THE WATER BY THE SEA OF GALILEE

 When I was still in the Philippines discerning and weighing my decision to come here to the US, this gospel reading in Feb. 4, 2007 caught my attention, confirmed  and gave me confidence in what I was planning to do and eventually did. It was specifically the bible passage in Luke 5:4-6 "Jesus said to Peter, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master we have worked hard all night and caught nothing but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this they caught a great number of fish their nets were tearing." Just like Peter who was skeptical at that time I was also feeling so unsure about my decisions then and this phrase really had a great impact on me back then coupled with the priest's homily that went with it. That was like more than 6 years ago now. Just like Peter I made a decision and in my own personal way is a response to God's call. The place where Jesus chose His Apostles and also where the apostles immediately left everything and followed Jesus was by the water in the Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:10-11). The lyrics of the song entitled, "Lord, you have come" has a background setting which is biblically based on the gospel stories of the call of Jesus to Peter and the apostles at the Sea of Galilee. I can still remember very well the first time I heard this song last January 18, 2009 during Holy Communion, at St. Christopher Church.  It really made me cry for it again reminded me of that bible passage which I have earlier quoted and said to be very significant to me. It has become one of my favorite songs that we regularly sing in the Church. In fact I have been constantly sharing how this song has tremendously touched me when I first heard and knew about it here in the US.  Though, I haven't exactly or fully known or understood everything yet during that time. All I knew was that it held a special and deep meaning that touched my heart in an unexplainable way owing to the occasions and incidences that were connected and related to it. But I believe God in His awesome and almighty wisdom, intelligence and knowledge reveals things in stages for the benefit of our limited capacities and understanding. The series of events and daily readings became an eye opener and has given me a better understanding of all the things that have happened since. Sometimes I come to a point when I also ask myself the same question that was asked by the 1st christians in Acts 2: 37 "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” ..."  I realized it is always good to look back, recall and never forget those times in our lives when Jesus was calling us for a certain task or encouraging us to go on and decided to follow and obey. We can always be confident and full of hope that whatever is the outcome of our decision for as long as we know that we have consulted it to God in prayer and have acted with our best ability then we are always safe and secure. This message which I have associated with the water by the Sea of Galilee has been very persistent which I am again being reminded of in today's 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!

Exodus 2:1-15a

... called him Moses; for she said, “I drew him out of the water.”...

The mention of the watery depths in today's psalm reading should remind us of our own personal experiences. We are never alone. It is undeniable that God is good. We must realize that He is present in each and every person we meet. The earth is really full of the goodness of the Lord.   God always send us the right people at the right time and the right situation. Although there are also some setbacks and we are still experiencing the ups and downs of our faith we just have to consider everything as a part of our daily walk in the shore of the Sea of Galilee with Christ at our side. Here are some pointers for review to strengthen our faith in God

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 "declared 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?

I guess there have been some misunderstanding here of the following bible verses:

Rom. 3:28 (Obedience of faith) Martin Luther based his belief on faith alone on this specific verse he failed to see that Paul in addition to what was mentioned earlier was attacking the Jews with regards to their ceremonial laws and that it 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 needs to do our part, too since it specifically stated here 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.

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!

P S A L M

Psalm 69:3. 14. 30-31. 33-34

R: Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.

2 [3] I am sunk in the abysmal swamp where there is no foothold; I have reached the watery depths; the flood overwhelms me. (R) 13 [14] But I pray to you, O LORD, for the time of your favor, O God! In your great kindness answer me with your constant help. R I am afflicted and in pain; let your saving help, O God, protect me. I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving. R. “See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! For the LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.” R.

We can not deny it! God has done a lot of great and marvelous things for us. The problem is, the people of our generation has become insensitive, oblivious and simply stubborn to God's call. Let's choose the right course of action before it's too late. Let us not disappoint Jesus by always striving to recall, remember and be driven to the right course of action whenever God reveals to us the mighty deeds He has done in our lives. If we are to really examine our life, we'll find that there have been many instances in our life when God has undeniably shown His mighty deeds and power. In fact we need not look long and far and just look at ourselves right here and now. Every single day that we are gifted with is already a great blessing in itself and not many people realize this all the time. The very moment that we were able to wake up this morning already meant that we were able to go through the night and still rise up to face a new day. We should always be alert, sober and not oblivious of these divine truths. We wouldn't want to hear these words of Jesus in today's gospel being addressed to us when our time comes. We would rather be full of joy rather than woe when we enter life in eternity. Everything in this world passes away, not a single one holds a permanent and lasting effect. We could be enjoying a delicious meal at this moment but it would be over soon. It could be a nice movie or whatever we enjoy doing. Nothing lasts forever and all is bound to end. It would be nice to know that if we commit a life dedicated to God by turning away from sin then we can look forward to a life of eternal happiness and joy. In fact, it's not just looking forward but to enjoy right now. If we read with care the beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-23 we will notice that all the beatitudes that were enumerated are stated in the future tense except for the first which is "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. or Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This first beatitude is stated in the present tense and does not have the word "will" in it unlike all the others. This means that we can start being blessed right now rather than in woe. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 11:20-24

20 Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And as for you, Capernaum: ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”