BE IN TOUCH

We should realize that we are blessed beyond if we are just aware of what kind of friend  we have in Jesus. He is always there to save. He sanctifies us and makes us holy. Holiness is one of the being of God or God is holiness Himself. Being with contact with God makes us live, we can not touch God on our own. He was the one who came down to us. We see in the Old Testament the cultic practices that they have to do as stated in the 1^st reading, in order to be in contact with God. On the day of atonement, a high priest go to the holy of holies. God’s mysterious presence is simply uncontainable. An altar is sometimes referred to as God’s footstool. Pope Benedict XVI said that this rite is an expression of the desire to cast off sins. This appointed contact of God and man took place in the cross of Christ which took away our sins. It allowed human wretchedness and God’s Holiness to meet. God touches us today through material things, the outward sign of water and wine in the Holy Eucharist, in the water in Baptism, the oil in the Anointing, the Holy Orders and all other sacraments. This is what helps us to touch Him 2000 years later. We touch the Divine, through the sacraments and the proclamation of God’s word. This is how we make contact with God. Jesus makes us holy through the sacraments and builds us as a people of God. The priest is the representative of Christ here on earth. We, the baptized also share in the priesthood of Christ. He calls some to be with Him in the Holy Orders as stewards of the ministries in His mediation of the people to God. As in John 20:21, “He who receives you receives God who sent me. As the Father sent me so I sent you. “ Acts 6:6-7, They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.  Acts 20:28, Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the church of God that he acquired with his own blood. 1Tim 4:14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was conferred on you through the prophetic word with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate,” These are passed on gifts for the continuation of the Kingdom of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Hebrews 7:25-8:6

 25 Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them. 26 It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. 27 He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests, but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law, appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever. 8: 1 The main point of what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.

We need to persevere in prayer so that as we improve and daily grow in His knowledge and ways then we can easily discern and be more sensitive of how God speaks to each one of us in a very close and personal way. We should always listen intently to what God is telling us so we could effectively carry out what He wants us to do. It is God's will that we engage in activities that will enrich and deepen our faith in Him. In order to love someone better we have to know him/her better. The more you know about a person the more you become close to each other. The same way with God there is a need to really know more or everything there is to know about God. We must not be distracted and dissuaded to do otherwise when beset with problems and difficulties. If we have developed a great sense of confidence and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ then we can fearlessly and undauntedly do whatever He wills for us. We've got the very best friend we can ever have in Jesus. All we have to do is listen to and follow Him. He is the Rising Sun and Light of the world who came to live with us to direct our feet into the path of peace. Once we've known who God really is and what He is capable of doing in our lives then nothing should stand in our way of doing God's will. It may not be easy but if we have placed it in the center of our hearts then it will just come naturally as it becomes the powerhouse or mitochondria of our beings. The transcendent nature of humanity calls for dialogue and human understanding. In the face of difficulty and sign of contradiction we should never lose heart. Remember these words from the gospel, Mt. 5:10-12, “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Violence is not overcome by violence. The world needs God. Authentic weapon for peace is religious freedom as in to practice faith without coercion. Today we remember the plight of our brothers and sisters throughout the world who suffer greatly for the faith. We pray that religious freedom will not be eroded for those who can practice it. We continue to hope in the grace of God for that alone will suffice. It is also very important that we follow the example of Mary's perfect obedience to God's will so that we can find delight in following God's laws. May our Lord show us the path to peace and use us as instruments and builders of peace. Nothing should ever stop us from doing the will of God for it is ultimately the best option we've got. If we have developed a great sense of confidence and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ then we can fearlessly and undauntedly do whatever He wills for us. Once we've known who God is and what He is capable of doing in our lives then there is really nothing that should stop us in saying with all our hearts the responsorial psalm for today. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Psalm 40:7-8, 8-9, 10, 17

R: Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

6 [7] Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not; 7 [8] then said I, “Behold I come.” (R) In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, 8 [9] to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!”  (R) 9 [10] I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

A lot of people profess their faith in God for they have witnessed His mighty power but it is our responsibility as believers to be discreet in the conduct of our faith so as to really reflect the true spirit of God who dwells in us. We have to be careful, too in keeping our distances with the people around us most especially with friends who are always close to us, so as not to end up bumping or crushing into one another. What do I mean by this? It is sometimes true, the old saying that goes like this, "Familiarity breeds contempt." Even if we have the closest and most trusted friends around us, it is also important to realize that there are times when we have to keep our distance from one another. In today's gospel even Jesus needed to keep a safe distance from the crowd and is somehow showing us the need to set our limitations too.  In today’s Gospel, there are so many people that are after Jesus to the point of crushing Him. Jesus wanted to minister to all these people but He also has to look out for His safety, stay in the path so that He could still carry on with His mission. He just told his disciples to have a boat ready for him so He could continue His mission. There are times in our life when during the conduct of our earthly missions we encounter instances when we feel like we are being crushed. Considering the fact that what we are doing is not for our own personal gain but for the welfare of others and we experience oppression in many forms. Due to this we tend to get sidetracked but we have to keep in mind that we always have to be ready and alert in order for us to carry on with the most important task in our very own lives. Though it may not be understood and approved by all the truth remains that our mission and purpose in life is to continue what Jesus has started more than 2000 years ago.  God has gifted us with so many wonderful things in this world. We have the gift of friends and the company of our fellow brothers and sisters who all belong in this great and big family that God has provided us. If those people close to us and even those whom we don't know can intercede and pray for us then there is nothing we should be afraid of. Not even the scariest thing, person or element in this world should make us doubt that God is over and above all things in this world. The secret of Mark’s gospel can be found in the gospel today. These very words, “He warned them sternly not to make him known,” is Mark’s trademark. Just imagine people witnessing all kinds of miracles and being instructed not to make Him known. This is due to the fact that the signs and wonders wrought by His mighty hand can only be fully understood in the light of the Paschal Mystery, the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. In Mark 8:27-29 it is written, "...Along the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said to him in reply, "You are the Messiah." We thought it was Peter, who became the 1st Pope of the Catholic Church who first got it right. But if we read further on in the same chapter 8 of Mark in the following verses, 30-33, "Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." What Mark was trying to say is that we got it all wrong if we thought that Peter got it right because he didn't. He missed the truth about Jesus, he can not handle the truth that the Messiah, the King will be nailed and die on the cross. Just imagine Jesus who predicted and poured out his agony over his passion and death but was disappointed by Peter's inability to really get the point. It seemed ironic that the 1st Pope just guessed it right but it was really a pagan, a centurion who first got it right because he saw the cross of Jesus as the sign of His Kingship. For it is written in Mark 15:37-39, "Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" This means that if it was the centurion pagan who first got it right and not the 1st pope then salvation is for everybody even to the pagans and the Gentiles. Also in Mark 5:25 "There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured. "Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction." A woman was considered of no social standing during that time, and to be a pagan/Gentile only added to her worthlessness she was not even addressed with her own name. In Mark 9: 49-50, "Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another." During his time, salt was stored in a bag and used in the cooking the way in the same manner tea bags are used. This is to filter the impurities so after use the taste is gone and what's left is just a bag of dirt. Mark was very much around these kind of people and this is what he was trying to convey in his writings. Mark was very much around the very people whom we usually look up to as the leaders of the community but fail to reach the mark. For in Mark 10: 32-45 when Jesus predicted for the 3rd time his passion and death, "Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise." Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish (me) to do for you?" They answered him, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" Mark was with people with a lot of conflicts. This is shown in the following bible passages as in Acts 15: 36-41, "After some time, Paul said to Barnabas, "Come, let us make a return visit to see how the brothers are getting on in all the cities where we proclaimed the word of the Lord." Barnabas wanted to take with them also John, who was called Mark,but Paul insisted that they should not take with them someone who had deserted them at Pamphylia and who had not continued with them in their work.So sharp was their disagreement that they separated. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.But Paul chose Silas and departed after being commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.He traveled through Syria and Cilicia bringing strength to the churches." In this passage Paul's dislike for Mark (John) was very obvious. Also in Galatians where Paul did not hide his dislike for Peter (Kephas) 2:11,"And when Kephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong."

Although there were conflicts among the people in the Church, as it usually does, they were able to go past it and built the Church. These things can be considered as the agitation in the grain of sand in the clam which eventually turned into a priceless pearl. This anxiety among these people of God brought about the spread of the Church in various places for they were divided into 2 groups and were able to evangelize in 2 different places at one time. God saw to it that everything turned out for the good. The Markan Community emphasizes this truth that despite the brokenness of the people the Church of God, the community still survived which is evident to this very day.  The Kingdom of God must be viewed through the lens of Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King but not one seated on the throne but hanging on the cross. Mark wants us to realize that we should not want Jesus just because of our own personal agenda. What Mark was trying to say is that we would never get it right unless we can handle the truth about the Son of God, Messiah and the King who will be nailed and die on the cross. It is not easy to grasp especially at that time when the Jews were expecting for the Messiah to liberate them from the oppression of the Romans. Considering of course that we live in a world where suffering, pain and death are considered a curse and something that we could not embrace all too willingly. This is exactly why they were warned not to make Him known because they would end up missing the point. We need to see the cross of Jesus as the sign of His Kingship. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 3:7-12

...He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they  would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.”. He warned them sternly not to make him known.

A PAT ON THE BACK

I have always been intrigued by this personality in the bible named Melchizedek and knowing the meaning of his name which is righteousness and peace made me understand better. Let us decide for these things which are inseparable and welcome an invincible life as stated in today’s 1^st reading. There are many prominent historical figures in the Old Testament whom we see the prefigurement of Christ. I can never forget how Fr. Tony in his desire to define the great act of love that God wanted to convey to us referred to it as a strip tease act. This is to emphasize how Jesus Christ in the fullness of time came to be the fulfillment of all that is written in the Old Testament. For our teasers we can start off with Jonah who was thought to be dead after being swallowed by the whale for 3 days. At first he resisted God’s plan only to come forth alive and proclaimed the words to a conversion of life. Moses himself is promised the Messiah and led his people from slavery in Egypt to the Promise land. We all look to one day being with God in heaven. Solomon sits on the throne with great wisdom and people come from all over to hear him speak. He built a beautiful temple in the Holy City and we know historically what he spoke. Though, Solomon’s wisdom is nothing compared to Jesus. In today’s 1st reading from Hebrews he has this description of Melchizedek which is also in Genesis 14:18-19, “…priest of God Most High, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words: Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; “ This is also a prefigurement of Jesus being offered as a sacrifice in the Holy Mass. The type of sacrifice he offered is bread and wine. What do we offer during the Holy Sacrifice of Mass we also offer the same bread & wine. We have the ultimate sacrifice once and for all in Jesus the true priest. Amen. Hallelujah!

Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17

1 “Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,” “met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings” and “blessed him.” 2 And Abraham apportioned to him “a tenth of everything.” His name first means righteous king, and he was also “king of Salem,” that is, king of peace. 3 Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. 15 It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. 17 For it is testified: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

We have a high priest in Jesus Christ our Lord who intercedes for us before God now and forever. God makes all things possible. He does not expect us to do impossible things. We have to enter into a level of intimacy with the Lord and the Holy Eucharist makes this possible. We need to realize as Catholic Christians the great gift of the Holy Eucharist that is given to us. What could be greater than this that Jesus the high priest in the line of Melchizedek, has offered us His own body and blood for our nourishment. Right here and now we should confidently decide without a cloud of doubt on which side we really are. The priests and monks who gave their life to serve God have come to a point where they realized that what they give up is really nothing compared to what God has in store for all of us. Their lives like the saints before us have become sign posts pointing to heaven. It helps us increase our zeal today as if we are beginning anew. All this life is nothing compared to eternal life so we must not be fainthearted. Nor think that we are doing anything great for the sufferings we encounter at present. It is nothing compared to the glory that is to come. The whole of earth is nothing compared to the kingdom of heaven. We should always be reminded that Jesus offered His own life for our sake and because of this we have already been given the gift of eternal salvation and can become part of His kingdom if we choose to accept and respond to that gift. Just like this fascinating story of a girl with her plastic pearls. One night her father asked her if she loves him so the girl replied ,"yes". The father asked for the pearls but the girl refused and offered her doll instead but the father said no and told her he loves her anyway. The following week the father did the same thing and the girl offered her horsey. Then another week later when the father asked the same question she tearfully handed him the plastic pearls and told her dad that he can have it. To her surprise the father handed her a beautiful box with the pearls of great value. Sometimes we keep holding on to something without realizing that God is offering us something great. May we be firm and focused in leading a life of holiness that no earthly attractions keep us from loving God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R: You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

...The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion: “Rule in the midst of your enemies.” (R) 3 Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor; before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”

Today’s  gospel wanted us to realize a very important and essential matter in following God’s commands. We may all know the 10 commandments but do we truly know them by heart and abide by them in the Spirit of God.  Sometimes we are too preoccupied by the letter of the law and have a tendency to neglect what truly matters, the spirit of the law which is love. There should be no room for any doubt that God speaks to us through our daily circumstances. We can never deny that there are moments when we hesitate to do something, hold back or question the reason for a certain act. It is very consoling to know that we have a God who knows exactly what we are going through. If we come to Him for guidance and direction, He will surely not lead us astray. In the gospel a question arises, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Sometimes there are instances in our lives when we are confronted by a dilemma. Whether we do something or not is always a question that we need to face daily. In fact I was reminded of doing something I am not totally happy about but just the same I needed to do what I had to do. I am very touched and felt like God gave me a pat on the back upon reading Fr. Benny’s  reflection from Sabbath. Here it is entitled , THE WITHERED HAND

The Jews had a very high, if not an absolute, respect for their laws. These laws were derived and sourced out of the laws given by Yahweh to Moses. Jesus, a Jew, knew all of these laws by heart and lived them to the full. In the Gospel today, we can dispense the idea that Jesus was not aware of this regard for the Law, which includes the law on the Sabbath — that no one is to cure on that day, among other things.

But Jesus took the opportunity here, in the case of the man with the withered hand, to bring forth the true and essential spirit of the Law. He asked the disturbing question to those around Him, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Jesus did not really violate the Law but put it in its correct perspective. The ultimate end is goodness and life. “Good” here is not the relative worldly good but the absolute divine good. Life here is really more of life in the Lord than just mere breathing. It is not against the Torah but a deepening of it. Once I was in a retreat together with priests from other countries in Europe, Asia, USA and Latin America, in Novara, Italy. Near the end of the retreat, it was announced that we would take a break after dinner, which was unusual. No reason was given. I asked my Argentinian seatmate why and he said it was because of the World Cup in football and Italy was playing against Argentina. I could not believe what I heard! Later, seeing them watch the game made me appreciate the decision even if I did not fully understand it.

Only God knows whether it was reasonable enough or in accordance with the Spirit. I tend to believe it is. The message in today’s Gospel becomes clearer. Each of us, in our heart, has a good connection with God. The decisions we make are guided and influenced by various people, events and faith. In the end, it is between us and God. As Cardinal Rosales once said, “With love and God, you cannot go wrong.” Goodness and life are testimonies of loving and a spark of the divine! Fr. BennyTuazon

Reflection Question:

Am I a stickler for rules or do I have enough sensitivity to put the spirit above the law?

Lord, grant me an open heart and mind to always listen to the dictates of the Spirit rather than the letter of the law.

God's love, mercy and goodness abound and is above any law. We find in the gospel that Jesus was so disappointed with how the people responded and reacted to the miraculous healing that took place. It is easier to understand when people react badly in response to an assault but to something like restoring a sick person to health it's kind of weird but we also have to accept that there are times when we act weird. Let's always hope and pray that we will always be guided by Jesus to respond in a naturally good and charitable way. There are times when we have a tendency to put God in a box. We have a specific mindset about life in relation to God that we end up with our own narrow concept of how we are to conduct ourselves as Christians and followers of our Lord Jesus. What's worse is that we sometimes can't keep our imperfect ways to ourselves and project it to others. Sometimes we distort whatever is stated in the law to our advantage or over rationalize it and blow it out of proportion. This is where the gift of wisdom comes in. We ought to think, feel and see the way God does. Only by truly acquiring a mind and heart that is fashioned and designed like that of the Lord can we truly and sincerely understand the law of the Lord. We can also read in the gospel that Jesus looked at them with anger because of the hardness of their hearts. The Herodians and the Pharisees were great enemies at the time of Jesus but we saw how they conspired to put Jesus to death. All His works point to His Divine Kingship and the Pharisees were jealous. The reason behind this is the fact that Jesus lowers the prestige of the Pharisees before the people by healing the sick. He showed His Divine nature through this miracle done on a Sabbath. It is still happening nowadays, when people who live lives centered on Jesus and His teachings are still being persecuted. It is written in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.”  Let us not lose heart for if we are faithful to Jesus and everything He stands for then we can share in His great glory that has come for all eternity. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 3:1-6

...He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

THE ANCHOR

Why do things do not happen the way we planned it to happen? We sometimes succumb to despair and let the disappointment and dismay get to us. We've got to accept the fact that not all people and circumstances that surround us will always agree with what we have in mind and no matter how hard we try it simply won't work. The only thing that will matter is how to always accept things as they come with a hopeful and cheerful disposition knowing that we have a God who plans ahead of us and go before us.

Today’s 1st reading begins with a statement of faith. This letter to the Hebrews is addressed to a community that has been Christians for some time. They had been showing a love and concern for other Christians as well and something to be commended for. They have had faith and shown love and good work. Faith has to be maintained in its entirety. It’s not just about love and service but about everything in order to maintain a balance. Just like any other Christian community there is a problem that always come up when they lose zeal and go backwards. They need to be encouraged when they are feeling weak in the faith. In the earlier part of this letter it is written in Hebrews  5:13-14 “Everyone who lives on milk lacks experience of the word of righteousness, for he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties are trained by practice to discern good and evil.” They are being compared to babies who need milk instead of meat in the faith. They have fallen back and being reminded not to become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises. They have lost their eagerness and are not showing the same zeal for the faith. In order to inherit the promise, faith and patience is necessary. For the most part there will be persecutions for the members of the Church. It is shown in the latter part of this letter to the Hebrews that Christians are harassed, their properties are confiscated and things get worse in the future. There’s a need to be more committed to the faith to obtain the promise. We can see written in Gen 22:16-17 "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing--all this because you obeyed my command.'' God swore by Himself and indeed blessed Abraham.  For when Abraham was asked to sacrifice His son he did as he was told despite the fact that Isaac, is the son of promise but is the one being asked to be sacrificed. He may ask God how is the promise to be fulfilled but he did not and obeyed. God saw his act of supreme faith. At this point God realized that he is a man that trusts God no matter what God asks for. If Abraham can do it, so can we.  Considering that our situation is not that bad yet, we can go ahead with faith and hope.  We saw the promise fulfilled, Isaac had 2 sons, Jacob and Esau, then the sons of Jacob and so on and so forth. They are very small people with small beginnings. We too, inherit the promise that God swears by Himself. Human beings swear with someone greater than himself like the Bible is greater than our own words. Once we’ve given our word we can’t negotiate anymore. God swears an oath and does so by Himself for no one is greater than God. There are 2 immutable things, first the promise that God gives and second the oath that He will do it. Amen. Hallelujah!

Hebrews 6:10-20

Brothers and sisters: God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones. We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises. When God made the promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, “he swore by himself,” and said, “I will indeed bless you and multiply you.” And so, after patient waiting, he obtained the promise. Human beings swear by someone greater than themselves; for them an oath serves as a guarantee and puts an end to all argument. So when God wanted to give the heirs of his promise an even clearer demonstration of the immutability of his purpose, he intervened with an oath, so that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

An anchor is a great image for faith because it doesn’t move about, held down fast and makes firm our position. Hope with faith does not simply mean a subjective feeling of hope that depends on our own personal feelings. What are the things that we hope for? Our hope should be something objective. We should hope for what God has promised. It should be our hope that we’ll go to heaven. This is the hope that we should have in our mind, our motivation to keep and stir up our faith. It is an extremely important goal for us. We do not simply have hope in seeking for the pleasures of this world. This pleasure is tangible and something that we can get a hold of immediately. The idea of postponing the pleasure, like not resorting to drugs, pre marital sex, alcohol and not depend on what seems to be the sole pleasure in life like possessions and all sorts of material things and focus on a hope in the future. We postpone the pleasures in this life and have the hope that there is a pleasure that surpasses these pleasures of this world. We have to develop virtue or the strength on the inside. The word virtue means strength. Our interior strength comes from the fact that we lose heaven if we seek those pleasures and make them the goal in our lives. It is such a pity if it will be where the anchor of our hope lies. Our hope in the promises of God may seem to be veiled at the moment. We have to reach beyond the veil just like the veil in front of the holy tabernacle or the Holy of Holies. Essentially, it was shielding a holy God from sinful man. Whoever entered into the Holy of Holies was entering the very presence of God. In fact, anyone except the high priest who entered the Holy of Holies would die. Even the high priest, God’s chosen mediator with His people, could only pass through the veil and enter this sacred dwelling once a year, on a prescribed day called the Day of Atonement. The picture of the veil was that of a barrier between man and God, showing man that the holiness of God could not be trifled with. God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil and He can tolerate no sin (Habakkuk 1:13). The veil was a barrier to make sure that man could not carelessly and irreverently enter into God’s awesome presence. Even as the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he had to make some meticulous preparations: He had to wash himself, put on special clothing, bring burning incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God, and bring blood with him to make atonement for sins.

“But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” (Hebrews 9:7)

So the presence of God remained shielded from man behind a thick curtain during the history of Israel. However, Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross changed that. When He died, the curtain in the Jerusalem temple was torn in half, from the top to the bottom. Only God could have carried out such an incredible feat because the veil was too high for human hands to have reached it, and too thick to have torn it. Jesus a forerunner, high priest through His death and resurrection entered heaven. Thus we too are given this free access to enter heaven. If we know that we are standing on a firm and steady ground then we are confident that we are safe and secure. There is no doubt that the will of God will never take us where the grace of God will not protect us and will surely see us through for He is a truly reliable God. We have a God whom we can surely rely on. We've got to focus more on the bright and good side of life at all times because we have a great God who always works wonders in our lives. We can always rely on God at all times and be assured that the wisest thing that we can do for ourselves is to follow His precepts which are all truth and equity. There is nothing more we ought to do but live by it. In this movie about Moses it struck me how many times he kept on reminding the people of God's covenant. Every time God shows His signs, wonders and miracles the people are filled with faith but it doesn't last for each time they easily forget and not remember. Let us always remind ourselves of these signs, wonders and miracles that happened a long time ago even up to the present time for it remains true forever and ever. We have been declared through Jesus as God's own for He has made a covenant with us, the work of His hands. Let us not set this aside or neglect and put ourselves in our rightful place as His people.  God is always true and faithful to his covenant. We can count on Him to carry out and fulfill His part. It is our part of the covenant that we need to be concerned about. We've got to respond to God and fulfill our part of the bargain for our own good. This we need to be aware of and keep in mind always. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10

R: The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.

1 I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just. 2 Great are the works of the LORD, exquisite in all their delights. (R) He has won renown for his wondrous deeds; gracious and merciful is the LORD. 5 He has given food to those who fear him; he will forever be mindful of his covenant.  (R) 9 He has sent deliverance to his people; he has ratified his covenant forever; holy and awesome is his name. 10 His praise endures forever.

Jesus is the anchor of hope that we can go to heaven because he enters as high priest not once a year and leave like in the temple of the Holy of Holies. Jesus remains in heaven to intercede for us. There is a rope that links to the anchor, our hope is the rope that links us to Jesus. Jesus is the anchor for our hope to spur us in our Christian life. In love we are created by God, in justice we are condemned but in His mercy we are redeemed through Jesus Christ. It is always best to read and study scriptures in order for us to be guided in our daily lives. Everything that scriptures say are true and lasts for all time. There is no doubt to the truth that every single thing about it should stay intact and unaltered. Heaven and earth will fade but God's words will remain. But in all of these things we must not overlook and forget that love should always be the motive and driving force of every word that comes from God. David is a man of God who based his actions first and foremost on the love God has planted in His heart that is why he was chosen King. There are times when we are too caught up in the legalities of our businesses we sometimes forget that God should be the center of everything we do and on top of all our priorities. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. 24 At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” 25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? 26 How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?” 27 Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. 28 That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

ALL GOOD THINGS

 Is there something more we still need to see in order to believe? I guess, we've all seen enough no matter who we are, what we've been through or still going through, how much we've known or learned and where we're all coming from there's always this undeniable reality of a Supreme Being and Power who is God. Except, of course for those stubborn atheists but if we believe so, then we should all be fully aware that this Almighty God is also All Loving and Most Compassionate that He allowed His only Son to suffer for our sake, what a privilege!  Amen. Hallelujah!

Hebrews 5:1-10

“You are my son; this day I have begotten you”; 6 just as he says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” 7 In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; 9 and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 declared by God high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

We have a high priest in Jesus Christ our Lord who intercedes for us before God now and forever. God makes all things possible. He does not expect us to do impossible things. We have to enter into a level of intimacy with the Lord and the Holy Eucharist makes this possible. We need to realize as Catholic Christians the great gift of the Holy Eucharist that is given to us. What could be greater than this that Jesus the high priest in the line of Melchizedek, has offered us His own body and blood for our nourishment. Right here and now we should confidently decide without a cloud of doubt on which side we really are. The priests and monks who gave their life to serve God have come to a point where they realized that what they give up is really nothing compared to what God has in store for all of us. Their lives like the saints before us have become sign posts pointing to heaven. It helps us increase our zeal today as if we are beginning anew. All this life is nothing compared to eternal life so we must not be faint hearted. Nor think that we are doing anything great for the sufferings we encounter at present. It is nothing compared to the glory that is to come. The whole of earth is nothing compared to the kingdom of heaven. We should always be reminded that Jesus offered His own life for our sake and because of this we have already been given the gift of eternal salvation and can become part of His kingdom if we choose to accept and respond to that gift. Just like this fascinating story of a girl with her plastic pearls. One night her father asked her if she loves him so the girl replied ,"yes". The father asked for the pearls but the girl refused and offered her doll instead but the father said no and told her he loves her anyway. The following week the father did the same thing and the girl offered her horsy. Then another week later when the father asked the same question she tearfully handed him the plastic pearls and told her dad that he can have it. To her surprise the father handed her a beautiful box with the pearls of great value. Sometimes we keep holding on to something without realizing that God is offering us something great. May we be firm and focused in leading a life of holiness that no earthly attractions keep us from loving God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R: You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

...The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion: “Rule in the midst of your enemies.” (R) 3 Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor; before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”

We've got to act right away and respond to God's call. Though, we should always act and respond in accordance to God's will and submit to the designs of His perfect time. It's just a matter of matching things in its proper order and perspective. In other words, know that things that are not for God should definitely not be forced into any situation. God speaks to us in many different ways. He will not give us a difficult maze and puzzle to figure out or throw us a mission impossible task to solve. I heard someone say that all problems have solutions if there's no solution to it then it isn't a problem after all. The answers and solutions are right before us. Sometimes we are the ones that make life more difficult than it really is. We are the ones who come up with problems and questions that shouldn't really concern us. Just like in today's gospel when some people questioned Jesus about fasting and failed to see the true essence of sacrifice which is love and mercy. Above anything else is the spirit of the law which is love. In today's gospel, Jesus reveals His Divinity by referring to Himself as the Bridegroom. We can find in the scriptures especially during the time of Israel how God our Creator addressed Himself as Husband. As in Jer 3:20, "But like a woman faithless to her lover, even so have you been faithless to me, O house of Israel," says the LORD. St Paul’s words also in Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her..."  Also in the Parable of the wise & foolish virgins who were getting ready to meet the bridegroom and the parable of the invitation to the wedding feast. The cross is not just a sacrifice but God's expression of His desire for love, relationship and a covenant with His people. And in Hosea 2:18, On that day, says the LORD, She shall call me "My husband," and never again "My baal." ... and 21-22 "I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the LORD." There are many qualities of the covenant but there are 3 qualities attributed to the Book of Hosea. Hosea's style is a parable of married love to describe Yahweh's relationship with His people. Hosea is a proponent of Yahwism. It is a doctrine of repetitious reminder (pesher) to the Jews that Yahweh has only been the savior of the chosen people in their history. The formula of Yahwism:"I am Yahweh who brought you out of Egypt." This evolved into what is later called "Salvation Theology", the covenant. Which could be expressed as God after having created man and fallen into sin asked, "What am I going to do with my creation?  Hosea's prophecy was based on this. Yahwist tradition is the source and the beginning and God continues to sustain and nourish His people. People of God who were set apart, chosen and privileged. As in this bible saying, "Hear ye O Israel, I am your God and there is no other God than Me." Hosea addresses the disorder in the kind of worship being offered to God. They have forsaken Yahweh in both rituals and moral life and did not follow what is expressed in the covenant, the decalogue (10 commandments) and the following 3 qualities which I mentioned earlier:

1. Fidelity is best described as a covenanted union which is best depicted in the image of marriage union: showing Yahweh and Israel as husband and wife. (Hos. 1-3) In this regard, infidelity to the covenant is best shown thru the images of sexual perversions and the breaking of the marriage vows. (Hos 4:14)Like Hosea's love to his unfaithful wife, Yahweh's fidelity to the union remains in spite of Israel's unfaithfulness (Hos.#) During that time there was presence of the worship to the pagan god Baal which contaminated the worship of God's people to Yahweh. Baal was believed by pagans as a god that gives fertility and fruitfulness.  This contamination resulted to impure rites of worshipping. Eventually the Jews no longer became a pure race and was even evident in the presence of several other races, the Samaritan as one. But more than the impurity of the race is the unfaithfulness manifested in the empty rituals and sexual perversion shown in adulterous and unfaithful relationships.

2. Loving Compassion- "I desire loving compassion and not sacrifice..."(Hos 6:6) Hesed is Hebrew for loving kindness. Hesed is the center of this love. Hesed is not quid pro quo. It is true devotion (both mind and heart) to the covenant partner. A sign of faithful love to His own people. True covenant partner has pity (rhm) Rhm true meaning is lost in English translation. Rhm is not just a sorrowful compassion but more of the attitude a mother has to her child. Like rehem or womb. The covenant is characteristic in all the prophets. In Isaiah it has mentioned, "Can a mother forget her child and even if she forgets, God will never forget." The cross before the time of Jesus used to stand for death. It is abhored and detested by people. During the bible study, Fr. Tony before proceeding with his talk asked who would like to become a victim and as expected nobody raised a hand. When God became man, He embraced victimhood when he willingly died on the cross. During the ancient times or even in the book of Revelation in the bible the dragon stands for evil and is even symbolic of the serpent in Genesis. When Jesus came He did not slay the dragon but instead allowed the dragon to slay Him by dying on the cross which is rehem and Hesed. Of course Jesus rose from the dead with power on the 3rd day.  The Latin word sacrificere means to make sacred or holy. It is God's business to make man holy which is symbolized by the cross. Fr. Tony continued by saying that there are actually 8 days of creation. The 7 days as recorded in the bible and each day of our life as 8th day. God continues to create but with man as co-creator. Since it was man who made the mess in creation by giving in to sin, each day is an invitation to us to cooperate with God in making this world a better place.

3. Knowledge of God- the most important among 3 qualities. Personal knowledge/relationship of God and His attributes. (Hos 5:4) There is no true "Hesed" without knowledge which is wisdom or true intelligence as not only the world sees and knows of but is interwoven with life experiences. Knowledge here is more of deep spousal knowledge akin to marital union of 2 individuals becoming one. True union of no secrets, shared joy and sorrows as well as oneness of both bodies and souls. Love making (not sex) is a good example of this. (Gen 2:24 "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.") Even Jesus in Mk 2:19-20 compared Himself to a bridegroom. In Ephesians 5: 23-24 Jesus compares His eternal love for the Church as the love of a husband for his wife. See also Lk 1:34 when Mary said,"I have no knowledge of a man." and Jer.1:5 "...before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." This knowledge is encompassing and strives to reach the height and depth of God's unfathomable love.

I also learned from the bible study that Abraham is the 1st recipient of God's revelation of Himself to mankind. He is considered as one of the Patriarchs to whom God chose to establish his covenant. Salvation history tells us of God's faithful love and continues to restore and bring back the broken relationship of God and man. It was through Abraham's total surrender to God's will to offer his son Isaac that he foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus  as the Lamb of God. It is true that God started to reveal Himself to us through Abraham and the ultimate revelation was in Jesus His only begotten Son. The victimhood of Jesus to conquer evil not by slaying evil but by allowing Himself to be killed is the height of God's love. It should always be a treasure embedded in our hearts.

Today's gospel is also an allusion to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. We as Catholics practice fasting 1 hour before communion. Fasting symbolizes mourning which is not appropriate when the bridegroom is there. During Holy Mass, He arrives in the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist. The sacrament when the Divine Bridegroom gives Himself to us. A marriage supper where we encounter the bridegroom, Jesus therefore we should have a love for the Mass. It is a foretaste of Heaven when we become enraptured by the love of God and be totally in union with Him. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 2:18-22

“Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day ...No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

SALVATION HISTORY

The outline of the salvation history or covenant history goes back to the time of Adam & Eve and Noah and dates way back to 1800 BC during the time of Abraham, Moses (1200), David (means the favored one,1000), Exodus (600) to the birth of our Lord Jesus. From this time line significant events happened from the time of Creation when God created man who fell into sin and became unfaithful. God continuously call us back to Him by showing us who He really is throughout the length of time. In the period 721 BC prophets like Hosea started to prophesy for God and ministered. Dramatic events like the entrance of the Israelites to the promised land and the pockets of rebellion as they conquered the 12 tribes took place. The sequence of events that followed was from the time they settled into a life of monarchy (kings) from their 1st king (Saul) to King David and King Solomon. The time of David is described as the greatest time of the people of God when the kingdom grew bigger while the time of Solomon as the time when the temple is at its best owing to the "wisdom of Solomon which was manifested in the 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs he wrote. But it was also marked by an event when the kingdom was divided due to Solomon's involvement to 1005 wives. It was a very difficult time marked by political upheaval, assassinations and adultery in the manner of the people's worship to Yahweh mixed with the pagan god, Baal. This was also the time when Hosea came into view. During that time of existing oppressive situation, Hosea married Gomer a prostitute whom he loves but was unfaithful and deserted him. His painful relationship with his wife symbolizes the covenant relationship of God's love and relationship to man. Hosea can be described as a book of relationship and fidelity. God's faithfulness despite our unfaithfulness. Chapters 1-3 is about the life of Hosea focusing on his failed and broken marriage, chapters 4-13 about his preaching, oracles against infidelity and adultery in relation to worship to "Baal", chapter 14 is about the return to hope after judgment. God's fidelity to his people is described in terms of marriage, a divine love, fiery and affectionate for Israel as the "bride of God." Fr. Tony our bible study teacher at that time compared God's demonstration of His love to a strip teaser who one by one strips herself of clothing before she comes out totally naked. He said that God throughout time has sent emissaries, patriarchs, prophets and kings to declare His great love for us and in the fullness of time has ultimately revealed His naked love in its entirety by sending His only begotten Son Jesus who was not spared to suffer and die on the cross just to show His great love for us. God continues to strip tease constantly, consistently and continuously just to lure us back to His loving embrace. His love knows no boundary; it gets more intense, longer, higher and deeper as the days go by. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 62:1-5

No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “ or your land “Desolate, “ but you shall be called “My Delight, “  and your land “Espoused.” For the LORD delights in you and makes your land his spouse. As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.

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!

Responsorial Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10

R.  Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

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)

The 2nd reading for today tells us that though we feel inadequate in ourselves we need not despair because God has given each one of us a gift for some benefit and the others too. We all belong in God's big family and we are all part of His body. We are all connected in a way and God will bring to us people, events and situations that will perfect us and our needs for His greater glory and for the good of the entire people of God, the Church in which we are all a part of. In the talk, "Revealing God's love to others" by Fr. Bill DeLaney, SJ. He said that there are several names attributed to God but the name "Abba" holds a special meaning. He is a God that is not distant and shows Himself as a loving Father to a son. He said we have a task at hand which is to continue the outpouring of the Spirit in the Church. He said that we have already been filled but we leak so we have to constantly be filled and there should be an ongoing filling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is revealed in many ways and one of these is when the Holy Spirit reveals sovereignty, which means it is direct and only God can do it. The Holy Spirit is always present but we do not always feel its presence. We have to work with Jesus so that it can be revealed. In Gal. 5:22 there are several fruits of the Spirit which allows us to reveal God's presence to others and bring it out in others. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. It is sad that oftentimes we do not reflect the fruits rather the opposite. We are invited to live at peace with everyone by first becoming the person of peace. It can never be done in hostility but only in gentleness. 1 Tim  5:3, treat others even your enemies with courtesy and respect. It is how you relate and disagree with one another that tell much of who we really are. It is rooted in the truth of who we are and what we honestly believe. The will of Jesus for the community is unity. He prayed not only for the disciples but for all those who believe. A Christian community should love and respect each other even when we disagree. Heroic virtues and holiness should just be something ordinary since it is the way it should be for a true Christian. He said that when we pray for patience we should be willing to go through the process of planting, cultivating and nourishing it.  Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 12:3b-7. 12-13

Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

Mary's privilege and honor as the Mother of God is no doubt a singular grace given to her alone. She has been greatly blessed by God for being chosen to carry Jesus in her womb and nurse her. It has been written and foretold from past generations. It was through the total surrender of the Blessed Mother Mary to God’s will that the Word of God is manifested in her life. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary. We can learn a lot from the kind of life that Mary lived and ask her to intercede for us. For who could better show us the way to Jesus other than her who gave birth to our Savior Jesus Christ. We also in our own way can conceive Jesus although not in our wombs but in our hearts and who could better teach us to do this other than the mother of Jesus whom He gave to mankind at the foot of cross. “Behold our Mother.” She understands for there is nothing that she doesn’t understand since she experienced the killing of her Son. St. Anselm brilliantly captures the crucial role of Mary in our salvation history. He said, “God... is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Savior of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.” This is an incredible thing. It was only possible because God became man. There is an interplay between God’s grace and Mary’s free acceptance. This is what the real Catholic life is all about.  This is God’s desire for us which is a fantastic calling. The power to do this is given to us by God in Jesus through Mary. Let us no longer be tricked into believing otherwise and know that just like Mary we are also called to play our part in the history of salvation the way she did. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 2:1-11

1 There was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”…

THE MANUAL

Jesus understands. He knows exactly what we have been through and are going through right now even much more than we can imagine. Let us trust that He knows better than we all do and be confident of God who created us all. It should also give us a better perspective, the best motivation and inspiration to always offer everything that we do to God whether it be a simple or great task that is in our hands knowing that Jesus His Son has already perfected it for us. If we sometimes come to a point where we feel so lost and unsure if what we are going through and doing is still worth it, let us always keep in mind that for as long we do it to honor and glorify God then it should make us think very hard and not just twice before we ever give up.  Let us not miss out on the ultimate blessing and the inheritance won for us by our unbeatable and undefeated Savior. All things happen for a reason and a purpose within the appointed time. God gives us valuable instructions for life that will make it pleasing and acceptable before Him. We should be mindful of the word of God being given to us in the scriptures and in our daily circumstances. The bible has been described as something like a manual that teaches us, Christians to go about with our lives. Just like any new equipment that comes with a manual in order to operate it properly so are God's words to us. We have to discover the joy of always consulting the word of God through the daily readings. In doing so we may even come to a point of making a commitment to write down reflections and share it to family and friends. It is in documenting and organizing our thoughts or journaling that we can access, read it readily and be reminded constantly. When God created us He intended for us to be guided and directed in accordance to His will and that's what the word of God does for us. For nothing else matters more than what matters to God. Jesus is 100% divine and human except for sin. This is a Church teaching that was emphasized during our bible study. The arch of Mark's gospel which illustrates 2 opposite parts represented by Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man is highlighted by the center of the arch where Jesus' divinity meets His humanity in the cross as the perfect victim (sacrificial lamb/scapegoat) of man's salvation. When things get out of hand we have no one to blame but ourselves for Jesus the perfect sacrifice is surely not lacking in everything that He has given us for our own welfare. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Hebrews 4:12-16

The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.

It always pays to be watchful and alert at all times. Although we sometimes fail to measure up due to our own shortcomings or could be the doing of another, God assures us in today's psalm that if we fall into the trap of the enemy we can always repent with a deep remorse for our sins and resolve to make the precepts of the Lord the joy of our hearts. In doing so, we find ourselves naturally restrained from sin and maintain our innocence. It is so hard to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord if we do not know exactly how to go about with it. It's just like when we have to comply to certain requirements in school and follow the standard set by it. We need to have a pattern or outline from which we can base our work. Just as it is so in other things, the more we are all in need of God's precepts. The absolute bedrock of spiritual life is to follow the 10 commandments. We are sometimes misled into thinking that when we have a type of prayer then we think that we already have a spiritual life. We’ve got to have the humility to admit that God is smarter than we are and we need to follow and obey what we are told in the 10 commandments. We should be totally and absolutely convinced that He knows best. Satan uses half truths and half lies in his devilish tricks. Satan’s claims seem to come true in one level. Take the example of our 1^st parents after eating of the forbidden fruit their eyes were opened and did become in one sense like God. The fallen angels made their free choice by radically and irrevocably rejecting God so in turn they seduce and mislead Adam & Eve. It was through sin that humanity was afflicted by death. Because of one man’s disobedience many were made sinners. When tempted in the Garden, Adam failed to remain faithful to God and His commands. Jesus, the New Adam, is God’s servant totally obedient to the Divine will. Jesus is the devil’s conqueror and takes back the plunder. What the devil has stolen from us, Jesus has recovered for us. Pope Benedict XVI commented about what the Lord experienced in the desert and said that at the heart of all temptations is the act of pushing God aside because we conceive Him as secondary. It is an act of constructing our world with our own lights and building our own foundation and setting God aside as an allusion. Temptations come in many varied forms but one thing is sure, it does not invite us to directly do evil because it is too blatant and would outright turn us off. It is very subtle and yet an act of pushing God’s commands aside and placing the devil’s temptation as primary. If we want to remain victorious throughout life, we have to keep Him in the center of our life and hold on to His words which are Spirit and life. God’s ever present help can be found in the scriptures. It's just like a soldier going to battle wearing the armor of God. It never fails and always there to defend and protect from the snares of the evil one. So always take up our sword which is the word of God. God's perfect word can refresh the soul. Have you ever wondered really how it feels to be refreshed? Whenever we take a shower or a warm bath and put on clothes that are well fitted and comfortable it refreshes our body. It could also be whenever we go to a place where we can unwind, relax, be away from the tensions, stresses, noise and turmoil of the fast paced lives that we lead and just appreciate the beauty of nature that surrounds us and the peace and quiet it offers to our tired bodies in order to be more in touch with God's voice in us. It is so refreshing it gives our minds and hearts a better view and perspective of how to live our lives. The same thing with our souls, we should always keep it clean, healthy and clothed with maximum security, protection but comfortable enough we don't even know it's there. Like it has become fused in us, there's nothing more right than following and obeying the law of God. Today's psalm reading guides us on how we should go about with our lives by always keeping in mind God's laws. None of us is perfect but through our imperfections we can always run to God for help and guidance. He will never refuse nor forsake us for He can only love and care for us. There are people who have alienated themselves from God and we can’t just force them to go back. God does not do that, it’s not how the Lord works, instead we pray and pray for them. If we wait long enough and adhere to God’s precepts then we will finally obtain joy in our hearts. As water prevails over the rock throughout the course of time so does the Holy Spirit that is continuously flooding or washing over the man’s heart.  The Holy Spirit moves in and continues to work upon us and tenderizes us. The song entitled, "Your Words Are Spirit and Life" by Bernadette Farrell was impressed to me. It is a beautiful song that I have always loved to sing and I just realized that the words of this song are taken from this psalm which made me start singing it. Well, we just have to fully discover what the words of God can make us do. When things get out of hand we have no one to blame but ourselves for God is surely not lacking in everything that He has given us for our own welfare. We've got everything we need because there's nothing more that God could and should do for us that He has not done. All we have to do is completely trust and obey the judgments of the Lord. GOD'S LAW MAKES US LIVE A VIRTUOUS LIFE (CCC 1803 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.") May we truly recognize the genuine and precious treasures that we should all strive to achieve and work for which is none other than these things spoken of in today's psalm. Amen. Hallelujah!  

Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15

R: Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

7 [8] The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. (R) 8 [9] The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. (R) 9 [10] The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. (R) 10 [11] They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.

We don't really know anything at all. Judging from today's gospel we also fall into the same trap as the Scribes and Pharisees. This is what happens when we fail to see how the mind of God works. Whenever things do not go the way we wanted it then it would be best to always trust the mind of God that works for the ultimate good. Speaking of battles makes us think of wounds and injuries that can lead to sicknesses and there is really nothing to fear for in every fight we take we are assured of a Divine Healer that can make us whole. We should always follow what God wants us to do no matter how difficult it is at the present moment. There should be no doubt that He will carry us through. Today's gospel assures us that God is willing and able to cure all our ills and sicknesses. The problem lies not in God's ability to heal us but in our acceptance of the fact that we are sick and need healing. It may be easier for a severely ill person to recognize one's sickness because it is very obvious and undeniable than for someone whose illness and symptoms are just mild and unnoticeable. It is more dangerous in a way because the illness just creeps up very slowly and discreetly. It’s completely widespread and terminal just like some cancers even before we know it. We need to be aware of how we are doing ourselves. This does not apply to just our physical state but most importantly our spiritual. Let us not neglect nor overlook this seemingly fine condition we thought we are in and be caught unaware when everything becomes too late. Fr. Joel Jason wrote this paragraph below in his article in Sabbath.

Psychology journals now even speak of a so-called “mild addiction.” I have a friend with a drinking problem who calls it his “daily fix.” Included in this mild addictions are gluttony, chain smoking and heavy drinking. But whether it is light or heavy, it is still an addiction. It’s a form of sickness. Treating them lightly only gives a false sense that we are doing OK when in fact we’re getting sicker by the day.

Today in the Gospel, Jesus reminds us, “People who are healthy do not need a doctor; sick people do.” It was a subtle but stinging remark directed to those religious leaders of His time who choose to be blind to their own moral sickness. Today we have the same problem. We don’t even know that we are sick because we invent names like “mild addiction” or “daily fix” to avoid calling ourselves to task. Companies who make contraceptives even market a pill with anti-pimple ingredient, taking advantage of the insecurities of the youth. What’s next? A pill fortified with beta-carotene? We are becoming sick and we do not even know it. Jesus, remind my heart.Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:

When you see grossly overweight children, do you find it cute? Do you justify your disordered desires by calling them “mild addictions”?

Lord Jesus, more than the physical, I need spiritual healing in my heart, in my desires, in my will. O Hesus, hilumin mo, aking sugatang puso. Amen.

We need to receive the medicine of the Divine Physician to be healed and saved. Just like Levi in today’s gospel or more popularly known as Matthew we have to be a true disciple of Christ. Live the gospel, become living witnesses and role models. The disciples leave many things behind. Despite of who Matthew is God loves him. He was greedy and a corrupt man. When he got up and followed Jesus he left his office. We have to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal things to us. We have to throw away all our garbage in our character and relationship like vices, lust, pride, anger, materialism, being stingy in giving treasures to the Lord. We still have a lot of things to be transformed in our lives. As in John 10:10, A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. We need to remove the fear of surrendering to the Lord. The disciples of Jesus love to be in the company of the Master. They talked, walked, ate and spent time with Jesus to learn. They were with Jesus 24 hours a day and so must we to be His disciple. Here are some recommendations from a retreat to be a disciple. First, we have to greet and thank God before we get out of bed and wake up. Say our prayers and read the bible. When we worship God we close our eyes. Make a habit of praying before starting and after work. Pray before meals even in public places. Pray for safety when we travel and pray before we go to bed. A disciples transforms his/her past for God’s purposes. God uses all our past experiences for us to attain the kingdom of God. Jeremiah 17:10, I, the LORD, explore the mind and test the heart, Giving to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their deeds. We should obey God and be willing to live in the edge and take risks. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 2:13-17

…As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Jesus. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

THE REST

Fr. Joel Jason of Sabbath gave a very good explanation about the 1st reading today. He said, "In the first reading today, the letter to the Hebrews spoke about the people “not entering into God’s rest.” The Biblical “rest” is an allusion to the rest of Genesis 1 where it said that God rested after the work of Creation. This “rest” is not physical. God did not grow tired. The rest indicated satisfaction and fulfillment over the accomplishment of the Divine Will as indicated by the line, “and God looked at what He has created and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). The need to enter into God’s “rest” is a metaphorical way of rendering that disobedience to God’s will is the reason for the chosen people’s inability to enter the Promised Land." It will always be for our own good that we follow and obey what God tells us to do no matter what the cost and how foolish it may seem, to the world's point of view. Amen. Hallelujah!

Hebrews 4:1-5, 11

...Therefore, let us strive to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall after the same example of disobedience.

The Lord has already given us everything we need but we still crave for something else. We sometimes doubt and question God's ability to get us through it all. We tend to resort to means that is of our own and not of God.  Our rationalizing mind gets the better in us when we exclude in the equation the awesome truth of who really God is and what He is capable of doing in our life. Today’s psalm tells us not to forget the works of the Lord. What better way to do that than to keep our eyes focused on the price that God paid for us on the cross and the eternal benefits it has brought upon us. In order to attain this we need to constantly listen to the teachings of the Church. We have to familiarize ourselves to the words of God in scriptures and the mysteries they hold. We have seen and witnessed so much already to even doubt God's goodness. We hope and pray that we will always remember and never forget. Our minds are limited and can not comprehend beyond what can be explained by reason. God gave up His only begotten Son, Jesus and allowed Him to be sacrificed on the cross. This could never be explained by our logical and rational minds especially if we are parents ourselves and have only one child. Who would give up an only child to die a cruel and humiliating death for the sake of another and sinners at that? But God did that and the only reason is His immeasurable and unfathomable love for all of us. Today's psalm teaches a very important lesson and guideline that we should always live by. If we want to maintain our strength and not be susceptible to captivity in the hands of the enemy then we should always remember and not forget the wonderful things that God has done to us. This makes sense because God's works are holy and perfect we can surely rely on it for everything. When the Israelites decided to follow Moses when they were led out of Egypt to the Promised Land and traveled a long time through the desert they discovered that it was not an easy but a wearying and tedious journey. In the same way when we travel through life we encounter challenges that sometimes drive us to despair. However, we can draw inspiration from the readings today. Just like the Israelites we should always have the hope of a new and better life and be assured of the fact that with God on our side we will never be defeated in battle, nor will we be allowed to starve and be fed with bread from heaven. We easily forget things and become preoccupied with so many other things. This happens to most of us and we tend to neglect what is truly essential. Let us not focus on the lesser things but on what should dominate our consciousness and awareness. We should always be alert and not easily distracted and dissuaded by what is going on around us. Nowadays, we tend to just rely on our own strength and understanding because we are living in a very materialistic and advanced world and forget what's most important is to focus on how God can be fully at work in our lives. We have seen and witnessed so much already to even doubt God's goodness. We hope and pray that we will always remember and never forget the works of the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 78:3, 4, 6-7, 8

R: Do not forget the works of the Lord!

What we have heard and know, and what our fathers have declared to us, 4 we will declare to the generation to come the glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength.

There are different kinds of faith that bring about healing. In today's gospel it was the faith of the 4 men and not of the sick person alone who brought about the healing. It tells us of the power of friends. Just like this paralytic in today's gospel who was helped by his friends we should be thankful for the presence of people in our lives who continue to serve as the link that bridges the gap in our relationship with God. A paralytic was unable to come near Jesus but his friends went to a great extent just to be able to bring him near Jesus. They really went out of their way by opening up the roof of the house and passed through it to let down the mat where the paralytic was lying in order for him to come near Jesus. They have to go through a seemingly unimaginable task of breaking through the roof of a house. Who would do that? We can tell from the story that they are people who are determined, unstoppable, courageous, brave and united. They worked as a team and were clearly ready to face all odds especially because they are moving as a group which means they have the power of 4 people not just one. This reminds me of a speaker who talked about the power of leverage. We can benefit from a lot of things that He has blessed and endowed us. One of them is the gift of people, the family, friends and even the shortest encounter we have of our daily contacts that seem to not matter or be of benefit to us but can still impact our lives in a meaningful way at present and in the days to come. Although much to our displeasure, it is really inevitable that in our daily walk we can find people also in today's gospel who simply refuse to believe and don't share a common belief. At any given situation we must always be open to God's options not ours for in the end we will always find glory in His works and witness His astounding miracles as manifested in the gospel. It shows us a threefold manifestation of the Divinity of Christ. First is the ability of Jesus to read our hearts and minds. This not a human power, only God can do this. We can not hide anything from God, He knows all our thoughts. The 2nd manifestation is the ability of Jesus to grant spiritual healing. The moment he said this, "Your sins are forgiven" the paralytic man got healed spiritually. We hear these words in the sacraments of confession and anointing of the sick. God has the power to set us free from sin and set the soul back in union with God. Third is the power of God to grant physical healing. God can restore bodily health and put the body in the right order that God has designed it to be. Evil is the absence of the good that rightly belongs there. It is not absent because of God but because we fall away from grace. Suffering takes meaning from the action of Christ's redemption. Sometimes we miss the point just like the scribes. They did not recognize who Jesus is in spite of these divine manifestations. The paralytic and the 4 men acknowledged the power of Jesus but the scribes rejected it. Instead they accused Him of blaspheming. With regards to ourselves, I guess it is easier for us to say that He’s God at this present time than those scribes, the paralytic and the 4 men because it is a new concept that is difficult to grasp at that time. Do we really grasp the meaning of His divinity that Jesus is God? The 4 men who carried the paralytic had faith that is selfless. They wanted what is good for their paralytic friend and were focused at the good of another that’s why they were able to grasp the power of God. The scribes were selfish and can’t get beyond their mind’s view and not focused on the good of others. They failed to recognize the good that God can provide the paralytic. This is what happens when we don’t accept the Light into our lives and keep ourselves in the dark. Like these scribes who were present there observing inside the house which is believed to be the home of Peter. The Church stands firm in the witness of the apostles and the disciples about the Divinity of Jesus. He has the power to free us from sin and the effects of sin and sanctify our suffering and give meaning to it in union with His redemption. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” — he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”