Judging from what is happening in our lives right now and if we will just look very closely, I guess, we can find ourselves saying that there is a time in our life too, when just like Abram we experienced a deep terrifying darkness which enveloped our whole being and felt very afraid. I did and it was the time when I had to make this life changing decision of mine to come and stay in the
Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.
All these things were happening one after another in a very precise and consistent way. And they continue to go on with the several significant times I was inspired in sharing the various levels and stages of the
It's like everything was coming into play in a very special and reassuring way. All of these have deepened my faith even more. Though, some may not believe and doubt the experiences we've had in the Lord, what's most important is that we follow the example of Abram who put his faith in the Lord. It is noteworthy that we find several passages in the Old Testament which foreshadowed the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I had the privilege of knowing about this from EWTN. Today’s 1st reading has the specific passage cited which is considered a foreshadowing of the death of Jesus when He descended into the dead as a deep and terrifying darkness that enveloped Abraham which is prior to the covenant that was made by God with him. The same is true for us when we received the gift of eternal life through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. This becomes significant to us not only in the major events of our profession of faith but also as we go through our daily personal lives. If we are conscious enough of what’s really going on with us then we come to realize that prior to major breakthroughs and successes that we gain are certain events in our lives that we can call our own deep, terrifying darkness preceding the fulfillment of the covenant or the personal passion and death experiences we have to go through before the resurrection. Isn’t it true that we often hear people say things like, “If you’ve only known what I have to go through before I was able to achieve something and so on and so forth.” It is like we need to pass a certain process just like Jesus who did not refuse the cup of suffering instead said, “Let this cup pass me by, not my will but yours be done.” These things will serve as a reminder to us that whatever hardships, challenges and trials we are going through right now we can always count on God who is always true to His promises and is sure to fulfill the covenant He has made. Amen. Hallelujah!
Genesis 15:5-12.17-18.
...Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness...“O Lord GOD,” he asked, “How am I to know that I shall possess it?”… As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him. When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking brazier and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,…
Brothers and sisters, if we are confident that we are where we are supposed to be and the Lord allowed things to happen in our life the way they are happening right now then we should be still and know that God is in control. We need to understand the mysteries of our faith in order to appreciate it better. We have to go near as much as possible to the Word of God and experience it come to life and see His glory shining on us. As we go near Him we see his face and feel His love. We always have hope in the Lord who knows what's best for each one of us. There should be no doubt in our minds that He answers prayers. All we have to do is call on the Lord, trust that He hears the sound of our call and wait for Him with courage. When we get carried away by all the commotion there is a tendency that we neglect the essential and most central issue which is to always believe that we shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. There is really nothing that we should worry about if we always hold in our hearts the truth about Jesus. There may be times when we encounter disappointments and setbacks in life but this doesn't mean that God has stopped becoming the Loving God that He is, who suffered His only Begotten Son to die on the cross for our sake. Our focus should be on the truth of this love and everything that it stands for. This reminded me of a mini play staged in EWTN of a passenger waiting to be boarded on the airplane. He was the 1st and only person in the boarding area waiting patiently for his seat reservation to be called. He got surprised when someone came along and hardly ever waited when his seat number was called. He felt somehow annoyed at the idea of someone who just came and did not wait but got on the plane first although he managed to stop himself from making a scene. A lady with her young child also came and looked very excited to board the plane but he tried to warn them not to keep their hopes up too much because it would definitely take time and said that he had been waiting for a long time and came early but his number had not been called yet. To his surprise their numbers were called and happily boarded while he was once again left behind. He simply couldn't stand it anymore when a pleasant young lady came with all smiles on her face and speaking of how excited she is to board an airplane for the first time. The company of this nice lady kept her impatience at bay. She advised him to stop thinking about how the others were able to get there quickly but rather think of the joy he would have once he gets there. She assured him to just relax and make the most of his time because he has a reservation and a ticket all he needs to do is just wait. He did exactly just that and found himself at peace until the time his number was called. The same thing happens to the best of us when we are confronted with a tedious and exasperating process of waiting. We tend to lose our peace and joy and succumb to worry and doubt. If we are holding on to something that was assured to us by a trustworthy and reliable source we can put our worries to rest. Although sometimes anxiety can still find its way to our hearts and forget on whom our confidence lies. If we remain in the Lord and put our trust in Him then there is nothing we should worry about. In life, there are 4 things which are 1. sin 2. grace 3. forgiveness 4. reconciliation that we could all learn a lot from. The 1st 3 are all a reality but #4 is only a possibility. Reconciliation calls us to true conversion. An example that fits this is a snake and caterpillar since both of them undergoes conversion. The snake sheds off its old skin but comes out the same while the caterpillar emerges into a butterfly. We have to ponder and think about setting our goals high, keeping our thoughts positive and coming up with new solutions. There is no room for fear for He is consistent to His nature as God. Let us strive to become the child He has meant us to be. Another thing we could learn something about is a puzzle. I am one person who never even thought of working on a jigsaw puzzle. I am not the type of person who would bother to even buy one. It just happened that when I was in Japan and saw all sorts of things which are being sold in a bazaar, I ended up buying one for no reason at all. In fact it took years before I finally opened it and put the puzzle together. That was when I actually experienced how to do it. It takes patience and perseverance to do it especially with the complicated puzzles. Sometimes in life we just back out and give up when things become complicated and when we do, we fail to witness the bounty of the Lord. As today psalm tells us, we've got to wait with courage and be stout hearted. We should all long for the day when we will have 100% confidence level in all our decisions for God. When the time comes it will totally remove all forms of anxiety and fear and incline ourselves to Him at all times. It should be our ultimate desire and nothing else, to always be in the presence of the Lord. To abide in Him at all times even when things are not very good. I could never forget and would always remember those times when I used to pick figs at Sis Loreta's garden. It was then that a thought came to my mind while I was climbing a ladder in order to get the figs in hard to reach places. Despite the fact that I was already on top of the ladder there were still some figs that I was not able to see and pick up right away although it was already right in front of me. They are being covered by the leaves of the tree and some are hidden in between branches. I just realized that it could be compared to how God showers us with all the blessings and graces that we need. There are times when we fail to see it though it is already right in front of us. Sometimes we have to really look very closely and try to turn our gaze into different angles in order to see it. What's funny was that when I thought that I've got almost every ripe fig in the tree, I noticed one big ripe fruit at the lowest part of the tree, there was even no need to use a ladder in order to get it. Sometimes in life we resort to a lot of means that are sometimes no longer necessary. All we have to do is believe that we will see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living if we will just be patient and full of courage. We ought to realize that if we wait on the Lord patiently and persevere long enough we will never be disappointed for He alone is our light and salvation. Amen. Hallelujah!
R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom am I afraid?...Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks. (R) Your presence, O LORD, I seek. 9 Hide not your face from me; do not in anger repel your servant. You are my helper: cast me not off. (R) 13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
Why is it that nothing seems to be perfect in this world? There are times when just as we are about to achieve something really close to it suddenly something happens and without even knowing it the picture perfect scenario changes into a not so pleasant one or worst into something we never ever wanted to happen. In everything there is always a reason and we can't help encounter such things because we live in an imperfect world but we can always hope in Jesus our Lord and Savior who will make all things perfect in His time. We are indeed God's priority! He surely looks after all our cares and concerns. I am reminded of the time when Sis Em invited me to attend the AFCCPC (Alliance of Filipino Catholic Charismatic Prayer Communities) North Pacific Regional Conference in Stockton , CA
Philippians 3:17–4:117
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us...For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their “shame.” Their minds are occupied with earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. 4: 1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord.
There are so many things in this life that we are confronted with everyday and it is very reassuring to know that we always have Jesus whom we can always count on. He is always with us so we need to fix our glance on Him. To be a witness of an extraordinary happening is something that we can always remember and can not easily forget. In today's gospel, Peter, James and John are among those few people who have been blessed with such a sight which is proof of Jesus' Immortality, Divinity and Majesty. Words are not enough to speak or describe God's glory. If we are to think of all the things that are memorable to us and considered unforgettable then we'll find the undeniable truth that God is always there wanting to be part of it no matter how pleasant or unpleasant it may be. In times like these whether it’s special or not, happy or sad, we ought to just always remember and bring everything to God in prayer. Just as He spoke of His exodus (Passion and Death) in Jerusalem during His Transfiguration so is He definitely conveying to us the complete and entire story which includes His Glory and Resurrection. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 9:28b-36
28 Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem...Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”...
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