IT’S ALL UP TO US

There are certain issues in our faith that we need to clarify and be confident of. We need to face them and clear things up rather than remain unsure about it. When we encounter people who are not well informed about these things we need to do all in our power to correct them and guide them to the truth. If we ourselves are not clear about it how can we guide them? In our Catholicism study it was mentioned by Atty. Jess Moya, the speaker that we should always be guided by the core teachings of the Catholic Church and should never stray away from it. We should stick to this and really believe in the Church since it was Peter who was appointed by Jesus as the head of the church and the Pope as his successor. In the light of this we should always consult the Church about matters concerning our faith. Just like the apostles in today’s 1st reading we have a responsibility in our hands that we must not take for granted because it concerns not just them but all of us. When everything has been said and done then we can be ready to face our God anytime. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts of the Apostles 15,1-6.

...telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers... some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.” 6 The Apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter.

Today's psalm reminds me of this popular game called, "Trip to Jerusalem" I guess, everybody's familiar with it. We may all have played this game when we were young or even when we're older. The fastest, quickest, most alert person who gets the last seat wins. If we are not paying attention or are too slow then we are bound to lose. We have to put up a good fight in this game in order to win because the chairs are always lacking so every round there is always one person who doesn't get a seat and gets eliminated. It is just a game but people have a lot of fun doing their best so as not to be eliminated and win. People who engage themselves in this kind of game and want to win exert a lot of effort. It is so tiring and can exhaust one's energy in the game. And to think that after all our efforts only one person gets to win. Isn't it a relief that we can go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.  We need not worry that all our best efforts would just be wasted because God has reserved a seat for each one of us. If we are all set and very sure where we are headed then nothing can stop us from being there. Considering, too that we have a God who has secured a place and our future for us. John 14:1-3, " Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be." Nothing or no one can prevent us unless we ourselves decide not to go. The truth is, it's all up to us. We are confronted with a lot of things every day and if there is one thing we should choose and decide for then peace is one of them. It is important that we work and pray for peace to always reign in our midst. If we have peace that passes understanding always safeguarded in our hearts then we can rejoice in the Lord at all times. We should always be confident of the truth that we are blessed and secure in the knowledge and truth that we are where we are right now, doing what we are doing right now at the exact time God has provided for us, for with God there is always a perfect time for everything. When we are feeling tired from all the day's work all we want to do is just go home. Nothing could be more rewarding than coming home to a place where we find rest and peace. Our life here on earth could be compared to something like this. It is nice to know that at the end of the day or our life's journey we can go rejoicing to the house of the Lord and find ourselves welcome there. Ideally, there should be no other place we want to be, more than a place where there is peace and prosperity. It is a choice we have to make but sometimes we make the wrong choices and choose to be just anywhere but in a place such as this. We have all the time to be in different places that is fun and exciting. There is nothing wrong with being in these places for as long as we know our limitations but do we get the same joy and fulfillment when we go into the house of God. We should be balanced human beings. We should not just seek to satisfy our physical but spiritual needs as well. Let us tap our dormant souls that are left unattended for so long and revive it to really feel what the psalm tells us today. As much as we are confronted by the fact that we are still inhabitants of this imperfect world we are in we can not live as if it does not exist. We might as well make the most of what we can do while we are part of it. We’ve got to set goals in order to achieve this and keep our eyes focused on it. It helps to go through our daily life if we have set goals that we want to achieve and fulfill. The SMART acronym tells us that our goals should be S for specific, M for measurable, A for attainable or achievable, R for realistic or relevant and T for timely or time based. This is very effective in helping us improve as a person especially at times when we can't get our acts together. We can always set SMART goals from time to time in order to keep track of our performance in whatever field we want to work on and excel. It helps a lot in assessing ourselves in order for us to make an evaluation on how we our doing with our life. After each SMART goal we set for ourselves and have achieved it gives us a sense of fulfillment knowing that we have accomplished something. Little by little everyday we step up the ladder of our SMART goals. All of these should eventually come up to rejoicing with what we have made of our life. These we continue to do until it all sum up to bring us to that ultimate SMART goal. It should all lead us and point to our final destination when we go up to the house of the Lord. There is no greater joy than being with the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

                                                                                                  

Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

1 I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” 2 And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. (R) 3 Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. 4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. (R) According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. 5 In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David.

Every tree that bears fruit undergo pruning in order for it to bear more fruit. The same with our lives there are times when we think that we are doing what is pleasing to God but we are still beset with a lot of problems. There seems to be no end to it but we must realize that in order for us to continue and persevere we have to be tested and stand firm in our faith in God. We have to be stimulated constantly in order for us to be always on the go and active for God and inevitably bearing much fruit. Satan, the ruler of this world is taking over by means of his lies and deception. From the very beginning he has no power over Jesus Christ. When he has taken over Judas it was through a lie disguised in a kiss. When Judas lied and said to Jesus, "Is it I, Lord?" he led Jesus to death by deception with a kiss. Satan is still in this world but he has no power over Jesus even when it seemed as if Satan has defeated Jesus.  With Pilate's cynicisms when he asked, "What is truth?" and the existing government's inability at that time to protect the innocent. Jesus can have power over us. Satan can have power over us. Will we allow Jesus Christ to have power over us and defeat the role of evil in our life? That decision between good and evil, truth and deception, death and life is ours to make. Do we follow Him or not? Once again, it's all up to us. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 15:1-8

...Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

KEY TO LIFE

I know that God knows best, no matter what our situation is, we should have this persevering faith in God. We need to develop this positive attitude towards the hardships and difficulties that we encounter knowing that they serve as a passport to enter the Kingdom of God. Just thinking of what Paul and the Apostles had to go through in order to spread the Good News should make us realize how blessed we are at this present time when we can fully enjoy the fruits of their labor. We are being fed by the word of God on a silver platter. We need not fear for our lives in the same way that the Apostles experienced as they exercised their faith in God. There were many obstacles and hindrances during their time and yet they were able to carry out their mission and task which still live to this present day. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 14:19-28

...They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city...They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."...

they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished...

There is really none like our God. We can have all the things that this world can offer but in the end we will still be wanting and not satisfied if we do not have God in the center of our life. The Lord has always been faithful and not a single moment would He ever not be. We should have the confidence always of a beloved child of God and the honor of being on top of God's creation. The Lord is always ready to extend His help and shower His blessings on us, His people. The question is, are we willing to accept His help and stay within the circle of His blessings? This question is very critical and sometimes left unanswered, neglected and taken for granted. When we choose to continue in the path that does not lead us closer to God the answer is clear, it is a no. When we direct our actions in things that draw us closer to God then it is a yes. If this is so true for us then we ought to do as the psalm reading today tells us. All our thoughts, words and actions should reflect how great our God is. As humans we tend to downplay God's role in our life because we subject our experiences to human terms and conditions. We are still bound by the limitations of this world we are in and we can't help it. We sometimes just go with the flow and get carried away by the pressures imposed to us by our present and existing situations. Our study of World History tells us of the different and various kinds of kingdoms and dynasties which ruled throughout the length of time. None of the most famous and powerful of these kingdoms still stand today and remain as influential to the entire world as it used to be. This tells us one thing that earthly kingdoms will eventually cease to exist. Only God's Kingdom prevails for eternity. Sometimes we might even have to come to a point when we look and sound strange  for others or even suffer the ridicule of not just others but the very people who comprise our circle of close family, relatives and friends. What matters most is that we ought to give God what He rightly deserves, to be extolled and praised forever. Today's psalm tells us that we owe God more than just plain courtesy for His goodness. Whenever we watch box office hit super hero movies, news about it spread like wildfire and the promotion for it is international that almost everybody around the globe gets to know about it and watch it. If only we can devote that same fervor and enthusiasm in spreading word about the greatest Super Hero of all times, Jesus and make a decision to watch His life unfold and be part of our own, then we can someday be a part of God's great Kingdom in Heaven. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 21

R: Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

10 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. (R) 12 Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. (R) 21 May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD, and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

We may be going through a lot of trials and problems but it doesn't change the fact that He is God. It is a consolation to hear these words being said by Jesus in today's gospel. But at that time when He said this we might have guessed it right if we recognized that there is a sense of stress in the Upper Room among the Apostles. They are tense in their hearts and troubled and is exactly the reason why Jesus said it. The apostles may have been guessing already what's going to happen shortly. He said do not let your hearts be troubled so that they will be protected from despair when persecution comes. He said not to worry, be anxious or afraid like we always do at times or almost always. Though, it doesn't mean that men and women who worry and get anxious have no faith. We are not living in reality if we feel this way. Friends of God are not totally free from worries that trouble the heart. Sometimes we pray to God and still do not eliminate what we are distressed of. We still need to avoid things that we can avoid and do all we can to avoid suffering. We are on this road and journey. We constantly look for the right direction so that we will not get lost. This could have happened to most of us when we are headed for a place we've never been before. We ask directions and somewhere along the road we still get confused and lose our way. This happens when we lose track of it and given the wrong information. We can rest ourselves from worry and trouble because Jesus never leaves us. He is always with us through the Holy Spirit to strengthen, guide and shed light in our path. He personally leads us to show us the way for us not to get lost. He holds us by the hand and sees us through. We might think that when we pray we are doing service to God. We are wrong. Prayer first and foremost is an initiative of God. It is our giving to God the time to bring light and guidance into our lives. What makes life worth living? Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He is the key to life. This is the kind of life that we should desire but sadly, not often found. What I noticed very much in romantic old movies is the signature characteristic of people hopelessly in love being portrayed in it. This famous line "I never knew what life was until I saw it in your eyes." always form part of the climax of these romantic movies. This should be the fervor and devotion that we ought to give to God. Only Jesus can give us the peace and love amidst all the turmoil surrounding us. It can be compared to the center or eye of a hurricane where there is complete tranquility in the presence of heavy rain, strong winds and heavy waves. Nothing is more uplifting and strengthening than these words of assurance in today's gospel coming from Jesus Himself a true and genuine friend and lover in the real sense of it. Thanks to God.  Amen. Hallelujah!

John 14:27-31a

Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.

KEEP YOUR FOCUS

There are times when we just have to run away from people who hurt us because we have a greater purpose than entertain those people who continue to bring us down. We have to stay away from people who are toxic to us. Or it could also be a circumstance or situation that pulls us away from our Christ centered goal. We may have encountered such moments even when we are praying when bad thoughts suddenly pop up from nowhere. We have to immediately dispel it so as not to be out of focus. Today's 1st reading could help jolt us back to reality. We have to realize that there are times when we get sidetracked and tend to be led astray by the influences and pressures of this world we live in. Or we get lured and enticed by the tempting things that the world offers. God is indeed in our midst every single moment and never ceases in reminding and keeping us within the security of His embrace. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 14:5-18

...“Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, ‘who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.’ 16 In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways; 17 yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.”...

We are the temples of the Holy Spirit. We do not have the Holy Spirit as a birth right but a gift. We are born with original sin and this redemption from sin and the kingdom of darkness is what makes it possible for us to receive of the Holy Spirit. A lot of people in our society do like the part that we are temples. We claim that our bodies are temples so we have to treat it well and take care of it by doing exercise. But too often we say that we are temples but we don’t say of what. When we listen to the way we speak we find that we are temples of ourselves. Like the New Agers who consider themselves to be god. We see our bodies as the temple of ourselves because we see ourselves to be god. Each body should be treated with respect since it is the place where God can be worshipped which is derived from the presence of the Holy Spirit. This should be our purpose when taking all the aspects of our body with its wide variety of urges and desires. We can bring it all under the power of the Holy Spirit if only the body is well oriented to the worship of the Holy Spirit.

Despite the unpleasant situation in the world's point of view that we may be in right now we continue to see and look beyond what this present situation is showing us by remaining steadfast in our faith in God just like Abraham who never doubted God's protection for his family. May we all see God as our family's help and shield. We’ve got to straighten up some things about God. Who He is and what He wants for our life. What is our picture of God? It’s not surprising to know that most of us think that God doesn’t want us to have fun. It’s like all the things that we want to do with our friends that are interesting and exciting when we were young are against God’s commandments. It may seem like we have to settle for less. What’s worse is that all the faithful Catholics get less out of life. This is part of the propaganda way back in the Garden of Eden. God gave us a magnificent paradise wherein there is perfect intimacy and no shame with each other. In the Garden they have everything they need but gave just one limit, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is very interesting because God said, “Don’t do this because you will die.” The reason why God commands us something is because He is a loving Father who cares for us. He wants us to have the best. But then came the serpent, he didn’t create Adam & Eve, nor gave the garden or anything at all. All the serpent gave was a lie and told Adam & Eve not to listen to God or they’ll lose out and won’t become like God. They were made to believe that God is holding out something from them and is actually their rival because God doesn’t want them to have what He has. So instead of trusting the one who gave them everything, they trusted a stranger. They disobeyed God and listened to the liar. They were hooked into a downward spiral of destruction. This is what sin is all about. It is a trap. It is disguised as an apparent good because the fruit looks good and desirable but it ends in disaster. The relationship with God is messed up and so creation turned against them, thorns and thistles appear and things in life become hard. This is what sin does, it seemed small but it gets out of control. Things get worse and worse and there are broken lives everywhere. This is the reality about sin. We are draining life out of ourselves unless we recognize the One, True and Living God. God is very persistent in reminding us not to stray away from the path and persevere in the true faith. Sometimes we associate God with all the nice and wonderful things in our lives which is right but we should also keep in mind to focus most on the Giver and not on the gift. As the psalm tells us today, “All glory and honor we give to you alone.” Always remind us Lord to keep our feet on the ground for everything comes to us in the name of Jesus. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Psalm 115:1-2. 3-4. 15-16

R: Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.

...Why should the pagans say, “Where is their God?” (R) 3 Our God is in heaven; whatever he wills, he does. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, the handiwork of men...

How does our God love? His love is immeasurable, unimaginable and indescribable. How can we not love Him back? God's word in today's gospel is an assurance that we can always depend on Him whatever situations we have right now. He is always with us and will never leave us provided we keep His word. How do the saints go about it? St. Therese had the habit of smiling whenever her work was interrupted by a nun coming to ask for help whether with or without good reason. Let us face it most of us are annoyed and impatient especially when we are disturbed especially when they don’t have a good reason. St. Therese’ habit of smiling when she is annoyed is a willed reaction. She does it quite naturally. At the beginning of a free period which Carmelite nuns do not have a lot of, she prepares herself ahead of time to react in a loving manner. Therefore nothing took her by surprise, she is ready to be disturbed, counts on being disturbed, thus she is always happy. This is called determination. She is practicing it and does something about it in order to change from good to better and to best. Holiness and sanctity is not an emotion, the thing itself is in the will. As the gospel tells us today, “He who does the will of my Father  is the one who loves Him.” As St. Thomas said, “Will it.” We need to light the fire and do something about it. Fidelity is all we need. Daily conversation with the Lord is one of the traits of geniuses. As we master the art of communication with the Lord then we can say the deepest things in just a few words. St. Augustine, said “Every Christian should be an Alleluia from head to toe.” The people who live completely the message of the Catholic Church are the saints. They live the Lord’s message and the most beautiful people in the planet.  The saints are the one who really live by the truth. They are walking in the living form and work enthusiastically. They are present in the world but not at home in this world, living the divine message as perfectly as they can, eager to act and yet devoted to contemplation. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 14:21-26

...“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him...

TOP PRIORITY

There are many distractions all around us. Whether we admit or not, we too succumb to it and sometimes fail to act in accordance to what is right. We need to know what our priorities are in life. It is of prime importance that we know what needs to be on top of our list because everything else will come second and just trail behind. What we focus on grows. Today's 1st reading leaves us with a very important word of advice that we really ought to take seriously and act on. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 6:1-7

...the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. 3 Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, 4 whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Nothing is hidden from God and everything is known to Him. It pays to always consult our plans to God in prayers and everything we intend to do we should lay down before Him and seek His approval. He will never deprive us nor withhold from us the answers that we seek. If we sometimes forget these and tend to stray away from the right path then we should always be aware that everything that we say, think and do must always have reference to God our Creator. It may have happened to most of us when we get disappointed at how we still miss something so quickly despite our close watch. We sometimes end up confused and discouraged when things don’t happen the way we expect it despite our accurate and strict monitoring. We even ask ourselves how it could have happened. We may have heard and seen some terrible and frightening things in our life but we should always hold on to the truth that no matter how horrible the things that are happening around us they don't change the fact that our Lord is God and always in charge and in control. It doesn't matter that much how we think and feel but what matters most is how to feel and think just like God. We can always rely and depend on it, 100%, fail proof and success guaranteed. We should place our trust not in men or in things but in God alone. What is wisdom to men is folly to God. The Lord did not promise us to be totally problem free but He gave His assurance that He will always be our Savior and Redeemer. God's power is beyond our full comprehension. He is Holy, Mighty, Immortal and Infinitely Great. Did it ever occur to us how all these things that surround us, from the skies, to the mountains, plains, the seas, the wind, all the heavenly bodies above, the things down below, all the creatures of the earth especially us, human beings came to be. Not a single theory about creation could suffice and would ever satisfy the wonders and marvelous things that God has done. Just thinking about all these things should make us always put our hope in Him, feel confident and assured that we are safe under His care, to help us from all our problems and shield us from all harm. It is a consolation to know that we are constantly assured by God especially in today's psalm to never doubt His power and goodness. His loving eyes is always upon us not leaving us for a single moment nor removing his stare even with a wink of an eye. It feels good to know that someone's eyes are upon us and looking after us. When we come to a point of despair and feel like things are not getting better, we ought to remember always that we are God's people and we are His own. We have to realize this one most important truth that we should all subscribe to, which is to constantly align ourselves and conform to the will and plan of God in our lives. Let us ask the Lord to lead us to the right path and decisions that we may work toward the building of God’s kingdom here on earth. We should not give room to any doubt, fear, anxiety, impatience, irritability, hatred, sadness, iniquity, unfaithfulness, disloyalty, pride and loss of self control. Let us not choose to give in to these. They are all characteristics that should not be found in a people the Lord has chosen to be His own. Our present situation may not be a perfect picture yet but we should all rejoice and be glad knowing that God was the one who chose us first and He will carry us through. All we have to do is just trust that the Lord will carry out with perfection all His plans for us no matter what situations or circumstances may arise in our midst. When God created this world and everything in it including us, He did not ask permission from anybody. It means that He has chosen us to be His own and not the other way around. This is the reason why the fallen angels/demons are so jealous of men. We are indeed special in the eyes of God for it is written in Gen 1:26, "Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion..." We are not just chosen by God to be His own even before everything came to be but we are on top of His creation. Let us never lose sight of this wonderful plan that God has for all of us. We may not be seeing it right now, having doubts about it, not paying attention to it or unable to commit to it. Whatever it may be, these are all hindrances that prevent us from gaining access to the goodness of the Lord. Never allow ourselves to miss out on this privilege that is accorded to all of us as the children of God. God chose us first and it is only right and fitting that we choose Him too. If we always focus on the Lord and put His words in our presence at all times then we can be assured that we have a lamp unto our feet that is lighting our path. We have to entrust all our cares and worries to the Lord for He can do better things for our lives than all our works combined. No matter how hard we try to succeed in what we do if it's not in accordance to God's plan then nothing will ever come out of it. We may succeed in one aspect but we will never be totally at peace for in the end it will always be the will and plan of God that will prevail. We just have to acknowledge that we are sparing ourselves of all the trouble and heartaches if we will just be obedient and completely trust in the Lord's plan. Let us truly be wise in the real sense of the word rather than of the world and not forfeit all our benefits from the Lord. We all have our personal plans and designs and we may not be able to fully understand what is going on at the present time. It is not easy for the wisdom in the eyes of God is foolishness to the world but what's most important is that we should always consult everything to God first, just believe and surrender everything to Him for He knows best. We have to realize this one most important truth that we should all subscribe to, which is to constantly align ourselves and conform to the will and plan of God in our lives. The power of God knows no limits and we can always rely on Him for anything that we are in need. Let us rely on God's power and completely trust Him to bring to fulfillment everything that He has promised. Just like the Blessed Mother Mary, who is Queen of heaven and earth, we too are destined for victory and royalty. If only we live out the example of her obedient life and carry Jesus in our hearts. Let us not lose hope and have faith in the Master Plan and Grand Design that God has for all of us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19

R: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

...Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy. 5 He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full. (R) 18 See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine...

The covenant in Mt. Sinai is compared with the new covenant in Christ as in Mt. Zion. As written in Hebrews, where there are things that describe which could not be touched and approached in Mt. Sinai which showed the fearfulness of touching the holy mountain. This covenant in Mt. Sinai deserves great respect and gives us a sense of awe with a feeling of being terrified and much trembling as described of Moses. , In contrast Mt Zion is where the temple is and where anybody could approach. It is described with concentric circles as in levels wherein anybody could come in. It symbolizes the Promised Land to come, in which God dwells among his chosen people. Peace offerings are being burned and fill the place with a certain sense of festive mood and scent of cooking meat. This could be taken to mean as a symbol of heaven which is mentioned  also in 1 Peter 2:6 For it says in scripture: "Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame."  and Revelation 5:8, "The victor I will make into a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again. On him I will inscribe the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, as well as my new name. Heaven is our true citizenship where countless angels are in festal gathering. They are in a kind of celebratory gathering, cooking with great joy in the presence of angels also celebrating with great joy. The ecclesia of the 1^st born enrolled in heaven applies to all of us. Christ has been spoken of throughout this letter as the high priest who offered Himself as a sacrifice, enter into the Holy of holies in Heavenly Jerusalem, sit at the right hand and accomplishes something that Moses could not do so that both the angels, saints and we can celebrate in heaven. The saints and angels in heaven sing holy (3x) as in Isaiah 6:3,” Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft. "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!" they cried one to the other. "All the earth is filled with his glory!" Angels teach us how to worship, same as the Gloria, when they appeared to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth. As said in the Maranite liturgy, praise of God make our mouths holy by joining with the angels in worshipping God every time we come to mass. God the Father can’t be approached but Christ’s death won for us the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus has born the guilt for us so we can approach God the Father and Judge with confidence. We approach the spirit of the righteous who have been made perfect. Their spirits are no longer in their body and gained righteousness. It is by faith with our good works that we are made righteous as He is righteous. It is a result of acting and believing and maintaining both. Saints have been made righteous, notice the passive verb, they did not make themselves righteous by their own power, but by faith which is a theological virtue granted only by the grace of God. We are doing the righteous deeds we do because God gives us the grace to be righteous. Being righteous is something passive in our part the grace of God is the bigger part. How come we struggle to be righteous based on our true experience.  We should realize the power of God’s grace to get us through the temptations and struggles that makes us righteous. God does this to us although we struggle against it but we falsify the experience if we believe that we do this on our own. . The bible tells us to approach the saints. We ask the intercession of the saints most especially the Virgin Mary. We should never back away from the scriptural injunction to approach the saints. It is not in conflict with approaching Jesus. As in heavenly Jerusalem, we approach the saints. We have a communion with them as in Rev 5:8 When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.  The elders have golden bowls of incense which are the prayer of the saints who are so close to God’s throne. They set our prayers on fire and release its full power. Jesus is the New Moses, seals the covenant in His own blood. We come with our prayers and ask the saints to pray for us. Christ is the one who forgives our sins, the saints can not do that.  His sprinkled blood, speaks more eloquently than that of Abel’s blood as it cried out from the earth for justice. The blood of Christ cried out mercy and forgiveness of sins. This is what Christ’s blood cries out for. The imperfect can’t enter heaven. God made them perfect which is all part of this New Jerusalem. God answers prayers through intercession of saints and angels and through the mediation of Christ with His sprinkled blood. Believe, believe and believe! It has been the constant message of God to us. Amen. Hallelujah!

1Peter 2:4-9

Beloved: Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house

to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it says in Scripture: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame. Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone, and A stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall. They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny. You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Today's gospel is very appropriate especially when we grieve for the loss of a loved. It confirms and is a consoling truth for us who believes in Jesus, the Son of God. For those who do not, then life would all be meaningless in the end. If this present life that we have in this world is the only thing we hold on to then we are the most pathetic people ever known. There is a great schism going on daily within our midst, of people who know, believe and live the truth and those who do not. Those who are in between do not exist or are considered gone as the Lord said in Revelation 3:16, "So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." It's one or the other. I just hope that all of us have a clear, genuine and broad understanding of this mind blowing but awesome reality and live it in our lives. We must thank God for all the people He sends our way and uses to be instruments of His love, care and concern. We look at every single day as very significant because of the circumstances and events that make possible for us to still live the following day. It is a testimony and constant reminder of this bible verse in today's gospel and assurance that He is always mindful of us, His most precious creation. We are the child of God and God the Son lives in us. Everyone can sing “I am special”. As stated in Psalm 8:2-9 ...What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.” God created us especially with something to do on this earth that no one else can do and we must love ourselves for who we are. We have to realize the dignity of being a child of God. So we must love our neighbor for God lives in each one of us. C.S. Lewis said that there are 4 kinds of love, 1^st the love of a mother for a child which is beautiful, 2^nd of a man for a woman which is romantic, 3^rd of a friend for a friend which is inspiring, and 4^th is the agape love which tells us to do good to those who hate us because we are the child of God and Christ is in him. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the person who was robbed and left for dead has no name and it doesn’t matter. Love is no respecter of persons. We have to do our task to love beyond the call of duty. God never have to create us but He created us. He did it and destined us for glory. There are times when we speak words that we don't really mean or speak words out of anger, desperation and any other strong emotion which can cloud our judgment. Let us always be reminded that our words are powerful and we should have a conscious effort to mirror God in us by always speaking in behalf of our Father in heaven. We are created by God for a special place in heaven even before we were born and gave each one of us a name. In fact I have heard a couple of times already that when we die, God utters our name and so we will fly to Him faster than sound. The big question that God would ask is not, why aren’t we like Pope JPII, St. Francis of Assisi or St. Therese of the Little Flower. Rather He would ask each one of us, “Why aren’t you like you? My unique creation and that radiant human being I put in this earth in who I can shine?” How disappointed we can be if we find that we have disappointed God and find ourselves not the person for which we are created, for glory and honor. We must all pray St. Ignatius’ prayer: Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve You as You deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward save that of knowing I am doing Your Will. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 14: 1-12

...The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works... ...Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?... The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works... Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.

HARD TO GET

It doesn't mean that if we are friends of Christ we are totally free from life's difficulties and trials. There are still times when we are tensed and our hearts are troubled. We still worry, become anxious and afraid because we live in this reality. We should accept the fact, that just like Paul and Barnabas in today's 1st reading, who worked hard to spread the Good News they were still susceptible to the violence of this world. We can strive to avoid suffering but there is nothing we can do to eliminate it altogether. We can not prevent events that cause this. We still have trouble in our hearts. No one is capable of doing this only God who became man and entered this world.  But let us not forget that even Jesus, the Son of God, who is true God and true Man was greatly distressed and troubled at the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42-44) He prayed to God, "Father if Thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not My will but Thine be done." When we pray to God this does not eliminate either what we are distressed of. We pray but still go through our mini passion. In the light of these things we ought to remember always that evil and death has no power over us because Jesus is resurrected. Whoever has God lacks nothing, He alone suffices. God will always prioritize us, His people but if we are stubborn and don't want to listen then we forfeit our price. Have you ever experienced your name or raffle ticket being called out in a draw and you forfeited your price because you weren't there, you weren't patient in waiting or you just decided that it would be better for you to just leave. Let us keep in mind that the price of eternal life is worth all our time and treasure. No one is excluded from the gift of eternal life. Everybody is given the same privilege as were given to the chosen people of God. God is fair and just in all His ways. All we need to do is respond in the way that the Gentiles did in today's 1st reading instead of reject it like what most of the Jews did. If we've really come to believe then we should also work to spread the Word of God. No one should ever claim that they haven't heard or known about God since it is our prime duty to spread and make it known throughout the whole world. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 13:44-52

44 On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. 46 Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn ourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles...The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord.  All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, 49 and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region...

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

Psalm 98: 1,2-3ab, 3cd-4

R: All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R) 2 The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. 3 He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R) All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. 4 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. (R)

The readings for today and the truth it conveys reminds of the many times I almost got bitten by a dog. It happened several times in the past and these experiences made me easily scared of dogs. And this incident that happened while I was jogging almost knocked me out when a very big black dog suddenly appeared before me from behind a parked car. It rushed to my side and saw that its height came to as high as my shoulders. It started sniffing me and sensing my fear started to bully me by barking at me and when I tried to walk away suddenly jumped behind me as if trying to push me around. I couldn’t move and just prayed and that was when its owner came to the rescue. I have been telling myself that I must overcome this fear of dogs. I realized that it is time that I should and reminded myself once again of this bible passage in Genesis 1:26 “...Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.” It tells us that we are over and above them all. We are on top of everything that God created and have dominion over them. This truth should always give us confidence to be strong and of good courage. It is further emphasized and affirmed in today’s gospel as Jesus said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these…” There is no reason to cower in fear. We have to work our way to progress because we are destined for greatness in Jesus name. Let us follow our God given destiny. Whenever we are under attack and in an off guard situation, it is always good to know that we are just like soldiers who should always be in full battle gear fresh from rigid training, physically and spiritually inspired by the works of our one and only most brilliant mentor, Jesus Christ. If we are just to make sense of everything that goes on around us each and every single day then we can never be far away nor get lost in this reality that Jesus is telling us in today's gospel. It is undeniable what God has done for all of us from the dawn of man to this present age of modern civilization. Let us not continue to be negligent, mindless, thoughtless, careless and apathetic of the truth in the gospel that the Church is teaching us. Until when will we remain deaf and blind to all of these things that have been for a long time being conveyed to us from time immemorial, from the time of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the Judges, the Kings, the Prophets, in exile until the return and ultimately to the time of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago when God did the unimaginable and stooped down to become man. The bible itself speaks for the long span of time that God has been trying to lure us into an intimate relationship with Him. Are we really that dumb not to see all of these and remain unaffected by this astounding truth? Can we afford to play hard to get with God, who is as irresistible as He is. The time to enter into that relationship is now, not later nor tomorrow. Let us not waste any more of the precious time we still have in our hands. Amen. Hallelujah!

 John 14:7-14

...Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?... The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works... Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

IT’S THIS ONE OR THE OTHER

The promise of God will always press on to fulfillment. We are God's child. This is a reality that we should be aware of at all times. This truth allows us to build within our souls a refuge that no storm or tribulation could ever disturb. It serves as a room into which we can be alone with God and find peace as we maintain communication and a life of prayer. Sometimes we tend to forget this life giving truth that we are God's child. He would never will anything bad to happen to us. We pray daily and go through the routine and rituals of our Christian life. But as soon as it is over, we go out to the world and confront the daily anxieties and chaos around us we immediately find ourselves throwing God out of the window. There should be this constant place within us that we could find serenity deep in our hearts and experience the peace that comes from the Lord even when we go through pain and suffering. In times of grief it is indeed consoling that we make ourselves aware of the truth of our faith. We are all heirs to the kingdom of God. What a great privilege that we can all have access to that great gift and inheritance that Jesus has fought and won for us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 13:26-33

...We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our ancestors 33 he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my son; this day I have begotten you.’”

We have a God and Father who loves us so much. We need not always seek for answers and expect things to go our way. All we have to do is to keep on trusting God's goodness and mercy because there are really no answers to most of life's questions. These words in today's Psalm reading are the ones quoted by Luke in the 1st reading that we belong to God, we are begotten by Him. I have always believed in the power of the word of God. There is a need for us to study and know the scriptures for our own welfare. God in His ultimate wisdom and love gave us access to the Holy Scriptures in the bible. We are so blessed that we are living in a time and place where we have the freedom to take part in studying the Word of God and freely express it. Nothing could be more valuable than this. If we are totally convinced that we are God’s children then we ought to rejoice and be glad. The Lord has spoken and promised in today’s psalm and so shall it be. Remove all traces of fear and doubt for our God is able. This reality should not leave our consciousness every waking moment of our lives. There was one time during our bible study although it happened a long time ago I could never forget it when I was particularly touched by the closing prayer by Sis Lucille because she specifically cited that particular verse in Habakkuk 2:3-4 "Then the Lord answered me and said,"Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets so that one can read it readily, for the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint, if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late." It has given me renewed strength and courage having to be reminded again of that promise and the assurance of God that He will bring to fulfillment all His promises and felt that it was another boost and assurance for me especially at that time when I sometimes succumb to despair and hopelessness. Since it was the book of Habakkuk we were discussing at that time, Sis Millie also shared of his brother who had a problem and was just holding on to the word of God particularly the one from Habakkuk which also holds a special meaning in his life and even shared about it. It was very inspiring and had my spirits lifted up. God is good. He'll never leave nor abandon us. We are all special to Him. God never really disappoints even though we are already on the verge of failing and falling, He will always be there to make a way. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab

R: You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

7 The Lord said to me, “You are my son; this day I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession 9 You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.” (R) 10 And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice.

Today's gospel is very appropriate especially when we grieve for the loss of a loved one. It confirms and is a consoling truth for us who believes in Jesus, the Son of God. For those who do not, then life would all be meaningless in the end. If this present life that we have in this world is the only thing we hold on to then we are the most pathetic people ever known. There is a great schism going on daily within our midst, of people who know, believe and live the truth and those who do not. Those who are in between do not exist or are considered gone as the Lord said in Revelation 3:16, "So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." It's one or the other. I just hope that all of us have a clear, genuine and broad understanding of this mind blowing but awesome reality and live it in our lives. We must thank God for all the people He sends our way and uses to be instruments of His love, care and concern. We look at every single day as very significant because of the circumstances and events that make possible for us to still live the following day. It is a testimony and constant reminder of this bible verse in today's gospel and assurance that He is always mindful of us, His most precious creation. We are the child of God and God the Son lives in us. Everyone can sing “I am special”. As stated in Psalm 8:2-9 ...What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.” God created us especially with something to do on this earth that no one else can do and we must love ourselves for who we are. We have to realize the dignity of being a child of God. So we must love our neighbor for God lives in each one of us. C.S. Lewis said that there are 4 kinds of love, 1^st the love of a mother for a child which is beautiful, 2^nd of a man for a woman which is romantic, 3^rd of a friend for a friend which is inspiring, and 4^th is the agape love which tells us to do good to those who hate us because we are the child of God and Christ is in him. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the person who was robbed and left for dead has no name and it doesn’t matter. Love is no respecter of persons. We have to do our task to love beyond the call of duty. God never have to create us but He created us. He did it and destined us for glory.

There are times when we speak words that we don't really mean or speak words out of anger, desperation and any other strong emotion which can cloud our judgment. Let us always be reminded that our words are powerful and we should have a conscious effort to mirror God in us by always speaking in behalf of our Father in heaven. We are created by God for a special place in heaven even before we were born and gave each one of us a name. In fact I have heard a couple of times already that when we die, God utters our name and so we will fly to Him faster than sound. The big question that God would ask is not, why aren’t we like Pope JPII, St. Francis of Assisi or St. Therese of the Little Flower. Rather He would ask each one of us, “Why aren’t you like you? My unique creation and that radiant human being I put in this earth in who I can shine?” How disappointed we can be if we find that we have disappointed God and find ourselves not the person for which we are created, for glory and honor. We must all pray St. Ignatius’ prayer: Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve You as You deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward save that of knowing I am doing Your Will. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 14:1-6

 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

THE EXTERNALS

God had it all prefigured. God's promise to King David that from His descendants will come forth a Savior who is to rule the world was fulfilled when our Blessed Virgin Mary accepted God's plan. At the time when the Angel Gabriel announced to her that she will bear Jesus, the Son of God she just surrendered her will to God. It was not an easy decision for her at that time but she trusted God completely. She may not have understood everything but she entered into that deep trust in God and believed. It was a decision not merely based on some vague feeling or a pleasant emotion that makes people good when times are good. Thus the title "Seat of Wisdom" perfectly fits her. Our Lady not only does the normal part of loving. She is filled by the love of her Son that is given to her in very extraordinary circumstances. Not by a normal birth and conception before marriage. She conceived in her womb the Son of God and with that conception is a God sent promise. Her motherhood goes beyond the normal sufferings that any mother experiences. She traveled to Bethlehem in her pregnancy, was refused of a place to stay and gave birth in a manger. She had to give up a home and went into exile in Egypt. She continues to believe in that Son of hers, the Son of God as He perplexed her. In the finding of Jesus in the temple, when she heard the words of Simeon in the Presentation,"...a sword will pierce your heart..." The wedding in Cana when she said, "Do whatever He tells you". She stored and kept it in her heart although she did not understand everything. She loved and continued to believe until she saw and heard the mocking words addressed to her Son during the scourging and the crowning with thorns until she stood at the foot of the cross. That was not what's in her mind when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her to inherit the throne of King David. At the foot of the cross she was given a sad substitute in St. John when told, "Mother, behold your son" She accepts that and enters into an experience of charity and suffering. Normally a person would fight back to those who hurt our children. It is a normal reaction if we see others harm our child. Jesus truly became flesh in the womb of Mary. We have to take the reality of the choice that Mary made, the reality of the incarnation. What we need is true devotion to Mary that brings us close to God. We look through the gospel and see the dividing line whether we accept or reject it. We have to recreate and enter into that Incarnation without over spiritualizing or rejecting it which brings us away from God. Some Catholics has the temptation of being accustomed like the people of Nazareth. They grew up with Jesus and Mary as part of their environment but never live it seriously. Sometimes we become overly familiar. We become horrible hypocrites. Our devotion to Mary turns out to be a skirt where we can hide in. We claim to be on a pilgrimage with Mary but it makes no impact in our lives. We never understand the suffering of Christ. We misuse the scapular but continue to live our sinful behavior. The scapular should be worn as if we are putting on the yoke of Christ. The externals of this devotion becomes a block when we fail to understand and live the charity that Mary did. Let us be careful that everything we do is not just superficial. We have to enter into the love of Mary in which she felt the love of Jesus in what He did for us to redeem us. Bring us to a deeper love of Christ our Lord and look at Jesus through her perspective and love. Let us follow the example of Mary, from that joyful moment of the annunciation as she fulfilled the promise of God to the throne of King David to the sorrowful sight of her only Son as she stood at foot of the cross and ultimately to the glorious resurrection. The bible passages from the Old Testament down to the New Testament are all confirmed and fulfilled. It proves that God has great plans for all of us laid out even before we came to be. One of the most important things that we need to fulfill is found in today's 1st reading which is to be "a man after God's own heart and carry out His every wish" It's not that difficult after all if we'll keep on focusing on our Savior, Jesus, who have won for us our salvation. Amen. Hallelujah!

Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 13:13-25

...‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.’ 23 From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus....

If we enter into agreement with any person we have to make sure that we are able to fulfill it and vice versa for the person whom we make a contract with. It is so disappointing when things do not turn out the way it should be and terms and conditions are not followed. I guess, we have all encountered mishaps and are dismayed along the way.  It is always best that if there's someone whom we should observe and maintain a covenant with then there should be no other but God. For His words and promises will always remain true. As in Habakkuk 2:2-3, "Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late." We can be assured that His covenant will last and stand firm. Thousands of years have passed and only one name remains tried and true and continues to stand the test of time and even eternity, the name above all names, Jesus. If we are to look closely and pay attention to the succession of events of the salvation history or covenant history which goes back to the time of Adam & Eve and Noah and dates way back to 1800 BC during the time of Abraham, Moses (1200), David (means the favored one,1000), Exodus (600) to the birth of our Lord Jesus we will see God’s faithfulness and steadfast love for His people.  In this time line are significant events that happened from the time of Creation when God created man who fell into sin and became unfaithful and how God continuously called us back to Him by showing us who He really is throughout the length of time. As dramatic events unfold, like the entrance of the Israelites to the promised land, the pockets of rebellion as they took over the 12 tribes and 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. Today’s psalm speaks of how God is pleased with His faithful servants and promises to maintain kindness forever. We look at St. Joseph in the eyes of the Jews, he was the person who gave Jesus His proper name and claim as descendant of King David. Joseph was more of a foster father, because he was truly the legal father of Jesus. In like manner, he was not just the guardian of Mary. Before the law and traditions of Israel, he was the husband of Mary of Nazareth, the one who legitimized the “virgin birth” of Jesus to Mary. In the church’s liturgy, Joseph, aside from the Blessed Mother, is the only saint mentioned in the “Divine Praises” for the Eucharistic Benediction.  Then, according to experts on the apparitions of Fatima, Joseph was the only saint who appeared with the Blessed Mother in those phenomena that happened in Portugal." All these things tell us that there is really no cause for worry and fear for we have a God who is faithful to all His promises. We should always be reminded of this reality and never doubt that everything will come to pass. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Psalm 89:2-3. 21-22. 25 and 27

R: For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

1 [2] The promises of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness, 2 [3] for you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. (R) 20 [21] “I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, 21 [22] that my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong.” (R) 24 [25] My faithfulness and my kindness shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted. 26 [27] “He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the rock, my savior!’

There are some things that we knew even before it happened, some call it gut feeling. Why is this so? For He is God who knows our past, present and future. We should always remember, He is a considerate God who care for our feelings and longings. The only problem is that even if it's right before our very eyes we sometimes don't see it. We are too preoccupied, all we have to do is be very attentive and focus on God's goodness and divine providence. God deemed it so that all the messages proclaimed by the prophets from of old have come to pass and were fulfilled. Sometimes we go through difficult times and the future seem so dark and dreadful. Whenever this happens let us not forget and always remember the promises that He has long ago planted in our hearts and never lose hope in a God who is able, the great I AM. Amen. Hallelujah!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 13,16-20.

...If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the scripture might be fulfilled,.. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM...