WHERE ARE WE HEADED?

When my son, Jude was still in College he asked me to write a letter for him addressed to the Discipline's Office of their school. (De La Salle University Taft) He was a 2nd yr Chemical Engineering student at that time. In the letter I explained how unfairly he was charged, although they were just minor offenses.  The first offense happened during his 1st year, according to my son their professor allowed the entire class to eat inside the classroom so they thought that it was just alright for them to do so. Considering that they were still freshmen and newcomers he was so disappointed when they still got charged with a minor offense despite their explanation. The second minor offense happened in his 2^nd year when the professor got angry at them because they were very noisy. My son told me that he did not have any participation in the second offense, he just got involved because he is a part of that class which happens to be very heterogeneous since in each class he belongs to, he has different classmates. I ended the letter by saying that they do further investigations and be more considerate next time before charging a student with any kind of offense. Jude is hesitant to include this last statement in my letter, he even told me to just keep it simple by stating that I am aware of those offenses and that's it. But I contradicted him by saying that if I claim to be fully aware of it then I should state these things in support. I also said that my letter will not only fulfill his requirement but will also call their attention to be more considerate of the students in the future who might end up in the same situation as him. I said to him, what if there is a student who is like him or even more shy than him and doesn't have an assertive mother like me then he/she will just end up accepting all accusations/charges that is not guilty of. If I, an imperfect mother do not allow unfair things to happen to my son to the best of my ability and capacity how much more God our Father. What today's readings are telling us make perfect sense. They are simple and logical. It doesn't require anyone to be well educated and learned in order to understand them. It's just a matter of yes or no and do or don't. Everything is very clearly stated and no one can ever deny its applicability in all circumstances. If we say yes to it and do what it tells us then we can expect the blessings of God flowing to us freely and openly without any hindrances. Just imagine the sun and the rain, it shines and falls on anybody without fail unless we cover ourselves to prevent it from coming to us. The same is true with God's blessings. The things that are stopping it are the defenses that we put up for ourselves. It's like we want to stay away from the heat and warmth of the sun and avoid being drenched by the rain. We do not realize that allowing ourselves to bathe in the warmth of the sun and the rain drops is the best way to enjoy the goodness that they bring to us. It simply tells us that there may be a hindrance to God’s blessings or worse we are the ones who keep on blocking and running away from it for He does not withhold it from us. It just keeps on coming to us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Proverbs 3:27-34

28 [27] Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. 29 [28] Say not to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give,” when you can give at once. 30 [29] Plot no evil against your neighbor, against him who lives at peace with you.  31 [30] Quarrel not with a man without cause, with one who has done you no harm. 32 [31] Envy not the lawless man and choose none of his ways 33 [32] To the LORD the perverse man is an abomination, but with the upright is his friendship. 34 [33] The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the just he blesses; 35 [34] when he is dealing with the arrogant, he is stern, but to the humble he shows kindness.

If we read and follow carefully these words in today’s psalm reading then we can truly say that we’ve found the perfect advice to which we can pattern our lives after. God relates with us in a very personal way and precise in His timing for as long as we stand by the principles and values of God then we can never be wrong. God knows our every thought, motive and intention and if we act on it based on what is just, true and peaceful then we will never be disturbed. The commandments do not limit but protect freedom. Since the more we disobey the more we become bound and become a slave of sin. If we follow the full extent of the 10 commandments we become free. We see people who repeatedly commit the same mistakes over and over again. And yet they never learn anything from the lessons that go with it. The frightening truth about this is the fact that they prefer to be disturbed and miserable not because they love misery but because they prefer to stay in the dark. Jesus has a standing invitation to us in John 12:35, "Jesus said to them, "The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going." It is a choice and decision that we alone can make. It’s not surprising to know that most of us think that God doesn’t want us to have fun. It’s like all the things that we want to do with our friends that are interesting and exciting when we were young, were against God’s commandments. It may seem like we have to settle for less. What’s worse is that all the faithful Catholics get less out of life. This is part of the propaganda way back in the Garden of Eden. God gave us a magnificent paradise wherein there is perfect intimacy and no shame with each other. In the Garden they have everything they need but gave just one limit, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is very interesting because God said, “Don’t do this because you will die.” The reason why God commands us something is because He is a loving Father who cares for us. He wants us to have the best. But then came the serpent, it didn’t create Adam & Eve, nor gave the garden or anything at all. All the serpent gave was a lie and told Adam & Eve not to listen to God or they’ll lose out and won’t become like God. They were made to believe that God is holding out something from them and is actually their rival because God doesn’t want them to have what He has. So instead of trusting the one who gave them everything, they trusted a stranger. They disobeyed God and listened to the liar. They were hooked into a downward spiral of destruction. This is what sin is all about. It is a trap. It is disguised as an apparent good because the fruit looks good and desirable but it ends in disaster. The relationship with God is messed up and so creation turned against them, thorns and thistles appear and things in life become hard. This is what sin does, it seemed small but it gets out of control. Things get worse and worse and there are broken lives everywhere. This is the reality about sin, we are draining life out of ourselves unless we recognize the one true source of life. The problem is that there is a great propaganda out there. It makes sin appear with all its fun, excitement and glamour. It makes virtue appear boring, lame, bland and unexciting. But the truth of the matter is, it’s not. The pleasures that God created in this world are enjoyed the most by those who don’t abuse them and use it simply. Who do we think enjoys food most? The person who doesn’t know how to fast and engorges all the time or a person after a fast experiences a feast? The virtuous person enjoys life the most. The person who uses creation and all things according to God’s plan enjoys it the most. It is because pleasure is God’s idea. All the good things in the world that people want are God’s idea. Satan can’t invent even one bit of pleasure.  But God commands them to be used so that it leads to life and a part of life is joy. The way to enjoy life is to follow God’s commands. Life is not all about rules and regulations. God did not just give us a bunch of rules and regulations that we are supposed to obey like machines. What we do does not just proceed from who we are but also makes us who we are.  The actions we engage, the words that we say and the things that we do have an impact on us. We are making ourselves all the time. God created us when we came out of the womb, our mothers and father have a great role in that but our creation continues every single day of our lives. This is the reason why we call each day the 8^th day of creation. We’re even becoming someone more beautiful, mature and strong or someone weaker and more despicable. There’s no middle ground. We’re going one way or another. Life leads either to heaven or to hell. That’s what the acts that we commit do. Though, we may still fall and fail we must not forget that Jesus has triumphed over sin and death. He is victorious and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father. He is able to carry us through. We must always focus on this truth in order for us to attain a life free of worry, anxiety and is never disturbed. When everything is over and done, we look forward to God's reward of endless worth as we emerge as the champion, crowned with the victory won by Christ and live on the holy mountain of the Lord. Heaven is the realization of being a champion. In heaven we will be glorified magnificently. We will live forever with strength, power and beauty sharing a new humanity with Jesus. If we emerge as the champion who does justice then we will live in the presence of the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R: The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

2 He who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart 3 and slanders not with his tongue. (R) Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; 4 by whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD. (R) 5 Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be disturbed.

When we do covert things and continue to pretend that everything we do is good and try to camouflage the real thing then we are just putting ourselves deeper into the pit of danger. Do we really think that we can get away from all these things without having to face its consequences? We've got to take courage and face head on the things that we have done and take responsibility for it. We may think that in doing so we are heading to our own grave. Let us not be deceived further by the threats that this world we live in present to us rather hold on to the words and promise of God. There is no need to be afraid for God is on our side. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 8:16-18

16 Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”