We can always rely on the word of people whom we trust. We have this confidence that we can count on them and they will never let us down. As we develop this mutual relationship of trust and love we eventually become very good friends. The same is true also with our relationship with God, in today's 1st reading we are advised to follow it because we have a God who is trustworthy more than any best friend we could ever have. In the Philippines we have this expression, “Dinudugo na ako.” In English it can be translated as “I am bleeding.” Although not literal in its meaning when someone says this it is to emphasize the fact that a person is having a very difficult time. I guess the essence of blood or what it stands for in every culture can not be underrated. This is what came to my mind upon reading this in Companion. “Blood is very important in Jewish and Christian theology as it is seen as the life essence of the animal or person and it belongs to God. This is why the Jews will not eat food made from blood. In that blood symbolized the life essence of a being; it was offered to God as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. This is why Christians see the shedding of the blood of Christ as the definitive offering of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, because as Jesus is without sin, His offering is totally meritorious and capable of bringing true and lasting forgiveness. Previously, sacrifices had to be continually offered as they were imperfect.” Amen. Hallelujah!
Hebrews 10:19-25
Brothers and sisters: Since through the Blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and since we have “a great priest over the house of God,” let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy. We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works. We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.
We can't claim to be this kind of person, a Christian but conduct ourselves in a very unlikely way. Let us no longer be deceived by the false and misleading truths and principles that this world presents to us every single day. We have to be grounded at all times on this truth that today's psalm is telling us. There was a time when Tita Neds complained that something is wrong with the television. She said that somebody fixed it already but it didn't stay fixed for long. It wasn't the manufacturer who repaired it, that was why. If it was brought to its manufacturer they would definitely know what to do with it. We've got to be conscious of this reality and apply it to ourselves. When something goes wrong we should know where to go, to whom we really belong, the Lord. This is the covenant: we belong to the Lord and He belongs to us for we are His people and He is our God. If we look at what's happening in the world today most especially the economic crisis wherein even the leading nations are being challenged by the present situation then we are really bound to anticipate the worst. Not even those people who used to be very confident of their present jobs in their respective stable companies can be too sure of what's going to happen next. There have been so much speculations of what will be the outcome of this worldwide problem of the economy and most of them are not good. With all these rubble, there is just really one thing we need to focus on and that is God. It is not easy to live life in this world but we can rejoice and be glad, we have an army, a battalion, a full house of saints with all the angels constantly and endlessly praying and singing in heaven, the so called triumphant Church/army of God, who intercede in our behalf and is joyously inviting us to be one of them. We are being reminded by the readings today to always keep ourselves blameless before the Lord no matter how tough things are. God wants to be with us, there is no doubt about that. But just like water and oil which can not be put together and mixed so is God and man if we are in sin or harbor anything that can not be attributed to the holiness of God. We can not force two different things to go together. Water is a polar molecule and oil is non polar. They do not mix because they are two different substances as in the adage, "Like dissolves like." God can not change. He is already who He is, Holy in all His ways. We can change. We can be like God in His holiness and goodness if we want to be with Him forever. Let us not lose sight of what a mighty God we serve who made the heavens and the earth. We pray to God to open our eyes that we may see the wonders of His love. We should think profoundly of our daily walk with the Lord which consists of not only a leisure stroll in the plains and valleys of life but a steep climb up to the top of the mountain. We must avail of the sacrament of reconciliation. It gives us renewed strength and hope. Our life consists of steep and dangerous climbs but we must not forget that God is always at our side. If we are to carefully assess our life we would find that it feels good whenever we are able to overcome most of our pitfalls though there are some that still needs improvement. We must praise and thank God that every time we experience a fall back and backslide we can immediately go back to Him through the sacrament of confession which restores us to our original path and right track. It is God's desire that we will someday come face to face with Him. There is a need for us to prepare for that day. We are sometimes guilty of not focusing on God's countenance alone, there are times when we get distracted by other things and today's psalm reading serves as the reminder. I heard a story about God's radiating and blinding light that when we stand before Him nothing is hidden from Him, He will never turn away from us but if we ourselves are tainted with the guilt of our sins then we can not withstand His presence and will definitely hide and ran away from Him, far from His ever blinding Light that penetrates us. Let us all hope that when that day comes we can stand in His Holy Presence and claim with confidence our rightful place in His Kingdom. For our information, all of us are eligible to be in heaven with God. There is no doubt about this since we have been made and washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. A virgin is with child. The Old Testament scriptures have foretold of this and point to the coming of Christ. The prophets preannounced and prefigured His coming and pointed to the fulfillment in Jesus in the New Testament. He has loved us first and continues to do so. He encounters us ever anew in the sacraments especially in the Eucharist. The Church helps us to respond to God’s initiative through word and teaching and the gathering of believers who respond faithfully. We have to be firm, resilient and faithful people of God. We’ve got to really focus on what is truly important and essential. We live in a world where there are so many distractions that we tend to lose sight of what should be our greatest and most important concern. After all has been said and done we will find in the end that what truly matters is not what will last only in this lifetime but for all eternity, a reward from God our Savior. When somebody invites us for a party we just don't go there without preparing ourselves for it. Much more gatecrash and just go to a party without an invitation. We are blessed that God has invited us. The best we could do being privileged, honored and counted to come to His banquet in heaven is to make preparations and always be ready to take part in it, really belong and not end up an outcast. We should not lose sight of this standing invitation that God gives us in our daily life. There is indeed a need to always be prepared so that when the final moment comes we can reside in the heavenly abode of God. In every game there is a rule to follow and only those who play it fair and square can finish to the end and win their prize. Today’s psalm gives us a guideline to follow in order to make it through. We should always long to see the face of God at all times in every person, event and circumstance in our lives. Let us always hold on to this image so that someday when we finally come face to face with God we will receive a blessing and reward for He will surely bring about what He said He would do. In the course of the time and in the history of mankind we hear of people like Abraham chosen by God. The chosen people were given laws and ordinances to follow. The remnants of the chosen people or those who were faithful to God in keeping these commandments like Simeon and Anna, Joachim and Anne are those who belong to the Hebrew generation, kept the Jewish tradition and prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. This initiation of God in loving us first should bring us to act and make love blossom as a response on our part. We've got to be consistent to the kind of people who longs to see God's face. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R: Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
...For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. (R) 3 Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? Or who may stand in his holy place? 4 He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. (R) 5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior...Such are the people that love the LORD, that seek the face of the God of Jacob."
I could remember a time when I hesitated for a moment when I was about to hand over to this home health nurse a copy of a daily reflection that I wrote and got inspiration through him the way I normally do with most of the people I am around. A lot of questions popped into my mind like, Would he mind receiving a bible reflection? Is he Christian? Can I really do this? I've encountered a lot of sensitive issues here in the US Kingdom of God Kingdom of God Roman empire . They think of the Messiah as the one to free them from the Roman rule and use the knowledge of the kingdom for power and control. It is like putting Jesus in a box and keeping Him at a distance so as not to allow Him to change us. We have to follow and submit to God. The seed planted in our hearts although a mystery and can not fully be comprehended will draw us closer to him through faith and good works. It is much different if we are to live our vocation and grow in our knowledge and understanding of the faith. We develop trust and personal adherence in a form of clinging to God. We see this in the life of people with no high theological understanding. They articulate their deep love for God and understanding in simple ways. With people who are still suffering and struggling with difficulties that are not taken away, the hidden nature of the mystery persists. Just like that particular time that was very difficult for a friend of mine whose husband passed away to see the light of hope. But we continue to believe that in a moment of darkness filled with grief and despair of losing a loved one there is still hope that light is still shining through and is bound to be known to all in His most perfect time. We have to have faith in the heart and believe that everything will unfold in His time and be able to discover the light in the midst of trying and uncertain moments. We may not grasp the meaning of all the things at the moment but everything will soon come to pass and only the light of God's truth will prevail. The veil is lifted and finally see God for who He is through faith, obedience and generous living in the gospel. This is the only way we can experience His love in a very real way. Though, still with the cross but still following his inspiration. This means real change in our lives that only the gospel can bring about as we remain faithful to it. Amen. Hallelujah!
Mark 4:21-25
Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lamp-stand? 22 For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. 23 Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” 24 He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.
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