FORESHADOWING OF GOOD FRIDAY

In the 1st reading we see these 3 men who resisted the king's command, They knew the truth that there is only one God whom we should be faithful to even to the point of sacrificing power, fame, fortune and their very lives. They are so admirable in their courage. They were in the prime of their life and with a bright future ahead of them in the king's palace but did not even consider this. Nor did it make them falter in their conviction and firm stand. They did not fear death and gladly accepted it in testimony of their unwavering faith in God. Indeed this bible verse from Matthew resonates really well in their conviction and firm stand on their faith, "What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?" Our freedom consists in only obeying God not in inventing our own gods and laws.  These 3 men (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) said they don't have to answer the king. They didn't even acknowledge the king's question as valid when they said they need not answer his question. One of the things we have to understand is that during that time kings make it illegal for the Jews to practice their religion. Just imagine if it's illegal to go to mass and be arrested if we were to go to mass and profess our Catholic faith. Would we find the freedom or courage not to acknowledge the law that would be forced upon us? When our Jewish brothers and sister can't practice their faith we should notice when they said "If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.” They stated that even if God doesn't they would still do the right thing and sacrifice their lives so the people would know that even if they're not rescued they obeyed God. This is a kind of foreshadowing of Good Friday. When Jesus said, "Thy will be done" He was obedient unto death on the cross. Because of this, God highly exalted Him that every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Take note of these 3 men in the flames according to what the king said “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” “Assuredly, O king,” they answered. “But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.” In the gospel Jesus stated "I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.” The Father sent Jesus Christ even from the beginning of human history to rescue and save us. Just as stated in today’s 1^st reading, the 4th one walking with them in the flames. We have to realize that when we're ready to sacrifice ourselves to obey God, surely He is with us. As in the song, "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Blessed are we if we walk amidst the burning flames of these trials and persecution of the people around us. The ridicule, when we live our Catholic faith, is all around us. We need to know that we are free when we abide by our faith and the Church. We need to have this kind of freedom that these 3 young men have. They are not bound by fear because they are depending on Almighty God. Every time we hear stories of how people were able to escape unharmed from a sure death experience, we wonder how it all happened. This triggers our minds to think of countless possibilities and rational explanations in trying to figure it out. But how in the world can we explain such an event in today's 1st reading wherein Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when thrown in the furnace to be burned alive came out unfettered and unhurt. This only leads us to the one obvious truth that our God is faithful to those who are loyal and obedient to Him even in times of great trial and distress. He sends His mighty angels to guard, defend and protect us from all kinds of harm and even came Himself in the fullness of time to save us. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

King Nebuchadnezzar said: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made, whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all the other musical instruments; otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God that can deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.” King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual and had some of the strongest men in his army bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the white-hot furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” “Assuredly, O king,” they answered. “But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.” Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel to deliver the servants that trusted in him; they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”

We should never ran out of reasons to always praise and thank God for He never leaves us empty handed since everything is linked and works wonderfully well for those who stay connected most especially when the going gets really tough and the rough gets on going for we have a dependable God who comes up with more and more blessings and angels sent to us for our welfare. The same God who saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is the same God who continues to lift us up from our miseries for He is a God for all ages. There is a need for us let go and avoid too much attachment to the things that the world offers and learn the art of fasting and abstinence which not only in the form of food and could be in any other things. A little sacrifice goes a long way with God and can truly rid ourselves of the hindrances and obstacles that keep us from truly giving glory and praise to God. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R: Glory and praise for ever!

29 [Dan 3:52] “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; and blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages...“Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”...
Nowadays, we can no longer see or feel the presence of God like they used to experience during the time of Moses. Or see angels to the rescue coming down from heaven to minister to God's people. The reason it is so, is because Jesus already came to this world. We sometimes long to see marvelous signs and wonders happening before our very eyes. Things that we could only imagine like the presence  of mighty angels ascending and descending from heaven with lightning and thunder flashing from  all sides and much like the things that we can only see in the movies or some sort of miracle like the death defying stunt in today's 1st reading. We should realize that if the reality of the only begotten and beloved Son of God came to this world became man, lived among us, suffered and died for our sake could not move us to such great awe and amazement for God's extraordinary act of love for man then nothing else could. Nothing and no one else could be as great as this truth of Jesus who is God with us. Once we are truly in touch with this reality then we are no longer bound to anything in this world and absolutely free. It's quite obvious that the men in today's gospel who claims Abraham as their father is confused because they claim to do one thing and yet do another. Our actions should be a clear statement of what we believe in. Let us clear our minds of things that are not in accordance and does not conform to the legacy handed down to us by our forefathers and put into action the truth that Jesus himself testified to. Let us fully orient ourselves to the real inheritance given to us so that we can consciously and rightfully identify ourselves as sons and daughters of God our Father. There is really nowhere to go, no one else to believe in, remain in forever and truly be a follower of, for the rest of our lives other than Jesus Christ. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 8:31-42

31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”... They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works of Abraham.

But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this.

5TH GOSPEL

If we take time to study about the bible and our faith then we will discover things we never knew existed before. We will come to a deep and profound understanding of it which will bring us to greater heights in terms of our knowledge of God. This will lead us to love and service in a very meaningful way. Do you know that there is a commandment before the Decalogue or 10 commandments of God? Yes, there is and it is called Pre-Sinai. It is noteworthy that today's 1st reading points to the reason behind this. I learned this from a Lenten Retreat. When the people of Israel complained to God, He sent them quail and manna as their food in the desert. Every morning they gathered food from the ground and whenever they get more than they could eat for a day they discovered the following morning that the excess got spoiled or rotten. The moral lesson of this commandment is social justice. We should remove greed in our midst and learn to care for others. We should also live within our means and not desire something that is beyond our reach. The Israelites were so discontented despite of the presence of manna in their midst. They did not appreciate and were not grateful that God has provided them food. They sinned against the Lord and directly rejected God's grace. Thus placing themselves outside the protection of God and being predisposed to danger and calamity which was exactly what happened to them when bitten by serpents in the desert. In their journey to the Promised land, Canaan, the 5th gospel which is now known as Palestine, the Israelites strayed away from God's path and went their own way. We should learn the lesson of their story and choose to always stay within the protective grace of God so as to attain the 5th gospel and Promised Land of God in our own lives. The bible covers a span of more or less, 2000 years. Basing it on the outline of the salvation history or covenant history which goes back to the time of Adam & Eve and Noah and dates way back to 1800 BC during the time of Abraham, Moses (1200), David (means the favored one,1000), Exodus (600) to the birth of our Lord Jesus. We can see from this time line significant events that happened from the time of Creation when God created man who fell into sin and became unfaithful and how God continuously called us back to Him by showing us who He really is throughout the length of time. It is so amazing how events which are more than a thousand years apart can be connected and how God was able to make things fall into perfect place like signs, wonders and miracles made by His mighty hand throughout the length of time. Today's 1st reading is one of the many discoveries I had or should I say made me look at things with a new perspective.  It is a foreshadowing of Jesus crucified on the Cross and its power which became a source of healing and salvation for us all. Ever since I joined a bible study group, Apologetics class and the like I have been discovering the wealth and treasure of our Catholic faith. Thank and praise God for activities like these that continue to shed light on our faith. I have always heard bible teachers say that in order to have a better understanding of the scriptures we have to read the bible starting from the New Testament before proceeding to the Old Testament. It is true that the Old Testament is a foreshadowing of the New Testament which is the full revelation of God's great love for us. Just like in today's 1st reading we can establish a relationship between Jesus Christ dying on the cross up on Mt.Calvary to save us from death due to our sins with the healing brought about by the bronze serpent mounted on a pole. It is good to have a realization of this great love of God for us first and foremost so that when we encounter somehow disturbing and difficult to understand scenarios in the Old Testament we can always try to zero in on the truth that behind all these things that took place is a God who has a love for us greater than any other known in this world. God wants all people to be saved but we have to believe. We need to come to the core of the revelation. God wants to rescue His people and save them. He sets us free from this dominion of sin but we fail to trust Him. Just as we see in today's 1st reading  "...But with their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses." We too are guilty of the same attitude at times. Sometimes we complain too much without realizing that Jesus, who is God the Son obediently followed without a word of protest when He died brutally on the Cross. And to think that we complain right away about trivial and petty things. There is really a need to always look back and recall what God did for us rather than focus on just the here and now. Instead of falling into the trap of dissatisfaction and despair we should look at Jesus crucified on the cross to always be reminded of what He had to go through just to prove His great love for us. It would be nice if at once we received Jesus then we will be ushered into the perfect freedom, inability to sin anymore and the resurrection from death. Nevertheless, we still have this journey to make, have to battle, and fight even when they came in the promised land. We're all in a journey. Looking back at these very people in Deuteronomy 1. It took them 40 yrs to travel in the desert when all it takes is just 2 weeks. They wandered because of their lack of trust. They initially went to scout the land and came back with a report. The majority said that they can't do it because there are giants in the promised land and would just be like grasshoppers. They're stupid and forgot one basic fact, God is giving them the land. They forgot who was talking to them. When we are in doubt, the great exile should come to mind, when they were freed from Egypt and should speak confidence. In our present time we should believe that we can overcome, social injustice, sin and the culture of death. We have to believe in that because it is Almighty God telling them to come. We don't fault them for seeing those realities, the giants and scary things in the promised land but we fault them for not trusting. When they complained against God, it is an insult to God for 2 reasons, first they forgot that God provides and God did provide the manna all the time and also of water from the rock through God's power. In fact in 1 Cor. St Paul speaks of this water from the rock that followed them as they journeyed and the rock was Christ, "I AM" Jesus was with them in the desert. He is the same God as yesterday. We must trust God at all times. These people in the desert lost their patience however, was worn out and complained. We do an examination of conscience, do we grumble like this? Sometimes we doubt if Jesus is really with us in this journey. When we are trying to live the faith, being ridiculed, made fun of while others are having all the fun. Whenever we are fasting and resisting temptation we also may come to a point when like these people would rather go back to Egypt and slavery. When we embark the journey of the Christian faith and indeed try to live up to all the teachings of the church, time will come when it is easier to say to say “Let's go back to our own Egypt.” But Jesus said, my yoke is easy and burden light. Let us not be fooled for the sins are the heavier burden. We have to embrace Jesus, the one who comes to save and have more confidence than ever in “I AM” that sets us free and truly believe we have eternal life. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Numbers 21:4-9

...with their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!”... ...Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses, “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he will recover.” Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

It is always good to look back and review topics for the Lenten Retreat which was about prayer. The speaker started the talk by stating that life is a mystery. Faith is a mystery.

I. The Church professes the mystery of our faith repeatedly in the CREED. I believe in God... In these repetitions, we hope to eventually imbibe and absorb this mystery as best we can.

II.  We celebrate this mystery through the LITURGY & SACRAMENTS. In the celebration, we hope to grow in our understanding of the fullness of the Holy Trinity. The sacraments are the vessels of grace. There is something greater than this that we should come to understand. We are the vessels of grace and the sacraments serve as a reminder of this. The sacrament of matrimony depicts the love of a man and a woman with God in the center. We can only hope to have a better understanding of these mysteries as we celebrate and partake of it.

