GOD’S TEMPLE

If we stay connected to God then there is really nothing we should worry about. Today's 1st reading describes fruit trees of every kind growing with their leaves never fading nor their fruit ever failed. God provides for all our needs and this is a reality that most of us sometimes fail to realize. Whenever things do not turn out the way we expected it to happen we end up searching for other sources or worst decide to do things our way instead of staying within the sanctuary of God. We should not stray from the right path for God will not just provide for our needs but make us a source of blessing for others, too. I remember the time when it was orange and lemon season when we used to harvest bags of these fruits from the backyard of Mr. and Mrs. Lowry. They are so generous to the point of telling us to just get as much as we like. They have very productive fruit bearing trees and it seemed like it never ran out of fruits to harvest. We would fill up big garbage bags and harvest as much as 3-4 bags. Just imagine how many fruits their trees bear. It is so amazing that even after we've harvest too much for us to carry, the tree would still look like it didn't give out any. In fact the topmost portion of the tree where the ladder could not reach had fruits that just waited to rot and fall off. The fruits were too many and heavy that the branches started to bend low and almost reached the ground. It is definitely something and it was like nothing we've ever seen before or something that we often do not normally see. It resembles what today's 1st reading is telling us since we have become so amazed and blessed of these fruit trees but it still is nothing compared to  what the Lord has prepared for us in that heavenly place where we all long to be someday. The 1st reading also reminded me of my 1st boss. She is Mrs. Teofista Tan Tena or Tita Pat as we fondly call her and I consider her one of God's instruments in my having a personal relationship with God. She is an active member of a Catholic Charismatic group (Reach Out For Jesus) and being the boss she would persistently invite us to attend the regular prayer meetings they were having during lunch breaks every Tuesday and Thursday. I can never forget that day when I had a dream or vision of water coming from all directions and I couldn't figure out why. I shared it to her and she said that it was the 1st reading for the day. I was able to confirm it when I went to mass that day and found out myself that it was indeed the reading for the day. From then on I have started leafing through the bible and look for quoted bible passages by people in seminars and retreats I attended. It all started there, my love to read and reflect on the scriptures which is often coupled with a confirming event or situation. Some are overwhelmingly amazing in nature that it has inspired me to keep it going and progressed to writing daily reflections. Looking back after all those years, I should say I have gone a long way already in terms of my frequenting the word of God. I praise and thank God for her that whatever she has planted through me have grown and improved.  I will strive to do my best to keep it that way, continuously maintaining and improving for God's greater glory. She has become God's channel of blessing for me which made me realize now that she has become like the river that flows to me that is mentioned in today's 1st reading. These are only a few of the several experiences I had right after my baptism in the spirit. It kept me inspired and always on fire for the Lord. It was also her who told me that it was the so called honeymoon stage with the Lord.  There are degrees or levels of faith. What I am being reminded today is my 1st degree, level or stage of faith experience. Just like all other stages we have to step up or move up the ladder and reach the peak. We have to mature and look beyond the spiritual highs and still keep up with the faith as we go through an all time low, a plateau or the so called spiritual dryness. It is when we can really prove our loyalty to God. As scriptures say, just like gold we are tested through fire. In this journey of life we need to go through a process where we all hope and aspire to bring out the best in us and be the person God has all meant us to be. This inspiring message that is often quoted by preachers should resonate in us. Sow a thought and it will become an act. Plant an act and it will become your habit. Create a habit and it will become a virtue or vice. Cultivate that character and it will become your destiny. Morality is defined as living an authentic and responsible Christian life. In order to understand morality there is a need for us to look at our physical world in parallel to a spiritual world. We are made up of body and soul. If we refer to our bodies as the 1st person then our soul becomes the 2nd person. We need to feed our soul the way we do to our bodies. It is very sad to know that according to some actuarial scientists only 13% of Americans believe that the 10 commandments will lead us to happiness.  There is a specific percentage of people who would be willing to do evil in exchange of $10M. There is a need to educate ourselves morally and enrich our spirituality. God looks into the heart and soul. We need to be a human person that God wants us to be. We should do good, avoid evil and be a beatitude person. In saying this we need to understand that beatitude means blessed or happy. The Old Testament speaks of the 10 commandments while the New Testament speaks of the Beatitudes. It is noteworthy that in some versions of the beatitudes the word "blessed" is also translated as "Happy are those..." There 5 important things we need to know to achieve happiness.

1. The main reason that God created us, is for us to be happy. At the end of it all God wants us to experience eternal happiness with Him.
2. God planted a desire in man to search and long for happiness since it is the nature or GPS of man.
3. God is the author of happiness and the author of desire.
4. Essence of happiness is God since God is love, "gaude" and "agape". He is the author of happiness and desire and only Him can make us happy.
5. God through the Holy Spirit can guide us in this treacherous journey in our desire to be happy.
We’ve got to make a decision whether we want to become a holy soul filled by God’s love or remain a holey soul. According to Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, a Jesuit priest and author of the book, "Holy Longing", man's desire is so intense that he called it a raging inferno. It's unstoppable and powerful that it creates holes in our souls. We can attempt in our human nature to fill in these holes but we still end up with a hollow feeling. These holes come in different shapes. We may be trying to fit in the wrong shape into these holes. These holes can only be filled in by God. Only God our Creator knows best and He is the only one who can determine which will fit into our soul. We all have our desires and longing in life but if we insist on doing it our way and not follow the pattern and shape that God has given us then we will never be truly happy. M. Scott Peck of the book, "The Road Less Traveled" said that desire is a feeling but to love is a decision. God loved us first in the same way that the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son showed his wasteful and reckless love for his son. He welcomed back his prodigal son who squandered his possessions in gambling and women. He did not even demand for an explanation but instead gave his love lavishly on his son. From the Annotations of St. Ignatius of Loyola he said something that consist this song,
Take and receive O Lord my liberty
Take all my will my mind my memory.
Do Thou direct, and govern all and sway,
Do what Thou wilt, command and I obey.
Only Thy grace and love on me bestow
Possessing these all riches I forgo.
All things I hold, and all I won are Thine,
Thine was the gift, to Thee I all resign.
Amen. Hallelujah!

Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12

1 Then he brought me, Ezekiel, back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the facade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side. 3 Then when he had walked off to the east with a measuring cord in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and had me wade through the water, which was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand and once more had me wade through the water, which was now knee-deep. Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade; the water was up to my waist. 5 Once more he measured off a thousand, but there was now a river through which I could not wade; for the water had risen so high it had become a river that could not be crossed except by swimming. 6 He asked me, “Have you seen this, son of man?” Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit. 7 Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides. 8 He said to me, “This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. 9 Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. 12 Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

What an awesome God we have, he always declare His great love for us in psalms and songs. The joy that comes from God is like a well that never runs dry, it will neither be affected by dry season nor drought. We can compare it to the trials/problems that come our way and we will not be moved for the joy of the Lord is our strength. We can only imagine but we can never see the real picture of how it is to be in the holy dwelling of the Most High. It is always nice to have something to look forward to most especially because as Christians we believe that we are just passing by and everything around us will all be gone. When this happens we know that we are headed to an eternal place prepared for us by God. Isn’t it wonderful that at this present time we can go on living every day of our life to the full and still be assured that the best is yet to come. It is important for us to stay within the boundaries of the so called city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. There is no doubt that God is our refuge, strength and help at all times but we need to cultivate in ourselves a holy place for God where He can always dwell within us and not drive Him away from us. Peace and holiness can be achieved if we are one and in communion with God.  We belong to a community. If we commit murder we go to jail, become cut off from the community and separated from the rest. Somehow this explains the need to be communal or the "WE" vs "I". Our life is best defined by the choices we make as well as the choices that the people around us make. Love is the essence of morality and we need to live a moral life. In order to do this we need to be aware that there are certain laws that we need to observe and follow like the 10 commandments. The 1st 3 commandments is all about loving the Creator. The 4th is about loving others by exercising honor, respect and obedience. There should be mutual respect between parents and children alike. The 5th is respect for life from the moment of conception up to the last breath of life or from the womb to the tomb. We also have a responsibility to protect and conserve our environment. The 6th & 9th commandment speaks of respect of sexuality which is about chastity, purity and modesty. The 7th & 10th commandments: Life of Justice. Speaks of Respect of possessions, charity and social justice. The 8th commandment that tells us to speak & live the truth. Our world is governed by Natural and Man made laws. Natural laws has 3 attributes. 1. universal 2. permanent 3. unchanging. If we attempt to tamper with nature disasters happen. Earthquake is a natural occurrence in places where there are fault lines. In the same way that if there are faults present in our lives then we are headed for disaster, too. We need to guard our morality. Our moral conscience is God given to evaluate the rightness and wrongness of an action but we need more than conscience alone to be moral. There 3 elements of morality. 1. object chosen 2.intention 3. circumstances There are many factors we need to consider such as what is the object chosen, who is it intended for or the agenda and the circumstances that surround it. These are the questions that need to be addressed, who, how, when and where. There are mitigating and aggravating situations that are attributed to our actions. Are we nice to someone for the sake of goodness or do we have a personal agenda attached to it or a vested interest. Think of virtue and sin. It is best to always make the 3 theological virtues on loving God our priority. 1. faith 2. hope 3. love. Faith is the opposite of apostasy which is the total denial of Jesus and schism, a refusal to submit to the authority of the Church and the Pope. Hope is refusal to succumb to despair knowing that God will always love and forgive us. Love can be defined as our constant and eager desire to know more about God and not be spiritually lazy. The observance of the law is a demonstration of our love for God and neighbor. It is important for us to know that even man made laws are drawn and based from a moral standpoint. We need to differentiate virtues and sins very well. We have to remember HALT. Whenever we need to make certain decisions we must not be H-hungry, A-angry, L-lonely, T-tired. Sin is anything against reason and truth. To sin means missing the mark. When we sin we almost always blame the devil for it without realizing that some of our sins are self induced due to our concupiscence. We desire what is evil, give in to our weaknesses and stated in Phil. 4:8, we fail to fill our minds with everything that is true, noble, good and pure, everything that we love and honor, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise. There is no doubt that God can do a lot of tremendous things for us that is why the Lord invites us to fully soak ourselves in the living waters of God. Not just wade in it or be immersed ankle deep, waist deep nor up to your neck but take a plunge. In whatever situation and stage in life we are in, we ought to keep in mind that there are variables. Just like any variable they continue to come and go in our lives. What we need to hold on to is the constant and not the variable. At this point we need to be sure who the constant is. By this time we should have made it clear that the Lord our God is our constant. Amen. Hallelujah! 

P S A L M

 Psalms 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

R: The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

...There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. 5 [6] God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn...

There is a truth in the saying that that the best healer is a wounded healer. As in Isaiah 50:6, I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. This is the reason for the Incarnation of God. Jesus experienced everything. He had been wounded and hurt thus He is the best Healer there is. This season of Lent should be taken advantage to make the grace of God a mighty river of grace. We should see the source of the grace, Jesus Himself. The grace is not just a vague force. In today’s gospel we see the man waiting for the pool to be stirred. This is a very big pool in fact to this day, 2 churches were built inside the pool to commemorate the very miracle that took place in it and even pagans go there for healing. We find that Jesus does not take the man to the water. It’s the word of Jesus and His authority that heals the man. He is the source of grace that brings about the healing. The man does not come across to be particularly bright because he said that there’s no one to put him in the water. He did not even bother to ask who healed him and has no idea as he doesn’t go looking for Christ. It was Christ who looked for him. It was a sort of ungrateful way to deal with the healing. Jesus not only heals him physically but addresses the state of his soul as He told him to sin no more. He knows the depths of what’s inside of us. We are told also in a way to sin no more, so nothing worse is going to happen. We want that river of grace to flow from Jesus Christ to us so we pray, abstain and fast to intercede for the grace to come to our culture. We need to use our time to seek the word of God and know the gospel better and better so we have the word that heals to bring to our culture. We bring a word of Christ and its power. Not by our own but we bring that grace by the power of Christ. We bring healing to the dryness and deadly state of our culture. In this way the Lord uses us to help transform a culture of life. In a way this connects to this vision of Ezekiel in the 1^st reading. This is part of the Holy year of the Jews, a year of God’s jubilee celebration for Jerusalem after 25 years of exile. This is a vision of hope at that time because Jerusalem is still in ruin and the temple is a mess. People can’t offer sacrifice for even the priest was in exile. The huge amount of water gushing forth in a land that’s very much desperate like a desert but later on have trees grow there is a sign of hope. This jubilee vision shows how God heals the land of its desert status. It is not only to bring water but to become a permanent spring. The dead sea is 9x as salty as the ocean, meaning it is 27% salt and anyone can die drinking it. To heal those waters is a great sign of Jubilee. We need an outflow of grace into our culture where so much spiritual life does not grow due to materialism and attitude of people who don’t expect to find God anymore. The grace of God would flow through it and bring about new growth of Christianity. The saltiness of the dead sea is a great symbol that we can see in our culture in which no one idea is any better than another. Christianity is just one idea among many and we see strong forces in our culture. People are trying hard to evangelize and make a revival of paganism and worship of witchcraft. These forces are active and aggressive. In fact it becomes institutionalized as we see a campus minister that practices witchcraft or Satanism. We have to be alert of its salt which is deadly. The good news is that the grace of God is more powerful than they are. The grace that flows from God is more powerful if we are willing to cooperate to fight these forces they can be defeated. Every single day is designed by God for us to praise and worship Him through our daily lives, wherever, whoever, whenever we may be and whatever we do. In all circumstances we must choose to praise and thank God through our actions and turn our back on sin. God in today's gospel gives us a warning and a word of caution that Jesus already made us well and it's all up to us to keep it that way and even become the best. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 5:1-16

1 There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. 3 In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. [4] 4 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” 9 Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 He answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” 13 The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. 14 After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, “Look, you are well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. 16 Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.

MOVE BEYOND

When we come to a situation when we are not getting any good advice as to what we should do next while the unpredictable turn of events made matters worse then we feel trapped.  This happens when our waiting period has been unusually long and delayed already for a very unreasonable time and some are already having doubts and speculations as to the outcome of our present situation. Despite all the negative things that are up coming we continue to hold on to God's word and promise. We may not have expected things to happen the way it did and as we try to look back and recall what we could have done or not, we have to come to the realization that if we have done what God has led us to do and decided then we can be at peace like the royal official in the gospel who believed what was told of him. Due to the urgency of his request which is a matter of life and death since his child is dying, he was expecting Jesus to go with him. He could have insisted on it but instead believed and obeyed when instructed to just go by himself. The gospel speaks to us the same message of Jesus to the royal official to just believe and obey while anticipating for the time when we will be met by the bearer of the good news that we have already claimed, declared and believed in. The sufferings of Jesus won for us the key that opened the gate of heaven. It was through His suffering and death on the cross that we have been saved. It is a huge key that opens up a lot of things. The saving power of God brought about by His sufferings should make us see our own suffering as something that can bring about wisdom, power and transformation. It is in our suffering that our ego and flesh dies. We should allow suffering to make sense and give meaning in our life. In doing this we can be of help and inspiration to others who are going through the same thing. We have to develop a peaceful disposition in the midst of suffering. We have to deal with suffering the proper way by suffering with grace. Just consider everything as preparation. We've got to have joy in the midst of suffering in the knowledge that God's will is in it. If we can only develop this profound understanding that God permits or allows everything that is happening in our life. Though, it is sometimes difficult to accept when we ourselves are confronted with suffering but we have to hold on to the truth that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). God has the power to see and help us through it all. Do we have knowledge of who truly the Lord is as spoken of in today’s 1^st reading in Isaiah. The Lord speaks that the things of the past shall not be remembered. This is a passage that needs to be heard when we go to confession. The Lord is all powerful and is a God who means what He says. When He says, I forgive, He means it. Do we really believe and take His word and what He said? If we truly know who God is then we should believe that the things of the past shall not be remembered. He wills to leave the things in the past. Although we may have no concept of how some things are, the devil wants to play with us, until the day we breathe our last. He would taunt us with such questions as, did the Lord really forget our sins? The saints who have moved into a deeper level or increase of faith believe this scripture. Yes we have sinned and offended the love of God to the point of shedding tears for true contrition but we do not fall into the path of taking back the guilt and shame upon us. The Lord has taken it away, He has healed us. The Lord pushes it away and forgives us with the tremendous love, mercy and power of God to forgive sins. But this is what the devil does, he wants to build a wall to prevent us from moving into a relationship with God. The Lord can forgive everyone as long as we take claim of our sins, shed our tears and fix our attention on the love of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 65:17-21

17 Thus says the LORD: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight;

We sometimes think that God does not answer our prayers but He does. Let us not fall into this wrong notion, lose hope and turn into different kinds of addictions which cause so much wasted pain and suffering. This is a wicked age and our life should redeem. Only the Lord our God can bring about this redemption in our lives. If the Son of God had His enormous and most unbearable share of suffering for our sake don't we think that we should also bear our own daily crosses? We should have the courage and the strength to suffer for the gospel most especially at this time of the world when there is great hostility to the gospel. To suffer always with the confidence that God who sees and knows all would definitely see us through it all. God is above all our troubles, fears and anxieties, whatever it may be, our ills and even death itself. The "culture of death" and its kingdom has been robbed of its power. Jesus has resurrected from the dead and the kingdom of God is among us. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. John 3:35-36, "The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him." Notice that it is written in the present tense, which means now and will have its fullness when we die and raised on the last day. We begin possessing it even now. There is really no denying to the truth in life that we all have to go through a process of trial and hardship but what's most reassuring is the fact that despite all the disappointment and pain we can all be rescued by our Mighty God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-13

R: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

1 [2] I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. 3 [4] O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit... For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing. (R) 10 [11] “Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me; O LORD, be my helper.” 11 [12] You changed my mourning into dancing; 12 [13] O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.

There are many ways that God can manifest His healing to all of us. Sometimes it comes to us in the most unexpected and unique way. All we need to do is believe and it will be done. As humans we sometimes make the wrong call and end up suffering the consequences of our decisions. When we do, we eventually learn the lessons of our mistakes and become more capable of making the right choice, hopefully.  It is always safe to put ourselves in the center of God's will.  God do not make wrong calls the way we do. We can always trust God to do the right thing at the right time and place. In today’s gospel, the royal officer is an example of a person who exhibited an increase in the level of his faith. One of the fathers of the Church said that there are degrees of faith. This man’s beginning of faith started when his son was on the verge of dying. He hears that Jesus is there so he went and walked from Capernaum to Cana and typically it would take 14 hours to do that.  This is the 1^st degree, it takes an effort to walk for hours to see the Lord. The next step is when he hears the word although he doesn’t see that his son is healed, he believed. After that, there’s a deepening of faith that comes. When he heard what Jesus said, he realized that there is power in the word of Christ for what he was told he believed and also for the rest of his household.  There are moments in our faith when we don’t see but do we truly believe that the word of the Lord is true. We know the words but are we convinced and do we really believe Him? It happens to each one of us, we know that the Lord has the power and we come and turn to Him with all our needs but have we reached to the point when we have increased and perfected our faith. During this period of Lent we are invited to deepen our faith. We can’t stay in the level of our 1^st communion level of faith. We need to deepen our relationship with God and it must not remain that way. It is good to look at the level of our relationship with God and see if we have grown mature. We often have an excuse for ourselves. We ought to maintain that relationship with the Lord in the level of a child and yet we are called to mature in that relationship with Him. There is a need to broaden and expand our heart to a greater love. It takes effort and dedication on our part to do this. We must not sound to the Lord as an always, “I need, give me” person who is just concerned about ourselves. God will help us but we have to put our trust in Him. We ask the Lord for assistance and He responds but when we get what we want we forget Him and we don’t go back to Him. This is an immature way of interacting with the Lord. We need deepening of our relationship and to move beyond our current level of faith. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 4:43-54

...Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” 49 The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. 51 While he was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. 52 He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” 53 The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. 

ARISE, O SLEEPER!

Today’s 1^st reading reminds me of this beautician who did a home service to a lady. Being the beauty specialist that she is, she made some suggestions to me. She is an expert when it comes to beauty tips and making her customers look their best. I can not blame her and the others who have a good taste for fashion and beauty when they persuade me to have my hair cut. It has grown very long already and sometimes left it unkempt. I must admit I am very careless in these matters which I really need to improve on. We know for a fact that there are areas in ourselves that we need to work on for the better. Whatever it may be, it will surely give delight to the Lord if we try to be the best that we can be and do everything sincerely from our hearts for the glory of God. Most importantly is that we should always consult God with our decisions for in today's first reading it is stated that not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart. We are all guilty one way or another of being judged or judging others ourselves. This is something that we all do unknowingly, deliberately, just out of habit and without much thought. Today's 1st reading reminds us of not to judge and deal with our fellow human beings by our standard but by God's.  Amen. Hallelujah

1Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13

...the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his  appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”

Psalm 23 assures us where the road of God’s love will lead us because it tells us exactly what kind of road we are heading to if we accept the love of the Good Shepherd. When I was a young child, I used to sing and imagine the scenario in the psalm reading for today. Psalm 23 has a Tagalog song version in the Philippines entitled, “Ang Panginoon ang aking Pastol” I have always loved singing it because of the very comforting words in the song. It has always given me an impression that with God on our side nothing can go wrong and if things seem to look like there is something wrong there is really nothing to fear for He will always be there to defend and protect. Let us not stray away from the Lord and always stay in the flock that He cares for. We may have heard a story of how a lion attacks its prey by separating it from the flock and once it has cornered it and all alone that's the time it devours it. It pays to always stay in the flock under the care of our Good Shepherd. We have to make sure we are not misguided or deceived by a fake shepherd and really belong to the flock of sheep that Jesus shepherds. If we are just to read and understand very well every word said in today's psalm then we ought to find ourselves the most contented and secured person in the whole wide world. There should be no more room for fear, doubt and anxiety. We've got to develop the confidence and faith of a person who have truly believed that the Lord is our shepherd. A sheep without a shepherd doesn’t know where to go and get food. They just stand there looking dumb and hungry. Today's psalm is a reminder and great consolation that we are the sheep and the Lord is our Shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd as stated in today's psalm. He makes us want for nothing more. We are so caught up with our problems and concerns in life that we become oblivious of God. We do not see the love of God in the midst of these disturbing events. In our journey here on earth we are all confronted with the bitter and harsh realities of life. Let us always remember and never forget that on top of those realities is the resounding truth and most essential one that we have a Good Shepherd. We should praise and thank God for those experiences although difficult served as an inspiration which we could hold on to at times when things do not turn out right. We can be assured that everything is in control although there is really a need to go through a so called "dark valley" of our lives in order for us to be fully aware that we have a God who looks after our welfare no matter how things turn out unexpectedly and not according to what we have in mind. We always have to believe that in the end, God is always on our side to give us the courage to carry on and find that God got us covered. There is one thing sure if we hold on to God as a sheep to the Good Shepherd, we will never be disappointed. The words of God in today's readings give us an assurance that He is always there for us. He said it and He means it then so be it. There is nothing more He could possibly mean when He said that He is the Good Shepherd other than He cares for us. He never forsakes nor abandons any single one of His flock. Sometimes we are confronted with situations that push us to the limits and thus we give way. This should never be the case at any single time. We should not entertain the option that is clearly not pleasing to the Lord even beyond the point of maximum tolerance. We may find ourselves able to resist up to a certain extent only. Thus when the tough gets really tough we would suddenly find ourselves shifting our loyalty. We only find ourselves proclaiming God in our life when situations are favorable. It's such a pity if we would ever come to this point where almost everybody in this world found themselves comfortably positioned. We can easily change positions when things get uncomfortable and easily turn our backs on what is ultimately God’s will for us. As in Rev. 3:16, So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. It is time to make a stand and know which side we really are rather than continue making excuses and justifications. We must not doubt God's ability to be the  Good Shepherd that He really is to us and trust Him rather than ourselves to carry out the plan He has for us.  Just like this old adage, "Never put the law into your hands." We should not take away God's plan from His hands into ours and act like we know better. If there's someone who could perfectly carry out this plan for our lives then that is no other than God Himself. Nothing could be more perfect than entrusting our life in God's hands. Just try to imagine ourselves right now, as is, where is with all our cares and problems in this world. Then try to paint another picture, this time with God as the Good Shepherd that tends the sheep, then picture ourselves as that sheep that the Lord tends. Be still for a moment and try to absorb and allow to sink in the words in the responsorial psalm. In God's loving embrace we are secured and satisfied that there is nothing we stand in need of. If the Lord is our shepherd who could ask for more? Goodness and love pursue us all the days of our life. For as long we're sure that the Lord Jesus is indeed the shepherd who leads us and whom we follow then there is no doubt about this. We should thank the Lord for our daily assurances, confirmation and in all circumstances. God will never allow us to go hungry and will always give us what we need and even more. God is a generous God that when we're feeling hungry or in need of something He is always there to provide, all we have to do is trust Him in His ways, as He has promised. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

We've grown so used to our own personal blindness brought by our sins that we simply sit around and not do anything about it. Today's 2nd reading tells us to arise and be children of the light. If we want to feel, think and see things in accordance to His will then we should simply try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

Ephesians 5:8-14

...Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

Sin certainly has its consequences but Christ has transformed it to our redemption. This blind man in the gospel obeys and sees. The 1st person he sees as he opens his eyes is Jesus. God redeems us from our sufferings and transform it for our good. For in today's gospel the Lord reminds and invites us to make our lives a testimony of the wonderful works of His hands. Let us continue to trust God that whatever situation we are in right now it doesn't change the fact that He is God our Creator, powerful and almighty. We might be like the blind man from birth groping in the dark. Just like him let us not hesitate to become instruments in making visible His wonderful plans through us. Let us be mindful of His instructions to us the same way the blind man obeyed Jesus when He said, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.” Amen. Hallelujah!

John 9:1-41

As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent—. So he went and washed, and came back able to see. His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is, “

but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.” They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said,

“He is of age; question him.” So a second time they called the man who had been blind

and said to him, “Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner.” He replied,

“If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.”

So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.” The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.” They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “I do  believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.

WRONG IMPRESSIONS AND MINDSETS

 We have a tendency to overlook the ordinary and simple things around us. We must not be impressed with just the extraordinary. Our approach to Christian life should not neglect the day to day and the ordinary things we do. The very thing that is right in front of us is our next good step. This is how we will walk to holiness. We may be in a gloomy and dark situation at the moment but we must not lose hope and put our best foot forward.  Is there something that we have been waiting, longing and hoping for a long time already and is yet to come? Are we on the verge of giving up and losing hope because of the seemingly endless waiting period that we are going through? Does it look like things are not getting any better and would just end up in nothing? Do we sometimes confuse God as someone who is stern and rough rather than a loving father who would pull us through any difficult situation? We have to do our best and be immensely patient even in times of great difficulty and trial. We imitate Christ in his humanity as he went through his passion and death with the certainty of resurrection. We should remember that if we pray to God, He would definitely and absolutely answer in the best way possible for us in His perfect time. Amen. Hallelujah!

Hosea 6:1-6

1 “Come, let us return to the LORD, For it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. 2 He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence. 3 Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming, and his judgment shines forth like the light of day! He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth.” ...For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts.

Organizing all my daily reflections since 2007 made it easier for me to locate and retrieve them. I have found it very rewarding and beneficial. It has given me the opportunity to access with ease, the insights and reflections I wrote in the past. Thus paving the way to recall, reflect, and share it again. In light of the readings today I am reminded of Fr. Alex Amayin, the associate priest in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. His talk was about reconciliation which is very much in line with the 1st & psalm readings for today. It was centered on 4 things which is 1. SIN 2. GRACE 3. FORGIVENESS 4. RECONCILIATION. He said that the 1st 3 are all a reality but #4 is only a possibility. There is no doubt that SIN happens but the GRACE of God is always present and available for us even before we ask for FORGIVENESS. When we ask FORGIVENESS, God is always ready to give it.  RECONCILIATION calls us to true conversion. We should always find our way back to God and never doubt His mercy. He cited the example of a snake and caterpillar since both of them undergoes conversion. The snake sheds off its old skin but comes out the same while the caterpillar emerges into a butterfly. We can either choose to be the snake or the caterpillar. Take your pick. The sacred heart of Jesus should be our model and guide as we strive to live out the call to be a genuine follower of God. “When we open our heart to the love of God and to others, it makes us capable of shaping history according to God’s plan.”  - said Pope John Paul II. In His fourth apparition to St. Margaret Mary, our Lord revealed His Sacred Heart, declaring: "Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it spared nothing, even going so far as to exhaust and consume Itself, to prove to them Its love.” The center of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the Enthronement of the image of the Sacred Heart in the home. By the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart, we link the tabernacle of our parish church to our home, inviting our Lord to be our constant and most intimate companion.  The Enthronement is a way of life. It means that Christ is King of our hearts, and we desire Him to be present with us always. In other words, by the Enthronement we signify our desire to make our hearts and our homes holy, to sanctify our lives in every aspect. God will not refuse nor turn His back on us if we are truly sorry for our sins and are willing to mend our ways. Let us not be so naive into thinking that we can get away with anything and cheat God. Let us be fair and truly square in dealing with things that concern not just our future but our eternal destiny. Whether it's heaven or hell, we would have to decide for that not God. If we choose to do evil then we are surely headed where it's bound but if we remain faithful to God and all that He represents then we are headed to a place prepared for us by God in heaven. We are sure to go where our hearts lead us. The problem is that there is a great propaganda out there. It makes sin appear with all its fun, excitement and glamour. It makes virtue appear boring, lame, bland and unexciting. But the truth of the matter is, it’s not. The pleasures that God created in this world are enjoyed the most by those who don’t abuse them and use it simply. Who do we think enjoys food most? The person who doesn’t know how to fast and engorges all the time or a person after a fast experiences a feast? The virtuous person enjoys life the most. The person who uses creation and all things according to God’s plan enjoys it the most. It is because pleasure is God’s idea. All the good things in the world that people want are God’s idea. Satan can’t invent even one bit of pleasure.  But God commands them to be used so that it leads to life and a part of life is joy. The way to enjoy life is to follow God’s commands. Life is not all about rules and regulations. God did not just give us a bunch of rules and regulations that we are supposed to obey like machines. What we do does not just proceed from who we are but also makes us who we are.  The actions we engage, the words that we say and the things that we do have an impact on us. We are making ourselves all the time. God created us when we came out of the womb, our mothers and father have a great role in that but our creation continues every single day of our lives. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature and stronger or someone weaker and more despicable. There’s no middle ground. We’re going one way or another. Life leads either to heaven or to hell. That’s what the acts that we commit do. Let us always ask God's mercy for our sins and repent of it. The Lord said that He is not sent for the well but for the sick. We have a disease in our souls that if left uncared for can cause death. We all have a terminal disease called sin, we need a doctor to give us advice. We have been saved by God but we can lose it just as we can lose our human life for not caring for it. We go to God who is our Divine Physician to be healed. He alone can make us whole. God's presence in our lives is inevitable just like the coming of dawn before the break of day and if we have mastered the art of loving back God then we become a pleasing sacrifice before Him. And in his good pleasure makes us prosper, then we find ourselves rebuilding the walls of our boundaries as we expand our borders. It is of prime importance that we take extra care in attending not only to our temporal needs but our spiritual as well. We have this mindset that it pleases God whenever He sees us going through hardships and difficulties in life. We tend to equate God to an oppressing tyrant that would pin us down for every wrong move. Or worst to a slave driver that would not be satisfied unless his subjects exhaust all their strength to his service. The people during the time in the Old Testament could borrow a good excuse for having this kind of mindset because Jesus has not come yet. We who live in this time of the New Testament do not have a good alibi because God already demonstrated the greatest expression of His love for mankind when He sacrificed His only begotten son, Jesus, to suffer and die for our sake. With this truth always engraved in our hearts and minds we could no longer harbor wrong impressions and mindsets of our God. Whenever a particular human right is being violated certain activist groups passionately rally to defend such right that is in question. What about the right of God? We are so concerned about our own personal agenda and we fail to realize that we need to address it more than anything else. According to Pope Benedict XVI, Jus Divinum is the right of God which constitutes the proper and correct response of God’s creatures such as man to his Creator. This we ought to realize and take action. We should do all the good that we are supposed to do to a God who created us. There is something more to what we see, hear and feel about people. We really couldn't judge a book by its cover. It's in knowing what is hidden in the heart that we can truly say for sure what is real. But who can see through our hearts? Nobody but God alone. What is unknown and hidden from us, God knows. We may be able to hide from men but never from God. We can only pray to God to create in us a clean heart. For where our treasure is, there also will be our hearts. This should all be our prayer, “Change me Oh God, mold me in accordance to your pattern and plan and not mine” Dirt stain in clothes sometimes doesn't want to come off even after several times it has been machine washed. There are really some dirt and stain that do not go away that easily with regular washing. There is a need to scrub it manually with soap and water so that it will come out clean. Our souls are just like clothes which are stainable by our sins. It is a consolation to know that our sins are washable in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can always come to Him and acknowledge our sins with a sincere and repentant heart so He can cleanse us, wipe out our offenses and blot out all our guilt. There is nothing that could separate us from the love of God. Let us not be deceived nor dissuaded to believe otherwise. Just like clothes that need to be washed after being worn and got dirty so our souls need to be cleansed too by the blood of the Lamb. God’s love ever present in the body and blood of Christ is always present and available for us. All we need to do is reach out for it because God is a gentleman and would never force Himself on us. There has always been a raging battle between God and satan. Though it has already been won, satan just won’t give up. He continues to wreak havoc and evil among us in his desperation to bring misery into our lives and share in his condemnation. He doesn’t have the tiniest power over us and he can only have it if and only if we give in to his lies, deceptions and false promises. We need to make this conscious decision each and every single day for the Lord. We need to purge ourselves of the impurities of our souls we have to go through a certain process that will render us with a clean heart. As we strive to nurture a heart that beats for God alone we also go through a process of cleansing as stated in the psalm today. God's mercy is greater than any of our sins. If we are to repent and turn away from our sins then we've got to do it right now and really do it fast. God sees through our hearts, our motives and intentions. What God wants of us is to truly acknowledge His great mercy and goodness to us that in doing so will abound a natural inclination to repent and repair all our iniquities and lead to a brand new, wholesome and clean Christian in the truest sense of the word. We need to stand in all humility before God and confess our sins. The body and soul are good but it demands a need for physical asceticism. We have to submit our bodies to an act of sacrifice without neglecting that conversion is first of all interior. Total conversion demands not only expression in works of penance but also of the heart. God is able to do anything. All the more should we be full of confidence that He can create a clean heart and steadfast spirit for us if we truly ask for it. God our Father will never turn His back on us. Let us get this straight, it is the sin that God hates and not the sinner. If we are in sin then that's the time we drive away God's Holy Spirit dwelling in us for it is impossible for God's presence to exist with sin. It's our call then to respond to the psalm's invitation to rise and go to God or remain slumped in the mud of sin. Our God will always be the best Father a child could ever have, the best Brother/Friend and the best Comforter and Guide all in one. Bottom line, to Him alone shall we go because we don't know that much and if we don’t then we end up doing one of these things, take for granted, ignore, forget or neglect the things God is telling us to do. What's worse it could be all of the above! We get blinded and become preoccupied with a lot of things that lure us away from doing what God wants us to do. We are deceived into believing all the lies of this world disguised and packaged by the enemy in an inviting and convincing truth. We should realize that it is always for our own good that He commands us to do the right thing. It is not merely to impose but for us to freely decide for a life lived to the full. There is no other way to maintain the Holy Spirit dwelling in us but to let it reside in a clean heart.  We drive away God's Spirit in us if we don't strive to let our hearts remain clean. Today's psalm is a song that I have come to know and sing by heart without the aid of a song book. I always love to sing it and hear it being sung most especially by the choir during mass. It is well for us to not just love to sing it with our voices but with the sincerity of our hearts. The words "take not your Holy Spirit from me" made me realize that God has the power to give and take. The thought of the Holy Spirit being taken away from us is the worst thing that could ever happen. If we don't feel God's presence in our life anymore and we've become numb and insensitive to the promptings and guidance of the Holy Spirit then now is the time to reconnect and realign ourselves to God's Spirit most especially during this Lenten season. It is important that we always maintain a clean heart and a steadfast spirit so that we are constantly in God's presence. It's not that God loves us any less, no matter what we do He will always love us. It's just that a Holy and Loving God can not dwell in an impure heart and spirit.  It is of prime importance that we take extra care in attending not only to our temporal needs but our spiritual as well. Amen. Hallelujah!  

