Honesty is the best policy. It always pays to be honest. No
matter how unpleasant it may look and appear to others we must not compromise
the truth just to gain the admiration of others or spare ourselves from
discomfort and inconvenience. In today's 1st reading Hananiah was punished by
God for not speaking the truth. There are times in our life when we are faced
with difficult situations and we resort to what's practical and convenient even
though deep in our heart we know that it is not exactly what God wants us to
do. We ought to be careful of the words we speak to others as it may leave them
with the wrong impression or worse the wrong information. Just like in today's
1st reading, no matter how pleasant the prophecy of Hananiah was if it was not
truly coming from the Lord then it would just make things worse than it was
before. We should also guard ourselves of this because we all have a tendency
to put too much icing on the cake just to mask the real issue. There may be
times when we are called to speak but we should be responsible enough to speak
only what is true. Amen. Hallelujah!
Jeremiah 28:1-17
...Go tell Hananiah this: Thus says the LORD: By breaking a
wooden yoke, you forge an iron yoke!...To the prophet Hananiah the prophet
Jeremiah said: Hear this, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, and you have raised
false confidence in this people. 16 For this, says the LORD, I will dispatch
you from the face of the earth; this very year you shall die, because you have
preached rebellion against the LORD. 17 That same year, in the seventh month,
Hananiah the prophet died...
“Don't trust too much, don't
love too much, don't care too much because that "too much" wiil hurt
you so much...” This is a quotation I came across on Facebook. It somehow
answers the part where we have to hurt so much. We use our mind to sort out
what is true. God has given us the intellect, will, passions and emotions.
Sometimes our emotions lead and carry us away in the search and to discern the
truth. Our mind can seek the truth and our will can choose the truth freely.
After the fall of our 1st parents, even if we know what is right we
have been infected by the malice of the world and our will have become
weakened. Our emotions play a big role in our will. This is why it should be
properly directed. Our emotions go up and down and it is not the proper gauge.
Some relationships should not just be built upon a bunch of good feelings. It
is a very dangerous basis for love. We need to ask the question of truth and
get a hold of our emotions so that we can put our relationships in proper perspective.
There are so many things that
we are worried about but only one thing is needed and we have to be sure that
we pick the best option. We need not confuse ourselves by even considering the
options that the world enticingly and seductively present to us. Does
this song sound familiar? "Gusto kong bumait pero di ko magawa." (I’d
like to be good but I just can’t) Because we are still in this world and its
laws dominate us it
is indeed hard
to serve the law of
God. But we are constantly reminded that
if we only
make a stand on which side we are
then God will deliver us. There is only one thing needed and we have to choose
the best part. We have to do things according to God's statutes and precepts
which is the only sure way to live a happy and abundant life first here on
earth and then for eternity. There is one thing we need to do. Let
us always focus on Jesus and follow the example He has left for us to live by.
What a friend we have in Jesus. He is never amiss on anything. Let us not hesitate
to reach out to Him for in Him we find a true friend who is ready to help us.
If we come to Him at all times for guidance and direction, He will always be
there to take our hand and lead us to the right path. The Lord knows exactly
what's in our hearts. There are times when people judge us based only on what
they see but what matters most is that we are right before God. The truth is
that we ought to realize by now that only God can deliver us from all evil and
there is no one else to whom we can go but to Him. The Lord has promised and He
will fulfill. This should give us so much joy and peace in knowing this. There
is no doubt that God in His goodness surely sheds light, giving understanding
to the simple in times of affliction. We need to always hold on to God at all
times and never lose hope in Him. We just got to hold on tight! No matter what
happen let us always keep in mind that God fulfills all His promises. It may
not be right away and could be later but He will surely reveal things in His
most perfect time. We've got to realize that there is no love greater than the
love God is offering us. We need to make sure that what we sought and yearn
for, is what should bring us genuine riches, true delight and the most precious
treasure which the world can not give and only God can bring about. Just
imagine ourselves walking in the dark without knowing what we are stepping on
and where we are headed. It is very difficult there is no doubt about it. We
need light to guide our steps and show the way. We have to realize that loving
God means obeying with all our heart. Have you experienced waking up or going
to bed at the same time everyday? It's because of the circadian clock or the
rhythmic biological cycles that happen or recurring everyday in us. Let us pray
to God that we develop in ourselves an instinct and discipline to naturally
follow His commands like the circadian clock. The time to act is now. Let us
seize every opportunity to know the Word of God while we still can.
1. Do we see God as the Primary agent? God is the Primary Agent of Evangelization. It is not about us but about God.
2. Do we see Evangelization as everyone's responsibility?
We must not end up like the
3. Do we communicate God's love?
4. Is total human betterment part of the ministry?
5. Do we respect other traditions?
God does not take sides. There is an equal opportunity for all but we have to make sure that we are on God's side. We need to rid ourselves of any triumphant or arrogant attitude towards people of other faith. The Abrahamic religion has a common denominator which is belief in God. We are not the sole professor of truth. We need to listen for God's revelation from others, too not only from us.
6. Does our love go beyond Catholic borders?
The
7. Is our approach ecumenical?
We do not have the monopoly of God because the Good News has no border and dealt with a common faith.
8. Do we use all available media?
The best media is our own life, no need for TV. The example of how we live our life is the best means to evangelize. Walk the talk.
9. Do we fully utilize existing groups like ministries that renew and energize members?
10. What is our total image?
We've got to maintain a wholesome image unlike the Crusaders, though they were able to convert many to the faith, the spread of the Good News was carried out using the sword. We must take extra care in projecting the right image as Good Messengers of the Good News. We can't just take one passage and take it as a whole, we have to consider the entire scriptures. It must be read within the living tradition of the Church. It is written in the Church's heart in the very essence of who Jesus is. The analogy of faith and inner harmony should co-exist and take all of them together as a unity. To take just one part of the truth and depend solely on it for everything else to unravel would end up in heresy and find ourselves outside the truth. The depository of faith is entrusted by the apostles to the whole of the Magisterium of the Church. This task of giving an authentic teaching of the depository of the faith is given to the living successors of Peter who is the Pope and the Bishops in our Catholic Church. We must have the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the Magisterium of the Church. If the Church is not a Divine institution it would have crashed 2000 yrs ago. Living tradition and sacred scriptures are the means to transmit the faith. We need to know this to understand how God's plan works through things revealed by God to us and recalled by faith.
Another interesting event I am reminded of is one of the MI
(Militia Immaculata) Meetings we had in the past wherein we were asked to introduce ourselves
briefly by saying our names, parishes where we belong and the time when we were
consecrated to the Mother Mary. I can never forget the date I was consecrated
(March 15, 2008) since it was the same date, but in 1995, of my mother's death
anniversary but I would rather call it her birth to eternal life. It was
highlighted by another significant event which was a dream I had at that same
time of my aunt, Tita Edna who also passed away on the same month, March 24 in
the year 1992. The dream was quite interesting and very vivid because I saw
Tita Edna riding in a van and the moment
I saw her I took off immediately and ran after the van which I almost missed if
I did not leap and managed to make it to the door of the van from which I
almost fell. When I finally made it inside the van, I saw that she was about to
eat so I offered her a hand sanitizer and saw that it made her so glad that I
had it. She immediately applied it in her hands and thanked me for it. It
suddenly gave me the impression that the van could be a symbol of our
transportation to heaven. It is very difficult to catch that ride, we have to
be always alert and vigilant we might end up missing it and worst never be able
catch the ride ever again. That is, if we are too busy with other things we
tend to neglect what should we be paying attention to and end up missing out on
our ride and get a different ride which instead of bringing us to heaven, be
brought to another destination which I guess none of us would like to be. We
must always know on whose authority we are basing our actions. It will always
help to examine ourselves and really be aware where our loyalty lies. Are we
for God or against God or are we just for God in the superficial sense? If we are deeply rooted in Him then we can
withstand that horrible day of trial and
still find ourselves persevering in our faith. Just the thought of ending up in
hell should really make us pray fervently to God. Today's psalm teaches us the way to always be
attuned to God's Spirit in order for us to truly see the word of God, as the
light shining like a lamp for our feet. If we really want to be truly happy
then there is just one thing we have to always do that is to always keep
ourselves blameless before the Lord. We can never run away from the probing
eyes of God because nothing is hidden from Him. We sometimes have this
impression that our God requires impossibilities from us. We misinterpret and
take things in a different way whenever we hear of rules and regulations to be
followed. The decrees of our Lord are not meant to make things difficult for us
nor do they burden or tie us down. This is the deception and we should start
looking at it the right way. Just imagine life without God's decrees to guide
us, it would be very disorderly and chaotic. It's like driving in the freeway
wherein one can just go his or her own way without any regard for any traffic
rules and regulations. Real freedom is the ability to follow God and being
totally free of the grasp and hold of sin that brings death. Some sins bring
instant death but others just like cancer slowly creep in and before we know it
has already eaten us up whole. God loves
us so much that He has given us His decrees because it is in following them
that we become totally free and live. The only way to true freedom is by
following God's commands. In doing this we become free of the bondage of sin
and live a power filled life based on the Truth. We should believe that if
there is someone in and out of this world who is most reasonable, just, fair
and at the same time loving, caring, slow to anger and rich in kindness that is
no other than our God. One thing for sure, if He requires us something, He will
definitely equip us for it because it is written, "I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me." If we commit ourselves to following God
then we will surely be blessed. Allow me to use the word "luck" or
"swerte" in Tagalog in lieu of any other more appropriate word like
blessed or pinagpala in Tagalog since I have always been hearing this word
being used very often by some people in reference to certain situations within
the broad context of this word. I just couldn't help but share it, first and
foremost due to some personal circumstances. We often hear people say to
another who is about to embark on something challenging, “good luck” If the
word luck may have been associated with whatever negative meaning then consider
it excluded from here and out of context for the mean time. Let's just say we
would like to broaden the scope of our vocabulary. This is to further drive the
point or message in today's psalm and is actually the catch here. This is to
come up with an induction that following the law of the Lord is just as
synonymous to being blessed, lucky, swerte or pinagpala or any other word that
we could closely associate with this. It is not very easy to lead a life like
that of the saints who followed the example of Jesus. Ignorance is not an
excuse. We should always seek to enrich our knowledge about God so that we will
continuously grow in our faith. Our world is ever changing with all the new technology
coming up, it's so surprising that whatever is considered the latest and gold
standard today may not hold true the following day. If there's one thing we
should rely and hold on to in this very dynamic world of ours, then it should
be something constant and enduring. It
gives us great consolation that we have a God who is true to His word. We may
have heard it but we haven't learned yet. It is a lifelong journey and quest to
know God better. Nothing can be more rewarding than having great peace in our
lives. We can make this possible by adhering to God’s law and committing to
following it in word and deed. It will always be well for us to consult the
scriptures that shed light and give understanding. We've got to make sure that
what we sought and yearn for, is what should bring us genuine riches, true
delight and the most precious treasure which the world can not give and only
God can bring about. It is only right that we follow the law of the Lord if we
are really for God then our works should follow us and testify to who we really
are. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102
R: Lord, teach me your statutes.
29 Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favor me with
your law. (R) 43 Take not the word of truth from my mouth, for in your
ordinances is my hope.
I have come to develop a special attachment to every gospel
story that speaks of the Sea of Galilee and this started way back in the Philippines .
The Sea of Galilee has taken on a deeper meaning in my life way back in 2007
when I decided to come here to the US . In Mt. 4: 18 the Sea of Galilee is where Jesus' call to the first
disciples took place. It is the place where Jesus chose His Apostles and also
where the apostles immediately left everything and followed Him. (Luke 5:10-11).
Which reminds me too of that song entitled, "Lord, you have come" The
background setting of this song is biblically based on the gospel stories of
the call of Jesus to Peter and the apostles at the Sea of
Galilee . It held a special
and deep meaning that touched my heart in an unexplainable way owing to the
occasions and incidences that were connected and related to it. It is good to
recall and look back where our own Galilees are. I can still remember very well
my own sea of Galilee , should always keep in
mind and never forget. As we gather all our strength and courage we, too like
the disciples should never turn back and go forth to our own Galilees. I could
still recall the bible story in Luke 5 entitled, "The call of Simon (later
on named Peter) the Fisherman." It was way back in Feb. 4, 2007, during
those times when I was discerning and weighing my decision to come here to the US
with my friend Joy. This gospel reading from Luke specifically caught my
attention, confirmed and gave me confidence in what I was planning to do and
eventually did. Just like Peter who was skeptical at that time I was also
feeling so unsure about my decisions then and this phrase really had a great
impact on me back then coupled with the priest's homily that went with it. That
was like more than 5 years ago now. I feel like God is reminding me again of
that scene at the Sea of Galilee (also known as the Sea of Gennesaret Sea of Galilee I also realized the need to go across it
and experience a higher level of union with God. In the gospel of Luke back then, the
situation was different since the Sea of Galilee in that given bible passage
was very reassuring since it gave an impression of peace and calm which was
very conformed to my situation back in the Philippines before I left for the
US. When I finally arrived here in the US and experience life away from my
loved ones and encountering the challenges I now face I was able to relate to
that gospel in Mark 4:35-41 also at the Sea of Galilee when the disciples were
faced by a violent squall and big waves filling up the boat to the brink of
causing it to sink. Very much unlike the gospel in Luke when Peter having
obeyed and followed to put out into the deep water was rewarded with a miracle,
Lk. 5:6-8 “... when they caught a great number of fish and their nets were
tearing... and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking.”
Immediately upon arriving the US I was also greeted with a lot of pleasant
surprises like passing the NCLEX-RN, getting a hospital petitioner, being able
to travel to the East Coast (New York, Michigan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Chicago, Washington DC) for free and winning the grand prize in the
Nurse Expo. All these experiences of the disciples in the Sea
of Galilee I have noticed that I can personally relate to
especially in the manner of the sequence I have encountered them. In both
occasions, the disciples having followed and obeyed Jesus in both gospels of
Luke and Mark came to this scenario or condition of their boats both in danger
of sinking. Although both happened in the Sea of Galilee, as I look at my own
life the gospel in Luke which I encountered before I left the Philippines
reflected the positive and confirming things that were happening back then just
as the disciples having followed and obeyed Jesus' specifically the bible
passages at the Sea of Galilee in Luke 5:4-6 "Jesus said to Peter,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said
in reply, "Master we have worked hard all night and caught nothing but at your command I will lower the
nets." When they had done this they caught a great number of fish their
nets were tearing." On the other hand the gospel in Mark which I have
encountered now that I am already here in the US reflects the trials and
difficulties which I can relate to the disciples response to the bidding of
Jesus to cross to the other side were greeted by a not so pleasant surprise
with a violent squall to the point where the boat was already filled up with
water and in the brink of sinking. After having made those decisions in 2007
which eventually brought me to my present situation here in the US , I
must say I can somehow relate to how the disciples felt back then. It made me
realize that I have also come to a point in my sailing with Jesus in my very
personal Sea of Galilee when I have also witnessed violent squalls in my life
here in the US and been brought to situations to the point of sinking but have
been constantly assured of God's tremendous power. I have witnessed Him pacify
the turbulent winds in my life which have left me with a great calm in the midst
of the storm. In today's gospel it is cited that Jesus came toward them walking
on the sea and his invitation to Peter to get out of the boat and go to Him on
the water which reflects the need to go beyond this call of Jesus at the
seashore of Galilee . In the same way we are
called to respond in our own personal way to Jesus by carefully looking at our
own lives as we go through a series of stages and discover the various
experiences we had which led us to accepting His call at our own Sea of
Galilee, sail with Him across it, not be afraid of the storm that assail us,
and even get out of our boats and start walking on water. It may sound impossible but that is exactly
what God expects us to do. We can not just remain in the security of our boats
all the time we've got to gather all our courage to step out of our boats and
believe that we are able to overcome anything with Jesus on our side. If we
have faith and do not doubt then we are able to overcome the impossible in our
lives. If we are in a middle of a very scary situation there is no reason for
us to doubt that God can rescue us even though our problems are insurmountable.
God wants us to continue believing and trusting in Him even in the middle of a
storm in our life. If we hold on to God then nothing can shake us. There is no
reason for us to be afraid. We can walk on water. Jesus is Lord and is over and
above all our fears, troubles and anxieties. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 14:22-36 (or Matthew 15:1-2. 10-14 )
22 Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and precede
him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds...During the fourth watch
of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples
saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and
they cried out in fear. 27 At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I;
do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command
me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat
and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw how strong the
wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord,
save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said
to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ...
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