LOOK BACK & RECALL

We can successfully battle all the evils that beset us. It is a standing reality that we live in a world full of temptations and difficulties but we can always emerge victorious if we have Jesus in us. Let us cleanse our hearts, minds and bodies that just like Mary we become a fitting vessel and dwelling place of Jesus. Let us not miscarry Jesus and give birth to Him full term.  I am reminded once again of today's 1st reading of Msgr. Kevin Kostelnik's homily in the Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral when he said this: "The farther away we are from God, the more destructive our life become and the greater fear we have." Peter in today's 1st reading is totally different and transformed from that fearful man who denied Jesus 3x. He has become full of courage, strength and all of a sudden is boldly proclaiming about Jesus without fear of being arrested or killed. The Holy Spirit filled him up with all the gifts and fruits to announce and live out this truth about Jesus knowing that there is no other name by which we are to be saved. Today's 1st and psalm readings have a phrase and word that were repeated twice. They are worth looking into. The phrase: "the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone", and the word: name. Once again, we are faced with the reality of the undeniable and repetitive truth of the prophecy in the Old Testament fulfilled in the New Testament. It was David in the Psalms of the Old Testament and Peter in the Acts of the Apostles of the New Testament. I believe and agree that we need to look back and recall this truth which needs to be repeatedly proclaimed and believed in for life. There is power in the name of Jesus. We might have seen instances when people use an access or entry code or just say the name of the person who lives in certain subdivisions or gated homes in order to be allowed to go inside. These are restrictions in order to ensure safety and maintain order in the places where people live. It just made me think that God has given us a powerful name in order to have access to the many blessings and promises that are in store for those who would believe. What a glorious privilege and blessing that all can come to know and avail of the power of the name Jesus. Amen. Hallelujah!

Acts of the Apostles 4,1-12.

... If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, 10 then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. 11 He is ‘the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”

God is the source of all good things. Only Jesus can satisfy our souls. We should be really careful in setting our priorities. Sometimes we end up making the wrong choices and decisions in life. We end up rejecting something that should be valued and treasured more than anything else in this whole wide world. All we need to do is trust that the Lord will always take care of all our needs we need not tire ourselves to the point of exhaustion because it is better to take refuge in the Lord than resort to trusting in our own strength and others. According to Fr. Joseph Koterski a Jesuit priest and a professor in Fordham University it helps to always have GRACE. G stands for Gratitude, R for Respect, A for Account (have an accounting of the things we have done whether good or bad), C for Charting (to chart our course of action in order to see where we're going) and E to Entreat the Lord for the energy  and enthusiasm He has been giving us in this life. We need to always think of the things we are grateful for. It will help us examine our conscience and live a holy life that is fitting for a people of God. There are times when we don’t feel like saying our prayers. Whenever we feel this way but still managed to gather all our strength to still commit to our prayers then we will surely find ourselves with renewed strength to start our day right. When we master the art of praying and always drawing near to God then we become "Untouchables".  This is due to the fact that no one is like God. There is none like Him, for no one else can do as much as the Lord God Almighty and All Powerful can. We can rely on God’s goodness and build confidence on that knowing that with God on our side we are undefeated. His might knows no limits and His power is able to do wonderful things beyond our imagination. Everything fits like a key in a hole. There is only one thing that is conveyed here that God allows things to happen for a reason and everything falls into its perfect place. God's love and mercy endure forever and do not fail. We can always count on the goodness of God at all times and in all circumstances all the days of our lives. Truly knowing and proclaiming that God is Lord of all our days makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness for heaven and earth will fade but His words will remain. We may not have witnessed first hand when Jesus walked and lived on earth but we can never deny witnessing to God's miracles working in our lives every day. Truly knowing and proclaiming what we are celebrating this easter season makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness that never fade. We should have the confidence to joyfully shout out what the psalm tells us today.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 118:1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27a

R: The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

 ... O LORD, grant salvation! O LORD, grant prosperity! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;

Year after year we have to put our feet in the shoes of the disciples. Today's gospel is a picture of the apostles just after the death of Jesus who were probably still confused and depressed. They saw Jesus tortured, suffered, died and laid in a tomb. There is a dullness in their faith. Sometimes it takes time before we can fully realize the things that are already before and around us. Just like the other disciples who failed to recognize Jesus right away. The disciple whom Jesus loved was the first to recognize Him and we too are challenged to become like this disciple whom Jesus loved and be more sensitive when it comes to identifying in our lives who Jesus really is. He has overcome death and is victorious. When you have Jesus in your heart then you will always feel secured. Peter jumped into the sea not minding what he's wearing, ready to get wet and be soaked, just to get near the resurrected Jesus. Aren't we afraid to jump into the sea? Are we willing to take the plunge? For sure we will find ourselves in the loving embrace of Our God. It's always worth giving our all to the Lord. At a time of our life when we are not in our best shape or could be discerning and still unsure of what course of action to take, we should realize that Jesus is always there for us though we may not realize it. It is our obedience during these trying times that will see us through these difficult times. I believe God in His awesome and almighty wisdom, intelligence and knowledge reveals things in stages for the benefit of our limited capacities and understanding. The series of events in our lives and the word of God serve as an eye opener that could endow us with a better understanding of all the things that are happening to us. May we all come to this point in our life when we obey God at all times no matter what kind of situation we are in. I realized it is always good to look back, recall and never forget those times in our lives when Jesus was calling us for a certain task and decided to follow and obey. We can always be confident and full of hope that whatever is the outcome of our decision for as long as we know that we have consulted it to God in prayer and have acted with our best ability then we are always safe and secure. Today's gospel also tells us to be of service to the people. We all look forward to the world to come and share eternal life and happiness with God. At the same time we also exercise our citizenship to this world. We should engage ourselves in work that can bring healing and build good things on earth. God multiplies our efforts. We do not have the option of subtracting ourselves from this process and just go to the sideline. We have to read the word of God, understand it and be active. This is the meaning of encounter with God. When we engage ourselves with this kind of work it may seem political but it's not. We are not pagans but believers and God is the one who empowers us. We have to get the world back to its proper balance. We are all called to do something for this world that we live in but the Lord is the one who accomplishes all things. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 21,1-14.

...So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea...