An All Powerful God becoming a dependent human baby on the
eve of Christmas day is very overwhelming. It points to the truth that the
meaning of Christmas is shocking but it is because of love. St. John of the Cross, a Carmelite said,
"At the evening of this life we will be judged by love." Even Pope
John Paul II in his book about the role of Christian family said that the human
person's fundamental and innate vocation is to love. No other love is greater
than the love that God has for each one of us. If only we are fully aware of
this then we will all be compelled to share this great love. Let us always be
reminded of this so that our thought, word and action resounds this truth. This
reminds me of a friend who asked me how I see myself in the next five years.
Instead of answering his question I returned the question to him. He said that
the last 5 years of his life just passed him by without anything remarkable
happening to him and his family. He said that he would make sure that it would
be different this time. At first we were into some business opportunity
conversation but later on without me thinking about what to say I was already
speaking and quoting about famous bible passages in the bible. He appeared to be listening and holding on to
every word I said as if he was ready to ask for more. Indeed the word of God is
like a double edged sword which cuts through deep into your soul. It all ended
with my invitation for him and his family to attend one of our local feasts or
prayer meetings being held in West
Covina and my fervent hope and prayer that he will
respond to it positively. It’s my way of extending God’s love to him and his
family and the choice is his to make. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 John 4:11-18
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for
us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 17
In this is love brought to perfection among us,...There is no fear in love, but
perfect love drives out fear...
The responsorial psalm for today is just a repetition of
yesterday. I feel that it is God’s way of constantly assuring us of His great
love for us. He never fails in reminding us of His enormous and endless love
that is displayed throughout the world. Which reminds me of another incident of
this old lady close to my heart who was confiding of some plans she is
considering acting upon. I was just so surprised when I found myself brave
enough to advise her though she’s much older than I am to be patient about her
situation and not take actions without giving it much thought and praying to
God for it. I know I have said this to her several times already and still
continue to remain unwavering in my position with regards to that matter but
then again the choice is all up to her. I just left her with this words of
wisdom that was impressed to me to say to her, that the end will never justify
the means and it would always help to put God first in everything we do and He
will do exactly what is stated in today’s psalm. Jesus Christ our Lord entered
into this world as a helpless little infant like we all did. We pray that as
the 3 Magi presented their gifts before God who took this humbling form of an
infant may we prostrate ourselves too in homage in adoration to God. Amen.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 72:1-2, 10, 12-13
R: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor man when he cries out, and the
afflicted when he has no one to help him. 13 He shall have pity for the lowly
and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.
We don't love properly as we ought to do in the light of
God's love because of fear, anxiety, doubt and worry. We always have to keep
our emotions and passion in check and balanced in order for us to love
appropriately. We should not be self possessed but rather develop the proper
detachment in loving and love the way God wants us. We have to be rooted in a
strong and active spiritual life so that when the worst happens we can always
think about the miraculous life. We have to be strong always for God is riding
in our boat, navigates for us and rows us gently down the stream amidst all the
storms in our lives. The miracles of Christmas confirm that nothing is
impossible with God. We are sometimes terrified of the things we see around us
but there is no reason to be afraid. For in today's gospel He manifested His
great power to the astonishment of the disciples. It should remind us that the
miraculous happens. We should focus on Jesus Christ so that nothing can shake
us. God has an absolute dominion and sovereignty over our lives. Today's gospel
tells us the story of His disciples who crossed the lake. This Lake or Sea of Galilee can take on a very significant meaning for
all of us because of the many events in the earthly life of Jesus associated to
it that can impact our lives. We too, ought to cross the lake in the midst of
the storms in our lives. When we are not
focused on Jesus we tend to succumb to doubt and fear. We may be facing
impossible circumstances but we need not be afraid because Jesus can cross us
through the other side of the lake. We can ask the Lord to take over our boats
to take us anywhere He wants us to go. We can think of a circumstance that is
worrying us which is causing us to fear and be anxious. We’ve got to make a
deliberate act of the will to give to Jesus our personal Lord and Savior all of
these things that wear us down. What are the winds and waves that distract us
in our lives? What is it that threatens to destroy our boat and capsize it?
Whenever we take our eyes off Jesus we begin to be afraid and sink. We have to
know what dominates us and surrender it to Him. We need to place our focus from
our human point of view that humans do not walk on water to the miraculous as
Jesus did. Sometimes we just don’t get it. Today’s gospel speaks of the miracle
of Jesus walking on the sea which immediately took place after the feeding of
the 5,000. One miracle is happening right after another. If this had happened
to us in what manner are we suppose to react? We might not realize it but we
can end up just like those being spoken of in the gospel whose hearts were
hardened despite the miracles they themselves have witnessed. Sometimes when we
succumb to fear in our lives we end up hardening our hearts the same way that
happened in the gospel. The 1st reading also speaks of the same
thing as it is written: There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out
fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet
perfect in love. We must always strive to work for the perfection of God’s love
in our lives. We can start by removing all traces of fear and surpass that
inevitable situation wherein we are confronted with our fears and can never run
away from them. We are responsible for all our actions and we can choose to go
in one direction or another. We can wallow up in fear and eventually harden our
hearts in order to cope with it. Or,
boost our faith in God in the midst of trials, persecutions and terrifying
circumstances that come our way and consequently instead of hardening our
hearts we strengthen it knowing that we have a dependable God whom we can count
on. And again I say, the choice is ours
to make. It is time that we widen or broaden our sight so that we will not end
up with a tunnel vision faith wherein we only see the central vision but not
the peripheral vision. I know of a senior citizen lady who has this kind of
medical condition and she said it's very difficult because she can't entirely
see what is before her, she has to always have someone with her whenever she
goes out. The same is true with our faith let us not be afraid due to our
narrow visions and not fully visualize and understand the actual and real scene
that God has truly prepared for us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Mark 6:45-52
...Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede
him to the other side...Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came
toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. 49 But when they saw
him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 50 They had
all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage,
it is I, do not be afraid!” 51 He got into the boat with them and the wind died
down. They were completely astounded...
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