AMAZING

God's plan for us has always been the best. He created us on top of everything, the cream of the crop and the apple of His eyes. Although there are times when we fail to follow the path He has directed us, He will always lead us back to Him. Today's 1st reading reminded me of a cancer patient who shared about how he got healed of his disease. He said that the first thing he did was look for a priest and confessed his sins. People nowadays, no longer acknowledge this important sacrament. Or they treat it so casually that they do not realize that it is a sacrament instituted by Christ Himself that we must give proper reverence and respect, as in Matthew 16:18-19And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Sometimes people consider and treat confession as a routine that has to be done regularly but without much thought of turning away from the sins that are repeatedly being committed on a regular basis too. This person who got healed of cancer did the right thing by going to confession first. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 1:10-17

...When you spread out your hands, I close my eyes to you; though you pray the more, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood! 16 Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; 17 learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.

This person who got healed of cancer cited the bible passage which he said is somehow similar to his situation when he asked the Lord for healing. He cited the words of Jesus in Mark 2:9-12 when He said, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"-- he said to the paralytic, "I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home." He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone." If we respond to His call and faithfully follow His precepts and be the person He has meant us to be then we are assured of His saving power. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23

R: To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, 17 though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” (R) 21 “When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes. 23 He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”

There are several kinds of figure of speech and one of them that can really catch our attention and will surely bring our focus to something is hyperbole for it uses exaggeration in order to emphasize a point or put a stress into the message that we want to convey. In today's gospel, Jesus was trying to use this strategy in order to catch our attentions and really make a point. Our love for God should come first place in everything not because God is selfish and wants to be the priority for the sake of His ego. Of course Jesus doesn't want us to turn our backs on our families and abandon the things that we hold dear. He didn't mean it that way but instead wanted us to realize that the love for God is encompassing and is sure to bring about all other things. All we have to do is make a decision and stand by it believing that if we put God first in our life everything will follow. Sometimes trials and difficulties tend to affect our disposition in life or it could be the very people who are dear to us that affect our conviction and stand in life or sometimes we go on with life without realizing that we do not have anything that we are willing to make a stand for or even live for. We have to first be clear on this important area of our life so it is in consonance with our thoughts, words and actions. An example is what's going on nowadays with the economy, people really want to get what their money is worth and are very wise when choosing a particular commodity over the other. Some sales agent would even go as far as offering a bundle or package where everything goes with it over something that is of less worth in order to sound more convincing. The same with Jesus if we choose Him above all things for He is the best deal ever. So whatever major or minor things we are confronted with, before we make a decision and really stick to it we've got to be sure that Jesus is in the center so that it will be all worth it. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 10:34–11:1

...“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it...