Letter to the Hebrews 11,1-7.
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence
of things not seen...
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...But without faith it is impossible to please him, for
anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those
who seek him...By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death,
and “he was found no more because God had taken him.” Before he was taken up,
he was attested to have pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to
please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that
he rewards those who seek him.
There is really none like our God. We can have all the
things that this world can offer but in the end we will still be wanting and
not satisfied if we do not have God in the center of our life. The Lord has
always been faithful and not a single moment would He ever not be. We should
have the confidence always of a beloved child of God and the honor of being on
top of God's creation. The Lord is always ready to extend His help and shower
His blessings on us, His people. The question is, are we willing to accept His
help and stay within the circle of His blessings? This question is very
critical and sometimes left unanswered, neglected and taken for granted. When
we choose to continue in the path that does not lead us closer to God the
answer is clear, it is a no. When we direct our actions in things that draw us
closer to God then it is a yes. If this is so true for us then we ought to do
as the psalm reading today tells us. All our thoughts, words and actions should
reflect how great our God is. As humans we tend to downplay God's role in our
life because we subject our experiences to human terms and conditions. We are
still bound by the limitations of this world we are in and we can't help it. We
sometimes just go with the flow and get carried away by the pressures imposed
to us by our present and existing situations. Our study of World History tells
us of the different and various kinds of kingdoms and dynasties which ruled
throughout the length of time. None of the most famous and powerful of these
kingdoms still stand today and remain as influential to the entire world as it
used to be. This tells us one thing that earthly kingdoms will eventually cease
to exist. Only God's Kingdom prevails for eternity. Sometimes we might even
have to come to a point when we look and sound strange for others or even suffer the ridicule of not
just others but the very people who comprise our circle of close family,
relatives and friends. What matters most is that we ought to give God what He
rightly deserves, to be extolled and praised forever. Today's psalm tells us
that we owe God more than just plain courtesy for His goodness. Whenever we
watch box office hit super hero movies, news about it spread like wildfire and
the promotion for it is international that almost everybody around the globe
gets to know about it and watch it. If only we can devote that same fervor and
enthusiasm in spreading word about the greatest Super Hero of all times, Jesus
and make a decision to watch His life unfold and be part of our own, then we
can someday be a part of God's great Kingdom in Heaven. If we truly desire this
then we should always be mindful of the words of God written in the bible since
it is indeed what its acronym stands for which is B - basic I-instructions
B-before L-leaving E-earth. It is very important that we have read and
understood well what is written in the bible before we exit this world. This
reminds me of the video games that my sons used to play. When they finish one
level they have to enter into the next level which is more difficult and so on
and so forth until they reach the ultimate task and win the final battle. It
was like they needed to be well prepared and more skillful for each level. This
somehow reminds us of how we should approach our final day here on earth. The
gate of heaven has been opened and made accessible for us, there is no question
about it but the question is, "Are we ready and able to go through
it?" As in Eph. 6:13, "Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil
day and, having done everything, to hold your ground." Another thing is we
have no idea when will that day come because we really do not know the time or
the hour. One thing for sure, the only way to go through it is by being well
prepared for it. Thus I wanted to share this story which I got from an email.
Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.
He loved the 4th wife the most and adored her with rich
robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the
best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing
her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would
leave him for another.
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was
always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a
problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the
difficult times.
The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made
great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not
love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of
her!
One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short.
He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me,
but when I die, I'll be all alone.'
Thus, he asked the 4th wife , 'I loved you the most, endowed
you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm
dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'
'No way!', replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without
another word.
Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.
The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, 'I loved you all my
life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'
'No!', replied the 3rd wife. 'Life is too good! When you
die, I'm going to remarry!'
His heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, 'I have always turned to you for
help and you've always been there for me.
When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?'
'I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!', replied the
2nd wife. 'At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.'
Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King
was devastated.
Then a voice called out: 'I'll go with you. I'll follow you
no matter where you go.'
The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was
very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect.
Greatly grieved, the King said, 'I should have taken much better
care of you when I had the chance!'
In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:
Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort
we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we
die, it will all go to others.
Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much
they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the
grave.
And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of
wealth, power and pleasures of the world.
However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us
wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only
part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout
Eternity. Amen. Hallelujah!
Responsorial Psalm PS 145:2-3,
4-5, 10-11
R. (see 1) I will praise your
name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you, and
I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be
praised; his greatness is unsearchable. R. Generation after generation praises
your works and proclaims your might. They speak of the splendor of your
glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works. R. Let all your works give you
thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones
bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might. R.
We should fully trust the voice of Jesus who dwells in us
through the Holy Spirit. If there are times when we get confused and don't know
anymore what to do, whom to listen and where to go just feel the very depths of
our heart as we pray and He will never hesitate nor withhold the answers we
seek. He is not a God who misleads, confuses and causes chaos. There is a time
for everything. All we have to do is kneel down before the foot of the cross
and we will surely find the answers. Let our hearts talk and do the work to
fully understand His instructions to us. May we be able to learn the art of
silence and just listen and meditate on the Word of God. There are some things
that our mind can not fully explain and understand. Each one of us during our
lifetime have experienced unbelievable things wrought by God's mighty hand that
are beyond our understanding and comprehension. We shouldn't be surprised at
all if we truly believe that our life is in the hands of a God who is Almighty,
Immortal and Holy. Today’s gospel invites us to look deeply into the
transfiguration of Jesus. This corresponds to the 1st transformation
in the womb of the Blessed Mother when the glory of God penetrated humanity.
This transformation happened without any harm coming on Christ’s Divine
nature. This communication of divinity
is the immediate prelude of the resurrection. We long and have a deep desire to
live and see at the very moment of our death this same glorious sight that the
disciples saw although with holy fear and an awe of God that we want to live in
perfect union with Him. We see God’s face that shines forth and with clothes
dazzling white. We think of the very garments worn by Jesus made by Mary. We
ask Mary to intercede for us and plead to her son that each of us will be
transformed into the likeness of His son just as Jesus Himself was woven in the
flesh of her own body. The transfiguration
is true of us when we experience deification after the 2nd coming.
Our features will not be distorted but glorified just as in the person of
Jesus. He did not lose the substance of his flesh but showed forth an addition
of brightness. Our bodies will be renewed in the way Jesus is. We will be
brought to a state of perfection, surrounded by the glory of God not only at
the level of our souls but also in the level of our bodies. Jesus is one Divine
Person with 2 natures, the divine son who by merit of his Incarnation assumed
our human nature. He exists united, with human and divine nature which is what
we profess in the Apostle’s Creed every Sunday. He takes the aspect of
suffering and humiliation when He underwent death in his human nature but in
his divinity resurrected in glory for He is life Himself. His glory in
transfiguration as a human person is not abolished or absorbed by His divinity
nor did His humanity hide His Divinity. When Jesus became man He did not in any
way lost any of His Divine nature. He is always complete, fully divine and
fully human and always in full and total operation, both natures are together
and miraculously joined in the person of Jesus Christ. His divinity is not
evacuated but divinity communicated. He
shares to us his divinity and makes us partakers as in Romans 8:16-17, The
Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if
children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we
suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. God alone can transfigure our lives and make
it beautiful. Thus the gospel for today also holds a special meaning to me in
relation to my son. He wrote an essay a couple of years ago to fulfill one of
the requirements for his College entrance exam. Here is what he wrote.
-When I was in elementary (4th grade) and wanted to be a
part of the basketball team of our school. I tried out many times but I always
get cut because I am not physically fit, I was really fat back then. I was
really determined to join the team and I decided to lose weight and get fit. I
exercised daily and lessened my food intake and from 160lbs I became 120lbs. On
the first term of my 1st year in high school, I tried out again for the team
and I got accepted but the league that I am suppose to play in was in the 3rd
term. I became really sad that the coach didn’t recognize my determination and
talent. And then the most unexpected thing happened to me, during our PE class
which was swimming, I got a perfect score in our practical test in diving. My
teacher talked to me about my potential in becoming a strong swimmer and asked
me if I would want to join the team, at first I was hesitant in joining because
I didn’t really know how to swim but when my teacher said that he would teach
me all of the strokes, I immediately accepted his offer. At the start of my
training in swimming, I had a really hard time. My coach said that it’s normal
because I haven't been swimming for a long time already and my body is not yet
used to it. But he assured me that eventually I will soon get the hang of it.
And so I did train hard and enjoyed at the same time, I joined competitions and
it was in my 4th competition that I got my very first medal. And now that I am
in my 4th year in High School, I was appointed by our coach to be the Team
Captain. In those years I have learned that you must persevere in order to
attain your goal. I just wanted to be a part of the basketball team but because
of persevering it turned out to be more than I expected because now I am
already the Team Captain of the swimming team.
When I was a child
about 7years old, I used to idolize the cartoon character Tarzan. His family
lived in the jungle, but his parents were killed when he was still young and
the gorillas were the ones who took care of him. I was really captured by the
movie and I used to watch it everyday, over and over again. And then one
afternoon, after eating lunch, I got so hyper that I copied the moves of
Tarzan. In our garage we had a lot of cases of beer for my dad’s business. I
climbed the cases of beer about a storey high. I lost my footing and I fell
from it. It was really high that I just closed my eyes and then all I heard
were the crashes of the bottles and cases. And then felt that my body was flat
on the ground. And then I heard my mom screaming. When I opened my eyes I was
already surrounded by glass splinters.
The shirt that I was wearing was bedecked with broken glasses. It looked like
it was stuck there forever and can no longer be used so my mom just threw it
away. I was all wet with beer and really smelled of alcohol but aside from that
all I got was a small scratch in my chin. I saw my mother’s face and she was
crying so hard, she kept on asking me “Are you okay? Where does it hurt?” and I
just said to her that I am okay and she has nothing to worry about. I got up
and took a shower then I slept. When I woke up, I saw my mother crying while
praying and then I said to her that I would join in praying. From that day on I
have always prayed almost everyday. I made it a point that I would always talk
to God and thank Him for His blessings everyday. From a kid who watches Tarzan,
I became a man who have a big faith in God. End of his sharing.
When I read this I was in tears. I praised and thanked God
for the personal transfiguration process of my son at a very young age and
still at work even in the present. Amen. Hallelujah!
Mark 9:2-13
2 Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high
mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his
clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with
Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He
hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. 7 Then a cloud came, casting a
shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son.
Listen to him.”
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