HAPPY EASTER

What further proof do we still need in order to truly believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior? We must come to this point where we achieve the peak of our faith and be truly confident of the deep meaning of what Easter celebration is all about. Bottom line, it's about love, care and understanding no matter what activities we engage in and people we spend time with, as long as it's all done with these 3 things then Easter is always a reality in our lives.  What a privilege to be one of God's chosen witnesses. Everyday of our lives should be directed toward this goal that we may someday come face to face with God and be able to stand in His presence. Today’s 1^st reading also reminds me of my reflection several years ago about my visit to the Getty museum. As a Christian we must believe that there is no such thing as coincidence only divine providence. I could still remember when we (Sisters Bernadeth, Lucy, Marcy, and Rose) spent the entire day at the J. Paul Getty Museum. It was indeed a day of joy and gladness not only because of the wonderful and nice things we've seen at the Museum but also because of the very nice company we had in each other. There were lots of people who came to the museum that day and everyone who came had the chance of seeing the priced and valuable treasures that the Christian world holds very dear. In one of the exhibit rooms and the first place we had been were manuscripts of some parts found in the bible that dates way back in the year 800 AD. There were illustrations some with gold in paper of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, The story of Jephtha and his oath (can be found in the Book of Judges) (Regensburg, 1030-40; 1400-10)The Annunciation and The martyrdom of Isaiah, (Wurzburg, 1240-50)St. Michael battling the Dragon,  (Hildesheim, 1170s)St. Stephen by a painter named Circle of the Master of the Golden Bull (Prague, 1405) The Visitation (Strasbourg, 1500) and several of The Crucifixion (Steinfeld, 1180; Cologne by Master of St. Veronica, 1400-10; Franconia, 1475; Westphalia,1500-05; by Albrecht Altdorfer, 1520) These are just a few of the many and the earliest artworks they have preserved and depicts the truth about our God. There is really no doubt about the truth in today's 1st reading since every human being has been given the privilege of knowing about our God and acknowledging Him as the one true God. For thousands of years people have been writing, painting, documenting amazing and wonderful things from different parts of the world. It is a consolation to know that although there are people, places and things that I've seen there that no longer exist today and is just a thing of the past but the message conveyed in every artwork about our Lord Jesus Christ still persist and remain intact, true and a masterpiece until the present time. It's good to know that we always have a choice. Whatever choices we make in life, let us be sure that each one of them is rooted in our belief in one Lord Jesus Christ who suffered, died and rose again for our sake. We are all called to this inheritance to be adopted sons and daughters of God through our Lord Jesus Christ who has purchased for us this privilege and honor. No one is excluded or exempted from this. God is fair to all and plays no favorite for as long as we maintain the holy fear of the Lord and remain upright before Him. It is just by our own choice and free will that we can get a hold of this for it has already been made available for us by Jesus our Redeemer and Savior. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts 10:34, 37-43

...To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”…This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, 41 not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”

God is the source of all good things. Only Jesus can satisfy our souls. We should be really careful in setting our priorities. Sometimes we end up making the wrong choices and decisions in life. We end up rejecting something that should be valued and treasured more than anything else in this whole wide world. All we need to do is trust that the Lord will always take care of all our needs we need not tire ourselves to the point of exhaustion because it is better to take refuge in the Lord than resort to trusting in or own strength and others. According to Fr. Joseph Koterski a Jesuit priest and a professor in Fordham University it helps to always have GRACE. G stands for Gratitude, R for Respect, A for Account (have an accounting of the things we have done whether good or bad), C for Charting (to chart our course of action in order to see where we're going) and E to Entreat the Lord for the energy  and enthusiasm He has been giving us in this life. We need to always think of the things we are grateful for. It will help us examine our conscience and live a holy life that is fitting for a people of God. There are times when we don’t feel like saying our prayers. Whenever we feel this way but still managed to gather all our strength to still commit to our prayers then we will surely find ourselves with renewed strength to start our day right. When we master the art of praying and always drawing near to God then we become "Untouchables".  This is due to the fact that no one is like God. There is none like Him, for no one else can do as much as the Lord God Almighty and All Powerful can. We can rely on God’s goodness and build confidence on that knowing that with God on our side we are undefeated. His might knows no limits and His power is able to do wonderful things beyond our imagination. Everything fits like a key in a hole. There is only one thing that is conveyed here that God allows things to happen for a reason and everything falls into its perfect place. God's love and mercy endure forever and do not fail. We can always count on the goodness of God at all times and in all circumstances all the days of our lives. Truly knowing and proclaiming that God is Lord of all our days makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness for heaven and earth will fade but His words will remain. We may not have witnessed first hand when Jesus walked and lived on earth but we can never deny witnessing to God's miracles working in our lives every day. Truly knowing and proclaiming what we are celebrating this easter season makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness that never fade. We should have the confidence to joyfully shout out what the psalm tells us today.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. 2 Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” (R) 16 “The right hand of the LORD has struck with power; the right hand of the LORD is exalted.” 17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. (R) 22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.

The gift and promise of Easter should be directly proportional to the life we live here on earth. It is not like a seasonal diet that we follow for a specific period of time but one that we are willing to stick to for life. We should not set it aside once the season is over since it should be the kind of lifestyle we should be willing to commit throughout our lifetime. We are recipients of this great gift of salvation and thus we ought to make ourselves worthy and fitting for it. One thing we can be sure of, everything pays off immediately, later or in the end if we constantly seek God in all we do. No matter how tiring or discouraging the way or the road we are traveling which seems to pull us back down and want to give up, not go on or be tempted to take a different direction we simply must keep on going to the road where Jesus leads us. We should remain focused on Christ no matter how many distractions we encounter in our daily lives. We are living in a world full of deceptions, pretenses and lies. Sometimes we would be better off if we could just keep our thoughts to ourselves most especially the sensitive and very personal issues about a person. If we have a choice then we would rather not be involved and just keep silent about it. Sometimes not even immediate family members, close relatives and friends dare to do it.   Although there are times when we simply could no longer ignore the fact that God wants us to speak out and be bold enough to proclaim the truth. A lot of things are easier said than done. Living our faith in Jesus Christ by example is definitely one of these things. It is good to know that we have scriptures to guide and enlighten us at all times and today’s 2nd reading is definitely one of them. But this we can only do if we truly love and care about these people and be able to show them that it is really Christ that is in us and in all that motivates us to do so. Amen. Hallelujah!

Colossians 3:1-4 (or 1Corinthians 5:6-8)

1 Brothers and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

Happy Easter to all! May we all experience a transforming experience not only today but in all the days to come in our lives brought and effected by the truth of the victory of Jesus' Resurrection from the dead. Jesus has taken away the obstacle and hindrance for us to enter into new life with Him by His resurrection. Let us not forfeit this benefit and truly believe with the heart and soul of our faith. It seems impossible for somebody to rise from the dead that is why Mary of Magdala got confused despite her being able to witness with her own very eyes the many wonders that Jesus did when He was still with them. There are some instances when we just can't get it. But we should never doubt the truth that God is all powerful and able to do beyond our imagination even though at times we fail to grasp the meaning of some things happening in our lives. Through His resurrection we are able to enter into new life with Him. I can still remember very vividly what Fr. James de Souza preached when I attended his seminar way back in the Philippines more than 20 years ago when the gospel for today was the focus of his teaching. He commended St. John for being the most intimate and affectionate to Jesus. From that time on, I always have this constant hope and prayer that I will grow more daily into that overwhelmingly deep affection of St. John for Jesus to always see and believe Him in order to run and go to Him first. John is the only apostle who did not leave Christ and stayed beside Him all the way to the foot of the cross. He was also the beloved apostle who rested his head at the chest of Jesus during the last supper.  It is him who Jesus entrusted His mother with at the foot of the cross. This bible passage from today's gospel has left a remarkable impression in my memory. He ran as fast he could to be closest to the Lord. It made me think of our attitude towards God. Do we also have the same enthusiasm and fervor as John? And yet he still hesitated and got a hold of such strong emotions and still acted accordingly as dictated by the virtue of prudence. He was full of love and devotion for the Lord but he did not let it get in the way or disrupt the proper order of things that needs to be followed.  He outran Peter in the rush to the tomb where Jesus was buried, but he let the more superior leader of the Twelve enter the tomb first. We can follow the example of St. John’s humble deferment to someone higher, his self-sacrificing and humble disposition vis-à-vis seniority. We should learn from him in the way he conducted himself in such situations, full of love and abounding in grace. He definitely acted the right thing at the right time in all the right places. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 20:1-9

1 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; 5 he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. 6 When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, 7 and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. 8 Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.