THE KEY & SIGN

Our God is incomparable for He loves us with a love greater than any other. From the moment we were conceived in our mother's womb, even before we were born, God already knows each one of us by name.  Let us always align our will, intentions, motives and actions with God. It is always good to check ourselves constantly and regularly at every given opportunity. Nothing is ever wasted nor considered useless for as long as we offer it to God. We have all been called by God for a purpose. He already had a plan laid out for us even before we were born. We are that special to God. Let us not forget our holy calling from God. Let us become the man or woman God has meant us to be and live each day of our lives in answer to this call. The readings for today continue to reflect on the Holy Servant Songs of Jesus. The mention of being called even from a mother’s womb, the 2 edged sword and polished arrow are symbols of God’s words. The Word that reaches to the ends of the earth, penetrates the hearts of people and able to separate soul and spirit.  The passion and death of our Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecies more than 500 years before this event took place. It is part of the plan that God revealed to the world. We have to develop an awareness of these things and Jesus Christ Himself. Let us constantly build our confidence in God who never fails. There is really nowhere else to go but to Him alone. By just looking back at our past and present we can only come up with just one thing which is God is constantly at work and in charge of our lives for as long as we live even unto death. Many of our brothers and sisters all over the world suffer persecution for their faith. This is a fundamental human right proclaimed to be enjoyed by everyone. Religious freedom is the path to peace according to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. It is a sacred right to have religious freedom. Without openness to the transcendent, a human being withdraws to himself and fails to experience authentic freedom which leads to violation of other human rights as well. This is vital in building a just society.  Wherever religious freedom is denied human dignity is offended with a resulting threat to justice and peace. We can not deny the assistance and various contributions of religious communities and believers. It has proven to be effective for the promotion of the common good. This is a force that could not be reckoned with or the truth that we can not deny. No matter how radical secularization tries to eliminate any reference to religion or any input the voice of religion may have. It can not ignore the religious dimensions of a society. This is a truth that we can not deny. Authentic religiosity is the source of a loving approach of brothers and sister as a whole family. It has to be freely chosen according to one’s conscience and not violently imposed. God beckons humanity with a loving plan and calls for a free and responsible answer that engages the whole heart. In Romans 7:19 it is written, For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Fr. Dennis gave us a sensible answer as to why St. Paul in his letter to the Romans said this. With the recent violent killings and crimes being committed that doesn't seem to make sense we may want to consider why some people resort to such things and where it all began. Here's an answer, (just one to the so many answers we can come up with): inside the womb of a woman where a child is conceived and everything is being planted. Pregnant ladies and soon to be mothers can benefit from this and should very well take note of the following. 1. Our very source is God and He is good as stated in Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you,a prophet to the nations I appointed you. But during formation of a child in the womb the flaws and imperfections in a person arise. Everything we've become is a by product of what a mother plants in her child while inside the womb. It is the plant love, hate etc and reap love, hate etc formula. A woman once asked Father why her child became a kleptomaniac and she was asked to recall her pregnancy and remembered how she used to love getting things that are color red without permission. We may not be aware of it but this is where we acquire the wounds of our soul. What you sow or plant is what you reap. Formation of a person starts inside the womb and is the foundation of every human person. It's just like a building if constructed with a weak foundation may crumble and fall and a tree can be uprooted very easily if the roots are not strong. . 2. Our guide and solution is to look at the attitude of Mary who is the 1st educator of Jesus who is conceived in her womb. Blessed Mother Mary, pray for us.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 49:1-6

Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb,...

Technology has become so advanced nowadays that nothing remains unknown for long. With the latest in probes, sensors and the like in just one click of the computer everything is laid before us. Sometimes it just goes too far and out of bounds and we fail to conform and align all these innovations to the Author and Inventor of all these things. Let us not forget, He is the source of everything there was, is and will be. In the midst of all the trouble we're going through it is always a consolation to know that we have a God who knows every single thing that is going on with us and He cares and loves us a lot. For indeed in today's psalm reading is another confirmation that God knows our deepest thoughts and longings. We should always be aware of this undeniable truth that God's Spirit dwells in each one of us. There is no reason to doubt what today's psalm speaks about with regards to our relationship with our Creator. May we not forget and always remember who we are before the eyes of God. We can never allow our flesh, things of this world and the enemy to lure, confuse and deceive us any longer. It helps to always remember what St. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:11-13, "Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day..."  We are who we are in the eyes of God and not what the flesh, the world and the destructive enemy wants us to believe.  We are special to God, He calls each one of us by name. We should all value the special care and attention that God has given to us as His most valued among all of His creation.

This reminds me of this lady who used to ask me, "How do I look?" I would always reply, "You're beautiful." But she would say in return, "Oh you're full of baloney" and every time I would just laugh back at her. Eventually I got inspired to respond to her differently when I told her that it is not baloney but it's biblical that we are all beautiful. In fact the Tagalog translation in text message that I have received is quite funny, it goes something like this, "Kilabot sa ganda, nanginginig pa" (I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works.) which is stated right here in today's psalm. As man, we have the concupiscence or the natural inclination to the flesh, lust, greed and pride. The perfect formula for self destruction is based on this popular and well subscribed saying that goes like this, "If it feels good just do it." Pope John Paul II in his book, "Splendor of Truth" said that the power to decide what is good and evil is not within the power of man. This is clear in the book of Genesis when He forbid our 1st parents to eat of the fruit from the tree of good and evil. God gave us the free will and the source of conflict came from the inability to acknowledge God as our Creator and that only Him can define morality. Man doesn't make rules of morality, we only discover it. The 10 commandments are an expression of God's love and the means to have true freedom which means the ability to do what we ought to do and not what we want to do. Catholic Morality is under attack as issues on abortion and artificial contraception have become so liberated. We should be firm in our stand not give in or budge an inch as we stand by the teachings of the Church. We should all value the special care and attention that God has given to us as His most valued among all of His creation. Our life is precious this we know is true as stated in today's psalm.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15

R: I praise you for I am wonderfully made.

1 O LORD, you have probed me and you know me: 2 you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. 3 My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. (R) 13 Truly you have formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. 14 I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works. My soul also you knew full well; 15 nor was my frame unknown to you when I was made in secret, when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.

We belong to God's family. If everything is clear about this truth then we ought to think, speak and act in accordance to it. Let us not make of ourselves a disgrace and dishonor to the family we all belong to. Let us uphold and carry out the prophetic, priestly and kingly ministry we have all been given as part of this one and great family of God. May we, like David from whom a Savior has been born become a well from which springs forth a generation that God will surely be proud of. Let us firmly hold fast to the principles of Catholic Morality (from our Catholicism study by Atty. Jess Moya). Morality is defined in the dictionary as conformity to ideals of right human conduct but based on Catholic principles is further defined as fully conformed to God and His will, an expression of our love for God and follows the moral law. It is clear that God has defined morality and not man. Morality is objective. It is defined by God's revelation not subject to man's will. We are warned not to be enticed by the tempting appearance and enticing call of this world like the flies attracted to sugary coating of the fly paper, got trapped, unable to get out and eventually ended up dead.  In Rom 12:2, it is said that we should not conform ourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of our mind, that we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. That is in order for us to have the right relationship conformed with God by obeying the teachings of the church which is an extension of the Body of Christ meaning God is with us. God has equipped us with the totality of the means of salvation and we can overcome anything with the grace of God and achieve true freedom and joy.

Moral law is known by human reason (Natural Moral Law) and perfected by Divine Revelation. Divine revelation is God's way of communicating His will to us. We submit to God's will because we are created in his "image and likeness" (Gen.1:26-27) and our ultimate end is to be with God. We are in this world but we are not of this world. We came from God and we all go back to Him. That is what our life is really all about since all of us will die someday and each day that passes should be thought of as a day closer to God. Since our end is God we should all know how to relate with God. In John 1:12 it is said that we are the adopted children of God. We are partakers of the divine nature of God (2Peter 1:3-4)

Morality is Universal. It applies to all people in all places and at all times. Holiness is our objective and by doing so we should be closely united with God. We have a higher dignity than that of the animals and we should not degrade ourselves since man is a spiritual being. Animals do not communicate with God only humans pray. St. Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until it rests on God." We are compared to a donut which has a hole in the center that needs to be filled in by God.

Man has the duty to educate his conscience. An uneducated conscience can err. Everybody has to keep on forming our conscience and our standard is the word of God and the Holy Spirit. It helps to know of the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, peace, joy, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. The Church is the final and infallible interpreter of moral law. This is not dependent on the kind of church ministers we have.  Law of Catholic Morality is the purest and highest form because it comes from God. A famous man once said, "I do not need a Church to tell me that I am wrong when I know that I am wrong, what I need is a Church that tells me I am wrong when I think that I am right." Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI rallies against the principle of Moral Relativism which relies on the "it depends" justification. We all have the "Freedom of Conscience" and we can choose to have a good, lax or bad conscience depending on whether we will not or will adhere and obey the teachings of the church. Another principle that almost all people of this world fall prey into is the "Fundamental Option" which states that if there is no specific rejection of God in my heart then there is no sin committed. This is where the issue of a lax conscience falls. A person shapes God according to his/her own image instead of us, humans, His creatures adjusting to God's own image and likeness. Morality is unchangeable for God does not change. We are obligated to conform our conscience to the will of God. There is so much chaos and darkness prevailing in the world today because of the endless redefining and constant injection of other beliefs into our moral values which was long before established in the 10 commandments by Moses. And even before Jesus came for He Himself said that He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 13:22-26

22 In those days, Paul said: “God raised up David as king; of him God testified, ‘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. 24 John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel;...“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent.”

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist. We can never deny the awesome and wonderful signs that God has wrought in the life of St. John the Baptist from the moment he was conceived, the time of his birth until he fulfilled the ministry and call that God has given to him. If we are to look very closely and intently at our own lives there is no denying to the truth that the hand of the Lord is always with us. It is up to us how we live this truth, whether we grow and become strong in spirit like John the Baptist is a choice we have to make. He is a well known figure in our Christian faith. We can surely learn from his example and live out God's mission for each one of us to its fulfillment. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 1:57-66, 80

...All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. 80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

THE WARNING

We have a God full of love and the reason He warns us is because we are so stubborn and hard headed. God knows what await those who will turn away from Him not because He is a punishing and avenging God but because the consequence of disobedience and sin is catastrophic. Since He is holy, He could not stand the sight of sin and if we are not under His guiding and loving care then it will surely be a disaster. When will we ever learn? Since times in the past, that of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the prophets, the kings, in exile, the return and ultimately the coming of Jesus up to the period of martyrs, saints and to the present time, we never seem to listen at all. If we look at the present condition of our world today, we'll find so much chaos and disorder. People have lost their anchor in God and have been following their own selfish and worldly ways. Sometimes we need not look to the world anymore but in our own personal lives and be pronounced guilty as charge. How can we neglect and take for granted the lessons that God is teaching us everyday in our daily circumstances. God has been constantly reminding and teaching us but we have become stiff necked in the sense that we have decided to follow our own desires, shifted our focus and evade the real issue. We are misled by the seemingly good things or the half good and half bad suited to the taste seductions of this world. If we are not careful we might find ourselves totally drawn and find difficult to get out of it just like what today's 1st reading is telling us. God never gives up on us on the other hand it is us who give up on God. God has sworn a promise and He will be faithful to keep it if we stay faithful to Him. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18

...And though the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and seer, “Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes, in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers and which I sent you by my servants the prophets,” they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who had not believed in the LORD, their God. They rejected his statutes, the covenant which he had made with their fathers, and the warnings which he had given them. Till, in his great anger against Israel, the LORD put them away out of his sight...

Only God can deliver us from all our troubles. God is watching us in every breath, move, step and smile we make. Everything is a grace from God. It's about time we realize that no matter what our human efforts and geniuses do without God's grace, it will all be for nothing. We still exist because God's hand is upon us. The moment the Lord lets go of us we can all be gone in an instant. We need to be in touch with this reality at all times for us to always be reminded of the truth that without Christ, we cease to be.  Look at the word Christian, remove Christ in it and the only letters left are I, A and N which stands for I AM NOTHING. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 60:3, 4-5, 12-13

R: Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

...10 [12] Have not you, O God, rejected us, so that you go not forth, O God, with our armies? 11 [13] Give us aid against the foe, for worthless is the help of men...

We should always be merciful to our brothers and sisters and always allow the Spirit of Love to prevail among us. Let us always strive to do our best in committing ourselves to the work that God has entrusted to us.  In our own personal lives whatever may be our situation we are all called to respond to God's call through the daily circumstances, situations and people that we meet in life and be guided always by the values and principles in today's gospel. We would be well if we will not forget but look back and recall the things that God has done in our lives and give back to God by answering His call, not holding back and daring to even go further and beyond what we think we are able to do. Our human tendencies make us judge wrongly. We tend to go by the standard of this world, our selfish desires and the temptations of the devil. These 3 things, the world, the flesh and the devil operate jointly to keep us from following the will of God in our life. The rules of this world are subject only to the exigencies of its nature which is purely external, material and physical. If we conform to the calling of this world we might find ourselves disposable and useless sooner than we think. This world of ours is friendly to the young, strong, wealthy and powerful. The moment they all cease to be then we'll find ourselves abandoned by the world. Our selfish desires feed only our ego and before we know it we are more hungry and empty than we used to be. The devil is so jealous of human beings that it is his mission to see us all rot in hell. He makes use of all his strategies and techniques to lure us in a very discreet way and before we know it we are already unable to get out of the trap we have fallen into. We must pray to God to keep our minds, eyes, ears, hearts and all other senses open to His grace. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 7:1-5

1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. 2 For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. 3 Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? 5 You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

NOTHING BEATS THIS BREAD!

The Holy Eucharist is at the root of all holiness. How many saints have advanced to holiness through the Eucharist? Holiness has always found its center in the Eucharist. Today we are celebrating the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. God recognizes the fact that we are material beings in embodied souls. God uses sensible signs to lead us to spiritual realities. This time, God did not just use a sign or symbol. Jesus offered bread and wine and turned it into His own body and blood. We remember the Holy Eucharist models, martyrs and saints who discovered the secret in the Body and Blood of Christ. We can not live without the Holy Eucharist. It is only through it that we can cope with the toil and exhaustion of this life journey. God is the source of every good thing and He pours it out on us from the moment of creation up to the present time. When we receive the bread and wine turned into the body and blood of Christ during the mass, He becomes a part of us. It is a call to love Him and be attached to Him. This invitation of God to all of us is not exclusive and in fact has already been started since the time of Genesis at the time of Abraham in today's 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!

Book of Deuteronomy 8,2-3.14-16.

…He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD. 14 Do not forget the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery; 15 who guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its saraph serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock 16 and fed you in the desert with manna, a food unknown to your fathers.”

No matter what we're going through we can always rely on God to uphold and defend our cause. If we claim to be true followers and believers of our Lord Jesus Christ then we can put a claim on these same blessings and privileges bestowed on the chosen people of God. His covenant with His people is everlasting. There is a big difference between a covenant and contract. A contract is an agreement which is all about an exchange of goods while the covenant is an exchange of relationships. God wants to have a relationship with us first and foremost and through it everything else will follow. No poet, writer or artist can ever describe in words or paint in canvass the love of God. For the immensity of its beauty and glory is immeasurable and beyond understanding.  The readings for today point to the fact that we have a responsibility in our hands if we truly claim that we are a people of God. We have to follow and obey God at all times which can only be done and fulfilled if we have full knowledge of what God wants us to do. We’ve got to realize the most essential and important things in life that we sometimes lose sight of and tend to neglect. Let us not be dissuaded nor distracted by the allurement of this world and end up losing what really matters most. Our God is Perfect but we are still part of this imperfect world thus we are bound to experience the daily struggles of life. This reminds me of this incident when this lady who was already very careful in her movements still ended up scraped in her arm. She didn't even figure out how it could have happened. When we bump into something we usually develop a bruise but we would sometimes find one without knowing how it came to be. We sometimes get wounded and bruised even before we know it. Take the example of those people who are taking medications (anticoagulants) that predispose them to bruise easily. Well, things happen even if we do not want or expect it but we can always draw strength and inspiration from today's psalm knowing that God is our Mighty Healer and Savior. There are times when we are in a hurry to work things out on our own and forget to peacefully surrender all our concerns to God. That's when we end up tired and beaten because we've used up all the energy of our mind, body and soul. It's what usually happens to most of us when we are confronted with dilemmas.  If we have learned how to truly wait for the Lord then we are not far from that place of peace where God is leading us. If we look back at what we've been through especially our trials and difficulties, then we can only feel so blessed and find gratitude in our hearts for all the things that lead to now. It will always be good to undergo trials and hardships in life and remain steadfast in the Lord for everything will pay off in the end. Not a single thing that we've been through for the glory of God will ever be in vain. Victory is indeed for those who acknowledge the Son Of God, Jesus Christ. It is only right that we give all glory, honor and praise to God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 147,12-13.14-15.19-20.

R: Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

...Glorify the LORD, Jerusalem; Zion, offer praise to your God, Who has strengthened the bars of your gates, blessed your children within you, Brought peace to your borders, and filled you with finest wheat. The LORD sends a command to earth; his word runs swiftly!...  (R) 19 He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them.

What a strong statement from Paul in today's 2nd reading. He reminds us not to become 2 face or in tagalog "doble kara" We've got to make a stand on which side we really are. Sometimes we have this notion that we can continue doing what we do even if there is something wrong with it and just compensate by offsetting it with something good. Eventually things will toll up on us and would have to make a stand so that we don't end up losing everything. We must consider everything that we do as an offering to God just like bread and wine. We offer to the Lord the work of our hands and consider it a communion and participation in the Body & Blood of Christ. We go through life without realizing this truth in today's 2nd reading. We end up missing the whole point and not reaping the benefits that we are supposed to get from it.

The Bread of Life should be understood literally and sacramentally. If we are to read the previous gospel from John we would see that Jesus makes a noticeable shift and used the verb "eats", "drinks" and "feeds". The reaction of His followers in the gospel of John 6 explain and attest to this. Jesus really meant it when He said to eat and drink His blood. It is indeed a very hard teaching that we ought to accept and believe. Take note of John 6:66 (which has the #666) " As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him." We need to be clear of this truth and be united with Christ in Holy Communion. We must receive with the proper disposition for this to take effect in our soul. Anyone aware of mortal sin and receives Communion is receiving unworthily. We must receive worthily otherwise we are putting judgment on ourselves as St. Paul says"...whoever eats in an unworthy manner is guilty of profaning our Lord..., he who eats and drinks without discerning brings judgment upon himself..." (1 Corinthians 11:29) We have to receive Christ in a state of grace. According to St. Justin, no one may take part in the Bread and Wine, the Eucharist unless he believes what the Church teaches is true and lives in keeping with what Christ taught. Unworthy Communion is a sacrilege. It outrages God more than all other mortal sins because it attacks not just the 10 Commandments but the Person of Jesus Christ. It is a profanation, crucifies Jesus Christ in our hearts and brings to ourselves chastisement. It is a greater crime than in Mt. Calvary. It imitates and renews the crime of Judas. It is an outward sign of love to God just like the kiss of Judas but inwardly it aims to betray and capture Jesus. It is like leading a hypocritical or "double life". On the other hand if we receive worthily we get to enjoy the effects of Holy Communion. An intimate union with Christ, preserves, increases, renews and multiplies the life of grace received in Baptism. Celebrating Eucharistic liturgy is a requirement and in the Jewish custom it is done to take out all sin in order to receive God pure.  The New Passover is better understood by looking at what Jesus did on Maundy Thursday. He instituted the Eucharist before He died on Good Friday. Jesus is the victim of Divine love. He did it not as a substitute but  as  a representative, so that He could reproduce Himself in us in His Sonship. God Himself has given His own body and blood as a gift to mankind. The Eucharist is a sacrament of God's everlasting love that is like a fire ever burning that consumes all of the selfishness and coldness in our flesh. He gave Himself to man as food, satisfying food that erases all kinds of hunger with no taste of bitterness. We are all members of Christ's Body the Church. We are a team working together under the Lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Hallelujah!

First Letter to the Corinthians 10,16-17.

...Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf...

If we've become too knowledgeable and badly influenced by this world then time will come when we'll find ourselves totally convinced of its ideals and truths. It would come to a point whether we like it or not when we'll find it hard to accept what God is telling us. We'll end up proclaiming one truth about God but end up doing something contrary to it. There is a battle being waged at all times for the pledge of our allegiance and we constantly and continuously become disloyal to God by not totally committing ourselves to Him. If we do not keep watch then we'll also find ourselves like the Jews in today's gospel. We have to be totally convinced of the entire truth of who God is, what God can do and how God can work in our life. Nowadays, people are starting to become more health conscious. We are very cautious of the kind of food we eat so that we can properly care for and maintain our physical body. We should have the same attitude when it comes to our spiritual well being. Today's gospel in St. John is a very hard teaching. We have to accept, believe and not walk away. The truths of the faith can only be taught and understood if we have received the Holy Spirit. The gospel reveals more and more passages pointing to the Mystery of the Trinity and the Holy Eucharist especially the oneness of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. St. Francis of Assisi is a saint that is well known and admired for his holiness during his time and up to this present day. It was said that for his way of life he followed the words of Jesus in the Synoptics (Gospel of Matthew, Mark and Luke) but it is in the Gospel of St. John that he patterned his spiritual life and manner of prayer. His prayers to God sounded as if he were Jesus Christ speaking to God the Father Himself. Our prayer should be identified with Jesus our Savior. We need to have a profound love of the Eucharist and be united and transformed by Holy Communion. In the feeding of the 5,000, those who were hungry were satisfied.  The faith required of the believer is more than just being fed physically and satisfied but has to go beyond it. How long will we be hard of heart? The nature of Jesus’ death on Calvary is a sacrifice. All Christians recognize this sacrifice as a mystery. That Jesus offered His life on the cross as a supreme sacrifice but most Christians don’t realize how difficult it would have been for 1^st century Jewish Christians to come to that conclusion. Why? If we were there on Calvary on Good Friday even the most devout Jewish disciples would have been unable to describe that experience as a sacrifice because for them there’s really nothing more to it than a Roman execution. It took place outside of the walls of Jerusalem, far from the place where there were no burnt offerings, odors and no priests and thus there is no sacrifice. And yet in one generation all Christians came to conclude that indeed what Jesus suffered on the cross was the supreme sacrifice. How did they reach such a conclusion? Only by looking at Good Friday in a light of what Jesus did on Maundy Thursday. When He instituted the Eucharist He didn’t simply celebrate the feast of the Passover He established the Passover of the New Covenant and it was more than just words. He took bread and said, this is my body which is given up for you and then he took the chalice and spoke about how this blood of the new and everlasting covenant will be poured out for the remission of sins do this in remembrance of me. Was this just a rhetoric and ritual or is there a reality and truth to what Jesus said and did? The proof that Jesus really gave us His body and allowed his blood to be poured out for the remission of sins is precisely given to us there on the cross. But the nature of Jesus’ death on the cross is illuminated as a sacrifice only by retracing and looking at it in the light of the Passover of the new covenant. The Eucharist and Calvary are inseparable.  There are 2 sides to the same sacrifice. Jesus shows us that in His death He did not lose His life for in the Eucharist He already made His life a gift of love. This love is what conquers death and the conquest of death is what occurs on Good Friday. As Catholics we have a lot to teach other Christians who do not understand the mystery of the Mass. For indeed it’s the Eucharist that illuminates the mystery of Jesus’ death as a sacrifice just as Jesus’ death shows us that the Eucharist is more than just mere ritual but is the mystery of Jesus high priestly act of self giving love.  God is humbling Himself daily in the altar in the hands of the priest. As we see bread and wine with bodily eyes we should see it as the Holy Body and Blood, living and true while we remember what He said in the scripture, "Behold, I am with you even to the end of the world." We should be always reminded of how blessed we are that we can eat the body of Christ and drink of His blood everyday if we will it during the daily masses being offered throughout the world. There is nothing more rewarding than being able to attend Holy Mass and receive the Holy Communion everyday. For those who are unable to do this, we ask God for the grace to be able to do so and for those who are already enjoying this special privilege may they cherish every moment and continue to persevere. Nothing can beat this bread, tastes so delicious and filling to the soul! Thanks to God for the Most Blessed Sacrament. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 6:51-58

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." 52 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

LOOK BACK & RECALL

 One of the things I have to change about myself is my being forgetful. I get myself in trouble because of this. One way or another, I know that forgetting about something has happened to you before and I'm sure it also crossed your mind that if only someone reminded you about it then it wouldn't have happened. In today's 1st reading it suddenly hit me that our God is the most persistent when it comes to reminding us of the things we're supposed to do. We lack gratitude in God’s untiring ways of drawing us to a relationship with Him and one ingratitude leads to another and so on and so forth. This is what happened in today's 1st reading. King Joash was protected and hidden so he would be spared of sure death and live to take his rightful place as king but did not remember that Jehoiada was instrumental to this and failed to look back and pay his respects and gratitude. He dishonored the memory of his ancestors by staining his hands of the blood of the very people who seated him on the throne of King David. But more than anything else is the fact that he turned his back on the Lord. He worshipped other gods and did evil in the sight of the Lord. He should have maintained and preserved the favor of God upon him if he had only been faithful to God's commands. Unfortunately, he failed to live up to God's tremendous blessings and graces and trampled on it. We have a responsibility in our hands handed down to us, to live the calling as God's people. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Chronicles 24:17-25

...19 Although prophets were sent to them to convert them to the LORD, the people would not listen to their warnings. 20 Then the spirit of God possessed Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He took his stand above the people and said to them: “God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the LORD’s commands, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you. ’” 21 But they conspired against him, and at the king’s order they stoned him to death in the court of the LORD’s temple. 22 Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and slew his son.

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. St. Joseph in the eyes of the Jews 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!

Psalm 89:4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34

R: For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

3 [4] “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: 4 [5] Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.” (R) 28 [29] “Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him, and my covenant with him stands firm. 29 [30] I will make his posterity endure forever and his throne as the days of heaven.” (R) 30 [31] “If his sons forsake my law and walk not according to my ordinances, 31 [32] if they violate my statutes and keep not my commands.” (R) 32 [33] “I will punish their crime with a rod and their guilt with stripes. 33 [34] Yet my mercy I will not take from him, nor will I belie my faithfulness.”

There is a need to focus on God alone so that we will not be led astray. In everything we do, we have to make sure that we are completely aware of who the real Master of our life is, the God for whom our hearts beat, the motive and reason for our every action and the Light and Shepherd that leads our paths. There is this little piece of doggerel about a sparrow that says to the robin, “Do you really like to know what motivates those foolish mortals as they rush around and worry so? The robin says to the sparrow, “I think that it must be that they have no Heavenly Father such as one that cares for you and me.” We say we believe in God as not some vague deity above the tower but the God of love who took us out of nothingness in love. Who came down and died for us in love. Who sustains us in love. Who has destined us for an eternity of love. Do we really believe in Him? When trouble comes, we wring our hands, we furrow our brows, we get sleepless nights and headaches. In the official thanksgiving of the priest after mass every morning, there is the use of the Canticle of Daniel, when Daniel calls all creation to praise and worship God, the sun, the moon, the stars, the valleys and the hills. Then there is this line that every bird in the sky bless the Lord. There are birds that fly by very often and sometimes one will alight by the window, rustle the leaves of the bushes and peck the glass in the window to remind us that they neither sow nor spin nor gather into barn and our Heavenly Father takes care of them. How much more will He take care of us? I have always loved this passage from today's gospel. Whenever I encounter it I am always reminded of a good friend of mine during my high school days. I just got into College then and was totally unfamiliar of the hardships and difficulties it entailed. This friend always wrote to me words of wisdom that left me with a certain kind of peace and serenity in me. I have always drawn inspiration and strength from it.  It has been like that for as long as I could remember. What has been planted in my heart remained in me from that time on until this present time. As I look back and recall, I know that I would always be grateful to this friend who is already a priest. Thanks, Father Mike Samaniego. What amazes me is the fact that I never knew back then that those words were taken from the bible. It was for quite some time already when I found out. The words of God has proven once more its double edged quality that never fails to cut through the flesh, bone and to the depths of the soul. The gospel for today is also part of the sermon on the mount and contains valuable information on how to be successful in life. This is what Fr. Glenn said in one of his homilies in The Filipino Channel (TFC) He asked the audience, "Do you want to be successful in life?" The answers and tips to this can be found in the gospel today. The first tip is from Mt 6:24. No one can serve 2 masters. According to Biblical literature mammon is described as greed, avarice, excessive materialism and also referred in the New Testament as a false god. Money if used properly is not mammon. The 2nd tip is from Mt. 6:25 which tells us, "Do not worry." Look at the birds in the sky and the wild flowers as written in the gospel. Did you get it? Did you feel it? There's no reason to worry anymore. The 3rd tip is Mt 6:33, "Seek 1st God’s kingdom..." We must look at the Source and Creator and everything will be added unto us. Let's just take the example of the air we breathe. We are not being charged for every breath of air we take. We are God’s children and we belong to God, what God owns we also own. According to Sis Del Vitangcol, we have to serve the real master if we want to become successful. She gave us the acronym UNLAD meaning Unahin Natin Lagi Ang Dios. Unlad in English is progress and its acronym meaning can be translated as, "Always put God first." Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Matthew 6:24-34

...“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? 28 Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. 29 But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ 32 All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. 34 Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

THE BATTLE IS ON

In today’s 1^st reading we are made aware of the death and destruction that result when an evil person is at work. Though, we should never ever lose hope for someone greater than all the evil around us can put an end to it. There is always a way for God will never leave nor abandon us. We should be aware that we are faced daily with our own battles between good and evil. It rages on but we should realize that Jesus already died on the cross and have long before won the battle when He rose again from the dead. It also speaks of the suffering and hardship that the heir of King's David throne suffered before he was proclaimed king. Looking back 2 years ago, the readings today are exactly the same on the day Sis Ester’s husband, Bro. Boy got his kidney transplant. For years Sis Ester and her family waited for a kidney donor. He was about to lose hope already when the doctor replied to him that he might have to wait a total of 7 years before he could get a kidney transplant. At that time, he had been waiting for more than 4 years already and an additional 3 more years waiting time seemed unbearable for him. The fact that he had been on dialysis for more than 4 years made him perfectly aware of how 3 more years could mean. Sis Ester said that her husband almost lost hope and gave up since he had been experiencing already the worst in the downside of his dialysis and illness. His strength started to dwindle down from the years of dialysis and the failed kidneys itself is a big price his health has to pay and suffer. But God is faithful because their awaited time did come. There is indeed, a proper time for everything as the Lord Himself has appointed the exact hour and place for all things in heaven and on earth. Amen. Hallelujah! 

2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20

...in the seventh year, Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carians and of the guards. He had them come to him in the temple of the LORD, exacted from them a sworn commitment, and then showed them the king’s son... Then Jehoiada led out the king’s son and put the crown and the insignia upon him. They proclaimed him king and anointed him, clapping their hands and shouting, “Long live the king!” ... All the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet, now that Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the royal palace...

There is no doubt that God is able to fulfill all His promises and carry out everything that He said. A confirming event that I consider very special was whenever we chance upon Fr. Mike Barry. We have been following him wherever he has a healing session nearby and to have an unexpected chance of attending mass celebrated by him is something I consider a great blessing and indeed a very pleasant surprise. It has always brought joy to all of us most especially to me. He is a priest whom I consider my personal prophet due to the many times I have personally experienced his gift of discernment and prophecy which I have shared several times already in my previous reflections. I have been getting messages of confirmation through the things he said to me about my PAST and affirmation through the things that are happening to me at the PRESENT thus giving me hope for the things that I have been praying for and are bound to come in the FUTURE. These things happen one after the other in an orderly sequence every time he prays over me despite the fact that he doesn't know a single thing about me. Although he didn't say the homily and did not conduct a healing session I was able to get another confirmation through Fr. Alex Amayin who said in his homily at that same time that, "The Word of God is like rain, it will not go back to the clouds without fulfilling first its purpose of watering and nourishing the earth and its vegetation in the same way that His words will not go back to Him without doing what it said it would do. We should also be proud of our parents. They may not be perfect but they are the arms that cradled us when we were still babies, guided us through the different stages of our lives and stood with us through thick and thin. So wherever they may be now whether still living or resting in peace let us give back to them the honor and praise they deserve. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 132:11, 12, 13-14, 17-18

R: The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

11 The LORD swore to David a firm promise from which he will not withdraw...

In today's gospel, Jesus is giving us a sound advice of how we can be truly rich.  I have always admired Sis Ester for her faith and dedication to God. She is a picture of a person who closely resembles the description in the gospel. She is indeed storing up treasures in heaven that neither moth nor decay can destroy and not even thieves can steal. She has lived up to this model so well that God in His goodness has been blessing her tremendously in ways and means that can not be measured nor equaled in human and worldly standards. It is only right that we focus on building up wealth and investment wisely and become truly rich in the eyes of man and God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 6:19-23

19 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. 22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

ETERNITY

Today's 1st reading gives us a brief background of who Elijah was. He is quite a personality in the Old Testament, very much revered and looked up to. If we are to look at our own autobiographies will we be pleased at what we will see? On what aspect will it be impressive? Is it our educational background and achievements? Do we always strive to achieve the highest attainable goal in our lives? God is surely happy if we can achieve all these things and become successful in our field of endeavors for as long we do it for God's glory. We should not forget and always remember that behind all of the success is a God who made it possible. Another thing worth looking at is our relationships. At the end of the day it is all about it. We all have to really work hard on this. We can not go on with life thinking that we can set aside whatever broken relationships we have with other people especially our loved ones. We have to mend it and go out of our way to bridge the gap that is keeping us apart. If we are truly wise in this sense then we will take into consideration today's message from the 1st reading. It may not be an easy thing to do especially if there are hurt feelings involved. But it is always good to keep our relationships intact especially our friendships for this matter and know better than to stay estranged with someone. We have to rise above our personal idiosyncrasies and know what is truly for the best. If there’s one relationship and friendship that I treasure very much since I came to the US then it is with the Senior Citizens. With this I must say that relationships should be a seniority rather a priority J. I would like to honor them with this reflection from Sabbath Journal. Amen. Hallelujah!

AN ODE TO THE AGED

Let me share with you some lines from a forwarded email entitled “You Know You’re Getting Old When…”

•        Your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you’re barefoot.

•         You’re suffering from Mallzheimer’s disease. You go to the mall and forget where you parked your car.

•         When you find yourself in the middle of the stairs and you can’t remember whether you’re going up or down.

•         Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either.

In today’s first reading, Sirach remembers the old figures of the former covenant, particularly Elijah. Elijah is considered to be one of the greatest prophets of old. It was said that every pious Jewish family still reserves a seat in the dinner table in case Elijah suddenly comes back. This sentiment is echoed in today’s Gospel when the disciples question Jesus as to why the people seem to equate Him with the coming of Elijah. But what I find heart-warming is the deep affection and reverence with which Sirach remembers his ancestor Elijah. The whole reading is virtually an ode of tribute to the place Elijah occupies in the hearts and collective consciousness of the Jewish people.

Do we look at the senior members of our family, community or Church with the same reverence? Admit it, most of the times, we relate to them simply with a respectful silence that is actually a masked indifference. The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen calls it “the chronological arrogance of the present times.” This is an attitude which considers everything and everyone that is old as old-fashioned, useless and irrelevant, and conversely, everything new, modern and chic as significant. But think of the wealth of knowledge that the old has and still can contribute. An old Chinese proverb reminds us aptly, “If you want to know what lies ahead up the road, ask those who are already on their way back.” Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:

In what ways do I manifest in my attitude the “chronological arrogance” of the young?

Lord Jesus, it was the old man Simeon with Anna that recognized You even as a baby in the temple. Help me see the treasures in the Simeons and Annas in our midst. Amen.

Today's 1st reading is also a sequel of the unending and continuous awesome display of God's power and might from yesterday's 1st reading. These personalities in the Old Testament are indeed great models for us to follow. Elijah who was taken up to heaven body and soul and Elisha who was anointed with a double portion of his spirit are only a few of the many admirable figures that we can learn a lot from to grow in our faith. There are also the life of the saints of our present time. We are all called to holiness to become residents of God's eternal kingdom in heaven. If not, then where are we headed? This world that we are presently in right now will only be home for us for just a period of time for as long as we are still alive. Our physical bodies when we die will turn to dust but our souls live on. If we are wise and knowledgeable of things that really matter most then it is about time that we learn of things that will bring us to that eternal place of bliss and happiness rather than end up in a place of torment for eternity. Mother Angelica said on EWTN that we should read and know more about the life of the saints and holy people who were able to make it to heaven. She is right when she said that if we intend to reside in heaven then we better start knowing more about the residents there. She asked us to imagine ourselves living in a place foreign to us where we do not know anyone at all. That's very sad, so it would definitely not hurt us to unravel the wonders and surprises that are enveloped in the lives of these holy people to educate us in a very profitable way that is beyond our imagination. Amen. Hallelujah!

Sirach 48:1-14

Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace. 2 Their staff of bread he shattered, in his zeal he reduced them to straits; 3 by Lord’s word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire. 4 How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Whose glory is equal to yours? 5 You brought a dead man back to life from the nether world, by the will of the LORD. 6 You sent kings down to destruction, and nobles, from their beds of sickness. 7 You heard threats at Sinai, at Horeb avenging judgments. 8 You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance, and a prophet as your successor. 9 You were taken aloft in a whirlwind, in a chariot with fiery horses. 10 You are destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD, to turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to reestablish the tribes of Jacob. 11 Blessed is he who shall have seen you before he dies, 12 O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind! Then Elisha, filled with a twofold portion of his spirit, wrought many marvels by his mere word. During his lifetime he feared no one, nor was any man able to intimidate his will. 13 Nothing was beyond his power; beneath him flesh was brought back into life. 14 In life he performed wonders, and after death, marvelous deeds.

We don't want to be losers here in this life, don't we? All the more should we not want to be losers in the next life for eternity. We have a God who fights our battles and we are assured of His victory already. We should all be well aware of God’s angels that surround us and are sent by God to us to always light, guide, rule and guard. It is just a matter of persevering and committing to the task that we are all called to fulfill. To live a life of faith in words, thoughts and deeds in our Lord Jesus Christ who lived, died and resurrected all for our sake. Erase all doubts and be faithful to the One God who is most high above every other god. We should develop an image of God that is fitting to Him as described in today's psalm. We should always acknowledge that without God we are nothing and God's power over us can only go as far as we allow Him to. Nothing else matters more than this truth that we have a God who is high over all the earth and exalted far above all gods. There are significant events in our life that we can associate with certain major decisions we made and can never forget. The place where we are right now is exactly where God wants us to be. If God brings us here then He will bring us through it. God knows exactly and with perfection what is being allowed to happen to us in our life at this precise moment. God's purpose for us is simply perfect. He wants to show us things that only we can understand by living what we are living and by being in the place where we are now. That's God, He passes us through a lot of things for us to see His glory. We all long to become a member or even be identified with groups and associations that hold a good name and reputation. It helps us in many ways and keeps us abreast with the latest trends in our profession for example. It could be considered an asset and we would definitely not leave it out from our resume because it speaks well of us. There are even associations that require us to fulfill certain requirements in order to qualify. We even have to go out of our way and make some sacrifices such as go through rigid screening, pass certain examinations and maintain certain units in order to comply with the qualifications. All of these we are willing to do and make ourselves able just to belong. Considering that these are all earthly memberships that could only last a lifetime. What about eternal memberships that continue even after this life is over? To be a part of the Kingdom where our Lord is King is the ultimate goal we should all set our eyes on. Whenever we are faced with problems and difficulties in life we should always find consolation in a God whom nothing is lost for He knows and sees all. We may still not be in perfect shape for the Lord but God is constantly at work in those who are just and upright of heart.  We have all the reasons to rejoice and be glad knowing that we have a God who is just. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7

R: Rejoice in the Lord, you just.

1 The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. (R) 3 Fire goes before him and consumes his foes round about. 4 His lightnings illumine the world; the earth sees and trembles. (R) 5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory.

We should pray the "Our Father" and look at it in so many different aspects. We have prayed it so often that it's very easy for us to forget the power of this prayer and what they mean. We should pray it like we have never prayed it before and take time to really think about what the words mean. What a wonderful thing it is that Jesus, Himself taught us how to pray. He told and allowed us to call His Father, our Father. Who does that make us? What a great privilege and honor to become children of God and call Him Father. It is so important that we take the time to think about this prayer and let the words that we say all the time come alive in all different aspects. He said when we pray say, "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven" If only we will do the will of God instead of our own twisted wills then even if we are not yet in paradise it will become very much like heaven. Again he said, "Give us today our daily bread;" Whenever we say this we tend to think only of the material needs but St. Thomas Aquinas said that the spiritual should have a predominance over the material. We've got to have a love for the spiritual things more than the material things. God wants us to ask for the material things but He wants us even more to ask for spiritual things. A temporal thing could have something to do with a job, food, fulfillment of our ambitions and all sorts of things along with many others. Spiritual blessings would be the grace of true, deep, loving and humble acts like faithfulness in marriage and to rear the children. When Jesus said whatever you ask in my name, God the Father would grant it, He didn't mean for us to ask something out of vain glory.  To ask in His name means that it has something to do with His purpose of coming here on earth. It has something to do with eternal salvation and to grow in His grace. Whenever we ask for something material we should add in our prayer that it would be God's will but when we ask for something spiritual then we already know that it is God's will.  Today's gospel and all the readings are telling us that God’s word will always achieve its end.  Pope Benedict XVI said that Jesus is the definitive and perfect Word made flesh who dwelt among us. The Word exists before creation, the 2nd person of the Trinity and everything that exists is willed by God. The very basis of reality is pulled together because of Him. If we build our lives on this Word we build our lives on rock. We’re made through and in Him. The fulfillment of creation and this fullness we are to have finds its true meaning in Him since we come from God. Verbum Domini, the Word of God precedes and exceeds sacred scriptures. We find that necessary truth in the sacred scriptures. It renews the Church and gives life. The Word is the constant source of renewal. When we encounter Jesus Christ we are renewed. We become His disciples and He gives us His teachings. He speaks to us and gives us eternal life. In the gospel we read that the disciples approached Jesus and asked how to pray. Catholics are often accused of babbling on like the pagans because of memorized prayers. We see that today Jesus teaches us the Our Father prayer. The misunderstanding with memorized prayers came from the practices of pagans at the time of Jesus who babble on while thinking that they can manipulate their gods if they do such a thing. Our Catholic prayers are not a form of manipulation. When we pray we also seek to listen and we don’t try to control God in some way. A good suggestion of the Holy Father is the prayerful reading of the scriptures. We have to spend time in the scriptures and prayerfully read. It is good to study but we must not neglect to go to the scriptures in prayers. This is fundamental in spiritual life. The Word of God is at the basis of all spirituality of a Christian life. We need to pray and meditate on the scriptures. Apply the scriptures in our life with perseverance and doing it while believing in and pleasing God. We ask God in prayer what it means and listen to God. As in Matthew 7, Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find and knock it will open unto you. We need to ask from God for the meaning of the scriptures through the Holy Spirit. Pope Benedict XVI gives a method for prayerful reading in the following. 1. Reading of the text and find what’s the literal meaning which leads to a desire to its content, 2. Meditation, know what the biblical text says to us and must ask ourselves and know what it says to us. 3. What do we say to God? Offer Him prayers, adoration and speak to Him. 4. Contemplation, is a gift of God. It is His own way of seeing things which leads us to conversion. We need to know where we need to change. This is the concrete reality of our life, to conform our lives to the word of God. Sometimes we are more infected by the worldliness than we are by the Word of God. God gives in His Word the gift of renewal that creates within us a truly wise and discerning reality which leads to forming the mind of Christ that brings about a conversion. God wants to join us in this journey of conversion and penance. When we take the scriptures in faith it's like we walk once more with God in the Garden of Eden like in Genesis when Adam & Eve walked with God in the garden and received the fullness of life. This is what He wants to give us now that Jesus Himself obtained for us. I love this quotation that I got from an email, "When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better." We should always have the confidence of what today's gospel is telling us and have no more reasons to doubt. There is an unexplainable joy in knowing that Almighty God is not unreachable for He is always with us. All we have to do is just pray wisely. It is in knowing the words of God that we can always stand firm, confident and unafraid in His promises in the midst of the chaos of this world. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 6:7-15

7 Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them. Your Father knows what youneed before you ask him. 9 “This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread; 12 and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; 13 and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil.’ 14 “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

THE FINGER OF GOD

Elijah is one of the people in the bible that was taken up to heaven body and soul aside from Blessed Mother Mary. It is not surprising that the Church teaches the Assumption of Mary into heaven because she is the mother of God and all other things point to this truth. As for Elijah, the bible tells us so and it is not quite unbelievable that something like this really happened as foretold in the bible for he was one of the greatest prophets of his time. What he wrought through the mighty power of God gained for him this special privilege and honor to be taken up to heaven by a flaming chariot. What happened in today's 1st reading is something that we don't see everyday. Sometimes these awesome and extraordinary events happening to holy and obedient people of God are reduced to a mere illusion. There is a tendency for us not to take it seriously and dismiss it as just nothing or a product of the imagination. It could also be that we cling too much on these outstanding signs and wonders that we become insensitive to the simple, ordinary and day to day experiences that we need to pay attention to. When our rational mind starts to work up too much or too little then we fail to grasp the essence of the truth that God's finger is pointing at us. In the midst of all the things that are happening to us whether it be great or small, we must remember that God is always with us. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Kings 2:1, 6-14

...Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up and struck the water, which divided, and both crossed over on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.” 10 “You have asked something that is not easy,” he replied. “Still, if you see me taken up from you, your wish will be granted; otherwise not.” 11 As they walked on conversing, a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

