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.”