Sometimes we come to a point in our lives when we have questions and doubts especially when we encounter situations that cloud our thinking. It may be foolish to even do so but there are times when we are not so sure about our beliefs and what to believe in. When we profess that the Lord our God is over all, in all and for all, this becomes especially difficult at times when we are confronted of the fact that we live in a world ruled with chaos, disorder and so much imperfection. We may come up with all kinds of denials, excuses and justifications but they are just what they really are, as the word and name itself suggests. In the midst of all these things there are just two things we can do, to listen and act on the word of God or not. The message from today's 1st reading is very clear. It is just a matter of living for this truth or against it. There are no ifs, buts and no in between. Amen. Hallelujah!
Romans 10:9-18
...For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”...But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?” 17 Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for “Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”
Upon reading the psalm today the song entitled, "Your Words Are Spirit and Life" by Bernadette Farrell was impressed to me. It is a beautiful song that I have always loved to sing and I just realized that the words of this song are taken from this psalm which made me start singing it. Well, we just have to fully discover what the words of God can make us do. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R: The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
7 [8] The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. (R) 8 [9] The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. (R) 9 [10] The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. (R) 10 [11] They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.
It happens that every time I become part of a certain parish I make it a point to know about its patron saint because of certain events that led me to it. Call it supernatural or extraordinary or whatever we prefer to call it but it has always been this way. It is like something would come up like knowing a particular thing about these saints that would make me realize how they impact my personal life. It is always good to read about the life of the saints. God is pleased with the way they lived their lives here on earth. We can always learn something from them especially in making better our relationship with God. This is what the example of their holy and exemplary life give not just to us but also to the rest of our family to follow. When my husband Edwin and I decided to buy a lot where to build our house, way back in 1990, we chanced upon this lot in Greenwoods Pasig and bought it. It took us 4 years before we were finally able to build a house and move in 1994. Now I know why God chose this place for us to raise our two boys Jude and Allan who are now 21 and 18 years old respectively. Today we are celebrating the feast of St. Andrew and there is a fiesta in Greenwoods since he is the patron saint in our parish. I am very thankful for the San Andres Apostol Parish in Greenwoods for adopting our family most especially my two sons, being a part of it has been a blessing. My sons have become active members of the Youth For Christ (YFC). They are now actively serving the Lord through this community. They have met very nice friends in Greenwoods, too. It helped to know that even if we're miles apart, I am confident in the knowledge that St. Andrew the patron saint of Greenwoods who have always sheltered the families there will continue to intercede for us. My sons were able to build their circle of God fearing friends founded on the activities under the roof of this church. I hope and pray that these bonds will continue to strengthen with the help of St. Andrew as he has done for so many years in the past up to the present. Over all, in all and for all, God makes all things work for the good. Amen. Hallelujah!
St. Andrew was also known as the Apostle of the Greek World, had a Greek name it is not Hebrew, as might have been expected, but Greek, indicative of a certain cultural openness in his family. He also became the preacher and interpreter of Jesus for the Greek, who were also known for their pagan beliefs. Andrew, only Andrew, seemed to have kept his contemplative spirit. When there was the occasion of feeding the five thousand, it was Andrew who naively presented to Jesus the little boy who had some loaves and fish. He trusted Jesus' ability to do something from such a small and impossible beginning. St. Andrew, pray for us. Happy Feast Day!
Matthew 4:18-22
18 As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. 19 He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
OVER ALL
It is always nice to look forward to something good and have this confidence that it will come to pass. This gives us the hope and the strength to carry on in whatever we are going through. We may be experiencing a difficulty but it makes all the difference when we know that our backs are covered or we are safe and secure in the care of reliable and trustworthy friends who would risk their necks for us. It gives us a nice feeling knowing that someone is there for us. Even though we do not feel this kind of assurance we've got to realize that we are not alone. We have a Mighty and Immortal God who is over all, in all and for all. Amen. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 4:2-6
For over all, his glory will be shelter and protection shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain.
We are confronted with a lot of things every day and if there is one thing we should choose and decide for then peace is one of them. It is important that we work and pray for peace to always reign in our midst. If we have peace that passes understanding always safeguarded in our hearts then we can rejoice in the Lord at all times. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
...Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you prosper! 7 May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings. (R) 8 Because of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you!” 9 Because of the house of the LORD, our God, I will pray for your good.
It is very overwhelming to know that such power and authority of God is existent in all people, places, time and circumstances. There is no limit in what God can do for our lives. Just like this Gentile Roman centurion who did not belong to the race of the Chosen People and yet was reached by the power of God we, too should develop in ourselves this great faith in God no matter what. In fact, the words of this Roman Centurion resound up to this moment and time as it is being recited in the Communion Rite every time there is Holy Mass being celebrated all over the world. Jesus has defied the cultural barriers of faith and demonstrated in today's gospel that He is indeed over all, in all and for all. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 8:5-11
5 When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” 7 He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8 The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven.”
Isaiah 4:2-6
For over all, his glory will be shelter and protection shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain.
We are confronted with a lot of things every day and if there is one thing we should choose and decide for then peace is one of them. It is important that we work and pray for peace to always reign in our midst. If we have peace that passes understanding always safeguarded in our hearts then we can rejoice in the Lord at all times. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
...Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you prosper! 7 May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings. (R) 8 Because of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you!” 9 Because of the house of the LORD, our God, I will pray for your good.
It is very overwhelming to know that such power and authority of God is existent in all people, places, time and circumstances. There is no limit in what God can do for our lives. Just like this Gentile Roman centurion who did not belong to the race of the Chosen People and yet was reached by the power of God we, too should develop in ourselves this great faith in God no matter what. In fact, the words of this Roman Centurion resound up to this moment and time as it is being recited in the Communion Rite every time there is Holy Mass being celebrated all over the world. Jesus has defied the cultural barriers of faith and demonstrated in today's gospel that He is indeed over all, in all and for all. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 8:5-11
5 When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” 7 He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8 The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven.”
Sunday, November 28, 2010
JOURNEY'S END
Our life here on earth is much like a journey. We may be travelling through several means of transportation and it could be by land, air or sea. We can choose any way we want to travel. During our life's journey we encounter so many trials, difficulties, hindrances and discouragements but this should not stop us from carrying on. We've got to be determined in going forward, not turn back and lose our way. Just like any other journeys, there is one thing we should be certain of, where are we heading to. We may have been travelling long and hard enough without being certain of this. There are several paths that can lead us to several places. Where is this journey taking us? We've got to have a destination. Every step we make should take us closer to it. Today's 1st reading is an invitation to aim for the highest destiny of man to be with God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 2:1-5
...the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; 3 many peoples shall come and say “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” ...O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
Ideally, there should be no other place we want to be, more than a place where there is peace and prosperity. It is a choice we have to make but sometimes we make the wrong choices and choose to be just anywhere but in a place such as this. We have all the time to be in different places that is fun and exciting. There is nothing wrong with being in these places for as long as we know our limitations but do we get the same joy and fulfillment when we go into the house of God. We should be balanced human beings. We should not just seek to satisfy our physical but spiritual needs as well. Let us tap the our dormant souls that are left unattended for so long and revive it to really feel what the psalm tells us today. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
...May those who love you prosper! 7 May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings. (R) 8 Because of my brothers and friends I will say, “Peace be within you!” 9 Because of the house of the LORD, our God, I will pray for your good.
We may not be physically asleep but spiritually we are. It is time we attend to our souls as I have reiterated earlier as impressed from the psalm reading. Today's 2nd reading tells us to awake from sleep since we may not be aware of the fact that we have been lying dormant for a long time. We are given good advice as to how we are to awaken the passion of our souls rather than that of the flesh. Amen. Hallelujah!
Romans 13:11-14
11 Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; 12 the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. 14 But put on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
Somebody must have been sleeping too long. Our gospel is also telling us to stay awake. A lot of terrible things can happen if we are sleeping because all our senses and defenses are down. Unlike if we are awake when we are totally aware of the things happening around us. This is just to emphasize the point that we need to be vigilant at all times for we never really know the time nor the hour when this journey of ours here on earth is going to end. It is always for our own good that we are ready anytime. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 24:37-44
...Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your
Lord will come. 43 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. 44 So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Isaiah 2:1-5
...the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; 3 many peoples shall come and say “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” ...O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
Ideally, there should be no other place we want to be, more than a place where there is peace and prosperity. It is a choice we have to make but sometimes we make the wrong choices and choose to be just anywhere but in a place such as this. We have all the time to be in different places that is fun and exciting. There is nothing wrong with being in these places for as long as we know our limitations but do we get the same joy and fulfillment when we go into the house of God. We should be balanced human beings. We should not just seek to satisfy our physical but spiritual needs as well. Let us tap the our dormant souls that are left unattended for so long and revive it to really feel what the psalm tells us today. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
...May those who love you prosper! 7 May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings. (R) 8 Because of my brothers and friends I will say, “Peace be within you!” 9 Because of the house of the LORD, our God, I will pray for your good.
We may not be physically asleep but spiritually we are. It is time we attend to our souls as I have reiterated earlier as impressed from the psalm reading. Today's 2nd reading tells us to awake from sleep since we may not be aware of the fact that we have been lying dormant for a long time. We are given good advice as to how we are to awaken the passion of our souls rather than that of the flesh. Amen. Hallelujah!
Romans 13:11-14
11 Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; 12 the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. 14 But put on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
Somebody must have been sleeping too long. Our gospel is also telling us to stay awake. A lot of terrible things can happen if we are sleeping because all our senses and defenses are down. Unlike if we are awake when we are totally aware of the things happening around us. This is just to emphasize the point that we need to be vigilant at all times for we never really know the time nor the hour when this journey of ours here on earth is going to end. It is always for our own good that we are ready anytime. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 24:37-44
...Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your
Lord will come. 43 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. 44 So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Saturday, November 27, 2010
THE BIG DIFFERENCE II
The reflection sharing for today from Didache is an example of one of those scenarios when we are torn between 2 decisions. We are often faced with such dilemmas in life that we have to really come up with a wise and sound decision. Whether it is based on the standard of the world or of the Lord is something that we should set for ourselves. It is funny also how in the story there is a mention of the words big difference which happens to be the title of my reflection yesterday. Here's the story: HER WORD, HER BOND
She was praying for a job. The Lord granted her two options.
After much discernment and waiting, she went with the first offer, the one that replied sooner. She knew the other school would’ve probably given her a higher salary, but she was at peace with this decision. So she signed up with them.
One week later, the other school called her, offering twice the salary she would be getting from the one she had just signed up with. She didn’t expect it to be that big a difference!
She could’ve backed out. It had only been a week and the start of the school year was still far off. No damage would have been done. Except she would’ve gone back on the agreement. Besides, they needed the money. She was starting a family. Others may have encouraged her to take the larger offer.
But she decided to keep her word. She knew it was more important than anything else. Now, she’s happier than ever. Blessed beyond comprehension.
God is faithful to His Word. When we are, too, we open ourselves to His unlimited blessings. George Tolentino Gabriel (george.svp@gmail.com)
REFLECTION:
How much value do I put on keeping my word?
Lord, help me to be reliable as You are.
-end-
Times are hard and we can't blame some people who would make decisions based on the salary but she didn't rely on it but rather relied on the big difference of knowing how to honor one's word. Amen. Hallelujah!
Rv 22:1-7
...“These words are trustworthy and true,...
The truth is that we should never have any doubts about our decisions for as long as we know that it is all for the glory of God first and foremost and everything else will follow. We have this faith and confidence in God as in Philippians 4:6-8, "Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Amen. Hallelujah!
R. (1 Cor 16: 22b, see Rev. 22: 20c) Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
For the LORD is a great God, and a great king above all gods; In his hands are the depths of the earth, and the tops of the mountains are his. His is the sea, for he has made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
When we engage ourselves in things that we consider worthy of our time and energy then we should always make a conscious effort to examine it if they will lead us to something that draws us away from God. We can do this by always lifting to God in prayer whatever decision we make whether it is big or small. As we do this more often time will come when we will eventually develop sensitivity and an open mind to the will of God. As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect." At first it may not seem to be relevant at all because people make wise decisions every day and nothing seems to make any difference at all whether it is offered to God in prayer or not for as long as it is the right thing to do. As rational human beings we are all capable of making a logical decision. The big difference lies in the fact that every time we make decisions and develop a conscious act of placing God in the center we strengthen our bond with God. It is just like when we want to involve someone in our life then we eventually develop a close relationship with the person because of the constant interaction that is being formed which eventually leads to a more meaningful relationship. Today's gospel is a warning to all of us not be too lenient about our faith. An evil force is out to destroy this bond and if we are not going to actively participate in keeping it intact then we may easily fall into the trap. We should take every opportunity that comes our way to exercise our faith. As we grow in strength and work our way to developing a strong and spiritually fit soul we make ourselves ready and able to stand firm on that final day. Amen. Hallelujah!
Lk 21:34-36
Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
She was praying for a job. The Lord granted her two options.
After much discernment and waiting, she went with the first offer, the one that replied sooner. She knew the other school would’ve probably given her a higher salary, but she was at peace with this decision. So she signed up with them.
One week later, the other school called her, offering twice the salary she would be getting from the one she had just signed up with. She didn’t expect it to be that big a difference!
She could’ve backed out. It had only been a week and the start of the school year was still far off. No damage would have been done. Except she would’ve gone back on the agreement. Besides, they needed the money. She was starting a family. Others may have encouraged her to take the larger offer.
But she decided to keep her word. She knew it was more important than anything else. Now, she’s happier than ever. Blessed beyond comprehension.
God is faithful to His Word. When we are, too, we open ourselves to His unlimited blessings. George Tolentino Gabriel (george.svp@gmail.com)
REFLECTION:
How much value do I put on keeping my word?
Lord, help me to be reliable as You are.
-end-
Times are hard and we can't blame some people who would make decisions based on the salary but she didn't rely on it but rather relied on the big difference of knowing how to honor one's word. Amen. Hallelujah!
Rv 22:1-7
...“These words are trustworthy and true,...
The truth is that we should never have any doubts about our decisions for as long as we know that it is all for the glory of God first and foremost and everything else will follow. We have this faith and confidence in God as in Philippians 4:6-8, "Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Amen. Hallelujah!
R. (1 Cor 16: 22b, see Rev. 22: 20c) Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
For the LORD is a great God, and a great king above all gods; In his hands are the depths of the earth, and the tops of the mountains are his. His is the sea, for he has made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
When we engage ourselves in things that we consider worthy of our time and energy then we should always make a conscious effort to examine it if they will lead us to something that draws us away from God. We can do this by always lifting to God in prayer whatever decision we make whether it is big or small. As we do this more often time will come when we will eventually develop sensitivity and an open mind to the will of God. As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect." At first it may not seem to be relevant at all because people make wise decisions every day and nothing seems to make any difference at all whether it is offered to God in prayer or not for as long as it is the right thing to do. As rational human beings we are all capable of making a logical decision. The big difference lies in the fact that every time we make decisions and develop a conscious act of placing God in the center we strengthen our bond with God. It is just like when we want to involve someone in our life then we eventually develop a close relationship with the person because of the constant interaction that is being formed which eventually leads to a more meaningful relationship. Today's gospel is a warning to all of us not be too lenient about our faith. An evil force is out to destroy this bond and if we are not going to actively participate in keeping it intact then we may easily fall into the trap. We should take every opportunity that comes our way to exercise our faith. As we grow in strength and work our way to developing a strong and spiritually fit soul we make ourselves ready and able to stand firm on that final day. Amen. Hallelujah!
Lk 21:34-36
Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Friday, November 26, 2010
THE BIG DIFFERENCE
If there is something as certain as life then it is death. As sure as the life we are holding on today, is the undeniable truth that someday we will all die. The existence of these things can never be denied. Living life to the full, valuing it as we ought to do and getting ourselves ready for the final day when we are judged make all the big difference. Amen. Hallelujah!
Revelation 20:1-4, 11-21:2
All the dead were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of fire. (This pool of fire is the second death.) 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the pool of fire. 21: 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
We ought to be aware of that big difference always. It is a matter of dwelling in a place where there is eternal life of peace and joy or damnation. Our earthly bodies will naturally yearn for earthly desires which are just bound to last only here on earth. We've got to really get it straightened out and listen to the yearning of our souls which will outlast this world. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6a, 8a
R: Here God lives among his people.
2 [3] My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (R) 3 [4] Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young — your altars, O LORD of hosts, my king and my God! (R) 4 [5] Blessed they who dwell in your house! continually they praise you. 5 [6] Blessed the men whose strength you are! 7 [8] They go from strength to strength.
God never runs short of the nicest things to convey to us every day. All we have to do is look around us and see the wonderful creation of God. From the sun that shines, the rain that waters the earth and the air we breath, how can we miss it? We are filled with so many signs and wonders of God's love to us that never fail. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:29-33
29 Jesus told his disciples a parable. “Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. 30 When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; 31 in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
Revelation 20:1-4, 11-21:2
All the dead were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of fire. (This pool of fire is the second death.) 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the pool of fire. 21: 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
We ought to be aware of that big difference always. It is a matter of dwelling in a place where there is eternal life of peace and joy or damnation. Our earthly bodies will naturally yearn for earthly desires which are just bound to last only here on earth. We've got to really get it straightened out and listen to the yearning of our souls which will outlast this world. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6a, 8a
R: Here God lives among his people.
2 [3] My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (R) 3 [4] Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young — your altars, O LORD of hosts, my king and my God! (R) 4 [5] Blessed they who dwell in your house! continually they praise you. 5 [6] Blessed the men whose strength you are! 7 [8] They go from strength to strength.
God never runs short of the nicest things to convey to us every day. All we have to do is look around us and see the wonderful creation of God. From the sun that shines, the rain that waters the earth and the air we breath, how can we miss it? We are filled with so many signs and wonders of God's love to us that never fail. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:29-33
29 Jesus told his disciples a parable. “Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. 30 When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; 31 in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
Thursday, November 25, 2010
WHY HAPPINESS?
As I was trying to reflect on the readings for today and then got a call from a friend on the phone I was inspired to share about this, The Four Levels of Happiness by REV. ROBERT SPITZER, S.J.
Why happiness?: The Greek Philosopher Aristotle (394-322 B.C.) observed that no person deliberately chooses to be unhappy. So, if this is the case, then human beings wish to be happy and the search for happiness leads us to look at what kinds of happiness there might be and whether these types might be logically rank-ordered.
From reviewing Greek and later Christian writers it may be observed that happiness has four levels. These may be described as follows (in ascending order).
1. laetus: Happiness in a thing. Thus, “I see the linguini, I eat the linguini, it makes me feel good, I am happy.” This kind of happiness is based on something external to the self, is short-lived and, on reflection, we do not consider that it is all there is to human happiness. The first and most basic level of happiness comes from things outside ourselves and involve one or more of the five senses. The pleasure they give is immediate and direct such as eating an ice cream cone, buying a brand new car, going on vacation. Their pleasure is short lived and intermittent. They must be replaced by yet another ice cream cone, or new car, or vacation. Until such replacements take place our happiness is on hold.
2. felix: The happiness of comparative advantage. “I have more of this than X.” “I am better at this than X.” This kind of happiness results from competition with another person. The self is seen in terms of how we measure up to others. It has been called “the comparison game.” Such happiness is rather unstable and, if one fails, can lead to unhappiness and sense of worthlessness. Exclusive pursuit tends to oppress others. Most people would not imagine a world as satisfactory if it was composed of only happiness #2 type people. The second level of happiness involves the ego. (Ego is Latin for I) This kind of happiness comes whenever I am in control, the focus of attention, the object of admiration, whenever I see myself as superior to others. Hence, whenever I win, gain power, am admired, or gain popularity I feel happy and pleased with myself. My ego has been affirmed. That which I think is the most important thing in the world (me) has received approval.
3. Beatitudo: (Beatitudo = happiness or blessedness). The happiness that comes from seeing the good in others and doing the good for others. It is, in essence, other-regarding action. Happiness #3 is, in some sense, at war with happiness #2. One cannot be at the same time in competition with someone else and doing the good for and seeing the good in them. Most people would prefer a world (community, family, relationships) structured around the pursuit of happiness #3 than entirely based in happiness #2. Happiness #3 is higher than happiness #2. The problem with #3 is that it is necessarily limited. We cannot be someone else's everything. For example, we or they, will die and if our happiness is contingent upon them, it dies with them. “There must be more than this.” The second level of happiness is not totally satisfying. There is something missing. Humans also desire love, truth, goodness/justice, beauty, and being. These desires are often expressed in acts of charity—seeking cures, being concerned with one’s neighbor, making sacrifices, forgiving personal injuries. We want to make the world a better place and so we offer our lives, time, energy, and talent for the welfare of others. Our happiness, we learn, cannot be separated from the happiness of others. The common good is an integral part of our personal happiness.
4. Sublime Beatitudo: (sublime = “to lift up or elevate”). This category, the most difficult to describe, encompasses a reach for fullness and perfection of happiness. The fullness, therefore, of goodness, beauty, truth and love. So we recognize in this category, those things that are, in a sense, beyond what we are capable of doing purely on our own. Even the third level of happiness does not exhaust the scope of human desire. Humans are pulled by their desire for the sublime, something beyond their imagination, beyond their complete understanding. To be sure, they desire love, goodness, truth, beauty, and being as they experience them in the world; but they also desire these in their perfected and unlimited form. Those of faith recognize this as their desire for God. For those having no faith, they can treat this as an awareness of a seemingly unconditional horizon surrounding human curiosity, creativity, spirit, and achievement.
This quest for fullness is pursued through the other happinesses but with a clear understanding that in the battle between happiness #3 and #2, happiness #3 must win out if we are to approach the transcendentals of this category:
(transcendental: from the latin words trans = above or over and scendere = to climb over or surmount). The transcendentals have traditionally included; truth, beauty and goodness. Note that all religions have some concept that they place in a position of ultimacy and fullness or completeness as well as some account of what keeps us from this condition of completeness (sin, desire, illusion etc.) and a remedy for it.
Christians believe that God is not only the Creator of the universe but is the One who keeps us all in being moment to moment by His Grace. According to the claims of the Christian faith, creation has a meaning and purpose and so do each one of us as creatures. The central aspect of God is love and this was the reason for the incarnation (literally “enfleshment”) of God in His son Jesus Christ. Only God in Jesus is perfect and, according to Christians, our ultimate happiness is found in relationship with God through Jesus (prayer, obedience to his teachings etc.) who overcame sin (separation from God).
Christians believe that the fullness of the beatific vision (seeing God, or perfection, face-to-face) is something that we strive to move towards in life but will only be granted completely, after death. We get glimpses of the sublime nature of beauty, truth and goodness at rare moments in, perhaps, the arts (music, story, film) or nature or when we are loved by or love others. These experiences are deep and largely beyond words. Clearly to develop this category and pursue the depths of each category in this fourth level of happiness, is the work of a lifetime of open-ness, honesty and living/loving well. But the life itself is a gift which we are given. At least, that is what the tradition says.
A wonderful “parable” of the shift from Happiness #2 to Happiness #3 (up the ladder of happiness to a “higher level” of happiness') may be seen in the famous story of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Scrooge begins in Happiness #2 and, though successful in business, is unhappy as a person. Fear of death and his unhappy state lead him to choose to move to Happiness #3 type actions (helping the Cratchetts and others, reconciliation with his niece etc.). His happiness is a result of a shift from resentment to gratitude. Happiness #4 type questions about purpose and meaning he previously refused to examine.
Such questions as “Why am I here?” “How can I be happy?” “How can I account for human suffering?” have to deal with purpose, meaning and the transcendentals and cannot be measured by scientific measurement or answered scientifically because they transcend them. They are properly the questions for religion in terms of what we are committed to (religio = to be bound), and philosophy which deals with the love of wisdom. Augustine describes this quest as fides quaerens intellectus: “faith in search of understanding.”
Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9a
“Alleluia! Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgments.
Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
R: Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb
...Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; give thanks to him; bless his name.
Luke 21:20-28
... stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”
Why happiness?: The Greek Philosopher Aristotle (394-322 B.C.) observed that no person deliberately chooses to be unhappy. So, if this is the case, then human beings wish to be happy and the search for happiness leads us to look at what kinds of happiness there might be and whether these types might be logically rank-ordered.
From reviewing Greek and later Christian writers it may be observed that happiness has four levels. These may be described as follows (in ascending order).
1. laetus: Happiness in a thing. Thus, “I see the linguini, I eat the linguini, it makes me feel good, I am happy.” This kind of happiness is based on something external to the self, is short-lived and, on reflection, we do not consider that it is all there is to human happiness. The first and most basic level of happiness comes from things outside ourselves and involve one or more of the five senses. The pleasure they give is immediate and direct such as eating an ice cream cone, buying a brand new car, going on vacation. Their pleasure is short lived and intermittent. They must be replaced by yet another ice cream cone, or new car, or vacation. Until such replacements take place our happiness is on hold.
2. felix: The happiness of comparative advantage. “I have more of this than X.” “I am better at this than X.” This kind of happiness results from competition with another person. The self is seen in terms of how we measure up to others. It has been called “the comparison game.” Such happiness is rather unstable and, if one fails, can lead to unhappiness and sense of worthlessness. Exclusive pursuit tends to oppress others. Most people would not imagine a world as satisfactory if it was composed of only happiness #2 type people. The second level of happiness involves the ego. (Ego is Latin for I) This kind of happiness comes whenever I am in control, the focus of attention, the object of admiration, whenever I see myself as superior to others. Hence, whenever I win, gain power, am admired, or gain popularity I feel happy and pleased with myself. My ego has been affirmed. That which I think is the most important thing in the world (me) has received approval.
3. Beatitudo: (Beatitudo = happiness or blessedness). The happiness that comes from seeing the good in others and doing the good for others. It is, in essence, other-regarding action. Happiness #3 is, in some sense, at war with happiness #2. One cannot be at the same time in competition with someone else and doing the good for and seeing the good in them. Most people would prefer a world (community, family, relationships) structured around the pursuit of happiness #3 than entirely based in happiness #2. Happiness #3 is higher than happiness #2. The problem with #3 is that it is necessarily limited. We cannot be someone else's everything. For example, we or they, will die and if our happiness is contingent upon them, it dies with them. “There must be more than this.” The second level of happiness is not totally satisfying. There is something missing. Humans also desire love, truth, goodness/justice, beauty, and being. These desires are often expressed in acts of charity—seeking cures, being concerned with one’s neighbor, making sacrifices, forgiving personal injuries. We want to make the world a better place and so we offer our lives, time, energy, and talent for the welfare of others. Our happiness, we learn, cannot be separated from the happiness of others. The common good is an integral part of our personal happiness.
4. Sublime Beatitudo: (sublime = “to lift up or elevate”). This category, the most difficult to describe, encompasses a reach for fullness and perfection of happiness. The fullness, therefore, of goodness, beauty, truth and love. So we recognize in this category, those things that are, in a sense, beyond what we are capable of doing purely on our own. Even the third level of happiness does not exhaust the scope of human desire. Humans are pulled by their desire for the sublime, something beyond their imagination, beyond their complete understanding. To be sure, they desire love, goodness, truth, beauty, and being as they experience them in the world; but they also desire these in their perfected and unlimited form. Those of faith recognize this as their desire for God. For those having no faith, they can treat this as an awareness of a seemingly unconditional horizon surrounding human curiosity, creativity, spirit, and achievement.
This quest for fullness is pursued through the other happinesses but with a clear understanding that in the battle between happiness #3 and #2, happiness #3 must win out if we are to approach the transcendentals of this category:
(transcendental: from the latin words trans = above or over and scendere = to climb over or surmount). The transcendentals have traditionally included; truth, beauty and goodness. Note that all religions have some concept that they place in a position of ultimacy and fullness or completeness as well as some account of what keeps us from this condition of completeness (sin, desire, illusion etc.) and a remedy for it.
Christians believe that God is not only the Creator of the universe but is the One who keeps us all in being moment to moment by His Grace. According to the claims of the Christian faith, creation has a meaning and purpose and so do each one of us as creatures. The central aspect of God is love and this was the reason for the incarnation (literally “enfleshment”) of God in His son Jesus Christ. Only God in Jesus is perfect and, according to Christians, our ultimate happiness is found in relationship with God through Jesus (prayer, obedience to his teachings etc.) who overcame sin (separation from God).
Christians believe that the fullness of the beatific vision (seeing God, or perfection, face-to-face) is something that we strive to move towards in life but will only be granted completely, after death. We get glimpses of the sublime nature of beauty, truth and goodness at rare moments in, perhaps, the arts (music, story, film) or nature or when we are loved by or love others. These experiences are deep and largely beyond words. Clearly to develop this category and pursue the depths of each category in this fourth level of happiness, is the work of a lifetime of open-ness, honesty and living/loving well. But the life itself is a gift which we are given. At least, that is what the tradition says.
A wonderful “parable” of the shift from Happiness #2 to Happiness #3 (up the ladder of happiness to a “higher level” of happiness') may be seen in the famous story of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Scrooge begins in Happiness #2 and, though successful in business, is unhappy as a person. Fear of death and his unhappy state lead him to choose to move to Happiness #3 type actions (helping the Cratchetts and others, reconciliation with his niece etc.). His happiness is a result of a shift from resentment to gratitude. Happiness #4 type questions about purpose and meaning he previously refused to examine.
Such questions as “Why am I here?” “How can I be happy?” “How can I account for human suffering?” have to deal with purpose, meaning and the transcendentals and cannot be measured by scientific measurement or answered scientifically because they transcend them. They are properly the questions for religion in terms of what we are committed to (religio = to be bound), and philosophy which deals with the love of wisdom. Augustine describes this quest as fides quaerens intellectus: “faith in search of understanding.”
Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9a
“Alleluia! Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgments.
Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
R: Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb
...Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; give thanks to him; bless his name.
Luke 21:20-28
... stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
BE IN THAT NUMBER II
For quite sometime we have been planning to go on a trip but just couldn't get our number right. At first there were 6 of us then it appeared that 2 or 4 more people would be joining us but it didn't work out then we were back to 6 but one of us backed out and then we were only 5 and so we thought. A few days ago, this 5th person was not answering our calls, nor replying to our voice messages. It was easy to assume then that she had backed out too. Finally last night we got our number right and all 5 of us have confirmed to join the trip. This incident makes me think again of the song, "...how I love to be in that number when the saints go marching in..." We really couldn't be too sure of anything at all. But come to think of a place with endless joy and singing as in today's 1st reading where there is perfect peace and harmony then it should make all the difference. Instead of having second thoughts or backing out we surely have to be in that number. Amen. Hallelujah!
Revelation 15:1-4
...They were holding God’s harps, 3 and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God almighty. Just and true are your ways, O king of the nations. 4 Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Are we in or out? This is the big question that we have all been dealing with lately with regards to the trip we have planned. It's just a simple question that we've got to have a straight answer for. Sometimes we just can't make up our minds about something that we tend to delay, ignore or put it off as long as we could without realizing that the more we do this the more we miss out on some things. Let me change the question. Is there any other place we would like to be other than in the loving presence of God? This, I'm sure we can and should have a straight answer without delay. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 7-8, 9
R: Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm...Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; 8 let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy.
When we decide to always be in the loving presence of God it means we stay away from sin. This is not an easy thing to do in fact it is written in Mt. 18:21-22, "Then Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. Our faith demands a great deal from us even to the point of being hated by all as in today's gospel. Our focus should not be on what seems to be the downside of it because God assures us that not a hair will be destroyed and our perseverance will secure our lives. This, we could definitely count on. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:12-19
...You will be hated by all because of my name, 18 but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. 19 By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Revelation 15:1-4
...They were holding God’s harps, 3 and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God almighty. Just and true are your ways, O king of the nations. 4 Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Are we in or out? This is the big question that we have all been dealing with lately with regards to the trip we have planned. It's just a simple question that we've got to have a straight answer for. Sometimes we just can't make up our minds about something that we tend to delay, ignore or put it off as long as we could without realizing that the more we do this the more we miss out on some things. Let me change the question. Is there any other place we would like to be other than in the loving presence of God? This, I'm sure we can and should have a straight answer without delay. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 7-8, 9
R: Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm...Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; 8 let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy.
When we decide to always be in the loving presence of God it means we stay away from sin. This is not an easy thing to do in fact it is written in Mt. 18:21-22, "Then Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. Our faith demands a great deal from us even to the point of being hated by all as in today's gospel. Our focus should not be on what seems to be the downside of it because God assures us that not a hair will be destroyed and our perseverance will secure our lives. This, we could definitely count on. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:12-19
...You will be hated by all because of my name, 18 but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. 19 By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
BE IN THAT NUMBER
I am not surprised at all why we have often seen death depicted as a scary black creature holding a sharp sickle. Today's 1st reading is a picture of Judgment Day and we should all know that time will come when we will all have to face that day when we die and be judged according to what we have done. This should not scare us knowing that we have a Perfect God who judges us fairly. Rather this should inspire us to strive to be in that number of saints who go marching in heaven. Amen. Hallelujah!
Revelation 14:14-19
...“Use your sharp sickle and cut the usters from the earth’s vines, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth’s vintage. He threw it into the great wine press of God’s fury.
There are so many things in life that worry us every day. We encounter people and circumstances that disturb our peace. We can't help but be stirred up and sometimes lose our focus. The truth is there is nothing that should bother us at all. We've got to hold on to the truth always that God is on top of everything. We have to be perfectly aware of the fact that the Lord has the whole world in the palm of His hand and will surely rule it with justice and constancy. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 96:10, 11-12, 13
R: The Lord comes to judge the earth.
...He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy.
Today's gospel tells us of the certainty that this world will come to an end but when it is going to happen, nobody knows. Whether it is going to happen sooner or later should be the least of our concerns. What's most important is that we are always ready. It is easy for us to say, "Do not worry." or "I am not worried." but are we a picture of what we say we are. Our actions speak louder than the words we say. We ought to make a firm stand on this and really mean it. It is not like we just believe in something then that's it. It will require more than that in order for us to truly be a reflection of what we believe is true. If we think that we can just go along with the majority or we have won over the support of many and we are safe already then we are wrong. It is more of a personal conviction on our part to really stand by it no matter what. What's worse is that when we don't know what we really believe in then the worst happens. As the gospel says, we should not be deceived. We've got to grow in wisdom and understanding not as the world may put it but as the Holy Spirit of God fills and empowers us. It is especially important that we build confidence on the One True God, the source of our strength and courage. As in Ephesians 6:10-18, "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..."
These are the things we ought to focus on rather than be bothered of the frightening things that are being said about the end times. No one can really say when it is going to happen but one thing is sure we all have to prepare and be ready for it right now. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:5-11
...Jesus said, 6 “All that you see — the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” 7 Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” 8 He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them! 9 When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.”
Revelation 14:14-19
...“Use your sharp sickle and cut the usters from the earth’s vines, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth’s vintage. He threw it into the great wine press of God’s fury.
There are so many things in life that worry us every day. We encounter people and circumstances that disturb our peace. We can't help but be stirred up and sometimes lose our focus. The truth is there is nothing that should bother us at all. We've got to hold on to the truth always that God is on top of everything. We have to be perfectly aware of the fact that the Lord has the whole world in the palm of His hand and will surely rule it with justice and constancy. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 96:10, 11-12, 13
R: The Lord comes to judge the earth.
...He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy.
Today's gospel tells us of the certainty that this world will come to an end but when it is going to happen, nobody knows. Whether it is going to happen sooner or later should be the least of our concerns. What's most important is that we are always ready. It is easy for us to say, "Do not worry." or "I am not worried." but are we a picture of what we say we are. Our actions speak louder than the words we say. We ought to make a firm stand on this and really mean it. It is not like we just believe in something then that's it. It will require more than that in order for us to truly be a reflection of what we believe is true. If we think that we can just go along with the majority or we have won over the support of many and we are safe already then we are wrong. It is more of a personal conviction on our part to really stand by it no matter what. What's worse is that when we don't know what we really believe in then the worst happens. As the gospel says, we should not be deceived. We've got to grow in wisdom and understanding not as the world may put it but as the Holy Spirit of God fills and empowers us. It is especially important that we build confidence on the One True God, the source of our strength and courage. As in Ephesians 6:10-18, "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..."
These are the things we ought to focus on rather than be bothered of the frightening things that are being said about the end times. No one can really say when it is going to happen but one thing is sure we all have to prepare and be ready for it right now. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:5-11
...Jesus said, 6 “All that you see — the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” 7 Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” 8 He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them! 9 When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.”
Monday, November 22, 2010
OIL & WATER
One of the difficulties we encounter as a Christian is how to tame our tongues. We are sometimes very quick to say things without much thought that we end up hurting other people's feelings. Well, I guess we've all been there and done that. We can think of all kinds of justification for our action but it still doesn't change the fact that we've offended someone. The words that we speak are one of the things that we can never take back once it has been said. Relationships suffer a lot because of this and it will always be for the best if we think hard and twice before we say anything at all. We should always consider the rule of using words only when necessary. Amen. Hallelujah!
Revelation 14:1-3, 4b-5
...On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished.
We are being reminded by the readings today to always keep ourselves blameless before the Lord. God wants to be with us, there is no doubt about that. But just like water and oil which can not be put together and mixed so is God and man if we are in sin or harbor anything that can not be attributed to the holiness of God. We can not force two different things to go together. Water is a polar molecule and oil is non polar. They do not mix because they are two different substances as in the adage, "Like dissolves like." God can not change. He is already who He is, Holy in all His ways. We can change. We can be like God in His holiness and goodness if we want to be with Him forever. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R: Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
...Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? Or who may stand in his holy place? (R) 4 He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. (R) 5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. 6 Such is the race that seeks for him,...
We may think of it as very foolish for someone to offer her whole livelihood and be left with nothing. The point here and what is being emphasized in today's gospel is the sincerity of the heart in giving and our complete trust in God whom we can not out give. We can never outdo God's generosity. The question here is, do we sincerely do it when we do something like giving of our time, talent and treasure? We should come to a point just like this poor widow when we do and give our all for the glory of God. Not holding back anything knowing in our heart that God deserves the best and the most that we can give. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:1-4
1 When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury 2 and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. 3 He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; 4 for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
Revelation 14:1-3, 4b-5
...On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished.
We are being reminded by the readings today to always keep ourselves blameless before the Lord. God wants to be with us, there is no doubt about that. But just like water and oil which can not be put together and mixed so is God and man if we are in sin or harbor anything that can not be attributed to the holiness of God. We can not force two different things to go together. Water is a polar molecule and oil is non polar. They do not mix because they are two different substances as in the adage, "Like dissolves like." God can not change. He is already who He is, Holy in all His ways. We can change. We can be like God in His holiness and goodness if we want to be with Him forever. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R: Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
...Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? Or who may stand in his holy place? (R) 4 He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. (R) 5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. 6 Such is the race that seeks for him,...
We may think of it as very foolish for someone to offer her whole livelihood and be left with nothing. The point here and what is being emphasized in today's gospel is the sincerity of the heart in giving and our complete trust in God whom we can not out give. We can never outdo God's generosity. The question here is, do we sincerely do it when we do something like giving of our time, talent and treasure? We should come to a point just like this poor widow when we do and give our all for the glory of God. Not holding back anything knowing in our heart that God deserves the best and the most that we can give. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:1-4
1 When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury 2 and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. 3 He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; 4 for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
Sunday, November 21, 2010
THE BROOD
Having the chance to observe this aviary for months made me realize how simply fascinating it is to see how these birds relate with each other. I guess, everybody is aware of the fact that mother birds as all other mothers are very protective of their brood from the moment they lay their eggs until they hatch and while still unable to feed and care for themselves. Well, I guess this is a universal truth for most parents and could be observed well in all animal species especially the human race. There is really a truth in this saying, "Birds of the same feathers flock together." Not just that, I discovered that the brood that were hatched together flock closer and more often than the rest of the same feathered birds. They are so cute to look at that even when they are finally out of the nest and could fly, they still stick close to each other always sit side by side and all huddled up. It is very heart warming to see such a display of love and care. This kind of affection is so powerful. It can be attributed to the sense of belonging of one to another. In the same way that we should develop the attraction and inclination to whom we really belong, God our Father who created us. Amen. Hallelujah!
2 Samuel 5:1-3
“Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
When we are feeling tired from all the day's work all we want to do is just go home. Nothing could be more rewarding than coming home to a place where we find rest and peace. Our life here on earth could be compared to something like this. It is nice to know that at the end of the day or our life's journey we can go rejoicing to the house of the Lord and find ourselves welcome there. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5
R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” 2 And now we have set foot within your gates,...
Today’s 2nd reading says it all. It is nice to know that we all belong to the brood of God’s beloved family. We are safe under the protective wings and warmth of His love and care. Amen. Hallelujah!
Colossians 1:12-20
12 Brothers and sisters: Let us give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. 13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
Whether good or bad, we are all invited to enter the Kingdom of God. It is never too late for anyone for as long as we follow the example of the good thief in today’s gospel. But sometimes it might give us the wrong impression that we can wait as long as we want even up to the end before we decide to be good since this is what happened to the good thief. Let us not take for granted the fact that he also underwent the excruciating pain of death on the cross and chose to be converted in the end. There is not much difference between these 2 thieves. In fact they were alike in one thing they are both bad. The difference lies in the fact that the bad thief decided to remain as he is and not be converted. This is the usually what happens and is the normal trend, when we become used to who we are and just stick to it to the end. It suddenly comes so naturally. It required a great deal for the thief who used to be bad to finally be good, I suppose. It may not be safe to stall especially if we don’t trust ourselves to endure harder than the good thief. Whichever way we choose let us not put at stake the ultimate goal for each one of us, to be in Paradise someday. Amen. Hallelujah!
3:35-43
...“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
2 Samuel 5:1-3
“Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
When we are feeling tired from all the day's work all we want to do is just go home. Nothing could be more rewarding than coming home to a place where we find rest and peace. Our life here on earth could be compared to something like this. It is nice to know that at the end of the day or our life's journey we can go rejoicing to the house of the Lord and find ourselves welcome there. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5
R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” 2 And now we have set foot within your gates,...
Today’s 2nd reading says it all. It is nice to know that we all belong to the brood of God’s beloved family. We are safe under the protective wings and warmth of His love and care. Amen. Hallelujah!
Colossians 1:12-20
12 Brothers and sisters: Let us give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. 13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
Whether good or bad, we are all invited to enter the Kingdom of God. It is never too late for anyone for as long as we follow the example of the good thief in today’s gospel. But sometimes it might give us the wrong impression that we can wait as long as we want even up to the end before we decide to be good since this is what happened to the good thief. Let us not take for granted the fact that he also underwent the excruciating pain of death on the cross and chose to be converted in the end. There is not much difference between these 2 thieves. In fact they were alike in one thing they are both bad. The difference lies in the fact that the bad thief decided to remain as he is and not be converted. This is the usually what happens and is the normal trend, when we become used to who we are and just stick to it to the end. It suddenly comes so naturally. It required a great deal for the thief who used to be bad to finally be good, I suppose. It may not be safe to stall especially if we don’t trust ourselves to endure harder than the good thief. Whichever way we choose let us not put at stake the ultimate goal for each one of us, to be in Paradise someday. Amen. Hallelujah!
3:35-43
...“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Saturday, November 20, 2010
THE MAIN STREET
As Catholics we remember to pray for the souls of our beloved faithful departed during the month of November. In fact in St. Martha's church, pictures of the faithful departed loved ones, friends and relatives are on display at one area of the church. Some people may find it strange that I have a devotion to pray for the souls of the dead. Of the so many Catholic devotions that we know of, praying for the eternal repose of the souls is one devotion that I have committed to surprisingly and extraordinarily, I should say. It all started in 2006 when I had this very unusual experience with a hit and run victim who was lying dead on the spot for around three and a half hours, I prefer to assume based on what the onlookers said. The accident happened very early in the morning in EDSA a main street in the heart of the city in the Philippines. My heart was moved with pity for that poor guy that I offered the rosary prayer for his soul. After that incident, as far as my disposition for the dead souls are concerned things were never the same again. Something very unnatural happened immediately after that because I was on my way to a very important appointment which I was already late for. Earlier I had been told that I would no longer be entertained and would just be wasting my time if I would still go. Anyway I still did and there it happened. I was not declined and was still allowed to enter. It was most unusual that those who came earlier and on time were denied entry and rejected. The unimaginable happened, the documents I submitted needed some major revisions but it was overlooked, signed and approved. There was only one thing in my mind at that time while it was all happening, that dead guy’s soul that I prayed for, whom I rendered some love and mercy. As I've said earlier, things were never the same again thus I believe that there is life after death and it pays to pray for our departed brothers and sister. Someday when we come face to face with that reality, may we receive the breath of life everlasting from God. I've had several more special experiences related to it and also with other souls that I have prayed for. They are too many to narrate right now. This particular story strikes me now even more because the details closely resemble the passages from today's 1st reading that I got inspired to share this. Amen. Hallelujah!
Revelation 11:4-12
...Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city...after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, “Come up here.” So they went up to heaven in a cloud...
When I first saw that man lying dead in the street partially covered by newspapers, it may look a lot like there is no hope left for him considering the kind of fate and death he met. It was an untimely, unprepared and unexpected turn which also became the end of his life on earth. When things seem to look so bad as in this kind of bad that I've seen for myself or even worse, I know for sure that it is not the way it appears to be. What could one ever think of a man left dead lying on a main street of a great city where a lot of people see it as they come and go. Nothing seems to be the way it really is for there is always hope. To God alone do we look to be saved. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 144:1b, 2, 9-10
R: Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
...My mercy and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust...
There is life after death. Just when others may think that death is the end of everything and nothing else follows, for those of us who believe in the resurrection, we hope to discover on that dreaded day for unbelievers that it is just the beginning of new and eternal life with God in heaven. And just like that man left dead in the main street, there is a connecting highway leading to heaven. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 20:27-40
...those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.
Revelation 11:4-12
...Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city...after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, “Come up here.” So they went up to heaven in a cloud...
When I first saw that man lying dead in the street partially covered by newspapers, it may look a lot like there is no hope left for him considering the kind of fate and death he met. It was an untimely, unprepared and unexpected turn which also became the end of his life on earth. When things seem to look so bad as in this kind of bad that I've seen for myself or even worse, I know for sure that it is not the way it appears to be. What could one ever think of a man left dead lying on a main street of a great city where a lot of people see it as they come and go. Nothing seems to be the way it really is for there is always hope. To God alone do we look to be saved. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 144:1b, 2, 9-10
R: Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
...My mercy and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust...
There is life after death. Just when others may think that death is the end of everything and nothing else follows, for those of us who believe in the resurrection, we hope to discover on that dreaded day for unbelievers that it is just the beginning of new and eternal life with God in heaven. And just like that man left dead in the main street, there is a connecting highway leading to heaven. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 20:27-40
...those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.
Friday, November 19, 2010
SURE ENOUGH
Sometimes we go through life with some doubts in our head or uncertainty. It doesn't feel good at all to have this kind of feeling because being sure in what we do is very important. It makes us somehow restless, unstable and frightened at times when we are in this kind of situation. It makes all the difference when we are sure about something. God in His goodness and love for us will surely not withhold things from us especially if it is for the best. When we come to a point when we feel so uncertain, we can always offer it to God in prayer. If we are truly open to listen and obey the will of God then we can hear Him speak to us in our daily circumstances and be assured that we will not just get our answer but will even get confirmation for it. Amen. Hallelujah!
Revelation 10:8-11
I. John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me. Then the voice spoke to me again...
We've got to make sure that what we sought and yearn for, is what should bring us genuine riches, true delight and the most precious treasure which the world can not give and only God can bring about. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131
R: How sweet to my taste is your promise!
14 In the way of your decrees I rejoice, as much as in all riches. (R) 24 Yes, your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors. (R) 72 The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (R) 103 How sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (R) 111 Your decrees are my inheritance forever; the joy of my heart they are. (R) 131 I gasp with open mouth in my yearning for your commands
We’ve got to maintain and stay within the context of what has been written. People sometimes overlook things and take it for granted. The church is a house of prayer and should keep it that way. Although some people may think that it is not the external appearances that matter most but what’s inside our hearts we still need to realize the importance of observing proper behavior and decorum when inside the church. Sure enough, this is all for the greater glory of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 19:45-48
45 Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’ ” 47 And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, 48 but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.
Revelation 10:8-11
I. John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me. Then the voice spoke to me again...
We've got to make sure that what we sought and yearn for, is what should bring us genuine riches, true delight and the most precious treasure which the world can not give and only God can bring about. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131
R: How sweet to my taste is your promise!
14 In the way of your decrees I rejoice, as much as in all riches. (R) 24 Yes, your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors. (R) 72 The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (R) 103 How sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (R) 111 Your decrees are my inheritance forever; the joy of my heart they are. (R) 131 I gasp with open mouth in my yearning for your commands
We’ve got to maintain and stay within the context of what has been written. People sometimes overlook things and take it for granted. The church is a house of prayer and should keep it that way. Although some people may think that it is not the external appearances that matter most but what’s inside our hearts we still need to realize the importance of observing proper behavior and decorum when inside the church. Sure enough, this is all for the greater glory of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 19:45-48
45 Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’ ” 47 And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, 48 but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
IN THE LOVING ARMS
Paul left us a wonderful example of following Jesus even in the midst of persecution and trials. He was very focused on just one thing, to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to teach about the Lord Jesus Christ. It would require a whole lot of conviction and determination to carry on as he did considering the kind of situation and circumstance he is in at that time. If we are to look very closely we would just marvel at how he was able to do everything. We could only be sure of one thing, that where the Spirit of God dwells and prevails there we find abounding signs, wonders and miracles beyond our imagination. Amen. Hallelujah!
Acts 28:11-16, 30-31
...He received all who came to him, 31 and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us not be blind any longer and really see. It can not be denied whoever we may be, whatever we do, wherever we go and whenever that the Lord has revealed to the nations His saving power. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
R: The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.
Today's gospel should make us realize that it is in the most frightening time in our life that we can get this chance to be courageous and brave. It is in these trying times that we can exercise our faith in God if we are facing very difficult problems.
We ought to realize that we are capable of doing the impossible like walk on water if we remain steadfast and unwavering in our faith in God. Let us not be distracted by the strong whips of the wind as in the trials and difficulties we are facing. There are many things that we could think of that are far fetched, insurmountable, inconceivable, preposterous, unattainable, unimaginable, unreasonable and unacceptable just like walking on water is an impossibility as far as the laws of nature is concerned. We sometimes, if not always doubt when we are confronted with such things but we should always be in touch with the truth that there is someone greater than any of these laws and things. We can always reach out to Him and be safe in the loving arms of our Savior and Creator. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 14:22-33
...At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Acts 28:11-16, 30-31
...He received all who came to him, 31 and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us not be blind any longer and really see. It can not be denied whoever we may be, whatever we do, wherever we go and whenever that the Lord has revealed to the nations His saving power. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
R: The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.
Today's gospel should make us realize that it is in the most frightening time in our life that we can get this chance to be courageous and brave. It is in these trying times that we can exercise our faith in God if we are facing very difficult problems.
We ought to realize that we are capable of doing the impossible like walk on water if we remain steadfast and unwavering in our faith in God. Let us not be distracted by the strong whips of the wind as in the trials and difficulties we are facing. There are many things that we could think of that are far fetched, insurmountable, inconceivable, preposterous, unattainable, unimaginable, unreasonable and unacceptable just like walking on water is an impossibility as far as the laws of nature is concerned. We sometimes, if not always doubt when we are confronted with such things but we should always be in touch with the truth that there is someone greater than any of these laws and things. We can always reach out to Him and be safe in the loving arms of our Savior and Creator. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 14:22-33
...At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
WHAT IS SAFE ENOUGH...?
Everything is grace from God. We can not claim anything as our own for God alone is the reason that everything came to be. Amen. Hallelujah!
Revelation 4:1-11
...“Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created.”
Honor, power and glory be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R: Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
1 Praise the LORD in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his strength. 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for his sovereign majesty. (R) 3 Praise him with the blast of the trumpet, praise him with lyre and harp, 4 praise him with timbrel and dance, praise him with strings and pipe. (R) 5 Praise him with sounding cymbals, praise him with clanging cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Alleluia.
Sometimes we commit the same mistakes over and over again and we never seem to learn. There has got to be a time when we have to learn and change for the better. We just can't keep on doing it and be sorry for it repeatedly and not change the vicious pattern. Eventually we will have to take responsibility for all those things and suffer the consequences. Today's gospel is more of a reminder that we can't get away with things by playing around the rules. It has to be clear for us what specific course of action we have to take. Or else we might end up in trouble with the game we wanted to play and find out that the trick is on us. As in Jesus' words from the gospel, "‘With your own words I shall condemn you,..." We can't expect to get away with something that we are responsible of. We need to realize that the servant who was punished by being deprived of even the little he has was not totally wicked as compared to those who despised the master, don't want him as king and rallied against him. This servant was discreet enough, so he thought, not to make any bold or open move as to announce publicly that he dislike the master. He is neutral in the sense that he still accepted the gold coin entrusted to him but decided not to do anything about it. He was punished not for doing something bad like the enemies of the master but for not doing anything. Sometimes we think that by being neutral, not making a stand or playing safe is safe enough. Well it isn't. The Lord encourages us to take an active part in our salvation. It is something that we have to respond in the most enthusiastic, productive and effective way just like those 2 other servants who were entrusted with more. Now this is safe enough. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 19:11-28
...“A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. 13 He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ 14 His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ 15 But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’ 17 He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’ 18 Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’ 19 And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’ 20 Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ 22 He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; 23 why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’ 24 And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.’ 25 But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’ 26 ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.’ ”
Revelation 4:1-11
...“Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created.”
Honor, power and glory be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R: Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
1 Praise the LORD in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his strength. 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for his sovereign majesty. (R) 3 Praise him with the blast of the trumpet, praise him with lyre and harp, 4 praise him with timbrel and dance, praise him with strings and pipe. (R) 5 Praise him with sounding cymbals, praise him with clanging cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Alleluia.
Sometimes we commit the same mistakes over and over again and we never seem to learn. There has got to be a time when we have to learn and change for the better. We just can't keep on doing it and be sorry for it repeatedly and not change the vicious pattern. Eventually we will have to take responsibility for all those things and suffer the consequences. Today's gospel is more of a reminder that we can't get away with things by playing around the rules. It has to be clear for us what specific course of action we have to take. Or else we might end up in trouble with the game we wanted to play and find out that the trick is on us. As in Jesus' words from the gospel, "‘With your own words I shall condemn you,..." We can't expect to get away with something that we are responsible of. We need to realize that the servant who was punished by being deprived of even the little he has was not totally wicked as compared to those who despised the master, don't want him as king and rallied against him. This servant was discreet enough, so he thought, not to make any bold or open move as to announce publicly that he dislike the master. He is neutral in the sense that he still accepted the gold coin entrusted to him but decided not to do anything about it. He was punished not for doing something bad like the enemies of the master but for not doing anything. Sometimes we think that by being neutral, not making a stand or playing safe is safe enough. Well it isn't. The Lord encourages us to take an active part in our salvation. It is something that we have to respond in the most enthusiastic, productive and effective way just like those 2 other servants who were entrusted with more. Now this is safe enough. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 19:11-28
...“A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. 13 He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ 14 His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ 15 But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’ 17 He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’ 18 Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’ 19 And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’ 20 Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ 22 He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; 23 why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’ 24 And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.’ 25 But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’ 26 ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.’ ”
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
WISE EXCHANGE
We have a double door at home. The first door is a screen door which has no key, once it has been locked from the inside then it can never be opened from outside. We just have to keep it open if we know that someone is still outside or else he or she can not get in. Although we know this, there are times when we forget and still lock the door which has become kind of automatic for us to do. What happens is that the person left outside is locked out and could not enter. Today's 1st reading tells us that Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, it is up to us to open the door. Of course if we know that Jesus is standing there no one in his or her right mind would refuse to make Him enter. But sometimes too even if we have this intention of letting Him in we forget that we have a first screen door that remains locked and no matter how welcome Jesus is, in our lives He just can't enter unless we open that first door and leave it always open for Him. What is this first door in our life that keeps Him from coming in? There are things that we do that lock this first door. It could be something that we are perfectly aware of, not aware of, taken for granted and just don't pay attention to. We've got to be conscious of these things that lock Jesus out of our lives. It is important that all our actions lead to not just the entry of Jesus but most importantly for Him to find shelter and reside in our hearts. I am sure Jesus would love to be with us. Can we imagine ourselves like a home where Jesus would be very comfortable to live? If not it is time that we start cleaning ourselves so as to remove whatever it is in us that would drive away Jesus in our hearts. Amen. Hallelujah
Rv 3:1-6, 14-22
...“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him,
and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.
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, who 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 gets 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 Living Water. 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. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature, stronger or someone weaker, 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. Heaven is the realization of being a champion. In heaven we will be glorified magnificently. We will live forever with strength, power and beauty sharing a new humanity with Jesus. If we emerge as the champion who is victorious then we can sit beside God on the throne. Amen. Hallelujah!
Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5
R. (Rev. 3: 21) I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue. Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; By whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD. Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be disturbed.
It is remarkable how Zacchaeus in today's gospel was willing to give up half of his possessions and repay 4x those he had extorted money from. This is a total change of heart. He is a perfect example of a person who has heard the knocking of Jesus in his heart and responded to it. Or he could also be described as the person that was lost and found. We are all being sought by Jesus in whatever situation we are in right now. It is up to us to follow the example of Zacchaeus who did not hold back but totally surrendered when found. Not all of us although have been definitely sought after and found by God would do the same thing that he did. To acknowledge God is one thing but to give up basically everything that he used to hold most dear, treasured and valued in his life is another thing. Only those who have discovered who God really is and what He is worth can do such a thing and make this truly wise exchange. Amen. Hallelujah!
Lk 19:1-10
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”
Rv 3:1-6, 14-22
...“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him,
and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.
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, who 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 gets 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 Living Water. 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. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature, stronger or someone weaker, 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. Heaven is the realization of being a champion. In heaven we will be glorified magnificently. We will live forever with strength, power and beauty sharing a new humanity with Jesus. If we emerge as the champion who is victorious then we can sit beside God on the throne. Amen. Hallelujah!
Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5
R. (Rev. 3: 21) I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue. Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; By whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD. Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be disturbed.
It is remarkable how Zacchaeus in today's gospel was willing to give up half of his possessions and repay 4x those he had extorted money from. This is a total change of heart. He is a perfect example of a person who has heard the knocking of Jesus in his heart and responded to it. Or he could also be described as the person that was lost and found. We are all being sought by Jesus in whatever situation we are in right now. It is up to us to follow the example of Zacchaeus who did not hold back but totally surrendered when found. Not all of us although have been definitely sought after and found by God would do the same thing that he did. To acknowledge God is one thing but to give up basically everything that he used to hold most dear, treasured and valued in his life is another thing. Only those who have discovered who God really is and what He is worth can do such a thing and make this truly wise exchange. Amen. Hallelujah!
Lk 19:1-10
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”
Monday, November 15, 2010
SOULS SHOULD HAVE EYES TOO
Sometimes we come to a point in our life when we ask whether it is worth it to be really good especially when we see some people who live their lives as if there is no God and yet they are prosperous and successful. We should never be won over by this seemingly logical proposition of the world and never abandon our resolve to work labor and endure all for the glory of God. It is not doing good at first nor doing good somewhere along the way that matters most but doing good from beginning to the end and enduring it all the way. Amen. Hallelujah!
Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5
...“I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,... Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. 5 Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”
We've got to always keep ourselves motivated to do all in our power for the glory of God. We may have started at the peak but as time goes by we may have started to lag or worse go on a downward path. Or could have started off but never worked our way up then it's time we get things straight and be focused so as not to lose sight of the unsurpassed and unfading trophy and blessing that await those who are victorious in the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6
R: Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
1 Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, 2 but delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night. (R) 3 He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.
Today's gospel showed us how a blind man gained his eyesight and gave glory to God. It just shows how blindness can be a barrier to giving praise and glory to God. We may not be physically blind but our souls are. We've got to see not only with our physical eyes but most importantly our souls should have eyes too. In this way we can respond and act in accordance to what is truly essential and lasting. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 18:35-43
...Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” 42 Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.” 43 He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5
...“I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,... Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. 5 Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”
We've got to always keep ourselves motivated to do all in our power for the glory of God. We may have started at the peak but as time goes by we may have started to lag or worse go on a downward path. Or could have started off but never worked our way up then it's time we get things straight and be focused so as not to lose sight of the unsurpassed and unfading trophy and blessing that await those who are victorious in the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6
R: Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
1 Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, 2 but delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night. (R) 3 He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.
Today's gospel showed us how a blind man gained his eyesight and gave glory to God. It just shows how blindness can be a barrier to giving praise and glory to God. We may not be physically blind but our souls are. We've got to see not only with our physical eyes but most importantly our souls should have eyes too. In this way we can respond and act in accordance to what is truly essential and lasting. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 18:35-43
...Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” 42 Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.” 43 He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
AS SIMPLE AS 1,2,3
Hell could be defined as the place or state of punishment of the wicked after death; the abode of evil and condemned spirits; Gehenna or Tartarus. It is any place or state of torment or misery. It is surely a very frightening place just like what is being described here in today's 1st reading. It is definitely somewhere that we all don't want to end up in. No one in his or her right mind would like to be in that kind of place. We all fear to be thrown into hell and it would be best that we develop the holy fear of the Lord if we want to be spared from it. Many people misunderstand the fear of the Lord. Recalling the verse in Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10, the fear of the Lord is called the beginning or foundation of wisdom. In Proverbs 15:33, the fear of the Lord is described as the "discipline" or "instruction" of wisdom. They think that the fear of the Lord is something that is good to have when you first start out as a Christian, but that you should grow beyond it. That is not the case; rather, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because it is one of the foundations of our religious life. It is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. When we are infused with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit the way that Christ Himself would. It confirms the virtue of hope. We often think of hope and fear as mutually exclusive, but the fear of the Lord is the desire not to offend Him, and the certainty that He will give us the grace necessary to keep from doing so. It is that certainty that gives us hope. The fear of the Lord is like the respect we have for our parents. We do not wish to offend them, but we also do not live in fear of them, in the sense of being frightened. In other words, it is not a fear of punishment, but a desire not to offend God that parallels our desire not to offend our parents. This gift "fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread, above all things, to offend Him. It is always for our own good to have a holy fear in the Lord. It is not the same as fear in the sense that we are just compelled to do something solely because of fear but rather with love and respect. Amen. Hallelujah!
Malachi 3:19-20a
19 Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. 20 But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.
We, Catholics believe that God gave human beings reason although it sometimes gets darkened by sin but still human reason can figure out some things. One of the things that human beings figure out without God having to reveal it, is that human beings need to meet 4 qualities to be deemed a human being. The philosopher, before even Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, had this figured out. We find it mentioned in Wisdom 8:7, the 4 virtues or qualities are also called the hinge virtues because it is where all the other virtues or qualities of good people would hinge. The word cardinal means hinge. The Cardinals who surround the Pope are the doorway to the Pope. They are also the ones whom he rely the most for advice. Everything else depends on the cardinal virtues. (Prudence or wisdom, justice, temperance and courage or fortitude) We can also find all the cardinal virtues, like justice which means giving each person his or her due in the Book of Proverbs, Sirach, Ecclesiastes and all the wisdom literature in scriptures. We all know even as kids instinctively how important justice is. The first thing that a kid cries out as soon as he learns how to talk if he has brothers and sisters is “Not fair, he got more than I did” or “You ask me to do more than what that person is doing.” This is because we have instinctively or natively offensive justice. Each person has rights and ought to get their due. There’s also another part of justice that we forget, that is, we have obligations and duties to everyone. A person who is unjust is not a good person. To be just, we need to control our passions. Temperance is a virtue that balances and controls our passions. It is like controlling our desire for that last piece of cake if we know that it belongs to our sister. In order to be just, we’ve got to control our appetites. Make our appetites come into line with justice, truth and goodness. We’ve got to have that balance in our life in order to be a good and effective person. Temperance makes this happen. We also have to be courageous. If we are not courageous then every time a difficulty arises we’re going to shrink back. If there’s any danger involved in doing the right, just and wise thing then we’re just going to crack out and find an excuse because we’re afraid. Courage or fortitude helps us to master fear and not let fear keep us from doing what’s right. In the same way that we want justice to prevail always since it is very frustrating when we encounter situations that are very unjust. The gospel yesterday was about the dishonest judge although wicked and evil was able to render a just decision to the persistent widow. We are reminded in today's psalm that we can all be assured of the truth that the Lord rules the earth and He rules with justice there is no doubt. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9
R: The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
5 Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD. (R) 7 Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; 8 let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy. (R) 9 Before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to rule the earth; he will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.
Faith, hope and charity make it possible for us to really have wisdom, justice, temperance and courage. Without faith, hope and charity in this life, no one can really become truly wise.
All throughout human history we see people who exercise these gifts. They may not be Christians, deeply spiritual people, or in a state of grace and can exercise some of these potentials here and there. But ultimately original sin means we are going to sin seriously and mess up. We need God’s grace for those 4 great virtues to be perfected. Faith, hope and charity are supernatural. These are things that human beings would never know that they need or could have without God giving them supernaturally that’s why they are called the theological virtues. We only know about them through divine revelation and we couldn’t know about them by reason. We can only have them through God’s grace. The theological virtues, faith, hope and charity are the crown of the first 4 cardinal virtues that transform and make them possible. God doesn’t want us just to be whole human beings and restore us to what Adam & Eve were when they blew it in the Garden. God wants us to be more than that. He wants to elevate our human nature and divinize it. He wants us to share in His own Divine nature. Charity is all about loving with God’s love. Loving as the 3 persons of the Holy Trinity love each other and sharing in that goes way beyond human nature. This is an incredible thing and call. It was only possible because God became man and we can share in his virtue. This is what the real Catholic life is all about. It’s not just about making it or going to heaven by the skin of your teeth after struggling. It’s about growing in holiness and becoming like Jesus all throughout our life, a champion not without struggles. As a matter of fact without the struggles we can never become a champion. But with victory and excellence not with hopelessness, despair and frustration. This is God’s desire for us which is a fantastic calling. The power to do this is given to us. It is by knowing the virtues and the habits of champions like St. Paul and the Thessalonians. Amen. Halleujah!
2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
7 Brothers and Sisters: You know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, 8 nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. 9 Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. 10 In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat...
The gospel today is mostly about the end times or Armageddon. I heard from the priest's homily today that there are just 3 things we need to do instead of being bothered by these end of the world predictions. They are: 1. Do no harm to others. 2. Do good to others. 3. Spread the word of God. It may not be just as simple as 1,2 and 3 but it is definitely worth doing for it can surely secure our lives on that final day. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:5-19
...You will be hated by all because of my name, 18 but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. 19 By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Malachi 3:19-20a
19 Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. 20 But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.
We, Catholics believe that God gave human beings reason although it sometimes gets darkened by sin but still human reason can figure out some things. One of the things that human beings figure out without God having to reveal it, is that human beings need to meet 4 qualities to be deemed a human being. The philosopher, before even Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, had this figured out. We find it mentioned in Wisdom 8:7, the 4 virtues or qualities are also called the hinge virtues because it is where all the other virtues or qualities of good people would hinge. The word cardinal means hinge. The Cardinals who surround the Pope are the doorway to the Pope. They are also the ones whom he rely the most for advice. Everything else depends on the cardinal virtues. (Prudence or wisdom, justice, temperance and courage or fortitude) We can also find all the cardinal virtues, like justice which means giving each person his or her due in the Book of Proverbs, Sirach, Ecclesiastes and all the wisdom literature in scriptures. We all know even as kids instinctively how important justice is. The first thing that a kid cries out as soon as he learns how to talk if he has brothers and sisters is “Not fair, he got more than I did” or “You ask me to do more than what that person is doing.” This is because we have instinctively or natively offensive justice. Each person has rights and ought to get their due. There’s also another part of justice that we forget, that is, we have obligations and duties to everyone. A person who is unjust is not a good person. To be just, we need to control our passions. Temperance is a virtue that balances and controls our passions. It is like controlling our desire for that last piece of cake if we know that it belongs to our sister. In order to be just, we’ve got to control our appetites. Make our appetites come into line with justice, truth and goodness. We’ve got to have that balance in our life in order to be a good and effective person. Temperance makes this happen. We also have to be courageous. If we are not courageous then every time a difficulty arises we’re going to shrink back. If there’s any danger involved in doing the right, just and wise thing then we’re just going to crack out and find an excuse because we’re afraid. Courage or fortitude helps us to master fear and not let fear keep us from doing what’s right. In the same way that we want justice to prevail always since it is very frustrating when we encounter situations that are very unjust. The gospel yesterday was about the dishonest judge although wicked and evil was able to render a just decision to the persistent widow. We are reminded in today's psalm that we can all be assured of the truth that the Lord rules the earth and He rules with justice there is no doubt. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9
R: The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
5 Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD. (R) 7 Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; 8 let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy. (R) 9 Before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to rule the earth; he will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.
