STRETCHED OUT HAND

  I can still remember when I was just newly baptized in the Spirit fresh from a Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS), one of the things I learned was the laying of the hands over a person, even a place or thing that needs to be prayed over. What I did back then looked very strange to most of the people who saw me doing that since not a lot of people back then were already familiar with Catholic Charismatic Movements. And even up to the present time not a lot of people are fully aware of the power in stretching out the hand in prayer. One of the things I will never forget with regards to praying over was with my Kuya or elder brother. My Kuya was driving then and the car suddenly stopped and he immediately said that we have to get off the car since it will surely won't run anymore, I am not sure if it was out of gasoline or engine trouble. Being so on fire then with the newly found gifts of the Holy Spirit, I immediately told him to start the engine while I pray over it but he simply said it's impossible since it really won't work but I was so persistent and insisted that he do it. When he did, the car roared back to life and were on our way. He was so amazed he even said "Ang galing mo!" in english, "You're good" but I told him it wasn't me but God. Another incident also with my Kuya was when he got caught by a police man and I noticed that they were already getting into a very lengthy argument that I was already getting worried so I decided to approach them and find out what was keeping them. But before doing so I stretched out my hand towards them and prayed. I didn't even come close enough to them when the police man just handed over to my Kuya his driver's license and let him go. When we were already in the car my Kuya asked me what I did since he already had a feeling before I approached them that he might get in trouble with the police man that was why he got shocked when all of a sudden he just returned his driver license and let him go as if nothing happened. I told him that it was all because God helped us. Since then I have always used my hands to pray over almost everything. And these are only a few of the first experiences I've had with praying over. I regularly pray over my 2 sons especially when they were still very young and not once did they experience being hospitalized. I can still remember when I just gave birth to Allan and it had been 3 days already and he hadn't moved his bowel yet so my mother told me that we have to bring him to the hospital but before we did I prayed over him and got a miracle when he suddenly kept on moving and looked as if he was straining so when I checked his diapers, I found out that he finally pooped. Another incident that I consider a great miracle was when my son Jude who was playing basketball fell and bumped his head. I really saw blood trapped underneath his scalp but when I prayed over him it miraculously started to clear and after some time told me that he felt better and no longer dizzy and nauseated. I praise and thank God for this powerful tool of praying over with our hands which He has taught us. Today's 1st reading shows us the power of stretching out the hand in prayer which started way back during the time of Moses which still stands true up to the present time. Amen. Hallelujah!

Exodus 14:21–15:1

21 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD swept the sea with a strong east wind throughout the night and so turned it into dry land...Then the LORD told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and their charioteers.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth...

Today's psalm also speaks of God's stretched out hand. This reminds me also of the vision I had which I shared several times already in the past of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue in St. Martha's Church with His Sacred Heart being offered to me in His outstretched hand. It appeared to me, as I look at it a few meters away, like Jesus was extending his arm offering His heart on his hand. So I asked Tita Piling who was with me at that time if that is a statue  of the Sacred Heart because I have never seen like one before with the heart of Jesus being offered in His hand, and she simply nodded her head.  To my surprise when I came close to the statue a few days later that was when I found out that it is indeed the Sacred Heart of Jesus but not as I had seen a few days ago. I was almost in tears and felt God's love being offered to me as symbolized by His heart held on His stretched out hand. A lot of people may find it hard to believe that I have seen Jesus holding His heart on His stretched out hand but the eyes of my faith can not deny it and with that I proclaim God's miracle for His greater glory. Being reminded of it makes me always aware of God's signs, wonders and miracles wrought by His mighty hand. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Exodus 15:8-9. 10 and 12. 17

R: Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

...When you stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them!...

Today is a gift from God coupled with new strength to astutely and resolutely follow that is why it is called the present. What a pleasant and divine intervention that the gospel today also mentioned the stretched out hand of Jesus. In the gospel He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said that those who do the will of God the Father are His brothers and sisters. We are all called to become part of God's great family. It is all up to us if we seriously want it too. As the gospel today tells us, we are the brothers and sisters of Jesus if we do the will of God the Father. Let us also remember that our prayer is most effective when we obey the will of God in our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 12:46-50

..."Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."