In the beginning God created everything to be in harmony,
man, the land and all creatures. But man sinned leading to a rupture with God,
one’s self and others. We have to go back to where God had intended it to be.
If we believe that everything happened by chance there is a tendency for us to
wane in our resolution and our responsibility is deemphasized. The
understanding that a Creator made the world leads to a fundamental
responsibility to it.
When we watch these movies about the end of the world it
gives the impression that our world exists by random and we look upon the
universe as a product of chance. We need to be firm in our belief that everything
that exists comes through Jesus. Everything in the universe came through
Christ. He is the foundation of all reality. Creation is existent and made
through and for Him. It does not exist by chance and is ruled by God and His
plan. Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as
he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without
blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through
Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory
of his grace that he granted us in the beloved… Hebrews 11:3 By faith we
understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is
visible came into being through the invisible.
John1:3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came
to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the
human race; …We are capable of reason because of our mind. God gives choices
but we also have a free will we can go beyond instinct and go against the will
of God. We are the image of God and we have a unique personality because of the
dignity of a person. We are unrepeatable which makes us distinctive and like
God. Man and animals have some similar gifts like emotions and body but what
distinguishes us is reason. Our freedom to choose what is right and wrong is
conscience. We choose good and avoid evil. It is easier said than done. How
many people want to lose weight but it is not easy to lose weight because there
are a lot of temptations aside from food. The same is true with our conscience.
The natural law is humanizing, but it is dehumanizing when we don’t obey the
natural law. Human beings should make a decision to accept Christ as the one
mediator so we can go to heaven not in hell.
We all have our own struggles in life. This is something we are
confronted with every day of our lives. Sometimes it reaches to a point where
we feel so helpless and miserable. The truth is we really don't have to since
God created man to be on top of all His creation. The bible tells us that even
the finest robe of King Solomon can not compare with the lilies in the valley
that neither toil nor sow but bloom and clothed everyday only to dry up the
next day and thrown away. Also with the sparrows in the field that never worry
what to eat. We are worth more than the lilies and the sparrows. Even the stars
do not struggle to shine and rivers do not struggle to flow then we will never
struggle to excel and be the best since God will deliver us from all of these
things through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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
...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,...
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. Hallelujah!
Romans 7:18-25a
Brothers and sisters: I know that good does not dwell in me,
that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. 20 Now if
I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in
me. 21 So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is
at hand...Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
“Don't trust too much, don't
love too much, don't care too much because that "too much" wiil hurt
you so much...” This is a quotation I came across on Facebook. It somehow
answers the part where we have to hurt so much. We use our mind to sort out
what is true. God has given us the intellect, will, passions and emotions.
Sometimes our emotions lead and carry us away in the search and to discern the
truth. Our mind can seek the truth and our will can choose the truth freely.
After the fall of our 1st parents, even if we know what is right we
have been infected by the malice of the world and our will have become
weakened. Our emotions play a big role in our will. This is why it should be
properly directed. Our emotions go up and down and it is not the proper gauge.
Some relationships should not just be built upon a bunch of good feelings. It
is a very dangerous basis for love. We need to ask the question of truth and
get a hold of our emotions so that we can put our relationships in proper
perspective. There are so many things that we are worried about but only one
thing is needed and we have to be sure that we pick the best option. We need
not confuse ourselves by even considering the options that the world enticingly
and seductively present to us. Does this song sound familiar? "Gusto kong
bumait pero di ko magawa." (I’d like to be good but I just can’t) Because
we are still in this world and its laws
dominate us it is
indeed hard to
serve the law of God.
