UP AND ABOUT

This story of Sodom & Gomorrah in today's 1st reading tells us that we have a merciful but just God. Since this is the case, it is very easy to explain why bad things happen to bad people but for good people it's another story. Nobody could really give the perfect explanation for this. We should just hold on and believe that even if bad things happen to good people, God can always make things turn out not just for good but for the best. God is always just in all His ways and will never will for anything bad to happen to us. We are still part of this sinful and imperfect world and could fall prey to the manipulation, lies and deceit it offers. It is always a consolation to know that God is up and about in looking after our welfare. Whatever happens, He can always turn it around for the sake of the righteous. This is because God just doesn't look on and does nothing. God surely finds out and makes a way. Amen. Hallelujah!

Genesis 18:20-32

In those days, the LORD said:...I must go down and see...I mean to find out... Abraham drew nearer and said: “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? 24 Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty, so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?” 26 The LORD replied, “If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham spoke up again: “See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes! 28 What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?” “I will not destroy it,” he answered, “if I find forty-five there.” 29 But Abraham persisted, saying, “What if only forty are found there?” He replied, “I will forebear doing it for the sake of the forty.” 30 Then he said, “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will forebear doing it if I can find but thirty there.” 31 Still he went on, “Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?” “I will not destroy it,” he answered, “for the sake of the twenty.” 32 But he still persisted: “Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?” “For the sake of those ten,” he replied, “I will not destroy it.” ...

I could never forget the experience when we were in that very hazardous place in Crestline without any idea where we were going. I am thankful for the lesson learned from it. 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 teach. 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 for He answered when we called for help. Amen. Hallelujah!

Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8

R. (3a) Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

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; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name…for you have made great above all things your name and your promise... The LORD will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O LORD, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands...

St. Paul in today’s 2nd reading emphasized the importance of holding on to what we have been taught about Jesus our Savior. There are many things in this world that lure us away from Jesus. We’ve got to always focus and not allow ourselves to be carried away by it. We ought to know by now that only Jesus Christ can make us whole and satisfy our souls. The most important of human life is our relationship with God. But every other aspect like our relationship with other people, family, the way we are in the work place and all these things are governed by 7 virtues (faith, hope, love or charity, prudence or wisdom, justice, temperance and courage or fortitude). These virtues we can find in scriptures and see it in the life of saints. Even before God begin to reveal Himself to His people in Israel, human nature is smart and wise enough to see some things on its own. We, Catholics believe that God gave human beings reason although it sometimes gets darkened by sin but still human reason can figure out some things. One of the things that human beings figure out without God having to reveal it, is that human beings need to meet 4 qualities to be deemed a human being. The philosophers, even before the time of Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, had this figured out. We find it mentioned in Wisdom 8:7, the 4 virtues or qualities are also called the hinge virtues because it is where all the other virtues or qualities of good people would hinge. The word cardinal means hinge. The Cardinals who surround the Pope are the doorway to the Pope. They are also the ones whom he rely the most for advice. Everything else depends on the cardinal virtues. (Prudence or wisdom, justice, temperance and courage or fortitude) Prudence is the ability to make right decisions in complex situations. Decisions that lead to the best and right thing. Without this we can be in big trouble. We’ve got to be able to decide in a situation that we’re in what the right thing to do which is the best thing to do. How do we get something done? There are some folks who probably just can’t figure out what to do. There are other folks who look at the problem and they can figure out a solution. It’s a core and they execute that core. It’s practical wisdom. We’ll find in the Book of Proverbs a lot of things about wisdom even in Sirach, Ecclesiastes and all the wisdom literature in scriptures. We can also find all the other 3 cardinal virtues, like justice which means giving each person his or her due. We all know even as kids instinctively how important justice is. The first thing that a kid cries out as soon as he learns how to talk if he has brothers and sisters is “Not fair, he got more than I did” or “You ask me to do more than what the other person is doing.” This is because we  instinctively or natively have offensive justice. Each person has rights and ought to get their due. There’s also another part of justice that we forget, that is, we have obligations and duties to everyone. A person who is unjust is not a good person. To be just, we need to control our passions. Temperance is a virtue that balances and controls our passions. It is like controlling  our desire for that last piece of cake if we know that it belongs to our sister. In order to be just, we’ve got to control our appetites. Make our appetites come into line with justice, truth and goodness. We’ve got to have that balance in our life in order to be a good and effective person. Temperance makes this happen. We also have to be courageous. If we are not courageous then every time a difficulty arises we’re going to shrink back. If there’s any danger involved in doing the right, just and wise thing then we’re just going to crack out and find an excuse because we’re afraid. Courage or fortitude helps us to master fear and not let fear keep us from doing what’s right. We’ve got have all these things but here’s the problem. When Adam & Eve decided to sin they let loose a weakness into our race and nature that impacts all of us. We call it original sin. Sin is not so original, we just copy what other people have done. There’s nothing creative about sin. Adam & Eve’s sin was the only original sin. What they did has an impact on us. By weakening their own nature, sin weakened man’s nature. They passed on to us a weakened nature. They separated themselves and the whole human race from friendship with God and were born into that. There’s a tendency in our nature to go on a downward drift, a drift off course and a tendency to a great degree is dealt with through grace. How do we get grace? Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has made possible for us, healing of our humanity. He gives us other gifts, faith, hope and charity that make it possible for us to really have wisdom, justice, temperance and courage. Without faith, hope and charity in this life, no one can really become truly wise, just, tempered and courageous. Amen. Hallelujah

Col 2:12-14

Brothers and sisters: You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God,who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.

Today's gospel tells us that God won't neglect us and always provide for all our needs. My elder son, Jude when he was still a young boy was so difficult to feed. He prefers to eat all the junk, sweet and empty in nutrition food. In order for him to eat the right kind of food we would resort to all kinds of strategies but would often end up in disagreement because he never seem to understand why I needed to force him to eat the right kind of food instead of the type of food he prefers to eat at all times. Now that he's older, I need not resort to the old tactics I used to do just to feed him. He can now understand the principle of proper nutrition, I guess, and I hope that he has learned the values of eating good and nutritious food. God in the same manner remains as patient and steadfast in His love for us. God won't neglect us and always provide for all our needs. The gospel also mentions a man who is very persistent in asking for something from his friend. We should praise and thank God because the gospel assures and gives us new found strength and confidence that whatever we have been praying for a long time already has been heard by God. We just have to continue lifting everything to God unceasingly. We must always have that attitude of hope and expectant faith in our God the Father in heaven. We must believe that our persistent prayers to God will bear fruit. God is merciful, loving and concerned over our own welfare that He continues to be the perfect Father and parent to us always. Several years ago, my younger son, Allan requested something from me which I am not fully capable of providing by myself. As I look back and recall all the things that took place and upon reading today's gospel it made me realize that every single step involved in it is indeed a testimony that we have a God who make all things possible. After all the things that happened within that period, from people who extended a lending hand, to the circumstances and events that went along with it which made everything fell into place up to the time when it has been declared officially that Allan has finally got a hold of it, one thing is sure, we have a Father in heaven who loves us more than we'll ever know. These memories are very significant in the sense that whenever I talk with my sons, I always emphasize to them the truth of the message and reflection of today’s gospel. When we deal with problems which we have been bothered for years we sometimes just have to let go and let God and before we know it they are already resolved. God has indeed provided us every possible means in order for us to live a full and happy life. I believe that if we always come to God in prayer He is always ready to answer us. It should be emphasized, what Padre Pio said, that prayer is the best armor we have, it is the key which opens the heart of God. Prayer is something that we can make use of at all times, we only have to will it, whatever, whenever, wherever we may be. God goes all the way in fulfilling everything for us even teaching us how to pray. The truth is there is really nothing more God can give us that He has not given to us, for He has already shown and taught to us the most important thing for us to do which is pray. It is one of the most important tools to always be attuned to God. We all have to pray. When we have access to the heart of God then we can hear the beating of His heart and synchronize our own hearts to His and make beautiful rhythm together. It is when we follow where God leads us that we create a harmonious relationship with God. When the heart of God speaks and we listen then we will never go astray. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 11:1-4

1 Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread 4 and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.” … I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. 9 “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? 12 Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13 If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?”