STRONG HEARTS

Nothing seemed to stop or discourage Paul. He continued with his mission against all odds. The Lord has already planted the seed in his heart and he has chosen to nurture and let it grow. If only we could get ourselves to acquire his fervor and zeal to spread the word of God then we could very well be assured of making this present world of ours a better place to live and the best place in the company of God with all the angels and saints in the world to come. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 18:1-8
...Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. 6 When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”...

Let us take our stand and know that God's grace is sufficient for us. We will not be put to the test beyond our strength. Things are bound to get better for as long as we hold on to God's promises. Today's psalm, kind of remind me of this preaching I heard. It was about this wise man from the East in the Old Testament (OT), he is a prophet named Balaam and served an evil and wicked king. King Balak wanted Balaam to exact a curse upon Israel but from his mouth came forth a blessing. He prophesied in Numbers 24:15,18 that there shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel who will dispossess Edom. A star and a scepter signifies kingship. In parallel, it was also the 3 wise men in the New Testament (NT) who were looking for a star that would direct them to the newborn King of Israel, Jesus. He is truly our King and the fulfillment of God's promise. Amen. Hallelujah!


Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R: The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
...He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel...


The Lord has spoken and His words are everlasting. What He has promised to do is sure to happen. In today’s gospel we remember the heart of Mary pierced by a sword as prophesied by Simeon. A heart full of sorrow but was turned into joy. We look to Mary and follow her example. The pain that she experienced is something that is more than any woman could endure. At the time when the Angel Gabriel announced to her that she will bear Jesus, the Son of God she just surrendered her will to God. It was not an easy decision for her at that time but she trusted God completely. She may not have understood everything but she entered into that deep trust in God and believed. It was a decision not merely based on some vague feeling or a pleasant emotion that makes people good when times are good. Thus the title "Seat of Wisdom" perfectly fits her. Our Lady not only does the normal part of loving. She is filled by the love of her Son that is given to her in very extraordinary circumstances. Not by a normal birth and conception before marriage. She conceived in her womb the Son of God and with that conception is a God sent promise. Her motherhood goes beyond the normal sufferings that any mother experiences. She traveled to Bethlehem in her pregnancy, was refused of a place to stay and gave birth in a manger. She had to give up a home and went into exile in Egypt. She continues to believe in that Son of hers, the Son of God as He perplexed her, in the finding of Jesus in the temple and when she heard the words of Simeon in the Presentation,"...a sword will pierce your heart..." In the wedding in Cana, she said, "Do whatever He tells you". She stored and kept it in her heart although she did not understand everything. She loved and continued to believe until she saw and heard the mocking words addressed to her Son during the scourging and the crowning with thorns until she stood at the foot of the cross. That was not what's in her mind when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her to inherit the throne of King David. At the foot of the cross she was given a sad substitute in St. John when told, "Mother, behold your son" She accepts that and enters into an experience of charity and suffering. Normally a person would fight back to those who hurt our children. It is a normal reaction if we see others harm our child. Jesus truly became flesh in the womb of Mary. We have to take the reality of the choice that Mary made, the reality of the incarnation. What we need is true devotion to Mary that brings us close to God. We look through the gospel and see the dividing line whether we accept or reject it. We have to recreate and enter into that Incarnation without over spiritualizing or rejecting it which brings us away from God. Some Catholics has the temptation of being accustomed like the people of Nazareth. They grew up with Jesus and Mary as part of their environment but never live it seriously. Sometimes we become overly familiar. We become horrible hypocrites. Our devotion to Mary turns out to be a skirt where we can hide in. We claim to be on a pilgrimage with Mary but it makes no impact in our lives. We never understand the suffering of Christ. We misuse the scapular but continue to live our sinful behavior. The scapular should be worn as if we are putting on the yoke of Christ. The externals of this devotion becomes a block when we fail to understand and live the charity that Mary did. Let us be careful that everything we do is not just superficial. We have to enter into the love of Mary in which she felt the love of Jesus in what He did for us to redeem us. Bring us to a deeper love of Christ our Lord and look at Jesus through her perspective and love. Let us follow the example of Mary, from that joyful moment of the annunciation as she fulfilled the promise of God to the throne of King David to the sorrowful sight of her only Son as she stood at foot of the cross and ultimately to the glorious resurrection. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 16:16-20
...Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”