THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

We’ll find in the Book of Proverbs a lot of things about wisdom even in Sirach, Ecclesiastes and all the wisdom literature in scriptures. Wisdom is the ability to make right decisions in complex situations. They are decisions that lead to the best and right thing. Without this we can be in big trouble. We’ve got to be able to decide in a situation that we’re in what the right thing to do which is the best thing to do. How do we get something done? There are some folks who probably just can’t figure out what to do. There are other folks who look at the problem and they can figure out a solution. It’s a core and they execute that core. It’s practical wisdom. It is good to have people around us to give us support but we can not always depend on other people to do things for us, there has got to be a time when we should stand up on our own two feet, develop the backbone, be self reliant and take responsibility. We should be able to make decisions, stand by them, not point any fingers when things seem to go wrong and be able to really claim them as our own. If we do, we will see that things are brought to light and better understanding as they eventually fall into perfect place. As in Romans 8:28, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose." We have to prove ourselves worthy of the call. It is by doing this that we will develop character that will enhance our qualities to become a better person and Christian that our Lord Jesus Christ would surely be proud of. Amen. Hallelujah!

Wisdom 1:1-7

1 Love justice, you who judge the earth; think of the LORD in goodness, and seek him in integrity of heart; 2 because he is found by those who test him not, and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him. 3 For perverse counsels separate a man from God, and his power, put to the proof, rebukes the foolhardy; 4 because into a soul that plots evil wisdom enters not, nor dwells she in a body under debt of sin. 5 For the Holy spirit of discipline flees deceit and withdraws from senseless counsels; and when injustice occurs it is rebuked. 6 For wisdom is a kindly spirit, yet she acquits not the blasphemer of his guilty lips; because God is the witness of his inmost self and the sure observer of his heart and the listener to his tongue. 7 For the spirit of the LORD fills the world, is all-embracing, and knows what man says.

Technology has become so advanced nowadays that nothing remains unknown for long. With the latest in probes, sensors and the like in just one click of the computer everything is laid before us. Sometimes it just goes too far and out of bounds and we fail to conform and align all these innovations to the Author and Inventor of all these things. Let us not forget, He is the source of everything there was, is and will be. In the midst of all the trouble we're going through it is always a consolation to know that we have a God who knows every single thing that is going on with us and He cares and loves us a lot. For indeed in today's psalm reading is another confirmation that God knows our deepest thoughts and longings. We should always be aware of this undeniable truth that God's Spirit dwells in each one of us. There is no reason to doubt what today's psalm speaks about with regards to our relationship with our Creator. May we not forget and always remember who we are before the eyes of God. We can never allow our flesh, things of this world and the enemy to lure, confuse and deceive us any longer. It helps to always remember what St. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:11-13, "Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day..."  We are who we are in the eyes of God and not what the flesh, the world and the destructive enemy wants us to believe.  We are special to God, He calls each one of us by name. We should all value the special care and attention that God has given to us as His most valued among all of His creation.

This reminds me of this lady who used to ask me, "How do I look?" I would always reply, "You're beautiful." But she would say in return, "Oh you're full of baloney" and every time I would just laugh back at her. Eventually I got inspired to respond to her differently when I told her that it is not baloney but it's biblical that we are all beautiful. In fact the Tagalog translation in text message that I have received is quite funny, it goes something like this, "Kilabot sa ganda, nanginginig pa" (I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works.) which is stated right here in today's psalm. As man, we have the concupiscence or the natural inclination to the flesh, lust, greed and pride. The perfect formula for self destruction is based on this popular and well subscribed saying that goes like this, "If it feels good just do it." Pope John Paul II in his book, "Splendor of Truth" said that the power to decide what is good and evil is not within the power of man. This is clear in the book of Genesis when He forbid our 1st parents to eat of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God gave us the free will and the source of conflict came from the inability to acknowledge God as our Creator and that only Him can define morality. Man doesn't make rules of morality, we only discover it. The 10 commandments are an expression of God's love and the means to have true freedom which means the ability to do what we ought to do and not what we want to do. Catholic Morality is under attack as issues on abortion and artificial contraception have become so liberated. We should be firm in our stand not give in or budge an inch as we stand by the teachings of the Church. We should all value the special care and attention that God has given to us as His most valued among all of His creation. Our life is precious this we know is true as stated in today's psalm.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 139:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10

R: Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

1 O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; 2 you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. 3 My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. (R) 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it. 5 Behind me and before, you hem me in and rest your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain. (R) Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, you are present there. R. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea, Even there your hand shall guide me, and your right hand hold me fast. R.

There's this funny story about sin and temptation that I heard of a long time ago. It was about a person who went to confession, he said that he is tormented by impure thoughts and is having a hard time getting over it. The priest said that it is not yet a sin and still a temptation if he has not entertained them. The man therefore concluded that he has not sinned. According to him he did not entertain it rather it entertained him. Sometimes we can make up our own justification and rationale and go around these things. Well, that’s entertainment. Jesus knows that as sure as the sun shines every morning are the temptations that come to us every day. Today's gospel is a stern warning, "Be on your guard." We should truly be, because the enemy is cunning and deceiving that we might end up better off tying a millstone around our necks and thrown into the sea. What an exaggeration just to get this important message across, "Thou shall not entertain temptations and fall into sin." Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 17:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard!