The memory of Stephen's great love, faith and devotion to
God has become a legacy to us, Christians. Most especially for Saul who was
later on called Paul since he was not a believer of Jesus yet during that time,
in fact he was one of the feared persecutors of Christians. It must have been a
sight, just imagine he was being stoned to death and yet he visualizes and
shouts of the glory of God. We have a lot to learn from the example of the life
of Stephen especially during times when we encounter trials and hardships that
may not even get close to losing our lives and dying a very cruel death like
what happened to Stephen. May our lives become an inspiration too for others to
draw strength and courage the way Stephen did for Christians and non believers
like Paul. We can learn a lot from our Church and Salvation History. In fact
1/2 of the people who became Catholic converts have delved into the study of
History. It is His story, her story and our story. It has patterns, though it
surprises really well. We have to discover the past, learn from what happened
and be open to it. We need to know the faith and not be susceptible to lie. We
are witnesses of what evil can do to people but behind all of those things, God
is behind it. The gates of hell did not prevail, the Church remains protected.
Today's 1st reading tells us of the murder of a holy and righteous man. What a
way to die! Stephen did not have the slightest trace of anger and is full of
forgiveness for those who stoned him. We should long to have this kind of
disposition in life that even at the point of death he still begged for mercy
and forgiveness not on his own behalf but for the very people who caused his
death. It is an act of forgiving people even if they don't ask for it. St. Paul or Saul as he
was called originally was a part of it. We have to know what can be learned
from this to prevent similar things from happening again. Paul was a persecutor
of Christians but he became a saint. His life progressed with his testimonies
because he admitted to the killing of Christians and repented. He bore witness
to Jesus Christ and revealed how great a Savior we have in Him. Have you ever
seen anybody so peaceful and undisturbed even in the face of adversity? He has
shown us a perfect example of total
trust in God. He did not just speak the works of God, he also worked with great
wonders and signs. His entire being shows forth the glory of God that no one
can deny. This reminds me of Fr. Arnel Celis whom I showed him my petal with
the face of a cherubim, he said that I look like it. Whether it's true or not,
is no longer important. What matters most is that we should all strive to be
like Stephen who reflects the glory of God in his face. This makes me think
that we should not only be conscious of our physical appearance which most of
us are too concerned about. Although it is also right that we care for our
temporal needs while we are still residents of this temporary world, all the
more should we be conscious of looking after our spiritual needs to nourish and
sustain our souls which is lasting and will enter into eternity. We wouldn't
want to look deformed or ugly permanently when we come face to face with God
our Creator. Physical beauty is fleeting
and can only last for a lifetime or while still young whereas the beauty of our
souls can withstand endless lifetimes and last for eternity. It should be our
goal that someday people who look at us will be drawn to us because we have
become living models of Christ before our fellowmen, beautiful inside and out.
I pray that just like Stephen we will be filled with God's grace and power,
show forth great wonders and signs and resemble the face of an angel. If we go
through a lot of trouble just to look beautiful and handsome in the eyes of men
how much more in the eyes of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Acts 6:8-15
8 Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great
wonders and signs among the people...All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked
intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
“Don't trust too much, don't
love too much, don't care too much because that "too much" wiil hurt
you so much...” This is a quotation I came across on Facebook. It somehow
answers the part where we have to hurt so much. We use our mind to sort out
what is true. God has given us the intellect, will, passions and emotions.
Sometimes our emotions lead and carry us away in the search and to discern the
truth. Our mind can seek the truth and our will can choose the truth freely. After
the fall of our 1st parents, even if we know what is right we have
been infected by the malice of the world and our will have become weakened. Our
emotions play a big role in our will. This is why it should be properly
directed. Our emotions go up and down and it is not the proper gauge. Some
relationships should not just be built upon a bunch of good feelings. It is a
very dangerous basis for love. We need to ask the question of truth and get a
hold of our emotions so that we can put our relationships in proper
perspective. There are so many
things that we are worried about but only one thing is needed and we have to be
sure that we pick the best option. We need not confuse ourselves by even
considering the options that the world enticingly and seductively present to
us. Does this song sound familiar? "Gusto kong bumait pero di ko
magawa." (I can’t do the good that I’m supposed to do) Because we are
still in this world and its laws
dominate us it is
indeed hard to
serve the law of God.
But we are constantly reminded that
if we only
make a stand on which side we are
then God will deliver us. There is only one thing needed and we have to choose
the best part. We must always know on which authority are we basing our
actions. It will always help to examine ourselves and really be aware where our
loyalty lies. Are we for God or against God or are we just for God in the
superficial sense? If we are deeply
rooted in Him then we can withstand that horrible day of trial and still find ourselves persevering in our
faith. We have to do things according to God's statutes and precepts which is
the only sure way to live a happy and abundant life first here on earth and
then for eternity. There is one thing we need to do. Let
us always focus on Jesus and follow the example He has left for us to live by.
What a friend we have in Jesus. He is never amiss on anything. Let us not
hesitate to reach out to Him for in Him we find a true friend who is ready to
help us. If we come to Him at all times for guidance and direction, He will
always be there to take our hand and lead us to the right path. The Lord knows
exactly what's in our hearts. There are times when people judge us based only
on what they see but what matters most is that we are right before God. The
truth is that we ought to realize by now that only God can deliver us from all
evil and there is no one else to whom we can go but to Him. The Lord has
promised and He will fulfill. This should give us so much joy and peace in knowing
this. There is no doubt that God in His goodness surely sheds light, giving
understanding to the simple in times of affliction. We need to always hold on
to God at all times and never lose hope in Him. We just got to hold on tight! No
matter what happen let us always keep in mind that God fulfills all His
promises. It may not be right away and could be later but He will surely reveal
things in His most perfect time. We've got to realize that there is no love
greater than the love God is offering us. We need to make sure that what we
sought and yearn for, is what should bring us genuine riches, true delight and
the most precious treasure which the world can not give and only God can bring
about. Just imagine ourselves walking in the dark without knowing what we are
stepping on and where we are headed. It is very difficult there is no doubt
about it. We need light to guide our steps and show the way. We have to realize
that loving God means obeying with all our heart. Have you experienced waking
up or going to bed at the same time everyday? It's because of the circadian clock
or the rhythmic biological cycles that happen or recurring everyday in us. Let
us pray to God that we develop in ourselves an instinct and discipline to
naturally follow His commands like the circadian clock. The time to act is now.
Let us seize every opportunity to know the Word of God while we still can.
1. Do we see God as the Primary agent? God is the Primary Agent of Evangelization. It is not about us but about God.
2. Do we see Evangelization as everyone's responsibility?
We must not end up like the
3. Do we communicate God's love?
4. Is total human betterment part of the ministry?
5. Do we respect other traditions?
God does not take sides. There is an equal opportunity for all but we have to make sure that we are on God's side. We need to rid ourselves of any triumphant or arrogant attitude towards people of other faith. The Abrahamic religion has a common denominator which is belief in God. We are not the sole professor of truth. We need to listen for God's revelation from others, too not only from us.
6. Does our love go beyond Catholic borders?
The
7. Is our approach ecumenical?
We do not have the monopoly of God because the Good News has no border and dealt with a common faith.
8. Do we use all available media?
The best media is our own life, no need for TV. The example of how we live our life is the best means to evangelize. Walk the talk.
9. Do we fully utilize existing groups like ministries that renew and energize members?
10. What is our total image?
We've got to maintain a wholesome image unlike the Crusaders, though they were able to convert many to the faith, the spread of the Good News was carried out using the sword. We must take extra care in projecting the right image as Good Messengers of the Good News. We can't just take one passage and take it as a whole, we have to consider the entire scriptures. It must be read within the living tradition of the Church. It is written in the Church's heart in the very essence of who Jesus is. The analogy of faith and inner harmony should co-exist and take all of them together as a unity. To take just one part of the truth and depend solely on it for everything else to unravel would end up in heresy and find ourselves outside the truth. The depository of faith is entrusted by the apostles to the whole of the Magisterium of the Church. This task of giving an authentic teaching of the depository of the faith is given to the living successors of Peter who is the Pope and the Bishops in our Catholic Church. We must have the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the Magisterium of the Church. If the Church is not a Divine institution it would have crashed 2000 yrs ago. Living tradition and sacred scriptures are the means to transmit the faith. We need to know this to understand how God's plan works through things revealed by God to us and recalled by faith.