Psalm 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab
R: It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
1 [3] Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 2 [4] Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) 16 [18] For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offerings, you would not accept it. 17 [19] My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn...

Let us always be reminded of the truth that as we soar high and become blessed, there is a tendency to claim it for our own personal glory. We must always strive to keep our feet on the ground and bring back all the glory to God. We should always go back to the truth in this gospel by becoming like Jesus who stooped down to our level, became man, served and died for humanity. Sometimes we are so preoccupied with how we are faring in the eyes of men without realizing that God's point of view and criteria should come first. We've got to discover the secret hidden in today's gospel and genuinely live it. Without truly understanding the real meaning of being humbled before the Lord then we can never apply what today’s gospel is telling us. It is important to know how we picture God in our life. It will automatically create a series of reactions in us. Let us not be caught off guard or unprepared. We may be getting the wrong impressions. Just like the Pharisee in today's gospel who thought that he was right before God and the tax collector was the one who was unacceptable to God. Jesus, who is God the Son, King of Kings and Lord of Lords humbled Himself to the point of a most humiliating and painful death on a cross during that time when only the worst criminals were punished in that manner. God the Father, suffered to see His Beloved and only Begotten Son shed His blood and became the Sacrificial Lamb of God who took away all our sins. If this could not move us to true humility then nothing else could. Let us always conduct ourselves with all humility, though, there are times when we tend to forget. We must keep in mind that we must avoid following the example of the Pharisee and be like the tax collector although sinful was honest before God and humbly admitted his iniquities. God doesn't care if we are as dirty as a rag, all we have to do is be humble in admitting it before Him and He will make as brand new. Even when we go through a spiritual rut we must not hesitate to come before God and cling to him even more, knowing that only He can deliver us from all evil. Let us examine ourselves very closely, we may not be thinking and acting the way God expects us to. They say a lot of people die because of wrong impressions or Maraming namamatay sa maling akala. Let us strive to align everything in our lives in accordance to God's standards and not ours most especially if we truly want to be in union with a Perfect God. When we go to God in prayer we must keep in mind that God is the source of all good things and without Him we are nothing. When we get the real picture of our relationship with God we become better and better. We need not say or do anything to exalt ourselves because our efforts are merely nothing as compared to God’s. All we have to do is trust that God who sees and knows all will put everything in our life in its perfect order. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 18:9-14

...everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

CHRISTIAN REVOLUTION

Let us not harbor any ill feelings, negative thoughts and guilt in us. It is a very heavy burden that we are needlessly carrying along with us. We may not be fully aware of it but these things are going to pull us down if not abruptly then gradually. Before we even know it we are already stuck in the mud of this vicious and malicious deception of the enemy.  Let us always maintain a good disposition no matter how difficult and wearisome our situations are. Whatever painful or hard situations we are going through right now is just part of God's plan to bring out the best in us. If we stay in faith and turn away from sin with a firm and good heart then we will surely see the path of the Lord very clearly before us. The East San Gabriel/Pomona Valley Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women District Meeting (ACCW) was a very rewarding and productive experience because the speakers were all good. Sister Rose Marie Tulacz of the Sisters of Notre Dame gave a talk entitled, "A Future Full of Hope: Growing Spiritually in a Time of Scarcity and Lack" She said that we should always bring to God all our burdens and sufferings most especially during the time of consecration during the mass. Jesus has the power to transform us and make us better and not bitter persons. She said that when Jesus came to this world, He did not talk about being rich, famous and powerful rather he talked about the poor and simple and becoming better through it all. In her prayer she said, "God open the door that You want us to walk through, close the door that You don't want us to walk through and place us in the center of Your will.” In today’s 1^st reading, we are called in this conclusion of the Book of Hosea to respond to God’s love. It is a calling to all people to a change of heart as it says, Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Though, it speaks of a golden age of God’s love for His people to heal their defection, love them freely and the beauty of this time that is to come. As we look at our world today we see so many things that cause sorrow. We are assured from today’s 1^st reading that a Christian revolution is emerging which is changing without any noise to build a civilization of love. It will change the minds and hearts of people from a culture of death to a culture of life and love. Amen. Hallelujah!

Hosea 14:2-10

2 Thus says the LORD: Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. 3 Take with you words, and return to the LORD; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls. 4 Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion.” 5 I will heal their defection, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. 6 I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, 7 and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. 8 Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; They shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. 9 Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. “I am like a verdant cypress tree” — Because of me you bear fruit! 10 Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the LORD, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them.

The Bread that God gives us will never cause us to hunger or thirst and will give us eternal life with God in heaven. If we have consulted and entrusted to God all our decisions and continue to believe then we can be assured that what God started in us, He will be faithful to complete. In the midst of all the commotion in our lives we need to press harder to hear God's voice and direct all our focus and attention in that one voice of God who alone can show us the right way and give us the right instructions. Our Catholic Church has endowed us with a very sacred or apostolic Tradition. According to Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 82: As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, "does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence."  St. Paul in 2 Thes. 2:15 said "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." And so the Catholic Church is also consistent with the warning of St. Paul in Colossians 2:8,  "See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world  and not according to Christ." We should constantly listen to His voice and not be distracted nor tempted to change loyalty. It is in God alone that we can find true satisfaction. There is no in between with God. We have to be aware of the fact that we have to make a stand on which side we really are. We've got to make a commitment every single day and protect our faith. It is through good works and prayer that we can safeguard the victory that Jesus has already won for us since the enemy does not want to stop and continues to wage war on us, Christians and followers of Jesus Christ. There is no denying to Jesus saving and redeeming us from all our sins. Jesus opened the gates of heaven for us when He died on the cross and paid our sins but it doesn't mean that we are all bound for heaven. Our daily choices and actions could lead us to a path that may not lead to the pearly gates of paradise. We still have to work our way into that gate and not be lenient about guarding this gift of salvation which the enemy wants to steal from us. We are bombarded day in and out by the harsh reality of life and the influences of this world we live in. There is no cause for despair if we encounter these things because we have a God who constantly whispers in our ear in the midst of the noise created by our surroundings. All we have to do is press our ears closer to God and do as He says. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 81:6-8, 8-9, 10-11, 14, 17

R: I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

“There shall be no strange god among you nor shall you worship any alien god. 10 [11] I, the LORD, am your God who led you forth from the land of Egypt.” (R) 13 [14] If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, 16 [17] I would feed with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them.”

In today's gospel Jesus said to the man who answered with understanding that the kingdom of God is not far from him. We may wonder why He didn't say he belong to the kingdom of God instead. It's because there's still a lot of work to do after the understanding is the part where we live it which comprises the greater challenge. Things that are happening around us may not be very pleasing and acceptable the way we all wanted it to be. Life is never easy but there is really no need to complicate it further by trying to figure it out and rationalize it with our limited minds and comprehension. When Jesus ascended to heaven He has promised to send us the Helper and the Comforter. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to endow us with the gift of understanding so that we can truly appreciate and grasp in our minds the true and most essential things that should matter in the Kingdom of God. The gospel is known to all people whether learned or not because it is the law that God has inscribed in our hearts. The problem lies in the hardening of our hearts and pollution of our minds. Whenever we allow ourselves to stray farther away from God and fall deeper into the pit of sin then it becomes very difficult for us to always grasp this truth. It helps to always be in touch with this truth so we don't end up forgetting and neglecting it the way we usually do when we are bombarded with so many different and contradicting things that we encounter every day. It is a wise move to take advantage of every opportunity God is sending our way to always be surrounded by God's reminders instead of being carried away by the world's enticing but empty promises. We've often heard people say that in a relationship we should never put everything in it and should leave some for ourselves. This is quite true in a way because we can only give what we have and if we end up empty and with nothing at all left to ourselves then we become unable to love anybody in the process. But with God, the more we love Him, the fuller and more abundant we become thus enabling us to fulfill all other things. With God we are sure that we have invested our love wisely and will surely not lose. We are called to a response to love God and be an instrument of this love to the world and build a civilization of love. We should enthrone Christ as the king of our homes and daily live out the beating of the sacred heart of Jesus. It is not just a call but a command to commit to consecrate our lives to higher goals for our salvation. We enthrone the sacred heart of Jesus in our homes because He is king of our homes.  Everything that we do should have reference to Him. We make an effort to love His holy name, His sacred heart and speak of His sacred love. We have to keep on believing and always on fire. When we look at the world we can easily fall into despair but we can do otherwise and bring hope and build a civilization of love through the sacred heart of Jesus. Souls on fire are ignited through the experience of our love for the Lord. We need to be always aware of who we receive especially during Holy Communion so we can grow and be instruments of His love, that’s our mission. We need to be part of the Christian revolution and be a builder of a civilization of love. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 12:28-34

28 One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” 29 Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! 30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’ 33 And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

WHO ARE WE IMITATING?

I could never forget when I went jogging at the grounds of the Pacific Palms Hotel where I came across someone who was also jogging with his 2 dogs. I was really impressed to see that his dogs were not on a leash and simply jogging along his side without straying away from him. They looked so disciplined and focused on their master. I really love the way they look. The man was just jogging and looking straight ahead while his dogs jogged close to his side and was looking at him from time to time as if making sure that they don't miss a single thing from their master. This is the first time I have seen something like this and to think that it was an open space where they could easily ran off. I guess, these dogs were really trained and have developed a deep trust in their master's voice and command. I have seen many dog lovers and we would just be amazed to see how they love and care for their pets. It may sound outrageous but sometimes it went as far as the extraordinary to the point of exceeding the love and care a person would give to another human being. Come to think of it, if this is possible then how come we humans can not even be as half obedient to God the way a lowly dog is to its master. Humans rank as the topmost creature in the hierarchy of God's creation. In fact the bible says in Psalm 8:5-7 What are humans that you are mindful of them, mere mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them little less than a god, crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them rule over the works of your hands, put all things at their feet and in Psalm 139:14 I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth. Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be. Let us not just know this bible passage but proclaim it with dignity and conviction knowing that we should live up to who God made us to be. Jeremiah reminds us today that we ought to follow God's commands. He even reminded us of the day His people left the land of Egypt.  God has done wonders and miracles as in Exodus 8:15 "the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." Yet Pharaoh remained obstinate and would not listen to them, just as the LORD had foretold." Plagues overwhelm the magicians of Egypt. Each of the plagues were all attached to Egyptian deities like frogs and flies. By using these plagues God has clearly demonstrated  His power to defeat Egypt and showed that their gods is not god at all. We should not be lacking in understanding how great the power of God is and finally come to our senses that our faith should rely on the one true God alone. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Jeremiah 7:23-28

23 Thus says the LORD: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. 24 But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me. 25 From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day, I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets. 26 Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed; they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers. This is the nation which does not listen to the voice of the LORD, its God, or take correction. Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech.

