HAPPY NEW YEAR

We have always heard priests use these words in today’s 1st reading to pronounce a blessing to the church people usually during the end of the mass. It always give us a feeling of unexplainable joy and peace in our heart even at times when we just read it and chance upon it in most religious cards, prayer books and the like. Thus, we have always felt good about it. Now we know why. These very words according to the 1st reading are the Lord’s words to Moses, thousands of generations before and still hold the same efficacy that goes with God’s spoken word. It never loses its impact and meaning even up to the present time. Peace is a gift that we get from Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God and through Him we become sons and daughters of God not of the world. The Word became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature":(2 Pet 1:4) "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God." "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God." "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods." (Catechism of the Catholic Church 460) When Jesus unlike Adam who did not trust, assumed human nature and became obedient to the Father to death, He gave man a new beginning. As we are off to start this new year we can start anew with Jesus Christ and begin it with Him. We may never know what the future holds for us but we know that God holds our future. Let us start the year 2017 right and receive God's blessing as stated twice in today's first reading. Amen. Hallelujah!

Numbers 6:22-27

22 The Lord said to Moses: 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 The Lord bless you and keep you! 25 The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! 26 The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! 27 So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

God has indeed demonstrated his love and mercy to us in so many ways for always. Sometimes we tend to overlook and take it for granted. What I have been writing and sharing these past years since 2007 made me realize to not overlook nor take for granted the very obvious fact that God never leaves, forsakes nor abandon us 100% of the time.  Just looking back at what happened from the moment I started to commit to writing reflections up to the present makes me see very clearly the significance of those events in my life in relation to the life of Jesus here on earth. This is not just for me but is a calling for all of us who believes in Jesus the Son of God who became man. In October 7, 2007 which I mark as my 1st day, I received this message from Habakkuk 2:2-3, Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision Clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. It all started with the realization that I am headed for the unknown especially with frightening consequences that followed when I found out some information that are not in accordance to my personal plans and expectation. After careful thought of these series of events it impressed several significant occasions related to the scriptures and the life of Jesus. I decided to document all my reflections as recommended in Habakkuk. Thanks to Jesus being presented to us in every possible and even impossible means especially at times when we encounter trials and difficulties. Every turn of events should make us think of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus who was born as man, suffered, died and resurrected on the 3rd day. These things should really open up a lot of thoughts in our hearts. It proves that we have a God who constantly wants to connect with us in countless and various ways. In God's persistence He has to repeatedly announce His blessing upon us so that we will be surely reminded of how much He wishes to make us prosper for this year 2017. In Romans 8:14-15 it is written, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!" We can give glory and praise to God right from where we are. All we have to do is be faithful to the One and True God. We may not be living in that time of the Maccabees when the Jews were forced to embrace pagan practices. It was at that time when the ruler of the land wanted to eliminate Jewish tradition and replace it with Greek. When they failed to carry this out, Greek ways were imposed by force. This was at the time before Jesus came when Jerusalem was torn down. Anyone who owns a Torah and those who circumcise their children were sentenced to capital punishment. It was period of great struggle and difficulty. A man named Judas Maccabeus became the leader of a Jewish revolt against the repressive policies of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the king of Syria. He led the Jewish people in recapturing their temple from Syrian occupying forces in 164 B.C. preventing the imposition of Hellenism upon Judaea, and preserving the Jewish religion. Those who followed him arose and won in their struggle. The temple was reclaimed and purified from the stain of idolatry. Thus the institution of the Hanukkah (Festival of Lights) , when the temple was rededicated. We have to maintain our fidelity to the Lord. It is in doing this that we truly attain freedom by following and staying in the way of the Lord. We need a Helper in the person of God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit dwelling within us should be unleashed in order to dispel all kinds of darkness in order to see God's face shining upon us. All our thoughts, words and deeds should be directed to giving praise and honor to God. It may sound so easy to say but it is not an easy thing to do. But we must realize that directing it to anyone or anything other than God makes it all the more difficult and complicated in the long run. We must not be tempted to make the short cut and take the easy and well travelled road. Most often people will choose this path but we may be surprised at what is waiting for us at the end of the road. We should choose the less travelled road although it is narrow and small. As in Mt. 7:13-14, “"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.”  Mother Mary serves as a special channel that God has given to humanity to receive His graces. It does not obscure or diminishes the one and only Mediator, Jesus Christ, rather she shows God's power even more. Jesus, the Son loves His mother and gives her the greatest grocery of graces in heaven. Mary totally depends on her Son as in the wedding feast in Cana by saying, "Do whatever He tells you." Mary knows that her Son is the ultimate source that's why she leads us to Him, the true Mediator. God Himself ordained that His only Begotten Son be born of a human mother through Mary's obedience and perfect surrender. When the angel appeared to Mary, he wasn't speaking his own thoughts and words. He was sent by God to speak God's words. In Greek, the Hail Mary is translated as Hail most highly graced one, meaning so completely graced. Mary truly is filled with God's grace. When God conceived Mary she was free from the stain of original sin. He is getting ready the 1st tabernacle of His Son here on earth. She is made holy, unstained and created in the fullness of grace. God has placed in Mary the fullness of grace. Mary conceived by her virginity and humility. It should be in our hearts to honor Mother Mary because the Son is within her body. The Father is in the Son. It is by grace that we are saved. Through Jesus and Mary all things are restored. Everything is possible with God. Who are we to defy the manner that God Himself has chosen for His Son to come to this world. This pattern of going to the Son through the mother is a fool proof plan after all it is the plan of God.  Do you feel at times that there is something that God can do for us that He has not done? I don't think so, He has done everything through Jesus Christ His Son. But if we sometimes feel this way then maybe it's time to check our blocked list and start unblocking those that keep us from receiving God's blessings.  This sharing by Bro. Bo Sanchez in Didache really touched me and I'm sure it will touch you, too.

BLESSING ACCOUNT

Imagine if one day I ask for your bank account number and tell you, “I’ve deposited one million dollars in your bank account.” Naturally, you’d laugh and say, “Sure, Bo. Thanks. That’s a good one.” Of course, you don’t believe I can give you a million bucks.

But let’s just say I really did put a million dollars in your account. Would you benefit from it?

No, you wouldn’t. Unless you believe that I really gave you a million dollars and withdrew it.

I believe God has deposited zillions of heaven’s resources to your Blessing Account. You’ve got all the love, joy, peace, wisdom, holiness and, yes — finances — that you need in this world to serve Him and live a happy life.

But much of these zillions of blessings are unclaimed because you say to yourself, “There are no blessings. God won’t bless me.”

Believe that your Blessing Account is full and withdraw from your account.

God created the entire universe for you — a universe of blessings that are only waiting to be claimed. Bo Sanchez

REFLECTION:                                             

Have you claimed from your Blessing Account?

Today, I claim from my Blessing Account all that I need. In Jesus’ name!

  

It boils down to one thing, only God can truly bless us in the most wonderful and everlasting way. Although God's mercy is enormous and endless, we should not take it for granted and think that we can do what we want right now in a wayward manner. It is only wise that we avail of God's mercy while we still can. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

R: May God bless us in his mercy.

1 [2] May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. 2 [3] So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. (R) 4 [5] May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide. (R) 5 [6] May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! 7 [8] May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

We could have succumbed to anxiety, anger, panic and drastic measures due to some things that happened to us. We could have justifications and rationalizations that things should have been resolved within a certain period and acted upon immediately. Though, it didn’t happen the way we wanted things to happen and may not understand well enough why things have to be delayed or stalled when it should have been resolved immediately. We should just always trust in God’s Divine Providence despite of some reasons still unknown to us at a particular time. For it will be revealed in the fullness of time that God has designed since there is a perfect time for everything in accordance to God’s Perfect Plan. Jesus is born of a woman. What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Jesus Christ. God sent His Son born of a woman and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us.  To become the mother of the Savior, Mary "was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role. Mary is Mother of God and this title protects the reality of the Incarnation. She is also the Mother of us all. We can experience her maternal love through our devotion to her. We are also her children in an ever present way with her union with God. Yahoo! Need I say more. Hooray for all of us who are heirs to the God's kingdom. May we give our best in proclaiming to each and every person that we are truly God's child in thought and in deed. Amen. Hallelujah!

Galatians 4:4-7

4 Brothers and sisters: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God.

We've seen and witnessed a lot of things in 2016 and years in the past. It is undeniable if we are constantly seeking God's help in our lives that we are able to make it through the past year all by God's grace, mercy and love. If we will just take time to really reflect on our lives we will be amazed of what we will find out especially of the message that God wanted us to hear and know about. Once we’ve known of these things we will surely keep it close to our hearts. May we like Mary keep and reflect always in our hearts the truth about Jesus that we have been confronted with from the very beginning and for all eternity. What happened to us in the past can be an occasion when we could identify with the shepherds in today’s gospel who returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. To whom do we entrust the things in our lives? Do we trust in our own understanding and capabilities more than we do God? Just like us, Mary had a lot of things going on in her life back then and most of them she did not exactly know where it’s going to lead her but her faith in God kept her going joyfully and securely. It pays to always spend time for some reflections of the heart. And we can learn a lot from Mary’s attitude of being reflective of the things happening to her as in today’s gospel. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.  All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 

HOLY FAMILY

 The Sacrament of Matrimony reflects God's desire to be in a relationship with man. This is how we should look at marriage instead of just a union between man and woman, God should be at the center. It is very sacred so when people petition for marriage annulment cases several things are investigated, 1. whether it’s defective consent there was defective diriment impediment or a defective form. In a formal marriage annulment case usually it’s a defective consent. In such case the direction of the tribunal would like to know whether the spouse has an intention against children.  There are 4 goods of marriage and one of those goods is to have children. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1643 "Conjugal love involves a totality, in which all the elements of the person enter - appeal of the body and instinct, power of feeling and affectivity, aspiration of the spirit and of will. It aims at a deeply personal unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and soul; it demands indissolubility and faithfulness in definitive mutual giving; and it is open to fertility. In a word it is a question of the normal characteristics of all natural conjugal love, but with a new significance which not only purifies and strengthens them, but raises them to the extent of making them the expression of specifically Christian values."  The openness to children is one of the essential parts of marriage. If a party chooses marriage and somehow chooses in some way to avoid having children to frustrate the marital act to exclude children from inception through to end then that’s an invalid marriage. It’s a  great starting point for the tribunal to investigate. This is a canonical opinion from a canon lawyer and to find out whether the marriage is invalid or valid there is a need to petition a tribunal where a person resides.   No relationship in this world can last if God is not in the middle. We always have to put God in the center of everything. Today is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. God freely created without constraint as He made us in His image and likeness. He made us all come to this world and be part of a family. The family is the foundation and the fundamental cell of society. God's view of a family is beautiful. We have to live and act this out by giving to each other totally in our family as we express and receive it. We all hope and pray that our families will be blessed by the same love that bonded Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14

 God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons. 3 Whoever honors his father atones for sins; and preserves himself from them. 4 When he prays, he is heard; he stores up riches who reveres his mother. 5 Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children, and when he prays he is heard. 6 Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he obeys the LORD who brings comfort to his mother. 12 My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives. 13 Even if his mind fail, be considerate with him; revile him not all the days of his life; 14 kindness to a father will not be forgotten, it will serve as a sin offering-it will take lasting root.

 One of the purposes of marriage is for procreation. When we enter into it we should be open to having children and the responsibilities that go with it. We always have to put God in the center of everything. It is a very challenging task and we need to know how to really walk in God's ways in order to live a happy and favored life. There is only one thing needed and that is to follow the ways of the Lord. Whenever we come to a point in our lives when we encounter trials and difficulties and standing up firm in our faith in God seems to be an impossibility then all the more should we remain faithful and true to God. The psalm reading tells us exactly why. This fear being spoken of in today's psalm is the holy fear of the Lord and is different from other kinds of fear that we know. It's more of the kind of fear that is coupled with respect and is the beginning of wisdom as written in Proverbs 1:7. We have to be perfectly aware of this and strive to maintain it within ourselves so as not to lose sight of this aspect of God's Holiness. Over the years, the olive has been the symbol of peace, wisdom, glory, fertility, power and pureness. The olive tree and olives are mentioned over 30 times in the Bible, in both the New and Old Testaments. It is one of the first plants mentioned in the Bible, and one of the most significant. For example, it was an olive leaf that a dove brought back to Noah to demonstrate that the flood was over. The Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem is mentioned several times. Olive oil has long been considered sacred; it was used to anoint kings and athletes in ancient Greece. It was burnt in the sacred lamps of temples as well as being the "eternal flame" of the original Olympic Games. Victors in these games were crowned with its leaves. Today, it is still used in many religious ceremonies. Today's psalm mentions and compares children to olive plants. We have always been awed by such great affection a mother has for her child. We've seen a lot of things throughout time that attest to this. I am a mother myself and I have done things beyond my capacity because of how much I love my children.  This love of mothers for their brood grows into something very special which explains why they are referred to or likened to olive plants around the table. Let us hope and pray that the Lord will continue to look after our families. No matter how difficult this year is, for our families we have to be confident in God's assurance in today's Psalm reading. If we truly believe that we have an Extraordinary and Awesome God then we, too must be willing to take on the challenge of doing something out of the ordinary and really get out of our way to live out what God calls us to do. Nothing is ever wasted for it has always been proven throughout all generations that those who follow and obey the Lord will surely be blessed not only today but all the days of our lives. We really have to always start with the basics, keep it simple and really get down with the real stuff. We've got to take things one step at a time. We know for a fact that we humans have a tendency to make things complicated.  We know exactly why. It is because we want to make excuses, create our own rules and get away with it. God tries to make it as simple as possible for us but we just don't want it His way because we've got to have it our own way. That's when the problem starts. It is always easier said than done but we've got to take God's word for it. I like the writing on the shirts of my son, Jude and these young people when they attended the YFC (Youth for Christ) Youth Camp. It says, "It's not about me, it's all about God." It's right on target and what it is all about. For in the end and to top it all, it will all come down to us as a blessing and favor from God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R: Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

1 Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways! 2 For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; happy shall you be, and favored. (R) 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table...may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

It is always for the best to consult scriptures and be guided by it.  Let us pray that we all find ourselves bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit as we commit to not only the duties and responsibilities we owe our families but to love them wholeheartedly. It is always for the best to consult scriptures and be guided by it.  Today's 2nd reading gives us good instructions as to how we become better Christians every day. As we constantly do this and develop in ourselves a love for it we will just be surprised as to how we will see the words of God take its form through our experiences and come alive in us. It is through our total surrender and acceptance of God’s will in our lives that we can experience perfect peace. No amount of disturbance or chaos should ever push us to the brink of doubt and despair. We should always have the confidence that if God brings us to it, He will bring us through it. The will of God will never take us where the grace of God will not protect us.  We must not give in to sadness or desperation for what we are going through today. God knows how we feel and knows exactly with perfection what is being allowed to happen at this precise moment. God’s purpose 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.  I would like to quote the words of William Faulkner, “I have found that the greatest help in meeting any problem with decency and self respect and whatever courage is demanded is to know where you yourself stand. That is to have in words what you believe and are acting from.” For this we should continue to carry on and maintain in ourselves the things Paul that is saying in today’s 2nd reading. Amen. Hallelujah!

Colossians 3:12-21

12 Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. 14 And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,...

Jesus is born in a family. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. We are reminded of the truth of the greatness and dignity of human family. We are invited to go back to Nazareth where Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived as a Holy Family and contemplate its sacredness and holiness. As we travel through life and encounter struggles in life that leaves us wounded may we always hold on to these values that the Holy Family teaches us. As Pope Benedict XVI describes the Holy Family as fully engaged in the desire to do the will of God and put the Kingdom of God first. We should imitate the fiat of Mary, "Let it be done according to God's word." and the obedience of Joseph as he was directed by an angel. It was through the obedience of St. Joseph and his courage to do what has to be done that he cooperated in God's plan of salvation for us through the Lord Jesus Christ His Son. It tells us to always commit to the family through its ups and downs. It demands sacrifice and heartfelt compassion. In humble obedience to this we can always call upon the grace of God in times of difficulty in order to endure and persevere. As Pope John Paul II said, human suffering clears the way for the grace that transforms. Jesus Himself lived as man and went through everything just like any human being.  We can unite our sufferings with Christ and take on a deeper meaning to appreciate its value. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 2:39-40

...He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazorean.”

FOWLER’S SNARE

It is very disheartening at times when we are confronted with the harsh realities of life. It is undeniable that the power of darkness and death is at work and tries to snuff out the light and take out life.  We encounter people who try to inflict guilt and torture upon the other person who try to be close to the Lord. It is ever present when we see love being extended and the response is hatred. We see this everyday and we ask ourselves why? People who respond in this way are in truth afraid and being threatened by something they don't really understand. They choose to respond and allow what is opposite to the light to prevail. The real tragedy of this life is when we do not let the light of our lives shine. We need to be in touch with this passage from today's 1st reading and respond and live it with its full meaning. There is a need for us to do the right thing not just know and say it. Although what is written below is a very simple guideline that is easy to understand, it needs to be followed diligently. If we will always make a conscious effort to live the words of God and take it seriously by acting on it then we can be assured that whatever happens, whether good or bad, is within the radiance of His light and can dispel all darkness. Amen. Hallelujah!

 1 John 1:5–2:2

...God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. 10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 2: 1 My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. 2 He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

Today's psalm reading reminds me of several occasions in my life when I almost got bitten by a dog. So I know exactly how it feels to be in that situation when you are face to face with some kind of danger and don't know what to do but just wait for that impending doom. And I am also aware of the unexplainable feeling of joy and relief when you are spared from it. It is of greatest consolation knowing that we have a God who is always ready to rescue us in times like these. Time and again, history has always displayed the undeniable mighty power of God in each and every generation from the time of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and up to the present time. We should be able to see how God is working in us in the same way that He did for our ancestors. The life of the patriarchs and the prophets should serve as a constant reminder that God is faithful and always come to our rescue. We are challenged by God to always conduct ourselves according to what is  pleasing in His eye. It is important that we always reflect in our lives the righteousness that the Lord God expects of us. Though, hard let us always equip ourselves with the Word of God and be constantly reminded that in Christ we can do everything,  Today's psalm speaks of the fowler's snare and stumbled on this sermon in the internet and felt the need to share some of the important points I got from it.

            Satan is the fowler who betrays unguarded souls. He is the arch-enemy of souls, the great deceiver and prince of the power of this world who always attempt to destroy us. The devil of this day is a well-spoken gentleman: he does not persecute—he rather attempts to persuade and to beguile. There are several ways a fowler attempts to take his birds.  First, the fowler's snare is intimately connected with secrecy. The fowler, when he goes after his birds, is very careful. Therefore the fowler carefully covers up his trap so that it is utterly ignorant of his intention to take it in the trap, little thinking that the food laid there for its banqueting is really placed there for its enticement and destruction. The temptations of the world are of this secret sort to a Christian and could often hear them say, if I were perfectly convinced of its wrongfulness, I would give it up. Sin is usually hidden, and the snare is not often made apparent. We have to take care of things that are secret and the common doings of the world.

In the second place, the snare of the fowler is generally noted for its adaptation. You do not find a fowler setting the same snare for one bird as for another; he knows his bird and he adapts his bait to it. The fowler is wise and he adapts his snare to the condition of the bird which he desires to take. Satan the fowler does just the same. He will always adapt his trap to his man, and his bait to his bird. He will not tempt you all with the same temptation he would tempt me with; nor me with the temptation with which he would naturally assail another. "The snare of the fowler." A cunning enemy we have to deal with; he knows our weak points; he has been dealing with men for these last six thousand years; he knows all about them. He is possessed of a gigantic intellect; though he be a fallen spirit and he is easily able to discover where our sore places are, and there it is he immediately attacks us. If we be like Achilles, and can not be wounded anywhere but in our heel, then at the heel he will send his dart, and nowhere else. He will find out our easily besetting sin, and there, if he can, he will attempt to work our ruin and our destruction.

In the next place, the fowler's snare is frequently connected with pleasure, profit, and advantage. In the bird's case it is for the seed scattered on the ground that he flies to the snare. It is some tempting bait which allures him to his death. And usually Satan; the fowler, uses a temptation wherewith to beguile us. "O!" says one, "I can not give up such-and-such a thing, it is so pleasant. Sir, you never knew the charms of such-and-such a pursuit, otherwise you could never advise me to relinquish it." Yes, my friend, but it is just the sweetness of it to you that makes it the more dangerous. Satan never sells his poisons naked; he always gilds them before he vends them. He knows very well that men will buy them and swallow them, if he does but gild them beforehand. Take care of pleasures; mind what you are at when you are at them. Many of them are innocent and healthful, but many of them are destructive. It is said that where the most beautiful cacti grow, there the most venomous serpents are to be found at the root of every plant. And it is so with sin. Your fairest pleasures will harbor your grossest sins. Take care; take care of your pleasures. Cleopatra's asp was introduced in a basket of flowers; so are our sins often brought to us in the flowers of our pleasures. Satan offers to the drunkard the sweetness of the intoxicating cup, which rejoices him, when his brain is rioting in frolic, and when his soul is lifted up within him. He offers to the lustful man the scenes and pleasures of carnal mirth, and merriment, and delight, and so he leadeth him astray with the bait, concealing the hook which afterwards shall pain him. He gives to you and to me, each of us, the offer of our peculiar joy; he tickleth us with pleasures, that he may lay hold upon us, and so have us in his power. I would have every Christian be especially on his guard against the very thing that is most pleasing to his human nature. I would not have him avoid every thing that pleases him, but I would have him be on his guard against it. Just like Job, when his sons had been feasting in their houses. He did not forbid them doing it, but he said, "I will offer a sacrifice, lest my sons should have sinned in their hearts, and should have cursed God foolishly." He was more careful over them at the time of their feasting than at any other season. Let us be the same. Let us remember that the snare of the fowler is generally connected with some pretended pleasure or profit, but that Satan's end is not our pleasing, but our destruction.

In the next place, sometimes the fowler very wisely employs the force of example. We all know the influence of the decoy-duck, in endeavoring to bring others into the snare. How very often Satan, the fowler, employs a decoy to lead God's people into sin! You get with a man; you think him to be a true Christian; you have some respect for his character; he is a high professor, can talk religion by the yard, and can give you any quantity of theology you like to ask for. You see him commit a sin; ten to one but you will do the same, if you have much respect for him; and so he will lead you on. And mark, Satan is very careful in the men whom he chooses to be decoys. He never employs a wicked man to be a decoy for a good man. It is very seldom, when Satan would decoy a Christian into a snare, that he makes use of an open reprobate. No; he makes use of a man who is pretendedly religious, and who looks to be of the same quality as yourself, and therefore entices you astray. Let a bad man meet me in the street, and ask me to commit sin! The devil knows better than to set him at any such work as that, because he knows I should pass by directly. If he wants his errand well done, he sends one to me whom I call brother; and so through the brotherhood of profession I am apt to give him credence and pay him respect; and then if he goeth astray, the force of example is very powerful, and so I may easily be led into the net too. Take care of your best friends; be careful of your companions. Choose the best you can; then follow them no further than they follow Christ. Let your course be entirely independent of every one else. Say with Joshua, let others do what they will, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord."

Note, once more, that sometimes the fowler, when he faileth to take his bird by deceit and craft, will go a hawking after it—will send his hawk into the air, to bring down his prey. It often happens, when the devil can not ruin a man by getting him to commit a sin, he attempts to slander him; he sends a hawk after him, and tries to bring him down by slandering his good name. Do with the slanderous hawk what the little birds do, just fly up. The hawk can not do them any hurt while they can keep above him—it is only when they come down that he can injure them. It is only when by mounting he gets above the birds, that the hawk comes sweeping down upon them, and destroys them. If any slander you, do not come down to them; let them slander on. By the grace of God, let them say what they please against you, never answer, but go straight on. All shall end well, if the character be but kept clean; the more dirt that is thrown on it by slander, the more its shall glisten, and the more brightly it shall shine. The surest way in the world to get rid of a slander is just to let it alone and say nothing about it, for if you prosecute the rascal who utters it, or if you threaten him with an action, and he has to apologize, you will be no better off—some fools will still believe it. Let it alone—let it keep as it is; and so God will help you to fulfill by your wisdom his own promise, Let us bless God that it is written, "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler."

We should stop doing the sinful thing that we really don't want to do because we have already been saved. We are no longer bound to the yoke of sin and death, we are free. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Psalm 124:2-3. 4-5. 7b-8

R: Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

2 Had not the LORD been with us — when men rose up against us, 3 then would they have swallowed us alive. When their fury was inflamed against us. (R) 4 Then would the waters have overwhelmed us; the torrent would have swept over us; 5 over us then would have swept the raging waters. (R) 7 Broken was the snare, and we were freed. 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents which is the massacre of innocent babies as ordered by King Herod. He was threatened by a poor baby and ordered the killing of innocent children. We can see how ridiculous it was for someone like him to do such a heinous crime for fear of a baby. We may not be killing innocent babies but when we act in a way that we reject Christ and what He stands for then we are no different from Herod. He is afraid when a baby is born and think that his kingdom will be taken away from him. When we are afraid or get threatened about something we end up doing things that we sometimes don’t really want to do nor understand why we do it. In the process we find ourselves left with nothing and lose everything we even thought of killing or dying for.  We look at the fate of Herod. He slew innocent babies because of fear in his heart that slew him instead by seeking to murder life itself. It presents to us a painful reality that is still happening today in the killing of the unborn in abortion clinics all over the world. The gospel speaks of the need for the Holy Family to flee to Egypt, a foreign land. It presented to us a scenario of the Holy Family running away from the pursuit of Herod who wants the baby Jesus dead and migrating to a place for safety, unknown to them in every way being Jewish in culture and perhaps not so welcoming, I suppose. It also spoke of the difficulties and hardships their family had to go through and made it so real for us who all belong to a family of our own, too.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph left a clear, real and perfect picture of a family totally aligned to God's will in the midst of all the cruelties and dangers brought about by this world.  These challenges may come in different forms that can bring about our share of sorrows in life.  Encountering them and knowing that we have the guidance of the Holy Family for us to live by makes all the difference. The death of the holy innocents was not in vain because in death they preached what their young mouths could not utter. The Holy Innocents enjoyed the kind of death that gives way to heavenly bliss and eternal joy. It was surely a gruesome death; but we see now that it was also a glorious death. Holy Innocents, little angels in heaven,

pray for us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 2:13-18

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. ...When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, 

RIGHT THING & TIME IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES

My mother has always been someone who conveys her thoughts through words of wisdom. I grew up always having a regular dose of her favorite sayings. Even if she is already angry she could still manage to think of something wise to say in the form of idioms and popular quotes. There are so many things we wanted to say but we sometimes run out of the proper words to say it. Or it could also be that we sometimes find it difficult to express something in its full context we just have to resort to a more creative means of saying it. I must say that my mother is one of the most creative people I have known. Although my mother passed away quite a long time ago, she has left me with something to always remember her by. She was never lacking in sharing and conveying to us important lessons in life that a mother ought to teach her children. This is why today's 1st reading suddenly reminded me of her because just like John she did what she ought to do in proclaiming God's glory to all the beloved so that our joy may be complete. Aside from being a woman of great faith in God, she definitely knows to say the right things at the right time in all the right places. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 John 1:1-4

...what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

We don't want to be losers here in this life, don't we? All the more should we not want to be losers in the next life for eternity. We have a God who fights our battles and we are assured of His victory already. We should all be well aware of God’s angels that surround us and are sent by God to us to always light, guide, rule and guard. It is just a matter of persevering and committing to the task that we are all called to fulfill. To live a life of faith in words, thoughts and deeds in our Lord Jesus Christ who lived, died and resurrected all for our sake. Erase all doubts and be faithful to the One God who is most high above every other god. We should develop an image of God that is fitting to Him as described in today's psalm. We should always acknowledge that without God we are nothing and God's power over us can only go as far as we allow Him to. Nothing else matters more than this truth that we have a God who is high over all the earth and exalted far above all gods. There are significant events in our life that we can associate with certain major decisions we made and can never forget. The place where we are right now is exactly where God wants us to be. If God brings us here then He will bring us through it. God knows exactly and with perfection what is being allowed to happen to us in our life 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 where we are now. That's God, He passes us through a lot of things for us to see His glory. We all long to become a member or even be identified with groups and associations that hold a good name and reputation. It helps us in many ways and keeps us abreast with the latest trends in our profession for example. It could be considered an asset and we would definitely not leave it out from our resume because it speaks well of us. There are even associations that require us to fulfill certain requirements in order to qualify. We even have to go out of our way and make some sacrifices such as go through rigid screening, pass certain examinations and maintain certain units in order to comply with the qualifications. All of these we are willing to do and make ourselves able just to belong. Considering that these are all earthly memberships that could only last a lifetime. What about eternal memberships that continue even after this life is over? To be a part of the Kingdom where our Lord is King is the ultimate goal we should all set our eyes on. Whenever we are faced with problems and difficulties in life we should always find consolation in a God whom nothing is lost for He knows and sees all. We may still not be in perfect shape for the Lord but God is constantly at work in those who are just and upright of heart.  We have all the reasons to rejoice and be glad knowing that we have a God who is just. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12

R: Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

...The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. (R) 11 Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart.

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 many 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. Today we celebrate the feast of St. John the Apostle. 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 20:1a, 2-8

...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. 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."...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.