The gift and promise of salvation should be directly proportional to the life we live here on earth. It is not like a seasonal diet that we follow for a specific period of time but one that we are willing to stick to for life. We should not set it aside once the season is over since it should be the kind of lifestyle we should be willing to commit throughout our lifetime. We are recipients of this great gift of salvation and thus we ought to make ourselves worthy and fitting for it. One thing we can be sure of, everything pays off immediately, later or in the end if we constantly seek God in all we do. No matter how tiring or discouraging the way or the road we are traveling which seems to pull us back down and want to give up, not go on or be tempted to take a different direction we simply must keep on going to the road where Jesus leads us. We should remain focused on Christ no matter how many distractions we encounter in our daily lives. I was suddenly reminded of this friend whom I haven’t seen and talked to for a long time. Every time we have a chance to get together we always engage in a lengthy conversation and really enjoy our exchange of ideas. I should say we bond in a special way and agree in a lot of things. I noticed that we both have similar likes when it comes to the type of clothes to wear, the food to eat and the simple and healthy life we both prefer to live. Although there are some personal areas in her life that we haven’t talked about and which I haven’t dared to ask, I have this feeling that if we are to go deeper into our friendship , I would have to inevitably face the challenge that Paul in today’s 1st reading is talking about. I was able to say this because it made me realize the fact that it always seems easy to connect and bond with her. It must say that we can really be very good friends despite the fact that we only had a brief encounter when we first met and we hardly see each other. The things that Paul is telling us are things that could totally offend a person when directly told about it. We are living in a world full of deceptions, pretenses and lies. Sometimes we would be better off if we could just keep our thoughts to ourselves most especially the sensitive and very personal issues about a person. If we have a choice then we would rather not be involved and just keep silent about it. Sometimes not even immediate family members, close relatives and friends dare to do it. Although there are times when we simply could no longer ignore the fact that God wants us to speak out and be bold enough to proclaim the truth. But this we can only do if we truly love and care about these people and be able to show them that it is really Christ that is in us and in all that motivates us to do so. A lot of things are easier said than done. Living our faith in Jesus Christ by example is definitely one of these things. It is good to know that we have scriptures to guide and enlighten us at all times and today’s 1st reading is definitely one of them. Amen. Hallelujah!
Colossians 3:1-11
Brothers and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory … Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator.
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!
Psalm 145:2-3, 10-11, 12-13AB
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
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. 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. Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations. R.
The Sermon on the Plain in the gospel of Luke speaks of the conditions of the heart. In fact when analyzed it was counted as 6/9 since 6 of them is about humility of the heart. Luke is a very good writer and devoted himself to the study of the scriptures. To understand Luke and his writings, one must understand Eastern and Ancient philosophy about the mind and the heart. The purity of desire, cleanliness of intentions and nobility of character all dwell in the heart of man. Eastern culture especially Near East thinks with its heart. God does not look on appearance but into one's heart. The Eastern definition of humility which comes from the word humus or soil are: 1. thinking of others before yourself, using the "we language rather than "I" 2. Knowing our place in the grand scheme of things. We must remember that "We are not the Messiah" and must be free of any "Messianic complex" by excluding arrogance which connotes violence, deceit, jealousy, conniving and manipulative. God prefers it that Jesus is the Messiah because we mess things up. We must know where we are supposed to stand. St. Thomas said that in order to see the perfect exemplification of the beatitudes, we have to look to Christ. Jesus is a happy man, a picture of freedom and joy. He loved doing the will of His Father. We have to look to our Lord on the cross and despise what He despised on the cross. They are the 4 things which we physically seek in this life, wealth, pleasure, power and honor. Wealth, he has none he was stripped naked even of His clothes. Pleasure he was at the limit of physical and psychological suffering. Power, he was nailed on the cross. Honor, he was mocked as he was publicly displayed and crucified. The main point here is detachment. Jesus is detached from the things which we typically seek. On the cross, he is the ultimate peace maker and the bringer of divine mercy, if Aquinas is right then Jesus on the cross is a picture of a happy man. Today I am reminded of my mother (nanay). She has totally surrendered her life to the Lord during the time of her sickness despite the opposition and difficulty I have imposed upon her brought about by my narrow and selfish thinking. We would often argue whenever I hear her say words like I am ready anytime God calls me to be with Him. I was only open to the possibility of her physical healing but never entertained in my mind that she would die soon. It must have been very painful at that time to be afflicted with terminal cancer and at the same time see her children still clinging to her and praying for an extension to her life. Now I know how my mother must have felt back then while fighting her illness at that time with an only daughter clinging tightly to her and not yet open to the possibility of being left behind. Looking back, now I understand why she chose to die alone without anyone of us, her loved ones by her side. She knew back then that I was not ready for it. Even my eldest brother who was there in the hospital was not by her side. She was just brought to the operating room for removal of water in her lungs and she never came back. If there's one person whom I know who was able to face death with so much courage and hope that is none other than my nanay (mother). Blessed are you indeed, nanay for the kingdom of God St. Augustine wrote, our hearts are restless until it rests on God. According to Oscar Wilde there are 2 terrible tragedies in life, not to get what our heart sets upon or to get it. Some of us get this truth the hard way. Poverty in spirit means that we are empty. By nature of course we are like a vacuum because we have to be filled with something. But we are usually filled with things, persons, places and tragically we do not own them they own us. When we finally get what we long for, that is when we realize that we can not have them nor could we own them forever. The only way to attain true happiness is to be possessed by the Lord. It’s a struggle everyday to break ourselves free so that the Lord can possess us. We have to learn to let go of yesterday, happiness in the past or the future, we must enjoy God’s gift to us today. That’s why it’s called the present. We must learn to find our strengths and staying power in the Lord. We must learn to face all these challenges with our Lord and be empty of everything except Him. The beatitudes will serve as our map in our quest to heaven. Beatitudes are like eyeglasses that help us to see what is important so as not to lose sight of what is right. Whenever we are to decide and act on something we might as well ask ourselves, “Is this choice going to bring me closer to heaven?” The more we get our vision corrected the more we get closer to heaven. What is going to bring us closer to heaven? St. Francis of Assisi is a pilgrim in search of the glory of God. He renounced his riches and served God. These are the kinds of choices that pilgrims make to get closer to heaven. We spend our whole lives to get closer to God. We are in contact with God and making choices to be closer to God. If we live our lives as pilgrims in a journey to heaven then we will be happy. We will be recognized for our love and joy. We are not expected to take this journey alone and walk in a lonely path. The Church is with us to help us in this journey and help us to stay in the right path. The sacraments, mass, baptism and penance are the tools to reach our heavenly destiny. God never wants us to be discouraged. We can bring all our sins to Him in confession. The Eucharist the guiding light of our journey is the earthly physical presence of Christ on earth. It guides, feeds and reminds us of the manna in heaven. We also have the Blessed Mother when Jesus gave us His own mother at the cross. She loves us as her children. The final destination of our pilgrimage and journey is heaven.
Luke 6:20-26
20 Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God
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