If God will make an accounting of all our sins then we will
all end up in hell. No one deserves heaven if we will be judged according to
human standard. Thank God, He is God. And yet we still have
doubts and uncertainties in life. We go through life and encounter so many
things that we put our spirits down. God assures in today’s 1st
reading that we need not be disappointed or discouraged for we are depending on
a God who is not like man. We can always maintain a high level of confidence
that we are a people of God well taken care of. Today’s 1st reading
is taken from the Book of Hosea. His life demonstrated to us his immense
love for his wife despite all the unfaithfulness and deception he experienced
from their relationship. Fr. Tony
Astudillo said in our bible study of Hosea that unless we relate our life to
the scriptures and really transform us to the likeness of Jesus then everything
that we learn will be for nothing. He emphasized the love of God in the context
of a man who married a woman out of his great love for her. How are we to
relate that kind of love when it comes to our longing and desire to be in union
with God in the sacraments especially when we become one in the Holy Eucharist.
Is it the same fiery and compassionate love of a man for the woman he longs to
make love to? A challenging question was posed to us at the end of his talk. It
was, "How is Hosea in my life today?" As we come to believe in what
we've heard, learned and witnessed about God, this poses the same challenge to
fulfill the scripture passage in our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!
Hosea 11: 1-4, 8c-9
... 9 I will not give vent to my blazing anger, I will not
destroy Ephraim again; For I am God and not man, the Holy One present among
you; I will not let the flames consume you.
Today’s responsorial reading reminds me of my experience at
the Yosemite Waterfalls Park US and ranks 5th in the whole
world. Whew! As I watched the water
crashed down hard on the ground coming all the way from up on the mountain a
thought came into my mind. If we truly believe that God is our Savior then we
should have no more room for fear and doubt. Our weaknesses are born from it
and rather than give in to it we must cultivate in ourselves the strength and
courage coming from the Lord. We have a Great and Holy God which is enough
reason to cry out with joy and gladness. We have already been given access to the
fountain of life, let us choose to approach it and draw water from it with joy
and live. A prayer that I got from an e mail really caught my attention. It has
personally touched my heart when I came upon this prayer and decided to write
it down in a notebook so that it can always come in handy whenever I need an
inspiration. This is the prayer: "None goes to the river early in the
morning and brings dirty water. As you are up this morning may your life be
clean, calm and clear like the early morning water. May the grace of the
Almighty support, sustain and supply all your needs according to His riches in
glory. Amen." The psalm reading
today reminds me of it because it somehow speaks of the same message conveyed
in the prayer. Just like the Blessed Mother Mary, who is Queen of heaven and
earth, we too are destined for victory and royalty. If only we live out the
example of her obedient life and carry Jesus in our hearts the way she does.
Mother Mary serves as a special channel that God has given to humanity to
receive His graces. It does not obscure or diminishes the one and only
Mediator, Jesus Christ, rather she shows God's power even more. Jesus, the Son
loves His mother and gives her the greatest grocery of graces in heaven. Mary
totally depends on her Son as in the wedding feast in Cana
by saying, "Do whatever He tells you." Mary knows that her Son is the
ultimate source that's why she leads us to Him, the true Mediator. God Himself
ordained that His only Begotten Son be born of a human mother through Mary's
obedience and perfect surrender. When the angel appeared to Mary, he wasn't
speaking his own thoughts and words. He was sent by God to speak God's words.
In Greek, the Hail Mary is translated as Hail most highly graced one, meaning
so completely graced. Mary truly is filled with God's grace. When God conceived
Mary she was free from the stain of original sin. He is getting ready the 1st
tabernacle of His Son here on earth. She is made holy, unstained and created in
the fullness of grace. God has placed in Mary the fullness of grace. Mary
conceived by her virginity and humility. It should be in our hearts to honor
Mother Mary because the Son is within her body. The Father is in the Son. It is
by grace that we are saved. Through Jesus and Mary all things are restored.
Everything is possible with God. Who are we to defy the manner that God Himself
has chosen for His Son to come to this world. I remember this friend who kept
on saying that she enjoyed every single thing she did that day. She went to a children's party and
enjoyed everything about it from the company of friends who were with her, the
delicious food that she ate and the activities and games that brought so much
fun to everyone. It didn't stop there because after the party she proceeded to
attend mass and was surprised with a party for all in the Church. She kept on
saying and repeating these words to me, "ang saya saya" in English
"it was so much fun" This is why I am reminded of her upon reading
today's psalm. We should realize that our situations no matter what it is
should always create in us an atmosphere of "ang saya saya" You know
why? It's not because we are out of our minds, it is because we have a Great
and Holy God which is enough reason to cry out with joy and gladness. Amen.
Hallelujah!
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd,
5-6
R: You will draw water
joyfully from the springs of salvation.
2 God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My
strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. 3 With joy you
will draw water at the fountain of salvation. (R) 4 Give thanks to the LORD,
acclaim his name; among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted
is his name. (R) 5 Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement; let
this be known throughout all the earth...
