THE BEST CHOICE

Have you ever experienced being threatened? Just like Peter we should not give in but persevere to follow God rather than succumb to our fear. For as long as we've got God on our side and leaning on the promises of God our Savior then we're standing on solid immovable ground. Day in and day out we are confronted with choices, big or small, all they ever amount to and what this is all about is just one important thing. Nothing should ever stop us from following their example of faith. It should inspire us to know that it was God who chose us first even before we ever came to be. His choice comes first even before we make a choice. He chose to love us first. If we believe that God loves us then we are confident in the fact that we must obey God above all. We must follow the example of obedience that Jesus showed us. It was one born out of inspiration rather than obligation. St. Thomas Aquinas said God the Father did it by inspiring the Son with so much love that Jesus did it. The obedience of Jesus to the point of death on the cross should not be seen as a rejection but the giving up of His Son for this great love of God for us who chose us first. Jesus deserves our total obedience. We should stop living in sin, live faithfully and be not afraid to embrace the light. What we see Jesus is doing is what the Father is doing. Having come into the world, some believe and some disobey. During the Easter vigil we have witnessed the entire kingdom of God conquering darkness and death. The risen life of Christ is meant to be shared and is the beginning of heaven for human beings. We should believe and entrust our life to God. We prize the access to material things and connections to people holding a high position in an office. God is above all our prized possessions. As St. Paul says, all things were created for Him. He has the primacy in everything. Our relationship with Him is primary before all other relationships. Whatever relationship we have, that of Jesus is above all. In the light of the readings today I am inspired to share the things we studied under Atty. Jess Moya in our Catholicism study which is about the bible.

I. The Bible is a unique book

-most popular book ever; in fact it has made a lot of people very rich due to the several movies and books shown and written based on the bible.

-It greatly influenced civilization, a source of Western culture. A treasure chest of wisdom and inspiration, contains some of the most profound insights on life and has changed many lives.

-All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction and for training in righteousness so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work- 2 Tim 3:16-17

-Indeed the Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any 2 edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart - Heb. 4:12 

-A library/ collection of Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) books mysteriously woven into  a single theme and written in thousands of years with various authors of different background.

II. Original and manuscripts (copies) of the bible

- original writings were either destroyed or perished through wear and tear since it was in papyrus material.

-Manuscripts or copies of the bible are authenticated through  “Textual Criticism” The object of textual criticism is to restore as nearly as possible the original text of a work the autograph of which has been lost. The manuscripts date way back 100 BC.

III. Classes of Sacred Writings:

1. Protocanonical (universally accepted) – There are 46 books in the OT and 27 in the NT. It is not true that the OT is obsolete and is not important. The writings in the OT foreshadows the scriptures in the NT. An example cited was the Passover in Egypt found in the OT where the angel of death spared the Israelites who have placed the blood of the lamb on their doors. In the NT , it was the blood of Jesus shed on the cross that spared us all from the angel of death which is sin.

2. Deuterocanonical (disputed writing such as the so-called “7 added books of the OT” and the books of James, Jude, 2 Peter, 2nd and 3rd letters of John, Hebrews and Revelation of the NT)

3. Apocryphal (writings which are not considered inspired such as the gospel of Peter, the gospel of Thomas, the letters of Barnabas and Clement, etc.) It was through these apocryphal writings that Dan Brown came up with the heretical source that brought about  “The Da Vinci Code.”

 IV. Origin of the Bible

- Putting together in writing, the experiences of God’s people, the warning of their prophets and the beliefs they developed.

-The authors were divinely inspired (Theopneustos or God-breathed) The bible is an inspired interpretation of God’s deeds and self revelation, the Word of God in the words of humans.”

-Writings were canonized by the Catholic Church (Councils of Rome, Hippo, Carthage and Trent) The Church authority was universally recognized. The bible was put together as early as the 4th century (397AD) and Protestantism only started in 1517 so it was the Catholic Church who canonized these writings.

- The Palestinian/Hebrew Canon rejected “seven books” in the Council of Jamnia. One of these books is Maccabees which mentions about praying for the dead or souls in purgatory.

-Protestant Canon adopted the Palestinian/Hebrew Canon. It is very ironical that Martin Luther who used to be Catholic but became a protestant even once said that, “We are obliged to the Catholic Church for the bible which we received from them.” Meaning he recognizes it as the one who put together the bible.

V. Translations of the Bible

- The OT was originally written in the Hebrew language and then translated into Greek (Septuagint) by about 70 translators around 285-246 BC.

Legend says that these scholars who translated the bible were separated from each other but amazingly came up with the same translation. During the time of Alexander the Great some scriptures were translated from Hebrew to Greek.

-The NT was originally written in the Greek language and later translated to Latin (Vulgate) It has 350 quotations coming from the Deuterocanonical books. St. Jerome translated the scriptures to Latin. Martin Luther translated the bible from Latin and Greek to German and the controversial verse from Rom 3:28 which he allegedly added the word “alone” in the text which says “Man is saved by faith alone”. From then on Pope Pius XIII decreed that all translations be from the original language (Greek or Hebrew) to English to avoid distorting the real meaning of the word of God and must have the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur marks . 

-Catholic English translations were the Douay-Rheims (1st translation to English), NAB, etc. )

-Protestant English translations: Tyndale, King James, RSV, etc. The King James version was rejected by the Church due to so many typographical errors made such as The Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew written as Vinegar and the ”Thou shall not commit adultery” in Deuteronomy wherein the “not” has been omitted.

VI. Interpretation of the Bible

-There are so many science theories or the so called evolution theory that questions the accuracy of the data in the bible especially that of creation in 7 days. Even the Book of Revelation has become so controversial. Bear in mind that the bible is not a science treatise or just a series of predictions nor intended to be a history book. Some are not literally true, but are vehicles to convey the truth. A very good example of this is a glass of water, when we drink water it has to be placed in a container but you only drink the water and not the glass. 

-Be attentive to what the human authors wanted to affirm and to what God wanted to reveal to us by their words (CCC109) Consider the literary genre and forms of literary expression

-Take into account the conditions of the authors’ time and culture and the various forms of expressions used (CCC110). The writers during the OT, the Israelites were very primitive and picture God as some kind of warrior. It is a product of their imagination. The heresy of Marcion says that the God of the OT is evil while the God of the NT is good. The bible should be studied always with reference to Jesus in the NT to better understand who God really is and learn about Jesus.

-Read and interpret it in the light of the same Spirit who inspired it (CCC111). God is a respecter of free will. God always speak to us with love.

-Be especially attentive to the content and unity of the whole scripture and the coherence of the truths of faith among themselves (CCC 112 and 114)

-Read it within the “living tradition of the whole Church” (CCC113); Accept the core teachings of the Church like a child- example is the dogma on the Immaculate Conception, it has been questioned long before for years already and had been resolved.

-Interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church (CCC 119) Jesus left us the Church to guard and interpret it. It should be guided by the core teachings of the Church enclosed in the Apostle’s Creed.

The bible is made available to all regardless of race and religion. In fact there are stories about conversions of a lot of people just by reading the bible. Nothing should ever stop us from spreading the Word of God and dispelling all the heretical information being perpetrated in the whole world no matter what the cost. We should come after the example of the apostles who bravely displayed their faith and belief in Jesus as evidenced in the 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts of the Apostles 5,27-33.

..."We gave you strict orders (did we not?) to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us."

But Peter and the apostles said in reply, "We must obey God rather than men...

We’ve got to have the right heart, mind and attitude as conveyed in the psalm reading today. Be poor in spirit and receptive to the Word of God. It doesn't make sense that despite these truths that are ever before us we still reject Jesus. Let's admit it, we do it one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. The Light of the World already came and judgment day is coming soon. In fact, judgment is happening even now. In Deuteronomy 30:15 "Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom..." God asked us to choose. It's got to be one way or another. There should be no mingling or ambiguity. It is all up to us. We can be assured that if we take God’s side then we’ll definitely taste and see His goodness. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 34:2, 9, 17-18, 19-20

R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

1 [2] I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 8 [9] Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him.(R) 16 [17] The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. 17 [18] When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. (R) 18 [19] The LORD is close to the broken-hearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. 19 [20] Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

Let us always be cautious of the things we say and do so that we reflect the values and principles that Jesus himself showed to us when He obeyed to the end. We've got to make a choice and the best one there is. Sometimes we do things that don't make sense. We prefer to stay in the dark and make a lousy choice. We think that it is better to stay in the dark rather than embrace the truth. That happens when we refuse to bring out in the light the things that we do in the dark. We prefer to remain in the darkness. There are a lot of things we can find out about what God says in the bible. In Genesis we can immediately find the 4 actions of God. In the 1st book of the bible in the first 4 verses we can find that God 1. creates 2. moves 3.speaks 4. separates The 4th and final action is needed because God loves us so much He just can't leave us the way we are. We've got to make a stand on which side we are. But according to Pope John Paul II in his book entitled, "Evangelium Vitae" the biggest problem of people nowadays is that we are no longer capable of distinguishing good from evil. We've got to have the courage to look straight in the eyes, stand up in the light and be faithful to God. Judgment is unfolding every single day. We have to make sure we are on the right side when it finally comes. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 3:31-36

31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. 34 For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. 36 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.

ANGEL OF GOD

We may not be physically behind bars but all of us are sometimes trapped in our own prison cells. It may be caused by our own doing, others who oppress us or the circumstances that surround us. But whatever kind of prison we may all have, it is always a consolation to know that God sends His angels to set us free. The more we learn about our faith the more we are all freed. St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of the bible is ignorance of Christ." Our lack of the proper knowledge could be considered a prison that hinders us from loving God better. The good news is that we can always choose to be set free for Jesus already bailed us out a long time ago. Another thing I am reminded of today's 1st reading is the angel imprinted on my rose petal. Although I wasn't in prison like the apostles, things weren't going too well for me during that time when I got the rose petal. Somehow it made me realize how much God loves me by sending an angel not just to set me free but to make me feel that I am being watched and cared for. I learned that if only our souls have eyes we can see myriads of angels ministering to us during the Holy Mass according to St. John Chrysostom. It was St Denis or formerly known as Dionysius in Acts 17:34 who established the hierarchy of angels. It was believed that these angels who were created by God, with God and never left His side from the very beginning enjoy the vision of God at all times as in Matthew 18:10,""See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." Of course they were unlike the fallen angels who saw their relationship with God as that of Master-Slave. The angels of light saw and reflected the love of God in a Father-Son relationship. They are the elect who decided to be with God for all eternity. We need to pray to our guardian angels who are bearers of this great love of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Acts 5:17-26

17 The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, 18 laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, 20 “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.”...

The considered powerful and mighty of this world is what appear to be the blessed and favored ones as far as human logic and reason are concerned. The exact opposite of what Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount and Plain (Beatitudes) in the gospels. A lot of people find it difficult to really understand the beatitudes since it contradicts the values of this world we live in. The poor, weak, hungry and sorrowing are called blessed. This may not sound acceptable for everybody and would even go around its meaning to get away with the real issue that Jesus wants us to face. Whatever it may be that's still stopping us from grasping the wisdom of God let us pray to God that we will always hold on to His word as He assures daily. Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world. We’ve got to have the right heart, mind and attitude. Be poor in spirit and receptive to the Word of God. It doesn't make sense that despite these truths that are ever before us we still reject Jesus. Let's admit that we do it one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. Pope John Paul II narrated a story when he was in the hospital for his operation. Just before the surgery, he went out of his room unnoticed and visited a very sick boy on the verge of dying. His mother was so depressed that no amount of words was able to console her. She told the Pope to tell God to go away. The Pope answered her that he did tell God to go away but He wouldn't listen. He embraced the inconsolable mother and told her that God knows exactly the place where He needs to be and that is none other than with her. We should realize that God never leaves nor forsakes most especially in times of despair. He is always there for us. Have you heard of blind obedience? Following without knowing exactly why you follow. Take the example of suicide bombers, who willingly die to spread terrorism. What courage! Let us not waste our courage and use it for God’s glory. We should know that it is always worth it to obey God, obeying and knowing fully well that it is for our own good. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. We may have encountered situations wherein we were not able to plan ahead and totally placed us in a very unexpected, uncertain and insecure position.  They just happen suddenly that we have no time to prepare and really caught us off guard. This has caused us to feel at a loss. Just imagine how it feels to be blind not knowing where to go and groping in the dark. But we can be assured that God will rescue us from all distress and deliver us from our troubles. The wickedness and the hatred may persist but let us not lose hope and despair because we have a mighty Savior and Redeemer in our Lord Jesus. This truth stated in today’s psalm reading should keep us going and do exactly what we are told. The Light of the World already came and judgment day is coming soon. In fact, judgment is happening even now. In Deuteronomy 30:15 "Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom..." God asked us to choose. It's got to be one way or another. There should be no mingling or ambiguity. It is all up to us. We can be assured that if we take God’s side then we’ll definitely taste and see His goodness. If we will just seek God at all times then we surely find Him. Let us not turn to anything or anyone else but to God alone. Let us be firm and wise in our dispositions to really stick to God's ideals and principles alone instead of the suggestions and insinuations of the so called wise and learned of this world's standard. For if we do, we'll find ourselves rescued, saved and  truly blessed. We should always keep our hopes up in the Lord no matter what our situations are because it can never change the fact that He is God and always in charge and in control. There are times when we feel forsaken or abandoned but we must always hold on to the truth that He loves us so much. He would never leave us in misery. Let us remove all doubts and fears. Nothing should make us feel afraid for God hears our cry. He will surely carry out what is clearly for our own good and the best. All we need to do is allow God to work in our lives and stop hindering His grace to flow in our lives. If there's one big obstacle that is blocking this flow then it is surely not God. It is time we analyze the things in our life that continue to build up and shut out God. We don't want that happening and it's all up to us for the Lord hears and saves us. Although there are times when we do not have to sweat at all and things just come and fall into place we also have to know that our life is mostly a product of the choices we make. Our choices must always be responsible and carefully decided on. We've got to have a reliable standard for it. One without fail and is sure to work. Actually there is only one thing that we can surely depend on and that is the goodness of the Lord. If we always have this in mind then nothing should stop us to always look at God, listen and follow Him. We should not care so much about gaining the approval and admiration of men rather than God. Our focus first and foremost should be to please God and everything else will follow. Even if it sometimes does not work the way we expected and planned things to be. We can be assured that the Lord heard, hears and will hear all our prayers and surely has the best answer at hand in His most perfect time. In guarding our faith the bible passage from Ephesians 6:10-11 which is about the armor of God is an important tool. If we read it we will find the only weapon mentioned in the said bible passage is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. We should check it once again and be aware of this important information as Catholic Christians. In the gospel about the temptation of Jesus the devil also demonstrated his knowledge of the scriptures. As it is written, we need to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. We are undoubtedly engaged in this battle every single day that's why we are in need of a weapon. This reminds us of the importance of knowing the word of God by heart since it is our only weapon. God never fails. He would always make things work for our good and rescue us in our distress. I have always believed in angels even before I got this petal from a healing service with the image of a cherubim miraculously imprinted on it. It's been a while since I got it and has served as a testimony of God’s abiding love. I have no doubt in my mind that God will always deliver me from all my fears. I always keep my rose petal with me and show it to almost everyone I meet, as a way of propagating God's goodness to me. I can still remember and will never forget how my mother used to narrate to us how I was miraculously saved by my angel several times. First was when I was about 2 months old, and I fell from a height of 2-3 ft countertop when the nanny after giving me a bath left me for only a second to get something and upon returning found me already unconscious and lying on the hard, ceramic tiled floor. I was rushed to the doctor but he told them that if I fail to regain consciousness within an hour then he said I am gone. To everybody's surprise I started to cry even before the time is up. Another one was when I was barely 2 yrs old when I almost got hit by a speeding jeepney. My parent's house is right beside my grandparent's house which is right in front of the school where my mother used to be a public school teacher. She said she was standing in the center of the stage of the school that was why she had a good view of the things around her even the terrace of my grandparent's house so she got the shock of her life when she saw me there alone running very fast heading toward the open gate while a speeding jeepney was coming and looked as if I would really get hit and it would be too late even if somebody was there to stop me. She was already screaming from afar together with the other teachers who saw it and was trying to call the attention of the driver but to no avail for he didn't even slow down because their screams were of no match to the loud engine of the jeep.  It was just a miracle that the moment I stepped on the side of the road, I suddenly stopped and stood very still as if someone was holding me back. She said it was my guardian angel who held me and prevented me from getting hit by the jeep.  I don't remember personally any of those experiences it was only through my mother's stories that I came to know about them. But when I was older like in 4th grade I could already remember how I was spared again from being hurt seriously when the fluorescent lamp right on top of my head fell on my desk a split second after I stood up and left my chair.  My classmates were really shocked and were hovering around me and told me that it was really close. One of my bestfriends, Myrsa got me even more scared of what could had happened when she said that fluorescent lamps are laden with poison that once it gets broken, the poison is released and if the broken glass cuts your skin open the poison will get in and the wound caused by it will never dry up or get healed. From then on I developed this childlike trust in God and thanked God for saving me from death. There was another instance in my life as a child when Myrsa and I were left all alone in school while waiting for our ride home and the deafening sound of lightning and thunder got me very scared. Myrsa played the role of my guardian angel when she tried to calm and stop me from crying by telling me that I should not be afraid because the lightning is the flash bulb of God's camera. She continued by saying that I should not cry but instead smile for God was just taking our picture. Myrsa's legendary stories played a role in my developing a great faith in God. Another funny story was what she told me about the needle. She said that we must be careful with needles because it will find its way into our bodies and once it's inside it will go to our bloodstream and very quickly end up pricking our hearts which can cause us to die right away. There was one time when I lost a needle and couldn't find it anywhere. I went to bed very early that day which surprised my mother and was asking me if there was anything wrong. I decided to myself that I would just wait for my death silently and not tell anybody. I was praying to God not to give me a painful death and let me not feel it once the needle pricks my heart. When I woke up the next day I was so glad that I was still alive and thanked God for sparing me from death. Those were the early formative years of my faith which started out in a funny, amusing but definitely amazing way. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. If we will just constantly nourish and fill ourselves with the words of God in scriptures then there is really no reason for us to fear rather be always filled with joy. He will never allow us to be defeated and conquered for He is always there to rescue us. Amen, Hallelujah!

Psalm 34:2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9

R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

1 [2] I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 2 [3] Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (R) 3 [4] Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. 4 [5] I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (R) 5 [6] Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. 6 [7] When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him...The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them...

God in today's gospel proclaims the summary of His great love that is being conveyed in the bible. If God suffered His only Son for our sake, we must believe that everything is possible with Him and there is really no doubt that He can move the heavens and the earth that even the simplest task of sending His angels to guard and protect is something that God is really able to do. Father Fernando taught us the acronym HEALS. H stands for hope, E = experience God's love and express to others, A= adore God, L= love, S= sacrifice. When will we allow this truth to get through our thick heads and really sink deep into our system so that we will no longer doubt His great love for us. Who among you parents would be willing to sacrifice their own child for the sin of another? God did that and shed very precious blood for our salvation. When people experience genuine and sincere love despite all of their imperfections then we can somehow get the picture of what today's gospel is trying to convey. Although not the fullness of its meaning and depth, this reminds me of a movie entitled, "The Cutting Edge". It is about a young lady who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She practically had everything a young lady like her would wish for. Despite of it she remained to be rude, selfish and stubborn until that eventful night when this man professed his love to her even after all the things he found out about her. It only took a minute or less for her to realize it and changed everything which also led to their winning the gold medal in the Olympics. Those who have seen the movie might know what I’m talking about. This is a very shallow comparison I should say to the tremendous love of God for us to suffer His Only Begotten Son to die on the cross for our sake. Since we are still bound to the physical dimension of this world there is only partial understanding of the spiritual and all other aspects that define love. We could only hope to grasp its meaning within the context of our limited capacities. We look forward that someday when we finally come to the final and appointed day in our life when our soul separates from our physical body and thus attain the fullness of this understanding we find ourselves in the safety of His love and not very far from it to enjoy this gift of eternal life. Hoping too, on that day that the word "might" in today's gospel passage which I quoted below will be omitted and finally make eternal life a reality for all of us. We are just set to discover wonderful and marvelous things that are beyond our imagination if we let God. We pray that if we were skeptics may we eventually become believers.  The gospel today contains the most famous words of Jesus in the Gospel of John, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” The purpose of this gospel is stated in Jn. 20:31: “These things have been written so that you may go on believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing you may have life in His name.”  Everything comes through God’s grace in the form of the scriptures as it is written from of old and revealed right before our very eyes and within our hearing. We owe everything to God and nothing else can ever be enough for a God who loves us with such impact and intensity. The gospel is an evidence of the concrete relationship of the scriptures in the Old Testament with the New Testament. They are interconnected in a very amazing way. If there's one thing that amazes me even more, it is the thousands of years apart in terms of BC (Before the time of Christ) and AD (Anno Domini/During and after Christ) that separates these events and the tremendous power of God that defies the length of time by connecting them and allowing every single thing in the entire history of mankind to fall into its perfect place and pattern. According to Dr. Scott Hahn, the nature of Jesus’ death on Calvary is a sacrifice. All Christians recognize this sacrifice as a mystery. Jesus offered His life on the cross as a supreme sacrifice but most Christians don’t realize how difficult it would have been for 1^st century Jewish Christians to come to that conclusion. Why? If we were there on Calvary on Good Friday even the most devout Jewish disciples would have been unable to describe that experience as a sacrifice because for them there’s really nothing more to it than a Roman execution. It took place outside of the walls of Jerusalem, far from the place where there were no odors and priests and thus there is no sacrifice. And yet in one generation all Christians came to conclude that indeed what Jesus suffered on the cross was the supreme sacrifice. How did they reach such a conclusion? Only by looking at Good Friday in a light of what Jesus did on Maundy Thursday. When He instituted the Eucharist He didn’t simply celebrate the feast of the Passover He established the Passover of the New Covenant and it was more than just words. He took bread and said, this is my body which is given up for you and then he took the chalice and spoke about how this blood of the new and everlasting covenant will be poured out for the remission of sins do this in remembrance of me. Was this just a rhetoric and ritual or is there a reality and truth to what Jesus said and did. The proof that Jesus really gave us His body and allowed his blood to be poured out for the remission of sins is precisely given to us there on the cross. But the nature of Jesus’ death on the cross is illuminated as a sacrifice only by retracing and looking at it in the light of the Passover of the new covenant. The Eucharist and Calvary are inseparable.  There are 2 sides to the same sacrifice. Jesus shows us that in His death He did not lose His life for in the Eucharist He already made His life a gift of love. This love is what conquers death and the conquest of death is what occurs on Good Friday. As Catholics we have a lot to teach other Christians who do not understand the mystery of the Mass. For indeed it’s the Eucharist that illuminates the mystery of Jesus’ death as a sacrifice just as Jesus’ death shows us that the Eucharist is more than just mere ritual but is the mystery of Jesus high priestly act of self giving love.  Amen. Hallelujah!

John 3:16-21

...16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life...

THE SEEKER

I was so impressed with the way Dr. Scott Hahn from EWTN show, was talking about angels. He discussed about this topic with such great enthusiasm and confidence that I should say everybody who heard him was convinced. His face lighted up and was animated as he described the angels based on what he extensively read, researched, studied and experienced. He was trying to relate this belief in angels which dates back to the time of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, Joshua in Jericho, Manoah, Samson, Gideon, Isaiah and Ezekiel. He said that angels are best friends who are intelligent and strong and whose purpose is to minister and bring God's gifts to His people. We can see all throughout the bible the revelation of angels and how they have rendered an incredible service to mankind extended to the New Testament to Mary and Joseph. What we are doing right now in the Catholic Church with regards to our practices has long been established in a holy pattern in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament in Jesus Christ. The angels are all subject to the Lord’s bidding. We are sure to receive tremendous blessings if we are to ask from our Lord who resurrected from the dead. Favor, anyone? If God has power over death then what else can't He overcome. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 4:32-37

...With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all...

Death is not a respecter of age or health. A person could be young or old, healthy or sick and the worst part we can never tell when it's coming. Only God knows the length of our days and to Him alone do we entrust everything. God is powerful and we can surely be at peace with Him. We have confidence in a God who chose to step down from His throne and became a helpless baby for our sake.  Though, an infant He holds the world in the palm of His hands. He alone is King. We have an Infinite and Almighty God and no words are enough to describe Him. Thus we can only translate those that go beyond words into the spiritual. The spiritual is real although not material or physical. We have our free will which is immaterial and thus fall into the spiritual. It makes perfect sense that we unite our will to God. It may seem an impossibility to be holy and pure at all times. For man it is, but not for God. We can trust God to supply us with all that we need to do whatever it takes to be worthy of His kingdom. If we believe that God calls us then He can surely and absolutely equip us for the work and plan He has for us. The uniformity of the message in today's readings from the 1st, Psalm and gospel can not be denied. God constantly and persistently send us occasions and opportunities that will always remind and confront us of this great attributes of God which are all better than life itself. It is very important to call on God in prayer at all times. He is Christ the King. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

R: The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

...Your throne stands firm from of old; from everlasting you are, O LORD. (R) 5 Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed: holiness befits your house, O LORD, for length of days.

It's funny how some of the movies I have watched somehow convey the same thought and message that the gospel for today speaks of. I had shared about this boy in the movie entitled, "The Seeker" who almost got killed and defeated in the battle to save the world when he almost failed to see what's right there with him all along. He was in search of 6 signs and the 5 he already found. He didn't realize that he no longer had to seek or look for the 6th and final sign, himself. The same is true with another movie entitled, "The Vanishing" which is about a man patiently and faithfully searching for his lost girlfriend. He went to the ultimate test when he willingly subjected himself to a very dangerous and unknown situation that almost cost him his life just as so he could find out the truth about what really happened to his girlfriend. Not many of us would be willing to put our lives at stake if not for the one thing that we consider all worth it. Today's gospel, Nicodemus was also in search of something. We all too come to a point in our lives when we look for something we thought we do not know or we really do not know. We are all seekers one way or another. Sometimes when the discussion is about our faith and religion things go out of hand and there may be some misunderstandings that may rise up along the way. It is so difficult at times to really impart what we know about our faith if we ourselves are not too knowledgeable about these things. If Jesus Himself experienced this difficulty with a teacher of Israel, how much more with us? It is good to know that Jesus who is the Son of God and the Authority on all things is reminding us in today's gospel that we as His followers are also subject to this. It is somehow a wake up call for all of us to really strive hard in knowing about our faith not for purposes of debate but because it is our duty to spread the good news about Jesus. We have to discover more of the heavenly things, really believe and be very convinced of it. What matters most as we read the gospel is the truth that if like Nicodemus, we go to Jesus who is someone we all know to be worth all of it then we can surely find what we are all looking for. The story from the Old Testament of Moses lifting up the serpent for those bitten by a snake to look at it and spare them from dying is a reminder of God's endless offering of mercy to heal us from our sins. Jesus was also lifted up but on a cross to die like a criminal as payment for our sins. For only the righteous blood of Jesus can satisfy the justice of God. The price of eternal life bears the blood of His only begotten Son. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 3:7b-15

...Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? 11 Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. 12 If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ... And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

THE PRAYER

The power of prayer can not be denied and even if we don't see the same manifestations as in the 1st reading today we should still continue to pray. Even if it seems like nothing is happening with our prayers then we shouldn't lose hope and keep on praying. We should always gather all our strength to rise up to pray. We should be encouraged by this bible passage and decide that if there's one thing we should always do and never abandon that is prayer. Peter and John in their prayer did not just utter words but they quoted the Scriptures as foretold by the prophet David. There is indeed power in the words of God which we sometimes fail to fully recognize and give credit to. If we only know of the fullness of this truth then we can always be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit just like the apostles in Jesus' time whenever we pray. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 4:23-31

23 After their release Peter and John went back to their own people and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them. 24 And when they heard it, they raised their voices to God with one accord and said, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them, 25 you said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant: ‘Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples entertain folly? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.’ 27 Indeed they gathered in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do what your hand and your will had long ago planned to take place. 29 And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30 as you stretch forth your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

We have a God and Father who loves us so much. We need not always seek for answers and expect things to go our way. All we have to do is to keep on trusting God's goodness and mercy because there are really no answers to most of life's questions. These words in today's Psalm reading are the ones quoted by Luke in the 1st reading from Acts that we belong to God, we are begotten by Him. I have always believed in the power of the word of God. There is a need for us to study and know the scriptures for our own welfare. God in His ultimate wisdom and love gave us access to the Holy Scriptures in the bible. We are so blessed that we are living in a time and place where both the Old and New Testament have already been written. We have the privilege to access them, freedom to take part in studying the Word of God and freely express it. Nothing could be more valuable than this. If we are totally convinced that we are God’s children then we ought to rejoice and be glad. The Lord has spoken and promised in today’s psalm and so shall it be. Remove all traces of fear and doubt for our God is able. This reality should not leave our consciousness every waking moment of our lives. There was one time during our bible study although it happened a long time ago I could never forget it when I was particularly touched by the closing prayer by Sis Lucille because she specifically cited that particular verse in Habakkuk 2:3-4 "Then the Lord answered me and said, "Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets so that one can read it readily, for the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint, if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late." It has given me renewed strength and courage having to be reminded again of that promise and the assurance of God that He will bring to fulfillment all His promises and felt that it was another boost and assurance for me especially at that time when I sometimes succumb to despair and hopelessness. Since it was the book of Habakkuk we were discussing at that time, Sis Millie also shared of his brother who had a problem and was just holding on to the word of God particularly the one from Habakkuk which also holds a special meaning in his life and even shared about it. It was very inspiring and had my spirits lifted up. God is good. He'll never leave nor abandon us. We are all special to Him. God never really disappoints even though we are already on the verge of failing and falling, He will always be there to make a way. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9

R: Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.

1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples utter folly? 2 The kings of the earth rise up, and the princes conspire together against the LORD and against his anointed: 3 “Let us break their fetters and cast their bonds from us!” ... 7 The Lord said to me, “You are my son; this day I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession 9 You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.” (R)

How can you explain the tragic events that are taking place all around us? There isn't any good explanation for all of these especially with the kind of news we see daily on television like the death of a very young man. I don't know much about the life of this person and even if I do, I don't think I could still offer a sensible one. What's most important is the truth that we have a God who oversees all these things and is surely capable of making all things work for good. Life is indeed a mystery. We can attain peace and contentment in the midst of all the turmoil and chaos around us only with the knowledge that we have a God who is able to make all things work for good. Sometimes we go through life thinking that we need to look for something without realizing that it is right before us. Today's gospel reminded me of a movie I watched entitled, "The Seeker" which is a story of a young boy who is the 7th son of a 7th son. He was foretold to save the world from darkness if he can find the 6 signs that will make him powerful. He knew of the 5 signs he needed to gather but the 6th sign was not revealed. As the movie unfolds, the adventure builds up as he battled his way out in his quest for the 6 signs. As the movie comes to an end it also started to reach the climax when the boy was able to get all the 5 signs which made him strong but not strong enough to defeat his enemy. It was at that moment on the verge of death that he suddenly recalled the words to him by his guardian about the 6th sign. He saw his reflection and when he looked into his eyes that was when he realized what the 6th sign is. It was not revealed because it was not hidden since he is the 6th sign. It was at this moment when he realized this that he became aware of his full power and defeated his enemy. Only when the tough gets really going do we realize some things that are just within our reach. Or we start to notice the things that don't seem to matter to us. Today's gospel speaks of Nicodemus who despite of being a Pharisee, a position and title which expects him to stay away from Jesus did not do so. He recognized what was not hidden to all, but many refused to acknowledge and live by. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Only Him can give us all the satisfaction we need and are searching for. Amen. Hallelujah!  

John 3:1-8

1 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” ...The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;...

DOUBTING GENERATION

There are 3 steps to victory in spiritual warfare.

1. Define the enemy. Know that the enemy could be blatant or subtle. It could be disguised in the form of lies, a force that leads us away from Christ, or a person/desire that makes us act in contrary to Christ. The subtlety of the enemy can be compared to this strategy, a frog placed in a pot of water on a stove top that was being slowly heated until it boiled to death. The frog could have easily jumped out of the pot if it was placed there when the water was already boiling.

2. Determine the desires of the enemy. Its desire is to get the people against each other. This is so, in order to lure us to sin and by distorting the real face of sin to make us believe that we are not committing it at all.

3. Do the opposite. If what we are doing leads us to sin then do the opposite. If we feel like answering back or gossiping about a person then don't.

 We are also warned not to cling to spiritual experiences to the point of losing sight of the purpose of these spiritual delights which is to allow us to have a deeper faith and hope in God. It should work as transmitters of spiritual growth. The only spiritual and temporal benefit that we should gain from it most importantly should bring us to the knowledge and love of God. The primacy of love is emphasized in Lk. 10:19-20 which say "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." If we've become so inordinately attached to the gift it can lead to inappropriate use. According to St. John of the Cross there are dangers in using the gift since we can be susceptible to vanity, vain glory or worst demonic manipulation. Let us not forget that for the gifts to work there is a need for detachment and always be docile to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Everything is for the greater glory of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 2:42-47

42 They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles…

God is the source of all good things. Only Jesus can satisfy our souls. We should be really careful in setting our priorities. Sometimes we end up making the wrong choices and decisions in life. We end up rejecting something that should be valued and treasured more than anything else in this whole wide world. All we need to do is trust that the Lord will always take care of all our needs we need not tire ourselves to the point of exhaustion because it is better to take refuge in the Lord than resort to trusting in or own strength and others. According to Fr. Joseph Koterski a Jesuit priest and a professor in Fordham University it helps to always have GRACE. G stands for Gratitude, R for Respect, A for Account (have an accounting of the things we have done whether good or bad), C for Charting (to chart our course of action in order to see where we're going) and E to Entreat the Lord for the energy  and enthusiasm He has been giving us in this life. We need to always think of the things we are grateful for. It will help us examine our conscience and live a holy life that is fitting for a people of God. There are times when we don’t feel like saying our prayers. Whenever we feel this way but still managed to gather all our strength to still commit to our prayers then we will surely find ourselves with renewed strength to start our day right. When we master the art of praying and always drawing near to God then we become "Untouchables".  This is due to the fact that no one is like God. There is none like Him, for no one else can do as much as the Lord God Almighty and All Powerful can. We can rely on God’s goodness and build confidence on that knowing that with God on our side we are undefeated. His might knows no limits and His power is able to do wonderful things beyond our imagination. Everything fits like a key in a hole. There is only one thing that is conveyed here that God allows things to happen for a reason and everything falls into its perfect place. God's love and mercy endure forever and do not fail. We can always count on the goodness of God at all times and in all circumstances all the days of our lives. Truly knowing and proclaiming that God is Lord of all our days makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness for heaven and earth will fade but His words will remain. We may not have witnessed first hand when Jesus walked and lived on earth but we can never deny witnessing to God's miracles working in our lives every day. Truly knowing and proclaiming what we are celebrating this Easter season makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness that never fade. We should have the confidence to joyfully shout out what the psalm tells us today.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

R: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.

…Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.” (R) 13 I was hard pressed and was falling, but the LORD helped me. 14 My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior… This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. (R)

We make difficult decisions in life that some people may find hard to understand. But some things whether seen or unseen, felt or not, go beyond the concrete and tangible things in life. Jesus will stop at nothing just to make known to us everything about Him. If we meditate on His brokenness and woundedness on the cross we would find ourselves no longer postponing or delaying to believe 100 % in Jesus if we really want to be blessed. It is a natural reaction from most people who hear about someone entrusted a big inheritance to feel envious of his/her good fortune. I always hear people say that such person is so lucky. Actually, there is no sense in feeling that way if we just realize that we've all been handed down an inheritance from God through Jesus Christ. We are a people beyond lucky but truly blessed. We should realize by now that we are more than royalty because we are heirs of not just a great fortune but an imperishable, undefiled and unfading inheritance. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Peter 1:3-9

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you 5 who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. 6 In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

The gospel today is about the story of "Doubting Thomas" which I guess is also the story of each one of us. One time or another we can not deny that we've been like Thomas, too. The gospel today is about the story of "Doubting Thomas" which is also the story of each one of us. One time or another we can not deny that we've been like Thomas, too. We also doubted God in our own personal lives sometimes even without knowing it through our words and actions. Our experiences at times are mostly occasions that lead us to doubt. We all come to a point in our lives when our faith is greatly tested. But just like those holy and faithful souls including Father Abraham and the rest of our ancestors in the Old Testament whom the church said were in limbo before the coming of Jesus Christ, who waited and were rewarded with Heaven we, too should be hopeful that our time will come. Instead of dwelling on the negative we should realize that despite the locked doors in our lives God always stand in our midst and give His peace. We should be thankful to God for the several occasions in our life when we encountered difficulties for those were times when we discovered that God never left us. These experiences that cause fear and pain sometimes make us turn away from God and doubt Him. This is very common nowadays as we see people live their lives as if there is no God.  Today's gospel is very appropriate for the kind of generation we have right now, a doubting and unbelieving race of people who no longer believe anything without first seeing. In the encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI entitled, "Spe Salvi" we are asked to nourish our faith, hope and love through prayer,  unity of our own sufferings to that of Jesus Christ and belief in the reality of judgment. We are so blessed to have Pope Benedict XVI who was a teacher before he became pope. This present generation definitely benefited from his papacy. We must not assume that we are already good in our faith rather we must have the humility to admit that we still have a lot to learn before we can profess the words of Thomas with the same love and conviction. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 20:19-31
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” 24 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name

NOBODY’S EXEMPTED

We may all have experienced something that we just can't contain it within ourselves and we needed to shout it out and let the whole world know. This should be our attitude towards the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should never stop proclaiming and testifying to God's Word. The Holy Spirit enables us to withstand external pressure in order to carry out with holy boldness the proclamation of the word of God. We have to will it as this is exactly how we should feel after witnessing during these Lenten and Easter seasons how God so loved the world. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 4:13-21

...they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. 20 It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”

God is the source of all good things. Only Jesus can satisfy our souls. We should be really careful in setting our priorities. Sometimes we end up making the wrong choices and decisions in life. We end up rejecting something that should be valued and treasured more than anything else in this whole wide world. All we need to do is trust that the Lord will always take care of all our needs we need not tire ourselves to the point of exhaustion because it is better to take refuge in the Lord than resort to trusting in our own strength and others. According to Fr. Joseph Koterski a Jesuit priest and a professor in Fordham University it helps to always have GRACE. G stands for Gratitude, R for Respect, A for Account (have an accounting of the things we have done whether good or bad), C for Charting (to chart our course of action in order to see where we're going) and E to Entreat the Lord for the energy  and enthusiasm He has been giving us in this life. We need to always think of the things we are grateful for. It will help us examine our conscience and live a holy life that is fitting for a people of God. There are times when we don’t feel like saying our prayers. Whenever we feel this way but still managed to gather all our strength to still commit to our prayers then we will surely find ourselves with renewed strength to start our day right. When we master the art of praying and always drawing near to God then we become "Untouchables".  This is due to the fact that no one is like God. There is none like Him, for no one else can do as much as the Lord God Almighty and All Powerful can. We can rely on God’s goodness and build confidence on that knowing that with God on our side we are undefeated. His might knows no limits and His power is able to do wonderful things beyond our imagination. Everything fits like a key in a hole. There is only one thing that is conveyed here that God allows things to happen for a reason and everything falls into its perfect place. God's love and mercy endure forever and do not fail. We can always count on the goodness of God at all times and in all circumstances all the days of our lives. Truly knowing and proclaiming that God is Lord of all our days makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness for heaven and earth will fade but His words will remain. We may not have witnessed first hand when Jesus walked and lived on earth but we can never deny witnessing to God's miracles working in our lives every day. Truly knowing and proclaiming what we are celebrating this Easter season makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness that never fade. We should have the confidence to joyfully shout out what the psalm tells us today.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 118:1, 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21

R: I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. 14 My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. 15 The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just...

Sometimes it takes time before we can fully realize the things that are already before and around us just like the other disciples who failed to recognize Jesus right away. The disciple whom Jesus loved was the first to recognize Him and we too, are challenged to become like this disciple whom Jesus loved and be more sensitive when it comes to identifying who Jesus is in our lives. Several times did Jesus appear after His resurrection and it took some time before they finally believed. It was a series of doubt, unbelief and hardness of heart. There are times when we have to be repeatedly told and witness first hand before we are finally convinced. How many times in our lifetime have we encountered certain events and experiences that call us to greater and stronger faith in God but remained skeptical and unbelieving? During those times we were all guilty just like his disciples in today's gospel. Sometimes we need to be rebuked for our unbelief and hardness of heart. When this happens and get our wake up call then we really need to get our acts together and be ready for the call of Jesus to spread the Good News of God. Nobody's exempted. God will always provide us with all the proof that we need it's just a matter of opening up our hearts to His daily promptings. Remove all clouds of doubt, believe and proclaim the gospel. The disciples of Jesus had to hear it a 3rd time and be rebuked before they took action. Maybe it is necessary for us to go through these stages in order for us to appreciate better the truth that is evident and irrefutable so as to cultivate in us the confidence to spread the good news and proclaim the gospel without a doubt. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 16:9-15

9 When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene...When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. 12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country. 13 They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either.14 But later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised.15 He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

LOOK BACK & RECALL

We can successfully battle all the evils that beset us. It is a standing reality that we live in a world full of temptations and difficulties but we can always emerge victorious if we have Jesus in us. Let us cleanse our hearts, minds and bodies that just like Mary we become a fitting vessel and dwelling place of Jesus. Let us not miscarry Jesus and give birth to Him full term.  I am reminded once again of today's 1st reading of Msgr. Kevin Kostelnik's homily in the Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral when he said this: "The farther away we are from God, the more destructive our life become and the greater fear we have." Peter in today's 1st reading is totally different and transformed from that fearful man who denied Jesus 3x. He has become full of courage, strength and all of a sudden is boldly proclaiming about Jesus without fear of being arrested or killed. The Holy Spirit filled him up with all the gifts and fruits to announce and live out this truth about Jesus knowing that there is no other name by which we are to be saved. Today's 1st and psalm readings have a phrase and word that were repeated twice. They are worth looking into. The phrase: "the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone", and the word: name. Once again, we are faced with the reality of the undeniable and repetitive truth of the prophecy in the Old Testament fulfilled in the New Testament. It was David in the Psalms of the Old Testament and Peter in the Acts of the Apostles of the New Testament. I believe and agree that we need to look back and recall this truth which needs to be repeatedly proclaimed and believed in for life. There is power in the name of Jesus. We might have seen instances when people use an access or entry code or just say the name of the person who lives in certain subdivisions or gated homes in order to be allowed to go inside. These are restrictions in order to ensure safety and maintain order in the places where people live. It just made me think that God has given us a powerful name in order to have access to the many blessings and promises that are in store for those who would believe. What a glorious privilege and blessing that all can come to know and avail of the power of the name Jesus. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts of the Apostles 4,1-12.

... If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, 10 then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. 11 He is ‘the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”

God is the source of all good things. Only Jesus can satisfy our souls. We should be really careful in setting our priorities. Sometimes we end up making the wrong choices and decisions in life. We end up rejecting something that should be valued and treasured more than anything else in this whole wide world. All we need to do is trust that the Lord will always take care of all our needs we need not tire ourselves to the point of exhaustion because it is better to take refuge in the Lord than resort to trusting in or own strength and others. According to Fr. Joseph Koterski a Jesuit priest and a professor in Fordham University it helps to always have GRACE. G stands for Gratitude, R for Respect, A for Account (have an accounting of the things we have done whether good or bad), C for Charting (to chart our course of action in order to see where we're going) and E to Entreat the Lord for the energy  and enthusiasm He has been giving us in this life. We need to always think of the things we are grateful for. It will help us examine our conscience and live a holy life that is fitting for a people of God. There are times when we don’t feel like saying our prayers. Whenever we feel this way but still managed to gather all our strength to still commit to our prayers then we will surely find ourselves with renewed strength to start our day right. When we master the art of praying and always drawing near to God then we become "Untouchables".  This is due to the fact that no one is like God. There is none like Him, for no one else can do as much as the Lord God Almighty and All Powerful can. We can rely on God’s goodness and build confidence on that knowing that with God on our side we are undefeated. His might knows no limits and His power is able to do wonderful things beyond our imagination. Everything fits like a key in a hole. There is only one thing that is conveyed here that God allows things to happen for a reason and everything falls into its perfect place. God's love and mercy endure forever and do not fail. We can always count on the goodness of God at all times and in all circumstances all the days of our lives. Truly knowing and proclaiming that God is Lord of all our days makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness for heaven and earth will fade but His words will remain. We may not have witnessed first hand when Jesus walked and lived on earth but we can never deny witnessing to God's miracles working in our lives every day. Truly knowing and proclaiming what we are celebrating this Easter season makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness that never fade. We should have the confidence to joyfully shout out what the psalm tells us today.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 118:1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27a

R: The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

 ... O LORD, grant salvation! O LORD, grant prosperity! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;

Year after year we have to put our feet in the shoes of the disciples. Today's gospel is a picture of the apostles just after the death of Jesus who were probably still confused and depressed. They saw Jesus tortured, suffered, died and laid in a tomb. There is a dullness in their faith. Sometimes it takes time before we can fully realize the things that are already before and around us. Just like the other disciples who failed to recognize Jesus right away. The disciple whom Jesus loved was the first to recognize Him and we too are challenged to become like this disciple whom Jesus loved and be more sensitive when it comes to identifying in our lives who Jesus really is. He has overcome death and is victorious. When you have Jesus in your heart then you will always feel secured. Peter jumped into the sea not minding what he's wearing, ready to get wet and be soaked, just to get near the resurrected Jesus. Aren't we afraid to jump into the sea? Are we willing to take the plunge? For sure we will find ourselves in the loving embrace of Our God. It's always worth giving our all to the Lord. At a time of our life when we are not in our best shape or could be discerning and still unsure of what course of action to take, we should realize that Jesus is always there for us though we may not realize it. It is our obedience during these trying times that will see us through these difficult times. I believe God in His awesome and almighty wisdom, intelligence and knowledge reveals things in stages for the benefit of our limited capacities and understanding. The series of events in our lives and the word of God serve as an eye opener that could endow us with a better understanding of all the things that are happening to us. May we all come to this point in our life when we obey God at all times no matter what kind of situation we are in. I realized it is always good to look back, recall and never forget those times in our lives when Jesus was calling us for a certain task and decided to follow and obey. We can always be confident and full of hope that whatever is the outcome of our decision for as long as we know that we have consulted it to God in prayer and have acted with our best ability then we are always safe and secure. Today's gospel also tells us to be of service to the people. We all look forward to the world to come and share eternal life and happiness with God. At the same time we also exercise our citizenship to this world. We should engage ourselves in work that can bring healing and build good things on earth. God multiplies our efforts. We do not have the option of subtracting ourselves from this process and just go to the sideline. We have to read the word of God, understand it and be active. This is the meaning of encounter with God. When we engage ourselves with this kind of work it may seem political but it's not. We are not pagans but believers and God is the one who empowers us. We have to get the world back to its proper balance. We are all called to do something for this world that we live in but the Lord is the one who accomplishes all things. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 21,1-14.

...So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea...

PERFECT PARTNER

Our God is a God of surprises. If we have been getting no answers from God it is because He wants us to wait. He has something wonderful in store for all of us and will surely fulfill what He said He would do. There are times when we have to learn things on our own and really be independent. Whenever we encounter such circumstances we may not realize it but we just discover that somehow we’ve gone a long way in terms of our relationship with the Lord. Although those were the most trying times of our life we can definitely agree that our biggest problem just give it some time will become our greatest blessing. Have we experienced the so called gut feeling when we think that we know what is bound to happen? Or have we ever said words like, " I knew it!" and "I told you so" I guess everybody knows exactly what I am talking about especially during times when we're very sure about something we can even bet our life on it. This kind of thing usually happens when we've already experienced or encountered something that is totally new for others. We suddenly become the authority or the expert on such matters that people consult us or rely to us for advice on that specific area. Or it could also be like in the case of Peter and John in today's 1st reading. Peter was explaining to the people the truth about Jesus for he had a real and close contact relationship with Jesus. Jesus and the apostles have been through a lot already. Peter after that period of weakness and denial did not quit unlike Judas who killed himself. For as long as there is life there is always hope. Let us seize each opportunity every single day while we can, to enter into a relationship with God and work hard to improve it. Ignorance of Jesus Christ is ignorance of the faith. With this faith, we have to be confident of the ground we are stepping on which is laid on a firm foundation. Knowing these things enable us to move up of the ladder as we discover the many things that relate and connect to the very roots of our faith. Our God is endless in goodness and mercy. We must never stop in achieving the best for the greater glory of God. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Acts 3:11-26

…The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence, when he had decided to release him. 14 You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health, in the presence of all of you. 17 Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; 18 but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, 20 and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Christ already appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. 22 For Moses said: ‘A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you. 23 Everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be cut off from the people.’ 24 Moreover, all the prophets who spoke, from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days. 25 You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he said to Abraham, ‘In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”

We have to grow deep in our relationship with God for He wants us all to be closer to Him. So when things become unpleasant and we start to feel helpless and feel like we  have no one, then we can look at things like it is all part of God's plan. The tricky question which I guess no one can give a straight answer is, "Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?" Furthermore, if we are to look at creation and all the things that surround us, as in the heavens, the moon and the stars then we will just be filled with awe and wonder at the greatness of God's work. It is a masterpiece of the Greatest Artist. What's most overwhelming is the fact that we have been given the honor of being the highlight of His work and the top of the line. God has bestowed so much love, honor and glory in our beings that we need to be in touch with this reality every single moment of our lives. It is time we become aware of this overwhelming truth that we are worth more than we'll ever come to know.  Just think of the story in the Footprints when God opted to carry us rather than just walk beside us. But recently with a new version of the footprints, we've come to a better understanding of who God is. God's message is that we should become like the Lord in every aspect and know Him more and more each day and as we grow in our knowledge about God we notice that we improve daily in our relationship with the Lord. We learn not just to submit to His will and blend in to His designs for us but most of all to enjoy being one with God for He is an exciting God who can make us smile, laugh and even dance with Him. We have a God who will stop at nothing in revealing His endless love for us in so many ways. We can not confine the attributes of God to anything for unlike any relationship, nothing compares to it, be it the best romance, friendship, parent child relationship we ever knew. Our relationship with God is capable of reaching insurmountable heights for He will always be the Perfect Partner for each one of us. God has created man worth more than anything that He created. We can all say that our beauty surpasses all creatures on earth. As days, months and years go by we must realize how important each and every day for it is an opportunity to discover more things about our Infinite God. If we want to reach the highest pinnacle of God's love then seize each day for His greater glory. This passage from today’s psalm was also instrumental to my being able to discover my authority over all things including a lot of unfounded fears that used to torture me. My family was very over protective of us since we were orphaned when my father died when we were just very young, my grandparents and single aunt were the ones who helped my mother take good care of us. We were sheltered and protected in the most delicate way maybe because they felt sorry for us since we have to grow up without a father. All I know and remember is that I am scared of a lot of things that even the most simple thing like turning on the stove, plugging an electrical cord, seeing a frog, lizard and all those creepy little animals that seem to be very harmless make me nervous.  I don't know if my being the only girl in our family of three contributed to this. I could still remember when I got so scared of a cat who just gave birth. It was lying on a chair right next to the switch of the lights in our chapel in my former office in the Philippines (DOST) and when I approached it, it suddenly growled at me and got so scared. But a sister in the community, Sis Au bravely rebuked the cat and fearlessly approached it and just switched on the lights like the cat never existed. I was so impressed at her and she quoted to me this bible passage that we have rule over all of creation and everything is under our feet which has helped me from then on to overcome a lot of my fears. Those days are gone, we should know who we are and what God made us to be, on top of all His creation. We should be free of all fears.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 8:2ab, 5, 6-7, 8-9

R: O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

...What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? (R) 5 [6] You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 [7] You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet. (R) 7 [8] All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, 8 [9] the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.

If we feel that we've been waiting for a long time and wanting to give up and walk out on the Lord then we would never witness the great things that God has in store for us. If we give up before the battle is over then we would never taste the victory that God has prepared for us. St. Paul said, “no eye has seen or ear has heard nor mind has imagined what God has ready for those who love Him.” We have to be steadfast in our faith and continue to seek, find and love the Lord as this song has been saying:

The More I Seek You

By: Kari Jobe

The more I seek you,

The more I find you

The more I find you, the more I love you

I want to sit at your feet

Drink from the cup in your hand.

Lay back against you and breathe, feel your heart beat

This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand.

I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming

Jesus is always there for us, to clear things up, instruct and validate. Just look all around us from the most insignificant thing like a flower to the most important aspect that affects our life we will find that everything has a meaning and a purpose. Just like anything even the tiniest part of creation that goes through a period of transformation. Whatever confusions and anxieties in life we have we can always be assured that Jesus can offer us the  information, direction and proof we ever need. Wherever we are in our life right now just think that we're close and we'll get there. We will emerge as the person that God has meant us to be if we let just let go and let God. There is really no reason for us to despair for God throughout generations has always been giving us messages to assure and guide us to the right path so we'll never be astray and not forget His promises that He is sure to fulfill. The gospel today is taken from Luke. It is mainly focused on the heart of man. The purity of desire, cleanliness of intentions and nobility of character all dwell in the heart of man. That is why God does not look on appearance but into one's heart. There are 5 themes presented to us about the gospel of Luke. They are the ff.:

1. Life of detachment...is the pathway to a simple life. There is a Jewish expression found in Luke 9: 57-62  "Let the dead bury the dead!" which can be interpreted in English as the dead being the "slow pokes and half hearted people"  in Filipino are the so called " mga papatay-patay" This can also be related to God's call to us in in the Book of Revelation 3:14-19 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea, 10 write this: " ...I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth..." This is a picture of hypocrisy and duplicity which the Lord rejects. Also in Luke 12:32-34- store treasures in heaven, let go of possessions in Luke 14:25-35 and Luke 16:13 which is about God and mammon. Money is not evil in itself but the love of money. Resources not shared is greed and talents not shared is lust. 

2. Universal salvation/salvation. The ff. bible verses were enumerated for further reference and understanding. Lk. 2:29-35 where Simeon said "Now, Master you may let your servant go." Lk 4:18-19 which tells us to proclaim liberty to all and Lk 24:46-47, preach to all nations/salvation to all nations.

3. Importance of Women: radical concept at that time. Because women during that time are second class citizens and hold no importance in society. The ff. passages in Luke promotes the important role of women as in the hand that rocks the cradle. Lk 1 46-56- Canticle of Mary. In speaking role. (like in John 2:1-11)Lk. 8:1-3- women supported Jesus' mission. Lk 21:1-4 Widow's mite.

4. Centrality of the Holy Spirit

5. Importance of Prayer

6. Importance of Repentance

We see in today's gospel the divine power of Jesus Christ. He is now seated in the throne at right hand of the Father. He has passed from death to another life beyond time and space after His resurrection. The risen body of Christ was not recognized immediately by Mary Magdalene and the disciples on the road to Emmaus. His appearance was different in the resurrection from His earthly presence. His humanity has entered into the glory of God. He was filled by the power of the Holy Spirit and sharing in the divine light of God's glory. He is fully present in the spiritual realm of the God the Father. Something of course that He has from the very beginning since He shares in God's full divinity. He just wanted to share this glory to us. Queen Esther was sitting close to the king and can drink from his cup unlike all the concubines of the king who were seated afar from the king. We too are invited by God to do the same as Esther and enter into a personal relationship with God. The widow in the book of Kings whose jug of oil never ran dry inspires us to connect to the source of that jug of oil which is no other than our God. Mary sat at the foot of Jesus and broke an expensive alabaster jar of perfume oil to anoint His feet. (A prediction of Jesus' upcoming death on the cross) She did not withhold or spare anything for the Lord to the point of breaking open the alabaster jar. In the same way that we must not withhold anything from the Lord because nothing could be more precious and worth treasuring more than Jesus Himself. He has entered into the glory of God to inspire us, the faithful to offer our homage and adoration. The glory of God that appears and disappears can only be discovered in the realm of faith. He is inspiring faith in each one of us. His resurrection has reached its full significance in this salvific event. His triumph and victory over sin and death. We remember that He was condemned to death for claiming that He was the Son of God. With His resurrection, He is confirmed and raised by the Father. Not raised like Lazarus who died again but He is raised never to die again. He said that when He is lifted up we would know that He is the Son of God and confirms His claim about His divinity. He has defeated sin and death. We are truly free. His resurrection is the principle and source of our resurrection. He is the source of new life for everyone and manifests our adoption as children of God. He is life itself. It is a hope that inspires faith and charity in us towards Him. He is the source of life and our future resurrection. He dwells in our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the mystery we come in contact with in the resurrection. We see an even greater or another difference in the veiled glory of the risen one in the truth that Christ ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. Who is His Father and our Father. Remember He said to Mary "Do not touch me as I have yet not ascended to the Father."  As He ascended in the clouds and into heaven we look upon the full glory of God. The clouds symbolizes the fullness of glory as we recall in the Old Testament the clouds that descends in Mt. Sinai and the Transfiguration (Lk. 9:35) in the New Testament. These speak of the fullness of glory. The resurrection and ascension, all confirm that Jesus Christ is alive. Pope Benedict says that the ascension does not imply a temporary absence in the world but rather inaugurated the new, definitive and insuppressible form of His presence by virtue of His participation in the royal power of God. We find in today's gospel that the disciples are called to be witnesses. They have been inspired and empowered as they became His witnesses and told the world of what He has done. In this communion with Jesus and in His power over death, to resurrect and ascend into heaven, we too have the power to proclaim what He has done for us. We all have the mission to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in whatever way we can by our actions, love and words. Jesus gives to us His Holy Spirit and He hands over to us everything that He is. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 24:35-48

...“Peace be with you.” 37 But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” 40 And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,... “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures...You are witnesses of these things.”