END TIMES

God never leaves us hanging in the air with nothing to hold on to. Everyday God is speaking to us in his words through the gospel and through the people around us. God is always urging us to go beyond our boundaries and never underestimate the capabilities that God is continuously giving us. We can always do better and do best for the Lord as He will always be true to His promise and will never let us down. We should never doubt that God will make things beautiful in His time. For God is able to see through our future and will put to completion His grand plan for us. Today’s 1st reading brought back memories of the great time I had with Sister April at the English Springs Park and St. Paul the Apostle Church both in Chino Hills. It was a day filled with enlightenment after spending time meditating and contemplating on scriptures while enjoying the beauty that surrounds us. I was able to R-E-S-T, S-urrender T-ime to R-eceive E-nlightenment. It was indeed a very rewarding day spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally. It was such a refreshing view that my mind felt so relaxed and renewed. I got so inspired as I was suddenly filled with a lot of beautiful memories that started coming back to me the moment I stepped in the park. Beautiful and inspiring pictures in my mind as in a vision started to abound and continued to flow in a constant and consistent manner just like the sound of the water falls rushing down the big and wide stream situated in the middle of the park. When I closed my eyes for several minutes I had a vision of a ladder and Sister April shared her beautiful insights to me. The things she said to me has given me strength, courage and inspiration to look forward to a bright future waiting ahead of me as in climbing up each and every step of the ladder to reach the top. It was definitely a day worth remembering. At that time it served as my confirmation which encouraged and inspired me even more. It leaves me without a doubt that it is something very nice to share every time I encounter today's 1st reading which speaks about dreams and visions interpreted by Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar. Amen. Hallelujah!  

Daniel 2:31-45

31 Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar: “In your vision, O king, you saw a statue, very large and exceedingly bright, terrifying in appearance as it stood before you...“This was the dream; the interpretation we shall also give in the king’s presence. 37 You, O king, are the king of kings; to you the God of heaven has given dominion and strength, power and glory;...The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future; this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure.”

God really loves us. He always sends us His army of angels wherever we go. We must consider this truth always. This time it is the psalm reading that brings back memories when I had to travel for the first time all by myself to a very unfamiliar place just using the public transportation. God sent angels who taught me the right buses and trains to ride and did not get lost. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Daniel 3:57. 58. 59. 60. 61

R: Give glory and eternal praise to him.

34 [Dan 3:57] “Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.” Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.

I believe that all of us will be given ample time to prepare for the day of judgment but there is a need to recognize that the time and the hour is at hand so as not to miss our appointment and always be ready for it. We really have to prepare well, that's the message. Have you heard of athletes preparing for a competition? God is urging us to do the same for our faith. Take every possible means of enriching our faith and love for God so that we can always withstand whatever is coming our way. When we go beyond our limits we also exercise our endurance so that we not only benefit physically but spiritually as well.  We are the children of God and we are born to be winners so let us always train hard to maintain that wonderful physique that God has given us for His greater glory. Strong and mighty is our God and so are we! There are several things happening in our life one after another and sometimes we are overwhelmed by it that we tend to be sidetracked and distracted as to what we are supposed to do. We see and hear a lot of things around us and we come to a point when we are no longer sure which one to follow. If there's one sure thing that we can be assured of that is we should not be terrified despite the enemy's deceptions for as long as we are able to live our lives according to the truth of God which we all have a responsibility to know and uphold. There is a vast source of information and knowledge that we need to learn about our Infinite God and sometimes we make the mistake of rushing and go in strides but with our limited human capacities we always fall short and come up inadequate. Once again my vision of a ladder is coming to view as if telling me that God will always be with us every single step of the way, guide us through by showing us every facet of life from the 1st or easiest to the succeeding and more difficult steps and finally to the highest level. Today's gospel tells us of the certainty that this world will come to an end but when it is going to happen, nobody knows. Whether it is going to happen sooner or later should be the least of our concerns. What's most important is that we are always ready. It is easy for us to say, "Do not worry." or "I am not worried." but are we a picture of what we say we are. Our actions speak louder than the words we say. We ought to make a firm stand on this and really mean it. It is not like we just believe in something then that's it. It will require more than that in order for us to truly be a reflection of what we believe is true. If we think that we can just go along with the majority or we have won over the support of many and we are safe already then we are wrong. It is more of a personal conviction on our part to really stand by it no matter what. What's worse is that when we don't know what we really believe in then the worst happens. As the gospel says, we should not be deceived. We've got to grow in wisdom and understanding not as the world may put it but as the Holy Spirit of God fills and empowers us. It is especially important that we build confidence on the One True God, the source of our strength and courage. As in Ephesians 6:10-18, "Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. 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. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones..."

These are the things we ought to focus on rather than be bothered of the frightening things that are being said about the end times. I heard from a priest's homily that there are just 3 things we need to do instead of being bothered by these end of the world predictions. They are: 1. Do no harm to others. 2. Do good to others. 3. Spread the word of God. It may not be as simple as just 1,2 and 3 but it is definitely worth doing for it can surely secure our lives on that final day. No one can really say when it is going to happen but one thing is sure we all have to prepare and be ready for it right now. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 21:5-11

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here — the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”