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As Catholics we remember to pray for the souls of our beloved faithful departed during the month of November. In fact in St. Martha's church, pictures of the faithful departed loved ones, friends and relatives are on display at one area of the church. Some people may find it strange that I have a devotion to pray for the souls of the dead. Of the so many Catholic devotions that we know of, praying for the eternal repose of the souls is one devotion that I have committed to surprisingly and extraordinarily, I should say. It all started in 2006 when I had this very unusual experience with a hit and run victim who was lying dead for around three and a half hours already based on what the onlookers said. The accident happened very early in the morning in EDSA a main street in the heart of the city in the Philippines. My heart was moved with pity for that poor man that I offered the rosary prayer for his soul. After that incident, as far as my disposition for the dead souls are concerned things were never the same again. Something very unnatural happened immediately after that because I was on my way to a very important appointment which I was already late for. Earlier I had been told that I would no longer be entertained and would just be wasting my time if I would still go. Anyway, I still did and there it happened. I was not declined and was still allowed to enter. It was most unusual that those who came earlier and on time although they were allowed entry failed to have their document signed due to a misspelled name of a signatory. The unimaginable happened, the document I submitted contained the same misspelled name but somebody facilitated it for me so it was overlooked, signed and approved. There was only one thing in my mind at that time while it was all happening, that dead guy’s soul that I prayed for, whom I rendered some love and mercy. The same understanding and mercy was extended to me since I was accommodated but the others were not. As I've said earlier, things were never the same again thus I believe that there is life after death and it pays to pray for our departed brothers and sister. Someday when we come face to face with that reality, may we receive the breath of life everlasting from God. I've had several more special experiences related to it and also with other souls that I have prayed for. They are too many to narrate right now. This particular story strikes me more that I got inspired to share this again because the details closely resemble the passages from today's 1st reading Amen. Hallelujah!

Revelation 11:4-12

...Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city...after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, “Come up here.” So they went up to heaven in a cloud...

When I first saw that man lying dead in the street partially covered by newspapers, it may look a lot like there is no hope left for him considering the kind of fate and death he met. It was an untimely, unprepared and unexpected turn which also became the end of his life on earth. When things seem to look so bad as in this kind of bad that I've seen for myself or even worse, I know for sure that it is not the way it appears to be. What could one ever think of a man left dead lying on a main street of a great city where a lot of people see it as they come and go. Nothing seems to be the way it really is for there is always hope. We may not yet fully understand the truth about heaven at this time while we are still bound here on earth but we can always hold on to God as fast, strong and firm as we can. To God alone, we look to be saved. We can defeat the giant problems we are facing right now. Let us not limit God's power for the bigger our problem is and the more it is heightened by its difficulty   the more God's glory is revealed. It is only right that we entrust everything to God for we have a giant God. If at the present time we are encountering so many trials and difficulties in life then consider everything as preparation for the victory God has reserved for all of us. In spite of all the discouraging and heart rending events that we’ve experienced and witnessed in our lives there is one thing sure about it. In every tear that fell and heartache, God’s mercy is always upon us. He is our fortress and stronghold that we can not be moved. A preacher on TV said that we have to go to the right frame and never turn back.  Once we are in the right frame then we should not be dissuaded because only immovable people can move mountains. We have to stick to the right frame because it is our fight of faith. It was also Jesus who told us in Mt. 17:20, “…Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." We should not lose focus and realize that we are standing on a firm foundation, solid as rock, and we can entrust everything unto Him. If we will always decide to listen and follow the advice of God and be willing to be under His guidance and direction then we will surely emerge victorious in all our battles. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 144:1b, 2, 9-10

R: Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

1 Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war. (R) 2 My refuge and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust, who subdues peoples under me. (R) 9 O God, I will sing a new song to you; with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise, 10 you who give victory to kings, and deliver David, your servant the evil sword. (R)

Time will come when everything in this world will cease to exist and nothing in it will matter anymore to us the way we used to feel and think about it. Although it may all seem unimaginable at this time especially for us who are still bound to this world and still attached to it, it can help us a lot if we reflect carefully on what Jesus said in today's gospel. Let us all strive to attain a deeper understanding of the message being conveyed to us and be deemed worthy to attain to the coming age. Just when we thought that a lot of things seem to be unanswered, let us not forget that God in His ultimate intelligence is capable of answering everything we can ever imagine, that we should never doubt His greatness encompasses all that is concrete or abstract so let us not dare to question His will in our lives. We are all looking forward to that one unsurpassed, unequaled and endless glory of being in union with God. There is life after death. Just when others may think that death is the end of everything and nothing else follows, for those of us who believe in the resurrection, we hope to discover on that dreaded day for unbelievers that it is just the beginning of new and eternal life with God in heaven.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 20:27-40 (or Matthew 12:46-50)

...Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and remarry; 35 but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise...

