There are many distractions all around us. Whether we admit or not, we too succumb to it and sometimes fail to act in accordance to what is right. We need to know what our priorities are in life. It is of prime importance that we know what needs to be on top of our list because everything else will come second and just trail behind. What we focus on grows. Today's 1st reading leaves us with a very important word of advice that we really ought to take seriously and act on. Amen. Hallelujah!
Acts 6:1-7
...the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. 3 Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, 4 whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
If we always focus on the Lord and put His words in our presence at all times then we can be assured that we have a lamp unto our feet that is lighting our path. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
R: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
...Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy. 5 He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full. (R) 18 See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine...
Sometimes we fail to grasp the full extent of God's power thus we don't recognize God working in our lives through the scary things happening in our lives. We tend to be disheartened right away and focus on our fears instead of focusing on Jesus who can conquer all. Amen. Hallelujah!
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6,16-21.
...they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid.
But he said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid."...
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
CRACK IT OPEN
Sometimes we find ourselves at a loss already when we are no longer sure if what we are doing is the will of God. These are in extreme cases when we are confronted with so many problems, difficulties and oppositions just like the apostles in today's 1st reading. They strived hard to spread the good news about Jesus but the Pharisees just didn't want to stop fighting them. We too may encounter our own Pharisees in our lives it may be a person, place or thing that just make things difficult for us. If we find ourselves in a similar position and situation then we can hold on to this bible passage below for as long as we make sure we are engaged in endeavors coming from God. But most often, the problem lies within us when we like the learned and respected Pharisees fail to identify or simply refuse to accept which of these things are of human origin or coming from God. This made me remember Frances Hogan when she discussed the Gospel of John in one of EWTN's shows entitled, "For God so Loved the World". The more we wanted to follow the will of God in our life the more difficult things may become for us. God is Infinite and we can not contain everything in our minds. It is just like looking into a prism where light passes through creates different colors. We can not just pick one color but have to consider each one of them. Jesus is Divine and comes from heaven and came down to earth. When Jesus speaks, He is speaking from His own Divine level. 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. The Gospel of John is well known for its 7 signs and several other things like the numbers 3 and 10 which all hold different meanings. Let's take for example a bus with the number 3 is going somewhere different from bus #7. They are going to different directions. In the bible we can find the same thing when we read about all sorts of signs and symbols like numbers that could say a lot of different things. In the gospel of John we can find the #3 in different scenarios. Much of them tells us about Jesus who delayed for 2 days before arriving on the 3rd day. The resurrection of Jesus which happened on the 3rd day. And in 2 Peter 3:8 "But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard "delay,"..." The #3 as the #7 symbolizes perfection since it means completeness as in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. 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. Amen. Hallelujah!
Acts 5:34-42
...For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. 39 But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.”...
We need to understand the mysteries of our faith in order to appreciate it better. We have to go near as much as possible to the Word of God and experience it come to life and see His glory shining on us. As we go near Him we see his face and feel His love as we dwell in the house of the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
R: One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?...Wait for the LORD with courage; be stout-hearted, and wait for the LORD.
Today's gospel is taking from John which gives me a reason to share about the wonderful things I learned about the gospel of John. 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. (Jn 8:58- Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM."; When Moses saw God for the first time and asked God His name, He said, "I AM".; Jn 10:30- The Father and I are one." The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him.; Jn 6:51- I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." ; 6:55-56- For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. ; The bread here is not just like bread on the table and just drink in a cup. Jn 5:17-18- But Jesus answered them, "My Father is at work until now, so I am at work." For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. ) The gospel of John holds numerous meanings that we can choose to be like Sherlock Holmes looking for clues to crack open the mystery behind it. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 6:1-15
1 Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. 2 A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 5 When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. 12 When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” 13 So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. 14 When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” 15 Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
Acts 5:34-42
...For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. 39 But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.”...
We need to understand the mysteries of our faith in order to appreciate it better. We have to go near as much as possible to the Word of God and experience it come to life and see His glory shining on us. As we go near Him we see his face and feel His love as we dwell in the house of the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
R: One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?...Wait for the LORD with courage; be stout-hearted, and wait for the LORD.
Today's gospel is taking from John which gives me a reason to share about the wonderful things I learned about the gospel of John. 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. (Jn 8:58- Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM."; When Moses saw God for the first time and asked God His name, He said, "I AM".; Jn 10:30- The Father and I are one." The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him.; Jn 6:51- I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." ; 6:55-56- For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. ; The bread here is not just like bread on the table and just drink in a cup. Jn 5:17-18- But Jesus answered them, "My Father is at work until now, so I am at work." For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. ) The gospel of John holds numerous meanings that we can choose to be like Sherlock Holmes looking for clues to crack open the mystery behind it. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 6:1-15
1 Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. 2 A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 5 When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. 12 When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” 13 So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. 14 When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” 15 Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
THE BEST CHOICE
Have you ever experienced being threatened? I did, but just like Peter we should not give in but persevere to follow God rather than succumb to our fear. For as long as you've got God on your side then we're standing on solid immovable ground and leaning on the promises of God our Savior. Nothing should ever stop us from spreading the Word of God and dispelling all the heretical information being perpetrated in the whole world no matter what the cost. We should come after the example of the apostles who bravely displayed their faith and belief in Jesus. Day in and day out we are confronted with choices, big or small, all they ever amount to and what this is all about is just one important thing. Nothing should ever stop us from following their example of faith. It should inspire us to know that it was God who chose us first even before we ever came to be. His choice comes first even before we make a choice. He chose to love us first. If we believe that God loves us then we are confident in the fact that we must obey God above all. We must follow the example of obedience that Jesus showed us. It was one born out of inspiration rather than obligation. St. Thomas Aquinas said God the Father did it by inspiring the Son with so much love that Jesus did it. The obedience of Jesus to the point of death on the cross should not be seen as a rejection but the giving up of His Son for this great love of God for us who chose us first. Amen. Hallelujah!
Acts of the Apostles 5,27-33.
..."We gave you strict orders (did we not?) to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us."
But Peter and the apostles said in reply, "We must obey God rather than men...
We’ve got to have the right heart, mind and attitude as conveyed in the psalm reading today. 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 it, we do it one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. 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. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 34:2 and 9. 17-18. 19-20
R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
…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.
Let us always be cautious of the things we say and do so that we reflect the values and principles that Jesus himself showed to us when He obeyed to the end. We've got to make a choice and the best one there is. Sometimes we do things that don't make sense. We prefer to stay in the dark and make a lousy choice. We think that it is better to stay in the dark rather than embrace the truth. That happens when we refuse to bring out in the light the things that we do in the dark. We prefer to remain in the darkness. There are a lot of things we can find out about what God says in the bible. In Genesis we can immediately find the 4 actions of God. In the 1st book of the bible in the first 4 verses we can find that God 1. creates 2. moves 3.speaks 4. separates The 4th and final action is needed because God loves us so much He just can't leave us the way we are. We've got to make a stand on which side we are. But according to Pope John Paul II in his book entitled, "Evangelium Vitae" the biggest problem of people nowadays is that we are no longer capable of distinguishing good from evil. We've got to have the courage to look straight in the eyes, stand up in the light and be faithful to God. Judgment is unfolding every single day. We have to make sure we are on the right side when it finally comes. Amen. Hallelujah!
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 3,31-36.
...The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things...
In the light of the readings for today and in addition to what I have shared I would like to include this information about the bible that I got in our Catholicism study.
I. The Bible is a unique book
-most popular book ever; in fact it has made a lot of people very rich due to the several movies and books shown and written based on the bible.
-It greatly influenced civilization, a source of Western culture. A treasure chest of wisdom and inspiration, contains some of the most profound insights on life and has changed many lives.
-All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction and for training in righteousness so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work- 2 Tim 3:16-17
-Indeed the Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any 2 edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart - Heb. 4:12
-A library/ collection of OT and NT books mysteriously woven into a single theme and written in thousands of years with various authors of different background.
II. Original and manuscripts (copies) of the bible
- original writings were either destroyed or perished through wear and tear since it was in papyrus material.
-Manuscripts or copies of the bible are authenticated through “Textual Criticism” The object of textual criticism is to restore as nearly as possible the original text of a work the autograph of which has been lost. The manuscripts date way back 100 BC.
III. Classes of Sacred Writings:
1. Protocanonical (universally accepted) – There are 46 books in the OT and 27 in the NT. It is not true that the OT is obsolete and is not important. The writings in the OT foreshadows the scriptures in the NT. An example cited was the Passover in Egypt found in the OT where the angel of death spared the Israelites who have placed the blood of the lamb on their doors. In the NT , it was the blood of Jesus shed on the cross that spared us all from the angel of death which is sin.
2. Deuterocanonical (disputed writing such as the so-called “7 added books of the OT” and the books of James, Jude, 2 Peter, 2nd and 3rd letters of John, Hebrews and Revelation of the NT)
3. Apocryphal (writings which are not considered inspired such as the gospel of Peter, the gospel of Thomas, the letters of Barnabas and Clement, etc.) It was through these apocryphal writings that Dan Brown came up with the heretical source that brought about “The Da Vinci Code.”
IV. Origin of the Bible
- Putting together in writing the experiences of God’s people, the warning of their prophets and the beliefs they developed.
-The authors were divinely inspired (Theopneustos or God-breathed) The bible is an inspired interpretation of God’s deeds and self revelation, the Word of God in the words of humans.”
-Writings were canonized by the Catholic Church (Councils of Rome, Hippo, Carthage and Trent) The Church authority was universally recognized. The bible was put together as early as the 4th century (397AD) and Ptotestantism only started in 1517 so it was the Catholic Church who canonized these writings.
- The Palestinian/Hebrew Canon rejected “seven books” in the Council of Jamnia. One of these books is Maccabees which mentions about praying for the dead or souls in purgatory.
-Protestant Canon adopted the Palestinian/Hebrew Canon. It is very ironical that Martin Luther who used to be Catholic but became a protestant even once said that, “We are obliged to the Catholic Church for the bible which we received from them.” Meaning he recognizes it as the one who put together the bible.
V. Translations of the Bible
- The OT was originally written in the Hebrew language and then translated into Greek (Septuagint) by about 70 translators around 285-246 BC.
Legend says that these scholars who translated the bible were separated from each other but amazingly came up with the same translation. During the time of Alexander the Great some scriptures were translated from Hebrew to Greek.
-The NT was originally written in the Greek language and later translated to Latin (Vulgate) It has 350 quotations coming from the Deuterocanonical books. St. Jerome translated the scriptures to Latin. Martin Luther translated the bible from Latin and Greek to German and the controversial verse from Rom 3:28 which he allegedly added the word “alone” in the text which says “Man is saved by faith alone”. From then on Pope Pius XIII decreed that all translations be from the original language (Greek or Hebrew) to English to avoid distorting the real meaning of the word of God and must have the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur marks .
-Catholic English translations were the Douay-Rheims (1st translation to English), NAB, etc. )
-Protestant English translations: Tyndale, King James, RSV, etc. The King James version was rejected by the Church due to so many typographical errors made such as The Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew written as Vinegar and the ”Thou shall not commit adultery” in Deuteronomy wherein the “not” has been omitted.
VI. Interpretation of the Bible
-There are so many science theories or the so called evolution theory that questions the accuracy of the data in the bible especially that of creation in 7 days. Even the Book of Revelation has become so controversial. Bear in mind that the bible is not a science treatise nor just a series of predictions nor intended to be a history book. Some are not literally true, but are vehicles to convey the truth. A very good example of this is a glass of water, when we drink water it has to be placed in a container but you only drink the water and not the glass.
-Be attentive to what the human authors wanted to affirm and to what God wanted to reveal to us by their words (CCC109) Consider the literary genre and forms of literary expression
-Take into account the conditions of the authors’ time and culture and the various forms of expressions used (CCC110). The writers during the OT, the Israelites were very primitive and picture God as some kind of warrior. It is a product of their imagination. The heresy of Marcion says that the God of the OT is evil while the God of the NT is good. The bible should be studied always with reference to Jesus in the NT to better understand who God really is and learn about Jesus.
-Read and interpret it in the light of the same Spirit who inspired it (CCC111). God is a respecter of free will. God always speak to us with love.
-Be especially attentive to the content and unity of the whole scripture and the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves (CCC 112 and 114)
-Read it within the “living tradition of the whole Church” (CCC113); Accept the core teachings of the Church like a child- example is the dogma on the Immaculate Conception, it has been questioned long before for years already and had been resolved.
-Interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church (CCC 119) Jesus left us the Church to guard and interpret it. It should be guided by the core teachings of the Church enclosed in the Apostle’s Creed, etc.
End of talk. The gospel for today inspired me to share the above lesson I got from our Catholicism study because I am a firm believer of God and all His words are true. God bless you all! Hallelujah! Amen.
Acts of the Apostles 5,27-33.
..."We gave you strict orders (did we not?) to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us."
But Peter and the apostles said in reply, "We must obey God rather than men...
We’ve got to have the right heart, mind and attitude as conveyed in the psalm reading today. 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 it, we do it one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. 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. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 34:2 and 9. 17-18. 19-20
R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
…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.
Let us always be cautious of the things we say and do so that we reflect the values and principles that Jesus himself showed to us when He obeyed to the end. We've got to make a choice and the best one there is. Sometimes we do things that don't make sense. We prefer to stay in the dark and make a lousy choice. We think that it is better to stay in the dark rather than embrace the truth. That happens when we refuse to bring out in the light the things that we do in the dark. We prefer to remain in the darkness. There are a lot of things we can find out about what God says in the bible. In Genesis we can immediately find the 4 actions of God. In the 1st book of the bible in the first 4 verses we can find that God 1. creates 2. moves 3.speaks 4. separates The 4th and final action is needed because God loves us so much He just can't leave us the way we are. We've got to make a stand on which side we are. But according to Pope John Paul II in his book entitled, "Evangelium Vitae" the biggest problem of people nowadays is that we are no longer capable of distinguishing good from evil. We've got to have the courage to look straight in the eyes, stand up in the light and be faithful to God. Judgment is unfolding every single day. We have to make sure we are on the right side when it finally comes. Amen. Hallelujah!
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 3,31-36.
...The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things...
In the light of the readings for today and in addition to what I have shared I would like to include this information about the bible that I got in our Catholicism study.
I. The Bible is a unique book
-most popular book ever; in fact it has made a lot of people very rich due to the several movies and books shown and written based on the bible.
-It greatly influenced civilization, a source of Western culture. A treasure chest of wisdom and inspiration, contains some of the most profound insights on life and has changed many lives.
-All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction and for training in righteousness so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work- 2 Tim 3:16-17
-Indeed the Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any 2 edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart - Heb. 4:12
-A library/ collection of OT and NT books mysteriously woven into a single theme and written in thousands of years with various authors of different background.
II. Original and manuscripts (copies) of the bible
- original writings were either destroyed or perished through wear and tear since it was in papyrus material.
-Manuscripts or copies of the bible are authenticated through “Textual Criticism” The object of textual criticism is to restore as nearly as possible the original text of a work the autograph of which has been lost. The manuscripts date way back 100 BC.
III. Classes of Sacred Writings:
1. Protocanonical (universally accepted) – There are 46 books in the OT and 27 in the NT. It is not true that the OT is obsolete and is not important. The writings in the OT foreshadows the scriptures in the NT. An example cited was the Passover in Egypt found in the OT where the angel of death spared the Israelites who have placed the blood of the lamb on their doors. In the NT , it was the blood of Jesus shed on the cross that spared us all from the angel of death which is sin.
2. Deuterocanonical (disputed writing such as the so-called “7 added books of the OT” and the books of James, Jude, 2 Peter, 2nd and 3rd letters of John, Hebrews and Revelation of the NT)
3. Apocryphal (writings which are not considered inspired such as the gospel of Peter, the gospel of Thomas, the letters of Barnabas and Clement, etc.) It was through these apocryphal writings that Dan Brown came up with the heretical source that brought about “The Da Vinci Code.”
IV. Origin of the Bible
- Putting together in writing the experiences of God’s people, the warning of their prophets and the beliefs they developed.
-The authors were divinely inspired (Theopneustos or God-breathed) The bible is an inspired interpretation of God’s deeds and self revelation, the Word of God in the words of humans.”
-Writings were canonized by the Catholic Church (Councils of Rome, Hippo, Carthage and Trent) The Church authority was universally recognized. The bible was put together as early as the 4th century (397AD) and Ptotestantism only started in 1517 so it was the Catholic Church who canonized these writings.
- The Palestinian/Hebrew Canon rejected “seven books” in the Council of Jamnia. One of these books is Maccabees which mentions about praying for the dead or souls in purgatory.
-Protestant Canon adopted the Palestinian/Hebrew Canon. It is very ironical that Martin Luther who used to be Catholic but became a protestant even once said that, “We are obliged to the Catholic Church for the bible which we received from them.” Meaning he recognizes it as the one who put together the bible.
V. Translations of the Bible
- The OT was originally written in the Hebrew language and then translated into Greek (Septuagint) by about 70 translators around 285-246 BC.
Legend says that these scholars who translated the bible were separated from each other but amazingly came up with the same translation. During the time of Alexander the Great some scriptures were translated from Hebrew to Greek.
-The NT was originally written in the Greek language and later translated to Latin (Vulgate) It has 350 quotations coming from the Deuterocanonical books. St. Jerome translated the scriptures to Latin. Martin Luther translated the bible from Latin and Greek to German and the controversial verse from Rom 3:28 which he allegedly added the word “alone” in the text which says “Man is saved by faith alone”. From then on Pope Pius XIII decreed that all translations be from the original language (Greek or Hebrew) to English to avoid distorting the real meaning of the word of God and must have the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur marks .
-Catholic English translations were the Douay-Rheims (1st translation to English), NAB, etc. )
-Protestant English translations: Tyndale, King James, RSV, etc. The King James version was rejected by the Church due to so many typographical errors made such as The Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew written as Vinegar and the ”Thou shall not commit adultery” in Deuteronomy wherein the “not” has been omitted.
VI. Interpretation of the Bible
-There are so many science theories or the so called evolution theory that questions the accuracy of the data in the bible especially that of creation in 7 days. Even the Book of Revelation has become so controversial. Bear in mind that the bible is not a science treatise nor just a series of predictions nor intended to be a history book. Some are not literally true, but are vehicles to convey the truth. A very good example of this is a glass of water, when we drink water it has to be placed in a container but you only drink the water and not the glass.
-Be attentive to what the human authors wanted to affirm and to what God wanted to reveal to us by their words (CCC109) Consider the literary genre and forms of literary expression
-Take into account the conditions of the authors’ time and culture and the various forms of expressions used (CCC110). The writers during the OT, the Israelites were very primitive and picture God as some kind of warrior. It is a product of their imagination. The heresy of Marcion says that the God of the OT is evil while the God of the NT is good. The bible should be studied always with reference to Jesus in the NT to better understand who God really is and learn about Jesus.
-Read and interpret it in the light of the same Spirit who inspired it (CCC111). God is a respecter of free will. God always speak to us with love.
-Be especially attentive to the content and unity of the whole scripture and the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves (CCC 112 and 114)
-Read it within the “living tradition of the whole Church” (CCC113); Accept the core teachings of the Church like a child- example is the dogma on the Immaculate Conception, it has been questioned long before for years already and had been resolved.
-Interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church (CCC 119) Jesus left us the Church to guard and interpret it. It should be guided by the core teachings of the Church enclosed in the Apostle’s Creed, etc.
End of talk. The gospel for today inspired me to share the above lesson I got from our Catholicism study because I am a firm believer of God and all His words are true. God bless you all! Hallelujah! Amen.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
ANGEL OF GOD
We may not be physically behind bars but all of us are sometimes trapped in our own prison cells. It may be caused by our own doing, others who oppress us or the circumstances that surround us. But whatever kind of prison we may all have, it is always a consolation to know that God sends His angels to set us free. The more we learn about our faith the more we are all freed. St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of the bible is ignorance of Christ." Our lack of the proper knowledge could be considered a prison that hinders us from loving God better. The good news is that we can always choose to be set free for Jesus already bailed us out a long time ago. Another thing I am reminded of today's 1st reading is the angel imprinted on my rose petal. Although I wasn't in prison like the apostles, things weren't going too well for me during that time when I got the rose petal. Somehow it made me realize how much God loves me by sending an angel not just to set me free but to make me feel that I am being watched and cared for. Amen. Hallelujah!
Acts 5:17-26
17 The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, 18 laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, 20 “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.”...
It's been a while since I got the rose petal from a healing service. It 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. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 34:2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9
R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
...In my misfortune I called, the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
...The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them...
God in today's gospel proclaims the summary of His great love that is being conveyed in the bible. If God suffered His only Son for our sake. I do believe that everything is possible with Him and there is really no doubt that He can move the heavens and the earth that even the simplest task of sending His angels to guard and protect is something that God is really able to do. When will we allow this truth to get through our thick heads and really sink deep into our system. So that we will no longer doubt His great love for us. Who among you parents would be willing to sacrifice their own child for the sin of another? God did that and shed very precious blood for our salvation.Amen. Hallelujah!
John 3:16-21
...16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life...
Acts 5:17-26
17 The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, 18 laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, 20 “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.”...
It's been a while since I got the rose petal from a healing service. It 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. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 34:2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9
R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
...In my misfortune I called, the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
...The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them...
God in today's gospel proclaims the summary of His great love that is being conveyed in the bible. If God suffered His only Son for our sake. I do believe that everything is possible with Him and there is really no doubt that He can move the heavens and the earth that even the simplest task of sending His angels to guard and protect is something that God is really able to do. When will we allow this truth to get through our thick heads and really sink deep into our system. So that we will no longer doubt His great love for us. Who among you parents would be willing to sacrifice their own child for the sin of another? God did that and shed very precious blood for our salvation.Amen. Hallelujah!
John 3:16-21
...16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life...
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
WORK IN PROGRESS
The Catholic Church advocates NaProTechnology over artificial contraception. It utilizes the wonders of the human body and assits it in the natural way. NaProTECHNOLOGY is a major breakthrough in monitoring and maintaining a woman's reproductive and gynecological health. NaProTECHNOLOGY (Natural Procreative Technology) is a new women's health science that monitors and maintains a woman's reproductive and gynecological health. It provides medical and surgical treatments that cooperate completely with the reproductive system.Thirty years of scientific research in the study of the normal and abnormal states of the menstrual and fertility cycles have unraveled their mysteries. Unlike common suppressive or destructive approaches, NaProTECHNOLOGY works cooperatively with the procreative and gynecologic systems. When these systems function abnormally, NaProTECHNOLOGY identifies the problems and cooperates with the menstrual and fertility cycles that correct the condition, maintain the human ecology, and sustain the procreative potential. Women now have an opportunity to know and understand the causes of the symptoms from which they suffer. This is effective and based in science. It does not in any way disrupt the normal and natural functions of the wonderful human body that God has given us. It promotes the profound dignity of a person while being provided with authentic health care. This is a project of the the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction and the National Center for Women's Health in Omaha, Nebraska. For more information on the research and services of Pope Paul VI Institute, please visit the Pope Paul VI website. When we do not do the divine will a catastrophe happens. We know that somehow we have failed to follow the belief, intention and vocation of God's will. We have to be aware of the fact that we have a responsibility to fulfill in our hands. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
1 I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. 2 Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
Hearing about these stories of people who used to be Protestants and became Catholic converts make me doubt no more that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are not in this world to win arguments but to reach out to others with God's unifying love working through the Holy Spirit overshadowing us the way it did the Blessed Mother. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5
R: Their message goes out through all the earth.
