There was this time when we had a conversation with regards
to this person who easily pass judgment on people although, I am sure that he
doesn't mean anything really bad about it and was just very careless in his
choice of words and say things without much thought and little care. Although
this is the case, I was suddenly reminded of what I have learned from several
talks and seminars I've been to in the past which happens to be explicitly
demonstrated in today's 1st reading. It tells us of the story of Creation. God
created the world with a single command of His words and everything came to be.
There is power in the words. We ought to say them with care and caution and
choose to say words that build and create at all times. God created the world
through His words. There is power in words. We ought to realize this and take
advantage of this by using words for creating something good and beautiful. Let
us not fall trap to the wrong use or choice of words and take for granted what
it can do and not do to us. We also sometimes say things that do not build and
create goodness but rather destroy and cause trouble. If we can't say anything
nice at all we better not say anything at all. Therefore, we have to use words
wisely and only when necessary. God has created for us a really wonderful place
to live in. Everything we need and we'll ever need is right before us. God
loves us so much that He designed a perfect world for us to live in. We have a
responsibility to care for the environment because it is a gift from God. If we
start to become more conscious, aware and involved then we can surely develop
an attitude that is godly and from it will eventually and inevitably arise a
love for a God, though Infinitely Great, Omnipotent, Almighty and beyond our full understanding is also Gracious, Generous
and is able to make all things possible. Amen, Hallelujah!
Genesis 1:1-19
1 In the beginning God created heaven, and earth. 2 And the
earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the
spirit of God moved over the waters. 3 And God said: Be light made. And light
was made...11 And he said: Let the earth bring forth the green herb, and such
as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, which may have seed
in itself upon the earth. And it was so done. 12 And the earth brought forth
the green herb, and such as yieldeth seed according to its kind, and the tree
that beareth fruit, having seed each one according to its kind. And God saw
that it was good...
Only to God should we place our trust. He is a God who will
never forsake nor abandon and will do for us much more than we can ever know. I
am reminded of the talk delivered by Fr. John Hampsch, CMF entitled,
"Don't take woe for an answer". He discussed not only about optimism
per se but within the context of the Christian virtue, hope. He quoted Rom 5:5
which describes hope in God as something that doesn't disappoint. It is good to
always put our hope in the Lord who make all things work together for good for
all those who love Him.(Rom. 8:28) He said that we should always face the sun
for the shadows to go behind. Come to think of it, I only realized it when I
heard it, I guess it's another way of making us realize that if we are always
facing the Son of God, Jesus who is the Light of the World, then every shadow
that darkens and blocks the light in our lives will go behind us. He said there
is only one place where there is only complete total disappointment for there
is no hope of relief and that is hell or Dante's inferno. He further described
Christian hope as not confined to the standards of this world and transcends
emotional hope. It is an assurance or certainty of something good as in Ps. 42
where several times the words, "Put your hope in God" were repeated.
Hope is a virtue infused by God in our wills not only in our emotions. Trust
God with complete certainty. He quoted, the Council of Trent declaring that,
"No one is certain of salvation.” This is somehow contradictory to what St. Augustine said that
"You should think of salvation as if it were already certain." The
certainty of salvation is as certain as our own existence. He explained that
there is really no contradiction in the sense that the uncertainty comes from
our side as human beings and not from God. He said we have the free will to
choose our salvation. He reiterated the importance to see to it that the truth
we heard remains in us and if it remains in us then God is surely assuring us
of the certainty that He is on our side. It's just like finding something
beautiful that we would never want to let go and remains forever. He mentioned
the forces of evil that tempts us to become unfaithful. But God assured us that
no one can snatch us out of His hands but the problem is if we choose to pull away
from God. In the face of real challenges only those who stay firm in God's
promises will hold and survive. It is given that God never abandons us, only we
can abandon Him through the choices we make. In this present time of great
trial and hardships we have to discover the grounds of hope which is rooted in
the so called "Tripod of Hope" by St. Thomas Aquinas: 1. faith in the
power of God (2 Thes. 1:11-12) 2. faith in the goodness of God (Ps. 146) 3.
faith in the promises of God (Heb.11:1-2; Ps. 145:13) Sometimes this tripod is
placed in a slippery floor of despair, conclusion of fools, neglect of faith
and the like. We are called to always have faith and hope in God as written in
the 1st book of Peter. If we feel like we are experiencing a hardship just like
Job and starting to lose hope then we are called by God to stand firm and be
joyful in hope. (2 Cor 1:5-6; Rom 12:2) Nothing or no one else can make or
break us, only God gives and takes, this is something we have to realize, first
and foremost. Everything is by the grace of God. It's about time we stop using
words and saying things about our being human other than what we are in the
eyes of God. May our thoughts, words and action be inclined to the promptings
of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. There is really no more denying that we
have a God who created all of us including everything here on earth which has
been appointed and assigned in its designated time and place for our continuous
guidance and reminder. All the beautiful things around us speak of the
greatness of God's creation He is great and Almighty. Thus we should always
give thanks and praise to God as we say the psalm today. May we all have a
grasp of this great and wonderful relationship that exists between God and the
world or His creation. Jesus is intimately present in Creation as the wind and
air like a force of love. All that is good is a reflection of divine love. It
is infinite and eternal that generates from nothing and from the beginning of
time and creation does not merely occur and end there but an eternal support of
the Holy Trinity present in all creation. Especially in us, present in a
special way since we have a soul and spirit. The Holy Spirit is the moving
force when God speaks with His word. This is something we lost in original sin
but was restored through the action of the word made flesh in Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35
R: May the Lord be glad in his works.
...How manifold are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you have
wrought them all — the earth is full of your creatures. 35 Bless the LORD, O my
soul! Alleluia
The
homeless people were always present whenever there's an activity like the Coalition for the
Homeless. They flocked around St. Martha's to avail of
these services and benefits being provided for them. In fact several prayer
groups and ministries were not able to conduct their regular meetings there
because the rooms were being used for this purpose. In the same way the people
in today's gospel scurried about just to get near Jesus and be healed. They are
both in need of something they lack thus they scurry about to get near the
source of this need. We may not be homeless and sick as these people in the
gospel and in St. Martha's but just like them we, too need to scurry about to
Jesus who is the source of all healing be it physical or spiritual. More
than 2000 years ago, Jesus in His earthly ministry was perceived by the crowd
as Healer. They believed that even the tassel of His clothes can bring about
healing. Jesus may not be present to us anymore walking in physical form of
flesh and blood like He did before but we must realize that He makes Himself
available to us to be touched through the sacraments. In the pouring of the
water and oil those things themselves, heal not because of the properties it
has but because of Christ. He instituted these things as an extension of His
flesh. He took flesh in the womb of Mary in order that we may be recreated
through the experience of His flesh. It is nice to think about the connection
of the pen and the hand to write a book. The ability to write in connection to
the soul acts through the hand with a tool such as the pen. Today's gospel
illustrates us these wonderful connections that we can benefit from as
believers of Jesus. The tassel connected to the human body of Jesus has the
ability to heal. In the same way that the 7 sacraments is God and the presence
of Jesus’ flesh that heals. We must thank God for the sacraments that we can
each receive to fulfill what creation was meant for from the beginning. The 7
days of creation and the 7th day, the Sabbath. We must not neglect this truth
and through grace we must prepare ourselves for this. We thank God that we can
touch His cloak in the sacraments. Amen. Hallelujah!
...They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.
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