III. Morality. We live the mystery in accordance to the life of Jesus, an authentic Christian life.

IV. PRAYER. is the litmus test or yardstick of our faith. Our souls have holes that need to be filled or plugged and it is in prayer that we don't end up placing the wrong plugs that fit our souls. We develop a discerning power through prayer. The way of prayer is not a feeling but a decision. Prayer could very well be patterned after the seasons of the church. There's a part of our life when we need to die, suffer and rise and so are prayers should always be full of faith, hope and love. It prepares us to live a life of relationship. At the end of the day it's all about relationship. We might not be fully aware of this but we engage in relationships every single day of our life and they all contribute to this life of mystery we have. We just have to be careful by checking first with whom we are building a relationship with. We've got to make sure that we are progressing towards the fullness of our relationship with God. We need to remove the restrictions that we place on prayer. Though, we need to test if it's really God's Spirit. We need to keep in mind that we are in a journey to God and we are obliged to study and learn all there is to know because wrong spirit could be in the form of ignorance. I just found out that the word anti means in lieu. Satan is so envious of Jesus he wants to be Jesus and every time we do not decide for Jesus in our actions then we choose the act in lieu of Jesus and in effect become an anti-Christ. We need to be aware that whenever we are about to pray, go to church and do something good, Satan would do everything in his power to distract us. We need to cultivate our soul in order to grow. Anything that improves our relationship with God is prayer. In fact, the mere act of suddenly remembering to give a loved one a call is already a form of prayer. The way we relate to our loved ones, family, friends, relatives and the people around us could already be a form of prayer. When we are in the middle of a breath taking scenery in nature and become full of joy and awe brought about by it, it's almost like a prayer of appreciation for God's wonderful work and creation. The language of intelligence relies on rational thinking while the language of the soul appreciates beauty and makes use of images. In order to understand this more deeply we have to look at the Parable of the Seed and the Sower. This parable contains a lot of imagery to convey its message. Although the parable is about the seed and the sower, the soil is of utmost concern in this story. You know why? We are the soil. It is our soul and spirituality.  In fact the name of Adam, the first man created by God was derived from the Hebrew word Adama, which means soil.  We need to cultivate the soil, Prayer is the fuel that cultivates our soil. Prayer is God's gift. God's perfect love reaches out to us when we sin or commit mistakes. Remember when Adam & Eve fell into sin, God immediately searched for them, in Gen. 3:9, "Where are you?" Prayer is an act of raising one's mind to God. We need humility for it to be perfect. Humility comes from the word humus which means dirt. If only Adam& Eve were humble enough to admit their wrongdoings instead of point fingers at each other as in Genesis 3:11-13 ...You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me--she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it." The LORD God then asked the woman, "Why did you do such a thing?" The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it." Who knows we could have had a different story and could still be in paradise if they had instead admitted, asked for forgiveness and prayed in a posture of humility.  We have a universal call to prayer thus our yearning for God. The bronze serpent became the source of healing as they looked at the object. God allows certain objects to become a source of blessing from Him as we focus on our faith in God, our hearts can communicate better. As humans we are sometimes prone to distraction that we sometimes need visual aids/reminders to refocus our gaze on the Lord. Man is naturally in search of God. It is God who called and thirsted for us first. Prayer is a response to man's thirst for the thirst of God. It is a response of faith to a God who is reaching out to us. God gives us the Living Water that will not make us thirst anymore. Whenever we see a particular race of people, we'll know right away where they belong because of how they look, the language they speak and other peculiar things that is characteristic of them. This should also be the case with us, a people who belong to God. We should develop in us all the characteristics that will set us apart as a people of God. We should never ever doubt that God has His eyes always upon us. He is always looking out for our welfare. No matter how hard things may seem to be at present we can always count on the Lord who looks down on the earth from heaven. We can always count on God for all our needs. Let us not be discouraged by the things we see and hear but rather keep our focus on God who answers prayers. Let us keep our hope and faith in the Lord who never turns His back on those who continue and persevere in their prayers and pleas to God. God knows the perfect time for everything. It is not a matter of delaying and withholding His blessings but rather a matter of perfect timing. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21

R: O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

...Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily. (R) 15 [16] The nations shall revere your name, O LORD, and all the kings of the earth your glory, 16 [17] when the LORD has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory; 17 [18] when he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer. (R) 18 [19] Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the LORD: 19 [20] “The LORD looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, 20 [21] To hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.”

In today's gospel it is written that many came to believe in Jesus. "Are we not among them? Those who come to believe and embrace Him especially as we come near the final part of this Lenten journey. All who have been baptized should live this faith. Jesus described in the gospel that He is going away. It is a prediction of His passion, death and resurrection. Jesus is lifted up in the crucifixion and resurrection and these are the events that lead to eternal life. He said to the Pharisees, "Where I am going you cannot come" and also said,"...the one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I tell the world.” It is not passed on like whispering a secret but the Christian truth is proclaimed from the roof tops. Jesus had spoken in the temple area and also in the church being proclaimed daily to the world. God wants all people to be saved but we have to believe. We need to come to the core of the revelation. What is Jesus saying? Going back to Moses when he asked what he's going to tell the people, God said, "I AM" Jesus too, said "I AM." He is claiming to be Divine and He is God. They refuse to accept. Those who do not believe that He is God only tell that He is just, upright and righteous. We have to realize that an upright and devout man does not claim to be God, it's either he is really God or a lunatic. The title "I AM" is always taken from the context of God saving his people from distress, captivity and slavery. God has heard His people cry, wanted to set them free and claim their promised land. We can also see from Isaiah 45, God raised up King Cyrus to set the people free, and several times mentioned God referred to as "I Am" This is to emphasize that God wants to rescue His people and save them. Jesus said again, "I AM" talking in the context of freedom from sin. He said, For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” He sets us free from this dominion of sin but we need to trust Him. Amen. Hallelujah!

