GOD'S PREFERENCE

We may all come to a point in our Christian walk of faith when we are no longer sure if what we are doing is the right thing. It is so hard at times when we are confronted with people and situations that are difficult to handle. Some may look at we are doing as being impractical and inappropriate when we make decisions that are not conformed to the existing and current standard of this world which is always after personal gain and glory. No matter how confusing things may be let us continue to consult God with regards to our plans and totally entrust everything to Him. After having said and done what we are supposed to do then we ought to be always confident that God can make things work for good and turn it into a blessing. Just like in today's 1st reading, Abraham had totally given way to Lot's preference and is obviously not after his own personal gain. He could have done otherwise and insisted on a fair agreement that can benefit them both. But he's generosity and total surrender to God's preference eventually blessed him with more than he could ask for. Amen. Hallelujah!

Genesis 13:2. 5-18

...If you prefer the left, I will go to the right; if you prefer the right, I will go to the left.”... After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram: “Look about you, and from where you are, gaze to the north and south, east and west; 15 all the land that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. 16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth; if anyone could count the dust of the earth, your descendants too might be counted. 17 Set forth and walk about in the land, through its length and breadth, for to you I will give it.”...

If we read and follow carefully these words in today’s psalm reading then we can truly say that we’ve found the perfect advice to which we can pattern our lives after. God relates with us in a very personal way and precise in His timing For as long as we stand by the principles and values of God then we can never be wrong. God knows our every thought, motive and intention and if we act on it based on what is just, true and peaceful then we will never be disturbed. The commandments do not limit but protect freedom. Since the more we disobey the more we become bound and become a slave of sin. If we follow the full extent of the 10 commandments we become free. We see people who repeatedly commit the same mistakes over and over again. And yet they never learn anything from the lessons that go with it. The frightening truth about this is the fact that they prefer to be disturbed and miserable not because they love misery but because they prefer to stay in the dark. Jesus has a standing invitation to us in John 12:35, "Jesus said to them, "The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going." It is a choice and decision that we alone can make. It’s not surprising to know that most of us think that God doesn’t want us to have fun. It’s like all the things that we want to do with our friends that are interesting and exciting when we were young, were against God’s commandments. It may seem like we have to settle for less. What’s worse is that all the faithful Catholics get less out of life. This is part of the propaganda way back in the Garden of Eden. God gave us a magnificent paradise wherein there is perfect intimacy and no shame with each other. In the Garden they have everything they need but gave just one limit, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is very interesting because God said, “Don’t do this because you will die.” The reason why God commands us something is because He is a loving Father who cares for us. He wants us to have the best. But then came the serpent, it didn’t create Adam & Eve, nor gave the garden or anything at all. All the serpent gave was a lie and told Adam & Eve not to listen to God or they’ll lose out and won’t become like God. They were made to believe that God is holding out something from them and is actually their rival because God doesn’t want them to have what He has. So instead of trusting the one who gave them everything, they trusted a stranger. They disobeyed God and listened to the liar. They were hooked into a downward spiral of destruction. This is what sin is all about. It is a trap. It is disguised as an apparent good because the fruit looks good and desirable but it ends in disaster. The relationship with God is messed up and so creation turned against them, thorns and thistles appear and things in life become hard. This is what sin does, it seemed small but it gets out of control. Things get worse and worse and there are broken lives everywhere. This is the reality about sin, we are draining life out of ourselves unless we recognize the one true source of life. The problem is that there is a great propaganda out there. It makes sin appear with all its fun, excitement and glamour. It makes virtue appear boring, lame, bland and unexciting. But the truth of the matter is, it’s not. The pleasures that God created in this world are enjoyed the most by those who don’t abuse them and use it simply. Who do we think enjoys food most? The person who doesn’t know how to fast and engorges all the time or a person after a fast experiences a feast? The virtuous person enjoys life the most. The person who uses creation and all things according to God’s plan enjoys it the most. It is because pleasure is God’s idea. All the good things in the world that people want are God’s idea. Satan can’t invent even one bit of pleasure.  But God commands them to be used so that it leads to life and a part of life is joy. The way to enjoy life is to follow God’s commands. Life is not all about rules and regulations. God did not just give us a bunch of rules and regulations that we are supposed to obey like machines. What we do does not just proceed from who we are but also makes us who we are.  The actions we engage, the words that we say and the things that we do have an impact on us. We are making ourselves all the time. God created us when we came out of the womb, our mothers and father have a great role in that but our creation continues every single day of our lives. This is the reason why we call each day the 8^th day of creation. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature and strong or someone weaker and more despicable. There’s no middle ground. We’re going one way or another. Life leads either to heaven or to hell. That’s what the acts that we commit do. If we read and follow carefully these words in today’s psalm reading then we can truly say that we’ve found the perfect advice to which we can pattern our lives after. Though, we may still fall and fail we must not forget that Jesus has triumphed over sin and death. He is victorious and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father. He is able to carry us through. We must always focus on this truth in order for us to attain a life free of worry, anxiety and is never disturbed. When everything is over and done, we look forward to God's reward of endless worth as we emerge as the champion, crowned with the victory won by Christ and live on the holy mountain of the Lord. Heaven is the realization of being a champion. In heaven we will be glorified magnificently. We will live forever with strength, power and beauty sharing a new humanity with Jesus. If we emerge as the champion who is victorious then we can sit beside God on the throne. Amen. Hallelujah!

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

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

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

To make disciples we need disciplers and evangelize. St. Paul said “I am a disciple of Jesus, imitate me.” Live the gospel, become living witnesses and role models. The disciples leave many things behind. Despite of who the disciples are God loves them. Before they met Jesus some of them were greedy and corrupt. When they followed Jesus they left everything behind. We have to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal things to us. We have to throw away all our garbage in our character and relationship like vices, lust, pride, anger, materialism, being stingy in giving treasures to the Lord. We still have a lot of things to be transformed in our lives. As in John 10:10, A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. We need to remove the fear of surrendering to the Lord. The disciples of Jesus love to be in the company of the Master. They talked, walked, ate and spent time with Jesus to learn. They were with Jesus 24 hours a day and so must we to be His disciple. Here are some recommendations from the retreat in order to be a disciple. First, we have to greet and thank God before we get out of bed and wake up. Say our prayers and read the bible. When we worship God we close our eyes. Make a habit of praying before starting and after work. Pray before meals even in public places. Pray for safety when we travel and pray before we go to bed. A disciple transforms his/her past for God’s purposes. God uses all our past experiences for us to attain the kingdom of God. Jeremiah 17:10, I, the LORD, explore the mind and test the heart, Giving to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their deeds. We should obey God and be willing to live in the edge and take risks. As God wants us to be totally subdued to His will, He also warns us to be careful in dealing with the people that we encounter. It is inevitable that there are times when we really have to deal with them but this should not discourage us for it is all part of truly becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 7:6. 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.

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.

LIVING AND TRUE

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 though 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!

Genesis 14:18-20

18 In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine...

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

Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4

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

1 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.” (R) 2 The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion: “Rule in the midst of your enemies.” (R) 3 “Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor; before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”

God gave His only begotten Son, Jesus who already paid the price of our redemption at a great cost. His humility goes beyond the washing of the disciples' feet and extends up to His death like a criminal on a cross. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. There's no other way and we have no further excuse. He has given us the perfect example and a model to follow. In today's 2nd reading, St. Paul gives us instructions on the greatest legacy of Christianity, the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. A death freely accepted, Jesus left us a remembrance of His great love for us by giving up His body and blood. It is very important that we commemorate this as often as possible, by participating in the Eucharistic celebration during Holy mass.  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. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Brothers and sisters: I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

The gospel for today is about the miracle of the multiplication of the bread and feeding of the five thousand. They were hungry and satisfied. Jesus in the gospel today said "Give them some food yourselves." He said this to test them, because He himself knew what he was going to do.” It's a good thing His disciples responded and cooperated with Jesus. The same with us, we may be asked by God to go out of our comfort zones and practical outlook. You know why? So that God can perform His miracle in our life. It emphasizes the truth that God will never allow us to grow hungry and will always provide for our needs. There is no need to go anywhere else for nourishment. There is no need to go away and search elsewhere. We only have to go to God for only Him can satisfy all our longings and desires. We may all know about the story in today's gospel and  have heard it several times already but somehow lost the element of surprise already. But if we will look at it very closely we will discover much more amazing things than we already know. It was not just the satisfying and healing of the physical hunger and deformities that God can do for us but more than we are able to really comprehend. God can go beyond the satisfaction of our physical needs. There is really no one or nothing else we can rely and depend on more than God. We have a very generous God that He gives us more than enough and even went beyond our satisfaction levels. Which I gathered is symbolized by the number 12 which means perfect and was used to describe the fragments left over that they picked up. God assures in the readings for today that we will never go hungry or thirsty for anything at all be it physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Since today's readings emphasizes the fact that we will be fed and satisfied by the Lord this reminded me of our visit to Sis Ester's house for our block rosary. We were all so blessed to experience the generosity of Sis Ester in welcoming us in their home. She had gone out of her way for several days just to accommodate us in their home. We hadn't been just fed but also end up with “to go” treats. This outward display of affection on her part gives us much joy and makes us appreciate even more the goodness of God. Although a pale comparison to the fiesta galore or great banquet in heaven that we all look forward to but definitely a foretaste of the best that is yet to come. In the gospel, all they've got is the five loaves and two fishes which is nothing in proportion to the great crowd that Jesus wanted to feed. Well, I guess ratio and proportion does not apply to the limitless power of God. We may think that we are in a desperate situation or we are a hopeless case. We must not underestimate what God can do. We just have to go to God "as is where is" just like any other junk material that can be bought in whatever condition, God will take us exactly as we are and do the necessary work and miracle for us. God will not just provide for our needs but more. He is indeed a God who is more than enough! Just as Bishop Fulton Sheen was emphasizing in his talk that there is a need to see and live both sides of life. As there is a tragic and comic side to it, Jesus in today’s gospel also did the same thing. He attended to not only the spiritual need of the people but also their physical needs. If we sometimes feel that we are in a pitiful situation and nothing good is happening to us, we better think twice before we wallow up in self pity and depression. More than the miracle of feeding the five thousand, God is telling us to focus more on His compassionate heart that nourishes us physically and spiritually as well because only Jesus can satisfy us. We have a God who will not only satisfy one aspect of our life but all of it. In today's gospel, the vast crowd who followed Jesus in a deserted place despite of being late was not disappointed. It gives us the assurance that God will always rescue us and work for the good. Neither will he abandon or forsake us for He knows what we need even before we ask it. So no matter what our situations may seem to appear, whether we feel like we've been abandoned in a deserted place and things are running late, we should always trust God to give us everything we need and have been praying for. We are also invited to look at the beautiful truths contained in the gospel. This is the only miracle that appears in all four gospels. The others appear only in 3 or less. We can gain insight and a deeper faith in God by focusing on these words, Bethlehem, manger and star. Bethlehem in Hebrew means “House of Bread”. Jesus is laid in a manger, and the root word mange means to much, chew or gnaw. The 3 wise men were led to Jesus by following a star. The star could represent the tabernacle lamp which is the guiding light that houses the Holy Eucharist. They would benefit us to contemplate on these things in relation to the gospel today. Jesus always mentions in the gospel that He is the True Bread who came down from heaven. John 6:33-35, “For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” John 6:48-56, “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;  this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. 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." The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" 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. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. We need to consume His True and abiding Presence. He teaches us to adore Him, Christ the Lord just as the shepherds did with the angels and the Magi on bended knees. Let us adore Him as well. Though we see and taste the bread and wine, it is no longer bread and wine but the Body & Blood of Christ. The Lord transforms what lies before us. The scriptures especially in John 6 are very clear so as not to judge it as a mere sign and symbol. Everybody left Him except the apostles because it is a very hard teaching and they could not accept it. It can’t be apprehended by the 5 senses but by faith. We must not doubt if it is true we just have to rely on the words of our Savior who is Himself the Truth. St. Cyril of Alexandria said that we have already been instructed in words and filled with unshakeable faith. Furthermore he said, “What our senses fail to fathom, let us grasp through faith’s consent.” We must not find it difficult to believe of Christ’s true presence in the Holy Eucharist as we believe that God is on earth as He is heaven. Let us not contradict God’s words and allow it to prevail over our reason and senses. It will be very meritorious to our souls if we hold on to His words because it will not lead us astray nor will it deceive us. Jesus declared it to be His True Body & Blood so who would dare question it. We need to be strong in faith that upon the blessing of the bread the very nature is changed so that what looks like bread is truly the Body of Christ. If we believe the Word made flesh and dwelt among us and created the world from nothing why can’t we believe that He can cause His own Body & Blood as in transubstantiation, to be present from something already existing as in the bread and wine. What a gift we have in the Holy Eucharist, the True Bread from heaven. We need to have a profound love of the Eucharist and be united and transformed by Holy Communion.  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? 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." Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 9:11b-17

...Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

JUST REMEMBER

It may not sound logical for this world what Paul is trying to say in the 1st reading. Who would want to be constantly hurt and bothered by a thorn in the flesh. But come to think of it, it is during these times of trials and persecutions that we remember God and come to Him for help. If we are able and whole then we sometimes neglect God and tend to forget Him. Bottom line is that we should only put our trust in the Lord our God. Sometimes we come to a point when we can not fully understand the things that are happening in our lives just like Paul in today’s 1^st reading. When we go through life and encounter difficulties all we have to do is to always focus on God so that we will not be led astray. One of the things we have to change about ourselves is being forgetful. We get into trouble because of this. One way or another, we can say that forgetting about something has happened to us before and it also crossed our mind that if only someone reminded us about it then it couldn't have happened. There are times when significant events happen on a particular date and normally it would just pass us by without remembering. Despite our being forgetful there would be times when God paves the way for circumstances to fall into place so that we are reminded of the things we’re supposed to remember on special days.  When this happens it only proves that 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. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, 9 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. 10 Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

The considered powerful and mighty of this world is what appear to be the blessed and favored ones as far as human logic and reason are concerned. The exact opposite of what Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount and Plain (Beatitudes) in the gospels. A lot of people find it difficult to really understand the beatitudes since it contradicts the values of this world we live in. The poor, weak, hungry and sorrowing are called blessed. This may not sound acceptable for everybody and would even go around its meaning to get away with the real issue that Jesus wants us to face. Whatever it may be that's still stopping us from grasping the wisdom of God let us pray to God that we will always hold on to His word as He assures daily. Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world. We’ve got to have the right heart, mind and attitude. Be poor in spirit and receptive to the Word of God. It doesn't make sense that despite these truths that are ever before us we still reject Jesus. Let's admit that we do it one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. Pope John Paul II narrated a story when he was in the hospital for his operation. Just before the surgery, he went out of his room unnoticed and visited a very sick boy on the verge of dying. His mother was so depressed that no amount of words was able to console her. She told the Pope to tell God to go away. The Pope answered her that he did tell God to go away but He wouldn't listen. He embraced the inconsolable mother and told her that God knows exactly the place where He needs to be and that is none other than with her. We should realize that God never leaves nor forsakes most especially in times of despair. He is always there for us. Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world. Have you heard of blind obedience? Following without knowing exactly why you follow. Take the example of suicide bombers, who willingly die to spread terrorism. What courage! We should know that it is always worth it to obey God, obeying and knowing fully well that it is for our own good. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. We may have encountered situations wherein we were not able to plan ahead and totally placed us in a very unexpected, uncertain and insecure position.  They just happen suddenly that we have no time to prepare and really caught us off guard. This has caused us to feel at a loss. Just imagine how it feels to be blind not knowing where to go and groping in the dark. But we can be assured that God will rescue us from all distress and deliver us from our troubles. The wickedness and the hatred may persist but let us not lose hope and despair because we have a mighty Savior and Redeemer in our Lord Jesus. This truth stated in today’s psalm reading should keep us going and do exactly what we are told. The Light of the World already came and judgment day is coming soon. In fact, judgment is happening even now. In Deuteronomy 30:15 "Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom..." God asked us to choose. It's got to be one way or another. There should be no mingling or ambiguity. It is all up to us. We can be assured that if we take God’s side then we’ll definitely taste and see His goodness. If we will just seek God at all times then we surely find Him. Let us not turn to anything or anyone else but to God alone. Let us be firm and wise in our dispositions to really stick to God's ideals and principles alone instead of the suggestions and insinuations of the so called wise and learned of this world's standard. For if we do, we'll find ourselves rescued, saved and  truly blessed. We should always keep our hopes up in the Lord no matter what our situations are because it can never change the fact that He is God and always in charge and in control. There are times when we feel forsaken or abandoned but we must always hold on to the truth that He loves us so much. He would never leave us in misery. Let us remove all doubts and fears. Nothing should make us feel afraid for God hears our cry. He will surely carry out what is clearly for our own good and the best. All we need to do is allow God to work in our lives and stop hindering His grace to flow in our lives. If there's one big obstacle that is blocking this flow then it is surely not God. It is time we analyze the things in our life that continue to build up and shut out God. We don't want that happening and it's all up to us for the Lord hears and saves us. Although there are times when we do not have to sweat at all and things just come and fall into place we also have to know that our life is mostly a product of the choices we make. Our choices must always be responsible and carefully decided on. We've got to have a reliable standard for it. One without fail and is sure to work. Actually there is only one thing that we can surely depend on and that is the goodness of the Lord. If we always have this in mind then nothing should stop us to always look at God, listen and follow Him. We should not care so much about gaining the approval and admiration of men rather than God. Our focus first and foremost should be to please God and everything else will follow. Even if it sometimes does not work the way we expected and planned things to be. We can be assured that the Lord heard, hears and will hear all our prayers and surely has the best answer at hand in His most perfect time. In guarding our faith the bible passage from Ephesians 6:10-11 which is about the armor of God is an important tool. If we read it we will find the only weapon mentioned in the said bible passage is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. We should check it once again and be aware of this important information as Catholic Christians. In the gospel about the temptation of Jesus the devil also demonstrated his knowledge of the scriptures. As it is written, we need to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. We are undoubtedly engaged in this battle every single day that's why we are in need of a weapon. This reminds us of the importance of knowing the word of God by heart since it is our only weapon. God never fails. He would always make things work for our good and rescue us in our distress. I have always believed in angels even before I got this petal from a healing service with the image of a cherubim miraculously imprinted on it. It's been a while since I got it and has served as a testimony of God’s abiding love. I have no doubt in my mind that God will always deliver me from all my fears. I always keep my rose petal with me and show it to almost everyone I meet, as a way of propagating God's goodness to me. I can still remember and will never forget how my mother used to narrate to us how I was miraculously saved by my angel several times. First was when I was about 2 months old, and I fell from a height of 2-3 ft countertop when the nanny after giving me a bath left me for only a second to get something and upon returning found me already unconscious and lying on the hard, ceramic tiled floor. I was rushed to the doctor but he told them that if I fail to regain consciousness within an hour then he said I am gone. To everybody's surprise I started to cry even before the time is up. Another one was when I was barely 2 yrs old when I almost got hit by a speeding jeepney. My parent's house is right beside my grandparent's house which is right in front of the school where my mother used to be a public school teacher. She said she was standing in the center of the stage of the school that was why she had a good view of the things around her even the terrace of my grandparent's house so she got the shock of her life when she saw me there alone running very fast heading toward the open gate while a speeding jeepney was coming and looked as if I would really get hit and it would be too late even if somebody was there to stop me. She was already screaming from afar together with the other teachers who saw it and was trying to call the attention of the driver but to no avail for he didn't even slow down because their screams were of no match to the loud engine of the jeep.  It was just a miracle that the moment I stepped on the side of the road, I suddenly stopped and stood very still as if someone was holding me back. She said it was my guardian angel who held me and prevented me from getting hit by the jeep.  I don't remember personally any of those experiences it was only through my mother's stories that I came to know about them. But when I was older like in 4th grade I could already remember how I was spared again from being hurt seriously when the fluorescent lamp right on top of my head fell on my desk a split second after I stood up and left my chair.  My classmates were really shocked and were hovering around me and told me that it was really close. One of my bestfriends, Myrsa got me even more scared of what could had happened when she said that fluorescent lamps are laden with poison that once it gets broken, the poison is released and if the broken glass cuts your skin open the poison will get in and the wound caused by it will never dry up or get healed. From then on I developed this childlike trust in God and thanked God for saving me from death. There was another instance in my life as a child when Myrsa and I were left all alone in school while waiting for our ride home and the deafening sound of lightning and thunder got me very scared. Myrsa played the role of my guardian angel when she tried to calm and stop me from crying by telling me that I should not be afraid because the lightning is the flash bulb of God's camera. She continued by saying that I should not cry but instead smile for God was just taking our picture. Myrsa's legendary stories played a role in my developing a great faith in God. Another funny story was what she told me about the needle. She said that we must be careful with needles because it will find its way into our bodies and once it's inside it will go to our bloodstream and very quickly end up pricking our hearts which can cause us to die right away. There was one time when I lost a needle and couldn't find it anywhere. I went to bed very early that day which surprised my mother and was asking me if there was anything wrong. I decided to myself that I would just wait for my death silently and not tell anybody. I was praying to God not to give me a painful death and let me not feel it once the needle pricks my heart. When I woke up the next day I was so glad that I was still alive and thanked God for sparing me from death. Those were the early formative years of my faith which started out in a funny, amusing but definitely amazing way. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. If we will just constantly nourish and fill ourselves with the words of God in scriptures then there is really no reason for us to fear rather be always filled with joy. He will never allow us to be defeated and conquered for He is always there to rescue us. Amen, Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Psalm 34: 8-9. 10-11. 12-13

R: Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

7 [8] The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them...Fear the LORD, you his holy ones, for nought is lacking to those who fear him. 10 [11] The great grow poor and hungry; but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing...

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? 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? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 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? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

HUMILITY

Today’s 1^st reading tells us of the things St. Paul experienced to spread the gospel and building up of God’s Kingdom. Despite of it all he still considered it as something that he must not boast of. We may want to think about this ourselves whenever we complain and brag about something. Jesus always warns us of pride because of our feeling of worthiness. Pope Benedict XVI said that holiness is not doing extraordinary things but following the will of God everyday by living one’s own vocation really well. This we can do through the help of prayer, with the word of God, the sacraments and with the daily effort for consistency to live a humble life, like the life of the saints. Humility is often seen in the life of the saints in seeking out the low things of the world. By not striving to seek out the things that are showy that would give worldly respect. The saints respect the humility they saw in our Lord in the Incarnation of God becoming man. The humility of God who lowered Himself and assume our human nature and then He gives us Himself in the Eucharist. He comes to us daily in the outward appearance in the form of bread. Not just the humility but the obedience of God to His Father’s will. The plan of God that Jesus would be offered up, to suffer and die for us. This is extreme humility that even to the point of death, Jesus is obedient. Jesus tells us in the scriptures, “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart.” St. Augustine in common understanding said that Jesus did not say learn from me to make heaven and earth, make wonders and miracles, heal the sick, expel devils, raise the dead but learn of me to be meek and humble of heart. Humility, St. Thomas said, principally governs the will but also involve the intellect. In our thinking we have to recognize that God alone is the source of all good. He distributes His gifts as He wills. The humble person is not envious of other people’s gifts as he knows that God is the source of all these gifts. It forms our thinking if we have this reverence for God and know our status as creatures which is the bedrock of humility. As St. Thomas says, it governs the will and our moderate striving to reach things and goals that are beyond us. Humility recognizes that all good and excellence is in God. Thus all creaturely good comes from God. Our pride tells us that we are the source of our own excellence. Although we strive for virtue we keep falling because we see ourselves as the source and not really depending on God and asking Him for the strength. We are not pleading to Him to win the victory in us. We are still trying to do it ourselves. According to Paul we have to cloth ourselves in heartfelt mercy, humility, kindness, meekness and patience. We have to practice humility with our neighbors by bearing with one another and the faults we all have, forgiving the grievances we have against one another as the Lord has forgiven us. Sometimes we tend to say that some sins against us by our brother or sister are unforgiveable in effect. St Paul tells us to put on love that binds all the virtues. Our love for God and our neighbor has to drive all our virtues into perfection. What St. Paul went through or anyone of us is going through right now is really nothing compared to what God has done for us. There is really none like the love of God for us which is the greatest love ever known. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 11:18.21b-30

Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.

To my shame I say that we were too weak! But what anyone dares to boast of (I am speaking in foolishness) I also dare.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Are they ministers of Christ? (I am talking like an insane person.) I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death.

Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep;

on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers;

in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure.

And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches.

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without  questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we  exist in this world, it is only fitting for us to do exactly as the psalm reading tells us today. The considered powerful and mighty of this world is what appear to be the blessed and favored ones as far as human logic and reason are concerned. The exact opposite of what Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount and Plain (Beatitudes) in the gospels. A lot of people find it difficult to really understand the beatitudes since it contradicts the values of this world we live in. The poor, weak, hungry and sorrowing are called blessed. This may not sound acceptable for everybody and would even go around its meaning to get away with the real issue that Jesus wants us to face. Whatever it may be that's still stopping us from grasping the wisdom of God let us pray to God that we will always hold on to His word as He assures daily. Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world. We’ve got to have the right heart, mind and attitude. Be poor in spirit and receptive to the Word of God. It doesn't make sense that despite these truths that are ever before us we still reject Jesus. Let's admit that we do it one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. Pope John Paul II narrated a story when he was in the hospital for his operation. Just before the surgery, he went out of his room unnoticed and visited a very sick boy on the verge of dying. His mother was so depressed that no amount of words was able to console her. She told the Pope to tell God to go away. The Pope answered her that he did tell God to go away but He wouldn't listen. He embraced the inconsolable mother and told her that God knows exactly the place where He needs to be and that is none other than with her. We should realize that God never leaves nor forsakes most especially in times of despair. He is always there for us. Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world. Have you heard of blind obedience? Following without knowing exactly why you follow. Take the example of suicide bombers, who willingly die to spread terrorism. What courage! We should know that it is always worth it to obey God, obeying and knowing fully well that it is for our own good. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. We may have encountered situations wherein we were not able to plan ahead and totally placed us in a very unexpected, uncertain and insecure position.  They just happen suddenly that we have no time to prepare and really caught us off guard. This has caused us to feel at a loss. Just imagine how it feels to be blind not knowing where to go and groping in the dark. But we can be assured that God will rescue us from all distress and deliver us from our troubles. The wickedness and the hatred may persist but let us not lose hope and despair because we have a mighty Savior and Redeemer in our Lord Jesus. This truth stated in today’s psalm reading should keep us going and do exactly what we are told. The Light of the World already came and judgment day is coming soon. In fact, judgment is happening even now. In Deuteronomy 30:15 "Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom..." God asked us to choose. It's got to be one way or another. There should be no mingling or ambiguity. It is all up to us. We can be assured that if we take God’s side then we’ll definitely taste and see His goodness. If we will just seek God at all times then we surely find Him. Let us not turn to anything or anyone else but to God alone. Let us be firm and wise in our dispositions to really stick to God's ideals and principles alone instead of the suggestions and insinuations of the so called wise and learned of this world's standard. For if we do, we'll find ourselves rescued, saved and  truly blessed. We should always keep our hopes up in the Lord no matter what our situations are because it can never change the fact that He is God and always in charge and in control. There are times when we feel forsaken or abandoned but we must always hold on to the truth that He loves us so much. He would never leave us in misery. Let us remove all doubts and fears. Nothing should make us feel afraid for God hears our cry. He will surely carry out what is clearly for our own good and the best. All we need to do is allow God to work in our lives and stop hindering His grace to flow in our lives. If there's one big obstacle that is blocking this flow then it is surely not God. It is time we analyze the things in our life that continue to build up and shut out God. We don't want that happening and it's all up to us for the Lord hears and saves us. Although there are times when we do not have to sweat at all and things just come and fall into place we also have to know that our life is mostly a product of the choices we make. Our choices must always be responsible and carefully decided on. We've got to have a reliable standard for it. One without fail and is sure to work. Actually there is only one thing that we can surely depend on and that is the goodness of the Lord. If we always have this in mind then nothing should stop us to always look at God, listen and follow Him. We should not care so much about gaining the approval and admiration of men rather than God. Our focus first and foremost should be to please God and everything else will follow. Even if it sometimes does not work the way we expected and planned things to be. We can be assured that the Lord heard, hears and will hear all our prayers and surely has the best answer at hand in His most perfect time. In guarding our faith the bible passage from Ephesians 6:10-11 which is about the armor of God is an important tool. If we read it we will find the only weapon mentioned in the said bible passage is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. We should check it once again and be aware of this important information as Catholic Christians. In the gospel about the temptation of Jesus the devil also demonstrated his knowledge of the scriptures. As it is written, we need to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. We are undoubtedly engaged in this battle every single day that's why we are in need of a weapon. This reminds us of the importance of knowing the word of God by heart since it is our only weapon. God never fails. He would always make things work for our good and rescue us in our distress. I have always believed in angels even before I got this petal from a healing service with the image of a cherubim miraculously imprinted on it. It's been a while since I got it and has served as a testimony of God’s abiding love. I have no doubt in my mind that God will always deliver me from all my fears. I always keep my rose petal with me and show it to almost everyone I meet, as a way of propagating God's goodness to me. I can still remember and will never forget how my mother used to narrate to us how I was miraculously saved by my angel several times. First was when I was about 2 months old, and I fell from a height of 2-3 ft countertop when the nanny after giving me a bath left me for only a second to get something and upon returning found me already unconscious and lying on the hard, ceramic tiled floor. I was rushed to the doctor but he told them that if I fail to regain consciousness within an hour then he said I am gone. To everybody's surprise I started to cry even before the time is up. Another one was when I was barely 2 yrs old when I almost got hit by a speeding jeepney. My parent's house is right beside my grandparent's house which is right in front of the school where my mother used to be a public school teacher. She said she was standing in the center of the stage of the school that was why she had a good view of the things around her even the terrace of my grandparent's house so she got the shock of her life when she saw me there alone running very fast heading toward the open gate while a speeding jeepney was coming and looked as if I would really get hit and it would be too late even if somebody was there to stop me. She was already screaming from afar together with the other teachers who saw it and was trying to call the attention of the driver but to no avail for he didn't even slow down because their screams were of no match to the loud engine of the jeep.  It was just a miracle that the moment I stepped on the side of the road, I suddenly stopped and stood very still as if someone was holding me back. She said it was my guardian angel who held me and prevented me from getting hit by the jeep.  I don't remember personally any of those experiences it was only through my mother's stories that I came to know about them. But when I was older like in 4th grade I could already remember how I was spared again from being hurt seriously when the fluorescent lamp right on top of my head fell on my desk a split second after I stood up and left my chair.  My classmates were really shocked and were hovering around me and told me that it was really close. One of my bestfriends, Myrsa got me even more scared of what could had happened when she said that fluorescent lamps are laden with poison that once it gets broken, the poison is released and if the broken glass cuts your skin open the poison will get in and the wound caused by it will never dry up or get healed. From then on I developed this childlike trust in God and thanked God for saving me from death. There was another instance in my life as a child when Myrsa and I were left all alone in school while waiting for our ride home and the deafening sound of lightning and thunder got me very scared. Myrsa played the role of my guardian angel when she tried to calm and stop me from crying by telling me that I should not be afraid because the lightning is the flash bulb of God's camera. She continued by saying that I should not cry but instead smile for God was just taking our picture. Myrsa's legendary stories played a role in my developing a great faith in God. Another funny story was what she told me about the needle. She said that we must be careful with needles because it will find its way into our bodies and once it's inside it will go to our bloodstream and very quickly end up pricking our hearts which can cause us to die right away. There was one time when I lost a needle and couldn't find it anywhere. I went to bed very early that day which surprised my mother and was asking me if there was anything wrong. I decided to myself that I would just wait for my death silently and not tell anybody. I was praying to God not to give me a painful death and let me not feel it once the needle pricks my heart. When I woke up the next day I was so glad that I was still alive and thanked God for sparing me from death. Those were the early formative years of my faith which started out in a funny, amusing but definitely amazing way. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. If we will just constantly nourish and fill ourselves with the words of God in scriptures then there is really no reason for us to fear rather be always filled with joy. He will never allow us to be defeated and conquered for He is always there to rescue us. Amen, Hallelujah!

Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (9a)
R: From all their distress God rescues the just.
1 [2] I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 2 [3] Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (R) 3 [4] Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. 4 [5] I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (R) 5 [6] Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. 6 [7] When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him.

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

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. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; 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.”

NO MORE DOUBT

There is really a need to be watchful and alert in guarding our faith and defending ourselves from the evil snares of the devil so that we can put up with it when it attacks. It is important that we take seriously this advice from Ephesians 6:11-20

"Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. 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 and, having done everything, to hold your ground. 

So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,

and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. 

In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. 

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones…Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 11:1-11

...But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere [and pure] commitment to Christ. For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough...

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

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

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

P S A L M

Psalm 111:1b-2. 3-4. 7-8

R: Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.

1 I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just. 2 Great are the works of the LORD, exquisite in all their delights. (R) Majesty and glory are his work, and his justice endures forever. He has won renown for his wondrous deeds; gracious and merciful is the LORD. (R) 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; sure are all his precepts, 8 reliable forever and ever, wrought in truth and equity. (R)

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.”