WHAT A FEELING

Today’s readings bring back memories of all sorts. My son, Jude when he was still a few months old and he sees me coming home from work he would giggle and start to raise his hand as a gesture that he wanted to be carried. I was always full of joy whenever I see him do that. These kinds of emotions impressed to me that God our Father feels even more strongly for us. Let us think of ourselves kneeling before Him absorbed in prayer that cultivate in us a surge of strong emotion the kind that suddenly envelops us whenever we are on the verge of shedding tears of joy. This we can feel if we imagine God right before us, looking at us so eagerly and excited to give us a kiss and wrap us in His arms like an eager parent is for a beloved child. While this is the case for Jude it is not so for Allan. It made me think why my 2nd and youngest son, Allan did not cling to me as much as Jude did when he was his age. I realized that when I was still pregnant with Allan, Jude who was barely 3 yrs old then would always embrace my tummy and stand in front of me as if saying that nobody can come near me. That's why when I gave birth to Allan he would always cuddle him and be very protective of him. In a way, God is reminding me that during those times when I am at work or not around his Kuya Jude reflected to Allan the love and care an infant normally longs for. Love is indeed transferable for our God has a vast supply, it overflows. Another incident I am reminded of is my being prone to bruising. In fact I have a big one right now in my arm. I have noticed that I easily get bruised and must admit was a bit scared about it. Especially when I realized that these bruises were caused by very mild pressure for example the handle of my bag which is not too heavy that was pressing on my arm can cause me to develop rash like patches which usually appears whenever blood pressure cuffs are tightly wrapped around my arm. There was one time when I laid my hands over my arm and prayed over myself hoping that it will not result to something serious but was a bit surprised when somebody told us that if we want to become saints in heaven someday then we are really bound to suffer. I just didn't get it at first when he suddenly said those things and was even rejecting the thought in my mind. But everything is coming to me now. I am finally making more sense out of it especially when I read today's 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah! 1 Peter 5:5b-14 ...So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. 8 Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. 10 The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little...Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. The prophets who have prophesied a lot of things came up with identical and confirmatory prophecies in the other books of the OT and also with the NT. If we will consider the time frame or the generation gap of these prophets when they started to proclaim the Word of God and the time the manuscripts have been all written (100 BC) there is no doubt that we would be very amazed at the accuracy, precision and uniformity of the messages pointing all to the one God who is the author of life and Jesus the great testimony of His love for all of us. It is only right and fitting that we remain loyal to God. The word loyalty is mentioned 3x in today's psalm reading. You know why? God wants us to be loyal to Him not for His sake but for ours. If we are loyal to a friend then our relationship blossoms into a beautiful friendship. Just think if we are loyal to God then it can go beyond our expectation for He will cover every aspect of our life. Psalm 89:2-3. 6-7. 16-17 R: For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. 1 [2] The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. 2 [3] For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. The heavens praise your marvels, LORD, your loyalty in the assembly of the holy ones... Marvelous signs, wonders and miracles, these are only teasers of what really await us. We have to be wise and know where your loyalty lies. It helps to think of the precise and awe inspiring messages of the prophets in the bible who were able to confirm one another despite the vast difference of time and space when they got the messages and the time these messages were found, compiled and written. An example is in Dan 7:13, Ezekiel 2:1, John 19:5, Mt. 26:64 and Zechariah 12:10 wherein the the name "Son of Man" is mentioned and is also frequently used by Jesus in the NT referring to Himself. Also in Daniel 7:25-26, Leviticus 26:18, and Leviticus 23:34-35 which confirms each other in the message about obeying and making holy the Lord's day. And several others like in Daniel 12:2, Mt 25:46 and Jn 11:11-13 as the earliest clear enunciation of belief in the resurrection of the dead. The presence of angels in Daniel 7:10 and Mt. 4:11. The book of Daniel is considered also the forerunner of the revelation. (Daniel 5:25, Daniel 7 and Revelation 12) Come to think of how God arranges the events in our lives in a wonderful pattern that if we really take a close look and pay attention to our God we'll find out that every single thing works and happen for a wonderful reason which are all bound to work for good. Each one of us has his or her own calling and it is well to know what God is asking us to do. In whatever it is that we do we can well be assured of the truth that He will always confirm it through accompanying signs. We would know deep in our hearts whatever it is that God wants us to do. No matter how big or small the task may be God will never leave us groping in the dark and will always hold us by the hand to guide and enlighten us in the path that He wants us to take. Amen. Hallelujah! Mark 16:15-20 15 Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. 18 They will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. 20 But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.