1 [2] The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 2 [3] Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. (R) 3 [4] Not a word nor a discourse whose voice is not heard; 4 [5] through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message.
We may still be wrestling with the truths of our faith at this time but we are a work in progress. Let us not be the skeptic that we are anymore and truly believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. If we are just to make sense of everything that goes on around us each and every single day then we can never be far away nor get lost in this reality that Jesus is telling us in today's gospel. It is undeniable what God has done for all of us from the dawn of man to this present age of modern civilization. Let us not continue to be negligent, mindless, thoughtless, careless and apathetic of the truth in the gospel that the Church is teaching us. Until when will we remain deaf and blind to all of these things that have been for a long time being conveyed to us from time immemorial, from the time of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the Judges, the Kings, the Prophets, in exile until the return and ultimately to the time of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago when God did the unimaginable and stooped down to become man. The bible itself speaks for the long span of time that God has been trying to lure us into an intimate relationship with Him. Are we really that dumb not to see all of these and remain unaffected by this astounding truth? Can we afford to play hard to get with God, who is as irresistible as He is. The time to enter into that relationship is now, not later nor tomorrow. Let us not waste any more of the precious time we still have in our hands. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 14:6-14
… Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. 12 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
1 I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. 2 Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
Hearing about these stories of people who used to be Protestants and became Catholic converts make me doubt no more that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are not in this world to win arguments but to reach out to others with God's unifying love working through the Holy Spirit overshadowing us the way it did the Blessed Mother. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5
R: Their message goes out through all the earth.
1 [2] The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 2 [3] Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. (R) 3 [4] Not a word nor a discourse whose voice is not heard; 4 [5] through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message.
We may still be wrestling with the truths of our faith at this time but we are a work in progress. Let us not be the skeptic that we are anymore and truly believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. If we are just to make sense of everything that goes on around us each and every single day then we can never be far away nor get lost in this reality that Jesus is telling us in today's gospel. It is undeniable what God has done for all of us from the dawn of man to this present age of modern civilization. Let us not continue to be negligent, mindless, thoughtless, careless and apathetic of the truth in the gospel that the Church is teaching us. Until when will we remain deaf and blind to all of these things that have been for a long time being conveyed to us from time immemorial, from the time of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the Judges, the Kings, the Prophets, in exile until the return and ultimately to the time of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago when God did the unimaginable and stooped down to become man. The bible itself speaks for the long span of time that God has been trying to lure us into an intimate relationship with Him. Are we really that dumb not to see all of these and remain unaffected by this astounding truth? Can we afford to play hard to get with God, who is as irresistible as He is. The time to enter into that relationship is now, not later nor tomorrow. Let us not waste any more of the precious time we still have in our hands. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 14:6-14
… Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. 12 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
Monday, May 2, 2011
THE PRAYER
The power of prayer can not be denied and even if we don't see the same manifestations as in the 1st reading today we should still continue to pray. Even if it seems like nothing is happening with our prayers then we shouldn't lose hope and keep on praying. We should always gather all our strength to rise up to pray. We should be encouraged by this bible passage and decide that if there's one thing we should always do and never abandon that is prayer. Peter and John in their prayer did not just utter words but they quoted the Scriptures as foretold by the prophet David. There is indeed power in the words of God which we sometimes fail to fully recognize and give credit to. If we only know of the fullness of this truth then we can always be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit just like the apostles in Jesus' time whenever we pray. Amen. Hallelujah!
Acts 4:23-31
... “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them, 25 you said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant: ‘Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples entertain folly? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.’ 27 Indeed they gathered in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do what your hand and your will had long ago planned to take place. 29 And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30 as you stretch forth your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness...
We have a God and Father who loves us so much. We need not always seek for answers and expect things to go our way. All we have to do is to keep on trusting in God's goodness and mercy because there are really no answers to most of life's questions.
These words in today's Psalm reading are the ones quoted by Peter and John in the 1st reading. I have always believed in the power of the word of God. There is a need for us to study and know the scriptures for our own welfare. God in His ultimate wisdom and love gave us access to the Holy Scriptures in the bible. We are so blessed that we are living in a time and place where we have the freedom to take part in studying the Word of God and freely express it. Nothing could be more valuable than this. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9
R: Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples utter folly? 2 The kings of the earth rise up, and the princes conspire together against the LORD and against his anointed: 3 “Let us break their fetters and cast their bonds from us!” ...
How can you explain the tragic events that are taking place all around us? There isn't any good explanation for all of these especially with the death of a very young lady of 27. I don't know much about the life of this person and even if I do, I don't think I could still offer a sensible one. What's most important is the truth that we have a God who oversees all these things and is surely capable of making all things work for good. Life is indeed a mystery. It is only with the knowledge that we have a God that we can become at peace and contented in the midst of all the turmoil and chaos around us. Sometimes we go through life thinking that we need to look for something without realizing that it is right before us. Only when the tough gets really going do we realize some things that are just within our reach. Or we start to notice the things that don't seem to matter to us. Today's gospel speaks of Nicodemus who despite of being a Pharisee, a position and title which expects him to stay away from Jesus did not do so. He recognized what was not hidden to all, but many refused to acknowledge and live by. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Only Him can give us all the satisfaction we need and are searching for. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 3:1-8
1 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” ...
...The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;...
Acts 4:23-31
... “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them, 25 you said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant: ‘Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples entertain folly? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.’ 27 Indeed they gathered in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do what your hand and your will had long ago planned to take place. 29 And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30 as you stretch forth your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness...
We have a God and Father who loves us so much. We need not always seek for answers and expect things to go our way. All we have to do is to keep on trusting in God's goodness and mercy because there are really no answers to most of life's questions.
These words in today's Psalm reading are the ones quoted by Peter and John in the 1st reading. I have always believed in the power of the word of God. There is a need for us to study and know the scriptures for our own welfare. God in His ultimate wisdom and love gave us access to the Holy Scriptures in the bible. We are so blessed that we are living in a time and place where we have the freedom to take part in studying the Word of God and freely express it. Nothing could be more valuable than this. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9
R: Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples utter folly? 2 The kings of the earth rise up, and the princes conspire together against the LORD and against his anointed: 3 “Let us break their fetters and cast their bonds from us!” ...
How can you explain the tragic events that are taking place all around us? There isn't any good explanation for all of these especially with the death of a very young lady of 27. I don't know much about the life of this person and even if I do, I don't think I could still offer a sensible one. What's most important is the truth that we have a God who oversees all these things and is surely capable of making all things work for good. Life is indeed a mystery. It is only with the knowledge that we have a God that we can become at peace and contented in the midst of all the turmoil and chaos around us. Sometimes we go through life thinking that we need to look for something without realizing that it is right before us. Only when the tough gets really going do we realize some things that are just within our reach. Or we start to notice the things that don't seem to matter to us. Today's gospel speaks of Nicodemus who despite of being a Pharisee, a position and title which expects him to stay away from Jesus did not do so. He recognized what was not hidden to all, but many refused to acknowledge and live by. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Only Him can give us all the satisfaction we need and are searching for. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 3:1-8
1 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” ...
...The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;...
Sunday, May 1, 2011
DOUBTING GENERATION
There are 3 steps to victory in spiritual warfare.
1. Define the enemy. Know that the enemy could be blatant or subtle. It could be disguised in the form of lies, a force that leads us away from Christ, or a person/desire that makes us act in contrary to Christ. The subtlety of the enemy can be compared to this strategy, a frog placed in a pot of water on a stove top that was being slowly heated until it boiled to death. The frog could have easily jumped out of the pot if it was placed there when the water was already boiling.
2. Determine the desires of the enemy. Its desire is to get the people against each other. This is so, in order to lure us to sin and by distorting the real face of sin to make us believe that we are not committing it at all.
3. Do the opposite. If what we are doing leads us to sin then do the opposite. If we feel like answering back or gossiping about a person then don't.
We are also warned not to cling to spiritual experiences to the point of losing sight of the purpose of these spiritual delights which is to allow us to have a deeper faith and hope in God. It should work as transmitters of spiritual growth. The only spiritual and temporal benefit that we should gain from it most importantly should bring us to the knowledge and love of God. The primacy of love is emphasized in Lk. 10:19-20 which say "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." If we've become so inordinately attached to the gift it can lead to inappropriate use. According to St. John of the Cross there are dangers in using the gift since we can be susceptible to vanity, vain glory or worst demonic manipulation. Let us not forget that for the gifts to work there is a need for detachment and always be docile to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Everything is for the greater glory of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles…
According to Fr. Joseph Koterski a Jesuit priest and also a professor in Fordham University it helps to always have GRACE. G stands for Gratitude, R for Respect, A for Account (have an accounting of the things we have done whether good or bad), C for Charting (to chart our course of action in order to see where we're going) and E to Entreat the Lord for the energy and enthusiasm He has been giving us in this life. We need to always think of the things we are grateful for. It will help us examine our conscience and live a holy life that is fitting for a people of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
…Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.” (R) 13 I was hard pressed and was falling, but the LORD helped me. 14 My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior… This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. (R)
Recently the world had just witnessed a royal wedding which everyone was surely aware of. Whew! We should realize by now that we are more than royalty because we are heirs of not just a great fortune but an imperishable, undefiled and unfading inheritance. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you 5 who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. 6 In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
The gospel today is about the story of "Doubting Thomas" which I guess is also the story of each one of us. One time or another we can not deny that we've been like Thomas, too. We also doubted God in our own personal lives sometimes even without knowing it through our words and actions. Our experiences at times are mostly occasions that lead us to doubt. I guess, we all come to a point in our lives when our faith is greatly tested. But just like those holy and faithful souls including Father Abraham and the rest of our ancestors in the Old Testament whom the church said were in limbo before the coming of Jesus Christ, who waited and were rewarded with Heaven we, too should be hopeful that our time will come. Instead of dwelling on the negative we should realize that God always stand in our midst despite the locked doors in our lives and give His peace. We should be thankful to God for the several occasions in our life when we encountered difficulties for those were times when we discovered that God never left us. These experiences that cause fear and pain sometimes make us turn away from God and doubt Him. This is very common nowadays as we see people live their lives as if there is no God. Today's gospel is very appropriate for the kind of generation we have right now, a doubting and unbelieving race of people who no longer believe anything without first seeing. In the encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI entitled, "Spe Salvi" we are asked to nourish our faith, hope and love through prayer, unity of our own sufferings to that of Jesus Christ and belief in the reality of judgment. We are so blessed to have Pope Benedict XVI who was a teacher before he became pope. This present generation can definitely benefit from his papacy and has still a lot to know before we can profess the words of Thomas with the same love and conviction. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 20:19-31
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” 24 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
1. Define the enemy. Know that the enemy could be blatant or subtle. It could be disguised in the form of lies, a force that leads us away from Christ, or a person/desire that makes us act in contrary to Christ. The subtlety of the enemy can be compared to this strategy, a frog placed in a pot of water on a stove top that was being slowly heated until it boiled to death. The frog could have easily jumped out of the pot if it was placed there when the water was already boiling.
2. Determine the desires of the enemy. Its desire is to get the people against each other. This is so, in order to lure us to sin and by distorting the real face of sin to make us believe that we are not committing it at all.
3. Do the opposite. If what we are doing leads us to sin then do the opposite. If we feel like answering back or gossiping about a person then don't.
We are also warned not to cling to spiritual experiences to the point of losing sight of the purpose of these spiritual delights which is to allow us to have a deeper faith and hope in God. It should work as transmitters of spiritual growth. The only spiritual and temporal benefit that we should gain from it most importantly should bring us to the knowledge and love of God. The primacy of love is emphasized in Lk. 10:19-20 which say "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." If we've become so inordinately attached to the gift it can lead to inappropriate use. According to St. John of the Cross there are dangers in using the gift since we can be susceptible to vanity, vain glory or worst demonic manipulation. Let us not forget that for the gifts to work there is a need for detachment and always be docile to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Everything is for the greater glory of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles…
According to Fr. Joseph Koterski a Jesuit priest and also a professor in Fordham University it helps to always have GRACE. G stands for Gratitude, R for Respect, A for Account (have an accounting of the things we have done whether good or bad), C for Charting (to chart our course of action in order to see where we're going) and E to Entreat the Lord for the energy and enthusiasm He has been giving us in this life. We need to always think of the things we are grateful for. It will help us examine our conscience and live a holy life that is fitting for a people of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
…Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.” (R) 13 I was hard pressed and was falling, but the LORD helped me. 14 My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior… This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. (R)
Recently the world had just witnessed a royal wedding which everyone was surely aware of. Whew! We should realize by now that we are more than royalty because we are heirs of not just a great fortune but an imperishable, undefiled and unfading inheritance. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you 5 who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. 6 In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
The gospel today is about the story of "Doubting Thomas" which I guess is also the story of each one of us. One time or another we can not deny that we've been like Thomas, too. We also doubted God in our own personal lives sometimes even without knowing it through our words and actions. Our experiences at times are mostly occasions that lead us to doubt. I guess, we all come to a point in our lives when our faith is greatly tested. But just like those holy and faithful souls including Father Abraham and the rest of our ancestors in the Old Testament whom the church said were in limbo before the coming of Jesus Christ, who waited and were rewarded with Heaven we, too should be hopeful that our time will come. Instead of dwelling on the negative we should realize that God always stand in our midst despite the locked doors in our lives and give His peace. We should be thankful to God for the several occasions in our life when we encountered difficulties for those were times when we discovered that God never left us. These experiences that cause fear and pain sometimes make us turn away from God and doubt Him. This is very common nowadays as we see people live their lives as if there is no God. Today's gospel is very appropriate for the kind of generation we have right now, a doubting and unbelieving race of people who no longer believe anything without first seeing. In the encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI entitled, "Spe Salvi" we are asked to nourish our faith, hope and love through prayer, unity of our own sufferings to that of Jesus Christ and belief in the reality of judgment. We are so blessed to have Pope Benedict XVI who was a teacher before he became pope. This present generation can definitely benefit from his papacy and has still a lot to know before we can profess the words of Thomas with the same love and conviction. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 20:19-31
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” 24 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
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