THE COMING AGE

With great power comes great responsibility. This is the moral lesson of the story of King Antiochus in today's 1st reading. Each one of us are all given a task/ mission or purpose to achieve in life. We must take special care in carrying this out in our lives. We are responsible for our actions and must own every single one of it. Let us not be deceived by the notion that we can get away with what we have done. We have to be careful in the conduct of our affairs so that we do not end up overtaken by the evils we have done, in fear and sorrow but rather find ourselves loved and forgiven. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 Maccabees 6:1-13

...When the king heard this news, he was struck with fear and very much shaken. Sick with grief because his designs had failed, he took to his bed. 9 There he remained many days, overwhelmed with sorrow, for he knew he was going to die. 10 So he called in all his Friends and said to them: “Sleep has departed from  my eyes, for my heart is sinking with anxiety. 11 I said to myself: ‘Into what tribulation have I come, and in what floods of sorrow am I now! 12 Yet I was kindly and beloved in my rule.’ But I now recall the evils I did in Jerusalem, when I carried away all the vessels of gold and silver that were in it, and for no cause gave orders that the inhabitants of Judah be destroyed. 13 I know that this is why these evils have overtaken me; and now I am dying, in bitter grief, in a foreign land.”

 Since I had been sharing these past few days about my laptop that almost became unserviceable due to viruses today’s psalm reminded me of how happy I felt after I finally got a hold of my laptop from Hendrie and declared free of all threats. It became a very significant event for me owing to the things I have experienced and witnessed in relation to it which became a symbol of victory making me rejoice in the salvation of the Lord even more. Mark, Luke and Matthew are considered Petrine gospels because they originated from their association with Peter while the authority of John is coming from his direct relationship with Jesus being always in close contact with Him and fondly called as the one whom Jesus loved. Matthew is more of the strict and rigid type, which adheres to the laws. Luke depicts more of the healing power of Jesus. John is considered as high Christology is apocalyptic in nature since he is the one who died last among all the apostles he witnessed more and was able to write a lot of revelations about Jesus. In studying the bible we have to use the holistic approach and study all 4 gospels for a broader understanding of who Jesus is. If we continue to hold on to God and seek Him at all times in all things then we will never be disappointed. We will surely find Him and not be led astray for everything is under God’s control and power. Amen. Hallelujah! 

P S A L M

 Psalm 9:2-3. 4 and 6. 16 and 19

R: I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.

1 [2] I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds. 2 [3] I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, Most High....Because my enemies are turned back, overthrown and destroyed before you. 5 [6] You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; their name you blotted out forever and ever. (R) 15 [16] The nations are sunk in the pit they have made; in the snare they set, their foot is caught. 18 [19] For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor shall the hope of the afflicted forever perish.

Our amazement of God must never stop instead it should continue to build on top of each other every single day. We may not see it but we are blessed with circumstances and events that are very appropriate and timely for our situation if only we will always look to God and truly ask, seek and knock at the door of God’s heart. The daily mass readings do not fail to inspire and encourage us. If we commit to taking time and effort to reflect on them we will be surprised to find the treasure that lay hidden in it. The bible passage from today's gospel speaks of marriage. It tells us that marriage is very legitimate and could be availed of several times without violating any Church laws for as long as there are no impediments to it. In fact it is considered as one of the 7 sacraments in the Church. What's important here is the fact that just like any other sacrament, we should keep in mind that it is a covenant not just between 2 people who love each other but with God  most of all. In the event that marriage came to an end we could still have something to hold on to that is not bound by anything in this world nor in our life after death. It should remind us that we must always put God in the center of everything. In all our relationships and commitments, it is the one with God that will persist to the end and through eternity. Time will come when everything in this world will cease to exist and nothing in it will matter anymore to us the way we used to feel and think about it. Although it may all seem unimaginable at this time especially for us who are still bound to this world and still attached to it, it can help us a lot if we reflect carefully on what Jesus said in today's gospel. Let us all strive to attain a deeper understanding of the message being conveyed to us and be deemed worthy to attain to the coming age. Just when we thought that a lot of things seem to be unanswered, let us not forget that God in His ultimate intelligence is capable of answering everything we can ever imagine, that we should never doubt His greatness encompasses all that is concrete or abstract so let us not dare to question His will in our lives. We are all looking forward to that one unsurpassed, unequaled and endless glory of being in union with God. There is life after death. Just when others may think that death is the end of everything and nothing else follows, for those of us who believe in the resurrection, we hope to discover on that dreaded day for unbelievers that it is just the beginning of new and eternal life with God in heaven.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 20:27-38

...Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise...