analysis. The same way with our life we've got to continue R & D work too, if we want to see improvement and success. As we are faced constantly with the struggles of daily life we have to discover new things, ways and strategies to come up with the best. As we go along our way we've got to carry on using the optimum parameters based on the only proven and reliable standard that is God’s. There should be no biases or indifferences among the community of God.  Today's 1st reading presents to us a problem among the disciples at the time of Jesus and even up to the present time. We should avoid taking sides and engaging in actions that instead of uniting, create factions. We should closely guard ourselves against these things. We have to be very careful in conducting our affairs. We might not be aware of it but there are times when we are inclined to do certain things without realizing that it does not do any good to us and others. No matter how noble and religious this activity we are engaged in or people we identify and work with, it could not mask, hide or camouflage any flaw if it's just for human or personal glory. What's worse is that we are no longer reflecting our Lord Jesus Christ in doing so and in the process is actually doing more harm than we ever come to know. Why is this so? It is just like the fact that there are only 2 sides on a coin, it's just head or tail and no in between, we too, have to be conscious that whatever our actions are, they only mean one thing or the other, to picture God in it or not. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 3:18-23

Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: “He catches the wise in their own ruses,” 20 and again: “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” 21 So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, 22 Paul or Apollos or Kephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, 23 and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

We can't claim to be this kind of person, a Christian but conduct ourselves in a very unlikely way. Let us no longer be deceived by the false and misleading truths and principles that this world presents to us every single day. We have to be grounded at all times on this truth that today's psalm is telling us. There was a time when Tita Neds complained that something is wrong with the television. She said that somebody fixed it already but it didn't stay fixed for long. It wasn't the manufacturer who repaired it that was why. If it was brought to its manufacturer they would definitely know what to do with it. We've got to be conscious of this reality and apply it to ourselves. When something goes wrong we should know where to go, to whom we really belong, the Lord. This is the covenant: we belong to the Lord and He belongs to us for we are His people and He is our God. If we look at what's happening in the world today most especially the economic crisis wherein even the leading nations are being challenged by the present situation then we are really bound to anticipate the worst. Not even those people who used to be very confident of their present jobs in their respective stable companies can be too sure of what's going to happen next. There have been so much speculations of what will be the outcome of this worldwide problem of the economy and most of them are not good. With all these rubble, there is just really one thing we need to focus on and that is God. It is not easy to live life in this world but we can rejoice and be glad, we have an army, a battalion, a full house of saints with all the angels constantly and endlessly praying and singing in heaven, the so called triumphant Church/army of God, who intercede in our behalf and is joyously inviting us to be one of them. We are being reminded by the readings today to always keep ourselves blameless before the Lord no matter how tough things are. God wants to be with us, there is no doubt about that. But just like water and oil which can not be put together and mixed so is God and man if we are in sin or harbor anything that can not be attributed to the holiness of God. We can not force two different things to go together. Water is a polar molecule and oil is non polar. They do not mix because they are two different substances as in the adage, "Like dissolves like." God can not change. He is already who He is, Holy in all His ways. We can change. We can be like God in His holiness and goodness if we want to be with Him forever. Let us not lose sight of what a mighty God we serve who made the heavens and the earth. We pray to God to open our eyes that we may see the wonders of His love. We should think profoundly of our daily walk with the Lord which consists of not only a leisure stroll in the plains and valleys of life but a steep climb up to the top of the mountain. We must avail of the sacrament of reconciliation. It gives us renewed strength and hope. Our life consists of steep and dangerous climbs but we must not forget that God is always at our side. If we are to carefully assess our life we would find that it feels good whenever we are able to overcome most of our pitfalls though there are some that still needs improvement. We must praise and thank God that every time we experience a fall back and backslide we can immediately go back to Him through the sacrament of confession which restores us to our original path and right track. It is God's desire that we will someday come face to face with Him. There is a need for us to prepare for that day. We are sometimes guilty of not focusing on God's countenance alone, there are times when we get distracted by other things and today's psalm reading serves as the reminder. I heard a story about God's radiating and blinding light that when we stand before Him nothing is hidden from Him, He will never turn away from us but if we ourselves are tainted with the guilt of our sins then we can not withstand His presence and will definitely hide and ran away from Him, far from His ever blinding Light that penetrates us. Let us all hope that when that day comes we can stand in His Holy Presence and claim with confidence our rightful place in His Kingdom. For our information, all of us are eligible to be in heaven with God. There is no doubt about this since we have been made and washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. A virgin is with child. The Old Testament scriptures have foretold of this and point to the coming of Christ. The prophets preannounced and prefigured His coming and pointed to the fulfillment in Jesus in the New Testament. He has loved us first and continues to do so. He encounters us ever anew in the sacraments especially in the Eucharist. The Church helps us to respond to God’s initiative through word and teaching and the gathering of believers who respond faithfully. We have to be firm, resilient and faithful people of God. We’ve got to really focus on what is truly important and essential. We live in a world where there are so many distractions that we tend to lose sight of what should be our greatest and most important concern. After all has been said and done we will find in the end that what truly matters is not what will last only in this lifetime but for all eternity, a reward from God our Savior. When somebody invites us for a party we just don't go there without preparing ourselves for it. Much more gatecrash and just go to a party without an invitation. We are blessed that God has invited us. The best we could do being privileged, honored and counted to come to His banquet in heaven is to make preparations and always be ready to take part in it, really belong and not end up an outcast. We should not lose sight of this standing invitation that God gives us in our daily life. There is indeed a need to always be prepared so that when the final moment comes we can reside in the heavenly abode of God. In every game there is a rule to follow and only those who play it fair and square can finish to the end and win their prize. Today’s psalm gives us a guideline to follow in order to make it through. We should always long to see the face of God at all times in every person, event and circumstance in our lives. Let us always hold on to this image so that someday when we finally come face to face with God we will receive a blessing and reward for He will surely bring about what He said He would do. In the course of the time and in the history of mankind we hear of people like Abraham chosen by God. The chosen people were given laws and ordinances to follow. The remnants of the chosen people or those who were faithful to God in keeping these commandments like Simeon and Anna, Joachim and Anne are those who belong to the Hebrew generation, kept the Jewish tradition and prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. This initiation of God in loving us first should bring us to act and make love blossom as a response on our part. We've got to be aware that the no one but the Lord is the King of glory. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R: To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

...For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. (R) 3 Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? Or who may stand in his holy place? 4 He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. (R) 5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior...

Today's gospel is just a confirmation of yesterday's. We are all called by the Lord for a mission and we ought to follow no matter how daunting the task may seem to be. We must not be dissuaded, discouraged or deluded by our situation. If things do not look very encouraging and convincing just like the way it was when Jesus summoned Simon Peter to "put out into deep water" then all the more should we "press on". We are not to rely on outward appearances and other factors. The circumstances surrounding Peter at that time in today's gospel point to a logical response which is not to follow. He and his companions were expert fishermen and according to him had been working hard all night and caught nothing. This passage is not only a matter of logic and reasoning but a case of who commanded it. God gave us the 10 commandments and there are instances when we come up with various excuses and justifications just to get away with what we've done. If we are truly aware of who Jesus really is then we've got to have the conviction in ourselves that what the Lord commands is the most logical thing to do. Like Peter we have to invite Jesus into our boats and fix our eyes on Him. When we invite Him into our lives, fruitfulness, abundance in grace and wisdom from on high will abound. We have to always reflect on the wisdom and strength of Jesus. We hope and pray that we will reach new heights and depths in our personal relationship with God. As God has spoken and promised in the scriptures, so will it be fulfilled.  We have a God who designs everything in our life with such perfection, all we have to do is completely trust His judgment in every single step of the way which has been laid and set out for us. Things may not be looking up and promising as they should be but we must remain confident that our God who put us through this will also see us through. We should not be afraid. He who began this good work in us would be faithful to complete it and would not allow it to end in vain. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 5:1-11

...“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.

HOPE FOR A MIRACLE

If we sometimes feel so tired and fed up with what's going on with our life then there is no reason for us to lose hope if we believe that we are under the care of a loving, merciful and just God. Each of us is called to fulfill our God given destiny here on earth. We can consider ourselves God's co-workers if we take upon ourselves the mission to spread the Good News of salvation that Jesus has won for us. We need not do exactly as Apollos and Paul in today's 1st reading. It doesn't matter whenever, wherever, whatever and whoever. We can contribute to the growth of God's Kingdom right here and right now. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

...What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. 7 Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Nothing is hidden from God and everything is known to Him. It pays to always consult our plans to God in prayers and everything we intend to do we should lay down before Him and seek His approval. He will never deprive us nor withhold from us the answers that we seek. If we sometimes forget these and tend to stray away from the right path then we should always be aware that everything that we say, think and do must always have reference to God our Creator. It may have happened to most of us when we get disappointed at how we still miss something so quickly despite our close watch. We sometimes end up confused and discouraged when things don’t happen the way we expect it despite our accurate and strict monitoring. We even ask ourselves how it could have happened. We may have heard and seen some terrible and frightening things in our life but we should always hold on to the truth that no matter how horrible the things that are happening around us they don't change the fact that our Lord is God and always in charge and in control. It doesn't matter that much how we think and feel but what matters most is how to feel and think just like God. For we can always rely and depend on it, 100%, fail proof and success guaranteed. We should place our trust not in men or in things but in God alone. The Lord did not promise us to be totally problem free but He gave His assurance that He will always be our Savior and Redeemer. God's power is beyond our full comprehension. He is Holy, Mighty, Immortal and Infinitely Great. Did it ever occur to you how all these things that surround us, from the skies, to the mountains, plains, the seas, the wind, all the heavenly bodies above, the things down below, all the creatures of the earth especially us, human beings came to be. Not a single theory about creation could suffice and would ever satisfy the wonders and marvelous things that God has done. Just thinking about all these things should make us always put our hope in Him, feel confident and assured that we are safe under His care, to help us from all our problems and shield us from all harm. It is a consolation to know that we are constantly assured by God especially in today's psalm to never doubt His power and goodness. His loving eyes is always upon us not leaving us for a single moment nor removing his stare even with a wink of an eye. It feels good to know that someone's eyes are upon us and looking after us. When we come to a point of despair and feel like things are not getting better, we ought to remember always that we are God's people and we are His own. We have to realize this one most important truth that we should all subscribe to, which is to constantly align ourselves and conform to the will and plan of God in our lives. Let us ask the Lord to lead us to the right path and decisions that we may work toward the building of God’s kingdom here on earth. We should not give room to any doubt, fear, anxiety, impatience, irritability, hatred, sadness, iniquity, unfaithfulness, disloyalty, pride and loss of self control. Let us not choose to give in to these. They are all characteristics that should not be found in a people the Lord has chosen to be His own. Our present situation may not be a perfect picture yet but we should all rejoice and be glad knowing that God was the one who chose us first and He will carry us through. All we have to do is just trust that the Lord will carry out with perfection all His plans for us no matter what situations or circumstances may arise in our midst. When God created this world and everything in it including us, He did not ask permission from anybody. It means that He has chosen us to be His own and not the other way around. This is the reason why the fallen angels/demons are so jealous of men. We are indeed special in the eyes of God for it is written in Gen 1:26, "Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion..." We are not just chosen by God to be His own even before everything came to be but we are on top of His creation. Let us never lose sight of this wonderful plan that God has for all of us. We may not be seeing it right now, having doubts about it, not paying attention to it or unable to commit to it. Whatever it may be, these are all hindrances that prevent us from gaining access to the goodness of the Lord. Never allow ourselves to miss out on this privilege that is accorded to all of us as the children of God. God chose us first and it is only right and fitting that we choose Him too. If we always focus on the Lord and put His words in our presence at all times then we can be assured that we have a lamp unto our feet that is lighting our path. We have to entrust all our cares and worries to the Lord for He can do better things for our lives than all our works combined. No matter how hard we try to succeed in what we do if it's not in accordance to God's plan then nothing will ever come out of it. We may succeed in one aspect but we will never be totally at peace for in the end it will always be the will and plan of God that will prevail. We just have to acknowledge that we are sparing ourselves of all the trouble and heartaches if we will just be obedient and completely trust in the Lord's plan. Let us truly be wise in the real sense of the word rather than of the world and not forfeit all our benefits from the Lord. We all have our personal plans and designs and we may not be able to fully understand what is going on at the present time. It is not easy for the wisdom in the eyes of God is foolishness to the world but what's most important is that we should always consult everything to God first, just believe and surrender everything to Him for He knows best. We have to realize this one most important truth that we should all subscribe to, which is to constantly align ourselves and conform to the will and plan of God in our lives. The power of God knows no limits and we can always rely on Him for anything that we are in need. Let us rely on God's power and completely trust Him to bring to fulfillment everything that He has promised. Just like the Blessed Mother Mary, who is Queen of heaven and earth, we too are destined for victory and royalty. If only we live out the example of her obedient life and carry Jesus in our hearts. Let us not lose hope and have faith in the Master Plan and Grand Design that God has for all of us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 33:12-13, 14-15, 20-21

R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

...From heaven the LORD looks down; he sees all mankind. (R) 14 From his fixed throne he beholds all who dwell on the earth, 15 he who fashioned the heart of each, he who knows all their works. (R) 20 Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield, 21 for in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust.

We may all be in a situation or state wherein we think that we are already doing good in our service to God without realizing that we have actually reached our plateaus and we need to move on to another level. In order to do this we need to exert not just more but extra strength to do this. Those who are working out in a gym or in physical fitness regimen for a long time may know what this is about. There will come a point wherein we do not see results as often as when we just started, that's the plateau. It's time to be more creative and add more challenges in the workout to see results and achieve goals. Today's gospel tells us that Jesus did not just stay in one place but went to the other towns. It may not necessarily mean for us that we have to go to another place. It simply challenges us to move on to the next level and improve our performance. Jesus tells us not to get stuck but move on. Nothing is impossible with God all things are possible. We've heard and seen so many miracles throughout our lifetime and thus we should always remember them and cling to them so that it will serve as our light and guide as we go on our way always hoping that God will never deprive us of our own miracles. Today's gospel also reminded me of Atty. Moya's talk on the 8th commandment, "Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." This is centered on truth and honesty. It forbids all kinds of falsehood and commands total truthfulness: love & live the truth. But what made me share this has something to do with the example in today's gospel when Jesus silenced the evil spirit who was telling the truth about Him. It goes to show that there are times when we are not supposed to tell the truth all the time. That there are some things better left unsaid if it's not charitable or it could hurt someone. It also reminds us not to be too quick to judge other people. We have to exercise prudence and seek to always mitigate the situation rather than instigate or push someone to anger and cause to destroy relationships or hurt people. The Devil is not only the father of lies but also the master of deception. He can twist the truth and use it to his evil advantage. We should always have the deep respect for the truth and know the importance of appropriateness of communication. We must reconcile truth and charity which tells us to keep silent or hide the truth for the sake of charity. CCC 2469 "Men could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one another." The virtue of truth gives another his just due. Truthfulness keeps to the just mean between what ought to be expressed and what ought to be kept secret: it entails honesty and discretion. In justice, "as a matter of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth." Respect for the Truth in Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 2488 states the right to the communication of the truth is not unconditional. Everyone must conform his life to the Gospel precept of fraternal love. This requires us in concrete situations to judge whether or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it. CCC 2489 Charity and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every request for information or communication. The good and safety of others, respect for privacy, and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about what ought not be known or for making use of a discreet LANGUAGE. The duty to avoid scandal often commands strict discretion. No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 4:38-44

...38 And Jesus rising up out of the synagogue, went into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought him for her. 39 And standing over her, he commanded the fever, and it left her...But he laying his hands on every one of them, healed them. 41 And devils went out from many, crying out and saying: Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them he suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was Christ...But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.”

ALIEN

We should always affirm the presence and power of God's Spirit in us. We have to support and uphold this truth at all times by asserting it through our commitment to always allow the Spirit of God to rule over us and direct our actions. People who have grown mature in their relationship with God have become an alien in terms of relating to the world. Sometimes they are being referred to as fools for Christ just like the saints and martyrs who have given up everything for the sake of God's Kingdom. They are better off as aliens in this temporary world rather than in the Kingdom of God where life is eternal. They have found the real treasure as spoken of in the gospel of Mt. 13:44-46, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it." In order for us to reach this level of spirituality we have to think with the mind of Christ. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 2:10b-16

... The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God. 11 Among human beings, who knows what pertains to a person except the spirit of the person that is within? Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms...we have the mind of Christ.

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 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14

R: The Lord is just in all his ways.

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

The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. 14 The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.

It is a shame when we think that it is enough that we just believe in Jesus because even the demons in today's gospel know who Jesus is. And to think that sometimes we even fall short of that aspect of knowing who Jesus really is.  We've got to do better than this demon if we truly claim that we are His followers. Authority is defined in the dictionary as the, commanding influence, or right to respect, or acceptance of one's word, command and thought.   In today’s bible passage the people were astonished at Jesus because He is referred to as someone who spoke with authority.  He even commanded the evil spirit to come out of a possessed man and it obeyed Him. As Catholic Christians we all claim to believe in God but are we really subject to His authority. It’s just a shame that there are times when we do not totally submit ourselves to this Authority. The evil spirit obeyed Him and came out of the possessed man but we who always boast of our belief in God and are self confessed Christians are sometimes no better than this evil spirit. We are all guilty of obeying God only up to a certain extent, up to a point of comfort and convenience. When it comes to difficult situations in our lives can we still allow ourselves to be subject to His authority? Let us all closely examine every aspect of ourselves and search for those areas where we have not totally submitted to God’s authority. This is the challenge that I leave all of you and myself as well. Let us surpass the obedience of the evil spirit to Jesus authority and be more committed to God in everything that we do. The evil spirit obeyed Jesus out of fear knowing that God is Almighty and it is of no match to Jesus. In our end we should obey in the light of love, reverence and trust in God whom we call our Father, Brother, Redeemer and Savior. There is no doubt that Jesus is the Supreme authority for only Him can give us the true and everlasting satisfaction, peace and joy we all long for in our life. We should decide here, now and for always to choose Him as our Master and Ruler of our life. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 4:31-37

31 Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority...They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”37 And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.  

WHY THINGS HAPPEN THE WAY THEY DO

Everything happens for a reason and there is a purpose for it but most of the time we fail to understand why things happen the way they do. We have to rely on God's power to make all things work for good. Sometimes we have this tendency to think that there is nothing more to this life than we see and hold right now. We have been bound by the physical aspect of life we forget that there is more to it. We ought to make this truth ever prevailing in us so that we do not fall for the trap of this world. The world has the advantage of making its values inculcated in us deeply if we just rely on human wisdom. Let us not be duped by this and rely not on anything less than the power of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, 4 and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

“Don't trust too much, don't love too much, don't care too much because that "too much" wiil hurt you so much...” This is a quotation I came across on Facebook. It somehow answers the part where we have to hurt so much. We use our mind to sort out what is true. God has given us the intellect, will, passions and emotions. Sometimes our emotions lead and carry us away in the search and to discern the truth. Our mind can seek the truth and our will can choose the truth freely. After the fall of our 1^st parents, even if we know what is right we have been infected by the malice of the world and our will have become weakened. Our emotions play a big role in our will. This is why it should be properly directed. Our emotions go up and down and it is not the proper gauge. Some relationships should not just be built upon a bunch of good feelings. It is a very dangerous basis for love. We need to ask the question of truth and get a hold of our emotions so that we can put our relationships in proper perspective. There are so many things that we are worried about but only one thing is needed and we have to be sure that we pick the best option. We need not confuse ourselves by even considering the options that the world enticingly and seductively present to us. Does this song sound familiar? "Gusto kong bumait pero di ko magawa." (I’d like to be good but I just can’t) Because we are still in this world and its laws  dominate  us it  is  indeed  hard  to  serve the  law of  God.  But we are constantly reminded  that  if  we   only  make a stand  on which side we are then God will deliver us. There is only one thing needed and we have to choose the best part. We have to do things according to God's statutes and precepts which is the only sure way to live a happy and abundant life first here on earth and then for eternity.  There is one thing we need to do. Let us always focus on Jesus and follow the example He has left for us to live by. What a friend we have in Jesus. He is never amiss on anything. Let us not hesitate to reach out to Him for in Him we find a true friend who is ready to help us. If we come to Him at all times for guidance and direction, He will always be there to take our hand and lead us to the right path. The Lord knows exactly what's in our hearts. There are times when people judge us based only on what they see but what matters most is that we are right before God. The truth is that we ought to realize by now that only God can deliver us from all evil and there is no one else to whom we can go but to Him. The Lord has promised and He will fulfill. This should give us so much joy and peace in knowing this. There is no doubt that God in His goodness surely sheds light, giving understanding to the simple in times of affliction. We need to always hold on to God at all times and never lose hope in Him. We just got to hold on tight! No matter what happen let us always keep in mind that God fulfills all His promises. It may not be right away and could be later but He will surely reveal things in His most perfect time. We've got to realize that there is no love greater than the love God is offering us. We need 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. Just imagine ourselves walking in the dark without knowing what we are stepping on and where we are headed. It is very difficult there is no doubt about it. We need light to guide our steps and show the way. We have to realize that loving God means obeying with all our heart. Have you experienced waking up or going to bed at the same time everyday? It's because of the circadian clock or the rhythmic biological cycles that happen or recurring everyday in us. Let us pray to God that we develop in ourselves an instinct and discipline to naturally follow His commands like the circadian clock. The time to act is now. Let us seize every opportunity to know the Word of God while we still can.

1. Do we see God as the Primary agent?
God is the Primary Agent of Evangelization. It is not about us but about God.
2. Do we see Evangelization as everyone's responsibility?
We must not end up like the Dead Sea that just received water but did not give out. The same thing happens to us when we do not take the responsibility of evangelization as our own. We have to work on improving our skills for the work of God.
3. Do we communicate God's love?
4. Is total human betterment part of the ministry?
5. Do we respect other traditions?
God does not take sides. There is an equal opportunity for all but we have to make sure that we are on God's side. We need to rid ourselves of any triumphant or arrogant attitude towards people of other faith. The Abrahamic religion has a common denominator which is belief in God. We are not the sole professor of truth. We need to listen for God's revelation from others, too not only from us.
6. Does our love go beyond Catholic borders?
The kingdom of God is older and a broader reality than the Catholic Church. We need to live a humble life and forgive each other.
7. Is our approach ecumenical?
We do not have the monopoly of God because the Good News has no border and dealt with a common faith.
8. Do we use all available media?
The best media is our own life, no need for TV. The example of how we live our life is the best means to evangelize. Walk the talk.
9. Do we fully utilize existing groups like ministries that renew and energize members?
10. What is our total image?
We've got to maintain a wholesome image unlike the Crusaders, though they were able to convert many to the faith, the spread of the Good News was carried out using the sword. We must take extra care in projecting the right image as Good Messengers of the Good News. We can't just take one passage and take it as a whole, we have to consider the entire scriptures. It must be read within the living tradition of the Church. It is written in the Church's heart in the very essence of who Jesus is. The analogy of faith and inner harmony should co-exist and take all of them together as a unity. To take just one part of the truth and depend solely on it for everything else to unravel would end up in heresy and find ourselves outside the truth. The depository of faith is entrusted by the apostles to the whole of the Magisterium of the Church. This task of giving an authentic teaching of the depository of the faith is given to the living successors of Peter who is the Pope and the Bishops in our Catholic Church. We must have the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the Magisterium of the Church. If the Church is not a Divine institution it would have crashed 2000 yrs ago. Living tradition and sacred scriptures are the means to transmit the faith. We need to know this to understand how God's plan works through things revealed by God to us and recalled by faith.

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 month, March 24 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. 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 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102

R: Lord, I love your commands.

...Your command has made me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. (R) 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers when your decrees are my meditation. (R) 100 I have more discernment than the elders, because I observe your precepts. (R) 101 From every evil way I withhold my feet, that I may keep your words. (R) 102 From your ordinances I turn not away, for you have instructed me.

We may all have experienced rejection at one time in our life. It's very painful and difficult as it is to be rejected by someone but what's even worse is the fact that the people whom we expect to back us up are the ones who turn their backs on us. We must not despair if this happens for even Jesus experienced the same thing. All we have to do is follow the example of Jesus in continuing the work that God has given us to do and not lose hope. What Jesus was offering to the people in Nazareth was not wasted for it was extended to the people in Capernaum (town in Galilee) and to the whole region. We all have our own Nazareths and we must not despair over it rather we must look forward to reaching out to the Galilees of our lives and move on to the next level. We all have other aspects and regions in our life that we also need to pay attention to and develop. We just have to put our trust in the Lord who is able. Everything will come to pass and God's word will always carry out its mission and not go back to Him without accomplishing its purpose. Today's gospel brings back my focus on what I have been doing since I came here to the US. I can still very clearly remember that day of OCT 7, 2007 when I received God's Word in Habakkuk 2:2-3 which is: Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.
From then on I've taken it upon myself to write down daily reflections based on the assigned bible readings as my personal mission for Jesus. During the course of my writing I have inevitably included in my journal people whom I have encountered and inspired and touched my life in a special way which all just happened in a way that the scriptures unfold and reveal our participation in each and every message being conveyed and sent to us in the daily readings. Since then these reflections have amounted to quite a lot already and during my free time, I have been bent on compiling and organizing all the daily reflections that I have written since OCT 2007. I have made an index and table of contents for it. It has become easier and readily available for quick reference. Several years ago the foreword in Companion for today’s gospel and the reflection of Fr. Steve Tynan in Sabbath have encouraged me to continue with this mission. In the foreword it says:
Jesus does not “pull any punches here.” He says it simply as He sees it. This is the best way to make the truth known. Jesus needs to let people know what His mission is from the beginning so that they cannot accuse Him of deception later on. Whether people understand Him or not is not the issue at the moment. What is critical is that the Gospel is proclaimed in its fullness and that everybody has the opportunity to respond to it in its fullness as well.
In Sabbath, I partly quote Fr. Steve:
...Jesus was never interested in any attention the people wanted to give Him — His sole concern was to live and proclaim the Gospel as best as He could.
It is this example that we must seek to follow. Otherwise, we will become distracted from the things that should be our focus and we will fail to achieve what we could have achieved, if only we had been wholly obedient to God.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
 I am fully aware of my shortcomings and imperfection in spreading the Word of God but it is in what Fr. Steve said above that gave me the courage and strength to keep on going. It is in this very personal and significant events and circumstances that I encounter daily whether big or small that we have truly been part of the Word, yes, the Word that is made flesh. Jesus is indeed in each one of us. God gives me a reason to always have something to write about and the presence of each one of us in this present life have given me a lot of reasons to continue writing. Everybody has been a source of inspiration and God’s instrument. We should all find ourselves believing the same thing. God believes in us. We may sometimes come to a point in our lives when we have to act out of faith despite the uncertainty of our situation. We may also suffer the disapproval, ridicule and objection of the majority who questions the logic of our actions and doubts our motivations. I am sure that the widow in Zarephath hesitated if not faltered for a moment when asked to give away hers and her son's last meal in the time of famine just as Naaman the Syrian objected and grumbled at first when they were told of what to do by these 2 great prophets of their time. If we are to look closely at the qualifications of these 2 characters from today's gospel we would find that they both do not belong to the chosen race of God, the Israelites. Their only qualification was that they followed and obeyed what they were told to do.  You know why? God does not call the qualified rather He qualifies the called. We are all called by God. Our response depends on how we feel and think about it. They (Naaman and the widow) felt that persistent and undying spark of love that does not lie when God called and spoke to them in their hearts. Always take the opportunity to recognize Jesus in every situation of our life lest we lose the chance and fail to recognize it. God will not come uninvited. He will enter only if we open up the doors of our hearts and welcome Him. He will never force Himself on anyone. He is the Perfect Gentleman. He respects our longings and desires that sometimes without realizing it we've completely missed our chances and lost what truly matters and counts. Let us not end up rejecting Jesus in our hearts and missing the only Blessing that really matters because we are too preoccupied with other small blessings. Jesus is already with us but we sometimes drive Him away with our indifferences, doubts, fears, unbelief, and ignorance of the true wisdom of God. Let us pray fervently to God that He will always be with us to stay. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day...18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” 20 Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. 21 He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”22 And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” 23 He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’ ” 24 And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. 25 Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. 26 It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury...

PROPER TIME & SEASON

The word humility is very often misused and misunderstood. It has always been referred to in a very different way that sometimes there is a tendency for people to practice it in an ill mannered way. Instead of attracting or drawing other believers nearer to the faith, they shy away because of this wrong notion about humility. We do not have to undergo the extreme conditions needlessly. It is not the outward situation and circumstance that can attest to our humility but the disposition of our heart and mind while doing an act of humility. This is regardless of the status and influence of a person. We may have associated humility with someone who is materially poor, insignificant and belongs to the lowest in the social ladder. More often than not we seldom associate it with such people. We are greatly misled if we are to limit our definition of humility to just the physical. Today's 1st reading guides and leads us to its proper conduct. Humility should always be practiced in reference to who God is and how great He is. It is in uniting with the Spirit of God who dwells in each one of us first and foremost that we come to attain this. It is not something that will just pop out instantly from out of nowhere. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Just like a tree that bears good fruit in its proper time and season. Amen. Hallelujah!

Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29

17 My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. 18 Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God. 20 What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not. 28 The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the wise man’s joy. 29 Water quenches a flaming fire, and alms atone for sins.

I grew up without a father because he died when I was barely 3 years old. My nanay (mother) was the only one who practically raised us up when we were still very young then. With all that we've been through, I can never ask God for more, for He was with us every step of the way just as nanay had said and believed when she was still living always emphasizing God's special care to orphans and widows. This should remind us why we must always be hopeful in His divine providence. Aren't we all blessed to have a God and Father who is our Savior and Redeemer. There are still more to be thankful about and it made me realize that if we will only be focusing more on the goodness and blessings that God send our way then there is really no more reason for us to be afraid or be discouraged. There is no doubt that God will always come to our rescue and will never forsake nor abandon. We all go through different situations and circumstances in life. Some of them do not make any sense. if we fail to acknowledge the power of God moving in it. There are numerous things that we can think, focus and decide on but there’s only one thing I am sure of. We’ve got to acknowledge that God’s power remains to be above all things no matter what it may seem to be. These experiences we have been through should bring our faith to greater depths, heights and lengths that we never could have thought or imagined possible. We can associate today's psalm with the first beatitude which is, "Blessed are they who are poor in spirit theirs is the kingdom of God." We can always find solace and consolation in the words of God but more than these is the truth that His words go beyond these feelings and emotions. Our God is able to bring into reality what He said He would do. The Holy Spirit is invisible but we can see its effects. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, peace, joy, kindness, goodness, patience, self control, humility and faithfulness. We should all be reflecting these fruits in our lives. We may still have a long way to go but we can start now. We need to make these effects visible by making the Holy Spirit work through our lives. Whether it be in the face of hardship, embarrassment, ridicule and always under the scrutiny of the self righteous judgments of other people, if we know that we've ran the race, finished to the end and fought a good fight of faith at all cost we can be assured of God's abiding presence. The Lord pours down His blessing on us. We have a task to do for the greater glory of God.

In our Catholicism study in St. Martha the speaker cited an example why we Catholics look up highly and venerate Mama Mary. He took Monalisa the famous and considered one of the masterpieces if not the greatest work of art of Leonardo Da Vinci. He said that Mama Mary is a reflection of God's greatness and His greatest masterpiece or creation. He explained further by citing another example of the moon getting its brightness from the sun. That's the true basis of Mary's greatness that some people even us Catholics do not realize so well. Our veneration and devotion to Mary is a way of worshipping God since we confess to the power of God manifested in the Blessed Mother. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11

R: God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.

3 [4] The just rejoice and exult before God; they are glad and rejoice. 4 [5] Sing to God, chant praise to his name, whose name is the LORD. (R) 5 [6] The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. 6 [7] God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity. (R) 9 [10] A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance; you restored the land when it languished; 10 [11] your flock settled in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy.

Today’s 2nd reading from Hebrews is explained by Fr. Mitch Pacwa of EWTN. The covenant in Mt. Sinai is compared with the new covenant in Christ as in Mt. Zion. As written in Hebrews, where there are things that describe which could not be touched and approached in Mt. Sinai which showed the fearfulness of touching the holy mountain. This covenant in Mt. Sinai deserves great respect and gives us a sense of awe with a feeling of being terrified and much trembling as described of Moses. In contrast Mt Zion is where the temple is and where anybody could approach. It is described with concentric circles as in levels wherein anybody could come in. It symbolizes the Promised Land to come, in which God dwells among his chosen people. Peace offerings are being burned and fill the place with a certain sense of festive mood and scent of cooking meat. This could be taken to mean as a symbol of heaven which is mentioned  also in 1 Peter 2:6 For it says in scripture: "Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame."  and Revelation 5:8, "The victor I will make into a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again. On him I will inscribe the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, as well as my new name. Heaven is our true citizenship where countless angels are in festal gathering. They are in a kind of celebratory gathering, cooking with great joy in the presence of angels also celebrating with great joy. The ecclesia of the 1^st born enrolled in heaven applies to all of us. Christ has been spoken of throughout this letter as the high priest who offered Himself as a sacrifice, enter into the Holy of holies in Heavenly Jerusalem, sit at the right hand and accomplishes something that Moses could not do so that both the angels, saints and we can celebrate in heaven. The saints and angels in heaven sing holy (3x) as in Isaiah 6:3,” Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft. "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!" they cried one to the other. "All the earth is filled with his glory!" Angels teach us how to worship, same as the Gloria, when they appeared to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth. As said in the Maranite liturgy, praise of God make our mouths holy by joining with the angels in worshipping God every time we come to mass. God the Father can’t be approached but Christ’s death won for us the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus has born the guilt for us so we can approach God the Father and judge with confidence. We approach the spirit of the righteous who have been made perfect. Their spirits are no longer in their body and gained righteousness. It is by faith with our good works that we are made righteous as He is righteous. It is a result of acting and believing and maintaining both. Saints have been made righteous, notice the passive verb, they did not make themselves righteous by their own power, but by faith which is a theological virtue granted only by the grace of God. We are doing the righteous deeds we do because God gives us the grace to be righteous. Being righteous is something passive in our part the grace of God is the bigger part. How come we struggle to be righteous based on our true experience.  We should realize the power of God’s grace to get us through the temptations and struggles that makes us righteous. God does this to us although we struggle against it but we falsify the experience if we believe that we do this on our own. . The bible tells us to approach the saints. We ask the intercession of the saints most especially the Virgin Mary. We should never back away from the scriptural injunction to approach the saints. It is not in conflict with approaching Jesus. As in heavenly Jerusalem, we approach the saints. We have a communion with them as in Rev 5:8 When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.  The elders have golden bowls of incense which are the prayer of the saints who are so close to God’s throne. They set our prayers on fire and release its full power. Jesus is the New Moses, seals the covenant in His own blood. We come with our prayers and ask the saints to pray for us. Christ is the one who forgives our sins, the saints can not do that.  His sprinkled blood, speaks more eloquently than that of Abel’s blood as it cried out from the earth for justice. The blood of Christ cried out mercy and forgiveness of sins. This is what Christ’s blood cries out for. The imperfect can’t enter heaven. God made them perfect which is all part of this New Jerusalem. God answers prayers through intercession of saints and angels and through the mediation of Christ with His sprinkled blood. No eye has seen, no ear has heard or mind can imagine what God has ready for those who love Him. At this point in our lives we are still unaffected by these heavenly truths and they seem so far fetched because we are still in this world. It is just faith that can make us hold on to these things that look like fantasy and make believe. As in 2 Cor. 4:16-18, "Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal." and 2 Cor. 5:7, "for we walk by faith, not by sight." Amen. Hallelujah!

Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24

18 Brothers and sisters: You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm 19 and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them, 22 No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, 23 and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, 24 and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

Sometimes no matter what good we do, it remains unnoticed and unappreciated by others. If this happens then we should be thankful for it, because today's gospel tells us that if we remain humble in our dealings with people and do not seek human praise then the good we do will inevitably show and be known. But if there are times when this is still not the case, then all the more should we become joyful for God Almighty knows and sees all. We would definitely enjoy the esteem of God more than any other. We should all be aware of what the gospel teaches us today and its effects on our soul. God never stop giving us pointers and tips on how to combat the enemies of our soul, evade the evil schemes and designs being hurled at us each day and to turn every single thing to our advantage. We can look at it in a literal or figurative way but the essence of it all lies in the truth that we should direct all our actions to loving and serving God with all our heart, body and soul. As in Roman 8:28, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." We need to totally trust God in His goodness and know that He has our best interests protected. He will see to it that not just some but all of our needs are met. Take note of this, it is our needs not our wants that God cares for most. We've got to make a distinction of these 2, needs and wants. Although God is capable of taking care of both and sometimes allow it on some occasions, we should learn the lessons that today's gospel is telling us. We just ought to abandon ourselves to the Lord even if it seemed to be the lowliest place we could be and we will surely find ourselves in places we've never ever dreamed of. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Luke 14:1, 7-14

1  One sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him.  7  Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,  8  "When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him;  9  and he who invited you both will come and say to you, `Give place to this man,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.  10  But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, `Friend, go up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.  11  For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 

DOING NOTHING IS WICKED

There are people who do not want to listen at all and would stop anybody talking right then and there even to the point of embarrassing the person. This is the worst case scenario but there are some who would be more polite by making excuses. These happen when we are not interested in what the other person has to say because we've heard  it before and it is just an endless repetition of the same old story. Or worst it could just be rumor mongering and the bottom line is just a matter of discrediting the other person for self glorification. Whether we are the one talking and being stopped, the one stopping the person from talking or the one making excuses not to listen is no longer important what matters most is the reason for our action. Today's 1st reading contains the best reason why we should not be stopped or stop another person from doing so. We are invited to enter into the divine light and joy of the Lord to share in his divine nature and light. Only through this can we find the deepest joy of everything we long for in this life which can not be found in riches, fame, power or well being. In God alone can we find the source of everlasting love and happiness. We should always maintain a maximum level of confidence in God Almighty who made the heaven and the earth. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, 28 and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, 29 so that no human being might boast before God...“Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.”

Our present situation may not be a perfect picture yet but we should all rejoice and be glad knowing that God was the one who chose us first and He will carry us through. It feels good to know that someone's eyes is upon us and looking after us. When we come to a point of despair and feel like things are not getting better, we ought to remember always that we are God's people and we are His own. This is the reason why the fallen angels/demons are so jealous of men. We are indeed special in the eyes of God for it is written in Gen 1:26, "Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion..." We are not just chosen by God to be His own even before everything came to be but we are on top of His creation. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21

R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

..From heaven the LORD looks down; he sees all mankind. (R) 18 But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (R) 20 Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield, 21 for in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust.

In today's parable we learn that a man went on a journey, called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one — to each according to his ability. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five and the one who had received two talents also came forward and did the same. They both doubled their talents but the one who received one talent, he just buried it in the ground and gave it back. The master's reaction to the first 2 servants who doubled their talents were expected because he was glad that they were faithful in small matters so he told them that he will entrust them with great responsibilities and invited them to share in his joy. But to the 3rd servant his reaction was quite unexpected because he was addressed with very harsh words such as wicked and lazy which are seldom used in the New Testament. He was called wicked because he did nothing. If we can still recall, Jesus told us the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. The rich man went to hell not because he did something wrong but because he did nothing to help Lazarus who is right outside his door. Doing nothing is wicked. We can lose so much to the point where we deserve hell. We all have responsibilities in our hands and we have to fulfill them by trusting that God is with us. Hey, we've got talent thus we can do all things through Him. We are all called to make use of whatever we have, no matter how small it may be and insignificant it may seem to others to keep up a good fight. The servant who only has 1 talent decided to play safe but he ended up in a much worse condition. When we are confronted with trials and difficulties in life we tend to look for solutions that are safe and within our limited capacities. We sometimes fail to acknowledge and realize that we can decide for the ultimate good and the best. Our God is more of an "all or nothing" and "win or lose" God who will not settle for anything less but will always settle for the best. We should always give it our best shot and not be a coward for we have an Almighty God backing us up. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 25:14-30

...‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Should you not then have put my money  in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? 28 Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30