THANKSGIVING

According to Catholic therapist, Monica Breaux there are strategies in order for us to move to wholeness especially those people with certain addictions. Let’s take sexual addiction as an example. We may think that “anything goes” but our body does not think that everything goes. Some behaviors can cause physical and mental health problems. The blessing of our church is that we have such good wisdom when it comes to guidance around sexuality and that wisdom is validated by scientific evidence. We don’t need science to prove our faith but to those who tend to say that our faith is outdated and antiquated then they are wrong about that. Science is absolutely on the Church’s side. There is great wisdom in the faith about sexuality and good guidance. Sometimes people don’t know what the church teaches. What the church teaches is acceptable in marriage and for those who think otherwise it is perhaps caused by the cultural idea that “anything goes.” They are wrong, whether they accept the faith or not, there are some physical and mental health consequences to some behaviors. Any habit can become a compulsion. The problem is that the culture encourages us to move from disappointment to resentment. When we become full of self pity and resentment we want to escape that pain, the emotional pain is unbearable and that’s when people move into something for comfort to escape pain and to increase pleasure. The culture offers all kinds of ideas for comfort and pain escaping. Those become habits and this happens simply to deal with the pain created by resentment and self pity. A habit limits the freedom of desire.  In addiction, it is that which limits the freedom of human desire. Let’s say we eat a particular kind of food  every night and then someone offered something very special but we don’t want it. We just want what we are accustomed to. This is very typical in people who could not receive love in the way it is offered because their habit has become a compulsion. A compulsion means a person could not stop even if they want to. It is like we do that which we don’t want to do. It’s really about slavery and no longer having that freedom of human desire. There are all kinds of ways people try to stop. The only way, is simply to stop. Once an addict stops there’s an enormous amount of pain that one must know how to deal with. At the core of an addiction is a wounded heart, a malady of the heart. We are people with legitimate needs (physical and emotional) and in the natural someone responds. Like when a baby cries we try to do our best to console the baby but when every drop of comfort and love is not received then it becomes very frustrating. The addiction, compulsions and obsessions are blocking the ability to receive that love and comfort that we need. Sometimes somebody settles down because somebody cares and listens. We can not give love until we properly receive it. All therapy starts with a change of thought. We have to separate our value from our behavior. Until we change our thoughts we can not remove our compulsions. Compulsions lead to addiction. Jesus loves us as we are and knows already our bad behavior. God loves us in spite of our bad behavior. We need to claim the truth that God the Father gave us value, there’s nothing we do that will make us less or taint it. Amen. Hallelujah!

Sirach 50:22-24

And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb, and fashions them according to his will!

May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you; May his goodness toward us endure in Israel to deliver us in our days.

There is really none like our God. We can have all the things that this world can offer but in the end we will still be wanting and not satisfied if we do not have God in the center of our life. The Lord has always been faithful and not a single moment would He ever not be. We should have the confidence always of a beloved child of God and the honor of being on top of God's creation. The Lord is always ready to extend His help and shower His blessings on us, His people. The question is, are we willing to accept His help and stay within the circle of His blessings? This question is very critical and sometimes left unanswered, neglected and taken for granted. When we choose to continue in the path that does not lead us closer to God the answer is clear, it is a no. When we direct our actions in things that draw us closer to God then it is a yes. If this is so true for us then we ought to do as the psalm reading today tells us. All our thoughts, words and actions should reflect how great our God is. As humans we tend to downplay God's role in our life because we subject our experiences to human terms and conditions. We are still bound by the limitations of this world we are in and we can't help it. We sometimes just go with the flow and get carried away by the pressures imposed to us by our present and existing situations. Our study of World History tells us of the different and various kinds of kingdoms and dynasties which ruled throughout the length of time. None of the most famous and powerful of these kingdoms still stand today and remain as influential to the entire world as it used to be. This tells us one thing that earthly kingdoms will eventually cease to exist. Only God's Kingdom prevails for eternity. Sometimes we might even have to come to a point when we look and sound strange  for others or even suffer the ridicule of not just others but the very people who comprise our circle of close family, relatives and friends. What matters most is that we ought to give God what He rightly deserves, to be extolled and praised forever. Today's psalm tells us that we owe God more than just plain courtesy for His goodness. Whenever we watch box office hit super hero movies, news about it spread like wildfire and the promotion for it is international that almost everybody around the globe gets to know about it and watch it. If only we can devote that same fervor and enthusiasm in spreading word about the greatest Super Hero of all times, Jesus and make a decision to watch His life unfold and be part of our own, then we can someday be a part of God's great Kingdom in Heaven. If we truly desire this then we should always be mindful of the words of God written in the bible since it is indeed what its acronym stands for which is B - basic I-instructions B-before L-leaving E-earth. It is very important that we have read and understood well what is written in the bible before we exit this world. This reminds me of the video games that my sons used to play. When they finish one level they have to enter into the next level which is more difficult and so on and so forth until they reach the ultimate task and win the final battle. It was like they needed to be well prepared and more skillful for each level. This somehow reminds us of how we should approach our final day here on earth. The gate of heaven has been opened and made accessible for us, there is no question about it but the question is, "Are we ready and able to go through it?" As in Eph. 6:13, "Therefore, put on the armor of God,  that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground." Another thing is we have no idea when will that day come because we really do not know the time or the hour. One thing for sure, the only way to go through it is by being well prepared for it. Thus I wanted to share this story which I got from an email.

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.

He loved the 4th wife the most and adored her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.'

Thus, he asked the 4th wife , 'I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No way!', replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word.

Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, 'I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No!', replied the 3rd wife. 'Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!'

His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, 'I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me.

When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!', replied the 2nd wife. 'At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.'

Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: 'I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go.'

The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the King said, 'I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!'

In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.

However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity. Amen. Hallelujah!

Responsorial Psalm PS 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

R. (see 1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. R. Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might. They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works. R. They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds and declare your greatness. They publish the fame of your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your justice. R. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. R. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,

and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom

and speak of your might. R.

With all the shortages that affect the whole world and the different crises that we are all facing today we can't help it, if we feel insecure and afraid. Especially in times when we start to run out of resources, this usually happens to most of us these days. We must realize that there is only one thing needed and we have to make it our choice so that it will not be taken away from us. We need not be worried and anxious about a lot of things. As in Lk. 10:41-42, The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." If we choose the right thing then we can claim all other things, as in Mt. 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides." To top it all, we are assured in today's 1st reading that we are sufficient for God alone provides. They say experience is the best teacher. As we go on with our daily life and charge each day to experience, there is a need to really open the door of our hearts and allow Jesus to not just be a part of our life but be guided by the WWJD (What would Jesus do?) principle and do exactly what Jesus would do if he happens to be us. Amen. Hallelujah! 

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,5 that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, 6 as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

A leper could not go anywhere because of fear of contagion. This is what leprosy does to a person, it does not just eat up a person’s flesh but it could also be spread through contact. We must realize that before Jesus came to redeem us we were all like lepers isolated and banned from entering heaven but we have all been healed from the sin of our 1^st parents and restored to wholeness. In today’s gospel 10 lepers were made whole but only 1 came back. It is important that we learn to be thankful. We sometimes imagine that life owes us a living. Take the example of a teenager who is not allowed to use a family car and gets upset over it. We feel the same way when we feel slighted it is because we are immature and arrogant. None of us are self sufficient and we are all totally dependent on God. Everything we have is a gift from God. We must learn to acquire the heart of gratitude. We should pray to the Lord who have given us so much to give us one more thing, a grateful heart. Our gratitude to God should have no limit. He has given us so many blessings but we have a tendency to take it for granted and just turn our backs on him just like those 9 lepers in today's gospel. There is no doubt that Jesus is able to do all things even the most impossible ones. The problem lies not in the part of Jesus to do what is supposed to be done it is in our part that we fail. Sometimes we go through life complaining and moaning about our problems without realizing that we have a lot more to be thankful to God for. The gospel is a statistical illustration of it since only 1/10 lepers came back to God and recognized what He has done. It's time we realize which part of that statistic do we belong? Or better yet, to try to make a statistical shift from that number to 10/10 as we all go to God and give Him thanks. Technically speaking if we are to refer to this statistical formula we will find it to be known as shift invariance. In other words, if a statistic, S  is shift-invariant, then addition of an arbitrary value, a, positive or negative, to all elements of the sample results in the increase/decrease of S by the same amount a. We can take it as something that is subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision. Let us do our part in making a difference for in the end it will all return to us more than a hundredfold. Can we expect to hear the same words of Jesus spoken to the cleansed leper to be spoken to us? Are we the grateful Samaritan or one of the other 9 who did not return to give thanks. Giving thanks come in so many ways and Jesus tells us the importance of it not for His own sake but for ours. Our thanks to God will not add anything to the greatness of God. God is great and mighty with or without our thanks. It is us who needs it. The more thankful we are the more we acknowledge God's goodness and become more open to His graces. Giving thanks to God works for our own good and advantage more than anything else. God can take away all our sufferings if He wills it just like the instant healing of the ten lepers in the gospel. So why does he still allow suffering? This world we live in is the way it really is, imperfect. We need to be content in every circumstance and must not depend on anything in order to be contented or happy. We can decide to be content and grateful where we are right now and not end up like the ungrateful 9 lepers who were healed. It is very sad that only a few people recognize the goodness and blessings that God bestows on each one of us. In today's gospel only one gave thanks to God for the healing that they received. We tend to always assume that God owes us something and become ungrateful for the blessings we received. Or we take for granted the things that God gives and tend to focus more on our personal agenda which surely is not always the best thing for us. Only God knows what's best for us and by accepting our circumstances right at this very moment the more God can bless us. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he travelled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”