If God will make an accounting of all our sins then we will all end up in hell. No one deserves heaven if we will be judged according to human standard. Thank God, He is God. And yet we still have doubts and uncertainties in life. We go through life and encounter so many things that we put our spirits down. God assures in today’s 1st reading that we need not be disappointed or discouraged for we are depending on a God who is not like man. We can always maintain a high level of confidence that we are a people of God well taken care of. Today’s 1st reading is taken from the Book of Hosea. His life demonstrated to us his immense love for his wife despite all the unfaithfulness and deception he experienced from their relationship. Fr. Tony Astudillo said in our bible study of Hosea that unless we relate our life to the scriptures and really transform us to the likeness of Jesus then everything that we learn will be for nothing. He emphasized the love of God in the context of a man who married a woman out of his great love for her. How are we to relate that kind of love when it comes to our longing and desire to be in union with God in the sacraments especially when we become one in the Holy Eucharist. Is it the same fiery and compassionate love of a man for the woman he longs to make love to? A challenging question was posed to us at the end of his talk. It was, "How is Hosea in my life today?" As we come to believe in what we've heard, learned and witnessed about God, this poses the same challenge to fulfill the scripture passage in our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!
Hosea 11: 1-4, 8c-9
... 9 I will not give vent to my blazing anger, I will not destroy Ephraim again; For I am God and not man, the Holy One present among you; I will not let the flames consume you.
Today’s responsorial reading reminds me of my experience at the Yosemite Waterfalls Park US and ranks 5th in the whole world. Whew! As I watched the water crashed down hard on the ground coming all the way from up on the mountain a thought came into my mind. If we truly believe that God is our Savior then we should have no more room for fear and doubt. Our weaknesses are born from it and rather than give in to it we must cultivate in ourselves the strength and courage coming from the Lord. We have a Great and Holy God which is enough reason to cry out with joy and gladness. We have already been given access to the fountain of life, let us choose to approach it and draw water from it with joy and live. A prayer that I got from an e mail really caught my attention. It has personally touched my heart when I came upon this prayer and decided to write it down in a notebook so that it can always come in handy whenever I need an inspiration. This is the prayer: "None goes to the river early in the morning and brings dirty water. As you are up this morning may your life be clean, calm and clear like the early morning water. May the grace of the Almighty support, sustain and supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Amen." The psalm reading today reminds me of it because it somehow speaks of the same message conveyed in the prayer. Just like the Blessed Mother Mary, who is Queen of heaven and earth, we too are destined for victory and royalty. If only we live out the example of her obedient life and carry Jesus in our hearts the way she does. Mother Mary serves as a special channel that God has given to humanity to receive His graces. It does not obscure or diminishes the one and only Mediator, Jesus Christ, rather she shows God's power even more. Jesus, the Son loves His mother and gives her the greatest grocery of graces in heaven. Mary totally depends on her Son as in the wedding feast in Cana by saying, "Do whatever He tells you." Mary knows that her Son is the ultimate source that's why she leads us to Him, the true Mediator. God Himself ordained that His only Begotten Son be born of a human mother through Mary's obedience and perfect surrender. When the angel appeared to Mary, he wasn't speaking his own thoughts and words. He was sent by God to speak God's words. In Greek, the Hail Mary is translated as Hail most highly graced one, meaning so completely graced. Mary truly is filled with God's grace. When God conceived Mary she was free from the stain of original sin. He is getting ready the 1st tabernacle of His Son here on earth. She is made holy, unstained and created in the fullness of grace. God has placed in Mary the fullness of grace. Mary conceived by her virginity and humility. It should be in our hearts to honor Mother Mary because the Son is within her body. The Father is in the Son. It is by grace that we are saved. Through Jesus and Mary all things are restored. Everything is possible with God. Who are we to defy the manner that God Himself has chosen for His Son to come to this world. I remember this friend who kept on saying that she enjoyed every single thing she did that day. She went to a children's party and enjoyed everything about it from the company of friends who were with her, the delicious food that she ate and the activities and games that brought so much fun to everyone. It didn't stop there because after the party she proceeded to attend mass and was surprised with a party for all in the Church. She kept on saying and repeating these words to me, "ang saya saya" in English "it was so much fun" This is why I am reminded of her upon reading today's psalm. We should realize that our situations no matter what it is should always create in us an atmosphere of "ang saya saya" You know why? It's not because we are out of our minds, it is because we have a Great and Holy God which is enough reason to cry out with joy and gladness. Amen. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
R: You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
2 God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. 3 With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation. (R) 4 Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name; among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name. (R) 5 Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth...
