PERFECT I.D.

 Today’s 1st reading reminds us of the need to pray for our departed brothers and sisters. As Catholics we are taught of the Church triumphant, suffering and militant. The triumphant Church is composed of the community of angels and saints who are now enjoying the beatific vision of God. We, the living belong to the Church militant and those who already passed away who neither went straight to heaven or hell belong to the Church suffering. Tobit who is the man speaking in today’s 1st reading has this compassion for the dead. Somehow I can identify with him because of the several experiences I’ve had in connection to the faithful departed as I have been sharing in my reflections. It is not like I am deliberately searching for them but things just happen that I always have this opportunity to remember them in prayers in the most extraordinary and special way. Amen. Hallelujah!

Tobit 1:3; 2:1-8

...I sprang to my feet, leaving the dinner untouched; and I carried the dead man from the street and put him in one of the rooms, so that I might bury him after sunset. ...The neighbours mocked me, saying to one another: “Will this man never learn! Once before he was hunted down for execution because of this very thing; yet now that he has escaped, here he is again burying the dead!”

As human beings we all long to be loved and be in a relationship especially if we are in that stage of life defined by Erikson in psychosocial development which is love. The Intimacy vs. Isolation conflict is emphasized in this stage which is around the ages of 20 to 34. It is important that we enter into a relationship forming intimate, reciprocal relationships (e.g. through close friendships or marriage) and willingly make the sacrifices and compromises that such relationships require. Though, we are also aware of rejections such as being turned down or our partners breaking up with us. We are familiar with pain, and to some of us, rejection is painful; our egos cannot bear the pain. We should realize all the more the importance of establishing an intimate relationship for that matter with God always at the center.  If we allow God to take an active part in our life especially in our relationships then He will surely do. He will not intrude or trespass but if we will gladly invite and welcome Him then He will surely come to be with us. Just imagine having a good friend at our side ready to support and help us at all times. We will never be disappointed if we stick to God and all the things He stands for. In fact we will find that God can be our constant companion and friend, the greatest one we could ever get. It is never easy, we are still striving and sometimes struggling to do the work that God has lead us to do, nevertheless, we are hopeful and persevering that we can make a difference. Trustworthiness, honesty and sincerity is the key. Have you ever been in darkness that you can't see even the tiniest thread of light? I have been to such and know exactly how it feels to be trapped in darkness. We were in a cave and it was pure black. It felt good when a torch was lighted and shone through the darkness. We all depended on that light to take us where we were going. The same is true with our own lives when we stumble and fall and feel as if we are left all alone in the dark. We must not forget that there is a light that shines within us. God dwells in each one of us. If we conduct our affairs justly and not choose to do wrong then no darkness can terrify us. We can always rely on the words and promises of God for they are trustworthy. Despite all the negativities that assail us from day to day and the list is endless, we should remain hopeful and steadfast in the Lord for we are not relying on the limited efforts of human beings but on God. What are we willing to put at stake just to uphold our faith and confidence in God? Sometimes we are tested by the difficult circumstances that we are faced with and when these trying times come up our disposition in life tend to waver and we start to lose our ground. We can always come up with alibis and excuses most especially the overused line which is "The Lord will understand." Of course He will always understand but it is in these situations that we are being offered the chance of reaping bountifully instead of just sparingly. Let us not miss and always take advantage of every opportunity that the Lord sends our way to really take the challenge. To have the heart of a champion who knows no defeat only victory. It is time we discover who we really are in the eyes of God and prove what we are really made of. It is through the daily events in our life especially those that challenge us to go further down the road of life that can bring us to the peak of our faith. If we are always full of doubt and uncertainties it could mean that we are not confident of the greatest and sole source of blessings who is God Himself. Only the brave, daring and courageous make it big. But it is also true that the more daring we are the more chances we have of losing more. There is always a 50/50 probability whenever we place our bet on something. But if we are betting, giving our all and putting at stake all that we've got on the words and promises of our Lord then our probability turns into 100% certainty. If God says so then it is ultimately and without a trace of doubt very true. The light that is within us will surely break through the darkness and not have fear. Although many people misunderstand the fear of the Lord. Recalling the verse in Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10, the fear of the Lord is called the beginning or foundation of wisdom. In Proverbs 15:33, the fear of the Lord is described as the "discipline" or "instruction" of wisdom. They think that the fear of the Lord is something that is good to have when we first start out as a Christian, but that we should grow beyond it. That should not be the case; rather, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because it is one of the foundations of our religious life. It is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. When we are infused with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit the way that Christ Himself would. It confirms the virtue of hope. We often think of hope and fear as mutually exclusive, but the fear of the Lord is the desire not to offend Him, and the certainty that He will give us the grace necessary to keep from doing so. It is that certainty that gives us hope. The fear of the Lord is like the respect we have for our parents. We do not wish to offend them, but we also do not live in fear of them, in the sense of being frightened. In other words, it is not a fear of punishment, but a desire not to offend God that parallels our desire not to offend our parents. This gift "fills us with a sovereign respect for God, and makes us dread, above all things, to offend Him. It is always for our own good to have a holy fear in the Lord. It is not the same as fear in the sense that we are just compelled to do something solely because of fear but rather with love and respect. God is indeed one who speaks to us in many ways especially through the circumstances that surround us. He knows exactly the day and the hour and make everything fit perfectly according to His plan. Nothing can ever be wiser than a man who follows the Lord with all his mind, heart and soul. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 112:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6

R: Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

1 Blessed the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commands. 2 His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. (R) 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house; his generosity shall endure forever. 4 Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. (R) 5 Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; 6 he shall never be moved; the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance

When God sent Jesus to the world, we must realize that it is not that easy for a Father to put at stake the life of His only begotten Son for our sake but He did. Just to dwell on this truth should already compel us to keep and treasure the gift of eternal life that God is offering us and never ever lose it. Let us not end up rejecting and losing what is being handed to us just because we are not fully aware what we are missing. Let us not miss out on what's most important in our lives, Jesus. Let's get to know more about Him! A few days ago we celebrated the feasts of Sts. Charles Lwanga and Companions. They are martyrs known for their great faith in God. They have been subjected to various unimaginable tortures but they never waivered in their profession of faith. Nowadays we are no longer faced with these kinds of dangers in our faith because we are blessed to have the freedom to practice it without fearing for our lives but the world we live today tries in the most discreet and enamored way to draw us away from our faith. This is what the world does to draw us away from our commitment to the Lord. We have to be like the saints with tremendous strength and boldness in their faith in God. . Charles Lwanga and Companions faced their death and martyrdom with great courage. When Charles was sentenced to death, he seemed very peaceful, one might even say, cheerful. He was to be executed by being burnt to death. While the pyre was being prepared, he asked to be untied so that he could arrange the sticks. He then lay down upon them. When the executioner said that Charles would be burned slowly to death, Charles replied by saying that he was very glad to be dying for the True Faith. He made no cry of pain but just twisted and moaned, “Kotanda! (O my God!).” He was burned to death by Mwanga’s order on June 3, 1886. When we read the accounts of the saints who endured trials, persecutions and sufferings, we might as well come to think of ourselves, too. Do we endure with love of the Lord in the sufferings that we encounter daily? God has sent prophet after prophet in order to come to a relationship with us throughout the course of our salvation history. Finally, He sent His beloved son and we all know what happened. By our own sins, He was killed and put to death so that in his mercy we have been adopted and get the identification of beloved sons and daughters of God. We beg forgiveness and mercy we receive the entire inheritance that Jesus has won for us. We should recognize the great gift of our baptism, which means that we are Christians. The life of God is within us. We must not reject this truth and accept our identification. We can’t change it and be called by any other name. We lay hold of the inheritance of eternal life by perfect identification (I.D.) in Jesus Christ. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 12:1-12

...‘ 10 Have you not read this scripture passage: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;  11 by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes’?” 12 They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them. So they left him and went away.