But we are constantly reminded
that if we
only make a stand on which side we are then God will deliver
us. There is only one thing needed and we have to choose the best part. We have
to do things according to God's statutes and precepts which is the only sure
way to live a happy and abundant life first here on earth and then for
eternity. There is one thing we need to
do. Let us always focus on Jesus and follow the example He has left for us to
live by. What a friend we have in Jesus. He is never amiss on anything. Let us
not hesitate to reach out to Him for in Him we find a true friend who is ready
to help us. If we come to Him at all times for guidance and direction, He will
always be there to take our hand and lead us to the right path. The Lord knows
exactly what's in our hearts. There are times when people judge us based only
on what they see but what matters most is that we are right before God. The
truth is that we ought to realize by now that only God can deliver us from all
evil and there is no one else to whom we can go but to Him. The Lord has
promised and He will fulfill. This should give us so much joy and peace in
knowing this. There is no doubt that God in His goodness surely sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple in times of affliction. We need to always
hold on to God at all times and never lose hope in Him. We just got to hold on
tight! No matter what happen let us always keep in mind that God fulfills all
His promises. It may not be right away and could be later but He will surely
reveal things in His most perfect time. We've got to realize that there is no
love greater than the love God is offering us. We need to make sure that what
we sought and yearn for, is what should bring us genuine riches, true delight
and the most precious treasure which the world can not give and only God can
bring about. Just imagine ourselves walking in the dark without knowing what we
are stepping on and where we are headed. It is very difficult there is no doubt
about it. We need light to guide our steps and show the way. We have to realize
that loving God means obeying with all our heart. Have you experienced waking
up or going to bed at the same time everyday? It's because of the circadian
clock or the rhythmic biological cycles that happen or recurring everyday in us.
Let us pray to God that we develop in ourselves an instinct and discipline to
naturally follow His commands like the circadian clock. The time to act is now.
Let us seize every opportunity to know the Word of God while we still can.
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
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
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 like 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 can't just take one passage and take it as a whole, we have to consider the entire scriptures. It must be read within the living tradition of the Church. It is written in the Church's heart in the very essence of who Jesus is. The analogy of faith and inner harmony should co-exist and take all of them together as a unity. To take just one part of the truth and depend solely on it for everything else to unravel would end up in heresy and find ourselves outside the truth. The depository of faith is entrusted by the apostles to the whole of the Magisterium of the Church. This task of giving an authentic teaching of the depository of the faith is given to the living successors of Peter who is the Pope and the Bishops in our Catholic Church. We must have the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the Magisterium of the Church. If the Church is not a Divine institution it would have crashed 2000 yrs ago. Living tradition and sacred scriptures are the means to transmit the faith. We need to know this to understand how God's plan works through things revealed by God to us and recalled by faith.
Another interesting event I am reminded of is one of the MI
(Militia Immaculata) Meetings we had in the past wherein we were asked to introduce ourselves
briefly by saying our names, parishes where we belong and the time when we were
consecrated to the Mother Mary. I can never forget the date I was consecrated
(March 15, 2008) since it was the same date, but in 1995, of my mother's death
anniversary but I would rather call it her birth to eternal life. It was
highlighted by another significant event which was a dream I had at that same
time of my aunt, Tita Edna who also passed away on the same month, March 24 in
the year 1992. The dream was quite interesting and very vivid because I saw
Tita Edna riding in a van and the moment
I saw her I took off immediately and ran after the van which I almost missed if
I did not leap and managed to make it to the door of the van from which I
almost fell. When I finally made it inside the van, I saw that she was about to
eat so I offered her a hand sanitizer and saw that it made her so glad that I
had it. She immediately applied it in her hands and thanked me for it. It
suddenly gave me the impression that the van could be a symbol of our
transportation to heaven. It is very difficult to catch that ride, we have to
be always alert and vigilant we might end up missing it and worst never be able
catch the ride ever again. That is, if we are too busy with other things we
tend to neglect what should we be paying attention to and end up missing out on
our ride and get a different ride which instead of bringing us to heaven, be
brought to another destination which I guess none of us would like to be. We
must always know on whose authority we are basing our actions. It will always
help to examine ourselves and really be aware where our loyalty lies. Are we
for God or against God or are we just for God in the superficial sense? If we are deeply rooted in Him then we can
withstand that horrible day of trial and
still find ourselves persevering in our faith. Just the thought of ending up in
hell should really make us pray fervently to God. Today's psalm teaches us the way to always be
attuned to God's Spirit in order for us to truly see the word of God, as the
light shining like a lamp for our feet. If we really want to be truly happy
then there is just one thing we have to always do that is to always keep
ourselves blameless before the Lord. We can never run away from the probing
eyes of God because nothing is hidden from Him. We sometimes have this
impression that our God requires impossibilities from us. We misinterpret and
take things in a different way whenever we hear of rules and regulations to be
followed. The decrees of our Lord are not meant to make things difficult for us
nor do they burden or tie us down. This is the deception and we should start
looking at it the right way. Just imagine life without God's decrees to guide
us, it would be very disorderly and chaotic. It's like driving in the freeway
wherein one can just go his or her own way without any regard for any traffic
rules and regulations. Real freedom is the ability to follow God and being
totally free of the grasp and hold of sin that brings death. Some sins bring
instant death but others just like cancer slowly creep in and before we know it
has already eaten us up whole. God loves
us so much that He has given us His decrees because it is in following them
that we become totally free and live. The only way to true freedom is by
following God's commands. In doing this we become free of the bondage of sin
and live a power filled life based on the Truth. We should believe that if
there is someone in and out of this world who is most reasonable, just, fair
and at the same time loving, caring, slow to anger and rich in kindness that is
no other than our God. One thing for sure, if He requires us something, He will
definitely equip us for it because it is written, "I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me." If we commit ourselves to following
God then we will surely be blessed. Allow me to use the word "luck"
or "swerte" in Tagalog in lieu of any other more appropriate word
like blessed or pinagpala in Tagalog since I have always been hearing this word
being used very often by some people in reference to certain situations within
the broad context of this word. I just couldn't help but share it, first and
foremost due to some personal circumstances. We often hear people say to
another who is about to embark on something challenging, “good luck” If the
word luck may have been associated with whatever negative meaning then consider
it excluded from here and out of context for the mean time. Let's just say we
would like to broaden the scope of our vocabulary. This is to further drive the
point or message in today's psalm and is actually the catch here. This is to
come up with an induction that following the law of the Lord is just as
synonymous to being blessed, lucky, swerte or pinagpala or any other word that
we could closely associate with this. It is not very easy to lead a life like
that of the saints who followed the example of Jesus. Ignorance is not an
excuse. We should always seek to enrich our knowledge about God so that we will
continuously grow in our faith. Our world is ever changing with all the new
technology coming up, it's so surprising that whatever is considered the latest
and gold standard today may not hold true the following day. If there's one
thing we should rely and hold on to in this very dynamic world of ours, then it
should be something constant and enduring.
It gives us great consolation that we have a God who is true to His
word. We may have heard it but we haven't learned yet. It is a lifelong journey
and quest to know God better. Nothing can be more rewarding than having great
peace in our lives. We can make this possible by adhering to God’s law and
committing to following it in word and deed. It will always be well for us to
consult the scriptures that shed light and give understanding. We've got to
make sure that what we sought and yearn for, is what should bring us genuine
riches, true delight and the most precious treasure which the world can not
give and only God can bring about. It is only right that we follow the law of
the Lord if we are really for God then our works should follow us and testify
to who we really are. Amen. Hallelujah!
P S A L M
Psalm 119:66. 68. 76. 77. 93. 94
R: Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge, for in your commands I trust.
R. You are good and bountiful; teach me your statutes. R. Let your kindness
comfort me according to your promise to your servants. (R) 77 Let your
compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. (R) 93 Never
will I forget your precepts, for through them you give me life. (R) 94 I am
yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts.
We should make an effort to be really wise according to
God's standards since we all have a tendency to be experts when it comes to
matters that is not really essential. Time will come when we will realize the
importance of knowing more
about God which will lead to loving Him more not because it
will benefit our God
and add anything to His glory but for our
own sake that we enjoy the gift of salvation. Since God is God, He is
consistent to His nature and proclaims justice that after all chances have been
given to us He will appear to us on the last day as the judge. God has given us
everything we need. He will never be lacking in anything at all. In fact all
the signs and wonders around us that we often leave unnoticed and take for
granted all point to God. It is a pity that we still go astray from the right
path when we already know it and confuse ourselves when there is really nothing
confusing about it. It all boils down to the fact that we have our own free
will and we can define and decide for ourselves what's right and true. This
happens when our circumstances don't fit or conform to our expectations we
immediately dismiss it and resort to our own ways without realizing that if we
really believe that we have an Almighty and All Knowing God then nothing ever
happens outside His will. It may not be favorable according to our own
standards but God's ways is not like man's ways. We simply have to be open to
God's truth by trusting that God will always make things right for us. We ought
to be wise and sensible Christians. If we are so good in managing our earthly
affairs all the more should we be good in conducting our spiritual affairs
which last not just here on earth but to eternity. God left us in today’s
gospel with a challenge to gain knowledge, be wise, think right with the
beautiful mind of God. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 12:54-59
54 Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in
the west you say immediately that it is going to rain — and so it does; 55 and
when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is
going to be hot — and so it is. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret
the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret
the present time? 57 “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 If
you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle
the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into
prison. 59 I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last
penny.”
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