Today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and it should remind us of the love that God has for us since time immemorial. It goes as far back to our salvation history or covenant history from the time of Adam& Eve and Noah and dates way back to 1800 BC during the time of Abraham, Moses (1200), David (means the favored one,1000), Exodus (600) to the birth of our Lord Jesus. From this time line we can see significant events that happened from the time of Creation when God created man who fell into sin and became unfaithful and how God continuously called us back to Him by showing us who He really is throughout the length of time. Like the period (721) when Hosea started to prophesy for God and ministered. There are dramatic events like the entrance of the Israelites to the promised land and the pockets of rebellion as they took over the 12 tribes. They settled into a life of monarchy (kings) from their 1st king (Saul) to King David and King Solomon. The time of David is the greatest time of the people of God when the kingdom grew bigger while the time of Solomon is the time when the temple is at its best owing to the "wisdom of Solomon which was manifested in the 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs he wrote. But it was also marked by an event when the kingdom was divided due to Solomon's involvement to 1005 wives. It was a very difficult time marked by political upheaval, assassinations and adultery in the manner of the people's worship to Yahweh mixed with the pagan god, Baal. This was also the time when Hosea came into view. During that time of existing oppressive situation, Hosea married Gomer a prostitute whom he loves but was unfaithful and deserted him. His painful relationship with his wife symbolizes the covenant relationship of God's love and relationship to man. Hosea's life demonstrated to us his immense love for his wife despite all the unfaithfulness and deception he experienced from their relationship. Hosea can be described as a book of relationship, fidelity and God's faithfulness despite our unfaithfulness. God's fidelity to his people is described in terms of marriage, a divine love, fiery and affectionate for Israel as the "bride of God." The love of God can be likened to a man who married a woman out of his great love for her. How can we relate that kind of love when it comes to our longing and desire to be in union with God in the sacraments especially when we become one in the Holy Eucharist? Is it the same fiery and compassionate love of a man for the woman he longs to make love to? God throughout time has sent emissaries, patriarchs, prophets and kings to declare His great love for us and in the fullness of time has ultimately revealed His naked love in its entirety by sending His only begotten Son Jesus who was not spared to suffer and die on the cross just to show His great love for us. I should say that God is reminding me once again of some special events in my life. Firstly because of this person in my life who was also instrumental for the deepening of my faith in Jesus. One of the people who helped in bringing me closer to God is Gloria Dar. I was just new in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal then and I must admit that she was one person that God has used tremendously in my life. I could never forget when I was still pregnant with my son Jude most especially because it was Sis Gloria Dar who envisioned Jesus carrying a baby standing in the middle of our prayer circle and specifically described Him wearing the Sacred Heart attire and said these words, "I have a message for my daughter, consecrate the baby in your womb." This happened in a prayer meeting I attended during that time which happened to be on the 9th day of my Sacred Heart novena, and Sis Gloria, the prayer leader whom I just met, did not know of my novena neither of my pregnancy nor would even suspect of it. Looking back at my life back then most especially at that time when I first had this devotion to the Sacred Heart, I can never deny and forget for the rest of my life the dramatic and significant events that happened during my novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Jude Thaddeus which opened up the door for miracles to happen. I have witnessed the revelation of God's great love to me especially when I gave birth to Jude, my 1st born son, as proof of His undeniably awesome and unbelievable miracle when he came out normal and healthy despite my problematic pregnancy. From that day forward, God never ceased to amaze me every single turn in my life since His love is beyond comprehension. Amen. Hallelujah!
Deuteronomy 7:6-11
...Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation...
We can never fathom the wisdom of God but we can always remain confident in the truth that His kindness is perfect and everlasting. He makes all things work for good. When we feel so helpless, miserable and alone, never ever doubt that He can't help but be the loving God that He is. God loves us so much that he will adjust to our needs and make things work for good. There is no reason for us to even doubt and hold back anything from the Lord for nothing is too difficult for Him. If we are confident of God's Providence in our lives then nothing should even make us doubt that God is able to redeem us and take us out of misery. God has made known His kindness, mercy and secures justice for all. He knows exactly what we need at the precise moment and brings forth everything in its appointed time. Furthermore, God wanted to take our transgressions as far as the east is from the west. How far is the east from the west? Only God knows. We know that the distance is unfathomable, that’s what the Lord does with our sins. How much does He loves us? We know that His love and mercy is immeasurable. There is really none like our God. And reading part of the psalm reading made me remember the song "Loving and Forgiving". He is our best bet for always and there is no one or nothing else that could or should take first place in our lives more than the Lord. Whenever we receive goodness and kindness from people we meet we are very much delighted and pleased with it. How much more would we feel if we have God's favor resting upon us. There is nothing else better compared to this. We may search long and hard but we can never really find true satisfaction and remain restless unless we have God in our life. We only have to believe in God's kindness and mercy and we will surely see it happen in our life before our very eyes. He is our refuge and strength. To whom can we go but to God alone. The world’s point of view is very contradictory to the message that God wanted us to live by. We need to pray hard for the desire to always follow what is pleasing before the Lord and not forget that it is what really matters first and foremost. We are so blessed that we did not live during the time when Christians were being persecuted and martyred and what we are enjoying right now are already the benefits of God's marvelous work wrought by His mighty hand. This is why we should stop complaining and just keep our hope if we truly believe that we have a God and Father who is full of kindness and goodness. This reminds me of the prophet Amos. He is a prosperous herdsman/farmer, well educated and traveled. His time (746-786) was an age of prosperity but severely marked with moral decay and spiritual bankruptcy. He experienced a luxurious life, lived in the garrison city a place dominated by people of power and had all the time to study the scriptures. He lived in affluence, belonged and embraced the "clan system/wisdom" which is a guild or crusade to maintain the purity of the tradition of the temple of Jerusalem
Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10
R: The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (R) 3 He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. 4 He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion. (R) The LORD secures justice and the rights of all the oppressed. He has made known his ways to Moses, and his deeds to the children of Israel
Today’s 2nd reading reminds of this sickly old man who told me that he has seen Jesus. He said that he had been through tough periods in his life and those were the times that he believed he had seen Him. At that time I never thought that I could hear something like that from him since he said that he was raised as a kid not to believe in God but since he was nearing the end stage of his earthly life it was very consoling to know that he started to have thoughts about Jesus. What made this occurrence even more special was the fact that today's 1st reading was the same message I imparted to him. Another thing I am reminded of is the EWTN show entitled “The Journey Home” They featured former Protestant ministers (Anglican, Presbyterian and Lutheran) who converted and became Catholic priests. It was indeed a privilege to hear them talking about the Catholic faith. Fr. Ray Ryland even said that just a few days after he was ordained as a Catholic priest he shouted out loud that he is ready to die. I was also very happy to know that one of the priests they featured was Fr. Dwight Longenecker who happened to be the author of a book I read and loved so much. Hearing him talk on television and having read his book gave me an additional joy having known this priest who happens to be the author of the Living Rosary book which has touched and moved me to a deeper understanding of how to meditate when praying the rosary considering the fact that he used to be a former Protestant minister who has now embraced the Catholic faith. I felt the enormous love and mercy of God for them as they made a distinct stand to embrace God’s love in return in the light of the Catholic faith. Our God is a perfect and precise God. No hit and miss and trial and error kind of thing. I am continuously amazed at how God speaks to us in a very specific way. Unless we relate our life to the scriptures and really transform us to the likeness of Jesus then everything that we learn will be for nothing. As we come to believe in what we've heard, learned and witnessed about God, today's 2nd reading poses the same challenge to fulfill the scripture passage in our lives. I believe that there is indeed nothing more that God could have done for us which He has not done. The greatest mystery ever known to man is the mystery of God revealed in the flesh. Jesus was conceived for 9 months in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and became man. We are invited to contemplate on these great and beautiful truths. There is no other name other than Jesus unto which we are to be saved. The revelation and manifestation of God who became man must be shown in us and cause an awakening in the personal level. Those who were present in the Nativity of our Lord and gazed at Infant Jesus in swaddling clothes in a manger have definitely experienced a personal awakening. Especially the eyes of the magi or the well known scholars and scientists at that time, they saw a baby lying in the straw but were able to grasp what their senses failed to fathom. They offered gifts and went down on their knees to pay homage to a God in the form of an innocent baby. They saw God and heaven here on earth and thus paved the way also for man to be with God in heaven. The faith of the Magi is the first fruits of the belief of the Gentiles. So that God will be known not only to Judea and the Jews but to the Gentiles as well. God came to save not just a few or the chosen people but He came to save us all. No one is excluded. No other love is greater than the love that God has for each one of us. If only we are fully aware of this then we will all be compelled to share this great love. Let us always be reminded of this so that our thought, word and action resounds this truth. Amen. Hallelujah!
1 John 4:7-16
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. 8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love...the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. 10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
As we continue the process of living, dying and the hope of resurrecting, we the church of God St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians that this mind be in us which was in Christ Jesus who although he is God emptied Himself taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2,6-11). Christ divested Himself of His dazzling beauty and glory and he was lost in the crowd and he was thought to be Mary’s boy and Joseph’s son. We are asked to empty ourselves of all that is false of all that is ignoble, all that is unreal so that we may become filled with Christ. Because nature abhors a vacuum and so does grace. We must be filled with something. Tragically we are filled with all kinds of desire, we want to be applauded, be promoted, we want to be consulted and we want to be loved. We want to be preferred to others. Look at all the fears that fill us that stifle us and paralyze us. We are afraid of sickness, growing old and of death. We are afraid of the thought of what comes after death. Don’t we remember Shakespeare, “To sleep for a chance to dream, what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause to that undiscovered land from whose no traveler returned…” John the Baptist gave us our ideal, I must decrease and He must increase (John 3:30). All the foolishness, unreality, intolerance, the selfishness and all the sin that is in us must decrease so that we must fill the vacuum with our Lord who wants to share our life. He wants to be part of the trivia that make up our waking hours. Whatever happens to us happens to Him and He wants us to let Him share because only then will we find the rest that we pray. Things, places, circumstances and people are really interwoven by God in our lives in a very special way as if creating a wonderful picture and scenario. Like an intricate and beautiful artwork that is embroidered or woven into the fabric of our lives for us to witness, appreciate, get a message and draw inspiration and strength from. A long time ago St. Francis cried out loud, “He comes to His own today and receives Him not.” And so we live lives that are restless, confused, frustrated and unfulfilled because we do not share our lonely life with Him. So the prayer we learn as children that is said all over the world among Christians should be our prayer now, Oh Jesus meek and humble of heart make our hearts like unto Thine. Matters of the faith are very difficult to accept and understand for some people for they will always question and rationalize things. There are some things that can not be explained and we simply have to pray to God to reveal them in our hearts. This is why Jesus in today's gospel emphasized the importance of being like the little children. We, grown ups are always caught up in the cares and concerns of this world that we sometimes forget who really is in charge of everything and tend to overpower God. The same way a child entrusts everything to his/her parents we, too should learn to trust that God our Father will take care of us. We can learn a lot from the children who are full of trust and confidence in their parents. If we will only learn the secret of the childlike then we can surely acquire the wisdom of God. If we always maintain in us a high level of confidence in God who is our loving Father then we are never far from achieving it. May we acquire the trusting attitude of the children and continue to discover the wonders of God’s love. As Catholics we have this great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which symbolizes the great love of God. Our Catholic practices can be found in the bible. God has made a covenant with His people and has been fathering us in order to bring us together into His loved flock in heaven. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is widespread all throughout the world. We are body and soul and need the external festivities. We have to remember that it's one thing to celebrate feasts and it's another to live His great love and make it alive in our daily lives. It has to be more than a mere devotion and celebration. We encounter people who have a condescending and sneering attitude towards popular devotion of the Catholic Church and consider them as meaningless routines. We are reminded through these devotions that there is no material or event in our lives that can not be directed for the greater glory of God. Although sometimes we come to a point when these practices and devotions that lift us up simply become like magic and opium for our troubles and miseries. We fail to grasp the essence of these devotions and treat them like the hypocrites in prayer and the pagans with some superstitious beliefs. Some Catholics fall into the trap of looking at these as a never fail prayer. Sometimes there is a magical or manipulative misuse like an abracadabra. It should not predispose us to a ritualistic behavior and must not lead us down to the path of nowhere. Although the absence of it may appear as we are like those idealists that once saved we are always saved so there is no need for such devotions. We may fall into the dangerous scenario as if we are putting God to the test. These devotions should be a means of communication between God and His people. God is not telling us to do away with these things but rather do it with a sincere and repentant heart. It should blossom into a relationship that is pictured in today's gospel. God is continuously searching for us and wants to bring us together in a family of love. Our devotions should develop in us a confidence to draw near to God as He invites us in today’s gospel. We have only one Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. It will save us great pain and suffering if we follow and obey Him. There is no other way, truth and life but Him. It's inevitable that we travel through life and take the journey but to choose to travel with or without Him makes all the difference. It is the wisest thing to do if we choose to be with Him althroughout for His burden is easy and yoke is light. Be wise. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike... Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
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