Today's 1st reading reminded me of a game that my 2 sons and I used to play when they were still small. During weekends when I was off from work I regularly spent time with them at home. Since they were 2 active little boys who loved playing rough with made up monsters, beasts and robots what I did was to run around with them inside the house and pretend that the enemy is in pursuit of us. They never seem to get tired of it but I always did, so I needed to take a breather by pretending too, that we can stop running and just lie down in bed and still remain protected and unharmed even if the enemy caught up with us because we can surround ourselves with a shield that can not be penetrated by the enemy. In that way I was able to take my needed rest and not spoil the game for them. Sometimes we, too are like that in life when we keep on running away and fending for ourselves without realizing that we can stay put because God can set up walls and ramparts all around to protect us. The words firm and rock connotes strength and endurance. These words have always been used extensively in the bible and today's readings should encourage us to be firm in this truth that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. In the Philippines there is an expression that goes like this, "Para kang nakasandal sa pader" which means "You are leaning on a sturdy wall" This is commonly used when we see someone who is undisturbed or unaffected despite the many problems that beset that person. Or it could be attributed to someone who gets away with anything without any struggle because someone is behind to back up. It's like nobody would dare mess with someone who is well covered. This should make us realize that if we can put so much faith and confidence in a person who have the ability to give protection, watch our backs and got it covered all the more should we feel this way for a God who is an Eternal Rock. We must never neglect to bring back to God the glory, by sharing our blessings in terms of giving to the church, we thank God that He provides for our needs and continue to provide for us a source of income. Amen. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 26:1-6
“A strong city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us. 2 Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith. 3 A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you.” 4 Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
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
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a
R: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes...I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior. (R) 25 O LORD, grant salvation! O LORD, grant prosperity! ...The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
If we really love God then we will listen to His word and act on His will. The love of God is inseparable to love of His 10 commandments. The gospel reading for today reminded me of the lecture of Atty. Jess Moya on the Fundamental Catholic Moral Principles.
1. We can never do evil (i.e. "intrinsically evil") to bring about good. The end never justifies the means, Rom 3:8; Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1753, 1754 & 1756) Examples that were given are killing to save lives/abortion/euthanasia/artificial contraception/ethnic cleansing. The error of "Consequentialism" states that good intention is not enough. We may have the grandest intention but if your means of attaining it is not good then we should never resort to doing it at all. The same is true with the error of "Proportionalism" wherein the good desired outweighs the evil. These are just means that mitigate the problem and can never be a solution. If worse comes to worst then it can even aggravate it.
2. The principle of double effect can be applied if a good act may have evil side effect (CCC 1737) and have fulfilled the following conditions: good must be willed, must not be the result of the tolerated evil and good desired must equal/outweigh the evil effect. An example given for this is a mother who needs to undergo a life saving operation (tumor has to be removed) while she is pregnant but in the process miscarriaged her baby. The miscarriage was not intended or deliberate but is just a result of the operation done.
3. The principle of Totality states that for health reason, may mutilate, modify or remove an organ or body part. An example is removing a gangrenous arm or leg in order to save or extend the life of a person or mastectomy-breast removal due to cancer.
4. We may choose the lesser of Two Evils if the conditions are: both are unavoidable evils and must not intend the evil outcome. An example is a pilot left with no other choice but to crash the plane on a school or a residential house and he has only a few seconds to decide before he ejects himself and he decided the lesser evil which is crashing the plane in the residential house.
5. Counseling the Lesser Evil only if we are faced with an unavoidable evil and the evil outcome must not be intended. An example is if you are being robbed and instead of being shot with a gun suggested that he steals everything he/she has just to spare his/her life. To advise a robber to steal is not good in itself but is a lesser evil if we are faced with an unavoidable situation of being killed when pointed with a gun.
"God has equipped us with the totality of the means of salvation and we can overcome with the grace of God." Let us continue to call on the Lord but be sure to do His will by acting on the words that we heard from God and be like a man who built his house on rock. There are a lot of things going on around and within us and it seems like there is no stopping to the trials and sufferings that come to us if we are to closely scrutinize every single detail of our lives. But there is always hope in the truth that if we anchor ourselves to the "Rock" and never let go then we can surely withstand all the storms that come our way for God is our refuge, rock and deliverer, we can stand firm. We've got to take every word of God like a treasure of great worth. It has a value that is beyond measure because it is capable of bringing us to heights and depths of faith that can not be moved. Today's gospel speaks of faith that is as solid as rock. Rock formation is a result of weathering and erosion. It is not an easy process in fact it can take years and years before it can be formed. Somehow it tells us that it is not a pleasant one too, if we apply it to our own lives. Just imagine ourselves being subjected to all kinds of weather in life and going through subsequent erosions as we strip ourselves of the things that hinder our growth. Just like a rock formation, it is a process and not something instant. As we go through life and endure all kinds of weather and be rid of all kinds of baggage that we needlessly carry and be burdened of then we are set on a path to a faith set solidly on rock. This we should continue to do in order to enrich our faith continuously to this point for as long as we live. Today’s gospel is also a reminder of my mother as I have shared several times already. When she was still living she told me about this place in America that she consider as most beautiful, the place where the House on the Rocks is. I have been really blessed with a mother like mine and many wonderful people in my life that have helped me build my faith like a wise man who built his house on rock. Another wonderful story I could relate with the gospel is about my 2 sons. We all know that little children especially boys get bored whenever their playtime starts to slow down and suddenly put to a halt. That was what usually happens whenever my 2 sons and I end up lying in bed for too long I just can't keep them there any longer. I had to be more creative in my game plans. I needed to start with my just lying down in bed activities with them and be very creative. I had to come up with exciting twists and turns in our games. Just as they were starting to get out of bed I would immediately tell them to keep still or the shield that is protecting us might break. Although it was a silly thing to say and worked only half of the time I am overwhelmed by the fact that today's gospel scenario when the rain fell, the floods came and the winds blew and buffeted the house was almost the same picture I was presenting to them. I kept on telling them to be still because the enemy was hammering our shield and trying to destroy it but I assured them that the shield surrounding us can protect us and would not collapse. I guess, God is telling us the same thing whenever we get bored and impatient with what's going in our life. What we need to do instead of disturbing our peace is just to deepen and strengthen the foundation of our faith in God. I just realized now that the game plan I had in mind back then for my 2 little boys contains the same message that is being conveyed today about the house built solidly on rock which did not collapse. Let us be wise by following the path leading to Him and not be led astray for our sake. Let's build up the solid foundation of our faith and stand firm in the midst of the trials. Amen. Hallelujah!
Mt 7:21, 24-27
Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven..."Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
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