We all have the capacity to know what is right and wrong so
it is up to us to take our pick. God never imposes for He is a Perfect
Gentleman. He allows us to decide for ourselves despite the heartache it causes
Him to see us not choose life over death. It is God's greatest desire to see us
all live and be saved but as today's 1st reading tells us whichever we choose
shall be given to us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Sirach 15:15-20
15 If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will
save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; 16 he has set before you
fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. 17 Before man
are life and death, whichever he chooses shall be given him.
“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’d like to be good but I just can’t) 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 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 also passed away on the same month, 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. 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!
Psalms 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
R: Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord! Blessed
are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are
they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart. R/ You have commanded
that your precepts be diligently kept. Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of
keeping your statutes! R/ Be good to your servant, that I may live and keep
your words. Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law. R/ Instruct me, O LORD, in the way
of your statutes, that I may exactly observe them. Give me discernment, that I
may observe your law and keep it with all my heart. R/
Nothing compares to what God has ready to those who love and
serve Him faithfully. Amen. Hallelujah!
1Corinthians 2:6-10
...But as it is written: “What eye has not seen, and ear has
not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for
those who love him,” 10 this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the
Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
Let us not have second thoughts or falter when it comes to
deciding for the Lord. Whatever it is we decide to do, let us make sure that
God is always our main reason. In doing so, we can be sure that we are not
taking the wrong side and are clearly not supporting the cause of the evil one.
We belong to God's family. If everything is clear about this truth then we
ought to think, speak and act in accordance to it. Let us not make of ourselves
a disgrace and dishonor to the family we all belong to. Let us uphold and carry
out the prophetic, priestly and kingly ministry we have all been given as part
of this one and great family of God. May we, like David from whom a Savior has
been born become a well from which springs forth a generation that God will
surely be proud of. Let us firmly hold fast to the principles of Catholic
Morality (from our Catholicism study by Atty. Jess Moya). Morality is defined
in the dictionary as conformity to ideals of right human conduct but based on Catholic
principles is further defined as fully conformed to God and His will, an
expression of our love for God and follows the moral law. It is clear that God
has defined morality and not man. Morality is objective. It is defined by God's
revelation not subject to man's will. We are warned not to be enticed by the
tempting appearance and enticing call of this world like the flies attracted to
sugary coating of the fly paper, got trapped, unable to get out and eventually
ended up dead. In Rom 12:2, it is said
that we should not conform ourselves to this age but be transformed by the
renewal of our mind, that we may discern what is the will of God, what is good
and pleasing and perfect. That is in order for us to have the right
relationship conformed with God by obeying the teachings of the church which is
an extension of the Body of Christ meaning God is with us. God has equipped us
with the totality of the means of salvation and we can overcome anything with
the grace of God and achieve true freedom and joy.
Moral law is known by human reason (Natural Moral Law) and
perfected by Divine Revelation. Divine revelation is God's way of communicating
His will to us. We submit to God's will because we are created in his
"image and likeness" (Gen.1:26-27) and our ultimate end is to be with
God. We are in this world but we are not of this world. We came from God and we
all go back to Him. That is what our life is really all about since all of us
will die someday and each day that passes should be thought of as a day closer
to God. Since our end is God we should all know how to relate with God. In John
1:12 it is said that we are the adopted children of God. We are partakers of
the divine nature of God (2Peter 1:3-4)
Morality is Universal. It applies to all people in all
places and at all times. Holiness is our objective and by doing so we should be
closely united with God. We have a higher dignity than that of the animals and
we should not degrade ourselves since man is a spiritual being. Animals do not
communicate with God only humans pray. St.
Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until it
rests on God." We are compared to a donut which has a hole in the center
that needs to be filled in by God.
Man has the duty to educate his conscience. An uneducated
conscience can err. Everybody has to keep on forming our conscience and our
standard is the word of God and the Holy Spirit. It helps to know of the fruits
of the Holy Spirit: love, peace, joy, long suffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, humility and self control. The Church is the final and infallible
interpreter of moral law. This is not dependent on the kind of church ministers
we have. Law of Catholic Morality is the
purest and highest form because it comes from God. A famous man once said,
"I do not need a Church to tell me that I am wrong when I know that I am
wrong, what I need is a Church that tells me I am wrong when I think that I am
right." Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI rallies against the principle of
Moral Relativism which relies on the "it depends" justification. We
all have the "Freedom of Conscience" and we can choose to have a
good, lax or bad conscience depending on whether we will not or will adhere and
obey the teachings of the church. Another principle that almost all people of
this world fall prey into is the "Fundamental Option" which states
that if there is no specific rejection of God in my heart then there is no sin
committed. This is where the issue of a lax conscience falls. A person shapes
God according to his/her own image instead of us, humans, His creatures
adjusting to God's own image and likeness. Morality is unchangeable for God
does not change. We are obligated to conform our conscience to the will of God.
There is so much chaos and darkness prevailing in the world today because of
the endless redefining and constant injection of other beliefs into our moral
values which was long before established in the 10 commandments by Moses. And
even before Jesus came for He Himself said that He came not to abolish the law
but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 5:17-37
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come
to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter
or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have
taken place....Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything
more is from the evil one.”
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