                                                                                                    

John 8:21-30

...I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.”...The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.” 30 Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

“NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU”

The story of Susanna in today's 1st reading tells us that we are always confronted with choices and decisions to make in our lives. Although hers was a matter of life and death and of a grave and serious matter we should not take for granted the fact that daily we are given choices and decisions to make that reflect and speak of our stand in life. We may have been praying to God for guidance and direction for a specific intention and it was not easy that although some things are already obvious and implied we still have to consider one important thing which is to be patient and learn how to wait. We may have the impression that we are already bombarded by signs and instances that point to a decision but trusting and waiting for the right time before we act on something is always good. This could teach us a lot of things especially with our impatient nature that always seek for immediate and instant results. Just like Susanna although she will be justified in whatever choice she makes since she is in a life and death situation. As far as the law of the land dictates based on my personal knowledge a person is absolved of guilt of any crime and offense if a person acted out of self defense or to preserve his/her life. In the case of Susanna, she did not give in to pressure and fear but continued to trust God's Divine Intervention in the natural course of events through Daniel the prophet who vindicated her and maintained her firm faith in God. This should inspire us to always do what is right before the Lord no matter what the cost. It goes to show that at all circumstances we should stand up and stay firm in our decisions to uphold what is true and honorable in the Lord's name. Even if things don't work to our favor right away as the story tells us that Susanna was condemned to death unjustly despite her innocence, this should not discourage us to carry on. We live in the level of animals if we live just for pleasure and lust and not for the higher level. We live in the high level if we see beauty in its crystal form, light, grace and goodness. But we live in the low level if we see beauty just for the satisfaction it will bring. Wickedness is in a person when he sees another not as a person but an object of lust. Sin has not changed. Human beings have not changed. Susanna was harassed by using mental and moral force but she preferred to fall innocent in sin than to sin before the Lord. She chose to die in the grace of God. She chose to stay in grace and suffering. She preferred to go to jail unjustly or die unjustly than to sin against God.  Susanna is depicted as a lamb among wolves. She is a lily of purity, model of family life and chastity in married life. Nothing enhances beauty more than holiness. There is light and grace and not just satisfied in the flesh. She is saved because she trusted, obeyed God and held her peace. Her prayers went to God and stirred the spirits of truth, wisdom and understanding in Daniel. We, too like Susanna if we persevere long enough can be rescued. Stories like these in the bible serve as reminders and proof that God always work for the good of those who remain faithful and true to Him. Amen. Hallelujah!

Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 (or Daniel 13:41c-62)
...“I am completely trapped,” Susanna groaned. “If I yield, it will be my death; if I refuse, I cannot escape your power. Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt than to sin before the Lord.” ...Through her tears she looked up to heaven, for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly...Susanna cried aloud: “O eternal God, you know what is hidden and are aware of all things before they come to be: you know that they have testified falsely against me. Here I am about to die, though I have done none of the things with which these wicked men have charged me.” The Lord heard her prayer. As she was being led to execution, God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel, and he cried aloud: “I will have no part in the death of this woman.” All the people turned and asked him, “What is this you are saying?” He stood in their midst and continued, “Are you such fools, O Israelites! To condemn a woman of Israel without examination and without clear evidence? Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.” Then all the people returned in haste. To Daniel the elders said, “Come, sit with us and inform us, since God has given you the prestige of old age.” But he replied, “Separate these two far from one another that I may examine them.” After they were separated one from the other, he called one of them and said: “How you have grown evil with age! Now have your past sins come to term: passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent, and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says, ‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’ Now, then, if you were a witness, tell me under what tree you saw them together.” “Under a mastic tree,” he answered. “Your fine lie has cost you your head,” said Daniel; “for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him and split you in two.” Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought. “Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah,” Daniel said to him, “beauty has seduced you, lust has subverted your conscience. This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel, and in their fear they yielded to you; but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness. Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.” “Under an oak,” he said. “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,” said Daniel; “for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two so as to make an end of you both.” The whole assembly cried aloud, blessing God who saves those that hope in him. They rose up against the two elders, for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury. According to the law of Moses, they inflicted on them the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor: they put them to death. Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

