OUR NATURE

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we should all desire to have is discernment. This is the gift of the Holy Spirit that is being spoken of in today's 1st reading. Let us think about it and ask ourselves who would not like to know God's counsel and conceive what He intends. If we truly ask from the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul then He will surely not withhold it from us. The problem lies in our failure to realize the importance of this gift and tend to neglect and take it for granted. It is available for those who ask as it is written in Matthew 7:7, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Amen. Hallelujah!

  

Wisdom 9:13-18b

13 Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what our LORD intends? 14 For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. 15 For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. 16 And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? 17 Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given Wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? 18 And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

We are destined for much greater things that we can see right now. Thus we should set our goals higher than what people normally aim for in this life. Let us not reach the end of our lives regretting what we should have done or not and do what we have to do right now. We marvel at the capability of the human mind to function the way it was made to be but how much more can we not be amazed at how the mind of the Lord works from whom all things come. As humans we can not even go past a hundred years old and too lucky to be able to make it to that age nowadays. Everything passes away but what we can depend on to last for a lifetime through eternity is to fortify our soul with wisdom of heart. Time will come when there is no more room for sadness once we've decided for happiness for we have a God who prospers those who offers all his/her work for the Lord. God is Almighty and Powerful. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He has the final say on all things. Nothing is beyond His power and might. Isn't it a very nice thing to know that this very same God has also been our refuge and strength in every age. Learning of this story about an atheist who fasts for the destruction of the world should make us realize that we should not take things sitting down. The enemy does not rest until it snatches away our inheritance. We should keep our banners raised on high and never lose heart or be discouraged as the battle rages on we can be assured that we have a God whom we can always rely on and take refuge. We’ve got to be firm in our beliefs but things will always be easier said than done. Spiritual integrity is hard work but it surely is worth all of it. Today's psalm tells us how short our life here on earth can be compared to a life of eternity with God our Creator, refuge and strength. It is always never easy to picture matters of the faith and life after death. It is through the people who continue to be a source of inspiration and blessing for the community of God that we can gather the strength and courage to keep on fighting a good fight of the faith. Today’s psalm reading somehow captures the essence if not its entirety. Nothing else in this world matters more than this truth. God gave us life and to Him we all must return. The problem lies in the fact that we don’t really know when will that day be. We’ve got to be prepared at all times. What’s at stake here is eternity and is nothing compared to 100 years life span of happiness and prosperity, the most for healthy and active individuals. We can’t allow ourselves to live life carelessly and just cram at the last minute. I’ve seen quite a number of elderly people who have fallen into senility. Although nothing is too late, I still think that we are able to prepare as best as we could if we are still in our prime and high functioning mind and body than with such a condition. Let’s not wait long enough and keep procrastinating. May we all realize the importance of  numbering our days aright. Our first parents were the original sinners and we are just the copy cats. In a way we are better off than Adam & Eve in the sense that we have their example of disobedience set before us. We can choose to follow their lead or footsteps by giving in to deception which we know is a bad idea or we can learn the moral lesson of this story and gain wisdom of heart. The wisdom of heart can make us truly see and appreciate the things the Lord has done for us that bring prosperity, joy and gladness. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17

R: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R) 5 You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, 6 which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades. (R) 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long?

Have pity on your servants! R. Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands! R.

Let us not get ahead of people and rob them of the opportunity to do good on their own without being robbed of the dignity and respect that is due to a Christian in word and deed. We've got to allow each person to make decisions on their own without any imposition or undue pressure coming from others. Let us hold fast to the belief that we are all capable of doing what's good and right because it is in our nature and not because we were just influenced or forced to do so. Amen. Hallelujah!

Philemon 9-10, 12-17

...but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.

If we will take the literal meaning of today's gospel passage we'll find that another difficult task is at hand. Just imagine hating our own life and family just to be a disciple of Jesus. Whether we should take it literally or figuratively is beside the point what matters here is that we are 100% convinced that we have an Almighty and Loving God who wants what is best for us beyond our imagination and would not wish for us to end up miserable. He is able to make all things possible, nothing is too difficult for Him and we are in the palm of His hands. The Lord is not being unreasonable when he said this statement from the gospel. He is simply stressing a point with regards to making God the center and driving force of everything that we do. In this respect there should be a balance in everything we do and know the art of detachment. Life of detachment is the pathway to a simple life. There is a Jewish expression found in Luke 9: 57-62  "Let the dead bury the dead!" which can be interpreted in English as the dead being the "slow pokes and half hearted people"  in Filipino are the so called " mga papatay-patay" This can also be related to God's call to us in in the Book of Revelation 3:14-19 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea, write this: " ...I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth..." This is a picture of hypocrisy and duplicity which the Lord rejects. Also in Luke 12:32-34- store treasures in heaven, let go of possessions as spoken of in the gospel today (Luke 14:25-35) and Luke 16:13 which is about God and mammon. Money is not evil in itself but the love of money. Resources not shared is greed and talents not shared is lust.  Whatever may be our situation in life we've got to know how to let go of it and trust God who makes all our efforts worthwhile. Before we expect to benefit from the gifts and reap the fruits there is a need to respond and take full responsibility in a manner that is comparative to God's tremendous blessing to all of us. True enough, today's gospel calls us to always be prepared and not just embark on something without much thought. Whatever we're going through and wherever we are now, there is no doubt that there is a reason for everything. God has a lot in store for us just consider everything as preparation for He is just waiting whenever we are truly ready. Today's gospel also reminds me of this story about a newly wed couple who were asked to choose their wedding present. They can only choose one out of the three which are love, health and wealth. It took some time before they finally decided to make a choice. It was something they both thought about and chosen carefully before they came up with a decision. They should both agree and unanimously vote for only one thing. Just like in today's gospel, Jesus said, "Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’” It was almost like it, in the sense that they too sat down and calculated the impact of the values of the wedding presents in their life. Upon careful scrutiny they finally decided to set aside health and wealth and choose love instead. If we ourselves are to be asked, we would find that it wasn't an easy decision to make. If we know the key to the answer then it would be easier to decide. The married couple knew of it, God is love and where there is love, there is health and wealth. They made the right choice because when they invited love to come into their home, health and wealth followed. The wisdom of God is folly to the world but in the end God will always prevail thus we look forward to His deliverance. Amen. Hallelujah!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 14,25-33.

Great crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and addressed them, If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? ...In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

CHARISMATIC

Today’s 1st reading reminded me in a very special way of my 1st Charismatic experience. I should say that all my decisions and course of action would have been a lot different today if I wasn’t a Renewed Catholic Charismatic yet. If I were to recall the life I used to have before I became renewed I must say that this personal relationship and commitment to God that I have right now I owe a lot to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement that was introduced to me many years ago at a time when I was experiencing one of the most challenging events in my life. This PAST weekend the Southern California Renewal Communities more popularly known as SCRC celebrated its Annual Convention at Anaheim as if emphasizing to me even more the great impact and role of renewal communities in the life of Catholics nowadays. I have a high regard for it that I make it a point to always engage myself as much as possible in any charismatic activity. This is why every Catholic Charismatic here in California, I suppose is aware of this big event being celebrated every Labor weekend in Anaheim, California. Although we are not promised an easy life after the renewal we can always hold on to God for strength and support. With what had happened and is presently happening in my life I can proudly say that it has definitely helped me persevere in the faith, become firmly grounded, stable and always being assured by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen. Hallelujah!

 Colossians 1:21-23

21 Brothers and sisters: You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds; 22 God has now reconciled in the fleshly Body of Christ through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, 23 provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.

 There is no doubt that only with God’s help can we make things right. If ever we are experiencing tough times lately and falling into the trap of hopelessness and despair then we should keep in mind that our circumstances does not change the fact we have a God who upholds our life and we should not let it get in the way for this truth to be known and proclaimed by not entertaining any trace of doubt about this. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Psalms 54:3-4, 6, 8

R: God himself is my help.

1 [3] O God, by your name save me, and by your might defend my cause. 2 [4] O God, hear my prayer; hearken to the words of my mouth. (R) 4 [6] Behold, God is my helper; the Lord sustains my life. 6 [8] Freely will I offer you sacrifice; I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness. (R)

 I could never forget the Annual Convention of SCRC (Southern California Renewal Communities) in 2009 when I was there for the entire duration (3 days) of the said activity. But the past few years I was not able to take part in it. Just look at the irony of things. We sometimes promote the importance of certain activities in the lives of Catholics today but we also end up unable to attend and become part of it. It may appear contradictory when we profess one thing but unable to act on it. Rather than think of it this way it should call our attentions to what is more important and essential. God knows as the gospel today tries to teach us that there are some things that we ought to do but due to a valid and more pressing issue that needs to be addressed immediately we are obliged to respond to that responsibility over the other. In Nursing. we have the so called Triage wherein we prioritize patient care based on the principle of ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) If the patient has an airway problem then he/she in principle gets priority care. But it does not always follow since there is also a need to take into consideration other factors that may not be an A priority  and could be a B or C but is more severe in nature. The same could be true for some instances in our faith. Sabbath Day has always been a much talked about issue because of the so many questions and concerns related to it. There are a lot of differences in opinion when it comes to observing the Sabbath. Jesus and His disciples were questioned by the Pharisees and He explained with a concrete example that love and compassion for our fellow human beings come first. We should not be blinded by certain legalities in the law which were meant first and foremost to serve the interest of man rather than the other way around. Sometimes we come to a point where we are a bit confused of how we are supposed to act in such situations.  This only reminds us to practice triage in our faith which in fact does not lessen the importance of one over the other but rather teaches us to always take into consideration the Spirit of the Law which is love, over the Letter of the Law. The spirit of the law above all is love. God doesn't impose impossibilities on us and maintains His goodness and mercy for He is a God of love and mercy. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 6:1-5

1 While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2 Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” 3 Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? 4 How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions.” 5 Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

BRING TO LIGHT

The understanding that a Creator made the world leads to a fundamental responsibility to it. If everything happened by chance there is a tendency for us to wane in our resolution and our responsibility is deemphasized. When we watch these movies about the end of the world it gives the impression that our world exists by random and we look upon the universe as a product of chance. Everything that exists comes through Jesus. Everything in the universe came through Christ. He is the foundation of all reality. Creation is existent and made through and for Him. It does not exist by chance and is ruled by God and His plan. Aren't we amazed at the love story telenovelas (soap operas) that we usually see on TV especially in the Filipino Channel (TFC). Sometimes we find it hard to believe that people in love could do things out of bounds. And all for the sake of the person he/she loves. But we can not deny the fact that we sometimes also see it happening around us. This kind of love that drives people crazy and make them do things that are farfetched means that we are capable of giving our all to someone we are in a relationship with. Just consider this even for a moment, if this kind of love is possible then we should realize that if there's someone whom we should engage in a relationship with first and foremost then that is no other than our Creator and all other relationships will surely work out for good. He deserves all the love, praise and adoration that any human being could possibly give. Today’s 1st reading says it all. It is nice to know that we all belong to the brood of God’s beloved family. We are safe under the protective wings and warmth of His love and care. Amen. Hallelujah!

Colossians 1:15-20

Brothers and sisters, Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent...

The Jews knew of the prophecy that from King David’s lineage would come forth a King, the foretold Messiah of Israel. During the reign of King Ahaz and all other kings of Israel who did evil things the royalty was cut off. During the Babylonian captivity and in exile, those born of the line of David, of royal blood went in hiding for fear of being killed. Even though the divinic dynasty was cut off, from the tree of Jesse, the father of King David, came forth the shoot that brought forth the King. We remember that it was prophesied in Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 tells of this family tree. We would find at the end of this lineage, Joseph who is the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus. Joseph is not king but a carpenter and being Jew knew of the prophecy as foretold by the prophet including this one from Isaiah 7:14 … the Lord Himself shall give you a sign, “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call His name Emmanuel.” as spoken to him by the angel who appeared to him. He finally understood the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel. Isaiah is important to better understand Jesus. Joseph knew of the need for secrecy and not to make public these things because the reigning king at that time is Herod. He is not Jew but an Edomite who was just appointed by the Romans to be king. He is king not for the Jews but for the Romans to collect taxes for them. This is mainly the reason why Herod wants all male babies born at the time of Jesus, dead. Joseph dreamed a lot of dreams and it was through them that Joseph was able to successfully carry out his mission as the protector of the baby Jesus. Another point of reference here is the fact that in the Old Testament (OT) there was a foreshadowing of the Magi or Wise Men who came to worship Jesus in the manger. It was at the time of the reign of Balak an evil king in the OT when Balaam also a wise man from the East prophesied in Numbers 24:15,18 that there shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel who will dispossess Edom. He was asked to exact a curse upon Israel but from his mouth came forth a blessing. A star and a scepter signifies kingship. In parallel, it was also the 3 wise men who were looking for a star that would direct them to the newborn King of Israel who would inform Herod of his whereabouts but warned in a dream not to go back to him in a dream. Jesus is truly our King. The Kingship of Jesus is accompanied by many more wonderful things that we still have to know of. In the Jewish tradition the # 3 and 7 stands for perfection and completeness. It is somehow puzzling to know that there are 3 sets of 14 generations from the time of Abraham to the exile to the time of Jesus. So why the #14? The significance of the #14 stands for the name of King David which is equivalent to 14 in Hebrew.  The 3 sets of 14 stands for perfect royalty and king that all leads to Jesus. It could also be equivalent to 6 sets of 7. The #6 signifies the date when the beast is made or the beginning thus the #666 which signifies the beast of all beasts. The 6 of 7 sets could mean the beginning of the 7th set. 7 is also the Sabbath. The new 7 is the new creation. Jesus is the beginning of the 7th set. Why the fuss in all of these? It is a consolation to know that we have a God who is King. The King of kings and the Lord of lords. We will eventually come face to face with our Creator and God who made heaven and earth. The time is now to make a conscious move to be in touch with this truth. It is such a waste that we don't always realize God's presence among us. When there is nothing more rewarding than to always be aware of God's presence and cry out to Him in joy. Whenever we are in a relationship with someone and give our 100% into it then we can not help but expect it to work. But there are times too when we have given our all and yet it doesn't seem to be enough. We sometimes are bound for disappointments. When these things happen then is really no reason to be sad for we can always go to God for consolation whose love for us endures forever. We are all called to become partakers and residents of the eternal Kingdom of God.  The invitation to be His favorite is open to all because we are all special to Him. Only through enrichment of our souls can we truly appreciate and experience this reality now and for all eternity. If we as human beings are concerned about our physical appearance, all the more should we strive to enhance our overall spiritual condition. We should also build up spiritual muscles and strive to maintain a balanced Christian life. The best way to do it is to always attach to the main source of all goodness. In the horror movie entitled, "Nightmare on Elm Street" every time the girl in this movie falls asleep, her nightmare begins and Freddie Krueger appears to wreak evil and havoc in her life. She has to stay awake or else something really bad happens to her and the people around her. Somehow this should make us realize the importance of being awake, conscious and in touch with reality. If there's one thing that we have to always be aware of, that is God has our best interest in mind. It may not be easy to see, understand and have a grip on this reality always especially at times when we seem down and out as in falling flat on bed without a care in the world like dumb sleepyheads. We have to rise, wake up and shine. We ought to always get a hold of this truth in today's psalm and never let it leave our consciousness. We will eventually come face to face with our Creator, and the time is now to make a conscious move to be in touch with this truth. Our devotion to God should have no limits for He is Almighty, All Powerful and Holy. We should remain faithful to God and never stray away from the path where He leads us. Let us stay within the flock that God has formed for us. When we are being cared for by God who is constantly and consistently good, kind and faithful forever and ever then we are confident that we are safe and secure in the fold where we belong like a flock tended by the Good Shepherd. We should always remember that we have a God who cares for all our needs for we belong to Him. May we all take part in the grand banquet that God has prepared for us in heaven. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 5

R: Come with joy into the presence of the Lord..

1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; 2 serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful song. (R) 3 Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends. (R) 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; Give thanks to him; bless his name. (R) 5 The LORD is good: his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness, to all generations.

What we encounter everyday is all a part of life. It's in fact very simple if we are to look at it from today's gospel point of view. Sometimes we make things difficult, if we really want to follow God we just need to be plain and simple. We just have to accept things as they are, what can't be, can't be and do things the way Jesus would do. Whenever we go through life we need to keep this piece of advice in mind. What's done is done. What's past is past. We can't continue bringing up the past and ruin what's in the present. Though, we must not forget the lessons of the past we have to move on and do what is supposed to be done at the moment, which is to mind the present and look forward to the best future we can work for. Another thing we are sometimes guilty of is, judging people based only on what we see from the outside. We tend to make our own judgments and label people although not always openly, in accordance to our own personal standards. This should not be the case rather we should always follow the example of Jesus as in today's gospel when He tried to point out the importance or precedence of one thing over the other in certain situations but at the same time did not disregard outright the importance of the other. We sometimes make decisions and do things at one particular point in our life that may seem hard to explain and understand for some people. In the same way that the scribes and Pharisees failed to grasp or maybe deliberately ignored just to brag about their being right about fasting and prayer and find a loophole in Jesus. We are sometimes guilty of this when we tend to always look at the negative rather than choose to build up what is right, fitting and most essential thing to do that is being called for at the specific moment. We sometimes have to be very discreet and always consult God in every single thing that we do. If we always draw near to God then He will surely draw near to us and we will find it easier to follow His voice and directions without being dissuaded and influenced by the so called scribes and Pharisees in our own lives that aim to sometimes confuse and mislead us or our own tendency to be like them. In all things let the fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, meekness/ humility, self control and faithfulness) and the Sacred Heart of Jesus guide and direct us when we encounter such situations. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 5:33-39

33 The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” 36 And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. 37 Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. 38 Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’ ”

INTO DEEP WATER

The good news of our salvation which was obtained for us more than 2000 years ago by Jesus Christ on the cross is still being proclaimed to this very day. There is no way we can deny the truth for heaven and earth will fade but God's words will remain. We have to trust, hope and rely on God rather than our own power. Let's face it we sometimes rely too much on ourselves and too little on God. We are troubled about a lot of things when sometimes there's really no cause for it. There are levels of anxiety. Exaggerated anxiety and discouragement are one of the greatest obstacles to holiness. There is a level of anxiety that we just have to trust in God's Grace and Goodness. We should not disturb our inner peace not even momentarily. Life on earth is a great struggle indeed for God's Kingdom. A lot of things can bother and bring us down but we do not have to stay that way. We have to exercise our minds and wills to put our confidence in God. He is the one whom we can totally trust and depend on to save us. God's faithfulness and steadfast love know no boundaries. Every single day is an opportunity to become a better person for the Lord. Our God is infinite in Goodness and Love and it is only right and fitting that we, too as His faithful followers will continue to be filled with His Knowledge, be a pleasing sight before the Lord and bear much fruit. Amen. Hallelujah!

Colossians 1:9-14.

Brothers and sisters: From the day we heard this, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding 10 to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. 13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Is there any other place we would like to be other than in the loving presence of God? This, I'm sure we can and should have a straight answer without delay. No one should ever claim that they haven't heard or known about God since it is our prime duty to spread and make it known throughout the whole world. There is no denying to the truth that all of us are given the chance to know who our God is and it is also our duty and responsibility to take part in this mission of spreading the good news and make known to everyone to the best of our ability the saving power of God. We should consider each day as an opportunity to know and learn more about our God. Whether it be an ordinary or special day in our life nothing should be amiss and should be spent in giving glory to God our Savior and Master. We can never ever deny the greatness of our God even just by looking at the simplest part of God’s creation like the tiniest grain of sand to the largest ocean in the world. As in Jeremiah 5:22, “Will you not tremble before me who set the sand as limit to the sea, as an everlasting barrier it can not pass? Its waves may toss but not prevail, they may roar but can not pass beyond.” We ask ourselves how in the world can a tiny grain of sand hold the vastness of the ocean in the same way we know that we have a God whose saving power is known throughout the earth. It is our duty to ourselves to aim for the ultimate good which is the will of God in our lives. This is not something that we still have to search and look for. It is already programmed in us and made known to us by the Lord. If by any chance this is not the case especially for those people who have not heard or known about our Lord Jesus since birth then the Lord Himself knows how to deal with them in accordance to His Divine Wisdom and Mercy. For us who have been blessed and endowed with the privilege of hearing and knowing about Jesus, this is coupled with a responsibility. The principle that to those who have been given much, much is also expected definitely applies to it. We have a responsibility in our hands to make known to everyone we meet about this vital truth that could spell the difference between life and death. It is always for our good to attend activities that nourish our soul. We are enlightened and inspired because of the many good things we can learn from it. Whenever we hear words of wisdom it could always help us make sense of the things happening around us even suffering. It gives a feeling of special joy and gladness in every person’s heart. If we continue to stand by the principles of God then we will come to know that there is no truth in the saying that faith is against reason. We can truly appreciate the relevance of the truth as explained by Pope John Paul II that true faith come together with true reason. It is the same thing as saying that Theology tells us that God created the world while Science tells us how God created the world. The problem is that there is a great propaganda out there. It makes sin appear with all its fun, excitement and glamour. It makes virtue appear boring, lame, bland and unexciting. But the truth of the matter is, it’s not. The pleasures that God created in this world are enjoyed the most by those who don’t abuse them and use it simply. Who do we think enjoys food most? The person who doesn’t know how to fast and engorges all the time or a person after a fast experiences a feast? The virtuous person enjoys life the most. The person who uses creation and all things according to God’s plan enjoys it the most. It is because pleasure is God’s idea. All the good things in the world that people want are God’s idea. Satan can’t invent even one bit of pleasure.  But God commands them to be used so that it leads to life and a part of life is joy. The way to enjoy life is to follow God’s commands. Life is not all about rules and regulations. God did not just give us a bunch of rules and regulations that we are supposed to obey like machines. What we do does not just proceed from who we are but also makes us who we are.  The actions we engage, the words that we say and the things that we do have an impact on us. We are making ourselves all the time. We, Catholics believe that God gave human beings reason although it sometimes gets darkened by sin but still human reason can figure out some things. One of the things that human beings figure out without God having to reveal it, is that human beings need to meet 4 qualities to be deemed a human being. The philosopher, before even Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, had this figured out. We find it mentioned in Wisdom 8:7, the 4 virtues or qualities are also called the hinge virtues because it is where all the other virtues or qualities of good people would hinge. The word cardinal means hinge. The Cardinals who surround the Pope are the doorway to the Pope. They are also the ones whom he rely the most for advice. Everything else depends on the cardinal virtues. (Prudence or wisdom, justice, temperance and courage or fortitude) We can also find all the cardinal virtues, like justice which means giving each person his or her due in the Book of Proverbs, Sirach, Ecclesiastes and all the wisdom literature in scriptures. We all know even as kids instinctively how important justice is. The first thing that a kid cries out as soon as he learns how to talk if he has brothers and sisters is “Not fair, he got more than I did” or “You ask me to do more than what that person is doing.” This is because we have instinctively or natively offensive justice. Each person has rights and ought to get their due. There’s also another part of justice that we forget, that is, we have obligations and duties to everyone. A person who is unjust is not a good person. To be just, we need to control our passions. Temperance is a virtue that balances and controls our passions. It is like controlling our desire for that last piece of cake if we know that it belongs to our sister. In order to be just, we’ve got to control our appetites. Make our appetites come into line with justice, truth and goodness. We’ve got to have that balance in our life in order to be a good and effective person. Temperance makes this happen. We also have to be courageous. If we are not courageous then every time a difficulty arises we’re going to shrink back. If there’s any danger involved in doing the right, just and wise thing then we’re just going to crack out and find an excuse because we’re afraid. Courage or fortitude helps us to master fear and not let fear keep us from doing what’s right. In the same way that we want justice to prevail always since it is very frustrating when we encounter situations that are very unjust. We are reminded in today's psalm that we can all be assured of the truth that the Lord rules the earth and He rules with justice there is no doubt. We've got to take hold of the marvelous things that God has done. Nothing else matters than the truth that we are all loved by God and given the privilege of taking part in His great kingdom in heaven. God revealed to us Himself in various different ways. In the gospel of Mark: "the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God" (Mk 1:1) is summarized by the phrase - The person of Jesus, and the gospel of Luke:"The gospel of glory to God in high heaven and peace on earth to those on whom his favor rest (Lk 2:14) is summarized by the phrase - Joy to the world, while the gospel of John:"the gospel of the Word that became flesh and made his dwelling among us and we have seen his glory" (Jn 1:14) is summarized by the phrase - Eternal life then the gospel of Matthew is where all this happened to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet (Mt 1:22) and is written almost 55x in this gospel and summarized by the phrase - The Coming of the Kingdom. God's saving power is manifested in this treasury of books that have been preserved and handed to us from generation to generation. No one can deny the fact that to all God has been gracious and loving with no exception at all. God's faithful love should compel us to do the best we could ever do. There was a time when my computer got bugged down and happened to be the same time that I heard and was touched by the homily of Fr. Joseph Magdaong in the healing mass at St. Christopher where Hendrie who fixed my computer was serving as a member of the choir. It had been several years since I heard about this story of a tailor and his needle but I would never forget and always remember it especially the perfect timing and situation when I heard it. This tailor who was about to die spoke his last and they were these words, "Give me my key to heaven." At first those people who were there and heard him did not understand what he was talking about until they realized that he was asking for his needle. In the same way we must have our own keys in heaven as we try to examine ourselves and find out what is it in our life that can be compared to that needle in a tailor's life or our special talents that we can offer to God. I could still very well remember that I was on the verge of tears upon hearing that because I immediately thought of this computer that I am using to spread the word of God through my everyday reflections on the word of God that I write and share to others through e mail. I am just full of gratitude and joy in my heart for all the amazing things that God had done especially of the fact that this computer which I consider the needle in my life remained in perfect condition since that time on. There is a need for us to respond to God's call to each one of us to become channels of His blessings as His power is revealed in us. We will just run out of excuses and alibis why we should not give honor and praise to God. There is really nowhere to go but to God and that we would have to realize not sooner or later but right now and act on it. But we have to trust, hope and rely on God rather than our own power. Let's face it we sometimes rely too much on ourselves and too little on God. We are troubled about a lot of things when sometimes there's really no cause for it. There are levels of anxiety. Exaggerated anxiety and discouragement are one of the greatest obstacles to holiness. There is a level of anxiety that we just have to trust in God's Grace and Goodness. We should not disturb our inner peace not even momentarily. Life on earth is a great struggle indeed for God's Kingdom. A lot of things can bother and bring us down but we do not have to stay that way. We have to exercise our minds and wills to put our confidence in God. He is the one whom we can totally trust and depend on to save us. Our life is much about the daily revelations of God to us through all the circumstances that surround us which points to only one truth, He is victorious. Victory is surely in our hands once we've made the right move and choice. Let us take our stand and know that God's grace is sufficient for us. We will not be put to the test beyond our strength. Things are bound to get better for as long as we hold on to God's promises. Today's psalm, kind of remind me of this preaching about this wise man from the East in the Old Testament (OT), he is a prophet named Balaam and served an evil and wicked king. King Balak wanted Balaam to exact a curse upon Israel but from his mouth came forth a blessing. He prophesied in Numbers 24:15,18 that there shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel who will dispossess Edom. A star and a scepter signifies kingship. In parallel, it was also the 3 wise men in the New Testament (NT) during the time of King Herod an Edomite who were looking for a star that would direct them to the newborn King of Israel, Jesus. He is truly our King and the fulfillment of God's promise. We are all called to respond with gratitude to the Lord who has revealed His saving power to us. There is no doubt that the God of the house of Israel is still the same one true God of today. The same privilege is handed over to us as the chosen people of God, Israel if we lay claim and hold to the truth that we are the people of God by faith, the New Israel.  Just as the message of God finds its way to us in so many different ways so does His love, mercy and goodness remain forever true. The good news of our salvation which was obtained for us more than 2000 years ago by Jesus Christ on the cross is still being proclaimed to this very day. There is no way we can deny the truth for heaven and earth will fade but God's words will remain. God have always been giving us inspiring, amazing, awesome reasons to have something to praise and thank Him for and even when we don't get those we should still continue in doing so for it can never be denied that great and wonderful are all His works. Today’s psalm also tells us that we ought to sing with all our hearts for the Lord no matter what our situations may be. There is a special joy and gladness felt when we sing with all of our heart. We can even imagine choirs of angels and saints gathered all around and singing. God doesn't just want us to look on but instead join the singing for it has always been said that we pray twice when we sing. Singing belongs to a heart that loves. This hymn of joy is a reflection of the praise for the goodness and beauty of God. It is the glory of God from which all beauty and goodness is derived. We join the singing that unite angels and men to praise God and be a people of peace. Anyone who catches a glimpse of the glory of God breaks out into song with joy. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 98:2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6

R. The Lord has made known his salvation.

The LORD has made his salvation known in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. 3 He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R) All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. 4 Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. R. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD. R.

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

Luke 5:1-11

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

THE TRUTH

Joining the seniors and other regular attendees in St. Martha for the Divine Mercy & Rosary prayer is really a blessing. Aside from the fact that it feels good to be with people who are dedicated and very devoted to the Lord it is also an occasion for endless discussion and venue to constantly praise and thank God. Although some of them are really old and are almost 90 years old they still continue to go to church regularly. In fact, there was once a priest who even advised them not to go to church anymore and just stay at home but they still keep on going and always present in almost every activity in St. Martha. They have become a source of inspiration for all of us who attend mass and see them in Church. Amen. Hallelujah!

Colossians 1:1-8

...We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones 5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. Of this you have already heard through the word of truth, the gospel, 6 that has come to you.

We may be faced with lots of uncertainties in our lives but we can always be confident that God is always there for us. He will never ignore us rather would always make things work for the good because the mercy of God is being channeled through the people and events that God sends our way. Nothing is impossible with God all things are possible. We've heard and seen so many miracles throughout our lifetime and thus we should always remember them and cling to them so that it will serve as our light and guide as we go on our way always hoping that God will never deprive us of our own miracles.  Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M Psalm 52:10. 11

R: I trust in the mercy of God for ever.

8 [10] I, like a green olive tree in the house of God, trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. (R) 9 [11] I will thank you always for what you have done, and proclaim the goodness of your name before your faithful ones.

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

Luke 4:38-44

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

RIGHT IN FRONT OF US

The readings for today remind me of the instances when I used to visit Sis Loreta’s home and my good friend, Ruby. This is the season when the fig tree of Sis Loreta is in full bloom. I miss those days when I used to pick figs in her garden but in the process end up bringing home others fruits in her garden. Since she is a nurse she would even give me some of her nursing reference materials and other very useful supplies that I was able to send to the Philippines. It was also at that time when I was about to pick figs in her home when Ruby came rushing to me and asked if I could accompany her to St. Martha's School to check on her daughter, Abby. Although Sis Loreta and I had already planned it earlier we immediately conceded to Ruby’s request. Being a mother myself I was able to relate to how she felt because she was getting worried about Abby’s first few days as a 1st grader in her new school. Those were the days too when we used to spend time together and have a heart to heart talk about what is going on with our lives. We just encouraged one another and boosted each other’s moral. God reminds us in today's 1st reading to continue to build up one another and shows us what should always be the case between friends and the people of God. Although today’s 1st reading sounded like a threat, it is not. In fact it is just an assurance from the Lord that no disaster and calamity is greater than Him. Those people who have been to such situations are the ones who could say “been there and done that” without budging. This is so, because of the truth that if we remain in faith and do not faint nor falter then we will surely be at peace. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6. 9-11

... When people are saying, “Peace and security,” then sudden disaster

comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. 5 For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. 6 Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.

... Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.

Brothers and sisters, if we are confident that we are where we are supposed to be and the Lord allowed things to happen in our life the way they are happening right now then we should be still and know that God is in control. 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. We always have hope in the Lord who knows what's best for each one of us. There should be no doubt in our minds that He answers prayers. All we have to do is call on the Lord, trust that He hears the sound of our call and wait for Him with courage. When we get carried away by all the commotion there is a tendency that we neglect the essential and most central issue which is to always believe that we shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. There is really nothing that we should worry about if we always hold in our hearts the truth about Jesus. There may be times when we encounter disappointments and setbacks in life but this doesn't mean that God has stopped becoming the Loving God that He is, who suffered His only Begotten Son to die on the cross for our sake. Our focus should be on the truth of this love and everything that it stands for. This reminded me of a mini play staged in EWTN of a passenger waiting to be boarded on the airplane. He was the 1st and only person in the boarding area waiting patiently for his seat reservation to be called. He got surprised when someone came along and hardly ever waited when his seat number was called. He felt somehow annoyed at the idea of someone who just came and did not wait but got on the plane first although he managed to stop himself from making a scene. A lady with her young child also came and looked very excited to board the plane but he tried to warn them not to keep their hopes up too much because it would definitely take time and said that he had been waiting for a long time and came early but his number had not been called yet. To his surprise their numbers were called and happily boarded while he was once again left behind. He simply couldn't stand it anymore when a pleasant young lady came with all smiles on her face and speaking of how excited she is to board an airplane for the first time. The company of this nice lady kept her impatience at bay. She advised him to stop thinking about how the others were able to get there quickly but rather think of the joy he would have once he gets there. She assured him to just relax and make the most of his time because he has a reservation and a ticket all he needs to do is just wait. He did exactly just that and found himself at peace until the time his number was called. The same thing happens to the best of us when we are confronted with a tedious and exasperating process of waiting. We tend to lose our peace and joy and succumb to worry and doubt. If we are holding on to something that was assured to us by a trustworthy and reliable source we can put our worries to rest. Although sometimes anxiety can still find its way to our hearts and forget on whom our confidence lies.  If we remain in the Lord and put our trust in Him then there is nothing we should worry about. In life, there are 4 things which are 1. sin 2. grace 3. forgiveness 4. reconciliation that we could all learn a lot from. The 1st 3 are all a reality but #4 is only a possibility. Reconciliation calls us to true conversion. An example that fits this is a snake and caterpillar since both of them undergoes conversion. The snake sheds off its old skin but comes out the same while the caterpillar emerges into a butterfly. We have to ponder and think about setting our goals high, keeping our thoughts positive and coming up with new solutions. There is no room for fear for He is consistent to His nature as God. Let us strive to become the child He has meant us to be. Another thing we could learn something about is a puzzle. I am one person who never even thought of working on a jigsaw puzzle. I am not the type of person who would bother to even buy one. It just happened that when I was in Japan and saw all sorts of things which are being sold in a bazaar, I ended up buying one for no reason at all. In fact it took years before I finally opened it and put the puzzle together. That was when I actually experienced how to do it. It takes patience and perseverance to do it especially with the complicated puzzles. Sometimes in life we just back out and give up when things become complicated and when we do, we fail to witness the bounty of the Lord. As today psalm tells us, we've got to wait with courage and be stout hearted. We should all long for the day when we will have 100% confidence level in all our decisions for God. When the time comes it will totally remove all forms of anxiety and fear and incline ourselves to Him at all times. It should be our ultimate desire and nothing else, to always be in the presence of the Lord. To abide in Him at all times even when things are not very good. I could never forget and would always remember those times when I used to pick figs at Sis Loreta's garden. It was then that a thought came to my mind while I was climbing a ladder in order to get the figs in hard to reach places. Despite the fact that I was already on top of the ladder there were still some figs that I was not able to see and pick up right away although it was already right in front of me. They are being covered by the leaves of the tree and some are hidden in between branches. I just realized that it could be compared to how God showers us with all the blessings and graces that we need. There are times when we fail to see it though it is already right in front of us. Sometimes we have to really look very closely and try to turn our gaze into different angles in order to see it. What's funny was that when I thought that I've got almost every ripe fig in the tree, I noticed one big ripe fruit at the lowest part of the tree, there was even no need to use a ladder in order to get it. Sometimes in life we resort to a lot of means that are sometimes no longer necessary. All we have to do is believe that we will see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living if we will just be patient and full of courage. We ought to realize that if we wait on the Lord patiently and persevere long enough we will never be disappointed for He alone is our light and salvation. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 27:1. 4. 13-14

R: I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

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? (R) 13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD with courage; be stout-hearted, and wait for the LORD.

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

Luke 4:31-37

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

EXTEND IT TO YOUR GALILEE

It was a very emotional encounter when I witnessed graduation ceremony of the participants of the CLP Program. Most especially when Ruby and I hugged each other, I felt a lump in my throat and felt tears welling up in my eyes when she embraced me tightly and also saw tears flowing from her eyes. She whispered to me that she suddenly remembered Eugene, her husband who passed away. She told me that she is crying with tears of joy so I whispered back in her ear that Eugene is happier where he is right now. We may have lost a loved one and have been deeply hurt but we should always hav

e the hope and consolation that those who died in Christ will rise again. I got convinced to share about this incident because today's 1st reading confirms it. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

... For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, console one another with these words.

This challenge and call to proclaim God's Word has been non stop and very persistent. In fact today's psalm tells us to announce it day after day. There should never be a day that passes without us giving praise and glory to God. When we have an appointment or a schedule it requires us to make necessary preparation for it before the date itself. There are times when we have to go through stressful activities in order to meet some requirements that go with it. This should make us think all the more of the greatest appointment we have to face on that final day and act in accordance to the demand of the inevitability and reality of this day. How much more are we supposed to prepare for that unknown day if indeed we believe that we have to be there and get to our destiny, where we are supposed to be in God's Kingdom. We should always be prepared for the day when we will come face to face with God. Every single day should be lived as if it's our last. How easy it is to put ourselves in the center of the universe. We are not the center of the universe, God is. We are just here on earth for a few fleeting years. 70 if we are strong in which to serve God. St. Theresa of Avila said to never waste a moment in time because she knows that every moment in time can secure heaven. When all is over and the battle has been won as in Revelation, God's name will be written in our foreheads and it will never be night again nor will we still need lamp or sunlight again because the Lord is our Light. There are so many things in life that worry us every day. We encounter people and circumstances that disturb our peace. We can't help but be stirred up and sometimes lose our focus. The truth is there is nothing that should bother us at all. We've got to hold on to the truth always that God is on top of everything. We have to be perfectly aware of the fact that the Lord has the whole world in the palm of His hand and will surely rule it with justice and constancy. It is always worth our all when we stand by the principles of God. No matter what it is that we are going through right now we can always draw strength and inspiration in this truth and not be moved. We look at our own lives and see that it is dark in many ways in the form of bad stories that we hear about. We are not perfect but we can do something to bring the glowing radiance of Christ to the world. We must be able to calm ourselves and silence our mind over a lot of worries and anxiety. In doing so we could immediately feel the peace and assurance that God never ever leaves us every step of the way. It helps to do the 3Rs: Reflecting, Remembering, Renewing. It is really important that we constantly reflect on the word of God, wherein the scriptures become fully alive in our life. We should always remember how God helped us in a certain experience. In doing so, hope starts to rise again. It is equally important that we live a balanced life by renewing so that we don't get worn out by the daily turmoil of our life. Those who toil will reap and will be able to reflect God's glory through the fruits of their harvest. We have 101 reasons to always rejoice and be glad. Jesus came and entered humanity in the most humble way. He loved us as we are and was willing to be born in a manger. He doesn't wait for us to transform ourselves but take us for who we are. It is very consoling to know that we have a God who was willing to be born into the messiness of our lives. We may not have received all the things we have been asking for specifically but we continue to believe that God in His goodness and mercy did answer all our prayers in the way that He deemed is best. It doesn't change the fact that He is God, always in control and every single thing works according to His master plan and divine purpose. We can be assured that He will carry out the plan He has for us, as in Jeremiah 29:11, For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe, plans to give you a future full of hope. God is over, above, around, about and all over the world. It is only right and fitting that we give glory to God who is above all. Let us always be grounded on this truth and make it clear for us so as not to fall into the trap and deception of the gods of the nations which are things of naught. Let us truly be faithful to the one and true God who made the heavens. We should listen, learn and be part of the task of spreading God's word to every person if we are really one with Him. No one is excluded from God's call of love. We often hear people saying that life is unfair but it is always a consolation to know that we have a God who is consistently good and just all the time. We can surely rely on Him all the time. God is sending all of us a friendship despite our coldness towards Him. He gives us all that we need. He is as good as He is great. He is very lavish with His promises and faithful in keeping them.  Whatever situation we are in we should always take the opportunity of showing forth God's glory at its best in our own lives. Nowadays, people tend to make decisions based on money. We must not discount the fact that money is important but it should not be the sole and major deciding factor when we come up with a decision. If we know exactly why we are here and what we are here for then there's no reason to doubt that God is always at our side to love, support and make things work for good. But we need to believe that God's power knows no limit. This world of ours is amazingly designed by God. DNA a double helical structure,   which is found in every living creature, which includes us, humans, is also existent in the solar system. Scientists found out that the pattern in which the planets rotate around the sun is also in a double helical conformation. It is undeniable evidence by the signature of God scattered all over the planet and extends to the entire universe that not even the most intelligent and brilliant astrologers could explain. We are indeed blessed and endowed with a wealth of endless benefits and cures just lying around us and within our reach. He is Great and Mighty and to Him alone do we put our trust. We must not be discouraged and continue to hope in His power. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 96: 1, 3, 4-5, 11-12, 13

R: The Lord comes to judge the earth.

1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. 2 Sing to the LORD; bless his name. (R) Announce his salvation, day after day. 3 Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. (R) For great is the LORD and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods. For all the gods of the nations are things of nought, but the LORD made the heavens. R. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!

Then shall all the trees of the forest exult. R. Before the LORD, for he comes; for he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy. R.

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

Luke 4:16-30

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