Another interesting event I am reminded of is one of the MI (Militia
Immaculata) Meetings we had in the past
wherein we were asked to introduce ourselves briefly by saying our
names, parishes where we belong and the time when we were consecrated to the
Mother Mary. I can never forget the date I was consecrated (March 15, 2008)
since it was the same date, but in 1995, of my mother's death anniversary but I
would rather call it her birth to eternal life. It was highlighted by another
significant event which was a dream I had at that same time of my aunt, Tita
Edna who passed away on March 24 in the year 1992. The dream was quite
interesting and very vivid because I saw Tita Edna riding in a van and the moment I saw her I
took off immediately and ran after the van which I almost missed if I did not
leap and managed to make it to the door of the van from which I almost fell.
When I finally made it inside the van, I saw that she was about to eat so I
offered her a hand sanitizer and saw that it made her so glad that I had it.
She immediately applied it in her hands and thanked me for it. It suddenly gave
me the impression that the van could be a symbol of our transportation to
heaven. It is very difficult to catch that ride, we have to be always alert and
vigilant we might end up missing it and worst never be able catch the ride ever
again. That is, if we are too busy with other things we tend to neglect what
should we be paying attention to and end up missing out on our ride and get a
different ride which instead of bringing us to heaven, be brought to another
destination which I guess none of us would like to be. We must always know on
whose authority we are basing our actions. It will always help to examine
ourselves and really be aware where our loyalty lies. Are we for God or against
God or are we just for God in the superficial sense? If we are deeply rooted in Him then we can
withstand that horrible day of trial and
still find ourselves persevering in our faith. Just the thought of ending up in
hell should really make us pray fervently to God. Today's psalm teaches us the way to always be
attuned to God's Spirit in order for us to truly see the word of God, as the
light shining like a lamp for our feet. If we really want to be truly happy
then there is just one thing we have to always do that is to always keep
ourselves blameless before the Lord. We can never run away from the probing
eyes of God because nothing is hidden from Him. We sometimes have this
impression that our God requires impossibilities from us. We misinterpret and
take things in a different way whenever we hear of rules and regulations to be
followed. The decrees of our Lord are not meant to make things difficult for us
nor do they burden or tie us down. This is the deception and we should start
looking at it the right way. Just imagine life without God's decrees to guide
us, it would be very disorderly and chaotic. It's like driving in the freeway
wherein one can just go his or her own way without any regard for any traffic
rules and regulations. Real freedom is the ability to follow God and being
totally free of the grasp and hold of sin that brings death. Some sins bring
instant death but others just like cancer slowly creep in and before we know it
has already eaten us up whole. God loves
us so much that He has given us His decrees because it is in following them
that we become totally free and live. The only way to true freedom is by
following God's commands. In doing this we become free of the bondage of sin
and live a power filled life based on the Truth. We should believe that if
there is someone in and out of this world who is most reasonable, just, fair
and at the same time loving, caring, slow to anger and rich in kindness that is
no other than our God. One thing for sure, if He requires us something, He will
definitely equip us for it because it is written, "I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me." If we commit ourselves to following
God then we will surely be blessed. Allow me to use the word "luck"
or "swerte" in Tagalog in lieu of any other more appropriate word
like blessed or pinagpala in Tagalog since I have always been hearing this word
being used very often by some people in reference to certain situations within
the broad context of this word. I just couldn't help but share it, first and
foremost due to some personal circumstances. We often hear people say to
another who is about to embark on something challenging, “good luck” If the
word luck may have been associated with whatever negative meaning then consider
it excluded from here and out of context for the mean time. Let's just say we
would like to broaden the scope of our vocabulary. This is to further drive the
point or message in today's psalm and is actually the catch here. This is to
come up with an induction that following the law of the Lord is just as
synonymous to being blessed, lucky, swerte or pinagpala or any other word that
we could closely associate with this. It is not very easy to lead a life like
that of the saints who followed the example of Jesus. Ignorance is not an
excuse. We should always seek to enrich our knowledge about God so that we will
continuously grow in our faith. Our world is ever changing with all the new
technology coming up, it's so surprising that whatever is considered the latest
and gold standard today may not hold true the following day. If there's one
thing we should rely and hold on to in this very dynamic world of ours, then it
should be something constant and enduring.
It gives us great consolation that we have a God who is true to His
word. We may have heard it but we haven't learned yet. It is a lifelong journey
and quest to know God better. Nothing can be more rewarding than having great
peace in our lives. We can make this possible by adhering to God’s law and
committing to following it in word and deed. It will always be well for us to consult
the scriptures that shed light and give understanding. It is only right that we
follow the law of the Lord if we are really for God then our works should
follow us and testify to who we really are. We've got to make sure that what we
sought and yearn for, is what should bring us genuine riches, true delight and
the most precious treasure which the world can not give and only God can bring
about. It is only right that we follow the law of the Lord if we are really for
God then our works should follow us and testify to who we really are.
Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 119:23-24. 26-27. 29-30
r: Blessed are they who follow the law of the lord!
...Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favor me with
your law. 30 The way of truth I have chosen; I have set your ordinances before
me...
There is a conflict of interest here. The people in today's
gospel are not getting the whole idea of Jesus' miracle. It is such a pity that
we sometimes fall into the same trap of missing the point. We sometimes
overlook and set aside what's really essential. We can't help it at times since
we are still bound to this world. The things that happen to us and all other
events in our own lives should makes us more open to the word of God and enable
us to read the signs of the times that point to the world which endures for
eternal life. Sometimes we find ourselves very tired because we keep on working
to the point of exhaustion just to find out that we only toil in vain. We
should invest all our efforts in working for something that will not perish. And
in so doing we should align our wills to God and set our motives right. We are
all guilty at times of seeking God because we long to fulfill our own selfish
desires without realizing that all we need is Jesus and everything will follow.
It is more important to focus on what is eternal rather on things that perish.
When we ask God for something in prayer we should always question the purity of
our desire. This world that we live in can never give what can truly make us
happy. We always long for something but we will never be satisfied and continue
to grow hungry unless we go to Jesus who alone can satisfy all our needs. What
Jesus said in today's gospel is very true. If we always draw near Him, seek Him
and come to Him then He in turn draws near to us, makes Himself available to us
and stays with us. If this is so then there is nothing more we need for we will
never thirst nor hunger for anything else. It is just like we are sitting at
the right hand of God and someday we will. Only Jesus can satisfy our souls. He
is fortified with all the essential things we ever need in our lives for
everything that we long for can only be fulfilled by Him. He who has God wants
nothing. Every human heart longs and desires for something that can satisfy us.
A sick person follows what the doctor says in order to prolong his or her life.
Fr. Leo Clifford in his reflections in EWTN narrated the story of "My Fair
Lady" or the famous play "Pygmalion". Pygmalion is the legendary
Greek story of a sculptor who fell in love with his sculpture which was turned
into a play and inspired George Bernard Shaw to write a similar story. It was
about a young lady named Eliza who was taken out of the rut and placed in a
pedestal. We should realize that like Eliza we have also been taken out of the rut
and made partakers of the Divine Nature of God in Baptism. God created us and
fell deeply in love with us. If there's one truth that should never leave our
minds then this is it. We are placed in a pedestal and sharing God's own life.
Amen. Hallelujah!
John 6:22-29
...“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not
because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not
work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his
seal.” 28 So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe
in the one he sent.” ...
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