CAMPAIGN PERIOD

We have to be aware of the fact that we are engaged in a battle every single day of our lives. There is a competition going on whether we admit it or not. It is like a campaign period when everybody is soliciting for our votes. The world continues to lure us with its major attractions that sometimes get a hold of us. One crucial thing that we have to keep in mind is that the battle has already been won but it is up to us to claim the victory for ourselves or be deceived by the false propaganda that this world is continuously campaigning for. Do we truly vote for God or not?  The battle is actually more within ourselves, to follow the ways of God or the world because we have already been assured that whoever does the will of God remains forever. Every now and then we are being confronted with choices and decisions that we have to make. We can not deny the fact that we are still in this world and we exist sometimes in accordance to its demands. Although these things are not outrightly evil in itself we should always guard ourselves from succumbing to its enticements and eventually fall into the evil trap. Just like what the 1st reading is telling us today, we must be fully aware that the world we live in is just taking us for a ride and it will all come to an end and might as well know to whom we should place our confidence, devotion and trust. Today's 1st reading should remind us of this basic truth that we all have to stick to and not be enticed to stray away from. Amen. Hallelujah!

1 John 2:12-17

...Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.

When we have an appointment or a schedule it requires us to make necessary preparation for it before the date itself. There are times when we have to go through stressful activities in order to meet some requirements that go with it. This should make us think all the more of the greatest appointment we have to face on that final day and act in accordance to the demand of the inevitability and reality of this day. How much more are we supposed to prepare for that unknown day if indeed we believe that we have to be there and get there, where we are supposed to be, in God's Kingdom. We should always be prepared for the day when we will come face to face with God. Every single day should be lived as if it's our last. How easy it is to put ourselves in the center of the universe. We are not the center of the universe, God is. We are just here on earth for a few fleeting years. 70 if we are strong in which to serve God. St. Theresa of Avila said to never waste a moment in time because she knows that every moment in time can secure heaven. When all is over and the battle has been won as in Revelation, God's name will be written in our foreheads and it will never be night again nor will we still need lamp or sunlight again because the Lord is our Light. There are so many things in life that worry us every day. We encounter people and circumstances that disturb our peace. We can't help but be stirred up and sometimes lose our focus. The truth is there is nothing that should bother us at all. We've got to hold on to the truth always that God is on top of everything. We have to be perfectly aware of the fact that the Lord has the whole world in the palm of His hand and will surely rule it with justice and constancy. It is always worth our all when we stand by the principles of God. No matter what it is that we are going through right now we can always draw strength and inspiration in this truth and not be moved. We look at our own lives and see that it is dark in many ways in the form of bad stories that we hear about. We are not perfect but we can do something to bring the glowing radiance of Christ to the world. We must be able to calm ourselves and silence our mind over a lot of worries and anxiety. In doing so we could immediately feel the peace and assurance that God never ever leaves us every step of the way. It helps to do the 3Rs: Reflecting, Remembering, Renewing. It is really important that we constantly reflect on the word of God, wherein the scriptures become fully alive in our life. We should always remember how God helped us in a certain experience. In doing so, hope starts to rise again. It is equally important that we live a balanced life by renewing so that we don't get worn out by the daily turmoil of our life. Those who toil will reap and will be able to reflect God's glory through the fruits of their harvest. We have 101 reasons to always rejoice and be glad. Jesus came and entered humanity in the most humble way. He loved us as we are and was willing to be born in a manger. He doesn't wait for us to transform ourselves but take us for who we are. It is very consoling to know that we have a God who was willing to be born into the messiness of our lives. We may not have received all the things we have been asking for specifically but we continue to believe that God in His goodness and mercy did answer all our prayers in the way that He deemed is best. It doesn't change the fact that He is God, always in control and every single thing works according to His master plan and divine purpose. We can be assured that He will carry out the plan He has for us, as in Jeremiah 29:11, For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe, plans to give you a future full of hope. God is over, above, around, about and all over the world. It is only right and fitting that we give glory to God who is above all. Let us always be grounded on this truth and make it clear for us so as not to fall into the trap and deception of the gods of the nations which are things of nought. Let us truly be faithful to the one and true God who made the heavens. We should listen, learn and be part of the task of spreading God's word to every person if we are really one with Him. No one is excluded from God's call of love. We often hear people saying that life is unfair but it is always a consolation to know that we have a God who is consistently good and just all the time. We can surely rely on Him all the time. God is sending all of us a friendship despite our coldness towards Him. He gives us all that we need. He is as good as He is great. He is very lavish with His promises and faithful in keeping them.  Whatever situation we are in we should always take the opportunity of showing forth God's glory at its best in our own lives. Nowadays, people tend to make decisions based on money. We must not discount the fact that money is important but it should not be the sole and major deciding factor when we come up with a decision. If we know exactly why we are here and what we are here for then there's no reason to doubt that God is always at our side to love, support and make things work for good. But we need to believe that God's power knows no limit. This world of ours is amazingly designed by God. DNA a double helical structure,   which is found in every living creature, which includes us, humans, is also existent in the solar system. Scientists found out that the pattern in which the planets rotate around the sun is also in a double helical conformation. It is undeniable evidence by the signature of God scattered all over the planet and extends to the entire universe that not even the most intelligent and brilliant astrologers could explain. We are indeed blessed and endowed with a wealth of endless benefits and cures just lying around us and within our reach. He is Great and Mighty and to Him alone do we put our trust. We must not be discouraged and continue to hope in His power. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10

R: Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name! R. Bring gifts, and enter his courts; worship the LORD in holy attire. Tremble before him, all the earth. R. Say among the nations: The LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity. R

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Today’s gospel is about the presentation of Jesus in the temple in obedience to the Mosaic law of Joseph and Mary.  There is a wide variety of aspects to contemplate upon.  In Israel at that time, women had to wait 40 days before the presentation of the child she has given birth. They understand that when a woman bears a child they are in the realm that belongs specifically to God. The birth of a child is something that depends on God giving life and there is a great sacredness in the process of giving birth to a child and they are set apart. This ritual needs to be completed before entering the life of community. We can not often understand the OT (Old Testament) teachings. At this time a woman is considered unclean although not necessarily sinful since it could also mean something sacred. We could look at it in a way they see the scriptures since they are considered very sacred. In the synagogue everyone is forbidden to actually touch a scroll with their finger so they have a stick to point at the scripture. It is very sacred and if you touch it you become unclean. The idea is that it is so sacred and considered a power that belongs to the realm of God. If you are rendered unclean then one has to go in a ritual bath. This is why Jewish women have to go into a ritual bath after 40 days because they entered into the realm of God when they give birth to a child. It works in a way that it is also at the time when the body after birth is completely healed. All these things work hand in hand with each other as the mystery of God unfolds in our very own lives. The characters of Simeon and Anna are inevitably drawn into this event of Jesus' life. They serve as models of faith and hope for the people of God. There is no doubt that God is with us but are we with or for God. In any good relationship we know that it should be a 2-way or mutual thing. One can not govern over or not respond to the other. If we aim to develop an intimate relationship with God then we need to work on it. We can also learn from Anna the prophetess. It was said that “she was constantly in the temple, worshiping day and night in fasting and prayer.” Her devotion to the Lord paid well. We sometimes go through life like a routine and we do things automatically without much thought. There are times when we just let things and circumstances pass us by without noticing any difference. Anna did not fall for this kind of trap or complacency. She immediately knew and felt the Lord's presence. There may be thousands of babies being presented in the temple during that time but she spotted the Lord. This could not have been possible if not for her prayerful and discerning attitude. Just like her, may we be sensitive always to God's presence in our midst and be endowed with discernment. This is what happens when we decide to always draw near to God. He will surely not just draw nearer but nearest to us. God does not just match or double our works and efforts but maximizes to the superlative. We’ll never find ourselves in the losing end but always in a winning situation with the Lord. When God stooped down to our level and disrobed his kingship for our sake He knew from the start what He is headed, for He is All knowing. But some still contradicts God despite everything He has done for us. And this is all because of His great love for us. Jesus is an obedient and loving Son as He is a symbol of perfection. That even His own mother was not spared of the hurt and pain is way too much for Him. From every beginning to the end of it all, there should only be one truth that guides us to the ultimate, unsurpassed and unending power of God which has long been revealed throughout the ages. Jesus came to save us. This is a very powerful statement that not every one of us can grasp its true meaning. There's this story of a man who heard a banging on the windows one winter night and saw the freezing sparrows who were trying to get in. The man tried to save them by shooing them away towards the barn where they could have shelter. Every time he tried to come near them he scares them and they fly away. He realized that he can not save them because they can not understand him. The only way to save them is to become small like them and lead them to where they should go. Unless he becomes one of them there is no way he can save them. This is what God did in order to save us. Jesus manifested God’s love. He became a model for us to follow. This is all because He wanted to give us a participation in His Divine Life. Mass is a perfect worship to God who is perfect. During mass we offer Jesus, the perfect sacrifice to God who lived in humble obscurity laid down His life in death, obeyed perfectly and won life for us, the Church.  Death is a part of life and we ought to prepare for it. Not in the morbid kind of way but by giving and surrendering all in union with Jesus. Simeon and Anna were both righteous, devoted to God and prayerful. They were gifted by God with prophetic revelations. We, too are gifted with the Holy Spirit but there is a need to unleash the power in us. We can start by striving to follow the good example of the holy men and women who came before us and faithfully and diligently wait on the Lord. It is an opportunity just like Simeon and Anna in today’s gospel to say our yes to the Father as Jesus did. We are reminded that even Jesus followed what was written in the law. We are reminded to conduct our affairs of this world in accordance to the law and live a life that is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. We ask the intercession of the Blessed Mother whose heart was pierced by a sword, may we be always covered by her blue mantle of protection.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 2:36-40

...She never left the temple, but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer. 38 And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.