The word holy has become confined to the narrow mindset of some people. There is a tendency to qualify as holy only the things that are obviously related to it. But God in His broadmindedness and vast goodness can always see in its entirety and qualify what is truly holy in the godliest sense of the word. The time is now to answer God's call to holiness. We are all called to a universal love. We should work for a heart that does not harbor ill feelings and dwells on retaliation and revenge. This is something we all struggle with because human nature wants to retaliate and take vengeance. It is not a Christian attitude that we want to get back at the person, talk about them and delight in their vices and misfortunes. Although talking about our heartaches can help us bear our burdens it should be with a view to get beyond it and not just sit on it nor cherish a grudge as to make much of it. When we nurse resentments and retell the story of what has been done to us we are just torturing ourselves. This is especially true when a certain person reminds us of a wound in the past then it becomes just like pouring salt in it. This aggravates the situation and makes us want to retaliate. When we do, we make it as false idols because we disobey God’s law and give in to our feelings and emotions. As Christians we are called to let it go. God can liberate us from the bondage of evil and get beyond it by His grace. During this Lenten season we can take advantage of it to refocus ourselves and know our ultimate goal and priority should always be to please God. We should be imitators of God because we are all created in His image and likeness (Gen.1:26). We too are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). We may come up with all kinds of excuses not to be the person God has meant us to be and live up to it but we only have ourselves to blame for this. We have been well equipped in all aspects to bring out the best in each of us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Book of Leviticus 19,1-2.11-18.
The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.
It always pays to be watchful and alert at all times. Although we sometimes fail to measure up due to our own shortcomings or could be the doing of another, God assures us in today's psalm that if we fall into the trap of the enemy we can always repent with a deep remorse for our sins and resolve to make the precepts of the Lord the joy of our hearts. In doing so, we find ourselves naturally restrained from sin and maintain our innocence. It is so hard to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord if we do not know exactly how to go about with it. It's just like when we have to comply to certain requirements in school and follow the standard set by it. We need to have a pattern or outline from which we can base our work. Just as it is so in other things, the more we are all in need of God's precepts. The absolute bedrock of spiritual life is to follow the 10 commandments. We are sometimes misled into thinking that when we have a type of prayer then we think that we already have a spiritual life. We’ve got to have the humility to admit that God is smarter than we are and we need to follow and obey what we are told in the 10 commandments. We should be totally and absolutely convinced that He knows best. Satan uses half truths and half lies in his devilish tricks. Satan’s claims seem to come true in one level. Take the example of our 1st parents after eating of the forbidden fruit their eyes were opened and did become in one sense like God. The fallen angels made their free choice by radically and irrevocably rejecting God so in turn they seduce and mislead Adam & Eve. It was through sin that humanity was afflicted by death. Because of one man’s disobedience many were made sinners. When tempted in the Garden, Adam failed to remain faithful to God and His commands. Jesus, the New Adam, is God’s servant totally obedient to the Divine will. Jesus is the devil’s conqueror and takes back the plunder. What the devil has stolen from us, Jesus has recovered for us. Pope Benedict XVI commented about what the Lord experienced in the desert and said that at the heart of all temptations is the act of pushing God aside because we conceive Him as secondary. It is an act of constructing our world with our own lights and building our own foundation and setting God aside as an allusion. Temptations come in many varied forms but one thing is sure, it does not invite us to directly do evil because it is too blatant and would outright turn us off. It is very subtle and yet an act of pushing God’s commands aside and placing the devil’s temptation as primary. If we want to remain victorious throughout life, we have to keep Him in the center of our life and hold on to His words which are Spirit and life. God’s ever present help can be found in the scriptures. It's just like a soldier going to battle wearing the armor of God. It never fails and always there to defend and protect from the snares of the evil one. So always take up our sword which is the word of God. God's perfect word can refresh the soul. Have you ever wondered really how it feels to be refreshed? Whenever we take a shower or a warm bath and put on clothes that are well fitted and comfortable it refreshes our body. It could also be whenever we go to a place where we can unwind, relax, be away from the tensions, stresses, noise and turmoil of the fast paced lives that we lead and just appreciate the beauty of nature that surrounds us and the peace and quiet it offers to our tired bodies in order to be more in touch with God's voice in us. It is so refreshing it gives our minds and hearts a better view and perspective of how to live our lives. The same thing with our souls, we should always keep it clean, healthy and clothed with maximum security, protection but comfortable enough we don't even know it's there. Like it has become fused in us, there's nothing more right than following and obeying the law of God. Today's psalm reading guides us on how we should go about with our lives by always keeping in mind God's laws. None of us is perfect but through our imperfections we can always run to God for help and guidance. He will never refuse nor forsake us for He can only love and care for us. There are people who have alienated themselves from God and we can’t just force them to go back. God does not do that, it’s not how the Lord works, instead we pray and pray for them. If we wait long enough and adhere to God’s precepts then we will finally obtain joy in our hearts. As water prevails over the rock throughout the course of time so does the Holy Spirit that is continuously flooding or washing over the man’s heart. The Holy Spirit moves in and continues to work upon us and tenderizes us. The song entitled, "Your Words Are Spirit and Life" by Bernadette Farrell was impressed to me. It is a beautiful song that I have always loved to sing and I just realized that the words of this song are taken from this psalm which made me start singing it. Well, we just have to fully discover what the words of God can make us do. When things get out of hand we have no one to blame but ourselves for God is surely not lacking in everything that He has given us for our own welfare. We've got everything we need because there's nothing more that God could and should do for us that He has not done. All we have to do is completely trust and obey the judgments of the Lord. GOD'S LAW MAKES US LIVE A VIRTUOUS LIFE (CCC 1803 "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.") May we truly recognize the genuine and precious treasures that we should all strive to achieve and work for which is none other than these things spoken of in today's psalm. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15
R: Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
7 [8] The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. (R) 8 [9] The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. (R) 9 [10] The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. (R) 10 [11] They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.
We really have to take charge of our lives and be focused on what we really want. If we want the inheritance of God then let's work our way to it. He is both Lord of the universe who loves us and would judge us. In the gospel today it is written that goats would be separated from the sheep. This is because goats rarely do what they are told to do unlike the sheep they stay together and follow the shepherd. We have to let go of things that we are too attached and do something intentionally like alms giving as a form of loving our neighbor as ourselves. What we do, we don’t do for Jesus according to Mother Teresa rather we do it to Jesus. Whatever law God has decreed it will always boil down to love for God and our fellowmen. There was a story of a young man who inherited a large fortune and decided to just eat drink and be merry throughout his life. But what he was experiencing in that is depression and suicidal thoughts which he can’t get out of his dark thinking. Until one day someone suggested him to see Bishop Fulton Sheen. When they finally met, Bishop Sheen listened to him and when the young man had concluded he handed to him in a piece of paper, a telephone #. He was told to call the # and volunteer there for a year in an orphanage in Mexico . He did as he was told and after a year came back to Bishop Sheen with his attitude changed. He has experienced being with the least of his brothers and sisters. It was there that he experienced the joy and blessing of giving more than receiving. He finally discovered the meaning of his life and how to grow in love of God and neighbor completely rather than practice the philosophy of hell where we live in isolation and just for ourselves. Heaven is a communion with God and eternal fellowship with all the angels and saints. We are called to that life of communion right at this very moment so we might as well practice heaven’s philosophy. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 25:31-46
...'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world... 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. ' ...He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'
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