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.”