THE RIVER WILD

I consider the river as one of the wonders of creation that God has gifted us with. I just recently had this opportunity to ride a boat across the Colorado River at the Grand Canyon and it was quite an experience. As I looked at the flowing river it had given me a sense of well being, power and strength. Especially, with the refreshing sound of the gush of the water, full of vigor and seemed so unstoppable. The surrounding view of the Grand Canyon added to the greatness of the picture perfect scenery. Everything seems so marvelous. We have an awesome God who made all things beautiful. He is a God of impossibilities. Just try to imagine in today's 1st reading what happened on that day in the Jordan River when the river ceased to flow for the water flowing down from upstream halted in a solid bank. God displayed His Almighty Power by making the river halt. In the same way that there are some impossible situations that we need to cross over and could be compared to the raging waters of the river Jordan. We are being reminded of the awesome power of God that is able to put a stop to the river wild. On the other hand we can also look at this miracle as a form of challenge to us to start crossing over our boundaries in order to reach our destinations. Amen. Hallelujah!

Joshua 3:7-10a. 11. 13-17
... “This is how you will know that there is a living God in your midst, who at your approach will dispossess the Canaanites. 11 The ark of the covenant of the LORD of the whole earth will precede you into the Jordan. 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, it will cease to flow; for the water flowing down from upstream will halt in a solid bank.” ...No sooner had these priestly bearers of the ark waded into the waters at the edge of the Jordan, which overflows all its banks during the entire season of the harvest, 16 than the waters flowing from upstream halted, backing up in a solid mass for a very great distance indeed, from Adam, a city in the direction of Zarethan; while those flowing downstream toward the Salt Sea of the Arabah disappeared entirely. Thus the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 While all Israel crossed over on dry ground, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD remained motionless on dry ground in the bed of the Jordan until the whole nation had completed the passage.

Nothing can ever stop us from proceeding to our God given destiny if we will just believe that He will make a way for us and make all things happen. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Psalm 114:1-2. 3-4. 5-6
R: Alleluia!
...The sea beheld and fled; Jordan turned back. 4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like the lambs of the flock. (R) 5 Why is it, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? 6 You mountains, that you skip like rams? You hills, like the lambs of the flock?

As we grow in the knowledge and love of God we can't help but become the person God has meant us to be, full of compassion and mercy. And the best way to attain this is to have a forgiving heart as implied in today's gospel. Forgiving someone who offended you 77x. This may sound “Mission Impossible” (MI) if we have become so attached to the values of this world. That's why there is an urgent need for us to always align ourselves to the will of God. It is only through His supernatural grace that we can do all things. We must avail of every possible means to attain holiness. The measure that we use with our brothers and sisters is the same measure that God will use to us. If we place judgment on others then we have also placed judgment on ourselves. Let us take care not to overlook and take for granted this reality that Jesus Himself said in the gospel. It is really a must that we learn to forgive those people who hurt us. It is said in the 1st reading today that the flowing water was put to a stop, today's gospel requires us to forgive in order for us to go across whatever it is that is stopping us from fulfilling our God given destiny which is surely bound for success. We can never move on and go across our own Jordan rivers if we continue to harbor ill feelings in our hearts. It can be compared to the powerful flow of water in a river that can never be put to a stop unless we surrender it to God. We should truly be able to put a halt to the raging emotions in us. Thus, it is for our own good that we overcome all the hurts that we've experienced from people and really learn to forgive them from our hearts. Unless we do this we can never move forward and reach our goals and destinations in life. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 18:21–19:1
21 Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times...When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.