HOLY

Sometimes we go through life with some doubts in our head or uncertainty. It doesn't feel good at all to have this kind of feeling because being sure in what we do is very important. It makes us somehow restless, unstable and frightened at times when we are in this kind of situation. It makes all the difference when we are sure about something. God in His goodness and love for us will surely not withhold things from us especially if it is for the best. When we come to a point when we feel so uncertain, we can always offer it to God in prayer.  If we are truly open to listen and obey the will of God then we can hear Him speak to us in our daily circumstances and be assured that we will not just get our answer but will even get confirmation for it. Amen. Hallelujah!

Revelation 10:8-11

 I. John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me. Then the voice spoke to me again...

We've got to realize that there is nothing more delicious than the food God is offering us. We need to make sure that what we sought and yearn for, is what should bring us genuine riches, true delight and the most precious treasure which the world can not give and only God can bring about. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131

R: How sweet to my taste is your promise!

14 In the way of your decrees I rejoice, as much as in all riches. (R) 24 Yes, your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors. (R) 72 The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (R) 103 How sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (R) 111 Your decrees are my inheritance forever; the joy of my heart they are. (R) 131 I gasp with open mouth in my yearning for your  commands

We’ve got to maintain and stay within the context of what has been written. People sometimes overlook things and take it for granted. The church is a house of prayer and should keep it that way. Although some people may think that it is not the external appearances that matter most but what’s inside our hearts we still need to realize the importance of observing proper behavior and decorum when inside the church. Sure enough, this is all for the greater glory of God. The Jews are stubborn and remained in their unbelief in Jesus as the Messiah. They have a wrong notion of the Messiah which is based on the political image that the Jews have which is far from the lasting and eternal Kingdom that Jesus offers us. Today's gospel is a clear demonstration of how the Jews disobeyed God in the conduct of their activities and not only rejected Jesus but hated Him. They were the chosen people and yet it was to their loss that they did not accept Jesus and to our gain that salvation was extended to us all not only by virtue of blood but by faith. Whenever we go to church, God in His goodness does not strike anyone unworthy to enter the Church. Although he is reminding us in the gospel that when we go to the house of God it is important to make ourselves pleasing not only physically but spiritually before Him. When we pray to God and do good things with a hidden agenda then we are no different from a thief. Thieves know that there are things they can't have and thus resort to stealing. Sometimes we too, are like thieves when we pray to God and do good things with the sole purpose of pleasing God and eventually hope to have things in our own way. Behind every prayer intention there should be a sincere openness to the will of God and the total surrender to Him and not the other way around wherein we expect God to bend to our own personal wishes and caprices. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 19:45-48

45 Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’ ” 47 And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, 48 but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.

WHERE GOD WEEPS

Today’s 1^st reading is related to Hebrews 12 which was explained by Fr. Mitch Pacwa of EWTN. It tells details of how Jesus made us eligible for heaven. The covenant in Mt. Sinai is compared with the new covenant in Christ as in Mt. Zion. It is written and described in Hebrews that there are things which could not be touched and approached in Mt. Sinai and 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 since his face was radiant after coming down from Mt. Sinai. 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 similarly in Revelation it is said, "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 the letter to the Hebrews 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 have 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 still 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 struggle 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 stated in the 1^st reading today, 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. There is no cause for anyone of us to feel sad because we are victorious in Christ Jesus. Without realizing this, a multitude of sorrow and pain that is inevitably existent in this present world of ours is impossible to bear. It feels good that this truth in today's 1st reading makes all the difference. It's about time we always hang on to this truth, never forget and even though we sometimes forget and neglect may we always be reminded and led back to this reality.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Revelation 5:1-10

“Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to examine it. 4 I shed many tears because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to examine it. 5 One of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed, enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.” 6 Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and the elders, a Lamb that seemed to have been slain. He had seven horns and seven eyes; these are the seven spirits of God sent out into the whole world. 7 He came and received the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. 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. 9 They sang a new hymn: “Worthy are you to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. 10 You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth.”

