SIN & BETRAYAL

There is power in the familiarity of the cross. These are the words of Fr. John Korapi in his talk about pain and suffering. He said that there are no shortcuts although what he went through he wouldn't wish on anybody and what he is doing right now he won't be able to do if he hadn't been through what he went through. God permits evil for a greater good. He said that on the day after the wake of the 9/11 tragedy there were no records of any abortion in New York at that time. The pain of the cross is essential and can't get away or escape from it. When we look at the Son of God crucified on the cross we see evil and cruelty but through it we were all saved. The gate of heaven was closed when our 1st parents (Adam & Eve) fell into sin. In Gen 3:23-24 "The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life." The price of sin is death but through the death of Jesus we were once again given access to heaven. The cross is the way to power and victory. We have to fight a good fight all the way to the end. There is an unbelievable power in the cross which is a conduit of grace. Today's readings prepare for us the most sanctified and holiest week ever known to mankind, the week that changed the world. We don’t call any other week all throughout the year, holy only this week. It is a week like no other. This is where our attention should be fixed, on Jesus giving up Himself for the institution of Holy priesthood and servanthood by suffering, dying and rising from the dead. It is written that on the day Jesus died, the veil in the temple of the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom. If this was done by a person the tear could have been from bottom to top considering the thickness of the veil but God was the one who rent that veil from top to bottom. This is to tell us that He no longer dwell in the sanctuary but in the body of Jesus and became the temple of God. The Holy Father, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI  points out this route through Jesus as the way to ascend to God. The orientation of the believer changed when Jesus came. When Jesus offered Himself as the Lamb of sacrifice, He forever reconciled man to God. Jesus goes out to Jerusalem as a lamb without blemish to be sacrificed in the eyes of Israel. He goes beyond to a New Jerusalem which opened for us the frontier from earth to heaven. The word of God never fails. It has always been a source of  enlightenment, assurance and encouragement especially at times when we needed it the most. It has been consistently living up to what it stands for from Ephesians 6:17 as sword of the Spirit. Also in Hebrews 4:12, "Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart." We can always prove this to be true if we will constantly consult the word of God in the daily readings, we will find that it always perfectly fits the situation that we are presently in for we have a God who knows everything that is going on with us, is always around and never leaves us.

Only to God should we rely for all our needs. If at the end of it all, when we've exerted our efforts and placed our best foot forward, still things do not work the way we expected and planned it to be then be at peace knowing that God has no boundaries and the real best is yet to come. God surpasses all bests and always have something great in store for us. The ignorance of our faith is ignorance about Jesus. Today’s 1^st reading also tells us the prophecy of the passion as foretold 500 years or more before the time of Jesus and give us an account of Judas’ betrayal. We are confronted with the fact that there are very troubling aspects that go with sin. We can see in Matthew 16:22 that the apostles were distressed. In John’s gospel there’s an account of deep emotions that troubled Jesus whenever He encounters death and betrayal. We’ve also experienced this in our own lives especially when people intentionally deceive us. These could be very disturbing but the Good News is that Jesus’ passion is about to conquer evil and death. We should take note that in both accounts of Matthew and John’s gospel this betrayal when satan entered the mind of Judas happened at the Feast of the Passover. This is also the time when Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and taught the apostles of this Most Blessed Sacrament. The Eucharist is the heart of our faith and the very foundation of Jesus’ work. It is the goal of satan to attack our Eucharistic faith and take us away from it. Satan wanted to influence us and make us abandon this great sacrament that Jesus Himself instituted at the Last Supper. When we leave God we will succumb to another power. This is what satan is watching out for in order to maneuver his entrance into our hearts by using greed and lust. We must not lose sight of the cross because it is where the glory of God is revealed. It is made manifest in the love of the Son. Death is conquered by life eternal in the revelation of glory through obedience to the Father’s will. Satan is conquered. In John’s gospel we can see the betrayal of Judas in contrast with Peter’s denial. It is an interesting contrast because Judas betrays him, deeply regrets and tries to repent but what’s lacking was the return to our Lord. Peter turns back to Jesus while Judas despairs. He did not accept God’s mercy. We’re all sinners but do we repent and turn back or do we keep going along the path of sin. Often times in our confessions we have repeated sins but the beauty of confession is that we keep on turning back to the Lord. We keep the hope alive through the sacrament that gives us the grace to keep coming back to our Lord. Though, we never want to commit sin, It’s a terrible thing to sin because it is a betrayal of Jesus. Let us pray that we continue to have faith in Him and accept His mercy. This reminds me of the Catholicism lecture by Atty. Jess Moya in St. Martha's Church about the principle of "Sola Fide" or faith alone. The title of the talk is "Rebutting the principle of protestantism:"Faith alone" (Sola Fide). The speaker said that as Catholic Christians we have a responsibility to spread the word of God and impart it to as many people as possible. We are encouraged to know more about our faith and not be complacent. There is big responsibility in our hands to not just accept things as they come but be able to handle and understand it well. It can build up our confidence in God and love Him best. It has become my offering to the Lord that I write my personal reflections of the daily bible readings. As I commit this daily to the Lord I have always prayed that someday I can announce these same words in today's 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 50:4-9

...I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting ...The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. 9 See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?

The following are the main thoughts discussed in the said talk.

I. Man needs to be saved because of his fallen nature. (Rom 7:21-24 & CCC 1949)

-Man is dominated by greed, pride and lust (CCC 407 & 1 Jn 5:19 ) The devil has acquired a certain domination (Gal 5:19) and we are engaged in a battle that has been won but does not stop there since we have to always put on our guard for the enemy does not rest. He called the whole process of being saved as "justification" .

 II. "Man is saved by God's grace alone based on CCC 1996.

-The question is how does the grace of God become an active part of our life or "by what are we justified?" The example he gave here was a newborn baby who is baptized. A baby has not merited anything yet but is saved by the mere act of being baptized. He mentioned about Martin Luther's despair about his salvation which led him to formulate the doctrine of justification by "Faith  alone" He misunderstood the Bible passage Rom 3:28 which mentioned faith alone apart from works of the law. Paul in this letter to the Romans was pertaining to the Jewish Law which is being practiced during their time like circumcision, washing of the hands and the like which are practices that can not really justify a person. Faith alone doctrine states that justification simply means being "delared righteous" We can not just be declared righteous but be made righteous by not continuing to sin.

III. Justification actually means being "made righteous" i.e. it entails the sanctification of his whole being (CCC 1989, 1990, &1995) We are justified not by faith alone nor by works alone. Justification has its stages i.e. initial and progressive. Initial justification takes place at our baptism. We still have a tendency to backslide and during the hour of death is the period of intense spiritual battle over our soul. That is why we need to mature in our faith.

IV. Certainty of Salvation

"Once saved, always saved?"  If we believe in this it tends to put off our guard. (1 Jn 5:13-14) We should say instead "I know I am saved, still being saved and will continue to be saved."  Justification is a life long process as stated by Paul in 1 Cor. 4:3-5, 9:27. In Phil 2:12 Paul also encouraged us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. For the enemy is waging war on us and we need to be very aware of this and claim God's protection over us at all times. (Eph.6:11-12)

V. Epistles against works?

There have been some misunderstanding of the following bible verses:

Rom. 3:28 (Obedience of faith) We know we are saved, still being saved and will continue to be saved as stated by Paul in 1 Cor. 4:3-5, 9:27. In Phil 2:12 Paul also encouraged us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. For the enemy is waging war on us and we need to be very aware of this and claim God's protection over us at all times. (Eph.6:11-12) When Martin Luther based his belief on faith alone on this specific verse he failed to see that Paul in addition to what he said was attacking the Jews with regards to their ceremonial laws and that it’s not enough to just hear the law but to observe it. (Rom 4:5 Total adherence) An example he gave was attending the mass not just as an obligation but with the heart. Consider it a privilege and do it for the love of God. He said we are saved by grace not by works but we obtain the grace of God by good works and the motive is mercy (Eph. 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5)

VI. Epistles supporting "Works"

Here are several bible passages cited to us by Atty. Moya that support the need for us to cooperate and work with God. James 2: 14-22 & 24 say that faith without action is dead. From the gospel of Matthew: What must I do to be saved? (Mt. 19:16-21) When the rich man asked this question he was told to keep the commandments and he said he already did so Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor for he is very attached to his possessions that he has to let go of all attachments. We are also called to keep our fire burning for the Lord so that we don't end up like the 5 virgins in the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Mt 25:1-13. The same principle applies with the Parable of the Talents or Silver pieces that we have to cultivate the goodness in ourselves and let it grow. It is also very clear from Mt. 25 31-46 which mentions about the last judgment that we can not just accept the Grace of salvation but need to do our part, too since it is specifically stated that whatever we have failed to do will go to eternal punishment. Also it is stated in Mt 7:21-27 that we need to live His words because not everybody who says "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven for there is a need to turn away from our wrongdoings. He said that there is no dichotomy between Christ and His doctrine. If we really believe in God then we also need to do what He teaches. The will of God will never take us to where the grace of God will not protect us. God knows exactly and with perfection what is being allowed to happen to us in our lives at this precise moment. God's purpose for us is simply perfect. He wants to show us things that only we can understand by living what we are living and by being in the place we are now. In the midst of all these unsightly things there should always be a burning flame of hope that God will never forsake nor abandon. We should always maintain our confidence in God and never lose hope and courage in the great love that God has for us. The ignorance of our faith is ignorance about Jesus. We may sometimes think that evangelization is just work for the priests and the religious. It is not limited to them but anyone who is baptized should take on this responsibility. JFK said, "Here on earth, God's work must truly be our own." Nothing should ever stop us from being part of the work of God. God made man in His own image and likeness. (Gen 1:26) In this context we need to define personhood well and know the perils of limited definition. It could be classified into 2 definitions, nominal and real. Nominal definition of personhood is decided by man. It is approaching something that we don't know but we already have the answer. We make decisions and play God. The dangers of this definition of a person are:

1. nominal- when we deny to identify a person as a real person. Example is abortion, when doctors deny the fact that at the moment of conception a person already exists.
2. real but limited - We do not deny but identify them as persons but with lesser worth like the sick and terminally ill. Just because they are old, weak and sick they deserve to die as in the case of euthanasia.
3. full and real but limited - Kills people as in the Holocaust.

The whole principle involved here is discovery and deciding. When our approach is discovery then we are being lead to the events in our life with a sense of total surrender, trust and faith in the Lord's Providence for the realization of things that are unseen and hoped for. God may not fully reveal and present us with a surprise but we maintain full confidence in a God who brought us to wherever we are right now. In deciding, our approach is a lot different since we already have an answer for something that we don't know yet. It boils down to the fact that we think we know too much but we don't. We end up playing God. We need to remain as man and allow God to be God of our life. When man becomes God, we lose everything because we are not God. We have to realize the impact in our life of discovery versus deciding.
We should ascribe to the real definition of personhood. It answers the question what, how and what is it meant to be. Our approach in life to achieve faith and righteousness is by discovery and through an authentic Christian life. It is discovery in the sense that we are open to the intention and purpose of God for us. With a seeking and expectant faith we should allow God to lead us in discovering what is ahead of us and prepared by God. The approach should be in a manner of discovering what God's intention is and respecting it. Checklist of Evangelization.
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 Dead Sea that just received water but did not give out. The same thing happens to us when we do not take the responsibility of evangelization  as our own. We have to work on improving our skills for the work of God.
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 kingdom of God is older and a broader reality than the Catholic Church. We need to live a humble life and forgive each other.
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?
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 or violence.

We must take extra care in projecting the right image as Good Messengers of the Good News. We should not have any fear or hesitation in carrying out the task that the Lord has given us. In our commitment to follow the Lord there are times when we encounter disappointments. We can say that serving God is not lying on a bed of roses, though God rewards those who obey Him we have to realize that we too must share in the passion of Christ if we truly are His followers. For we know that the Lord in His great love, is always there for us. What matters most is that we always call on God and allow His saving power to rescue us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34
R: Lord, in your great love, answer me.
7 [8] For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. 8 [9] I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons, 9 [10] because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me. (R) 20 [21] Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak, I looked for sympathy, but there was none; for consolers, not one could I find. 21 [22] Rather they put gall in my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (R) 30 [31] I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving 32 [33] “See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! 33 [34] For the LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”

Though, Jesus knows the outcome of our actions and even warned Judas in the following words: “It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” He said this within the context of His hope on the slightest probability of Judas to listen to His warning and not betray Him. The implication of His response, when Judas his betrayer said in reply "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" and answered, "You have said so.", is that Jesus will always respect our decisions and He will never be an imposing God. He will always give us the benefit of the doubt. No matter what destiny has brought us, we always have a choice and the freedom to decide. We are no different from Judas whenever we succumb to impatience. Judas may have gotten impatient with the existing condition of their life at that time. He was thinking that he needed to act aggressively in order to achieve his end at all cost. We may not realize it but we sometimes succumb to the same attitude of Judas when we resort to means that are clearly not pleasing to God. We need to stay firm in our conviction and faith in God. "Life is God's gift to us. What we make of it is our gift back to God. We only pass this way once. We better know life's reason and purpose. Our ultimate happiness depends on it. Life is a terrible thing to waste. At the end of the day, we should all leave this world a better place than the way we found it." Judas could have been saved or maybe he is. We actually never know for we are not here to judge people and say who is saved or not. The grace of God is so great that we really never know. But apart from it, what we should really be concerned about is the truth that we are called to cooperate in God's saving grace. Have faith working in love (Gal. 5:6; Cor 13:1-3) In conclusion it is said that we are saved by God's grace alone through faith that works in love. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 26:14-25

14 One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, 16 and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. 17 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” ’ ” 19 The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. 20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” 23 He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” 25 Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”