Faith, hope and charity make it possible for us to really have wisdom, justice, temperance and courage. Without faith, hope and charity in this life, no one can really become truly wise.
All throughout human history we see people who exercise these gifts. They may not be Christians, deeply spiritual people, or in a state of grace and can exercise some of these potentials here and there. But ultimately original sin means we are going to sin seriously and mess up. We need God’s grace for those 4 great virtues to be perfected. Faith, hope and charity are supernatural. These are things that human beings would never know that they need or could have without God giving them supernaturally that’s why they are called the theological virtues. We only know about them through divine revelation and we couldn’t know about them by reason. We can only have them through God’s grace. The theological virtues, faith, hope and charity are the crown of the first 4 cardinal virtues that transform and make them possible. God doesn’t want us just to be whole human beings and restore us to what Adam & Eve were when they blew it in the Garden. God wants us to be more than that. He wants to elevate our human nature and divinize it. He wants us to share in His own Divine nature. Charity is all about loving with God’s love. Loving as the 3 persons of the Holy Trinity love each other and sharing in that goes way beyond human nature. This is an incredible thing and call. It was only possible because God became man and we can share in his virtue. This is what the real Catholic life is all about. It’s not just about making it or going to heaven by the skin of your teeth after struggling. It’s about growing in holiness and becoming like Jesus all throughout our life, a champion not without struggles. As a matter of fact without the struggles we can never become a champion. But with victory and excellence not with hopelessness, despair and frustration. This is God’s desire for us which is a fantastic calling. The power to do this is given to us. It is by knowing the virtues and the habits of champions like St. Paul and the Thessalonians. Amen. Halleujah!
2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
7 Brothers and Sisters: You know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, 8 nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. 9 Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. 10 In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat...
The gospel today is mostly about the end times or Armageddon. I heard from the priest's homily today that there are just 3 things we need to do instead of being bothered by these end of the world predictions. They are: 1. Do no harm to others. 2. Do good to others. 3. Spread the word of God. It may not be just as simple as 1,2 and 3 but it is definitely worth doing for it can surely secure our lives on that final day. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 21:5-19
...You will be hated by all because of my name, 18 but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. 19 By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Saturday, November 13, 2010
LOCK IT IN
I was suddenly reminded of Fr. Gerry in his homily just 2 days ago on how he used to celebrate mass 6-7 times each day. But now that he's getting older, he noticed that after 4-5 masses he is dead tired and could not do more. Priests have totally dedicated their lives in the service of God and have given up so much for this. We all know that priesthood is not an easy vocation and not everybody could answer to this call. in fact, there is a shortage of priests all over the world. Let us pray that more men would respond to committing to be a priest. We should all be thankful to God for the gift of priests. It is just right and fitting that we extend whatever support we can give to them and respond to this call in today's 1ts reading. Amen. Hallelujah!
3 John 5-8
...For they have set out for the sake of the Name and are accepting nothing from the pagans. 8 Therefore, we ought to support such persons, so that we may be co-workers in the truth.
As human beings we all long to be loved and be in a relationship especially if we are in that stage of life as in Erikson's stages of psychosocial development which is love. The Intimacy vs. Isolation conflict is emphasized in this stage and around the ages of 20 to 34. It is important that we enter into a relationship forming intimate, reciprocal relationships (e.g. through close friendships or marriage) and willingly make the sacrifices and compromises that such relationships require. Though, we are also aware of rejections such as being turned down or our partners breaking up with us. We are familiar with pain, and to some of us, rejection is painful; our egos cannot bear the pain. We should realize all the more the importance of establishing an intimate relationship for that matter with God always at the center. If we allow God to take an active part in our life especially in our relationships then He will surely do. He will not intrude or trespass but if we will gladly invite and welcome Him then He will surely come to be with us. Just imagine having a good friend at our side ready to support and help us at all times. We will never be disappointed if we stick to God and all the things He stands for. In fact we will find that God can be our constant companion and friend, the greatest one we could ever get. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R: Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
...who greatly delights in his commands. 2 His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. (R) 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house; his generosity shall endure forever. 4 Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. (R) 5 Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; 6 he shall never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance
We can be assured that our God is not anything like this dishonest judge from today's gospel. And yet crooked and wicked as he is, he was still able to render a just decision for the widow. Come to think of this bible passage especially the questions that go with it. Several times in our lives we are confronted with so many hard to deal with questions that we simply can't lock it in. It is just like this game show when contestants find it very difficult to answer when the host asks them this question, "Deal or No deal?" They are full of doubt and uncertainty because they can never be sure if they answered right unless the case is opened. But do we doubt God who is all good and perfect not to do more than this judge in the gospel and deal fairly with us? Have we answered the question and are we so sure that we could lock it in? We better be. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 18:1-8
...Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
3 John 5-8
...For they have set out for the sake of the Name and are accepting nothing from the pagans. 8 Therefore, we ought to support such persons, so that we may be co-workers in the truth.
As human beings we all long to be loved and be in a relationship especially if we are in that stage of life as in Erikson's stages of psychosocial development which is love. The Intimacy vs. Isolation conflict is emphasized in this stage and around the ages of 20 to 34. It is important that we enter into a relationship forming intimate, reciprocal relationships (e.g. through close friendships or marriage) and willingly make the sacrifices and compromises that such relationships require. Though, we are also aware of rejections such as being turned down or our partners breaking up with us. We are familiar with pain, and to some of us, rejection is painful; our egos cannot bear the pain. We should realize all the more the importance of establishing an intimate relationship for that matter with God always at the center. If we allow God to take an active part in our life especially in our relationships then He will surely do. He will not intrude or trespass but if we will gladly invite and welcome Him then He will surely come to be with us. Just imagine having a good friend at our side ready to support and help us at all times. We will never be disappointed if we stick to God and all the things He stands for. In fact we will find that God can be our constant companion and friend, the greatest one we could ever get. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R: Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
...who greatly delights in his commands. 2 His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. (R) 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house; his generosity shall endure forever. 4 Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. (R) 5 Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; 6 he shall never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance
We can be assured that our God is not anything like this dishonest judge from today's gospel. And yet crooked and wicked as he is, he was still able to render a just decision for the widow. Come to think of this bible passage especially the questions that go with it. Several times in our lives we are confronted with so many hard to deal with questions that we simply can't lock it in. It is just like this game show when contestants find it very difficult to answer when the host asks them this question, "Deal or No deal?" They are full of doubt and uncertainty because they can never be sure if they answered right unless the case is opened. But do we doubt God who is all good and perfect not to do more than this judge in the gospel and deal fairly with us? Have we answered the question and are we so sure that we could lock it in? We better be. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 18:1-8
...Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Friday, November 12, 2010
IT ISN'T JUST LUCK
Isn't this just my luck, we may ask ourselves. No it isn't. The truth is, we have to work our way up to success if we really want to make it happen. Or we may be up there already but if we don't do anything to keep it that way then we are bound to lose everything. We may have heard people say that some people are really lucky and they just get everything they want so easily. Well, they probably could have but if we look very closely then we'll find out that it isn't really the way it is. The same thing is true if we have been blessed with so much by the Lord. If we don't watch ourselves closely and be on guard then we'll find ourselves losing and going down the drain sooner or later. Today's 1st reading is a very wise advice from the gospel of John that we all ought to take if we want that streak of luck as some people would call it and if I may say so, to remain. If we have God then we have everything, including blessing and luck or whatever we want to call it. Amen. Hallelujah!
2 John 4-9
... Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense. 9 Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.
Allow me to use the word "luck" or "swerte" in Tagalog in lieu of any other more appropriate word like blessed or pinagpala in Tagalog since I have always been hearing this word being used very often by some people in reference to certain situations within the broad context of this word. I just couldn't help but share it, first and foremost due to some personal circumstances. If the word luck may have been associated with whatever negative meaning then consider it excluded from here and out of context for the mean time. Let's just say we would like to broaden the scope of our vocabulary. This is to further drive the point or message in today's psalm and is actually the catch here. This is to come up with an induction that following the law of the Lord is just as synonymous to being blessed, lucky, swerte or pinagpala or any other word that we could closely associate with this. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18
R: Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. (R) 2 Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart. (R) 10 With all my heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commands. (R) 11 Within my heart I treasure your promise, that I may not sin against you. (R) 17 Be good to your servant, that I may live and keep your words. (R) 18 Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of your law.
Then again we may ask ourselves after reading these passages from today's gospel, isn't it just the luck that one will be taken, the other left. No, it isn't. Like what Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed." Luck in this case won't bring us anywhere we would like to be on that final day. We have to be perfectly aware of this and not leave any of these things to chance nor should we take it for granted for what’s at stake here is our final destiny and salvation. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:26-37
I tell you, on that night, there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35 And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.”
2 John 4-9
... Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense. 9 Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.
Allow me to use the word "luck" or "swerte" in Tagalog in lieu of any other more appropriate word like blessed or pinagpala in Tagalog since I have always been hearing this word being used very often by some people in reference to certain situations within the broad context of this word. I just couldn't help but share it, first and foremost due to some personal circumstances. If the word luck may have been associated with whatever negative meaning then consider it excluded from here and out of context for the mean time. Let's just say we would like to broaden the scope of our vocabulary. This is to further drive the point or message in today's psalm and is actually the catch here. This is to come up with an induction that following the law of the Lord is just as synonymous to being blessed, lucky, swerte or pinagpala or any other word that we could closely associate with this. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18
R: Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. (R) 2 Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart. (R) 10 With all my heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commands. (R) 11 Within my heart I treasure your promise, that I may not sin against you. (R) 17 Be good to your servant, that I may live and keep your words. (R) 18 Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of your law.
Then again we may ask ourselves after reading these passages from today's gospel, isn't it just the luck that one will be taken, the other left. No, it isn't. Like what Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed." Luck in this case won't bring us anywhere we would like to be on that final day. We have to be perfectly aware of this and not leave any of these things to chance nor should we take it for granted for what’s at stake here is our final destiny and salvation. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:26-37
I tell you, on that night, there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35 And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.”
Thursday, November 11, 2010
THE PARTY
Two days ago my son asked me to help him ask permission from his father to attend 2 parties in a row, which is this coming Friday and Saturday. Knowing his father, I did the best that I could so that I could obtain his approval. In fact my friend Bernadeth and I even agreed in prayer during our Divine Mercy and Rosary hour yesterday to lift this particular intention. I guess, I am just 50% successful as far as obtaining permission is concerned because he was not allowed to go to both parties but just one. I would like to take this opportunity to honor my son for his obedience and cool in the face of these circumstances because he did not insist anymore in what he wants but calmly accepted his father's decision. This is considering the fact that he tried to comply with the standing rule when it comes to partying to ask ahead of time which he did. Nowadays, most young people are no longer amenable to this kind of set up especially if they are 18 years old and older. They no longer consider asking for their parents' consent when it comes to this kind of thing. Some would even think of sneaking out and deal with it later or never. I am glad that my son still does and maintains the honor and respect due to us as his parents. This even became more significant for me as I was greeted by this passage from the 1st reading today. I'm sure this time that it was not just 50% success rate but 100%. Amen. Hallelujah!
Philemon 7-20
...but I did not want to do anything without your consent...
God's help is all the help we need, nothing more and nothing less. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
The Lord secures justice for the oppressed, gives good to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. (R) 8 The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those that were bowed down; the LORD loves the just. 9 The LORD protects strangers. (R) The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
Recently, I have been having some thoughts about this phrase, "the kingdom of God is theirs" and now this, today's gospel tells us, "the kingdom of God is among you." This is in relation too to the first beatitude and the sharing I read in Didache about being a spiritual beggar. Beggars can't be choosers and we maintain this attitude with the hope that the One who gives is generous. It is the only beatitude stated in the present tense unlike the others which are all in the future tense. It makes perfect sense especially now as I read this passage from the gospel. Jesus urges us to get a hold of it right now for it is already among us. We've got to consciously live it every day and in whatever circumstance or situation we may be, whatever, whoever, whenever, wherever. Let's not wait for any further sign or cue. As it is written it can not be observed, we've got to act on it on our own. There's no need to wait for any stimulus or catalyst. It's got to be really coming from us to claim for ourselves this truth that is slowly taking on a downward spiral and in danger of being cast into oblivion especially now that the world today is influenced so much by things that contradict this truth or even deny its presence. It is sad that people nowadays live as if there is no God or worse they believe in God but it doesn't manifest or show in how they live. Let us not be amiss on this and fail to capture this most important truth that can impact not just a lifetime but eternity. We have become so preoccupied, lured by what the world offers and full of other things to even give room to what should really come first and not be the spiritual beggar that we should be before the Lord. Let us make it clear, change this trend and take actions to make it reign in our lives dominantly for the power is already within us. We've got to empty ourselves, get rid of things that snatch away our focus on God so as not to come to a point where we end up in our worst state before we realize this truth. We can not be partying now and then regretting it later. Sometimes we hear people say, things happen for a reason but sometimes too things could not have happened the way it did if we had known the reason. God is the reason and He should always be our reason. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:20-25
...Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, 21 and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Philemon 7-20
...but I did not want to do anything without your consent...
God's help is all the help we need, nothing more and nothing less. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
The Lord secures justice for the oppressed, gives good to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. (R) 8 The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those that were bowed down; the LORD loves the just. 9 The LORD protects strangers. (R) The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
Recently, I have been having some thoughts about this phrase, "the kingdom of God is theirs" and now this, today's gospel tells us, "the kingdom of God is among you." This is in relation too to the first beatitude and the sharing I read in Didache about being a spiritual beggar. Beggars can't be choosers and we maintain this attitude with the hope that the One who gives is generous. It is the only beatitude stated in the present tense unlike the others which are all in the future tense. It makes perfect sense especially now as I read this passage from the gospel. Jesus urges us to get a hold of it right now for it is already among us. We've got to consciously live it every day and in whatever circumstance or situation we may be, whatever, whoever, whenever, wherever. Let's not wait for any further sign or cue. As it is written it can not be observed, we've got to act on it on our own. There's no need to wait for any stimulus or catalyst. It's got to be really coming from us to claim for ourselves this truth that is slowly taking on a downward spiral and in danger of being cast into oblivion especially now that the world today is influenced so much by things that contradict this truth or even deny its presence. It is sad that people nowadays live as if there is no God or worse they believe in God but it doesn't manifest or show in how they live. Let us not be amiss on this and fail to capture this most important truth that can impact not just a lifetime but eternity. We have become so preoccupied, lured by what the world offers and full of other things to even give room to what should really come first and not be the spiritual beggar that we should be before the Lord. Let us make it clear, change this trend and take actions to make it reign in our lives dominantly for the power is already within us. We've got to empty ourselves, get rid of things that snatch away our focus on God so as not to come to a point where we end up in our worst state before we realize this truth. We can not be partying now and then regretting it later. Sometimes we hear people say, things happen for a reason but sometimes too things could not have happened the way it did if we had known the reason. God is the reason and He should always be our reason. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:20-25
...Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, 21 and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
STATISTICAL SHIFT
All of a sudden I had the urge to sing the song, "Let the Love Begin" which has become very popular in the Philippines. In fact it was made into a romantic film which became a Valentine's movie presentation. Maybe this is because today's 1st reading is something like that. God is offering us love but it is up to us to let it begin. As the lyrics of the song goes, "Now let the love begin, let the light come shining in, who knows where the road will lead us now, look at what we’ve found make this moment turn our hearts around it may never come again let it in, let the love begin." We've got to let God in, though we may never really know where it will lead us, one thing is sure, it will turn our hearts around. We will never be the same again as in today's 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!
Titus 3:1-7
...For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, 5 not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit...
Well, actually the lyrics may not be totally agreeable in all things most especially upon reading the psalm today. As far as the song, "Let the love begin" is concerned it says, there is one thing we don't know, and that is where the road of love will lead us. Psalm 23 assures us otherwise because it tells us exactly what kind of road we are heading to if we accept the love of the Good Shepherd. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 23:1b-3a, 3bc-4, 5, 6
R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
...In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.
There is no doubt that Jesus is able to do all things even the most impossible ones. The problem lies not in the part of Jesus to do what is supposed to be done it is in our part that we fail. Sometimes we go through life complaining and moaning about our problems without realizing that we have a lot more to be thankful to God for. Today's gospel is a statistical illustration of it since only 1/10 lepers came back to God and recognized what He has done. It's time we realize which part of that statistic do we belong? Or better yet, to try to make a statistical shift from that number to 10/10 as we all go to God and give Him thanks. Technically speaking if we are to refer to this statistical formula we will find it to be known as shift invariance. In other words, if a statistic, S is shift-invariant, then addition of an arbitrary value, a, positive or negative, to all elements of the sample results in the increase/decrease of S by the same amount a. We can take it as something that is subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision. It is in our hands and up to us, like what I’ve said earlier pertaining to the song, “Let the love begin” Let us do our part in making a difference for in the end it will all return to us more than a hundredfold. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:11-19
11 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he travelled through Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him 13 and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” 14 And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; 16 and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? 18 Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 19 Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
Titus 3:1-7
...For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, 5 not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit...
Well, actually the lyrics may not be totally agreeable in all things most especially upon reading the psalm today. As far as the song, "Let the love begin" is concerned it says, there is one thing we don't know, and that is where the road of love will lead us. Psalm 23 assures us otherwise because it tells us exactly what kind of road we are heading to if we accept the love of the Good Shepherd. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 23:1b-3a, 3bc-4, 5, 6
R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
...In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.
There is no doubt that Jesus is able to do all things even the most impossible ones. The problem lies not in the part of Jesus to do what is supposed to be done it is in our part that we fail. Sometimes we go through life complaining and moaning about our problems without realizing that we have a lot more to be thankful to God for. Today's gospel is a statistical illustration of it since only 1/10 lepers came back to God and recognized what He has done. It's time we realize which part of that statistic do we belong? Or better yet, to try to make a statistical shift from that number to 10/10 as we all go to God and give Him thanks. Technically speaking if we are to refer to this statistical formula we will find it to be known as shift invariance. In other words, if a statistic, S is shift-invariant, then addition of an arbitrary value, a, positive or negative, to all elements of the sample results in the increase/decrease of S by the same amount a. We can take it as something that is subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision. It is in our hands and up to us, like what I’ve said earlier pertaining to the song, “Let the love begin” Let us do our part in making a difference for in the end it will all return to us more than a hundredfold. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 17:11-19
11 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he travelled through Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him 13 and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” 14 And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; 16 and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? 18 Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 19 Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
CLEAN UP
I remember the time when it was orange and lemon season when we used to harvest bags of these fruits from the backyard of Mr. and Mrs. Lowry. They are so generous to the point of telling us to just get as much as we like. They have very productive fruit bearing trees and it seemed like it never ran out of fruits to harvest. We would fill up big garbage bags and harvest as much as 3-4 bags. Just imagine how many fruits their tress bear. It is so amazing that even after we've harvest too much for us to carry, the tree would still look like it didn't give out any. In fact the topmost portion of the tree where the ladder could not reach looked like the fruits would just wait until it rot and fall off. The fruits were too many and heavy that the branches started to bend low and almost reached the ground. It is definitely something and it was like nothing we've ever seen before or something that we often normally see. It resembles what today's 1st reading is telling us since we have become so amazed and blessed of these fruit trees but it still is nothing compared to what the Lord has prepared for us in that heavenly place where we all long to be someday. Amen. Hallelujah!
Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
...Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
We can only imagine but we can never see the real picture of how it is to be in the holy dwelling of the Most High. It is always nice to have something to look forward to most especially because as Christians we believe that we are just passing by and everything around us will all be gone. When this happens we know that we are headed to an eternal place prepared for us by God. Isn’t it wonderful that at this present time we can go on living every day of our life to the full and still be assured that the best is yet to come. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
R: The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.
...Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. (R) 4 [5] There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. 5 [6] God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
We all hope to be with God in that special place we call heaven someday when our time comes. This journey to heaven starts right now with our very selves. It is so much like what the song says, "Heaven is in my heart." and as the scripture says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." We ought to live a holy life in the sight of God and man for we are the temple of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17
9 Brothers and sisters: You are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, 11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
If indeed we are God's temple in other words the house of God, then we have to refer to ourselves as a holy dwelling of God. Let us say we start examining ourselves and find out whether God would be pleased to reside in us or would He be angered at what He would see in us. This is the critical question we all have to answer honestly. Have we turned ourselves into a marketplace like that of the one being spoken of in today's gospel. Have we become so materialistic and commercial that all we ever hold on to and treasure in this life are the things like wealth, power and fame. These are 3 dangerous things that can make a person bad if not handled properly. It's important we put our moral values in check. Let us be aware of the fact that God will not hesitate to drive out all these ungodly residents in His temple. What kind of God's temple are we? We ought to realize that He is God, Most Holy. Just like what we repeatedly say in our Divine Mercy prayer, Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, this is who He is and could not be anything more other than that. If there's anything in us that goes against this holy attributes of God then it's time to do as Jesus did in today's gospel. It's time to clean up though it is not an easy thing to do but we've got to do what we have to do. We've got to make this very clear if we truly want to be with and for God rather than against God. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 2:13-22
He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, 16 and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
...Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
We can only imagine but we can never see the real picture of how it is to be in the holy dwelling of the Most High. It is always nice to have something to look forward to most especially because as Christians we believe that we are just passing by and everything around us will all be gone. When this happens we know that we are headed to an eternal place prepared for us by God. Isn’t it wonderful that at this present time we can go on living every day of our life to the full and still be assured that the best is yet to come. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
R: The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.
...Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. (R) 4 [5] There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. 5 [6] God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
We all hope to be with God in that special place we call heaven someday when our time comes. This journey to heaven starts right now with our very selves. It is so much like what the song says, "Heaven is in my heart." and as the scripture says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." We ought to live a holy life in the sight of God and man for we are the temple of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17
9 Brothers and sisters: You are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, 11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
If indeed we are God's temple in other words the house of God, then we have to refer to ourselves as a holy dwelling of God. Let us say we start examining ourselves and find out whether God would be pleased to reside in us or would He be angered at what He would see in us. This is the critical question we all have to answer honestly. Have we turned ourselves into a marketplace like that of the one being spoken of in today's gospel. Have we become so materialistic and commercial that all we ever hold on to and treasure in this life are the things like wealth, power and fame. These are 3 dangerous things that can make a person bad if not handled properly. It's important we put our moral values in check. Let us be aware of the fact that God will not hesitate to drive out all these ungodly residents in His temple. What kind of God's temple are we? We ought to realize that He is God, Most Holy. Just like what we repeatedly say in our Divine Mercy prayer, Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, this is who He is and could not be anything more other than that. If there's anything in us that goes against this holy attributes of God then it's time to do as Jesus did in today's gospel. It's time to clean up though it is not an easy thing to do but we've got to do what we have to do. We've got to make this very clear if we truly want to be with and for God rather than against God. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 2:13-22
He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, 16 and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
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