We may have seen people who are exercise and health buffs and really take care of their bodies well. Just by looking at them we can already say that they work hard to develop a muscular and strong body. They were able to get good results because they have committed themselves to a strict diet and exercise regimen. In the same way, we should work hard and stick to a regimen that will maintain our souls in perfect shape. No matter who we are, what we do and where we are we can no longer have any excuse not to praise and give glory to God “as is where is”. We are all God's children and we should rightfully assert our place in the kingdom of our God the Father. We are the Church of God which does not pertain to just the physical structure but also the Spiritual Church of God which is our souls dwelling in the physical temple of God which is our bodies. It is important that we always ponder in our hearts the significance of the words of God in relation to our life. I can still remember when I joined the Ikebana (Flower arrangement) in Japan. I was late and did not see the demonstration so when I was given the flowers to arrange I just did it for the sake of just getting it over and done with. What do you expect? I was not proud of what I did. In fact I even removed the label from my work so nobody would know that I was the one who did it since I am representing the Philippines. It is a consolation to know that we have a God and Creator who knows perfectly well what He is doing. No matter what we do to ourselves He will never disown us. Since we are still in this world but definitely not of this world, which is temporary. It should always be our daily commitment to God that we reconnect, refocus, realign and all kinds of action that will redirect us to God in order to withstand this constant battle and tug of war between good and evil. We just have to realize that it is ourselves who eventually disown and turn our backs on God knowingly or unknowingly. If we remain faithful to the Lord and live our lives according to His decrees then we will always find ourselves rejoicing as stated in the psalm reading today. We just need to remind ourselves always that when He created us, humans, He saved the best for last. He even fashioned us in His own image and likeness. In fact, up to this present time, scientists and scholars have not fully solved and understood the mysteries and wonders of the human body and soul. As far as science is concerned we the humans are the most advanced living creatures in this planet endowed with all the capacities that no other creatures are capable of. God will never run out of good things in store for us. We might have hit rock bottom or the lowliest place in our lives but we can always be assured that our God speaks in our hearts and will never forsake nor abandon. If there's one thing that should never leave our minds and hearts then that is the truth that we are on top of God's creation and takes delight in us. If we are faithful to God then we can claim all the benefits of being God's kingdom of priests. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M 

Psalm 149:1b-2. 3-4. 5-6a and 9b

R: The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.

1 Sing to the LORD a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2 Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king. (R) 3 Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. 4 For the LORD loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. (R) 5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; 6 let the high praises of God be in their throats. 9 This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia. 

We sometimes wonder why things happen unexpectedly in our lives like we have no clue that it's going to happen. But there are times when we could have known for sure that it certainly was headed our way but we were just too busy minding other things that it just faded in the background and we failed to recognize that very critical hour of our visitation. As stated in Companion we must not take for granted the grace of God when it is offered to us, as our refusal always will have dire consequences. We should always place God in the center of our lives. It should not be a surprise at all if we only take with great seriousness the message being conveyed to us in today's gospel. Once again I am reminded of a mentally challenged person who regularly attends Wednesday evening mass with his caregiver who happens to be a member of the choir. In spite of his mental disabilities he still managed to participate by mumbling some words as he tried to keep up with the singing in the choir and the responses all throughout the mass. Although he is unable to receive Holy Communion, he still eagerly lined up as he was given a blessing by the communion minister. I know that in God's infinite goodness and mercy, He still looks with so much love, compassion and understanding at this man. He may be mentally incapable of knowing the things going on around him during the mass but it doesn't stop God from loving him just the same. So when we are confronted with our incapacities and shortcomings let us not be hindered by it and still go to God no matter how we may look or appear before others. A mentally disabled man is free of any liability that has something to do with any exercise of the mind due to his condition but we who are mentally sound and given the full capacity of the use of our minds will have to measure up to it for us not to end up in a miserable, pitiful and weepy situation. We may end up saying that a mental retard is better off than we are if such will be the case. God is weeping for us, for there is really a need for us to answer His call and take responsibility for our actions lest we lose time and forfeit it. Amen. Hallelujah!

 Luke 19:41-44

41 As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. 44 They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

WHAT IS SAFE ENOUGH?

Everything is grace from God. We came to this world naked and with nothing. We can not claim anything as our own except for our sins. We must not forget that God alone is the reason that everything came to be. We must have every confidence in the ability of our God to make happen and make possible what is to be and is to come for in His glory, honor and power we place all our trust. Amen. Hallelujah!

                             

Revelation 4:1-11

...“Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created.”

Last night we gathered as a community of believers to pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Sis Angela’s mother, Natividad David. Our Catholic faith teaches us that once a person breathed his last then that's it, only we, the living and those left behind, can still offer prayers and take advantage of every breath we are still able to make. While we still can, we give praise to God in our prayers with the hope of being able to rise again and come to the glory of seeing God face to face together with all our dear faithful departed ones who already breathed their last and have gone ahead of us. Another thing I am reminded of in today’s psalm is the article of Rev. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI entitled, “Religious language as icon” in the Tidings newspaper dated September 4, 2009. Especially the one about his narration of Henri Nouwen who wrote the book “Return of the Prodigal son” which became his signature work. Just like the prodigal son we all have to return to God and we better be prepared for it and do as the author did. He said that before he wrote the book he went to the Hermitage museum in Russia and sat for whole days contemplating Rembrandt’s famous painting of the prodigal son. He was given permission to study the painting from various angles letting it speak to him in varying moods which resulted in one of the finest commentaries ever written on both Rembrandt’s painting and on the meaning of that famous parable in the Gospels. He said that what Henri Nouwen did is what we need to do with a lot of the classical language of Scripture, the creeds and dogma. It should put us in touch with something that we can know but struggle to conceptualize and explain. It is meant to be grasped at levels beyond just the intellect. We cheat ourselves of meaning whenever we treat Scripture, the creeds, and the dogmas of our faith as simple statements of history and newspaper accounts in literal language. We risk our very lives on this truth because they speak to us more as does an icon than as does yesterday’s newspaper. It is meant to be studied, contemplated, meditated, knelt-before and prayed-with, rather than taken literally.

What we are experiencing right now we can relate to the scriptures and can give meaning based on our personal encounters with certain bible passages. If we frequent the word of God we would find that they are undeniably related and significant which should inspire us to take note of the different and several meanings we were able to grasp, contemplate, understand and absorb in the heart with every life mystery as Rev. Rolheiser puts it. Honor, power and glory be to our God forever and ever and as the psalm today tells us let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6

R: Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

1 Praise the LORD in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his strength. 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for his sovereign majesty. (R) 3 Praise him with the blast of the trumpet, praise him with lyre and harp, 4 praise him with timbrel and dance, praise him with strings and pipe. (R) 5 Praise him with sounding cymbals, praise him with clanging cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Alleluia.

Our God is an all or nothing God. It's either you are with Him or against Him because there is no in between. We've got to make a stand whether we are really for God in all aspects of our life. We can never be a half hearted Christian or a Sunday Catholic but not for the rest of the days. Sometimes we think that we can fool God by not totally committing to Him and still think that we can play safe by continuously patronizing both worlds that of God's and the enemy. Today's parable shows us what will happen if we do not take the right course of action and fail to make the right move. In the end, we have to be ready for the pros and cons of our action. The Lord is a just God and will reward us according to his riches and glory. Let us never doubt a single minute that whatever we are working for at this present time will never be in vain if we offer everything to God.  Whatever it is that we devote our time, money and effort, we often hear this question, "Is it worth it?" God is always worth it. After all these things are done, may we find ourselves in the shoes of the trusted servant in the gospel. Let us pray that we'll not end up like this unworthy servant that even the little he had was taken away.  May the Lord find us worthy of the blessings He has given us and we continue to cultivate whatever is entrusted to us, be it a big or small blessing and find ourselves bearing fruit for the greater glory of God.  Sometimes we commit the same mistakes over and over again and we never seem to learn. There has got to be a time when we have to learn and change for the better. We just can't keep on doing it and be sorry for it repeatedly and not change the vicious pattern. Eventually we will have to take responsibility for all those things and suffer the consequences. Today's gospel is more of a reminder that we can't get away with things by playing around the rules. It has to be clear for us what specific course of action we have to take. Or else we might end up in trouble with the game we wanted to play and find out that the trick is on us. As in Jesus' words from the gospel, "‘With your own words I shall condemn you,..." We can't expect to get away with something that we are responsible of. We need to realize that the servant who was punished by being deprived of even the little he has was not totally wicked as compared to those who despised the master, don't want him as king and rallied against him. This servant was discreet enough, so he thought, not to make any bold or open move as to announce publicly that he dislike the master. He is neutral in the sense that he still accepted the gold coin entrusted to him but decided not to do anything about it. He was punished not for doing something bad like the enemies of the master or for what he did but for what he did not do. Sometimes we think that by being neutral, not making a stand or playing safe is safe enough. Well it isn't. The Lord encourages us to take an active part in our salvation. Living life to the full is a risk. But we should be willing to take that risk unlike that servant in the gospel today because nothing is too risky when we know that we've got what it takes to succeed. We are children of God and being that, more will be given. It is something that we have to respond in the most enthusiastic, productive and effective way just like those 2 other servants who were entrusted with more. Now this is safe enough. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 19:11-28

...“A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. 13 He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ 14 His fellow citizens,  however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ 15 But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’ 17 He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’ 18 Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’ 19 And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’ 20 Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ 22 He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; 23 why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’ 24 And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.’ 25 But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’ 26 ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.’ ”

WISE EXCHANGE

We should make a clear stand on whom our loyalty lies because God's call is clear to us from today’s 1^st reading "To the angel of the church in Laodicea, write this: " ...I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth..." This is a picture of hypocrisy and duplicity which the Lord rejects. When we spend our time in activities for the building up of God's kingdom and turn our back on other things that is not within the context of what God has called us to do at a particular period or time of our life when things are not going well is one big statement that we are firmly standing by our convictions and principles for the Lord at all cost no matter how difficult it may seem.  We have a double door at home. The first door is a screen door which has no key, once it has been locked from the inside then it can never be opened from outside. We just have to keep it open if we know that someone is still outside or else he or she can not get in. Although we know this, there are times when we forget and still lock the door which has become kind of automatic for us to do. What happens is that the person left outside is locked out and could not enter. Today's 1st reading tells us too that Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, it is up to us to open the door. Of course if we know that Jesus is standing there no one in his or her right mind would refuse to make Him enter. But sometimes too even if we have this intention of letting Him in we forget that we have a first screen door that remains locked and no matter how welcome Jesus is, in our lives He just can't enter unless we open that first door and leave it always open for Him. What is this first door in our life that keeps Him from coming in? There are things that we do that lock this first door. It could be something that we are perfectly aware of, not aware of, taken for granted and just don't pay attention to. We've got to be conscious of these things that lock Jesus out of our lives. It is important that all our actions lead to not just the entry of Jesus but most importantly for Him to find shelter and reside in our hearts.  I am sure Jesus would love to be with us.  Can we imagine ourselves like a home where Jesus would be very comfortable to live in? If not, it is time that we start cleaning ourselves so as to remove whatever it is in us that would drive away Jesus from our hearts. Amen. Hallelujah

Rv 3:1-6, 14-22

...So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth...“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.

For as long as we stand by the principles and values of God then we can never be wrong. God knows our every thought, motive and intention and if we act on it based on what is just, true and peaceful then we will never be disturbed. The commandments do not limit but protect freedom. Since the more we disobey the more we become bound and become a slave of sin. If we follow the full extent of the 10 commandments we become free. We see people who repeatedly commit the same mistakes over and over again. And yet they never learn anything from the lessons that go with it. The frightening truth about this is the fact that they prefer to be disturbed and miserable not because they love misery but because they prefer to stay in the dark. Jesus has a standing invitation to us in John 12:35, "Jesus said to them, "The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going." It is a choice and decision that we alone can make. 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, were 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, it 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 source of life. 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. God created us when we came out of the womb, our mothers and father have a great role in that but our creation continues every single day of our lives. This is the reason why we call each day the 8^th day of creation. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature and strong or someone weaker and more despicable. There’s no middle ground. We’re going one way or another. Life leads either to heaven or to hell. That’s what the acts that we commit do. If we read and follow carefully these words in today’s psalm reading then we can truly say that we’ve found the perfect advice to which we can pattern our lives after. Though, we may still fall and fail we must not forget that Jesus has triumphed over sin and death. He is victorious and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father. He is able to carry us through. We must always focus on this truth in order for us to attain a life free of worry, anxiety and is never disturbed. When everything is over and done, we look forward to God's reward of endless worth as we emerge as the champion, crowned with the victory won by Christ and live on the holy mountain of the Lord. Heaven is the realization of being a champion. In heaven we will be glorified magnificently. We will live forever with strength, power and beauty sharing a new humanity with Jesus. If we emerge as the champion who is victorious then we can sit beside God on the throne. Amen. Hallelujah!

Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R. (Rev. 3: 21) I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.

He who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue. Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; By whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD. Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be disturbed.

It is remarkable how Zacchaeus in today's gospel was willing to give up half of his possessions and repay 4x those he had extorted money from. This is a total change of heart. He is a perfect example of a person who has heard the knocking of Jesus in his heart and responded to it. Or he could also be described as the person that was lost and found. We are all being sought by Jesus in whatever situation we are in right now. It is up to us to follow the example of Zacchaeus who did not hold back but totally surrendered when found. Not all of us although have been definitely sought after and found by God would do the same thing that he did. To acknowledge God is one thing but to give up basically everything that he used to hold most dear, treasured and valued in his life is another thing. Only those who have discovered who God really is and what He is worth can do such a thing and make this truly wise exchange. One way or another there will come a time in our lives when we have to decide to go down from wherever place we are right now. In doing so we might have to let go of our personal agenda and strip ourselves of our sinfulness, accept our wrongdoings, repair the damage we've done and stand with all humility before the Lord the way Zacchaeus did in today's gospel. We’ve got to be a risk taker like Zacchaeus. He took a great risk of appearing foolish before other people when he climbed on a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus and what did he get. He did not just get a glimpse but Jesus went into his home and dined with him. He did not stop there, when Jesus finally went into his home he offered to give up half of his possessions to the poor and repay four times those he had extorted money from. We are headed to a much greater blessing if we will learn to take great risks in the name of our faith in God. We can never outdo or out give God in His generosity. It is time we let go of our narrow mindsets and boxed up notions of what a true blessing is. It is about time we realize that God alone can make us whole. We should not hold back as we open ourselves up to God’s work and saving power as He seeks and restores us to Himself. Time and again, Zacchaeus has always been part of the daily gospel readings in the Church. You know why? We are no different from Zacchaeus, because just like him we are sinners and unworthy but God in His infinite kindness and mercy singled him out among the crowd and called him specifically by his name. I am sure God is calling each one of us by name. And just like Zacchaeus may we also respond to him in a personal way and hear the same announcement from Jesus," Today salvation has come to this house." Amen. How can we not be full of hope and confidence in Him? God will never stop at anything just to carry out the plan He has for all of us and be victorious in Him. Amen. Hallelujah!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19,1-10.

...When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

SOULS SHOULD HAVE EYES TOO

Whenever we come across the life of the saints, their dedication and loyalty to God we can’t help but feel humbled and little before God. We may think that we have been devoting so much time and effort for spreading God's word and doing His will yet when we hear the stories of people who have surrendered their life to doing the work of God our work and sacrifices are diminished to a mere speck. We have to be grateful for such instances when such people call our attention  and pave the way for us to really check, deeply scrutinize and strive to carry out with much more conviction our purpose for the glory of God. Sometimes we come to a point in our life when we ask whether it is worth it to be really good especially when we see some people who live their lives as if there is no God and yet they are prosperous and successful. We should never be won over by this seemingly logical proposition of the world and never abandon our resolve to work, labor and endure all for God’s greater glory. It is not doing good at first nor doing good somewhere along the way that matters most but deciding to do good right now and enduring it all the way. Amen. Hallelujah!

Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5

...“I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,... Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. 5 Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”

Today’s psalm brought back memories of what I witnessed on television in 2010 when miners in Chile had to be rescued in a mine. Nobody would ever want to be trapped in a dark mine that is 2000 feet below. What caught my attention was the fact that although some of them had been rescued and brought up to the light they were still prevented from exposing their eyes to the light and were given dark shades to wear to protect them. This is what happens when we dare to step into the darkness and stay there too long we adapt to it and wanting to go back to the light instantly could be harmful. Let us not be led into the dark and imbibe it for too long that we find it difficult to adapt to light. Until now, we have no idea who we are and still in a conflict. Look at the things we do and engage in. This is because we don’t understand who we are. We will be judged by God according to our behavior. We should have God in the core of our identity. What builds our confidence? Think about it. This same reason should apply in our relationship with God. If we know and are aware of how we look right before God, then we should have the confidence of a beloved child of the God most high. How can we not be, knowing that we are covered by the Most precious blood of His Son Jesus who took all our sins and died on the cross for our sake then we should be the most confident person of all. Remember, we have the composure of a child of God.  Nothing should stop us from behaving in the way He has meant us to be, lifted up on a pedestal as His very dear children. Today's psalm tells us that if we follow the Lord we will not be in darkness and will have the light of life. God is true to His word and we can always hold on to it more than we can hold to our life. Just like any person striving to maintain a good standing in any aspect of life there are some rules to be followed. People nowadays have become increasingly divided, there are the poor and the wealthy and sometimes we see the not so good, arrogant, bad people cheat in order to get money and get away with it. We must always have this hope in God and not be tempted by the evildoers of their taunting that despite the goodness we do we are not getting anything out of our sacrifices. God knows the private conversations and thoughts and He exposes them and records everything. The idea that we can get away with anything we do is not a good idea. God knows our words, thoughts and deeds. Fear of the Lord in a positive way is one of the greatest virtues as in the book of Wisdom. It is stated that it is the beginning of wisdom if it is paralleled with trust that we will not be put to shame. Those wicked people who think that they have a lot of money, power, disobey God and don't use their resources in accordance to God's will can be compared to chaff that can easily be burned. If we have the right relationship with God then we too can be exposed to the heat of God's love like the sun that can make things go on fire but instead of burning becomes a source of healing like the rays of light shown in a monstrance which symbolizes being in God's presence. We should never lose hope nor fall into despair. Whenever we sin, we must not just acknowledge it. The lesson we always have to remember is to have humility to approach Christ as we acknowledge our sins. This should remind us of Peter and Judas, they both sinned and acknowledged it. Peter wept bitterly after denying Jesus 3x while Judas threw away the silver coins that were paid to him. The difference lies in the fact that Peter as the scriptures say, when he wept, looked at Jesus with a heart, humble and contrite, which God would not despise and ran to Mary. While Judas, fell into despair and hanged himself. Thus we remember these things and always run to God with humility and also to Mary, the mother of Christ who will obtain for us true contrition. There is really a need for God's people to always be connected to Him in order to survive whatever is going on at present and what is to come. We've got to always keep ourselves motivated to do all in our power for the glory of God. All other things fade in the background and should not get our attentions any more than we ought to believe that God is our only hope. We may have started at the peak but as time goes by we may have started to lag or worse go on a downward path. Or could have started off but never worked our way up then it's time we get things straight and be focused so as not to lose sight of the unsurpassed and unfading trophy and blessing that await those who are victorious in the Lord. Today’s psalm continues to give us the guidelines we need to live by to truly prosper in the Lord. God assures us that even though life may bring us so many heartaches and pains we can still stand firm and hope that we will have the light of life if we will persevere, not waver nor falter in following the Lord. Let us choose to live in the light rather than stay in the dark.  God gave us the freedom to choose let us hope and pray that we are always inclined to do the will of God in our lives to carry out His plan of prosperity in our life. It has been impressed to me that God has already given us the gift, all we have to do is open it and use it as intended to serve its purpose. Sometimes we remain stubborn in our old ways we don't realize that everything is just within our reach, it's just a matter of committing and deciding what is right before God. We all know that life becomes difficult when it comes to commitments and making decisions but it will always be worth it after all the hard work as implied in the psalm reading. It doesn't matter who or what we are, whether young or grown up, God will always find a way to bless us in various ways. We just have to open ourselves to Him and always draw near to Him and never stray away from His side. The scriptures say it all. We need not hesitate, stall, delay nor look for anything else further but just follow what the scriptures tell us to do. In fact the bible has an acronym which stands for (B) Basic (I) Instructions (B) Before (L) Leaving (E) Earth. Another thing I am reminded of is my son Jude when he was just a little boy aged 6. When my mother was hospitalized I was the one taking care of her during the day and my brother who is the eldest is the one who slept in the hospital at night and stayed by her bedside. When she died we were both not by her side or no one for that matter because she was brought to a different room for removal of water in her lungs and also the time when my brother and I had changed shift. I just arrived home coming from the hospital and had no thought whatsoever that my mother already passed away. I was in complete denial of the fact that she would be leaving us soon during that time, I had always hoped for a miracle and extension of her life although my mother kept on telling us back then that she is ready to go anytime. I could never forget when I was just entering our home, my son Jude suddenly came up to me while holding a bible in his hand and opened a page in front of me with a picture of a tree beside a river and animals grazing on the land. What my son told me was this, "Nanay (Mother) let’s do a bible study." Since I was so tired, I got the bible from him closed it and told him that we'll do it later. But he was persistent he opened the bible again and lo and behold saw the same picture and page that he showed me a few seconds ago. He did it again for the 3rd time and the same page in the bible was showing up. Because of that I was prompted to finally give in to his persistence and read the bible passage underneath the picture. It was exactly the same message in today's psalm reading. After reading it something in me prompted me to say to him that her grandmother is already healed and will soon be coming home to us from the hospital. This is without knowing yet that it was the same time too when she passed away. Later on I realized that it was God's way of telling us that indeed my mother is healed and has gone home although not to our earthly house but to a place of eternal rest and perpetual light, in paradise. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6

R: Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.

1 Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, 2 but delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night. (R) 3 He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers. (R) 4 Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.

Today's gospel speaks of a blind man who was healed by Jesus. He called out to Jesus as Son of David which means that he was able to recognize Him as the Messiah unlike the Jews who remained stubborn in their unbelief. We too, are blind at times of the good things that God has been doing to us since we came to this world. Or we may not be necessarily blind but slow in recognizing God in every single turn in our life just like the Jews. We have lost the awe that is fitting to a great God who can really make things happen and not happen in our lives. We go through life and just let such things pass by unnoticed or taken for granted. This happens most of the time that’s why we really need to learn from the enthusiasm, determination and most of all faith of this blind man in today's gospel. It also shows us how a blind man gained his eyesight and gave glory to God. This means that blindness can be a barrier to giving praise and glory to God. We may not be physically blind but our souls are. We've got to see not only with our physical eyes but most importantly our souls should have eyes too. In this way we can respond and act in accordance to what is truly essential and lasting. We should always be alert, sharpen our senses just like the blind man who was able to hear that Jesus is passing by, though his sense of seeing is impaired he was able to call Jesus' attention and it did not stop him from drawing Jesus near to Him. We may be broken in some aspects of our life but let us not be stopped in utilizing other faculties in order to receive the miracle of Jesus in our lives. We should continue to seek other means to attain our goals and let us continue to call on Him no matter how big the obstacles are in front of us. Just like the blind man in this gospel, we need to see more clearly and have a glimpse of how to serve a God who is more than enough. Unless we see God face to face, we can never fully understand the totality of who our God is. His infinite goodness to us makes us long to serve Him more but our disabilities like this blind man keeps us from doing so that there is really a need to be persistent and calling out to God all the more no matter how embarrassing and difficult our situation happens to be. We simply should never stop and give up for not even our entire lifetime can ever live up to a Holy, Mighty and Immortal God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18,35-43.

Now as he approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!" Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, What do you want me to do for you? He replied, "Lord, please let me see." Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God. 

THE BATTLE

Most Catholic Churches have a devotion to St. Michael, the Archangel. In fact in St. Martha and several others this prayer is being prayed regularly in his honor. "St. Michael the Archangel defend us in the day of battle be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray and do thou O Prince of the Heavenly Host by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen." Today's 1st reading from the Book of Daniel reminds us of this very important role of St. Michael especially on that final day of judgment. We should be aware of the fact that we are indeed caught up in this continuous battle wherein war is being constantly waged and fought between good and evil. It would be really wise if we can get all the help we need in order to emerge victorious in all the battles we encounter daily especially on that final day of unsurpassed distress. Daniel quoted the scriptures from prophets that lived before him. Rabbis of Jerusalem have collected these scriptures into Torah and then into scriptures, and considered statements inspired by God. A message from heaven is not just for the time of the prophet himself but for all time.  It applied to the prophet’s own day and up to the present time. Here is Daniel a couple of centuries later from Jeremiah and Jesus in His time and in the book of Revelation. As the angel speaks a word is sent forth. If we seek God correctly not for ourselves but for the good of all people then we develop a connection to God. In the face of difficulty and impending doom we turn to God and beg for mercy while maintaining confidence that whatever may be the outcome we remain steadfast in our faith. The most important is that we never stop praying for everything written must be fulfilled. Whatever Daniel has understood in all his visions and prophecies, the Lord is asking to expand his mind. It all starts with and end with God and it is our choice whether to end up in the Lord’s side or not. Amen. Hallelujah!

Reading 1

Dn 12:1-3

..."At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress...“But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever."

I have always been amazed of the fact that the scriptures of the Old Testament has always been spoken of as the foreshadowing of the New Testament which is the fulfillment of everything that was written. The apostles were able to connect Jesus to the scriptures in the Old Testament and became very convinced that He is indeed the Messiah and Savior of the world. The 1st reading taken from Daniel and the Psalm reading for today were written several hundred years apart. This is judging from the timeline of the reign of King David (1000BC) to whom the Psalms were attributed  but we can detect the uniformity of the message regarding the end times and the resurrection. We live in a dynamic world and it changes so fast. They say that nowadays, whatever we hold true for now may not be the case later. It is a consolation to know that in the midst of this unsure world we still have something that we can hold on to. The words of God can stand the test of time and will remain to be true from generation to generation. There may be some negative speculations and forecasts that are being hurled right in front of us about our present situations most especially with the uncertainty and unpredictability of prevailing conditions. We need to keep this in mind, only God can keep us safe from all harm. A holy man once said this, "If we don't go to the desert we have nothing to bring in the marketplace." If we have no prayer then nothing works. We have to pray. We need to take time to be alone with God because if we don't, then we make ourselves vulnerable to the enemy. The scriptures tell us of stories based on real life experiences of holy men and women who lived at a different time and period than today. It is a consolation to know that the God of yesterday is still God of today and tomorrow. This gives us the confidence to really hold on to Him for He is living and true now and forevermore. The message of the readings tells us to turn our gaze on the inevitable which is sure to come. If we try to look at the facts of life there are very few things that we can permanently hold on to. All these things will come to pass and we will all eventually leave this world no matter how long we may have lived already, it will eventually come to an end. When that final day comes we must be found prepared and ready for the inheritance that God gives us. When we went to Las Vegas I saw that one of the shows we can watch for entertainment is a magician named Angel. I was reminded of the time when he was a guest in Oprah. He wowed the viewers and the crowd by being able to predict 5 days before the show the things that Oprah and 2 random guests from thousands of people from  the audience are going to say. He wrote in a piece of paper these three things: delicious, John and Kevin and kept them in a suitcase with a surveillance camera on for 5 days so that no one can see it or even come near it before the show. What’s very interesting was the fact that on the day of the show when Oprah was asked what word comes to her mind she answered, “delicious” and the other 2 who were chosen randomly from almost more than a thousand crowd along Michigan Ave. in Chicago. It was done by throwing a ball and whoever catches it will be the one who will be asked. The man from the crowd who got the ball was asked the name of his first pet and he answered, “John” while the woman who  got the other ball was asked who was her first kiss and she answered, “ Kevin”. All of their answers matched the 3 things that he wrote 5 days in advance. It was kind of unbelievable to see something like this and couldn’t quite come up with a good explanation how it came to be. If it was just a trick he did make a good presentation because it appeared very convincing. How can a man predict in advance the things that these people are going to say? If this man who claims to have the power of prediction was able to do it all the more can a powerful God predict our future. But we must keep in mind that it’s choice not chance that determines our destiny. There is only one real failure in life that is possible and that is not to be true to the best one knows. We should always settle for best and make God our choice. For there is nothing more assuring than the fact that we have a loving God and Father who surely has our destiny secure. We must be secured in the knowledge that as children of God our Father we are heirs of His Kingdom and co-owners of this vast creation. May we find the Lord as the only treasure in our lives worth keeping. When God calls us for a task we should always be ready, willing and able to follow Him no matter what the cost. Always follow where the Lord leads us. Nothing else could be worth more than God's inheritance. Sometimes we are confronted with so many allurements that we begin to be influenced by the way the world judges things. Let us always hold fast to God's views and ideals that we may not lose sight of the path to life and our inheritance. Amen. Hallelujah!

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!

O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. 8 I set the Lord ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. (R) 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence; 10 because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption. (R) 11 You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. (R)

We have all been made worthy to receive the gift of eternal life. The only question here lies in our ability to respond, accept and be totally aware of the gift. Thus the need to always pray, “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph save souls.” Amen. Hallelujah!

Reading II

Heb 10:11-14, 18

...But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.

We encounter days wherein we experience the extra spice of life with all its ups and downs twists and turns whew! We may never have thought such things happening all at once. This is so because God never ceases to surprise us every day since he always fills it with a lot of signs and wonders that serve as a reminder for us. One thing is sure, He will never leave us empty handed and will always guide and protect us at all times especially in that dreadful day or time whether it be our daily or final battle. Indeed everything will pass away as stated in today’s gospel. The heaven that exists right now is a place only for souls but time will come when Jesus will raise all the dead and we will be with God in heaven with resurrected bodies. Amen. Hallelujah!

Gospel

Mk 13:24-32

Jesus said to his disciples: "In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. "And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky...Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away...