A HOLY CHAIR

Today we celebrate the "Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.” Since this is the case, we might as well think of what kind of chair we are sitting at. All of us have been given a certain post in life by the Lord. We can call it a mission or a purpose in life. We have to give it our best shot and be the person God has meant us to be as we aim to fulfill our God given destiny. Whatever that is to us, it should bring about what we should all look forward to receive on that final day when we bid goodbye to our present life here on earth, our reward in heaven and the unfading crown of glory. The feast today also reminds me of Sis Mila Perez with regards to some pointers for review while serving as communion minister. She told me that if I would like to serve during Sundays, I should come at 12 noon when our group is scheduled to serve. I could never forget that time when I was getting ready for Church a thought suddenly came to me and felt the need to dress up differently for the Mass. I had this feeling that I may be able to serve as Communion Minister for the 12 noon Mass at St. Martha. This meant not wearing my usual outfit of jeans and rubber shoes like I used to. And so I did, but I failed to arrive early enough since it was just a couple of minutes before the mass starts when I came to church and was a bit late already if I intended to serve as communion minister. I just guessed that somebody must have been assigned already. The moment I stepped inside the Church and walked toward the center I immediately saw Sis Mila Perez and was drawn to come near her. After that everything just fell quickly into place and was assigned a station for communion and served during the mass. I had been serving during weekday masses then but it was my first time to serve on a Sunday and a Filipino Mass at that. There is a great responsibility attached to being entrusted the body and blood of Christ. Today's 1st reading is indeed very appropriate for what I experienced at that time. I am very thankful to Sis Mila Perez for the trust and confidence she is giving me to be able to serve the Lord as a Communion Minister despite my shortcomings and inadequacies. I should say that as Communion Team Leader, she has tended her flock well and will receive the unfading crown of glory. We should always do things with a holy disposition offering to God our service rather than to man so that we will not be disappointed for nothing escapes the notice of God for He knows and sees every good deed we do. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 Peter 5:1-4

Beloved: I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. 2 Tend the flock of God in your midst, [overseeing] not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. 3 Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Psalm 23 assures us where the road of God’s love will lead us because it tells us exactly what kind of road we are heading to if we accept the love of the Good Shepherd. When I was a young child, I used to sing and imagine the scenario in the psalm reading for today. Psalm 23 has a Tagalog song version in the Philippines entitled, “Ang Panginoon ang aking Pastol” I have always loved singing it because of the very comforting words in the song. It has always given me an impression that with God on our side nothing can go wrong and if things seem to look like there is something wrong there is really nothing to fear for He will always be there to defend and protect. Let us not stray away from the Lord and always stay in the flock that He cares for. We may have heard a story of how a lion attacks its prey by separating it from the flock and once it has cornered it and all alone that's the time it devours it. It pays to always stay in the flock under the care of our Good Shepherd. We have to make sure we are not misguided or deceived by a fake shepherd and really belong to the flock of sheep that Jesus shepherds. If we are just to read and understand very well every word said in today's psalm then we ought to find ourselves the most contented and secured person in the whole wide world. There should be no more room for fear, doubt and anxiety. We've got to develop the confidence and faith of a person who have truly believed that the Lord is our shepherd. A sheep without a shepherd doesn’t know where to go and get food. They just stand there looking dumb and hungry. Today's psalm is a reminder and great consolation that we are the sheep and the Lord is our Shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd as stated in today's psalm. He makes us want for nothing more. We are so caught up with our problems and concerns in life that we become oblivious of God. We do not see the love of God in the midst of these disturbing events. In our journey here on earth we are all confronted with the bitter and harsh realities of life. Let us always remember and never forget that on top of those realities is the resounding truth and most essential one that we have a Good Shepherd. We should praise and thank God for those experiences although difficult served as an inspiration which we could hold on to at times when things do not turn out right. We can be assured that everything is in control although there is really a need to go through a so called "dark valley" of our lives in order for us to be fully aware that we have a God who looks after our welfare no matter how things turn out unexpectedly and not according to what we have in mind. We always have to believe that in the end, God is always on our side to give us the courage to carry on and find that God got us covered. There is one thing sure if we hold on to God as a sheep to the Good Shepherd, we will never be disappointed. The words of God in today's readings give us an assurance that He is always there for us. He said it and He means it then so be it. There is nothing more He could possibly mean when He said that He is the Good Shepherd other than He cares for us. He never forsakes nor abandons any single one of His flock. Sometimes we are confronted with situations that push us to the limits and thus we give way. This should never be the case at any single time. We should not entertain the option that is clearly not pleasing to the Lord even beyond the point of maximum tolerance. We may find ourselves able to resist up to a certain extent only. Thus when the tough gets really tough we would suddenly find ourselves shifting our loyalty. We only find ourselves proclaiming God in our life when situations are favorable. It's such a pity if we would ever come to this point where almost everybody in this world found themselves comfortably positioned. We can easily change positions when things get uncomfortable and easily turn our backs on what is ultimately God’s will for us. As in Rev. 3:16, So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. It is time to make a stand and know which side we really are rather than continue making excuses and justifications. We must not doubt God's ability to be the  Good Shepherd that He really is to us and trust Him rather than ourselves to carry out the plan He has for us.  Just like this old adage, "Never put the law into your hands." We should not take away God's plan from His hands into ours and act like we know better. If there's someone who could perfectly carry out this plan for our lives then that is no other than God Himself. Nothing could be more perfect than entrusting our life in God's hands. Just try to imagine ourselves right now, as is, where is with all our cares and problems in this world. Then try to paint another picture, this time with God as the Good Shepherd that tends the sheep, then picture ourselves as that sheep that the Lord tends. Be still for a moment and try to absorb and allow to sink in the words in the responsorial psalm. In God's loving embrace we are secured and satisfied that there is nothing we stand in need of. If the Lord is our shepherd who could ask for more? Goodness and love pursue us all the days of our life. For as long we're sure that the Lord Jesus is indeed the shepherd who leads us and whom we follow then there is no doubt about this. We should thank the Lord for our daily assurances, confirmation and in all circumstances. God will never allow us to go hungry and will always give us what we need and even more. God is a generous God that when we're feeling hungry or in need of something He is always there to provide, all we have to do is trust Him in His ways, as He has promised. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

At this point in my life as a Catholic, I should say that I have come to appreciate our faith now more than ever. Considering all of these things happening and the fact that today is the Feast of the Holy Chair. Read on in this article of Fr. Rudy Horst in Sabbath.
A Holy Chair?
Somebody asked me once on February 22, “Father, since when did we venerate chairs as saints? Isn’t that idolatry?”
Don’t laugh! It’s a very good question. Does a chair become holy because St. Peter used to sit on it? Did he in his time actually have a special chair? Probably not. So, what is today’s feast all about?
The ancient Romans celebrated on February 22 the festival of “Parentalia.” It was a day when the ancestors were remembered — as we do today on November 2, All Souls Day. During the celebration, usually a meal, a chair was decorated to represent and honor the dead. In other words, not the chair was honored or venerated but the deceased person(s) the chair represents. For the Christian community in Rome, Peter was without doubt the most important ancestor and so this feast became part of the liturgical calendar.As you know very well, Peter was not a hero from the beginning even though he was able to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, which Jesus saw as a special inspiration from God. But he denied Jesus. Peter also was not near the Cross. And when we read the Acts of the Apostles carefully together with the letters of St. Paul, we can see that Peter had difficulties to stand up for what he believed in.
There is a nice legend about Peter and a small church in Rome commemorates the event. During the persecution Peter got scared — again. So he left Rome and outside the city he met the Lord. “Quo vadis, Domine?” he asked, “Where are you going, Lord?” And Jesus answered, “I go to Rome to be crucified in your stead.” Ashamed, Peter turned around and was arrested. When he was about to be crucified he asked to hang there upside down because he did not feel worthy of dying the same way his beloved Master died.
It is never too late to become a hero of faith. It might not be death that makes us finally heroes; it may be a situation when we have to stand up for our faith, for our Christian values and convictions. May we not miss that most important moment – as St. Peter did not miss it. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD
 Reflection Question:
Do I pray regularly for the successor of St. Peter? Do I prepare myself in prayer for that moment when courage is demanded from me to defend my faith?
Lord, today I pray for the successor of St. Peter, our Holy Father. May he have the strength and courage to guide Your Church through difficult times and guide us without fear. Amen.
-end of his article-

 Aren't we glad that today's gospel assures us that we have a Church built by Jesus Christ and nothing can prevail against it? We can actually learn a lot from Sts. Peter and Paul and their example. Both were very committed to our Lord. They were willing to leave everything behind and follow Him. They both lived out the cross of Jesus. We see the recognition of St. Peter in today's gospel which shows that he is very committed to our Lord and followed Him. Peter's proclamation of the truth made him a solid foundation of the Church that not even the gates of hell shall prevail against it. As members of the Church that is founded on solid rock may we become like Peter always ready and confident in announcing the truth about God. Although there is a series of problems despite this commitment, Peter was the one who told Jesus not to talk about His dying and being crucified in Jerusalem and got told, "Satan, get behind me." He was also the one in the Garden of Gethsemane after a series of important events like the transfiguration with James and John and the raising of Jairus' daughter, cut off the ear of the high priest servant with such impetuosity but also the one who denied Christ 3x.  St. Paul was also a man who made a serious commitment to Christ. He has a Roman citizenship and came from the tribe of Benjamin. He came from an affluent family that he was educated under the supervision of this prominent teacher, Gamaliel. St Paul mentioned in the scriptures that he was a persecutor of the Church but was converted to Christ. With true humility he recognized how bad he really was and doesn't deserve the favors that Christ has given him. He was willing to talk about his failures. We look at Peter and Paul who both gave a testimony of their blood for the gospel. They preferred to be executed and tormented rather than change their testimony. In doing this they both highlight something else especially St. Peter. This is the kind of man that is chosen. He is very much the man like each one of us. We can also make the best choice that is presented to us. We must recognize that our lives have to be a life of dying to ourselves. This is something that we could learn from and be the Lord's instrument for the redemption of our world. Praise and thank God for sending not only angels but also saints to the rescue. Let us try to remove all obstacles in our path. This reminds me of Sister Loreta's garden in Walnut. I am so impressed at how it looks like. Despite the scorching heat of the sun during summer time her garden remains beautiful. It is does not dry up. I found out from her that whenever the gardener comes to mow her lawn she will immediately water it while the roots are exposed. Just like in our life we really have to cut off or remove excess baggage or useless garbage in us that prevents us from making the garden of our life emerge in full bloom. Funny, how we sometimes find ourselves saying one thing this minute and then another thing the next. Just like Peter in today's gospel, we witnessed the sudden shift when in the first part of  the gospel, Jesus was commending him for having professed a truth that can not be revealed through flesh and blood but through our Heavenly Father. But in the latter part, Jesus rebuked him for behaving otherwise. This tells us that no matter how totally unreliable we are, at times. God does not give up on us. He continues to shower us with grace and mercy and it is all up to us if we will respond with faith and humility the way Peter did who persevered despite of all the struggles until the last hour. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 16:13-19

...He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

PRAY IT BACK TO HIM

 Today we are beginning with the Book of Sirach and can expect to hear from it over the course of the next 2 weeks. We are blessed to have this book in the bible from which we can get advice and lessons about God, sincerity, modesty, choice of friends, use of wisdom, sins of flesh and about lies. It is also where we can find idiomatic expressions such as, “Virtue is its own reward and birds of the same feather flock together. “ God speaks and responds to our questions through the scriptures.  We have to commit to reading it with awe and reverence to the Word of God. He does speak to us lovingly as God our Father. A lot of things in this world remain a mystery. No matter how hard we try to comprehend the things that are happening to us, especially those we can't make a good explanation in our minds, we always fall short of totally understanding it. We may not come to a point in this present life of ours when we can fully understand it since we are still bound to our earthly bodies. For the meantime let us focus first on the things we know about God who is no doubt loving, merciful and powerful and entrust to God’s goodness the doubts we have at the moment. In the fullness of time God will make all things clear to us when our souls become illumined by the light of God.  May we be ready for that appointed day when it comes. Amen. Hallelujah!

Sirach 1:1-10

1 All wisdom comes from the LORD and with him it remains forever. 2 The sand of the seashore, the drops of rain, the days of eternity: Who can number these? 3 Heaven’s height, earth’s breadth, the depths of the abyss: Who can explore these? 4 Before all things else wisdom was created; and prudent understanding, from eternity. 5 To whom has wisdom’s root been revealed? Who knows her subtleties? 6 There is but one, wise and truly awe-inspiring, seated upon his throne: 7 It is the LORD; he created her, has seen her and taken note of her. 8 He has poured her forth upon all his works, upon every living thing according to his bounty; he has lavished her upon his friends. 9 Fear of the LORD is glory and splendor, gladness and a festive crown. 10 Fear of the LORD warms the heart, giving gladness and joy and length of days.

Death is not a respecter of age or health. A person could be young or old, healthy or sick and the worst part we can never tell when it's coming. Only God knows the length of our days and to Him alone do we entrust everything. God is powerful and we can surely be at peace with Him. We have confidence in a God who chose to step down from His throne and became a helpless baby for our sake.  Though, an infant He holds the world in the palm of His hands. He alone is King. We have an Infinite and Almighty God and no words are enough to describe Him. Thus we can only translate those that go beyond words into the spiritual. The spiritual is real although not material or physical. We have our free will which is immaterial and thus fall into the spiritual. It makes perfect sense that we unite our will to God. It may seem an impossibility to be holy and pure at all times. For man it is, but not for God. We can trust God to supply us with all that we need to do whatever it takes to be worthy of His kingdom. If we believe that God calls us then He can surely and absolutely equip us for the work and plan He has for us. The uniformity of the message in today's readings from the 1st, Psalm and gospel can not be denied. God constantly and persistently send us occasions and opportunities that will always remind and confront us of this great attributes of God which are all better than life itself. It is very important to call on God in prayer at all times. He is Christ the King. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

R: The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

...Your throne stands firm from of old; from everlasting you are, O LORD. (R) 5 Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed: holiness befits your house, O LORD, for length of days.

Today’s gospel could be a picture of Jesus who reached a point of exasperation for His disciples who never seem to learn from His perfect example. We have already been given by Jesus by not just one but numerous no fail and sure ball examples and patterns of how to make it big in the Kingdom but we surely are slow learners at times. It is just sad that when it comes to the Kingdom of this world, often times we are very quick to follow and understand its way. We have to always hold on to the word of God and build faith in it.  Our prayers should consist of God’s word and pray it back to Him. We need to strengthen our faith through prayers of various forms for the enemy that we face everyday is also committed to winning its own battle. We can liken the gospel for today with our own parents when they try to instruct us and teach us when we were still young, though they are not perfect. They get so impatient with us at times and somehow Jesus felt that way, too. Definitely, Jesus has all the right in the world to feel that way because unlike our own parents He is the perfect teacher and we can learn from Him everything there is to know. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 9:14-29

...I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” 19 He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?  How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.” 20 They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. 21 Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. 22 It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.  But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” 24 Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” 25 Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. 28 When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29 He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

Heaven's Philosophy

The word holy has become confined to the narrow mindset of some people. There is a tendency to qualify as holy only the things that are obviously related to it. But God in His broadmindedness and vast goodness can always see in its entirety and qualify what is truly holy in the godliest sense of the word. The time is now to answer God's call to holiness. We are all called to a universal love. We should work for a heart that does not harbor ill feelings and dwells on retaliation and revenge. This is something we all struggle with because human nature wants to retaliate and revenge. It is not a Christian attitude that we want to get back at the person, talk about them and delight in their vices and misfortunes. Although talking about our heartaches can help us bear our burdens it should be with a view to get beyond it and not just sit on it nor cherish a grudge as to make much of it. When we nurse resentments and retell the story of what has been done to us we are just torturing ourselves. This is especially true when a certain person reminds us of a wound in the past then it becomes just like pouring salt in it. This aggravates the situation and makes us want to retaliate. When we do we make it as false idols because we disobey God’s law and give in to our feelings and emotions. As Christians we are called to let it go. God can liberate us from the bondage of evil and get beyond it by His grace. We can take advantage of it to refocus ourselves and know our ultimate goal and priority should always be to please God. We should be imitators of God because we are all created in His image and likeness (Gen.1:26). We too are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). We may come up with all kinds of excuses not to be the person God has meant us to be and live up to it but we only have ourselves to blame for this. We have been well equipped in all aspects to bring out the best in each of us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Book of Leviticus 19,1-2.11-18.

The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”

We can never fathom the wisdom of God but we can always remain confident in the truth that His kindness is perfect and everlasting. He makes all things work for good. When we feel so helpless, miserable and alone, never ever doubt that He can't help but be the loving God that He is. God loves us so much that he will adjust to our needs and make things work for good. There is no reason for us to even doubt and hold back anything from the Lord for nothing is too difficult for Him. If we are confident of God's Providence in our lives then nothing should even make us doubt that God is able to redeem us and take us out of misery. God has made known His kindness, mercy and secures justice for all. He knows exactly what we need at the precise moment and brings forth everything in its appointed time. Furthermore, God wanted to take our transgressions as far as the east is from the west. How far is the east from the west? Only God knows. We know that the distance is unfathomable, that’s what the Lord does with our sins. How much does He loves us? We know that His love and mercy is immeasurable. There is really none like our God. And reading part of the psalm reading made me remember the song "Loving and Forgiving". He is our best bet for always and there is no one or nothing else that could or should take first place in our lives more than the Lord. Whenever we receive goodness and kindness from people we meet we are very much delighted and pleased with it. How much more would we feel if we have God's favor resting upon us. There is nothing else better compared to this. We may search long and hard but we can never really find true satisfaction and remain restless unless we have God in our life. We only have to believe in God's kindness and mercy and we will surely see it happen in our life before our very eyes. He is our refuge and strength. To whom can we go but to God alone. The world’s point of view is very contradictory to the message that God wanted us to live by.  We need to pray hard for the desire to always follow what is pleasing before the Lord and not forget that it is what really matters first and foremost. We are so blessed that we did not live during the time when Christians were being persecuted and martyred and what we are enjoying right now are already the benefits of God's marvelous work wrought by His mighty hand. This is why we should stop complaining and just keep our hope if we truly believe that we have a God and Father who is full of kindness and goodness. This reminds me of the prophet Amos. He is a prosperous herdsman/farmer, well educated and traveled. His time (746-786) was an age of prosperity but severely marked with moral decay and spiritual bankruptcy. He experienced a luxurious life, lived in the garrison city a place dominated by people of power and had all the time to study the scriptures. He lived in affluence, belonged and embraced the "clan system/wisdom" which is a guild or crusade to maintain the purity of the tradition of the temple of Jerusalem which houses the "Ark of the Covenant". He saw the evil of excess in Tekoa, he witnessed the "left" (poverty) and the "right" (wealth and affluence) side. Being himself a dresser of the sycamore tree who worked with his people, he also saw the plight and injustice that is existent during that time. His prophetic mission emerged as an offshoot of his kingly and priestly status and was able to go through all these stages making him a good "nabi" hebrew word for prophet. We, too as followers of Jesus should also go through certain stages and fulfill our call or mission to be king, priest and prophet in our own personal lives. What I learned in the bible study about the very relevant and essential Hebrew word "pescher" which means repetitious study, reading and pronunciation of the word of God is a tool to achieve this goal and always be reminded about the goodness and benefits of being a genuine, equipped and well fulfilled follower of Jesus. The God of yesterday, today and forevermore. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13

R/ (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful. Bless the LORD, O my soul;

and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits. R/ He pardons all your iniquities, heals all your ills. He redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion. R/ Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. R/ As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. R/

What's your standard? I used to do R & D (Research and Development) work at the ITDI (Industrial Technology Development Institute) when I was in the Philippines and if there's one important thing that you've got to have that is to establish a set of standard to be used for the analysis. The same way with our life we've got to continue R & D work too, if we want to see improvement and success. As we are faced constantly with the struggles of daily life we have to discover new things, ways and strategies to come up with the best. As we go along our way we've got to carry on using the optimum parameters based on the only proven and reliable standard that is God’s. There should be no biases or indifference among the community of God.  Today's 1st reading presents to us a problem among the disciples at the time of Jesus and even up to the present time. We should avoid taking sides and engaging in actions that instead of uniting, create factions. We should closely guard ourselves against these things. We have to be very careful in conducting our affairs. We might not be aware of it but there are times when we are inclined to do certain things without realizing that it does not do any good to us and others. No matter how noble and religious this activity we are engaged in or people we identify and work with, it could not mask, hide or camouflage any flaw if it's just for human or personal glory. What's worse is that we are no longer reflecting our Lord Jesus Christ in doing so and in the process is actually doing more harm than we ever come to know. Why is this so? It is just like the fact that there are only 2 sides on a coin, it's just head or tail and no in between, we too, have to be conscious that whatever our actions are, they only mean one thing or the other, to picture God in it or not. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Brothers and sisters: Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: “He catches the wise in their own ruses,” 20 and again: “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” 21 So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, 22 Paul or Apollos or Kephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, 23 and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

Today's gospel is another mission impossible based on human standards. But let us not forget that we are not the children of God for nothing. I have seen many people who were able to transform themselves and have inspired many people to change. There was one friend of mine when I was still in college who used to be very skinny and weak, he was the laughing stock of the group and called "Palito" because they say he is as thin as a matchstick. After several years that we haven't seen each other I got the shock of my life when I finally saw him. He is so physically fit with all the works and the muscles almost a perfect 10. I couldn't have recognized him if he hadn't called my attention. When I asked him what he did, he said he enrolled in a gym and worked out. He hired a fitness trainer who coached him with the proper diet and exercise. The most important thing of all was he followed and did everything that was required of him. He said it wasn't easy but he said "no pain, no gain!" If we really want to be perfect like our Father in heaven then it's time we start working out  by engaging in an aerobics of faith and feeding ourselves with all the nutritious and healthy stuff and stay away from food that is not beneficial not only to our physical but our spiritual bodies as well. Let us start developing not only physical but spiritual muscles as well. Jesus came not to destroy but to fulfill the law of the prophets. He came that we may have life and have it abundantly. We have to exceed the letter of the law and know that the Spirit of the law gives life and understand it better. St. Augustine said, "Love and obey God then do what you will." We must be united to the will of God to the best of our abilities in order to always be aligned to His will.
GOD'S LAW MAKES US LIVE A VIRTUOUS LIFE (CCC 1803 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions. The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God. Today’s gospel also teaches us what Christianity is all about. Here it goes again. The mind boggling and endless train of thoughts that follow once the faith and reason argument ensues. Not a lot of people will agree with its recommendation and may even end up twisting its real meaning by adding up some justifications and excuses. To love one's enemies and be perfect just God is perfect may seem impossible. But our God is very clear in this and if we will also be serious and really commit to it then nothing is hard and impossible since we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We need not be told dear friends since we have been tutored by the years that all of this loveliness is not of our own making. The ability to love our enemies and pray for those who hate us comes only from our union with God who lives within us. We can not be loving to our enemies, forgiving to those who hurt us and understanding and compassionate on our own. These are all a gift of God to us. It comes from the union with our Lord as we try to live day after day. Who compelled Mother Teresa to do the things she did? Who compels the mothers and the fathers to sacrifice themselves and do without so their children can be educated and grow up and take their place in life. All of this comes from the Lord in whom we believe lives within us. Day after monotonous day we must go on striving, failing, falling and beginning again. The Lord doesn’t ask us to succeed in anything, success is His gift. What we are asked to do is to try and to go on trying all the days of our lives. And so we pray, “Lord lift us up of our lethargy, apathy, coldness, and indifference and make us so aware of your love for us that we may learn to love you in return.” Another very significant event I could associate with the gospel today is an incident in a graduation party several years ago where all the God's Children members were gathered together seated in a big table. There was a very interesting conversation among us. We all actually didn't know how it started but the topic shifted to purgatory. There was one person there who said there is no such thing as purgatory. The Catholic Church teaches us that all of us whether living or dead belong to the Church. The living are members of the militant church, those in heaven are the Church triumphant and those who are yet to enter heaven or in the so called "purgatory" are the Church suffering. We are taught that people who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior but die with unrepented sins and have not asked forgiveness are in purgatory to be purged and made clean before facing God. It was said that God is All Holy and Ever Bright and Shining in Perfection that just a single stain of sin left in our soul makes us shy away from His presence. It is said that we, ourselves would rather be purged first than stand not properly clothed of holiness before God. This reminds me of the Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22:11-14, "But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen." Although this passage depicts being thrown in hell it is implied that we have to be properly dressed before we face God. The only thing left when we die is our soul because our mortal bodies are left to rot on earth and turned to dust. We have a merciful God that is why we have purgatory. God knows that it is not easy for man to maintain a perfect, free of stains and spotless soul at all times during our lifetime and could still have the hope of being with God in heaven. Based on our Catholic teachings and in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:32-35, this place being spoken of here where the servant was tortured until he was able to pay back the whole debt is like purgatory. It is written, “You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart." In this place he was given the chance to pay back the whole debt unlike in the Parable of the Wedding Feast when he was immediately thrown away in darkness. Before this story gets any longer and even more elaborate without the main point being stressed, the emphasis lies in the fact that we are all called, as the gospel today tells us and what I also mentioned to the unbelieving person in purgatory, to be perfect just as our Heavenly Father is Perfect. For the purpose of giving glory to God, it is noteworthy to mention that this person who was so antagonistic at that time and had already distanced herself to the Catholic faith is now back to the fold. All the readings for today are beautifully linked. It conveys the message about loving our fellowmen, enemies included and forgiving them. The idea of forgiveness does not tell us justify, overlook, excuse and not to hold a person accountable for any wrong doing. In fact, legitimate self defense is not considered bad. We have to love our enemy, our neighbor and everyone without exception. We have to rule over our feelings. We may not feel like doing good but we must not equate forgiveness with the feelings but with right thing to do. We need to go the extra mile. We are called to action, to love even the most unlovable. It may seem exaggerated and unnatural but we have to put goodness into the society rather than respond and react in an unchristian way. As the gospel tells us today, the sun rises on everyone and His love and mercy is for all.  It is just natural that our love is proportional to what we get in return. We must remember that God Himself as written in Romans 5:7-8, Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.  We have to love and radiate this grace and forgiveness that we’ve been given. Even while we were enemies of God, He sent His son to offer us His forgiveness. Thus, we are called to supernatural love through God’s grace. This is given to us in the sacraments during mass when Jesus offers Himself to us. We all have opportunities to live this great call of charity.  In prayer we call upon that grace to love and see what it does.  This is the perfection that the gospel calls us today. It is a challenge to true faith come together with true reason and somehow reinforces the faith against reason mentality. I firmly believe that goodness and evil once it is started can go a long way and the start of an endless cycle. If you decide for evil then be ready for the things that will follow.  It is better to suffer once and for all than to retaliate and resist and regret its consequences for the rest of our lives throughout eternity. Let us always be wise and decide for God in all our actions than to be easily dissuaded and get carried away by the "spur of the moment" and the tempting lure of this world which can lead to eternal damnation. My mother always says that love begets love and you sow what you reap. Anger, hatred and vengeance should find no room in our hearts. These are things that do not reflect the holiness and perfection of God. We might think that it is an impossibility to exist in this world without ever having to succumb to these things but as God our Father in heaven is perfect and holy so must we strive to be like Him. Sometimes we gather all our strength and abilities to do something very difficult but in the end our best intentions and efforts aren't just enough. Everything will amount to nothing in the end even if we seem to be succeeding at first because we will eventually run dry, become empty and totally out if we fail to draw strength, fortitude and courage from the ever flowing and unending well of God's Grace. We must remember that it is not through our own power that we can do it but through Jesus Christ our Lord who strengthens us. Nothing is hidden from God and everything we do if offered to God as a form of sacrifice will always work out for good. (Rom 8:28)Although it may not be instant and will take time we should always keep in mind that if we do everything in Jesus name and for His greater glory then when we are sure to be rewarded according to God's promises, riches and glory. Let us always be an ever ready servant of the Lord who will not refuse an opportunity to shine for the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 5:38-48

43 Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you  may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

PARTAKERS

Enoch is one of the few people who are spoken of in yesterday's gospel in Mark 9:1, He also said to them, "Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power." If we read on the gospel mentions Elijah who is also taken up to heaven as written in 2 Kings 2:11, As they walked on conversing, a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. God rewards those who seek him and He rewards more than we could ever imagine for indeed no eye has seen nor ear has heard what God has ready for those who love Him. Today's reading brought back memories when I committed a big mistake by leaving the door of Sis Maria's car not just unlocked but fully opened. I didn't know what was into me but I really intended to lock it, in fact I already did but was transferring some things in her car to Sis Em's so I just left the door open just in case I will still need to get some more things in the car. I totally forgot about it as I went to Sis Em's car and left, it was like that from 3pm to almost 7pm and we were in LA. Nothing got lost and to think that my laptop and Sis Maria's purse and merchandise were all in there. God is really good, Hallelujah, Amen!

Letter to the Hebrews 11,1-7.

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen... By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible...But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him...By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and “he was found no more because God had taken him.” Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

There is really none like our God. We can have all the things that this world can offer but in the end we will still be wanting and not satisfied if we do not have God in the center of our life. The Lord has always been faithful and not a single moment would He ever not be. We should have the confidence always of a beloved child of God and the honor of being on top of God's creation. The Lord is always ready to extend His help and shower His blessings on us, His people. The question is, are we willing to accept His help and stay within the circle of His blessings? This question is very critical and sometimes left unanswered, neglected and taken for granted. When we choose to continue in the path that does not lead us closer to God the answer is clear, it is a no. When we direct our actions in things that draw us closer to God then it is a yes. If this is so true for us then we ought to do as the psalm reading today tells us. All our thoughts, words and actions should reflect how great our God is. As humans we tend to downplay God's role in our life because we subject our experiences to human terms and conditions. We are still bound by the limitations of this world we are in and we can't help it. We sometimes just go with the flow and get carried away by the pressures imposed to us by our present and existing situations. Our study of World History tells us of the different and various kinds of kingdoms and dynasties which ruled throughout the length of time. None of the most famous and powerful of these kingdoms still stand today and remain as influential to the entire world as it used to be. This tells us one thing that earthly kingdoms will eventually cease to exist. Only God's Kingdom prevails for eternity. Sometimes we might even have to come to a point when we look and sound strange  for others or even suffer the ridicule of not just others but the very people who comprise our circle of close family, relatives and friends. What matters most is that we ought to give God what He rightly deserves, to be extolled and praised forever. Today's psalm tells us that we owe God more than just plain courtesy for His goodness. Whenever we watch box office hit super hero movies, news about it spread like wildfire and the promotion for it is international that almost everybody around the globe gets to know about it and watch it. If only we can devote that same fervor and enthusiasm in spreading word about the greatest Super Hero of all times, Jesus and make a decision to watch His life unfold and be part of our own, then we can someday be a part of God's great Kingdom in Heaven. If we truly desire this then we should always be mindful of the words of God written in the bible since it is indeed what its acronym stands for which is B - basic I-instructions B-before L-leaving E-earth. It is very important that we have read and understood well what is written in the bible before we exit this world. This reminds me of the video games that my sons used to play. When they finish one level they have to enter into the next level which is more difficult and so on and so forth until they reach the ultimate task and win the final battle. It was like they needed to be well prepared and more skillful for each level. This somehow reminds us of how we should approach our final day here on earth. The gate of heaven has been opened and made accessible for us, there is no question about it but the question is, "Are we ready and able to go through it?" As in Eph. 6:13, "Therefore, put on the armor of God,  that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground." Another thing is we have no idea when will that day come because we really do not know the time or the hour. One thing for sure, the only way to go through it is by being well prepared for it. Thus I wanted to share this story which I got from an email.

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.

He loved the 4th wife the most and adored her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.'

Thus, he asked the 4th wife , 'I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No way!', replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word.

Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, 'I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No!', replied the 3rd wife. 'Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!'

His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, 'I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me.

When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!', replied the 2nd wife. 'At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.'

Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: 'I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go.'

The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the King said, 'I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!'

In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.

However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity. Amen. Hallelujah!

Responsorial Psalm PS 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11

R. (see 1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. R. Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might. They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works. R. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,

and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom

and speak of your might. R.

We should fully trust the voice of Jesus who dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. If there are times when we get confused and don't know anymore what to do, whom to listen and where to go just feel the very depths of our heart as we pray and He will never hesitate nor withhold the answers we seek. He is not a God who misleads, confuses and causes chaos. There is a time for everything. All we have to do is kneel down before the foot of the cross and we will surely find the answers. Let our hearts talk and do the work to fully understand His instructions to us. May we be able to learn the art of silence and just listen and meditate on the Word of God. There are some things that our mind can not fully explain and understand. Each one of us during our lifetime have experienced unbelievable things wrought by God's mighty hand that are beyond our understanding and comprehension. We shouldn't be surprised at all if we truly believe that our life is in the hands of a God who is Almighty, Immortal and Holy. Today’s gospel invites us to look deeply into the transfiguration of Jesus. This corresponds to the 1^st transformation in the womb of the Blessed Mother when the glory of God penetrated humanity. This transformation happened without any harm coming on Christ’s Divine nature.  This communication of divinity is the immediate prelude of the resurrection. We long and have a deep desire to live and see at the very moment of our death this same glorious sight that the disciples saw although with holy fear and an awe of God that we want to live in perfect union with Him. We see God’s face that shines forth and with clothes dazzling white. We think of the very garments worn by Jesus made by Mary. We ask Mary to intercede for us and plead to her son that each of us will be transformed into the likeness of His son just as Jesus Himself was woven in the flesh of her own body.  The transfiguration is true of us when we experience deification after the 2^nd coming. Our features will not be distorted but glorified just as in the person of Jesus. He did not lose the substance of his flesh but showed forth an addition of brightness. Our bodies will be renewed in the way Jesus is. We will be brought to a state of perfection, surrounded by the glory of God not only at the level of our souls but also in the level of our bodies. Jesus is one Divine Person with 2 natures, the divine son who by merit of his Incarnation assumed our human nature. He exists united, with human and divine nature which is what we profess in the Apostle’s Creed every Sunday. He takes the aspect of suffering and humiliation when He underwent death in his human nature but in his divinity resurrected in glory for He is life Himself. His glory in transfiguration as a human person is not abolished or absorbed by His divinity nor did His humanity hide His Divinity. When Jesus became man He did not in any way lost any of His Divine nature. He is always complete, fully divine and fully human and always in full and total operation, both natures are together and miraculously joined in the person of Jesus Christ. His divinity is not evacuated but divinity communicated.  He shares to us his divinity and makes us partakers as in Romans 8:16-17, The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.  God alone can transfigure our lives and make it beautiful. Thus the gospel for today also holds a special meaning to me in relation to my son. He wrote an essay a couple of years ago to fulfill one of the requirements for his College entrance exam. Here is what he wrote.

-When I was in elementary (4th grade) and wanted to be a part of the basketball team of our school. I tried out many times but I always get cut because I am not physically fit, I was really fat back then. I was really determined to join the team and I decided to lose weight and get fit. I exercised daily and lessened my food intake and from 160lbs I became 120lbs. On the first term of my 1st year in high school, I tried out again for the team and I got accepted but the league that I am suppose to play in was in the 3rd term. I became really sad that the coach didn’t recognize my determination and talent. And then the most unexpected thing happened to me, during our PE class which was swimming, I got a perfect score in our practical test in diving. My teacher talked to me about my potential in becoming a strong swimmer and asked me if I would want to join the team, at first I was hesitant in joining because I didn’t really know how to swim but when my teacher said that he would teach me all of the strokes, I immediately accepted his offer. At the start of my training in swimming, I had a really hard time. My coach said that it’s normal because I haven't been swimming for a long time already and my body is not yet used to it. But he assured me that eventually I will soon get the hang of it. And so I did train hard and enjoyed at the same time, I joined competitions and it was in my 4th competition that I got my very first medal. And now that I am in my 4th year in High School, I was appointed by our coach to be the Team Captain. In those years I have learned that you must persevere in order to attain your goal. I just wanted to be a part of the basketball team but because of persevering it turned out to be more than I expected because now I am already the Team Captain of the swimming team.

 When I was a child about 7years old, I used to idolize the cartoon character Tarzan. His family lived in the jungle, but his parents were killed when he was still young and the gorillas were the ones who took care of him. I was really captured by the movie and I used to watch it everyday, over and over again. And then one afternoon, after eating lunch, I got so hyper that I copied the moves of Tarzan. In our garage we had a lot of cases of beer for my dad’s business. I climbed the cases of beer about a storey high. I lost my footing and I fell from it. It was really high that I just closed my eyes and then all I heard were the crashes of the bottles and cases. And then felt that my body was flat on the ground. And then I heard my mom screaming. When I opened my eyes I was already surrounded by  glass splinters. The shirt that I was wearing was bedecked with broken glasses. It looked like it was stuck there forever and can no longer be used so my mom just threw it away. I was all wet with beer and really smelled of alcohol but aside from that all I got was a small scratch in my chin. I saw my mother’s face and she was crying so hard, she kept on asking me “Are you okay? Where does it hurt?” and I just said to her that I am okay and she has nothing to worry about. I got up and took a shower then I slept. When I woke up, I saw my mother crying while praying and then I said to her that I would join in praying. From that day on I have always prayed almost everyday. I made it a point that I would always talk to God and thank Him for His blessings everyday. From a kid who watches Tarzan, I became a man who have a big faith in God. End of his sharing.

When I read this I was in tears. I praised and thanked God for the personal transfiguration process of my son at a very young age and still at work even in the present. Amen. Hallelujah!

 Mark 9:2-13

2 Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. 7 Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

BEYOND COMPARE

No amount of planning and hard work combined can ever prosper if it will not blessed by the Lord. For everything will all be wasted if you plan ahead of God and work for something that is not according to God's design.

It is foolish for us to think that we can escape or get away with something without God noticing it. Today's 1st reading is a foolishness that we are all sometimes guilty of. We all make plans for ourselves but sometimes we do not take into consideration whether it is in accordance to God's will or not. We make all kinds of excuses and justifications for ourselves thinking that in the end we would all come out clean and justified. No matter what we do if we do not put God first then that plan would never prosper and even if it does it would only be to a certain extent that we would eventually find ourselves still unfulfilled and unsatisfied. Let us not be so naïve and really know who God is and what God is capable of doing in our lives. We can never stand against God nor can we do good to ourselves more than He can. It’s about time we learn this lesson from the tower of Babel before we get totally confused. Amen. Hallelujah!

Genesis 11:1-9

...Let us then go down and there confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says.” 8 Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world. It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.

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

Psalms 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15

R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

10 The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations; he foils the designs of peoples. 11 But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations.

Think hard, not just once or twice but several times. What are our goals and plans in life, it is surely wise to always look before we leap into something. We might be missing out on the most important thing and working hard for nothing. Let us keep our focus on the most essential things in life that will lead us to the only thing that matters most and that is to offer our lives for God's greater glory and be a living testimony that God is with us and at work in us. Nothing is ever wasted if we always follow, obey and consciously work for the fulfillment of God's plan in our lives. Today’s gospel contains words that the world may consider rubbish but is in truth real treasure beyond compare. If we have truly lived by these principles and found the joy of abiding in it then we are truly blessed. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 8:34-9:1

34 Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. 36 What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37 What could one give in exchange for his life? 38 Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

A TIME FOR EVERYTHING

There is a time for everything. There is a reason for every season. God knows exactly what He is doing when He assigned these things for He is a God of order. We may be going through a period of waiting and it seem like nothing good is ever going to happen. Let us not lose hope for God knows the best and the right time when things are supposed to happen, Amen!

Today’s 1st reading tells us of the story of Noah and the Ark. In order for us to understand better this story from the Old Testament we need to see what the New Testament writers say about it as in Mt. 24: 37-39, For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In (those) days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be (also) at the coming of the Son of Man.
For those people at the time of Noah, it is unexpected but it was not for Noah. He was a man of faith and knew the Lord. It is the day that would come for all of us. It is best that we prepare for it so that when it comes we can face it without fear. We can draw inspiration from Hebrews 11 which is known as the great discourse on faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Noah’s ark is a symbol of the church, it is the ark of salvation. The church is made of wood just like what Noah’s ark was made of. We recall that the side of the ark was where creatures entered in order to be saved from the flood. We also remember that Christ’s side was pierced by a sword from which wells forth blood and water for the salvation of the world. The opened side of Christ could also be as the opened side of the Church where people enter through the sacraments. We can pass through and come unscathed. We can be like those creatures who were saved and come out uncorrupted by the world, shining with faith, hope and love. Amen. Hallelujah!

Gn 8:6-13, 20-22
...Noah built an altar to the LORD, and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar. When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself: “Never again will I doom the earth because of man since the desires of man’s heart are evil from the start; nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done. As long as the earth lasts, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

When we hear of amazing stories we can not contain our excitement. May we be always mindful of it at all times and filled with this kind of emotion in all circumstances. We all have sinned and bore the guilt in us. We have all been destined to die but Jesus took upon Himself all our sins and paid it in full. He made an offering of Himself for our sake. The least we could do is to give honor to this Holy Sacrifice. Let us cloth ourselves with the blood which Jesus shed for us in Mount Calvary, let us not forget what Jesus did for us so that God's mercy will always be upon us. We have to endure to the end and be found deserving of a great blessing that awaits us. The ignorance of our faith is ignorance about Jesus. We may sometimes think that evangelization is just work for the priests and the religious. It is not limited to them but anyone who is baptized should take on this responsibility. JFK once said, "Here on earth, God's work must truly be our own." Nothing should ever stop us from being part of the work of God. God made man in His own image and likeness. (Gen 1:26) In this context we need to define personhood well and know the perils of limited definition. It could be classified into 2 definitions, nominal and real. Nominal definition of personhood is decided by man. It is approaching something that we don't know but we already have the answer. We make decisions and play God. The dangers of this definition of a person are:

1. nominal- when we deny to identify a person as a real person. Example is abortion, when doctors deny the fact that at the moment of conception a person already exists.

2. real but limited - We do not deny but identify them as persons but with lesser worth like the sick and terminally ill. Just because they are old, weak and sick they deserve to die as in the case of euthanasia.

3. full and real but limited - Kills people as in the Holocaust.

The whole principle involved here is discovery and deciding. When our approach is discovery then we are being led to the events in our life with a sense of total surrender, trust and faith in the Lord's Providence for the realization of things that are unseen and hoped for. God may not fully reveal and present us with a surprise but we maintain full confidence in a God who brought us to wherever we are right now. In deciding, our approach is a lot different since we already have an answer for something that we don't know yet. It boils down to the fact that we think we know too much but we don't. We end up playing God. We need to remain as man and allow God to be God of our life. When man becomes god, we lose everything because we are not God. We have to realize the impact in our life of discovery versus deciding.

We should ascribe to the real definition of personhood. It answers the question what, how and what is it meant to be. Our approach in life to achieve faith and righteousness is by discovery and through an authentic Christian life. Discovery can be best defined in the sense that we are open to the intention and purpose of God for us. With a seeking and expectant faith we should allow God to lead us in discovering what is ahead of us and prepared by God. The approach should be in a manner of discovering what God's intention is and respecting it. We've heard of several occasions when people are spared from death or any tragic or unpleasant event because they missed the bus, woke up late, got stuck in traffic and something just came up which delayed them. I guess, it has happened to us too, somehow. After feeling annoyed and impatient because of that incident, we just found out that what appeared to be a nuisance and a problem turned out to be a blessing. 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. It is only right that we give all glory, honor and praise to God. We need not wait and see any longer for it is in our very own lives that God wants us to start paying attention to in order to make a return for all the good he has done. What Jesus has done for all of us is the ultimate sacrifice of love ever known in the entire history of mankind. It is impossible for us to repay what He has done but with hearts full of gratitude we can follow what the psalm reading today is telling us. It is only right and fitting that we honor our vows and promises.  This shows how grateful, confident and assured we are of the Lord’s goodness. It is only right and fitting that we give 100% loyalty to God who deserves more than all the praises we can give. Let us cloth ourselves with the blood which Jesus shed for us in Mount Calvary, let us not forget what Jesus did for us so that God's mercy will always be upon us. The blood that marked the houses of the Jews during the Passover spared them from death. We, as true believers and followers of Christ had been marked with the Most Efficacious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is really good that without us making a way, He was the One who made the way. No amount of thank you will ever suffice to what God has done for all of us. This and only this should we always have in mind, the least we could do is to always put God first in everything we do. Let Him become our motivation and inspiration knowing that He shed His blood for our sake. We may look different, strange and queer for some because of our intense desire to please God in return for all the good that He has done for us. It may still be imperfect or could be unbecoming if based on the standards of some but we must continuously strive to do our best to pay reverence, homage and loyalty to the one and only Supreme Lord of all in the presence of all his people at all cost in the best way we can. We have to feel the abounding joy and peace in our heart as we remind ourselves of the many promises of God that we have been patiently waiting for to be fulfilled. God is going to fulfill all His promises. It should give us renewed strength and courage to confidently stand up and remain steadfast in His love against all odds. We can be a people radiating with goodness that others can see the contrast. We can choose modesty, chastity and purity over the values that the world tries to influence us with. We should be able to know our definition of happiness and love and be the person God has made us to be before the world defines it for us. In doing so we can face God on that day with faith and enter the ark of salvation into His heavenly kingdom. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M



Psalm 116:12-13, 14-16, 18-19

R: To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

12 How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? 13 The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. (R) 14 My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people. Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones. 16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds. (R) 17 To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. 18 My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people.

A sharing in Sabbath by Fr. Bobby is very enlightening for us Christian believers that we just have to read this. Here it is, entitled:
A SECOND TIME, A SECOND TOUCH
As if the first was not enough, Jesus touched the blind man’s eyes a second time. The first time He touched the man’s eyes with His spittle, the man saw people looking like trees. The blind could already see but not clearly. Was there an energy shortage in Jesus’ reservoir of power?
No, there was no shortage in Jesus’ power to perform miracles. He is God; therefore, He was, is and will always be omnipotent. Were not the eyes of the blind man opened? They were. His sight was restored, but, at first, what poor sight he had! Was that really the quality of sight the blind man should have, considering his age? Possibly, but we can only guess. Or was he not yet ready to receive his full sight? Maybe, but we can only speculate. Or did the blind man, now with sight, doubt the power of Jesus’ healing hands the first time He touched him? Perhaps, but again, we can only guess.
Did Jesus really need to touch the blind man’s eyes a second time? What if Jesus did not touch him again? Would the blind man nonetheless regain his sight fully like a newborn? Was it necessary for Jesus to touch the blind man again or was it, like the first, a gratuitous act of grace for Jesus to touch him twice?
Whatever the answers to these questions, one thing is certain: Jesus moves freely. Jesus not only heals for free; He freely heals, too. Jesus achieves His purpose in the way He wants. He can never be coerced.
When we ask Jesus to grant us our prayers, we should be ready to accept the manner by which He grants them, at the time and place He chooses. We do not demand from Him; we pray to Him. Lest we forget, He is the Lord and we are His servants.
If you were the blind man and Jesus did not touch you a second time, what would you do, say and feel? If you were Mark the evangelist, how would you write this episode? Would you write about it at all? Would it still be Good News to you?
Why? Why not?Fr. Bobby Titco

Reflection Question:
How does Jesus touch my life?

Touch me, O Jesus, as many times as I breathe each day. For without Your touch, nothing will have meaning in my life and I will die. Touched by You, transform me to be Your loving touch on others. Amen.

If we will just make a journal, review and try to reflect on it then we would be amazed at how God interconnects the thoughts and insights that naturally arise from the daily readings. We would be able to look at things with meaning and know that He allows things to happen to us for a reason. He will make all things beautiful in our lives and everything is revealed to us in His perfect time. We should always be full of hope and master the art of waiting patiently for the Lord with complete trust in His goodness and mercy. Today's gospel speaks of a blind man whom Jesus did not heal instantly but was first led outside the village, placed spittle on his eyes and laid hands for the 2nd time before   his sight was restored totally. He was also given a specific instruction to follow after the healing took place. This means a lot of things. It is overwhelming, the way God speaks to us in so many different ways. If He wills it then He could instantly heal the blind man but there is a reason why Jesus chose to heal him in various stages. The same thing in our lives, we have to go through a process, stages or whatever you may want to call it when things don't happen immediately or turn out the way we expected it to happen. What's most important is that we follow the way of Jesus and faithfully obey what He is telling us to do. Surely, just like the blind man we will definitely restore very clearly and totally what we've lost and even more and be assured that the blessings we've been waiting for will surely come. Amen, Hallelujah!

Mk 8:22-26
When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida, people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked, “Do you see anything?” Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.” Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly. Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”