We have always heard people say that we are just human and somehow made to believe and accept that we are unworthy and could not stand before a Holy God. But we can't go on with this mindset forever. We've got to change this and start to shift our belief in a God who became man in order to save us. The blood of Jesus has already cleansed and purged us clean. We should always be reminded of this above all others. If there's something we should always be focused on and work for really hard in maintaining, then that is the reality that the Lamb of God has taken away all our sins. Heaven is our true citizenship where countless angels are in festal gathering. They are in a kind of celebratory gathering, cooking with great joy in the presence of angels also celebrating with great joy. The ecclesia of the 1st born enrolled in heaven applies to all of us. The Catholic Church has 3 cycles for each Liturgical Year, which is A,B and C. It is presently using the daily bible readings for 2013 based on the Liturgical Year C. After this year it will cycle back again to Year A. This is of significance to me after realizing that I have started committing to reading the scriptures daily and writing down reflections in Oct 7, 2007 (Year C) after receiving the word from Habakkuk 2:2-3 which is: Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.
This brings back and calls my attention again to what I mentioned in my reflection several years ago entitled: HANDLE WITH CARE. “In our bible study in
The
significance of this teaching should impact our lives in various ways
especially with what we are going through. Speaking of "kairos" or
fullness of time which in part was defined for better understanding as
completing a cycle and 360 degrees, though it may not completely define it but
in part has stressed the importance of looking at things in full circle and not
jump into conclusions. Everything is within the time frame and will of God. Amen.
Hallelujah!
Book of Isaiah 6:1-2.3-8.
..."Holy,
holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!" they cried one to the other. "All
the earth is filled with his glory!" ... ...“Woe is me, I am
doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim
flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 He
touched my mouth with it. “See,” he said, “now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”
I could never forget the experience when we were in that
very hazardous place in Crestline without any idea where we were going. We have
been completely caught off guard by the sudden change of the weather plus the
fact that the place could have been destroyed by fire and the streets and
landmarks might have been erased or changed and the information in the map quest
had not been revised. If there’s one thing I learned from it is that God allows
things to happen for a reason, which is far greater and divine than our own
intended purpose. All we have to do is completely trust Him that in His
goodness and mercy will show us His saving power and grace. If there's one
thing for sure, that is the truth that God knows everything we are going
through and He will not withhold the help that we need from Him in His most
appropriate and best time, place and situation. All we need to do is just give
our trust completely to Him who will complete what he has done for us and would
not forsake the work of His hands. Just constantly pray and sing out our
praises to God to unleash the power within us. We can always count on God at
all times in all circumstances. Let us not stall any longer and finally respond
to His call without any reservation. We should entrust all our cares and
concerns to the Lord and be assured that He is true to His promise and will
fulfill it. Our God is faithful and He who began a good work will be faithful
to complete it in all of us. God never fails in sending us people,
circumstances and situations that always build up strength in us. I have always
believed in angels even before I got the miracle petal with a cherubim’s image.
I can still remember and will never forget how my mother used to narrate to us
how I was miraculously saved by my angel several times. First was when I was
still less than 2 months old and fell from a height of 2-3 ft countertop when
the nanny after giving me a bath left me for only a second to get something and
upon returning found me already unconscious and lying on the hard, ceramic
tiled floor. I was rushed to the doctor but he told them that if I fail to
regain consciousness within an hour then he said I could die. To everybody's
surprise I started to cry even before the time is up. Another one was when I
was barely 2 yrs old when I almost got hit by a speeding jeepney. My parent's
house is right beside my grandparent's house which is right in front of the
school where my mother used to be a public school teacher. She said she was
standing in the center of the stage of the school that was why she had a good
view of the things around her even the terrace of my grandparent's house so she
got the shock of her life when she saw me there alone running very fast heading
toward the open gate while a speeding jeepney was coming and looked as if I
would really get hit and it would be too late even if somebody was there to
stop me. She was already screaming from afar together with the other teachers
who saw it and was trying to call the attention of the driver but to no avail
for he didn't even slow down because their screams were of no match to the loud
engine of the jeep. It was just a
miracle that the moment I stepped on the side of the road she said that I
suddenly stopped and stood very still as if someone was holding me back. She
said it was my guardian angel that held me and prevented me from getting hit by
the jeep. I don't remember personally
any of those experiences it was only through my mother's stories that I came to
know about them. But when I was older like in 4th grade I could already
remember how I was spared again from being hurt seriously when the fluorescent
lamp right on top of my head fell on my desk a split second after I stood up
and left my chair. My classmates were
really shocked and were hovering around me and told me that it was really
close. There is no doubt, angels are obviously at work. Today God assures us
that we can always stand secure for as long as we remain united to Him through
the aid of His Holy angels and saints. There is no doubt that we should sing
the praises of the Lord in the sight of the angels. Amen. Hallelujah!
Ps 138:1-2,
2-3, 4-5, 7-8
R: In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises,
Lord.
1 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for
you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing
your praise; 2 I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name.
(R) Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all
things your name and your promise. 3 When I called, you answered me; you built
up strength within me. (R) 4 All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to
you, O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth; 5 and they shall sing of
the ways of the LORD: “Great is the glory of the LORD.”
All the readings for today point to an overwhelming truth
that no matter how sinful and broken we are, God is able to do wonders for us.
In today’s 2nd reading Paul said that he is the least of the Apostles or not
even fit to be called an apostle and yet he became what he is, all because of
the tremendous grace of God. We should focus on the greatness of God’s
power and never underestimate or
overlook what He is able to do for us. To all of us who are fellow believers in
Jesus Christ, it feels good to read and be reminded of something that we should
always hold on to more than our own precious lives, that is the Word of God. We should always have this
attitude of always consulting and presenting to God all our plans in prayer for
guidance and direction, especially at times when we are confronted with
difficult life decisions. If we do this God will surely not refrain from
helping us. Everything that we needed to work on would be one by one complied
with and fulfilled despite our doubts and inadequacies. The Catholic Church guides
the faithful to make decisions that are in line with her teachings. In this
time when we are assailed by various anti life choices obviously influenced by
the culture of death we need to listen and know well what kind of activities we
engage in and be an active advocate of life. NaProTECHNOLOGY (Natural
Procreative Technology) is a breakthrough in science that the Catholic Church
approves and recoomends over artificial contraception and conception. It utilizes the wonders of the human body and
assists it in the natural way. It is a
major breakthrough in monitoring and maintaining a woman's reproductive and
gynecological health and a new women's health science that monitors and
maintains a woman's reproductive and gynecological health. It provides medical
and surgical treatments that cooperate completely with the reproductive system.
Thirty years of scientific research in the study of the normal and abnormal
states of the menstrual and fertility cycles have unraveled their mysteries.
Unlike common suppressive or destructive approaches, it works cooperatively with
the procreative and gynecologic systems. When these systems function
abnormally, it identifies the problems and cooperates with the menstrual and
fertility cycles that correct the condition, maintain the human ecology, and
sustain the procreative potential. Women now have an opportunity to know and
understand the causes of the symptoms from which they suffer. This is effective
and based in science. It does not in any way disrupt the normal and natural
functions of the wonderful human body that God has given us. It promotes the
profound dignity of a person while being provided with authentic health
care. This is a project of the the Pope
Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction and the National Center
for Women's Health in Omaha ,
Nebraska
First Letter to the Corinthians 15:1-11.
Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached
to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you
are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless
you believed in vain...For I am the least of the Apostles, not fit to be called
an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I
am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have
toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is
with me.
Luke 5:1-11
...“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a
catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have
caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” 6 When they had
done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.
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