Psalm 23 assures us where the road of God’s love will lead us because it tells us exactly what kind of road we are heading to if we accept the love of the Good Shepherd. When I was a young child, I used to sing and imagine the scenario in the psalm reading for today. Psalm 23 has a Tagalog song version in the Philippines entitled, “Ang Panginoon ang aking Pastol” I have always loved singing it because of the very comforting words in the song. It has always given me an impression that with God on our side nothing can go wrong and if things seem to look like there is something wrong there is really nothing to fear for He will always be there to defend and protect. Let us not stray away from the Lord and always stay in the flock that He cares for. We may have heard a story of how a lion attacks its prey by separating it from the flock and once it has cornered it and all alone that's the time it devours it. It pays to always stay in the flock under the care of our Good Shepherd. We have to make sure we are not misguided or deceived by a fake shepherd and really belong to the flock of sheep that Jesus shepherds. If we are just to read and understand very well every word said in today's psalm then we ought to find ourselves the most contented and secured person in the whole wide world. There should be no more room for fear, doubt and anxiety. We've got to develop the confidence and faith of a person who have truly believed that the Lord is our shepherd. A sheep without a shepherd doesn’t know where to go and get food. They just stand there looking dumb and hungry. Today's psalm is a reminder and great consolation that we are the sheep and the Lord is our Shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd as stated in today's psalm. He makes us want for nothing more. We are so caught up with our problems and concerns in life that we become oblivious of God. We do not see the love of God in the midst of these disturbing events. In our journey here on earth we are all confronted with the bitter and harsh realities of life. Let us always remember and never forget that on top of those realities is the resounding truth and most essential one that we have a Good Shepherd. We should praise and thank God for those experiences although difficult served as an inspiration which we could hold on to at times when things do not turn out right. We can be assured that everything is in control although there is really a need to go through a so called "dark valley" of our lives in order for us to be fully aware that we have a God who looks after our welfare no matter how things turn out unexpectedly and not according to what we have in mind. We always have to believe that in the end, God is always on our side to give us the courage to carry on and find that God got us covered. There is one thing sure if we hold on to God as a sheep to the Good Shepherd, we will never be disappointed. The words of God in today's readings give us an assurance that He is always there for us. He said it and He means it then so be it. There is nothing more He could possibly mean when He said that He is the Good Shepherd other than He cares for us. He never forsakes nor abandons any single one of His flock. Sometimes we are confronted with situations that push us to the limits and thus we give way. This should never be the case at any single time. We should not entertain the option that is clearly not pleasing to the Lord even beyond the point of maximum tolerance. We may find ourselves able to resist up to a certain extent only. Thus when the tough gets really tough we would suddenly find ourselves shifting our loyalty. We only find ourselves proclaiming God in our life when situations are favorable. It's such a pity if we would ever come to this point where almost everybody in this world found themselves comfortably positioned. We can easily change positions when things get uncomfortable and easily turn our backs on what is ultimately God’s will for us. As in Rev. 3:16, So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. It is time to make a stand and know which side we really are rather than continue making excuses and justifications. We must not doubt God's ability to be the  Good Shepherd that He really is to us and trust Him rather than ourselves to carry out the plan He has for us.  Just like this old adage, "Never put the law into your hands." We should not take away God's plan from His hands into ours and act like we know better. If there's someone who could perfectly carry out this plan for our lives then that is no other than God Himself. Nothing could be more perfect than entrusting our life in God's hands. Just try to imagine ourselves right now, as is, where is with all our cares and problems in this world. Then try to paint another picture, this time with God as the Good Shepherd that tends the sheep, then picture ourselves as that sheep that the Lord tends. Be still for a moment and try to absorb and allow to sink in the words in the responsorial psalm. In God's loving embrace we are secured and satisfied that there is nothing we stand in need of. If the Lord is our shepherd who could ask for more? Goodness and love pursue us all the days of our life. For as long we're sure that the Lord Jesus is indeed the shepherd who leads us and whom we follow then there is no doubt about this. We should thank the Lord for our daily assurances, confirmation and in all circumstances. God will never allow us to go hungry and will always give us what we need and even more. God is a generous God that when we're feeling hungry or in need of something He is always there to provide, all we have to do is trust Him in His ways, as He has promised. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R: Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

It is not surprising to know that we often place our trust and confidence in the closest, most dependable and dearest people that we have in our life. Only to them can we open up and reveal everything about us without the fear of being let down and rejected. Although there are times too when we get disappointed by the fact that people are not perfect and could eventually let us down. It is a consolation to know that there is one whom we can be totally confident of not being let down or rejected no matter how mess up we are. Everybody might have turned our backs on us but God remains faithful, loving and accepting to us at all times. The gospel for today speaks of a life spared and this Lenten season speaks of the sparing of all of us. Believe it or not but we have all become like this woman in the gospel. We may not have committed the same sin but we have all been spared and forgiven from all our countless offenses and sins. Aren't we happy about this? To be happy is an understatement once we fully realize the great price that Jesus has to pay for our sake. Although women in the olden times are of less worth than men and have no rights and privileges that women enjoy in this present day, their good example in scriptures compel us to really take part and be involved in God's saving power. This truth has to sink in deeply into our beings so as not to neglect it and treasure and value this great privilege of being forgiven and saved. We did not contribute a single effort on this the only thing we need to do is clearly and specifically stated in today's gospel. We can be made innocent again and not be condemned as we sin no more. Every sin of all of us is laid on the whole body of Jesus on Good Friday. What does the prophet Ezekiel said, “Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?” God is about mercy and reconciling ourselves to Him. It doesn’t matter how far, long it’s been and ugly our sins, God is calling us back, to rise up from the darkness, shame and guilt of our sins because Jesus our Savior is coming for us. Jesus died for all the sins of the world. Every pain, scourge of His passion, nail of crucifixion, He would have endured even if it’s just only one of us who have sinned. Our souls should be aware of what’s to unfold in Holy Week, the week that saved the world. It’s wonderful, all of us who have sinned and denied God one way or another are being embraced by this truth. Jesus forgave this woman caught in adultery but the scribes and the Pharisees wanted to test him. If Jesus said no when asked, should we stone this woman? It would mean that He doesn’t follow the law of Moses and approves of adultery. But if He said yes then He can no longer be identified as friend of sinners. Everything that is written in the Old Testament and before the time of Jesus is partial revelation, a line has to be drawn in the sand. In today’s gospel, Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the sand. Jesus revealed the mercy of God. On our part we need to repent which means being sorry for our sins, turn around and embrace what is right but not to diminish the seriousness of sins. It doesn’t mean that Jesus is more tolerant of adultery than the God who spoke to Moses. He is the same God. The advancement of revelation in the Christian era does not diminish the sin but enhances the magnificence of the mercy of God. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, the trap and test for Jesus does not work. He stoops down writing in the sand like keeping a record of something, of the sins. He knows that we know the difference from right or wrong but we have to look at that in the light that we all have sins. We must recognize that we all have to turn to the Lord. The name of the woman in the gospel is not mentioned. The passage does not say anything about her, the people don’t care about the person and just making her an object to test Jesus. Every day this gospel passage is taking place again and again, Nowadays we see a culture that sees the doing away of a life of a person as the solution to a problem. We need to bear a clear witness to Jesus in whom we believe tells us, “Neither do I condemn you.” We need to build a society that rejects death penalty and abortion. We have to constantly hear these words of Jesus in order to find this path leading to peace. We have to know the Lord in prayer, sacraments and in virtue to find ourselves in the embrace of God’s mercy.  Amen. Hallelujah!

John 8:1-11

...“Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

THE CONCLUSION

The readings for today permeate the truth about life and death. In Ezekiel’s vision which is from today's 1st reading, he saw the release of the Jews from their captivity which is likened to rising from the dead. It is a promise that they will experience new life that springs from God's own spirit. The same is true for us, when our battle on earth is over, then we, too can settle upon the land and kingdom that God has prepared for us. We may all be going through some kind of difficulty in our lives and things look like they will not get any better. When we come to this point and feel like the world is crumbling right before our eyes then we can always remember these powerful words in today's 1st reading. Ezekiel prophesied to the dry bones and saw before his very eyes the rattling bones that came together. Bone joining bone, sinews and the flesh came upon them, the skin covered them, the spirit came into them; they came alive and stood upright, a vast army. These may all sound too impossible and hard to imagine but we must always be reminded of how great and awesome is God. It is also our hope that someday we will all rise up in God's power and glory. With God all things are possible. Amen. Hallelujah!

Ezekiel 37:12-14

12 Thus says the Lord GOD: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! 14 I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the LORD. I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

Justification actually means being "made righteous" i.e. it entails the sanctification of his whole being (CCC 1989, 1990, &1995) We are justified not by faith alone nor by works alone. Justification has its stages i.e. initial and progressive. Initial justification takes place at our baptism. We still have a tendency to backslide and during the hour of death is the period of intense spiritual battle over our soul. That is why we need to mature in our faith. 

Certainty of Salvation "Once saved, always saved?" If we believe in this it tends to put off our guard. (1 Jn 5:13-14)  

Epistles against works? I guess there have been some misunderstanding here of the following bible verses: Rom. 3:28 (Obedience of faith) We should be aware of the truth that we know we are saved, still being saved and will continue to be saved as stated by Paul in 1 Cor. 4:3-5, 9:27. In Phil 2:12 Paul also encouraged us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. For the enemy is waging war on us and we need to be very aware of this and claim God's protection over us at all times. (Eph.6:11-12)

Martin Luther based his belief on faith alone on this specific verse he failed to see that Paul in addition to what I've mentioned earlier was attacking the Jews with regards to their ceremonial laws and that it is not enough to just hear the law but to observe it. (Rom 4:5 Total adherence) An example he gave was attending the mass not just as an obligation but with the heart. Consider it a privilege and do it for the love of God. He said we are saved by grace not by works but we obtain the grace of God by good works and the motive is mercy (Eph. 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5) as in today's psalm. We all have our faults, failures and shortcomings. No one can deny the fact that we all have sinned and fallen short of God's standard. It is to our advantage if we take everything that comes to us most especially the trials and difficulties as a form of offering to God for His greater glory. Just like what the song says:

All that I am, all that I have I lay them down before you, oh Lord

All my regrets, all my acclaims the joy and the pain, I'm making them yours

[Chorus:]

Lord, I offer my life to you. Everything I've been through. Use it for your glory

Lord I offer my days to you. Lifting my praise to you as a pleasing sacrifice

Lord I offer you my life

[Verse 2:]

Things in the past, things yet unseen, wishes and dreams that are yet to come true

All of my heart, all of my praise, my heart and my hands are lifted to you

We sing this song with all our heart with a hope in joyful waiting for His redemption. There is no use in denying, covering up, pretending or doing whatever other defense mechanisms we have before the Lord. We can not hide anything from the Lord. Sometimes we miss the point when we do things so that we look pleasing before the eyes of others, but what about in the eyes of the Lord? We don't have to bother about hiding because the Lord is able to find us. We might as well get our acts together so that when He finds us He'll like what He'll see. We continue to believe that God is merciful despite the many sins we have committed. Though hard, there is a need to turn away from our wicked ways by always keeping the word of God before us and conducting ourselves in accordance to it. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R: With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; Lord, hear my voice! 2 Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication. (R) 3 If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand? 4 But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered. (R) 5 I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. 6 More than sentinels wait for the dawn. More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the LORD. (R) 7 For with the LORD is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption; 8 and he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.

We associate a lot of things to places where we live. How about associating things to ourselves by examining closely who lives in us. We are without a trace of any doubt as proclaimed in today's 2nd reading a dwelling place of God. Just like any other places where we can live, if the conditions are no longer favorable, or we are forced to relocate due to work reasons, buy a new house and move to a place where we can call our own and other reasons we can all think about when transferring to a new place to live. Sometimes we can use this analogy to ourselves as God's dwelling place. Are we trying our best to make feel God at home in our lives or are we driving Him away from us? For God is always the perfect gentleman and would never force Himself if we do not welcome Him the way we should. Let us be careful just as what sometimes happen when we may not be aware of it but we are already kicking Jesus out of our lives. He patiently waits for us to open the doors of our hearts.  We prevent God's miracles in our lives when we suppress it by our wrongdoings. Why not allow the Spirit of the Lord that dwells in us triumph, unchain the spirit and unleash its power to work in us. The 2nd reading assures the Christian community of a future of unending glory for all who have been loyal to God. The assurance of resurrection is nothing less than the spirit dwelling in us. We are released from the graves that we create for ourselves. The resurrection is the ground of our faith and basis for our hope. Let us be conscious and truly nurture God's spirit in us.

Amen. Hallelujah!

Romans 8:8-11

"...For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit. The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace. For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.

The climax is found in today’s gospel which is the rising from the dead of Lazarus. It gives us hope in our own rising just as Ezekiel and Paul tells his community. It confirms our faith in Jesus who is for us our resurrection and life. St. John’s gospel begins with a wedding and closes with a funeral. Today’s gospel is the account of the funeral at Bethany. There are 4 characters, Jesus, Martha, Mary and Lazarus. John tells us that He loved them. The funeral ritual in Jesus' time is very different in ours. The body is wrapped, covered and placed in a cave. Jesus waited 2 days before he went to Lazarus despite the urgency of the call. It was for the will of God to be demonstrated by this miracle. At that time the Jewish authorities are ready to do away with Him. The miracle of Lazarus is a last ditch attempt to win the Jewish authorities over. We also see this statement of Jesus in the gospel that we continue to hear at every funeral mass, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” The chief priest and Jewish officials failed to make the connection that Martha was able to make. In fact Martha is considered a woman of great faith for she is the only one aside from Peter who had professed that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. She is a hardworking prayer intercessor who never stops in her labor for the service of God. Just like St. Martha we should all be firm believers that God answers all our prayers no matter how impossible it may be. Although the qualities of St. Martha depicted in a certain bible passage where she complained to the Lord that she is the one doing all the work does not speak very well of her we could still learn something from it. We should look at the example of the industrious and service oriented attitude of St. Martha especially when our lazy and careless sides get the better of us. It happens to the best of us when we sometimes run away from work and hesitate to be involved. As we make ourselves available for God's work we too like St. Martha in today's gospel can eventually transcend from that worried and anxious woman to a person of faith. When we are totally surrendered to the will of God nothing or no one should drive us to fear not even death itself. This is because we are confident of the saving power of God. He will never lead us to where His love can not reach us. We can always be assured of the loving arms of our Savior. We can also see that Jesus wept. He is the Son of God but also the vulnerable Son of Man. He is the most sensitive of human beings. Jesus’ love for Lazarus and his sisters is very obvious. We should believe that His love for us is no less than them. We can contemplate on the rolling away of the stone, unbinding Lazarus and letting him go. How often do we bind ourselves with metaphorical strings like addiction, gossip, prejudices, sexual deviations and anger. We hide it to ourselves but we can’t hide from God. We should seek help to unbind ourselves. Is there an area in our life where hope is gone? Let us pray to bring the light of his love to liberate us. Hand them over to Jesus to be healed, raised up and set free. Jesus calls us by name to come out of our graves. There is a deeper and darker truth in this world where we are. Sometimes we meet death of our own making. We see how people kill each other in acts of murder like abortion, euthanasia, overworking, stress, bad eating habits, physical neglect as we also watch others die through destruction of our environment. Death is certainly all around us, not just as a result of old age but of our own making. We need to alleviate it for ourselves and others too. The vital question is, "Am I ready to face my own death, we don’t know the day nor the hour." Now is the time to make preparation and to take responsibility not just for ourselves. We, not just Lazarus and his sisters are loved by Jesus. We are all called to unbind and be free. It is not through our own merits that we receive miracles and blessings from God. In everything, let us bring back the glory to God. We should make it an ongoing Christian responsibility throughout our life. Indeed, if we do so, the resurrection is the conclusion of our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 11:1-45

1 Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with  perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. 3 So the sisters sent word to him, saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.” 4 When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”...“Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” 12 So the disciples said to him, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” 13 But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. 14 So then Jesus said to them clearly, “Lazarus has died. 15 And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.”...Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” ...When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” 35 And Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”...Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. 42 I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”  45 Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

IN GOD'S HANDS

Jeremiah in today's 1st reading cried out for help to God. Our confidence should also be like his as we call on God in our prayers. He reflects the same kind of trust of a lamb led to slaughter and ultimately that of Jesus on the cross. There will always be discord and chaos for as long as we live. But this is so that we can draw closer to God and learn the perfect act of entrusting everything to God. We can never find real security in this world. We may be rich, powerful and successful but these things can only amount to something if we have totally surrendered our lives to God. Only God can bring about true and lasting happiness and security in our lives. It may be true that these things can bring joy to one's life but only up to a certain point. One day we will find out that all these things will never suffice. The world we are in right now is being presented to us in a way that we almost consider it as the only real thing that exists since it is the one that we can truly see and hold at the present moment. Let us not be deceived by this and try to look further and beyond. If we do, we will realize that only God can truly sustain us. We have to place God in the center of our life in order to draw meaning to all these things that this world offers. We can be rest assured that God will always uphold our cause and see to it that justice is served to all who remain faithful in Him. It is only right that we should consult all our plans and desires to God first before we decide to do something. God is good and He will never deprive us nor withhold from us the things that we need to know. He is always there to show us the right step to take. Although the road we may be traveling is difficult, tiring and taking too long before reaching our dreams and intended goals there is always a guarantee that God is able to fight for our cause and bring everything to fruition. Amen. Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 11:18-20

I knew their plot because the LORD informed me; at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings. Yet, I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized that they were hatching plots against me: “Let us destroy the tree in its vigor; let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will be spoken no more.” But you, O Lord of hosts, O just Judge, searcher of mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause!

We are not lost nor doomed no matter what kind of situation or circumstance we are facing because we can always take refuge in the Lord and be assured that He rescues us. We should realize by now that we have a big God as we look back at all the things that have happened to us especially during times when we are in dire need, big trouble and to the point of despair when all of a sudden it was lifted up just like that as if a big boulder or burden had been removed from our chest. We can turn to no one else but God for He alone can save us from all our distress. All we need to do is firmly decide on which side we really are through our thoughts, words and actions that reflect the goodness of God. Our confidence in God should be 100% no matter what our situation is. God shields us for as long as we hold on to Him and believe exactly what the psalm reading says. Amen. Hallelujah

Psalms 7:2-3, 9-10, 11-12

R: O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.

...save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, 2 [3] lest I become like the lion’s prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me. (R) 8 [9] Do me justice, O LORD, because I am just, and because of the innocence that is mine. 9 [10] Let the malice of the wicked come to an end, but sustain the just, O searcher of heart and soul, O just God. (R) 10 [11] A shield before me is God, who saves the upright of heart; 11 [12] a just judge is God, a God who punishes day by day.

There is power in His word. There is something that convicts, heals and attracts. This man who seems to be from Galilee is the fulfillment of the prophecy. He is no other than Jesus, the Son of God who is from heaven, our Savior and Redeemer. We have a lot of fears and doubts that cripple us and make us unable to participate in the Master plan that God has in store for us. He can see through our future and knows well also what we are going through at the moment and what we had been through. All things work for the good of those who love and serve God. We should not forget that God operates but we need to cooperate. For into the hands of our Creator we should confidently entrust and totally surrender everything in our life who knows perfectly what is best for all of us even before it came to be. Everything that we hold dear in this world will all come to pass and only one thing remains and will matter in the end. It is our relationship with God that we should work for at all times. In all the things we do, we must find God in the center of our will. If we fall into the trap of this world and start to work in favor of this world rather than of God then we are surely in big trouble if not now then sooner or later. Life here on earth is not fair. Even Jesus, the Son of God suffered unjustly in this world. Unbelievable but true. We feel bad when people don’t treat us right. How about Jesus? Let us take into consideration what He went through and still people doubted Him and even plotted to kill Him. They are guilty, but aren't we all? Nowadays, we all profess the same belief in Jesus as Messiah though our actions are not completely convinced of this truth. We do not differ from those people in today's gospel if we are not daring enough to really come out of the open, stand up for the call to live by example and dare to show the difference. If we hope to surpass all these things then we, too must place everything in God's hands like Jesus did. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 7:40-53

Some in the crowd who heard these words said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But others said, "The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he?

Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David's family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?"So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him...

The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.” 47 So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, 51 “Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” 52 They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” 53 Then each went to his own house.

WHAT'S YOUR DESTINY?

Have you ever experienced feeling so down and out? It's like heading for doom and destruction. It seems so hopeless and discouraging, not wanting to go on with life and just succumb to depression and defeat. Today's 1st reading is a prophecy of the plot of trying to put Jesus to death and this is way before the incarnation took place. According to Bishop Sheen the spirit of enmity is not only present when Jesus lived but as long as time endured. There are people who were persecuted and forgotten when they died but the hatred of the world and against Jesus lives on. It is still happening today. This is because He is alive. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We should never be discouraged and rather be strong as we are reminded how the only begotten Son of God, the Ruler, Creator and Majestic King of heaven and earth was put to the test, condemned unjustly, tortured, and  accepted a humiliating death on a cross all because of God's great love for all of us. We have to be ashamed of the times when we question, complain and even blame God whenever we encounter trials and hardships in life. We should be aware of the reality that we sometimes do things without realizing the repercussions of our actions. Everything starts with something small and may not realize it until we get caught in the web of our wrongdoing. One small sin happens after another without realizing that we've gone a long way and caused our spiritual blindness. No matter what the reasons are let us hold on to God’s purpose although it is not clear or even unknown to us. Let us not be mistaken and blinded but always rely on the hidden counsels of God, recompense of holiness and the reward of the innocent soul. Amen. Hallelujah!

Wisdom 2:1, 12-22

1 The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright: 12 “Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. 13 He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD. 14 To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, 15 because his life is not like other men’s, and different are his ways. 16 He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father. 17 Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him. 18 For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. 19 With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. 20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him.” 21 These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, 22 and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.

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

Psalms 34:17-18, 19-20, 21, 23

R: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

16 [17] The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. 17 [18] When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. (R) 18 [19] The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. 19 [20] Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

Today's gospel is taken from John or the 4th gospel. Its genuineness is affirmed by the whole character of the narrative. The arrangement of this gospel follows historical order of events and portrayed with precision of eyewitness. Even the most minute subsidiary circumstances are mentioned with special concern to determine exactly the time of occurrence. It is accepted as one of chief and historically credible sources of knowledge of the life of Christ. The 4th gospel has a high Christology that emphasizes the Divine aspects of Jesus’ identity compared with low Christology that emphasizes human aspects. John’s belief in the preexistence of Christ is very pronounced. According to Frances Hogan, she believes that it was John the youngest of all the apostles who really wrote the gospel. The person behind the gospel have seen and heard Jesus first hand. He came to Jesus as a teenager and seems to know the heart of Jesus instinctively. It was to John that Jesus gave His mother on the cross. John was taught by God's beloved mother, Mary. The book of John is known as the book of signs. The Book of Signs (Jn 1:19-12:50)

The seven signs are miraculous deeds of Jesus that reveal his true identity. They show Jesus bringing different types of people to believe in Him while at the same time provoking many among the Jews to hostility. The author interprets them for the reader by various reflections, narratives and discourses. Many Jews were provoked to hostility on account of the declarations of Jesus which they could not accept as in today's gospel. Signs and symbols are very important to John as it is to us. God is from above and we are from below. From our human level it is very difficult for us to grasp the meaning of things in our life in relation to God. We have to look beyond the physical and understand them better as we go beyond the surface into its deeper meaning. The same is true in our relationship with God, the more we know about Him the better we understand the things in our life. We can look into the things happening in our life and find meaning in it. It becomes symbolic in a sense that God has communicated to us, making us more inclined to do things that are divine. We should praise and thank God for the perfect example and pattern of Jesus' life that He left for all of us that serve as an inspiration and guide. There is no doubt as to the perfection of our God who knows exactly the time when things are bound to happen for He knows best. Let us just continue to trust His Divine Providence that everything happens for a reason at the appointed hour. Jesus was destined to suffer and die for our sins because He was obedient to the will of God and that same destiny resurrected Him from the dead and now seated at the right hand of the Father reigning in His kingdom forever and ever. May our destiny be to always obey the will of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Jesus moved about within Galilee; but he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret. Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Messiah? But we know where he is from. When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.