THE KEY & SIGN

Our God is incomparable for He loves us with a love greater than any other. From the moment we were conceived in our mother's womb, even before we were born, God already knows each one of us by name.  Let us always align our will, intentions, motives and actions with God. It is always good to check ourselves constantly and regularly at every given opportunity. Nothing is ever wasted nor considered useless for as long as we offer it to God. We have all been called by God for a purpose. He already had a plan laid out for us even before we were born. We are that special to God. Let us not forget our holy calling from God. Let us become the man or woman God has meant us to be and live each day of our lives in answer to this call. The readings for today continue to reflect on the Holy Servant Songs of Jesus. The mention of being called even from a mother’s womb, the 2 edged sword and polished arrow are symbols of God’s words. The Word that reaches to the ends of the earth, penetrates the hearts of people and able to separate soul and spirit.  What we are going to witness these coming days are not just a series of special events in our faith but the fulfillment of prophecies more than 500 years before the event took place. It is part of the plan that God revealed to the world. We have to develop an awareness of these things and Jesus Christ Himself. Today’s gospel from John begins after the foot washing and Christ has already told them and given them a clue that there’s a betrayer. Jesus was deeply troubled of this betrayal and bothers him. We might think that this disturbance started in the agony in the garden but the greater disturbance begins in the last supper and just continued to the garden. This betrayal is not something that He takes lightly. The fact that His betrayer is one of His chosen to lead Israel must be very hard on Him. He kept on mentioning that one of his chosen will betray him even in His teaching of the Eucharist, He mentioned that Judas will betray him. Nobody knows whom He meant for Jesus never mentioned his name. Peter & John are frequently in the Lord’s presence and can read and indicated in today’s gospel that they are the only ones who knew as it is mentioned, that Peter instructed John to find out who the betrayer is. John leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, “Master, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.” So he dipped the morsel and [took it and] handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot.  We can see written in John 1 that Jesus is in the bosom of the father and we can see that the same word is used in the gospel today. This closeness as in leaning back against Jesus’ chest is key to understanding why it is to John that he gives the sign. In the Middle East it is a sign of friendship if someone gets a piece of bread, dip and offered it. Christ does this sign to Judas as a last attempt to win him back over. But when he takes and eats the bread, satan entered him and it did not become a source of friendship but an alliance with satan. We have to be careful when receiving the Eucharist and always be in a state of grace and maintain a position of closeness as in the bosom of God. This is a sign for all of us to stay away from darkness. Judas took the morsel and left and it became his hour of darkness. We need to avoid that and enter into reconciliation with true repentance. This should be our attitude. Peter also betrayed Christ because he said that he will always be faithful but denied Christ. The difference is that Peter repented but Judas despaired of forgiveness. This should never be our attitude rather always have hope of reconciliation and be a penitent. Let us constantly build our confidence in God who never fails. There is really nowhere else to go but to Him alone. By just looking back at our past and present we can only come up with just one thing which is God is constantly at work and in charge of our lives for as long as we live even unto death. Many of our brothers and sisters all over the world suffer persecution for their faith. This is a fundamental human right proclaimed to be enjoyed by everyone. Religious freedom is the path to peace according to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. It is a sacred right to have religious freedom. Without openness to the transcendent, a human being withdraws to himself and fails to experience authentic freedom which leads to violation of other human rights as well. This is vital in building a just society.  Wherever religious freedom is denied human dignity is offended with a resulting threat to justice and peace. We can not deny the assistance and various contributions of religious communities and believers. It has proven to be effective for the promotion of the common good. This is a force that could not be reckoned with or the truth that we can not deny. No matter how radical secularization tries to eliminate any reference to religion or any input the voice of religion may have. It can not ignore the religious dimensions of a society. This is a truth that we can not deny. Authentic religiosity is the source of a loving approach of brothers and sister as a whole family. It has to be freely chosen according to one’s conscience and not violently imposed. God beckons humanity with a loving plan and calls for a free and responsible answer that engages the whole heart. Amen. Hallelujah!

For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Romans 7:19 Fr. Dennis gave us a sensible answer as to why St. Paul in his letter to the Romans said this. With the recent violent killings and crimes being committed that doesn't seem to make sense we may want to consider why some people resort to such things and where it all began. Here's an answer, (just one to the so many answers we can come up with): inside the womb of a woman where a child is conceived and everything is being planted. Pregnant ladies and soon to be mothers can benefit from this and should very well take note of the following. 1. Our very source is God and He is good as stated in Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you,a prophet to the nations I appointed you.  But during formation of a child in the womb the flaws and imperfections in a person arise. Everything we've become is a by product of what a mother plants in her child while inside the womb. It is the plant love, hate etc and reap love, hate etc formula. A woman once asked Father why her child became a kleptomaniac and she was asked to recall her pregnancy and remembered how she used to love getting things that are color red without permission. We may not be aware  of it but this is where we acquire the wounds of our soul. What you sow or plant is what you reap. Formation of a person starts inside the womb and is the foundation of every human person. It's just like a building if constructed with a weak foundation may crumble and fall and a tree can be uprooted very easily if the roots are not strong. . 2. Our guide and solution is to look at the attitude of Mary who is the 1st educator of Jesus who is conceived in her womb. 

We may now say that the missing link is the formation in the womb. The woundedness of our souls started while we were being formed in the womb. It becomes a weakness and if left unattended and cared for becomes a wickedness and could lead to death of our souls. An example is an unwanted child, it creates wounds in the soul in order to heal we need to realize that we come from God and know that we are welcome and wanted by God. We must realize that whatever behavior or attitude we have it is not who we are. If we see some imperfections and wounds in ourselves that does not seem to conform with a God/Creator who is all good and perfect then it's not God who made us that way. People have different attitudes and behavior but let us not lose sight of this, we are created in God's image and likeness. Let us remove all confusions. People may think that we are created to be the way we are. We must not forget that God does not create us to do things that are against His will. When our 1st parents sinned we have acquired concupiscence or tendency to sin but we must not forget that Jesus redeemed us from sin. It is right to say that we are saved, and as we continue to be part of this world then we are continuously being saved and needs to cooperate with the saving grace of Jesus. We can't deny the presence of sin in this world. We need Jesus in order to overcome sin. Whatever we did in the past or are still doing now that does not conform to God's image and likeness we can always live a new life with Jesus. Blessed Mother Mary, pray for us.  Jesus, King of Divine Mercy, we trust in you. Amen

Isaiah 49:1-6

...The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. 2 He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. 3 You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. 4 Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. 5 For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb,...

Let us not forget that our bodies are God's temple and we should make an effort of maintaining our health at its prime, so that just like Samson we can have the strength to hurdle whatever is coming our way. There are many things that we don't understand especially the things that happen to us. We can always choose to trust that it comes from God. We are His beloved son or daughter with an awareness that God is fathering us and has brought us into a family. We should have a childlike fearlessness that we can appropriate and exercise as we trust God who never fails. In God we find the most secure and safest shelter. If we will always fill our hearts with gratitude and praise for God we will realize as we look back and recall that we really have a lot of things to be thankful to God. Let us proclaim God's goodness and mercy. Our God is incomparable for He loves us with a love greater than any other. There is really nowhere else to go but to Him alone. By just looking back at our past and present we can only come up with just one thing which is God is constantly at work and in charge of our lives for as long as we live. The mention of being called even from a mother’s womb, is one of the symbols of God’s words. The Word that reaches to the ends of the earth, penetrates the hearts of people and able to separate soul and spirit.  It should be our duty to spread God’s Word. Evangelization is defined with a very broad meaning and although preaching is its core there's more to it than just that. It is crucial that we reflect the values of Jesus. There is the so called "Equipping the Saints". We need to go through a process to achieve this. We process information in the mind, it is mind centered since it is a quest for knowledge. Formation is soul centered, it is a quest for wisdom and go through it by making decisions in the heart. Transformation is the meeting of mind and soul since it is a quest for spirituality. Propagation is the fullness of mind, body and soul resulting to authentic and meaningful faith in action. It is sometimes called Evangelization. The Balloon Story tells us of a child who saw balloons of different colors rising up in the sky. The child exclaimed how beautiful it looked up there with all the different colors. An old man told the child that it's not the colors that makes the balloons rise up but what's inside of it. As we become formed and equipped for evangelization we become Good messengers of the Good News. Furthermore, we need to differentiate between good and great leaders.  A good leader when the company is doing good, is one who faces the mirror and look back at the reason why the company is doing well but looks out of the window and to others when the company is performing bad. On the other hand, a great leader is one who looks out of the window and point to others as the reason why the company is doing well but when things are bad, looks at himself and ask what he can do to help. Jesus is a great leader because when things got really bad for humankind, He did not point any finger but instead came as man and redeemed us all. Evangelization should work towards making humanity whole again and free men and women from things that hinder them from being whole again. We should treasure the salvation that Jesus has given us. Do away with sin that makes us broken. Avoid not just sin but the occasions of sin.  When we speak of the 5th commandment which is, "Thou shall not kill" there is an unwritten command too, that we need to be peacemakers. There is no peace without justice. We need to fight injustice and unjust structures.

The Principles of Catholic Evangelization
1. Live the gospel-use words only when necessary. Walk the talk
2. Challenge others by one's example and lifestyle
3. Uphold true values. People before profit. Embrace peace and justice. A Capitalist value works differently, it upholds profit at all cost.
4. Open our hearts to the saving power of God. From a distance foolishness and wisdom look alike but if we come closer we'll find that foolishness is an open mouth and wisdom is an open mind. In evangelization we need to approach it in a manner of discovery with an element of surprise rather than deciding which means we already have an idea of it. In discovery, God brought us to where we are although not fully revealing but trusting. We discover God and the wonders of His wisdom.
5. Build community                          
6. Identify and really call injustice as injustice. Accept and handle the truth. Sometimes the closer we are to power the farther we become to truth.
7. Work for a better society. Life is a gift from God but what we make of it is our gift to God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17

R: I will sing of your salvation.

1 In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your justice rescue me, and deliver me; incline your ear to me, and save me. 3 Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked. (R) 5 For you are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. 6 On you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength. (R) 16 I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD; O God, I will tell of your singular justice. 17 O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
To top it all, we need to realize that God is the Primary Agent of Evangelization. It is not about us but about God. He is the Chief Architect of it all. God is indeed at work in us always but we also have to cooperate at every given opportunity. As told by the gospel today 2 people were both given a warning by God as to their upcoming betrayal and denial and eventually did as foretold. They could have taken the warning seriously and decided to do the right thing. Sometimes in our lives we are like that, God is already giving us the people and circumstances that is obviously there to serve our purpose but due to our pride or whatever is holding us back to accept the right thing we are misled and choose to be stubborn. It is good to know that no matter how many times we fall God in His goodness never gives up on us. As we all know today, Peter who betrayed Jesus 3x is now the head of the Church just because He decided to repair the damage and repent. Let us always choose to do the right thing and not remain in our stubborn ways because there is always a bright future ahead of us in God the Almighty. If we are to measure the tears we have shed in our lifetime we may all come to the conclusion that it could fill up a full bucket. Peter also shed tears when he denied Jesus. “...He denied a third time; Jesus looked at him and he wept very bitterly.” (Lk 22,62). It gives a feeling of great consolation knowing that Peter was able to rise up from his denials of Jesus. He even became the first Pope of the Catholic Church and is considered as the rock where the Church is built. We, too in our weaknesses and denials of Christ can still rise up from it as we shed tears of repentance and gather all our strength to follow the example of Peter. We can not deny the fact that we are no different from Peter and Judas in our denials and betrayals. But we always have a choice, we can either choose to be Peter or Judas Iscariot. We can either rise up from our denials or choose to die in our betrayals. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 13:21-33, 36-38

21 Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. 23 One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side. 24 So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. 25 He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, “Master, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.” So he dipped the morsel and [took it and] handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. 27 After he took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or to give something to the poor. 30 So he took the morsel and left at once. And it was night. 31 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. 33 My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you. 36 Simon Peter said to him, “Master, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to him, “Master, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.”

MYSTERY OF HOPE

In the readings this Holy Monday we see how the prophecies are to be fulfilled. There are no more contradictions to the sufferings that are about to unfold as part of the mystery of our salvation. As a Christian believer we should have this same attitude of prayerful and loving acceptance of the suffering that comes to us inevitably. It comes to everyone and we should have the willing acceptance. Although this doesn’t mean that we no longer care about justice but we put up with our sufferings and unite it with God. We recall from yesterday’s gospel how Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested as if there is nothing He could do. The truth is that he could call an army of angels to rescue Him but He didn’t. When we are resigned to the inevitable and still maintain peace in our hearts that is when we encounter the mystery of hope as Fr. Benedict Groeschl says. There are 2 types of people in this world, those who shed the blood of others for their advantage and those who shed their own blood for the love and benefit of others. Violence wants to force its own will and never interested in God’s will. We see how some people would even use friendship just to get what they want. King Henry VIII used St. Thomas More and even became his friend but had him killed when he can’t get his own way. This is what we often see when people who are grasping and greedy try to manipulate others for their own selfish desires. We should learn the ways of our Master and Lord Jesus Christ who gave up His life for the love of others. It is not just learning His ways but what He did as He poured Himself out of His great love for us as He laid down His life for us. This week the Lord teaches us about this love that He has for all of us as He washes the feet of the apostles on Holy Thursday. This love is not seeking to use others to its advantage, or coerce and force others, rather it is a demonstration of generosity of pouring out one’s self like a libation for the love of others. We see how Judas, enslaved by his selfishness fell into the great tragedy of desiring the empty things. Just to find out that this greed only brought him emptiness in everything that he was grasping for. If we fall for this trap and seek satisfaction with anything less than God then we just end up frustrated, insecure and disappointed. We should seek the Lord and wait for the Lord with courage. It takes patience to do God’s will but it’s worth waiting for. The words of God remain forever and true. It can stand the test of time. The very words spoken by the prophet Isaiah from today's 1st reading can also be found in the gospels. It tells us that God is consistent with His word and does not change. What He said a long time ago will always find a place throughout time and history. There is a time gap between when these books of the bible were written yet their message applies for both times even to this present day. We can always hold on to the words of God and not be disappointed. God will always be true to His word and can always make things happen in accordance to His everlasting will and power. God is so merciful that despite of every wrong we do He could still forgive us. The Lord said to Judas,” Friend do what you have come for.”  The Lord is inviting him for a conversion of heart even at the last moment the same way with Peter when the Lord looked at him when he denied Him and Peter wept bitterly. But Judas couldn’t be humbled, instead he took his own life and committed suicide. We see this sad figure of Judas and the shining example of our Lord. May we learn from these things and truly be a Christian in words, thoughts and deeds. The Lord, the God of goodness has spoken and promised to give everything that we need for this life most especially for our life in the next which is everlasting. If we are to look very closely at our lives, we'll find that God is always mindful of us every single day. We just don't bother to sit even awhile and count our blessings rather than focus on the imperfections of this world we live in. Although this should also drive us to attain what is perfect and eternal instead of being stuck on the false promises this temporary world offers. The truth of Jesus coming to us in the form of the flesh to save us from our sins may sometimes fade in our consciousness even at this special time of the year when we celebrate Holy Week. We need to always be in touch with God's reality no matter how opposed it may appear for the world. We have a God of Justice who reigns, let us not doubt that He will do for us what a loving Father does to an obedient child. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 42:1-7

1 Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, 2 not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, 4 until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching...I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

Brothers and sisters, if we are confident that we are where we are supposed to be and the Lord allowed things to happen in our life the way they are happening right now then we should be still and know that God is in control. We need to understand the mysteries of our faith in order to appreciate it better. We have to go near as much as possible to the Word of God and experience it come to life and see His glory shining on us. As we go near Him we see his face and feel His love. We always have hope in the Lord who knows what's best for each one of us. There should be no doubt in our minds that He answers prayers. All we have to do is call on the Lord, trust that He hears the sound of our call and wait for Him with courage. When we get carried away by all the commotion there is a tendency that we neglect the essential and most central issue which is to always believe that we shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. There is really nothing that we should worry about if we always hold in our hearts the truth about Jesus. There may be times when we encounter disappointments and setbacks in life but this doesn't mean that God has stopped becoming the Loving God that He is, who suffered His only Begotten Son to die on the cross for our sake. Our focus should be on the truth of this love and everything that it stands for. This reminded me of a mini play staged in EWTN of a passenger waiting to be boarded on the airplane. He was the 1st and only person in the boarding area waiting patiently for his seat reservation to be called. He got surprised when someone came along and hardly ever waited when his seat number was called. He felt somehow annoyed at the idea of someone who just came and did not wait but got on the plane first although he managed to stop himself from making a scene. A lady with her young child also came and looked very excited to board the plane but he tried to warn them not to keep their hopes up too much because it would definitely take time and said that he had been waiting for a long time and came early but his number had not been called yet. To his surprise their numbers were called and happily boarded while he was once again left behind. He simply couldn't stand it anymore when a pleasant young lady came with all smiles on her face and speaking of how excited she is to board an airplane for the first time. The company of this nice lady kept her impatience at bay. She advised him to stop thinking about how the others were able to get there quickly but rather think of the joy he would have once he gets there. She assured him to just relax and make the most of his time because he has a reservation and a ticket all he needs to do is just wait. He did exactly just that and found himself at peace until the time his number was called. The same thing happens to the best of us when we are confronted with a tedious and exasperating process of waiting. We tend to lose our peace and joy and succumb to worry and doubt. If we are holding on to something that was assured to us by a trustworthy and reliable source we can put our worries to rest. Although sometimes anxiety can still find its way to our hearts and forget on whom our confidence lies.  If we remain in the Lord and put our trust in Him then there is nothing we should worry about. In life, there are 4 things which are 1. sin 2. grace 3. forgiveness 4. reconciliation that we could all learn a lot from. The 1st 3 are all a reality but #4 is only a possibility. Reconciliation calls us to true conversion. An example that fits this is a snake and caterpillar since both of them undergoes conversion. The snake sheds off its old skin but comes out the same while the caterpillar emerges into a butterfly. We have to ponder and think about setting our goals high, keeping our thoughts positive and coming up with new solutions. There is no room for fear for He is consistent to His nature as God. Let us strive to become the child He has meant us to be. Another thing we could learn something about is a puzzle. I am one person who never even thought of working on a jigsaw puzzle. I am not the type of person who would bother to even buy one. It just happened that when I was in Japan and saw all sorts of things which are being sold in a bazaar, I ended up buying one for no reason at all. In fact it took years before I finally opened it and put the puzzle together. That was when I actually experienced how to do it. It takes patience and perseverance to do it especially with the complicated puzzles. Sometimes in life we just back out and give up when things become complicated and when we do, we fail to witness the bounty of the Lord. As today psalm tells us, we've got to wait with courage and be stout hearted. We should all long for the day when we will have 100% confidence level in all our decisions for God. When the time comes it will totally remove all forms of anxiety and fear and incline ourselves to Him at all times. It should be our ultimate desire and nothing else, to always be in the presence of the Lord. To abide in Him at all times even when things are not very good. I could never forget and would always remember those times when I used to pick figs at Sis Loreta's garden. It was then that a thought came to my mind while I was climbing a ladder in order to get the figs in hard to reach places. Despite the fact that I was already on top of the ladder there were still some figs that I was not able to see and pick up right away although it was already right in front of me. They are being covered by the leaves of the tree and some are hidden in between branches. I just realized that it could be compared to how God showers us with all the blessings and graces that we need. There are times when we fail to see it though it is already right in front of us. Sometimes we have to really look very closely and try to turn our gaze into different angles in order to see it. What's funny was that when I thought that I've got almost every ripe fig in the tree, I noticed one big ripe fruit at the lowest part of the tree, there was even no need to use a ladder in order to get it. Sometimes in life we resort to a lot of means that are sometimes no longer necessary. All we have to do is believe that we will see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living if we will just be patient and full of courage. We ought to realize that if we wait on the Lord patiently and persevere long enough we will never be disappointed for He alone is our light and salvation. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14

R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) 2 When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies themselves stumble and fall. (R) 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust. (R) 13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD with courage; be stout-hearted, and wait for the LORD.

The gospel of today challenges us to examine ourselves and look closely whether we are a Mary or a Judas. Sometimes we cling to material things without realizing that the most essential things in life are not these precious and priced possessions that we hold dear but exactly what Mary had chosen and what the gospel message is trying to convey to us. Let us not be blind, deaf, mute and unfeeling any longer to the real and what's most important in our lives. Let us imitate the example of Mary in the gospel who never hesitates to use expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus. For Jesus is worth all the riches we own in our lives. Let us offer everything we do to God and make it fill our lives with its fragrance for everyone to smell so that they will know that we have a God whom we love back extravagantly. Let the fragrance of our love for God reach the heavens.  This gospel has a special meaning for me and has come to occupy a soft spot in my heart. In fact, I sometimes imagine myself doing what Mary did since I have a very long and thick hair it could really dry up the feet of Jesus. It always reminds me of the promise I have made in relation to the word of God I have received in Oct 2007 in Habbakuk 2:2-3 which is:

“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.” Not many of the people who know me, know that I have never cut my hair since 2007 and do not intend to have it cut until the time when what I have been waiting for a long time comes. Not a lot of people understand this and some may find it ridiculous and funny. Some might think of it as irrelevant and impractical that I wear my hair this long. I’ve had enough of the persistent prodding and sometimes degrading remarks I get from people who may think that they mean well by convincing me to get a haircut. On the other hand, I’ve also had a share of people and situations that have continuously strengthened and built up my confidence in keeping this promise. More than anything else, I have given my word and I intend to keep it as I nurture and cherish in my heart the same overwhelming love of Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus while holding on to the confidence and conviction that God will surely see me through this. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 12:1-11                         

1 Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. 3 Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, 5 “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” 6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. 7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9 The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, 11 because  many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.

THE WEEK THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

Today is Palm Sunday which opens for us the great days of our salvation. Jesus enters Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and He is passing over from death to life in anticipation of the resurrection. This is an image of ascending to Jerusalem which is 3,000 ft in latitude coming from the Sea of Galilee. He is fulfilling the Old Testament kingship, in the donkey as He takes Jerusalem in peace and humility. As in Zechariah 9: 9 “Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is He, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” God lives in the eternal now not past or future. God has the ability to see through the future. Even before something happens He already knows it because He is God. This alone should make us confident and secure that God knows exactly what we went through, we're going through, and we'll still go through. Since all good things come from God all we have to do is entrust everything to Him and follow whatever He tells us. Has it ever happened to you when people, things and circumstances come into your life as if they were all lined up to happen even before it came to be? The disciples asked Jesus what to do and were given specific instructions. They obeyed and followed what they were told despite the oddity of the situation. This same thing happens in our lives too but we simply do not believe, obey and follow. We have a tendency to rationalize things in our life and make decisions that we think are wiser for us to take rather than look very closely and pay attention to the things that God is telling us to do which are all very clear and established even before each one of us came to be since the time of Abraham, Jacob and Moses and until the present time through the teachings of the Church that remained intact and true since the "gates of hell" did not, does not and will never prevail. Amen. Hallelujah!

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion - At the Procession with Palms, Reading 1

Mk 11:1-10

...If anyone should say to you, 'Why are you doing this?' reply, 'The Master has need of it

and will send it back here at once.'" So they went off and found a colt tethered at a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some of the bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" They answered them just as Jesus had told them to, and they permitted them to do it...  

There is power in the familiarity of the cross. These are the words of Fr. John Korapi in his talk about pain and suffering. He said that there are no shortcuts although what he went through he wouldn't wish on anybody. What he is doing right now he won't be able to do if he hadn't been through what he went through. God permits evil for a greater good. He said that on the day after the wake of the 9/11 tragedy there were no records of any abortion in New York at that time. The pain of the cross is essential and can't get away or escape from it. When we look at the Son of God crucified on the cross we see evil and cruelty but through it we were all saved. The gate of heaven was closed when our 1st parents (Adam & Eve) fell into sin. In Gen 3:23-24 "The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life." The price of sin is death but through the death of Jesus we were once again given access to heaven. The cross is the way to power and victory. We have to fight a good fight all the way to the end. There is an unbelievable power in the cross which is a conduit of grace. Today's readings prepare for us the most sanctified and holiest week ever known to mankind, the week that changed the world. We don’t call any other week all throughout the year, holy only this coming week. It is a week like no other. This is where our attention should be fixed, on Jesus giving up Himself for the institution of Holy priesthood and servanthood by suffering, dying and rising from the dead. It is written that on the day Jesus died, the veil in the temple of the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom. If this was done by a person the tear could have been from bottom to top considering the thickness of the veil but God was the one who rent that veil from top to bottom. This is to tell us that He no longer dwell in the sanctuary but in the body of Jesus and became the temple of God. As Catholic Christians we have a responsibility to spread the word of God and impart it to as many people as possible.

We are encouraged as Catholic Christians to know more about our faith and not be complacent. There is big responsibility in our hands to not just accept things as they come but be able to handle and understand it well. It can build up our confidence in God and love Him best. The word of God never fails. It has always been a source of enlightenment, assurance and encouragement especially at times when we needed it the most. It has been consistently living up to what it stands for from Ephesians 6:17 as sword of the Spirit. Also in Hebrews 4:12, "Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart." We can always prove this to be true if we will constantly consult the word of God in the daily readings, we will find that it always perfectly fits the situation that we are presently in for we have a God who knows everything that is going on with us, is always around and never leaves us. We may sometimes think that evangelization is just work for the priests and the religious. It is not limited to them but anyone who is baptized should take on this responsibility. Our speaker in a Lenten Retreat quoted JFK who said, "Here on earth, God's work must truly be our own." Nothing should ever stop us from being part of the work of God. God made man in His own image and likeness. (Gen 1:26) In this context we need to define personhood well and know the perils of limited definition. It could be classified into 2 definitions, nominal and real. Nominal definition of personhood is decided by man. It is approaching something that we don't know but we already have the answer. We make decisions and play God. The dangers of this definition of a person are:

1. nominal- when we deny to identify a person as a real person. Example is abortion, when doctors deny the fact that at the moment of conception a person already exists.
2. real but limited - We do not deny but identify them as persons but with lesser worth like the sick and terminally ill. Just because they are old, weak and sick they deserve to die as in the case of euthanasia.
3. full and real but limited - Kills people as in the Holocaust.

The whole principle involved here is discovery and deciding. When our approach is discovery then we are being lead to the events in our life with a sense of total surrender, trust and faith in the Lord's Providence for the realization of things that are unseen and hoped for. God may not fully reveal and present us with a surprise but we maintain full confidence in a God who brought us to wherever we are right now. In deciding, our approach is a lot different since we already have an answer for something that we don't know yet. It boils down to the fact that we think we know too much but we don't. We end up playing God. We need to remain as man and allow God to be God of our life. When man becomes God, we lose everything because we are not God. We have to realize the impact in our life of discovery versus deciding.

We should ascribe to the real definition of personhood. It answers the question what, how and what is it meant to be. Our approach in life to achieve faith and righteousness is by discovery and through an authentic Christian life. Discovery in the sense that we are open to the intention and purpose of God for us. With a seeking and expectant faith we should allow God to lead us in discovering what is ahead of us and prepared by God. The approach should be in a manner of discovering what God's intention is and respecting it.

Only to God should we rely for all our needs. If at the end of it all, when we've exerted our efforts and placed our best foot forward, still things do not work the way we expected and planned it to be then be at peace knowing that God has no boundaries and the real best is yet to come. God surpasses all bests and always have something great in store for us. The ignorance of our faith is ignorance about Jesus. Today’s 1^st reading also tells us the prophecy of the passion as foretold 500 years or more before the time of Jesus and give us an account of Judas’ betrayal. We are confronted with the fact that there are very troubling aspects that go with sin. We can see in Matthew 16:22 that the apostles were distressed. In John’s gospel there’s an account of deep emotions that troubled Jesus whenever He encounters death and betrayal. We’ve also experienced this in our own lives especially when people intentionally deceive us. These could be very disturbing but the Good News is that Jesus’ passion is about to conquer evil and death. We should take note that in both accounts of Matthew and John’s gospel this betrayal when satan entered the mind of Judas happened at the Feast of the Passover. This is also the time when Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and taught the apostles of this Most Blessed Sacrament. The Eucharist is the heart of our faith and the very foundation of Jesus’ work. It is the goal of satan to attack our Eucharistic faith and take us away from it. Satan wanted to influence us and make us abandon this great sacrament that Jesus Himself instituted at the Last Supper. When we leave God we will succumb to another power. This is what satan is watching out for in order to maneuver his entrance into our hearts by using greed and lust. We must not lose sight of the cross because it is where the glory of God is revealed. It is made manifest in the love of the Son. Death is conquered by life eternal in the revelation of glory through obedience to the Father’s will. Satan is conquered. In John’s gospel we can see the betrayal of Judas in contrast with Peter’s denial. It is an interesting contrast because Judas betrays him, deeply regrets and tries to repent but what’s lacking was the return to our Lord. Peter turns back to Jesus while Judas despairs. He did not accept God’s mercy. We’re all sinners but do we repent and turn back or do we keep going along the path of sin. Often times in our confessions we have repeated sins but the beauty of confession is that we keep on turning back to the Lord. We keep the hope alive through the sacrament that gives us the grace to keep coming back to our Lord. Though, we never want to commit sin, It’s a terrible thing to sin because it is a betrayal of Jesus. Let us pray that we continue to have faith in Him and accept His mercy. This reminds me of the Catholicism lecture by Atty. Jess Moya in St. Martha's Church about the principle of "Sola Fide" or faith alone. The title of the talk is "Rebutting the principle of protestantism:"Faith alone" (Sola Fide). The speaker said that as Catholic Christians we have a responsibility to spread the word of God and impart it to as many people as possible. We are encouraged as Catholic Christians to know more about our faith and not be complacent. There is big responsibility in our hands to not just accept things as they come but be able to handle and understand it well. It can build up our confidence in God and love Him best. It has become my offering to the Lord that I write my personal reflections of the daily bible readings. As I commit this daily to the Lord I have always prayed that someday I can announce these same words in today's 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 50:4-7
...Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; 5 and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. 6 I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. 7 The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

An artist works his way through a piece of art like a clay and marble by molding and shaping it into a masterpiece. It is a painful and difficult process of change and transformation. Just like clay and marble being molded and chipped away.  When we go through life and experience its different struggles we become one with Jesus in His suffering. If we understand the reason for human existence, the older people get the greater should be the respect they get. Each and every step is imbued with the power of the Master. We need to walk the way that Jesus walked. The easiest way is God's way. The pain of the cross is essential. There is no other way since there is a pedagogical structure in suffering or the cross wherein only greatness comes forth. Whenever we reach a point where we feel like we can no longer hold on and about to give up then we must not forget that our God is always with us ready to help us. If He was able to suffer His only Son on the Cross for our sake then there is really nothing else He can not do for us. Our security lies in the knowledge that God is always with us. We should always have this hope in a God who loves us so much that He sacrificed His only begotten Son to the point of a humiliating and gruesome death so that we can start a new life with Him full of joy and prosperity. If we decide for God in what we say or do in all circumstances then we can surely experience the joy and happiness that God has in store for His faithful people. If we are all set and very sure where we are headed then nothing can stop us from being there. Considering, too that we have a God who has secured a place and our future for us. John 14:1-3, " Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be." Nothing or no one can prevent us unless we ourselves decide not to go. The truth is, it's all up to us. If we decide for God in what we say or do in all circumstances then we can surely experience the joy and happiness that God has in store for His faithful people. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24    R: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 7 [8] All who see me scoff at me; they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads: 8 [9] “He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, if he loves him.” (R) 16 [17] Indeed, many dogs surround me, a pack of evildoers closes in upon me; they have pierced my hands and my feet; 17 [18] I can count all my bones. (R) 18 [19] They divide my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. 19 [20] But you, O LORD, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. (R) 22 [23] I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you: 23 [24] “You who fear the Lord, praise him; all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him; revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”

What hold our attention and interest range from a variety of people, places and things and we express them by engaging in various ways and means. Some are hooked in business, sports, entertainment, romance, travel, food, fashion, current events, issues with nature, outer space and all other things we can think about that we can consider profitable, enjoyable, fun and worthwhile to do. We had our moments and stages wherein we’ve been there and done that. Coming from this point of view, we eventually realize whether now, soon or later that ultimately we must acknowledge the fact that if there’s one thing that should hold not just  our attention and interest but our constant admiration is the truth that is stated in today’s 2nd reading because it has definitely got it all. It is reminding us of the things God has to go through just to show His great love. It sounds impossible when we hear about this kind of love that God is sharing to each one of us. This should give us the confidence and courage to carry on. Jesus is God, King of Heaven and earth and the Master of all creation but took the form of a slave and obeyed to the point of death. If we are to look at ourselves and try to figure out who we really are as compared to God's greatness then we should not even think of boasting anything about ourselves but rather we should always be compelled to follow His example in our own little way. No matter how inadequate and insufficient we are as a people we still try our very best to bridge our gaps in the best human way we can. This should make us realize how much more can the Lord do for us in His Godly power, resources and love. Christ divested Himself of His dazzling glory and majesty. He was lost in the crowd, lived in obscurity for the majority of His life and was thought to be Mary’s boy and Joseph’s son since it was only in the last 3 years of His life that He went public. When we are on top of everything there is greater danger of turning away from God knowing that we have lesser need for God. Humanity has become so full of itself. There is a need to be empty and sometimes the only way we can fill up ourselves with God's grace and breathe life into us is through a painful and difficult process. We are asked to empty ourselves of all that is false, ignoble, and unreal so that we may become filled with Christ. Because nature abhors a vacuum and so does grace. We must be filled with something. Tragically we are filled with all kinds of desire, we want to be applauded, be promoted, be consulted, be loved and be preferred to others. John the Baptist gave us our ideal, I must decrease and He must increase (John 3:30) . All the foolishness, unreality, intolerance, selfishness and the sin that is in us must decrease so that we must fill the vacuum with our Lord who wants to share our life. Whatever happens to us happens to Him and He wants us to let Him share because only then will we find the rest that we pray for. A long time ago St. Francis cried out loud, “He comes to His own today and receives Him not.” And so we live lives that are restless, confused, frustrated and unfulfilled because we do not share our lonely life with Him. So the prayer we learn as children and the prayer that is said all over the world among Christians should be our prayer now, Make our hearts like the meek and humble heart of Jesus. The Holy Father, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI points out this route through Jesus as the way to ascend to God. The orientation of the believer changed when Jesus came. When Jesus offered Himself as the Lamb of sacrifice, He forever reconciled man to God. Jesus goes out to Jerusalem as a lamb without blemish to be sacrificed in the eyes of Israel. He goes beyond to a New Jerusalem which opened for us the frontier from earth to heaven. In view of all these we can always have confidence in all our actions and decisions if we have consulted every plan we have to God in prayer.  We experience peace and serenity that no amount of wealth, fame and power can offer. The joy in our heart comes from knowing that every single step of the way God is guiding and directing us. Most of all, we have to learn the lesson that goes with everything that we've been through and realize that there is nothing else we can do best but to totally surrender our will to Him by being obedient to God at all cost. For we are the dear children of God and everything become beautiful in His time. Amen. Hallelujah!