Today's psalm reading is used as a preparatory psalm in the Liturgy of the Hours just as it was used in the Old Testament. Each time we hear it, there is an emphasis to the fact that is just the same as it is proclaimed today. During the time of Moses there had been an incident of great rebellion and testing on the part of the chosen people of God. The same message is being said to us because there is a possibility that we also harden our hearts today. Massah means rebellion and Meribah means testing. It refers to the time they rebel when they had no water. Moses struck the stone in the desert and water came out. We can read in Numbers 13 when Moses sent out spies to check out the promise land and when they returned in Numbers 14 they were full of discouragement. They came back and reported that the Land of Canaan is too strong to conquer but Joshua & Caleb, trusted God. They didn’t look at the problems of the walls of the Canaan. But the people believed the spies and concluded that it’s impossible to overcome these barriers. They wanted to choose new leaders and kill Moses & Aaron and go back to slavery in Egypt. Due to their unbelief the whole generation never entered Canaan only the new generation with both Joshua & Caleb did. The goal is to enter into rest in the land of Canaan but they refused because they believed their fears rather than believe what they’ve already seen in God’s miracles in Egypt. Psalm 95 is used so often in the Liturgy of the Hours and encourages us how today we must listen well. They do not just apply to the people in Numbers 13 & 14. It also applies to the Church and we consider ourselves the New Israel. Let God call us to attention. We don’t have to fall back to the same sin of disbelief. No matter how hard the world makes us do so. The Church is beginning to experience persecution. Today we have to keep in mind what God already said in the past especially as we hear the words of His Son today. Jesus Himself gives us a greater authority than the prophets and the angels. When we look at our day, there are a number of strains that we have to alert ourselves.  There are New Age beliefs that everything is God including the forces of nature. It is moving towards the act of depersonalizing God by a vague force. It clouds the truth of God the Father, God the Son & God the Spirit. There is this New Age notion vs. the Christian notion of God. The catch here is the fact that there are no demands upon the faithful to be obedient. A hardened heart is equivalent to disobedience. There is no longer a clear distinction about the truths of the faith. It's just a matter of loving nature and taking care of the environment. No other demands like obeying the 10 commandments. The truth is not existent with the New Age. They water down the Person of Jesus and lead others to disbelieve in Him. Certain scholars deny Him as a historical figure or is believed that He had a wife as depicted in the fictitious Da Vinci Code. These are all things that are far from the authentic gospel. The image of Jesus is being shaped to imitate our worst moments and sins. It makes him appear like He is no better than we are and attack His moral character. It is an act of impunity to God’s character as if He is just a character of fiction. It looks like God is on the dock as C. S. Lewis put it. Instead of us being on trial, God appears to be the one who’s on trial. Let us not fall into this kind of thinking nor continue in our lack of faith or let anything shake our faith. Some dogs are amazing in their ability to show devotion and faithfulness although they do not even measure up to the dignity and standing of human beings they are capable of obeying their master with so much love and respect.  This should make us realize all the more can we do it and a whole lot better than that. We have to make a decision to be with Christ. God is the Good Shepherd. He will not scatter but draw people to holiness, righteousness and goodness. How can we be lost or led astray? There are things we need to do if we want to be under the care of the Good Shepherd, listen to His voice, follow His guiding hand and stay within the circle of the flock He tends. The truth is that we should never have any doubts about our decisions for as long as we know that it is all for the glory of God first and foremost and everything else will follow. We have this faith and confidence in God as in Philippians 4:6-8, "Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." When someone speaks to us we sometimes ignore, refuse to listen, simply pretend that we haven't heard anything or misunderstood what we heard because we are too distracted or busy to give time to listen well. Let us always open our hearts and mind so that we become sensitive to the voice of God talking to us.  Surely there were times when we heard and experienced the voice of God giving us “out of this world” instructions and we responded nonchalantly as if we never heard anything, refused outright and rejected it. If before we just choose to do it whichever way we wanted it without much thought from now on let us respond to God in the best way we can with hearts full of love and obedience. When we grumbled and complained we all know for a fact that it didn't make things any better. We would have to practice more and make perfect the art of trusting and hearing God's voice. God is never short of anything. God is God and He will always be. Let us no longer confuse ourselves with the inaccuracies and discrepancies of our human hearts and minds. Let us keep it focused on Him who is Holy and Perfect. Let us all acculturate ourselves to the Kingdom of God to become a true member of His society. In this way we become a fit and authentic member of God's nation. No one can ever love and care for us more than God. He is the source of living water thus we thirst no more. Indeed, if today we hear His voice, let us not harden our hearts and let Jesus come. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

...For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. (R) Oh, that today you would hear his voice: 8 “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, 9 where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.”

There is no neutral or middle thing for the Lord. It is either we are with Him all the way without any exceptions or we are against Him. We could not choose to divide our loyalty because it will only destroy us in the process. It's like we are in a battle and our full strength and cooperation is needed to keep our defenses up or we end up losing it and captured by the enemy. We've got to make a clear stand by now in all areas and aspects of our life whether big or small and from the least to the most important or significant. We have to be aware of the fact that what we are dealing with here is a "no fuss and beat around the bush thing". We have to know on which side we are in and really go for it. Exorcism of demons is part of Jesus’ ministry. In today's gospel people were amazed at how Jesus was able to cast out evil spirits. These various evil gods and demons are a real presence at the time of Jesus and appear to rule even in the ancient world. The crowd is looking for a sign and they have seen enough to bring them to amazement but with it go together, the blindness and the hardness of the heart. This is a perennial problem when people see what God is trying to do but because of the hardness of heart it just won’t sink in. We have to examine our conscience and should ask ourselves what are the signs of the presence of God in our life. How are we paying attention or listening to the signs that God gives us. This is the call of today’s readings. Christ answered His critics in the gospel that every kingdom divided against itself will be laid to waste. Is satan divided against itself? Do we think that satan will tolerate a civil disobedience in his kingdom? The answer of course is that satan is not divided against itself, he won’t tolerate that. He will terrorize and make people absolutely frightened to make them follow his bidding. This is satan's way. As God works in His mercy, satan operates through terror. Who are we imitating?  There is no doubt that God can defeat Satan and has already shown this since time immemorial to all generations.  Jesus' ability to cast out demons is similar to God casting out the power of Egypt. Christ is using the power of God to liberate his people. He is the new Moses. He is doing a great liberation from delivering us from satan and sin. Like the multiplication of the loaves and the manna from heaven. Christ is leading and invading the power of evil and bringing the kingdom of God into the presence of this darkness, to Israel and the whole world to gain freedom of the demonic. In His short parable in the gospel he likened a strong man and his army to satan and his devils. He controlled people’s lives and continue to debilitate and deform human nature. We are made in the image and likeness of God but he distorts this image because that’s his goal. There are other ways he does this, through violence and any of the capital sins. He uses the lust industry and distorts human love. This demonic distortion is what Christ wants to conquer. The violence, oppression, anger, lust and the capital sins are all part of the distortion but Jesus has overcome and the forces of evil are defeated. He can take souls away from the clutches of evil but He sets a challenge for us. He said that whoever is not with me is against me. We see so many forces of the anti Christ in the world today through violence, avarice and sex which are very rampant. They are the demonic devices and ways which the evil one works. We should make a decision to always be for Christ and not compromise with the enemy. Satan is considered as one of the major obstacles of the Kingdom but we need to know that not everything is due to Satan's evil schemes. We are reminded that there is also the human intervention like personal ambition, attitude, ignorance and arrogance of people who are supposed to be models of faith but turned out to be the obstacles themselves. Testing the spirit if it is of God’s or not is very important. We should always remember the WWJD (What would Jesus do?)principle. We are God's temple and we have to make sure that we are well protected or else someone is going to take over us. We take note in 1 Peter 5:8 it is written, Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour. If we are not careful with the way we live our life before we know it we have already been conquered and defeated. We have a very cunning and deceitful adversary who is always on the lookout for an opportunity to attack us in the most discreet and unsuspecting way. If our enemy is this determined then we too have to get our acts together. We must not lose heart for we have a company of angels and saints that are surrounding us. We should remain confident that no other battalion or army can defeat the entire legion of angels and saints of God in heaven. They are on our side to guard and defend us. We should feel great knowing that we have a loving God who would move heaven and earth for our sake. We just got to be very clear on which side we are. Are we for or against God, there is no in between. Our action will speak for itself. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 11:14-23

14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute person spoke and the crowds were amazed. 15 Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” 16 Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. 17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. 18 And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. 19 If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”