IT’S ALL UP TO US

There are certain issues in our faith that we need to clarify and be confident of. We need to face them and clear things up rather than remain unsure about it. When we encounter people who are not well informed about these things we need to do all in our power to correct them and guide them to the truth. If we ourselves are not clear about it how can we guide them? In our Catholicism study it was mentioned by Atty. Jess Moya, the speaker that we should always be guided by the core teachings of the Catholic Church and should never stray away from it. We should stick to this and really believe in the Church since it was Peter who was appointed by Jesus as the head of the church and the Pope as his successor. In the light of this we should always consult the Church about matters concerning our faith. Just like the apostles in today’s 1st reading we have a responsibility in our hands that we must not take for granted because it concerns not just them but all of us. When everything has been said and done then we can be ready to face our God anytime. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts of the Apostles 15,1-6.

...telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers... some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.” 6 The Apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter.

Today's psalm reminds me of this popular game called, "Trip to Jerusalem" I guess, everybody's familiar with it. We may all have played this game when we were young or even when we're older. The fastest, quickest, most alert person who gets the last seat wins. If we are not paying attention or are too slow then we are bound to lose. We have to put up a good fight in this game in order to win because the chairs are always lacking so every round there is always one person who doesn't get a seat and gets eliminated. It is just a game but people have a lot of fun doing their best so as not to be eliminated and win. People who engage themselves in this kind of game and want to win exert a lot of effort. It is so tiring and can exhaust one's energy in the game. And to think that after all our efforts only one person gets to win. Isn't it a relief that we can go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.  We need not worry that all our best efforts would just be wasted because God has reserved a seat for each one of us. If we are all set and very sure where we are headed then nothing can stop us from being there. Considering, too that we have a God who has secured a place and our future for us. John 14:1-3, " Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be." Nothing or no one can prevent us unless we ourselves decide not to go. The truth is, it's all up to us. We are confronted with a lot of things every day and if there is one thing we should choose and decide for then peace is one of them. It is important that we work and pray for peace to always reign in our midst. If we have peace that passes understanding always safeguarded in our hearts then we can rejoice in the Lord at all times. We should always be confident of the truth that we are blessed and secure in the knowledge and truth that we are where we are right now, doing what we are doing right now at the exact time God has provided for us, for with God there is always a perfect time for everything. When we are feeling tired from all the day's work all we want to do is just go home. Nothing could be more rewarding than coming home to a place where we find rest and peace. Our life here on earth could be compared to something like this. It is nice to know that at the end of the day or our life's journey we can go rejoicing to the house of the Lord and find ourselves welcome there. Ideally, there should be no other place we want to be, more than a place where there is peace and prosperity. It is a choice we have to make but sometimes we make the wrong choices and choose to be just anywhere but in a place such as this. We have all the time to be in different places that is fun and exciting. There is nothing wrong with being in these places for as long as we know our limitations but do we get the same joy and fulfillment when we go into the house of God. We should be balanced human beings. We should not just seek to satisfy our physical but spiritual needs as well. Let us tap our dormant souls that are left unattended for so long and revive it to really feel what the psalm tells us today. As much as we are confronted by the fact that we are still inhabitants of this imperfect world we are in we can not live as if it does not exist. We might as well make the most of what we can do while we are part of it. We’ve got to set goals in order to achieve this and keep our eyes focused on it. It helps go through our daily life if we have set goals that we want to achieve and fulfill. The SMART acronym tells us that our goals should be S for specific, M for measurable, A for attainable or achievable, R for realistic or relevant and T for timely or time based. This is very effective in helping us improve as a person especially at times when we can't get our acts together. We can always set SMART goals from time to time in order to keep track of our performance in whatever field we want to work on and excel. It helps a lot in assessing ourselves in order for us to make an evaluation on how we our doing with our life. After each SMART goal we set for ourselves and have achieved it gives us a sense of fulfillment knowing that we have accomplished something. Little by little everyday we step up the ladder of our SMART goals. All of these should eventually come up to rejoicing with what we have made of our life. These we continue to do until it all sum up to bring us to that ultimate SMART goal. It should all lead us and point to our final destination when we go up to the house of the Lord. There is no greater joy than being with the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

                                                                                                  

Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

1 I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” 2 And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. (R) 3 Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. 4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. (R) According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. 5 In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David.

Every tree that bears fruit undergo pruning in order for it to bear more fruit. The same with our lives there are times when we think that we are doing what is pleasing to God but we are still beset with a lot of problems. There seems to be no end to it but we must realize that in order for us to continue and persevere we have to be tested and stand firm in our faith in God. We have to be stimulated constantly in order for us to be always on the go and active for God and inevitably bearing much fruit. Satan, the ruler of this world is taking over by means of his lies and deception. From the very beginning he has no power over Jesus Christ. When he has taken over Judas it was through a lie disguised in a kiss. When Judas lied and said to Jesus, "Is it I, Lord?" he led Jesus to death by deception with a kiss. Satan is still in this world but he has no power over Jesus even when it seemed as if Satan has defeated Jesus.  With Pilate's cynicisms when he asked, "What is truth?" and the existing government's inability at that time to protect the innocent. Jesus can have power over us. Satan can have power over us. Will we allow Jesus Christ to have power over us and defeat the role of evil in our life? That decision between good and evil, truth and deception, death and life is ours to make. Do we follow Him or not? Once again, it's all up to us. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 15:1-8

...Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”