The confidence of the martyrs in God did not waver up to the end. They stood firm in their faith and remained steadfast. I have read that the most critical point in our life is during the time of death because it is when a battle between good and evil is being waged over our soul. We might have heard of different stories of people about to die who were reported to have seen all sorts of vision. As we read the psalm for today may we find ourselves truly internalizing and believing the words thus visualizing the glory of God the way the saints and martyrs demonstrated for us during the critical hour of their life. We are a work in progress and we need to acknowledge our sins, mend our ways and surrender our life to the Lord. The world believes that it is foolish to believe what we can not see but we have to believe in what we do not see and face them all with faith, this is according to St. Thomas Aquinas. The testimony of those who believe help to build up our faith and the more witnesses we have the more solid it becomes. We look to the Gospel and see that there are so many witnesses and testimonies with very little variation. They speak of the truth of the life of Jesus. We have to accept everything that the Gospel tells us. With this great love that He offered to all of us, there is no doubt that God will make all things beautiful in our lives in His time. Our persistent cries and tears to God are always heard. God has given us very clear instructions from the very start. If only we will stick to it then we can be assured of a life lived to the full. We’ve got to have faith that of Abraham who believed even though his wife is with age that the one who made the promise is trustworthy. What God says is true and He does not lie. Padre Pio said that the most beautiful act of faith is one made with sacrifice and effort even in the presence of darkness. We have to believe that God has the best things in mind for us. If He allows some things that are not pleasant in life this is only to bring about the best. Although faith is not the best of the virtues, it is the rarest. Real faith inspires all actions and reveals God in everything. How rare is real faith next to danger. We sometimes feel that we do not see so much evidence of the reality of God. God does not give us so much light so that we are not forced to accept Him nor does He give too little that we can not find Him. He gives us just enough light so as to put to practice our faith. Nothing can ever frighten or scare us not even death if God is our stronghold. We can rely on so many things in this world like wealth, fame, power and success but only in the Lord can we find true security and satisfaction. There is no denying to the truth that we have a God who is always there for us whether in good or bad times. We can be assured that we can take comfort and hope in the Lord. Our enemies may be lurking from every side but we don't have to worry or be afraid. God is our refuge and strength. He can rescue us from the clutches of our persecutors and set us free. We should never have any doubt that God is able to do all things for our good for there is nothing more that He could do that He has not done. We should always be praising and thanking God in all circumstances knowing that God will always be there for us. He knows and sees all things much more than our limited points of view and angles of reference. God can view things in a multidimensional level while we can only see a single or at most double dimension. If we are looking at a not so pleasant view trust that God can see a better view than what is before us. If we have experienced an almost dangerously impossible situation wherein escape and deliverance seemed to be farfetched then we are in a worst case scenario. Believe it or not, this kind of situation could drive anyone to panic. Even the most steadfast in the faith community could succumb to anxiety and fear with regards to such situation. In fact, it could even come to a point where the most steadfast may go to a certain extent of negotiating for the sake of the lesser evil. It is this type of experience that could turn out to be unforgettable and could forever be etched in our mind not only because of the trouble and difficulty we went through but most of all the love and concern we experienced and witnessed from people in the community. Although it could indeed be a frightening experience when we could have just chosen to give up and succumb to the obviously convenient option for the sake of getting it over and done with but didn't for the sake of the truth of God. If we do then we would find that it is all worth it even though we have to learn some lessons in life the hard way. It is evident that the harder the situation we are in all the more could we feel God's ever reliable and strong hands secured all around us. We can not deny it and should always believe that God's truth and saving power prevails at all times. We look to God always in the midst of all the turmoil. No matter how long and hard we try to search for happiness outside God we can only find it in Him as St. Augustine says, “My soul is restless until it rests in Thee." Only with Him do we find rest, fulfillment and satisfaction. Let us trust God in His divine providence and goodness that He will never abandon nor forsake us. He will rescue us at all times for He can turn back or fast forward the hands of time for everything is right on time with God. He is the God of the eternal now. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 31:20, 21, 24

R: Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

19 [20] How great is the goodness, O LORD, which you have in store for those who fear you, and which, toward those who take refuge in you, you show in the sight of the children of men. (R) 20 [21] You hide them in the shelter of your presence from the plottings of men; you screen them within your abode from the strife of tongues. (R) 23 [24] Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones! The LORD keeps those who are constant, but more than requites those who act proudly.

We should respond to God in a way that is coming from our hearts and not just our minds alone. If we feel that at the moment God is not answering our prayers then we ought to be thankful that God is still giving us all the chances to earn more and receive more in ways that may not be known or visible to us. It is only right that we work to our full potentials and give our best to God. We can sometimes work our way out to win the approval and favor of men, how much more our God who only wants the best things for us. For God sees everything and nothing is in vain if we offer all our sacrifices and sufferings to God whether it be known or unknown to everyone. We can be assured that every single thing that we do for his greater glory and honor will go back to us in full recompense and to the overflowing for nothing compares to God's payback. Whatever difficulty we may all be going through let us always have a good disposition and be very confident of the God in whom we place our trust that no one would even guess that we are experiencing something really problematic knowing that God got us covered. Whatever problems we are encountering at the moment just think that we are on a fast. Fasting on worries, fears and anxieties causes us not to be troubled and brings about the fruits of the Holy Spirit due to our confidence in God's loving providence. We live in a physical world and we can't help it when we conform to its standard. Though, we must keep in mind what St. Paul says in Romans 12:1-2 "I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect." When we speak of spiritual things we are sometimes bound to the unseen and hidden things of this world we are in. This should not discourage us to grow in this aspect because we are assured by the Lord Himself when He pointed out in today's gospel that whatever we have worked and done for the glory of God's Kingdom will never go unnoticed before Him. Nothing is hidden from the Lord. He knows every single thing we do, whether good or bad, because He knows and sees all. We need not worry about anything at all, nothing is ever wasted if we entrust all our concerns to God. Though there are times when it doesn't seem to be the case, for as long as we have strived hard and done what is expected of us then it doesn't really matter what may seem to be. What matters most is that God doesn't just seem to be who He is but is truly, deeply and genuinely who He really is. All knowing, loving and always act accordingly in the most acceptable time. This is why the gospel warns us today of the danger of putting on a big show without real change in our hearts. Interior conversion is primary. If our main goal is that we want men to see our penance then it is just for nothing. To truly repent of our sins is the start which is what happens in baptism. We need to change in relation to ourselves, God and to others. Fasting aids in a change in regards to self. Alms giving is in relation to our neighbors. Through these things, real growth is experienced here. If we spend more time in prayer then we can experience prayer growth. It fights the threefold concupiscence in our being which is a disordered drive to satisfy the flesh that our culture is so adept in presenting to us. The distractions that we are confronted with in the form of various entertainments that make us fall into lust are the tools of satan. This enemy is having a field day in our culture by bombarding us with these thoughts of wanting to have more and more. We aim for what seems to be pleasing in the eyes of others and to be in control. This is pride when we want to be the one who call the shots. Satan can device all forms of marketing strategies to get our attention and interest. We need to taper our desires and come to a point when we fast from it. We need to be open and docile to the Lord. We can begin the day by looking at the crucifix. We can see Jesus who followed His Father’s will. We are not out here to accumulate in worldly achievements but rather to follow more and more God’s will for us. We should turn from evil and reclaim the filial relationship with God. We can learn much from what Jesus demonstrated to us especially in the desert when He was tempted. We just surrender and cling to Him with all our beings. We should never doubt God's perfect timing in everything that happens in our lives. Our God is a generous God, He will not withhold from us every blessing  so let us always keep in mind that everything we do for the Lord is never in vain.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. 2 When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, 4 so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. 5 When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you...But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”