THE HEART OF GOODNESS

Today's 1st reading reminded me of this very popular expression in the Philippines which is, "Obvious ba?" or "Isn't it obvious?" in English. I often hear it being said by people who are annoyed at somebody who seems to be inattentive, unable to get the message right away, pretending not to know or simply doesn't care. It has become so common that anybody would just throw it to someone who doesn't seem to be paying attention. I guess, God for so many times already, would have said the same thing to us whenever we doubt God's abilities to carry out what He's capable of doing. I must say we are all guilty of this inattentiveness or a passing moment of doubt from time to time. There are countless reminders that are being sent our way. If we are to look at creation then all the answers will be right before us. Even the several experiences we’ve had in our lifetime serve as lessons that we can learn from, though we still do not conduct our affairs in the manner that we should. Let us not forget and always remember that nothing can ever come between us and God for as long as we truly desire to know more about Him. Amen. Hallelujah!

Romans 1:16-25
...For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made...

There is no denying to the glory, power and might of God that is displayed throughout the earth. We simply become immune to the wonderful things that God has given us. It made me think about the importance of the air we breathe that we often take for granted and do not realize most of the time. The ABC of Nursing Care stands for Airway, Breathing and Circulation. It has always been said and emphasized that airway is considered the topmost priority of care. The principle is that if the airway is blocked or compromised then this immediately becomes a priority care that needs to be addressed. It follows that the air we breathe is something we owe our life to. Every single thing that surrounds us if we will just take a close look at it is a testimony of God's glorious creation. How it all came to be remains a mystery no matter how hard they try to figure out how the world we live in evolved. Our God is an awesome God. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M
Psalm 19:2-3. 4-5
R: The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
...Not a word nor a discourse whose voice is not heard; 4 [5] through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message.

What comes to mind the moment I read today’s gospel is a dead rat. It stinks very badly and unless we get rid of it then it is there to stay. No matter how much we clean our house if we can not locate where the dead rat is then we remain stinky. We have to search every crack, crevice and the most hidden places in our home and locate where it is in order to get rid of it. It’s just like when we do something wrong we don’t want people to know about it and try our best to hide it. Or worse we have become calloused of our sins that we don’t care anymore by justifying and making all kinds of excuses. There is not much difference between the two because both are means of covering up. The first one is the literal cover up and the other one is the figurative. As the word itself suggests, we cover up our sins literally by not letting other people know and figuratively when we expose ourselves to others but instead of owning the wrong we have done we make excuses and justifications, point a finger or divert the blame to others and not confront the real issue. We are all guilty of it one way or another. We have to realize it literally and figuratively and be wise rather than fools. In the midst of a chaotic world, we should always find an inner peace within ourselves. It is always what's inside and deep within us, that is most important. Sometimes we get caught in the prevailing and acceptable standards of this world we tend to be mechanical in the things we do and find our motivations empty and meaningless. When we are driven to action and our purpose is superficial and is just meant to create an impressive image and show off for others to see, then we become no better than the Pharisees in today's gospel. Jesus encourages us to be wise and not fools by going beyond the superficial and go deeper into the heart of goodness which in turn will gain for us everything. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 11:37-41
... The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. 40 You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? 41 But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”