WISE EXCHANGE

We should make a clear stand on whom our loyalty lies because God's call is clear to us from today’s 1^st reading "To the angel of the church in Laodicea, write this: " ...I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth..." This is a picture of hypocrisy and duplicity which the Lord rejects. When we spend our time in activities for the building up of God's kingdom and turn our back on other things that is not within the context of what God has called us to do at a particular period or time of our life when things are not going well is one big statement that we are firmly standing by our convictions and principles for the Lord at all cost no matter how difficult it may seem.  We have a double door at home. The first door is a screen door which has no key, once it has been locked from the inside then it can never be opened from outside. We just have to keep it open if we know that someone is still outside or else he or she can not get in. Although we know this, there are times when we forget and still lock the door which has become kind of automatic for us to do. What happens is that the person left outside is locked out and could not enter. Today's 1st reading tells us too that Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, it is up to us to open the door. Of course if we know that Jesus is standing there no one in his or her right mind would refuse to make Him enter. But sometimes too even if we have this intention of letting Him in we forget that we have a first screen door that remains locked and no matter how welcome Jesus is, in our lives He just can't enter unless we open that first door and leave it always open for Him. What is this first door in our life that keeps Him from coming in? There are things that we do that lock this first door. It could be something that we are perfectly aware of, not aware of, taken for granted and just don't pay attention to. We've got to be conscious of these things that lock Jesus out of our lives. It is important that all our actions lead to not just the entry of Jesus but most importantly for Him to find shelter and reside in our hearts.  I am sure Jesus would love to be with us.  Can we imagine ourselves like a home where Jesus would be very comfortable to live in? If not, it is time that we start cleaning ourselves so as to remove whatever it is in us that would drive away Jesus from our hearts. Amen. Hallelujah

Rv 3:1-6, 14-22

...So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth...“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.

For as long as we stand by the principles and values of God then we can never be wrong. God knows our every thought, motive and intention and if we act on it based on what is just, true and peaceful then we will never be disturbed. The commandments do not limit but protect freedom. Since the more we disobey the more we become bound and become a slave of sin. If we follow the full extent of the 10 commandments we become free. We see people who repeatedly commit the same mistakes over and over again. And yet they never learn anything from the lessons that go with it. The frightening truth about this is the fact that they prefer to be disturbed and miserable not because they love misery but because they prefer to stay in the dark. Jesus has a standing invitation to us in John 12:35, "Jesus said to them, "The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going." It is a choice and decision that we alone can make. It’s not surprising to know that most of us think that God doesn’t want us to have fun. It’s like all the things that we want to do with our friends that are interesting and exciting when we were young, were against God’s commandments. It may seem like we have to settle for less. What’s worse is that all the faithful Catholics get less out of life. This is part of the propaganda way back in the Garden of Eden. God gave us a magnificent paradise wherein there is perfect intimacy and no shame with each other. In the Garden they have everything they need but gave just one limit, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is very interesting because God said, “Don’t do this because you will die.” The reason why God commands us something is because He is a loving Father who cares for us. He wants us to have the best. But then came the serpent, it didn’t create Adam & Eve, nor gave the garden or anything at all. All the serpent gave was a lie and told Adam & Eve not to listen to God or they’ll lose out and won’t become like God. They were made to believe that God is holding out something from them and is actually their rival because God doesn’t want them to have what He has. So instead of trusting the one who gave them everything, they trusted a stranger. They disobeyed God and listened to the liar. They were hooked into a downward spiral of destruction. This is what sin is all about. It is a trap. It is disguised as an apparent good because the fruit looks good and desirable but it ends in disaster. The relationship with God is messed up and so creation turned against them, thorns and thistles appear and things in life become hard. This is what sin does, it seemed small but it gets out of control. Things get worse and worse and there are broken lives everywhere. This is the reality about sin, we are draining life out of ourselves unless we recognize the one true source of life. The problem is that there is a great propaganda out there. It makes sin appear with all its fun, excitement and glamour. It makes virtue appear boring, lame, bland and unexciting. But the truth of the matter is, it’s not. The pleasures that God created in this world are enjoyed the most by those who don’t abuse them and use it simply. Who do we think enjoys food most? The person who doesn’t know how to fast and engorges all the time or a person after a fast experiences a feast? The virtuous person enjoys life the most. The person who uses creation and all things according to God’s plan enjoys it the most. It is because pleasure is God’s idea. All the good things in the world that people want are God’s idea. Satan can’t invent even one bit of pleasure.  But God commands them to be used so that it leads to life and a part of life is joy. The way to enjoy life is to follow God’s commands. Life is not all about rules and regulations. God did not just give us a bunch of rules and regulations that we are supposed to obey like machines. What we do does not just proceed from who we are but also makes us who we are.  The actions we engage, the words that we say and the things that we do have an impact on us. We are making ourselves all the time. God created us when we came out of the womb, our mothers and father have a great role in that but our creation continues every single day of our lives. This is the reason why we call each day the 8^th day of creation. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature and strong or someone weaker and more despicable. There’s no middle ground. We’re going one way or another. Life leads either to heaven or to hell. That’s what the acts that we commit do. If we read and follow carefully these words in today’s psalm reading then we can truly say that we’ve found the perfect advice to which we can pattern our lives after. Though, we may still fall and fail we must not forget that Jesus has triumphed over sin and death. He is victorious and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father. He is able to carry us through. We must always focus on this truth in order for us to attain a life free of worry, anxiety and is never disturbed. When everything is over and done, we look forward to God's reward of endless worth as we emerge as the champion, crowned with the victory won by Christ and live on the holy mountain of the Lord. Heaven is the realization of being a champion. In heaven we will be glorified magnificently. We will live forever with strength, power and beauty sharing a new humanity with Jesus. If we emerge as the champion who is victorious then we can sit beside God on the throne. Amen. Hallelujah!

Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R. (Rev. 3: 21) I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.

He who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue. Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; By whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD. Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be disturbed.

It is remarkable how Zacchaeus in today's gospel was willing to give up half of his possessions and repay 4x those he had extorted money from. This is a total change of heart. He is a perfect example of a person who has heard the knocking of Jesus in his heart and responded to it. Or he could also be described as the person that was lost and found. We are all being sought by Jesus in whatever situation we are in right now. It is up to us to follow the example of Zacchaeus who did not hold back but totally surrendered when found. Not all of us although have been definitely sought after and found by God would do the same thing that he did. To acknowledge God is one thing but to give up basically everything that he used to hold most dear, treasured and valued in his life is another thing. Only those who have discovered who God really is and what He is worth can do such a thing and make this truly wise exchange. One way or another there will come a time in our lives when we have to decide to go down from wherever place we are right now. In doing so we might have to let go of our personal agenda and strip ourselves of our sinfulness, accept our wrongdoings, repair the damage we've done and stand with all humility before the Lord the way Zacchaeus did in today's gospel. We’ve got to be a risk taker like Zacchaeus. He took a great risk of appearing foolish before other people when he climbed on a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus and what did he get. He did not just get a glimpse but Jesus went into his home and dined with him. He did not stop there, when Jesus finally went into his home he offered to give up half of his possessions to the poor and repay four times those he had extorted money from. We are headed to a much greater blessing if we will learn to take great risks in the name of our faith in God. We can never outdo or out give God in His generosity. It is time we let go of our narrow mindsets and boxed up notions of what a true blessing is. It is about time we realize that God alone can make us whole. We should not hold back as we open ourselves up to God’s work and saving power as He seeks and restores us to Himself. Time and again, Zacchaeus has always been part of the daily gospel readings in the Church. You know why? We are no different from Zacchaeus, because just like him we are sinners and unworthy but God in His infinite kindness and mercy singled him out among the crowd and called him specifically by his name. I am sure God is calling each one of us by name. And just like Zacchaeus may we also respond to him in a personal way and hear the same announcement from Jesus," Today salvation has come to this house." Amen. How can we not be full of hope and confidence in Him? God will never stop at anything just to carry out the plan He has for all of us and be victorious in Him. Amen. Hallelujah!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19,1-10.

...When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."