TAKE THIS CUP

There are some things that we could have hesitated in doing if we had only known exactly what the outcome was going to be. We make some decisions that lead us to doubt or wonder whether we did the right thing or not. One thing is sure, if it is a product of much prayers and confirmation from the Lord then we should never faint nor falter. We remain standing and firm in our faith to the end. No matter how difficult things may seem to be our strength should not waver. God gives us faith and hope but not the power to see exactly what is going to happen in the future. This should make us realize how much agony Jesus had to go through knowing all of those things that are going to happen to him and yet did not hesitate nor back out. Whenever we meditate on the 1st Sorrowful Mystery which is the Agony in the Garden we picture in our mind Jesus sweating with blood due to so much fear and anguish. Being God, He is capable of knowing what is bound to happen in the next few hours, He knew about His betrayal, arrest and the kind of suffering and death that awaits Him. Being man, He is capable of feeling every single human emotion that we are all experiencing. With this in mind, we must be encouraged by the determination and strength that Jesus showed us when He accepted the will of God by saying "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine." There is so much encouragement that we can benefit from just this alone. What is emphasized here is the awe inspiring and praiseworthy obedience and selflessness of the only begotten Son and King of all Creation to carry out the will of His Father. May our praying and meditation of the life and mysteries of Jesus and Mary bring us ever closer to the immeasurable love and mercy of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 1:1-7

...For as Christ’s sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement.

The considered powerful and mighty of this world is what appear to be the blessed and favored ones as far as human logic and reason are concerned. The exact opposite of what Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount and Plain (Beatitudes) in the gospels. A lot of people find it difficult to really understand the beatitudes since it contradicts the values of this world we live in. The poor, weak, hungry and sorrowing are called blessed. This may not sound acceptable for everybody and would even go around its meaning to get away with the real issue that Jesus wants us to face. Whatever it may be that's still stopping us from grasping the wisdom of God let us pray to God that we will always hold on to His word as He assures daily. Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world. We’ve got to have the right heart, mind and attitude. Be poor in spirit and receptive to the Word of God. It doesn't make sense that despite these truths that are ever before us we still reject Jesus. Let's admit that we do it one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. Pope John Paul II narrated a story when he was in the hospital for his operation. Just before the surgery, he went out of his room unnoticed and visited a very sick boy on the verge of dying. His mother was so depressed that no amount of words was able to console her. She told the Pope to tell God to go away. The Pope answered her that he did tell God to go away but He wouldn't listen. He embraced the inconsolable mother and told her that God knows exactly the place where He needs to be and that is none other than with her. We should realize that God never leaves nor forsakes most especially in times of despair. He is always there for us. Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world. Have you heard of blind obedience? Following without knowing exactly why you follow. Take the example of suicide bombers, who willingly die to spread terrorism. What courage! We should know that it is always worth it to obey God, obeying and knowing fully well that it is for our own good. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. We may have encountered situations wherein we were not able to plan ahead and totally placed us in a very unexpected, uncertain and insecure position.  They just happen suddenly that we have no time to prepare and really caught us off guard. This has caused us to feel at a loss. Just imagine how it feels to be blind not knowing where to go and groping in the dark. But we can be assured that God will rescue us from all distress and deliver us from our troubles. The wickedness and the hatred may persist but let us not lose hope and despair because we have a mighty Savior and Redeemer in our Lord Jesus. This truth stated in today’s psalm reading should keep us going and do exactly what we are told. The Light of the World already came and judgment day is coming soon. In fact, judgment is happening even now. In Deuteronomy 30:15 "Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom..." God asked us to choose. It's got to be one way or another. There should be no mingling or ambiguity. It is all up to us. We can be assured that if we take God’s side then we’ll definitely taste and see His goodness. If we will just seek God at all times then we surely find Him. Let us not turn to anything or anyone else but to God alone. Let us be firm and wise in our dispositions to really stick to God's ideals and principles alone instead of the suggestions and insinuations of the so called wise and learned of this world's standard. For if we do, we'll find ourselves rescued, saved and  truly blessed. We should always keep our hopes up in the Lord no matter what our situations are because it can never change the fact that He is God and always in charge and in control. There are times when we feel forsaken or abandoned but we must always hold on to the truth that He loves us so much. He would never leave us in misery. Let us remove all doubts and fears. Nothing should make us feel afraid for God hears our cry. He will surely carry out what is clearly for our own good and the best. All we need to do is allow God to work in our lives and stop hindering His grace to flow in our lives. If there's one big obstacle that is blocking this flow then it is surely not God. It is time we analyze the things in our life that continue to build up and shut out God. We don't want that happening and it's all up to us for the Lord hears and saves us. Although there are times when we do not have to sweat at all and things just come and fall into place we also have to know that our life is mostly a product of the choices we make. Our choices must always be responsible and carefully decided on. We've got to have a reliable standard for it. One without fail and is sure to work. Actually there is only one thing that we can surely depend on and that is the goodness of the Lord. If we always have this in mind then nothing should stop us to always look at God, listen and follow Him. We should not care so much about gaining the approval and admiration of men rather than God. Our focus first and foremost should be to please God and everything else will follow. Even if it sometimes does not work the way we expected and planned things to be. We can be assured that the Lord heard, hears and will hear all our prayers and surely has the best answer at hand in His most perfect time. In guarding our faith the bible passage from Ephesians 6:10-11 which is about the armor of God is an important tool. If we read it we will find the only weapon mentioned in the said bible passage is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. We should check it once again and be aware of this important information as Catholic Christians. In the gospel about the temptation of Jesus the devil also demonstrated his knowledge of the scriptures. As it is written, we need to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. We are undoubtedly engaged in this battle every single day that's why we are in need of a weapon. This reminds us of the importance of knowing the word of God by heart since it is our only weapon. God never fails. He would always make things work for our good and rescue us in our distress. I have always believed in angels even before I got this petal from a healing service with the image of a cherubim miraculously imprinted on it. It's been a while since I got it and has served as a testimony of God’s abiding love. I have no doubt in my mind that God will always deliver me from all my fears. I always keep my rose petal with me and show it to almost everyone I meet, as a way of propagating God's goodness to me. I can still remember and will never forget how my mother used to narrate to us how I was miraculously saved by my angel several times. First was when I was about 2 months old, and I fell from a height of 2-3 ft countertop when the nanny after giving me a bath left me for only a second to get something and upon returning found me already unconscious and lying on the hard, ceramic tiled floor. I was rushed to the doctor but he told them that if I fail to regain consciousness within an hour then he said I am gone. To everybody's surprise I started to cry even before the time is up. Another one was when I was barely 2 yrs old when I almost got hit by a speeding jeepney. My parent's house is right beside my grandparent's house which is right in front of the school where my mother used to be a public school teacher. She said she was standing in the center of the stage of the school that was why she had a good view of the things around her even the terrace of my grandparent's house so she got the shock of her life when she saw me there alone running very fast heading toward the open gate while a speeding jeepney was coming and looked as if I would really get hit and it would be too late even if somebody was there to stop me. She was already screaming from afar together with the other teachers who saw it and was trying to call the attention of the driver but to no avail for he didn't even slow down because their screams were of no match to the loud engine of the jeep.  It was just a miracle that the moment I stepped on the side of the road, I suddenly stopped and stood very still as if someone was holding me back. She said it was my guardian angel who held me and prevented me from getting hit by the jeep.  I don't remember personally any of those experiences it was only through my mother's stories that I came to know about them. But when I was older like in 4th grade I could already remember how I was spared again from being hurt seriously when the fluorescent lamp right on top of my head fell on my desk a split second after I stood up and left my chair.  My classmates were really shocked and were hovering around me and told me that it was really close. One of my bestfriends, Myrsa got me even more scared of what could had happened when she said that fluorescent lamps are laden with poison that once it gets broken, the poison is released and if the broken glass cuts your skin open the poison will get in and the wound caused by it will never dry up or get healed. From then on I developed this childlike trust in God and thanked God for saving me from death. There was another instance in my life as a child when Myrsa and I were left all alone in school while waiting for our ride home and the deafening sound of lightning and thunder got me very scared. Myrsa played the role of my guardian angel when she tried to calm and stop me from crying by telling me that I should not be afraid because the lightning is the flash bulb of God's camera. She continued by saying that I should not cry but instead smile for God was just taking our picture. Myrsa's legendary stories played a role in my developing a great faith in God. Another funny story was what she told me about the needle. She said that we must be careful with needles because it will find its way into our bodies and once it's inside it will go to our bloodstream and very quickly end up pricking our hearts which can cause us to die right away. There was one time when I lost a needle and couldn't find it anywhere. I went to bed very early that day which surprised my mother and was asking me if there was anything wrong. I decided to myself that I would just wait for my death silently and not tell anybody. I was praying to God not to give me a painful death and let me not feel it once the needle pricks my heart. When I woke up the next day I was so glad that I was still alive and thanked God for sparing me from death. Those were the early formative years of my faith which started out in a funny, amusing but definitely amazing way. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. If we will just constantly nourish and fill ourselves with the words of God in scriptures then there is really no reason for us to fear rather be always filled with joy. He will never allow us to be defeated and conquered for He is always there to rescue us. Amen, Hallelujah!

Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (9a)
R: Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
1 [2] I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 2 [3] Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (R) 3 [4] Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. 4 [5] I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (R) 5 [6] Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. 6 [7] When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him.

Thomas Aquinas said that the perfect exemplification of the beatitudes can be seen if we look at Jesus. He is a happy man, a picture of freedom and joy. The main point is detachment. Jesus is detached from the things which we typically seek. He loved doing the will of His Father. We need to look to our Lord on the cross and despise what He despised on the cross, wealth, pleasure, power and honor.  Wealth, he has none he was stripped naked even of His clothes. Pleasure he was at the limit of physical and psychological suffering. Power, he was nailed on the cross. Honor, he was mocked as he was publicly displayed and crucified. On the cross, he is the ultimate peace maker and the bringer of divine mercy, if Aquinas is right then Jesus on the cross is a picture of a happy man. We are all on the building business, building a life that will endure, we are each a foreman to our building, we are masters of our own faith. Others take a material build a shack, a cathedral or build a tragedy, as William Shakespeare says, “to be or not to be” We are each given a bag of tools, a stepping stone or a stumbling block. The buildings we build are … Lost of a loved one, broken relationship and how we react to them depends on whether we have built a house on sand or rock, the test is the daily grind.  There is no end to the daily grind we just have to live one day at a time. The challenges depend whether we have taken the words of our Lord seriously. Take the extra mile. Is the Lord right? Nothing is built on hatred. Nothing lasts until it is built on love. Forgiveness is important. A person who is unforgiving suffers from various ailments. PJPII forgave the person who tried to kill him. Have we built our life on Him who is the rock? Or think that we know better. Our house is in ruin until the Lord come to make it a fitting dwelling. There is only one thing that can make us truly happy, to get to heaven. When our Lord saw the sadness of human beings he gave the formula in the sermon on the mount. Not once does He mentioned, money, fame, houses, entertainment and exotic cruises. The formula for happiness lies in the truth that our heart is at rest. According to Oscar Wilde there are 2 terrible tragedies in life, not to get what our heart sets upon or to get it. Some of us get this truth the hard way. Poverty in spirit means that we are empty. By nature of course we are like a vacuum because we have to be filled with something. When we finally get what we long for, that is when we realize that we can not have them nor could we own them forever. The only way to attain true happiness is to be possessed by the Lord. We have to learn to let go of yesterday. For example, the joys of our youth we must enjoy God’s gift to us today which is called the present. We must learn to face all these challenges with our Lord and be empty of everything except Him. The beatitudes will serve as our map in our quest to heaven. Beatitudes are like eyeglasses that help us to see what is important so as not to lose sight of what is right. Whenever we are to decide and act on something we might as well ask ourselves this, “Is this choice going to bring me closer to heaven?” The more we get our vision corrected the more we get closer to heaven. What is going to bring us closer to heaven? St. Francis of Assisi is a pilgrim in search of the glory of God. He renounced his riches and served God. These are the kinds of choices that pilgrims make to get closer to heaven. We spend our whole lives to get closer to God. We are in contact with God and making choices to be closer to God. If we live our lives as pilgrims in a journey to heaven then we will be happy. We will be recognized for our love and joy. We are not expected to take this journey alone and walk in a lonely path. The Church is with us to help us in this journey and help us to stay in the right path. The sacraments, mass, baptism and penance are the tools to reach our heavenly destiny. God never wants us to be discouraged. We can bring all our sins to Him in confession. The Eucharist the guiding light of our journey is the earthly physical presence of Christ on earth. It guides, feeds and reminds us of the manna in heaven. We also have the Blessed Mother when Jesus gave us His own mother at the cross. She loves us as her children. The final destination of our pilgrimage and journey is heaven. A reward awaits us in heaven just like any rewards program that you hear of, the more usage of a credit card the more rewards and so will it be when we have used all our talents for the Lord and offered all our sacrifices to Him. Funny how some people would prefer patronizing a certain establishment over another based on the reward but what we don't realize is that our God can reward us more than any other in this  whole  wide  world  so let us be conscious  of our actions  and always  prefer God above  everything.   Whenever we allow ourselves to be affected by the negativity of this world and the people around us then we succumb to the possibility of discord and open ourselves to further disagreement. We do not realize that when we answer back and try to vindicate ourselves we just end up complicating things even more. We should just keep silent and not say anything at all. This reminds me of what I read about preaching, it is said that we should preach with our life, live by example and just use words when necessary. We need to listen more attentively to God and commit to Him unconditionally. We should all humbly pray to God that we will be able to perseveringly live up to that challenge of being truly poor in spirit and become part of His kingdom. We have all been called to take part in this game called life.  The best way to win the game is to know how to play it and be actively involved in it. How would you like the idea of a game wherein you need not run all the way to the finish line to get your prize? We may not be aware of it but we could already be winning prizes along the way and need not wait for the final moment. The answer lies in today’s gospel and also in the version of Luke's gospel. The beatitudes has a semi hidden meaning in it. In a retreat we were asked to read them all and find out what that is, nobody was able to come up with the answer. It was just very simple. All the beatitudes are in the future tense only the first one which is “Blessed are the poor in spirit” is in the present tense. It means it is already happening right now and it is already in their hands. For it is written, theirs is the kingdom of heaven and it didn’t say will be. This means that we begin possessing it even now and have its fullness when we die and raised on the last day. The Kingdom of God is among us. Whatever relationships we have that with Jesus is above all. We prize the access to material things and all other worldly pleasures without realizing that loyalty to God is access to all. He is primary above all other things, above all our troubles, fears and whatever may be our ills and even death itself. God rules above all and He has authority on heaven and earth. We have the free will to do as we want. We have to be fully aware that the Kingdom of death has been conquered and defeated we can stand on the authority of God in Jesus who resurrected that can't be stopped because the Kingdom of heaven has already been handed to us. When Jesus' blood came upon us we are saved. But we have to acknowledge it and admit our sins and turn away from it. Jesus is the source of forgiveness and healing. We have to bear witness and reveal how great a Savior we have in Jesus, risen from the dead and only Savior of humanity. God gives us these beatitudes. It means supreme blessedness and felicity that comes from God. Being poor in spirit in the biblical sense is like the man who discovers his own limitations being a creature before the Creator. Our suffering and sorrow create a hollow place in our hearts, get our attention and make us thirst for help and love. God comforts and fills us with Himself. We accept our limitations in order for the kingdom to be a reality. For those who mourn beatitude, a Christian writer said that troubled souls are safe and the untroubled are the ones unsafe. The reason for this is because we are just in the place where God can reach us. We seem to remember God more often when we have problems. The meek and docile seek God’s will patiently in contrast to using force and control. We need to wait on Him and receive everything from the Lord with gratitude. We learn to appreciate the things in this world better, look at it in the right perspective and use it according to God's purpose. God is not limited by any circumstance and He comes to those who want Him and hunger for righteousness. We can't be pure of heart if we are fractured by sin. If we put God first in our life, He’ll come to us in a deeper way. A child of God is transformed by His grace to bring peace to the world. We become like Christ and help redeem the world. The world is contrary to the gospel. As we look to the blood of the martyrs which became the seed of the Church we also unite our own sufferings with Christ. It becomes redemptive suffering. We need to have the spirit of the beatitude to transform the world and maintain the saltiness in this life. This is the way that a Christian becomes effective to the world and be salt of the earth.   Amen. Hallelujah!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5,1-12.

"...Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.....

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven....."