Our God is a perfect and precise God. No hit and miss and trial and error kind of thing. We would just be continuously amazed at how God speaks to us in a very specific way. God throughout time has sent emissaries, patriarchs, prophets and kings to declare His great love for us and in the fullness of time has ultimately revealed His naked love in its entirety by sending His only begotten Son Jesus who was not spared to suffer and die on the cross just to show His great love for us. Today’s special occasion reminds me of a lot of miracles and unforgettable events in my life through the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Looking back at my life's time line most especially when I first had this devotion, I can never deny and forget for the rest of my life the dramatic and significant events that happened to me. My novena to the Sacred Heart and St. Jude Thaddeus during that matter of life and death situation for my 1st born son opened up the door for miracles to happen. In a prayer meeting I attended during that time which happened to be the 9th day of my novena, the prayer leader whom I just met and did not know of my novena neither of my pregnancy nor would even suspect of it announced her vision of Jesus carrying a baby standing in the middle of our prayer circle and specifically described Him wearing the Sacred Heart attire and said these words, "I have a message for my daughter, consecrate the baby in your womb." I have witnessed the revelation of God's great love to me in its naked and stark reality. Especially when I gave birth to Jude, my 1st born son, as proof of His undeniably awesome and unbelievable miracle when he came out normal and healthy despite my problematic pregnancy. From that day forward, God never ceased to amaze me every single turn in my life since His sacred love is beyond comprehension. God continues to lure us back to His loving embrace. His love knows no boundary, it gets more intense, longer, higher and deeper as the days go by. We know that words are not enough to describe how great the love of God is but Paul gave it his best shot. Today's 2nd reading is filled with inspiring, poetic and heartfelt words in his letter to the Ephesians. It can never capture the fullness of its meaning but we can always strive to show a tiny portion of it. As in a loving parent to a child is something we can all relate to since we are all children of our parents and could be parents too ourselves. Looking back at all those years when we were still very young made me like to honor my mother for the great sacrifice she made for us, her children. She was the only one left to our care because my father passed away at a very young age. My brothers and I were all witnesses to the great love and care she showered on us. I should say we could very much relate to that kind of love. But to suffer to a most humiliating and painful death an only Begotten Son for the sake of another is an angle that we may never come to fully understand for its breadth, length, height and depth is too much for us to bear. It is beyond measure. Who could have done such a great sacrifice but only God our Savior who loves us to the end. Do you want to get hold of the greatest treasure ever known? We may search long, hard and far and find nothing for it lies right within us. We can never find any other treasure greater than the love of God planted in our hearts. We may not fully understand it but if we strive to be faithful, holy and persevere to the end then we can get a hold of it. Once we have it then we will surely never let go. Amen. Hallelujah!
Ephesians 3:8-12. 14-19
... and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
As Catholics we have this great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which we now celebrate today. Our Catholic practices can be found in the bible. God has made a covenant with His people and has been fathering us in order to bring us together into His loved flock in heaven. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is widespread all throughout the world. We are body and soul and need the external festivities. We have to remember that it's one thing to celebrate this great solemnity and it's another to live His great love and make it alive in our daily lives. It has to be more than a mere devotion and celebration. We encounter people who have a condescending and sneering attitude towards popular devotion of the Catholic Church and consider them as meaningless routines. We are reminded through these devotions that there is no material or event in our lives that can not be directed for the greater glory of God. Although sometimes we come to a point when these practices and devotions that lift us up simply become like magic and opium for our troubles and miseries. We fail to grasp the essence of these devotions and treat them like the hypocrites in prayer and the pagans with some superstitious beliefs. Some Catholics fall into the trap of looking at these as a never fail prayer. Sometimes there is a magical or manipulative misuse like an abracadabra. It should not predispose us to a ritualistic behavior and must not lead us down to the path of nowhere. Although the absence of it may appear as we are like those idealists that once saved we are always saved so there is no need for such devotions. We may fall into the dangerous scenario as if we are putting God to the test. These devotions should be a means of communication between God and His people. God is not telling us to do away with these things but rather do it with a sincere and repentant heart. It should blossom into a relationship since God is continuously searching for us and wants to bring us together in a family of love. Our devotion to the Sacred Heart should develop in us a confidence to draw near to God. Unless we relate our life to the scriptures and really transform us to the likeness of Jesus then everything that we learn will be for nothing. As we come to believe in what we've heard, learned and witnessed about God, today's gospel poses the challenge to fulfill the scripture passage in our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 19:31-37
... but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. 35 An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may [come to] believe. 36 For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled: ...
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