Our God is a perfect and precise God. No hit and miss and
trial and error kind of thing. We would just be continuously amazed at how God
speaks to us in a very specific way. God throughout time has sent emissaries,
patriarchs, prophets and kings to declare His great love for us and in the
fullness of time has ultimately revealed His naked love in its entirety by
sending His only begotten Son Jesus who was not spared to suffer and die on the
cross just to show His great love for us. Today’s special occasion reminds me
of a lot of miracles and unforgettable events in my life through the Sacred
Heart of Jesus. Looking back at my life's time line most especially when I
first had this devotion, I can never deny and forget for the rest of my life
the dramatic and significant events that happened to me. My novena to the
Sacred Heart and St. Jude Thaddeus during that matter of life and death
situation for my 1st born son opened up the door for miracles to happen. In a
prayer meeting I attended during that time which happened to be the 9th day of
my novena, the prayer leader whom I just met and did not know of my novena neither
of my pregnancy nor would even suspect of it announced her vision of Jesus
carrying a baby standing in the middle of our prayer circle and specifically
described Him wearing the Sacred Heart attire
and said these words, "I have a message for my daughter, consecrate
the baby in your womb." I have witnessed the revelation of God's great
love to me in its naked and stark reality. Especially when I gave birth to
Jude, my 1st born son, as proof of His undeniably awesome and unbelievable
miracle when he came out normal and healthy despite my problematic pregnancy.
From that day forward, God never ceased to amaze me every single turn in my
life since His sacred love is beyond
comprehension. God continues to lure us back to His loving embrace. His love knows
no boundary, it gets more intense, longer, higher and deeper as the days go by.
We know that words are not enough to describe how great the love of God is but
Paul gave it his best shot. Today's 2nd reading is filled with inspiring,
poetic and heartfelt words in his letter to the Ephesians. It can never capture
the fullness of its meaning but we can always strive to show a tiny portion of
it. As in a loving parent to a child is something we can all relate to since we
are all children of our parents and could be parents too ourselves. Looking
back at all those years when we were still very young made me like to honor my
mother for the great sacrifice she made for us, her children. She was the only
one left to our care because my father passed away at a very young age. My
brothers and I were all witnesses to the great love and care she showered on
us. I should say we could very much relate to that kind of love. But to suffer
to a most humiliating and painful death an only Begotten Son for the sake of
another is an angle that we may never come to fully understand for its breadth,
length, height and depth is too much for us to bear. It is beyond measure. Who
could have done such a great sacrifice but only God our Savior who loves us to
the end. Do you want to get hold of the
greatest treasure ever known? We may search long, hard and far and find nothing
for it lies right within us. We can never find any other treasure greater than
the love of God planted in our hearts. We may not fully understand it but if we
strive to be faithful, holy and persevere to the end then we can get a hold of
it. Once we have it then we will surely never let go. Amen. Hallelujah!
Ephesians 3:8-12. 14-19
... and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with
all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and
to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled
with all the fullness of God.
As Catholics we have this great devotion to the Sacred Heart
of Jesus which we now celebrate today. Our Catholic practices can be found in
the bible. God has made a covenant with His people and has been fathering us in
order to bring us together into His loved flock in heaven. The devotion to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus is widespread all throughout the world. We are body and
soul and need the external festivities. We have to remember that it's one thing
to celebrate this great solemnity and it's another to live His great love and
make it alive in our daily lives. It has to be more than a mere devotion and
celebration. We encounter people who have a condescending and sneering attitude
towards popular devotion of the Catholic Church and consider them as
meaningless routines. We are reminded through these devotions that there is no
material or event in our lives that can not be directed for the greater glory
of God. Although sometimes we come to a point when these practices and
devotions that lift us up simply become like magic and opium for our troubles
and miseries. We fail to grasp the essence of these devotions and treat them
like the hypocrites in prayer and the pagans with some superstitious beliefs.
Some Catholics fall into the trap of looking at these as a never fail prayer.
Sometimes there is a magical or manipulative misuse like an abracadabra. It
should not predispose us to a ritualistic behavior and must not lead us down to
the path of nowhere. Although the absence of it may appear as we are like those
idealists that once saved we are always saved so there is no need for such
devotions. We may fall into the dangerous scenario as if we are putting God to
the test. These devotions should be a means of communication between God and
His people. God is not telling us to do away with these things but rather do it
with a sincere and repentant heart. It should blossom into a relationship since
God is continuously searching for us and wants to bring us together in a family
of love. Our devotion to the Sacred Heart should develop in us a confidence to
draw near to God. Unless we relate our life to the scriptures and really
transform us to the likeness of Jesus then everything that we learn will be for
nothing. As we come to believe in what we've heard, learned and witnessed about
God, today's gospel poses the challenge to fulfill the scripture passage in our
lives. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 19:31-37
... but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately
blood and water flowed out. 35 An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony
is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may [come to]
believe. 36 For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled:
...
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