Philippians 2:6-11

Brothers and sisters: Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. 7 Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, 8 he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. 9 Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

How can God the Father not give in to whatever Jesus His Son asks of Him when He was obedient to the extent of stripping Himself of all dignity and shame by undergoing the most unimaginable cruelty and torture ever known to humankind. In all ages there has never been a person known to be subjected to the same barbaric and inhuman experience the way Jesus had. Though He knew what he was about to go through He bravely accepted and obeyed. Both in His capacity as man and God He was able to suffer everything. As God, He knew what is about to come and what position He holds as Son of God in His Majestic Kingdom which He totally disregarded when He embraced the passion of the cross. As man, he felt all the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual pain and torture of what He accepted to bear. It's all because of His great love for us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mk 14:1—15:47 or 15:1-39

 12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. 14 Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, “The Teacher says, ‘Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ” 15 Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover. He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him; he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will."

UNITY

We may have heard of the presence of the roaming spirits here in this world and the frightening experience of people who claimed to have encountered such presence. Usually people who engage in the occult practices are the ones mostly susceptible to this type of phenomenon. It would be best not to justify their presence by not thinking of them much more involving ourselves to such activities and staying clear of these practices. It is very relevant in maintaining a good relationship with God and so in line with what is being suggested in today's 1st reading. We have to realize the importance of being focused on just God alone and avoid entertaining thoughts about the supernatural and superstition. What was it that Jesus has done that many came to believe in Him? He raised Lazarus from death and this was when they started to plan to kill him. More and more people are following Jesus, they can’t control Him anymore. The Sadducees unlike the Pharisees were very political. They make sure that their relationship with the Romans are safe so that they do not lose their power, land and nation. This is what the human heart wounded by sin, is capable of doing. We see a mighty deed and yet it results to what we’re going to reflect this Good Friday, the sin of killing God. This is what happened so that we would not perish. There’s an irony here because Caiaphas said something not on his own but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. This concern about losing their land and nation to the Romans is connected to the 1^st reading about the land and nation being spoken of. It is to unite and bring back the people that have been divided and scattered. This is the history of the Old Testament. It is about the division and the split of the northern and southern kingdoms. Some were faithful and unfaithful. God wants to deliver them from apostasy and idolatry that they imitated from the other nations. God gave them a land and a king and they were not to be overcome by the Assyrians but because of their sin of shedding the blood of the innocent they were swept away by the Babylonians. This reading according to Ezekiel is something that would happen in the future. At that time, listening to a prophecy like it is difficult to understand but we see its fulfillment in the gospel today. This is also connected to the promise to David and in conjunction with Caiaphas prophecy of gathering the nation into one. It is also talking about us. Nowadays, we see our nation dispersed by all kinds of indignity, violence by various forms of jealousies and rivalries, tensions and selfishness. Just like what Paul says in the scripture, I know the good I ought to do but can’t do it. We are torn among ourselves and we can be whole through the wound of the cross. This coming Good Friday we are invited to venerate the cross. Meditate on the body and blood of Jesus given up for us. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He has something to say about what kind of nation we’re supposed to be. He gathers the dispersed nation of God. We pray especially this coming week that the things that divide us will be healed. It is a good thing to pray for especially on those days. We pray for the unity of all Christians and for the church to come together to intervene for the rights of the oppressed, the poor and the helpless not only in the physical sense. It is important that we realize that unity doesn’t mean pretending that there are no differences among us but it is more of looking at our brothers and sisters as co disciples of Christ. We join hands and hearts to proclaim the truth that God so loved the world that He died for us, arose from the dead and He is coming back. We focus on the affirmations that we can strongly and consistently proclaim and seek opportunities to affirm the faith that we share in common. It is not pushing aside or pretending that the differences we have are not there but work   together as dispersed children of God to bring us all into that unity and life. Amen. Hallelujah!

Ezekiel 37:21-28

21 Thus says the Lord GOD: I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have come, and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. 22 I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. 23 No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God. 24 My servant David shall be prince over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all; they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees ...They shall live on the land which I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their fathers lived; they shall live on it forever, they, and their children, and their children’s children, with my servant David their prince forever. 26 I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever.

We can always take courage in the fact that we have a Loving Father who is like a Good Shepherd. He will surely lead us to the right path. There are significant events in our life that we can associate with certain major decisions we made and can never forget. In everything let us always lift it to God in prayer.  The place where we are right now is exactly where God wants us to be. If God brings us here then He will bring us through it. God knows exactly and with perfection what is being allowed to happen to us in our life at this precise moment. God's purpose for us is simply perfect. He wants to show us things that only we can understand by living what we are living and by being in the place where we are now. That's God, He passes us through a lot of things for us to see His glory. It is a consolation to know that we can always count on God’s loving care and protection just as stated in today’s psalm reading. It can really make our hearts swell with joy and pride knowing that the Lord guards us as a shepherd guards his flock. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M
Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13
R: The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
10 Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock. (R) 11 The LORD shall ransom Jacob, he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. 12 Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings: The grain, the wine, and the oil, the sheep and the oxen. (R) 13 Then the virgins shall make merry and dance, and young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.

We become instruments of God for others knowingly or unknowingly. God uses us to profess His words to others in the same way that Caiaphas in today's gospel prophesied about the death of Jesus to serve as a ransom for many. There are times when we encounter people and situations that are related to the main message of the readings for a particular day. It is like getting confirmations that are undeniably orchestrated by a higher power capable of making things fall into place. No one or nothing can get in the way of God's plan. People, things, events and situations move in such a way to carry out the good God has intended for all of us. It is a consolation to know that despite of the imperfections and unpleasant things we are confronted with in this world, we are assured that God can make all things bright and beautiful. It is very undeniable that each day God is moving in power with tremendous signs, wonders and miracles. His Spirit moves in us and conveys a uniform message of love but it is us, sometimes who taints the purity and distorts the clear message of God when we resort to the negative attitude that is so evident in some of the Jews in today's gospel. Let us not end up in that part of statistics that Jesus offered His Saving grace but failed to respond properly and perished but instead belong and be counted as the children of God, saved and redeemed. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 11:45-56

45 Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. 48 If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing, 50 nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. 53 So from that day on they planned to kill him.