BRING BACK

Jesus Christ came to this world more than 2000 years ago. I believe that nothing about the life of Jesus was left to mere chance or by accident because everything in His life happened for a reason in fulfillment of His mission. He came to make all things right. This mission is also ours. I quote the words which I heard from the Filipino telenovela entitled: "May Bukas Pa" and what I often say whenever there are situations that we can not explain, "Walang di sinasadya, walang nagkataon lahat ay may dahilan." In English, " Nothing is by chance, everything happens for a reason."  We are all members of the body of Christ so we are all called to fulfill our own God given mission to make all things right. We are invited to live at peace with everyone by first becoming a person of peace. It can never be done in hostility but only in gentleness. In 1 Tim  5:3, it is stated that we should treat others even our enemies with courtesy and respect. It is how we relate and disagree with one another that tell much of who we really are. It is rooted in the truth of who we are and what we honestly believe. The will of Jesus for the community is unity. He prayed not only for the disciples but for all those who believe. A Christian community should love and respect each other even when we disagree. Heroic virtues and holiness should just be something ordinary since it is the way it should be for a true Christian. When we pray for patience we should be willing to go through the process of planting, cultivating and nourishing it.  Though we feel inadequate in ourselves we need not despair because God has given each one of us a gift for some benefit and the others too. We all belong in God's big family and we are all part of His body. We are all connected in a way and God will bring to us people, events and situations that will perfect us and our needs for His greater glory and for the good of the entire people of God, the Church in which we are all a part of. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31a12

Brothers and sisters:As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many … 27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.

The Jews knew of the prophecy that from King David’s lineage would come forth a King, the foretold Messiah of Israel. During the reign of King Ahaz and all other kings of Israel who did evil things the royalty was cut off. During the Babylonian captivity and in exile, those born of the line of David, of royal blood went in hiding for fear of being killed. Even though the divinic dynasty was cut off, from the tree of Jesse, the father of King David, came forth the shoot that brought forth the King. We remember that it was prophesied in Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 tells of this family tree. We would find at the end of this lineage is Joseph who is the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus. Joseph is not king but a carpenter and being Jew knew of the prophecy as foretold by the prophet including this one from Isaiah 7:14 … the Lord Himself shall give you a sign, “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call His name Emmanuel.” as spoken to him by the angel who appeared to him. He finally understood the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel . Isaiah is important to better understand Jesus. Joseph knew of the need for secrecy and not to make public these things because the reigning king at that time is Herod. He is not Jew but an Edomite who was just appointed by the Romans to be king. He is king not for the Jews but for the Romans to collect taxes for them. This is mainly the reason why Herod wants all male babies born at the time of Jesus, dead. Joseph dreamed a lot of dreams and it was through them that Joseph was able to successfully carry out his mission as the protector of the baby Jesus. Another point of reference here is the fact that in the Old Testament (OT) there was a foreshadowing of the Magi or Wise Men who came to worship Jesus in the manger. It was at the time of the reign of Balak an evil king in the OT when Balaam also a wise man from the East prophesied in Numbers 24:15,18 that there shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel who will dispossess Edom . He was asked to exact a curse upon Israel but from his mouth came forth a blessing. A star and a scepter signifies kingship. In parallel, it was also the 3 wise men who were looking for a star that would direct them to the newborn King of Israel who would inform Herod of his whereabouts but warned in a dream not to go back to him in a dream. Jesus is truly our King. The Kingship of Jesus is accompanied by many more wonderful things that we still have to know of. In the Jewish tradition the # 3 and 7 stands for perfection and completeness. It is somehow puzzling to know that there are 3 sets of 14 generations from the time of Abraham to the exile to the time of Jesus. So why the #14? The significance of the #14 stands for the name of King David which is equivalent to 14 in Hebrew.  The 3 sets of 14 stands for perfect royalty and king that all leads to Jesus. It could also be equivalent to 6 sets of 7. The #6 signifies the date when the beast is made or the beginning thus the #666 which signifies the beast of all beasts. The 6 of 7 sets could mean the beginning of the 7th set. 7 is also the Sabbath. The new 7 is the new creation. Jesus is the beginning of the 7th set. Why the fuss in all of these? It is a consolation to know that we have a God who is King. The King of kings and the Lord of lords. We will eventually come face to face with our Creator and God who made heaven and earth. The time is now to make a conscious move to be in touch with this truth. It is such a waste that we don't always realize God's presence among us. When there is nothing more rewarding than to always be aware of God's presence and cry out to Him in joy. Whenever we are in a relationship with someone and give our 100% into it then we can not help but expect it to work. But there are times too when we have given our all and yet it doesn't seem to be enough. We sometimes are bound for disappointments. When these things happen then is really no reason to be sad for we can always go to God for consolation whose love for us endures forever. We are all called to become partakers and residents of the eternal Kingdom of God .  The invitation to be His favorite is open to all because we are all special to Him. Only through enrichment of our souls can we truly appreciate and experience this reality now and for all eternity. If we as human beings are concerned about our physical appearance, all the more should we strive to enhance our overall spiritual condition. We should also build up spiritual muscles and strive to maintain a balanced Christian life. The best way to do it is to always attach to the main source of all goodness. In the horror movie entitled, "Nightmare on Elm Street " every time the girl in this movie falls asleep, her nightmare begins and Freddie Krueger appears to wreak evil and havoc in her life. She has to stay awake or else something really bad happens to her and the people around her. Somehow this should make us realize the importance of being awake, conscious and in touch with reality. If there's one thing that we have to always be aware of, that is God has our best interest in mind. It may not be easy to see, understand and have a grip on this reality always especially at times when we seem down and out as in falling flat on bed without a care in the world like dumb sleepyheads. We have to rise, wake up and shine. We ought to always get a hold of this truth in today's psalm and never let it leave our consciousness. We will eventually come face to face with our Creator, and the time is now to make a conscious move to be in touch with this truth. There is no sense in brooding or crying over spilled milk. We should always believe that God will always fill our glasses to the brim and overflowing. We can always count on the Lord's help at all times. There was, is or will never be a time when the Lord abandons the poor, the afflicted, those in sorrow and misery. It is just a matter of trusting and hoping always in the Lord. Our devotion to God should have no limits for He is Almighty, All Powerful and Holy. We should remain faithful to God and never stray away from the path where He leads us. Let us stay within the flock that God has formed for us. When we are being cared for by God who is constantly and consistently good, kind and faithful forever and ever then we are confident that we are safe and secure in the fold where we belong like a flock tended by the Good Shepherd. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

R: We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; 2 serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful song. (R) 3 Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; give thanks to him; bless his name. 5 For he is good, the LORD, whose kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness, to all generations.

I know that whatever caused some things to happen the way they did, Jesus wants to make it clear that He can bring back to life whatever it is that died whether it be physical, emotional or every aspect of our lives that is subject to death. For nothing is too difficult or impossible for God. In the light of today’s gospel I would also like to share this reflection in Didache which has really touched me entitled, COMING SOON.

The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. – Luke 7:15

Luigi and Mela have been waiting for a child since they got married many years ago. But they wouldn’t get pregnant. They tried everything humanly possible. “Lord, how long do we have to wait? Will this child ever come?” they prayed.

Austin was the blackest of the sheep. Booze? He drank the place dry. Drugs? He didn’t let a chance pass. Women? He had plenty. Monica, his mother, would cry her way to sleep while praying for his conversion. She did this for 39 years.

It’s never over till God says it’s over. It’s time to believe again. God says, “I can still bring that dream to life.” Are you in a major setback? With God you can turn it into a set up for a greater comeback!

Don’t be surprised if you see Luigi and Mela kiss a handsome boy crashing the drums to heavenly music. Their son, Sean, is now in high school! By the way, the agonizing mother Monica has a longer name now: Saint Monica. And her son Austin’s real name is Augustine — Saint Augustine , to be exact, the great theologian and doctor of the church.

Their time has come. And yours is coming!  Jon Escoto (faithatworkjon@gmail.com)

REFLECTION:

You have been confronted by obstacles that have been there year after year. Are you ready to give up?   Keep the faith, friend. You might be quitting one day too soon.

I want to believe again, Lord. Breathe life into my faith that my time is coming.

Luke 7:11-17

...13 When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother...