THE GIFT CALLED THE PRESENT

We always see these words of Jesus in the gospel, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” As the Apostle Paul says, “On behalf of Christ, we are acting as ambassadors and appealing that you return to God.” God is appealing to us to be reconciled to Him through Christ. What could be done so that God is pleased with us rather than angry at us? Who can have qualms about God's mercy if we seriously return to Him? He will certainly welcome those who return as the Loving Father to His prodigal son. We are free to sin but later on must pay the heaviest penalty of the consequences of sin. When we have returned to God how can we can continue receiving His forgiveness and remain His friends, sons and daughters. What does He asks of us? Nothing except that we keep His commandments. The Apostle John explains that His commandments are not burdensome, if it is to us how much more are the torments of hell. Unless we are mad, we don't dare want to experience it. We have to think of it over and over again and never forget. Now is the time of mercy but later the time of justice. One can easily square accounts with God with a small effort of repentance we can gain great forgiveness. With a brief mourning one can avoid eternal wailing. But later the riches of the whole earth could not even gain a single drop of cold water or a dip in a burning tongue as in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:24). On the other hand any good work done now in account of charity can obtain the kingdom of heaven. What could be clearer than what the 1st reading is telling us today? The time to act is now. Amen. Hallelujah!

                                 

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;…

God wants to manifest His light, love and grace to all of us. We see what love looks like in Jesus His Son and everything else is poured out in Him by God our Father. Amen. Hallelujah!

Ps 85:2-4, 5-6, 7-8Responsorial Psalm

R. (8a) Lord, show us your mercy and love.

...You have forgiven the guilt of your people; you have covered all their sins. You have withdrawn all your wrath; you have revoked your burning anger. ...abandon your displeasure against us.

Today is a gift from God coupled with new strength to astutely and resolutely follow that is why it is called the present. We are all called to become part of God's great family. It is all up to us if we seriously want it too. As the gospel today tells us, we are the brothers and sisters of Jesus if we do the will of God the Father.  Let us remember that our prayer is most effective when we obey the will of God in our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mt 12:46-50Gospel

..."Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."

REVERSE PSYCHE AND QUICK FIXES

 We really have to grow up! We're no longer kids who need to be told the opposite. Reverse psychology sometimes work especially on children aged 2-4 who are said to be going through the negativity stage but we know that we can do better than that. As mature individuals we find it insulting if somebody will tell us to do the exact opposite of what they want us to do. God would always give us the right instructions and would not resort to giving the opposite. God respects us and will always treat us with dignity. So let us decide to act in accordance to this. Nothing in this world can be more rewarding than what the 1st reading tells us today. There are so many things we can benefit a lot from but they are quick fixes and do not last long. Somehow we can always derive something out of our efforts or things could be worse when we totally get nothing out of it in cases when we mess up things. If the case is that we were able to get something out of it, whether it is there to stay a little while or longer and satisfy us fully or not could never be answered unless we first commit to God and do exactly as we are told below. We live in a very harsh, tough and competitive world which is no doubt very imperfect and the best thing that we can do is to work for things that do not perish unlike all the other things in this world and hold on to God who is perfect. Amen. Hallelujah!

Micah 6: 1-4, 6-8

You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God...You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

There are moments in our life when things happen to us and we feel that God is touching us in a special way. It seems so obvious that God is speaking to us in a variety of ways through our situations and circumstances. Today’s psalm reading tells us something very specific. It says that God will not just make us feel that we can somehow conclude that He is trying to communicate something to us but really show and demonstrate to the upright His saving power. Sometimes we insist on doing things our way and more often than not we end up in trouble. It's about time we realize that there is no other way but the Lord's way. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 50:5-6, 8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23

R: To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

...“Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, 17 though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” (R) 21 “When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes. 23 He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”

Have we become an evil and unfaithful generation? We tend to doubt some things unless we have proof. What God expects of us is to believe even in the midst of uncertainty. Let us just focus on the truth that God will always give what's best for us. If we maintain an open communication line with God, there is indeed no more need for proof and sign. Everything that happens to us should be considered as God’s way of calling us to Himself. We must not be doubtful or unbelieving anymore like the scribes and Pharisees in today’s gospel. What could be greater than the sign of God’s infinite love for us, Jesus who became man, suffered, died and resurrected for our sake. The gospel also reminds us once again of the sign of Jonah. Whatever signs or significant meaning it remind us of or could be none at all, there's something to learn here which we must all come to know. Fr. Tony's said in his teachings that Jonah is an entertaining lesson of the great capacity of people to do good and evil. Even the Ninevites or our enemies for that matter can still be a source of goodness since repentance and salvation is not a monopoly. We must not lose sight of God's image of love and mercy first before that of a just and a punishing God. Sometimes we tend to label people as hopeless or just like Jonah who was very prejudiced against the Ninevites. And we can't blame him for they can be considered as enemies of their race and an adulterous and filthy nation incapable of change and conversion.  This is why Jonah is also a pointed message to all "righteous/holier-than-thou people" that if an evil, good for nothing and messed-up Nineveh can put on ashes/sackcloth" and repent, more so can a "God knowing, fearing, righteous and good Jerusalem." This time instead of always looking at those people who hurt us or in our opinion do not measure up, let us try to look at ourselves, who claim to believe and follow God if we are able to recognize the very signs that God send us every day in every event that is happening in our own lives. We need not look any further for we ourselves and the daily circumstance is more than enough sign that we need not ask for more.  Like Jonah who refused to bring the good news to the Ninevites since he felt that he would just be endangering his life by doing so. Although it was a legitimate concern knowing how cruel and barbaric the Ninevites were during that time he finally obeyed after so much resistance. Sometimes we are like Jonah, too, when we resist and refuse to do what God is telling us to do since we are so fearful and maybe traumatized. This happens when we like Jonah already know that he had to face a people capable of great evil and in the same manner have to face someone whom we know is capable of hurting us or has already caused us a great source of pain and trauma that we feel like we don't even want to see or talk with them anymore or just fight back. We may already know who or what the "Ninevites or Nineveh" in our lives are, and no matter what it is, there are times when somehow we've got to follow Jonah's example. We have to brave through our fears by not running away from it, do the right thing and be the sign.  Just like any other sign or symptom, our thoughts, words and actions should be pointing to just one greater sign which is to be tested and confirmed positive to have J-E-S-U-S in our lives. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 12:38-42

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here...

SHEEP AND SHEPHERD

At around this same time 3 years ago, I had the chance of attending the Christian Life Program (CLP) in Pomona sponsored by the Couples for Christ. (CFC) I had an unforgettable experience during the Baptism in the Spirit when I had a vision of the scene of the crucifixion of Jesus in Mt. Calvary between the 2 thieves as in Luke 23:42-43 when the good thief said, "Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. Indeed, I promise you" he replied "today you will be with me in paradise."  It was almost like it was being said to me instead of to the thief and I felt goose bumps and very warm all over me as I knelt down inside a small prayer room. Immediately after that, as I was led into a bigger room, the choir suddenly sang the song entitled, "I am the Bread of Life" in which the lyrics "And I will raise you up on the last day." really struck my heart and brought me to tears. The CFC leader then told the group after I have shared it to them that it was the first time that something like it had ever happened since he felt that it was indeed a great occasion to rejoice and be reminded of that standing invitation of Jesus to all of us to share in His Kingdom and enjoy eternal life with God. Another enriching experience was when I met there Sis. Maria Ramirez, she's Mexican, a very special person whom I consider as someone I can relate and share with very intimate and  meaningful experiences with our Lord Jesus Christ. I should say we've connected and bonded right away despite the short and intermittent periods we've been together. Everytime we see each other in various occasions for the Lord like healing services of Fr. Barry, we've always been so excited and longed to always get together more often. The CLP became a venue for one of those rare occasions when I can be with her. It was a year after this when I was confronted with this very difficult situation since I had to be in two places at the same time. This happened a couple of years ago when Mommy Chit planned a birthday party for her husband Bro Alex and decided to incorporate it in one of our Light of Jesus Community(LOJC) local feasts making it an occasion that anyone should surely must not miss especially myself as her "adopted daughter" here in the US. The birthday party feast and CLP in St. Martha fell on the same date (July 18, 2010). Prior to it without much thought for the said date I had invited people in St. Martha to attend the CLP scheduled every Saturday of July and August. I succeeded in doing so and was able to bring 5 people (Chelsea, Chesca, Sis Claire, Sis Ruby and her daughter, Eunice) to this activity. And as the said date came near I finally realized that I had to make a decision and weigh my options very carefully as to where I should go. The night I finally decided was very significant since I was reminded of the CLP experience I was mentioning earlier of the scenario of Jesus in between the 2 thieves. We were having our bible study in St. Lorenzo 2 nights before the said date when Fr. Tony mentioned it and paralleled it with the scene in the Book of Jonah 4:11. This I considered extraordinary since he was discussing about the book of Jonah at that time. This series of events made this occasion very memorable for me since its significance further confirms the decisions I made. Though, it was a hard one, since I chose to stay and be with these new aspirants for the Lord as they embark on their journey to become part of the CLP in their goal to know and learn more deeply about the Lord rather than be at the LOJC Feast and birthday party of Bro. Alex. For I knew then also that my brothers and sisters in the LOJC will understand since they are already grown and matured in the faith making themselves the shepherds unlike most of these CLP participants who are just new to this kind of work for the Lord thus making them the sheep. Although I had chosen to stay behind and be there for the people whom I had invited for the CLP, I also intended to catch up later for Bro Alex party but was not able to do due to conflicting and personal schedules of my supposed rides on which I don't want to impose undue stress and pressure. I felt really bad then for not being able to share in the special occasion that Mommy Chit prepared for Bro Alex and looked forward to spending with their family and friends for a long time. But I knew that everything worked for the good since today's 1st reading happened to be the same reading at that time wherein we are all reminded of the need to become a good shepherd to the people who need to be in close and personal relationship with God and whom we are bringing to the flock of His pasture. Amen. Hallelujah!

 Jeremiah 23:1-6

1 Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the LORD. 2 Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away...

A sheep without a shepherd doesn’t know where to go and get food. They just stand there looking dumb and hungry. If in today's 1st reading we are admonished to become good shepherds, today's psalm is a reminder and great consolation that we are the sheep and the Lord is our Shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd as stated in today's psalm. He makes us want for nothing more. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd for He tended, united and made one His scattered sheep. In the same way that the 1st and psalm reading convey to us the need to become an obedient sheep and good shepherd, today's 2nd reading is also inviting us to be witnesses of the blood of Christ in order to become instruments in bringing closer to God those who are far off by bearing the peace and good will of Christ and breaking down the dividing wall of enmity. For though we are members of many communities under  different names like the LOJC, CFC and God's Children (GC) in St. Martha, etc. we must not forget that we all belong to just one big happy family of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

 Ephesians 2:13-18

...In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,...

 Jesus also acknowledges the need for us to rest and regain our strength after a whole day's work. We should not overdo anything so as not to exasperate ourselves and become less effective in whatever we do. There are times when we end up just tiring ourselves in a lot of needless ways and must always take a closer look of what we're going into before doing something. This reminds me of the great amount of time, energy and effort a friend of mine had placed into something without much thought and just ended up with having to go back to what she previously had but with having more work to do. We are all guilty sometimes of going to and from and doing things just to end up for nothing but what matters most is that whenever we do something we should keep in mind that just like Jesus  our compassion for people who are in need should always take precedent in our lives. Although, there are times when we become so weary of what we do. In today's gospel, the apostles just came from their missionary efforts and are very tired. They were told by Jesus “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”  They also needed to recharge themselves to carry on their mission. Although we may not realize it but sometimes we just have to get away for a while in order to get the much needed rest that our bodies need. We may also come to a point in our lives when we feel like we are in a far away place all by ourselves in a deserted place as described by Jesus in today's gospel. We sometimes think that our lives was suddenly put to a stop or on hold, for it looks like we've reached the end of the line and nothing exciting seems to be happening. If this is the case, we could consider ourselves to be in hibernation or in a forced resting mode although we may not like it. Let us not despair and think that we are going down the drain. God is not yet finished with us until He tells us so. Nothing is ever wasted for as long as we always make sure that we don't stray away from Jesus. Whatever aspect in life it is, we may want to look at this, take it and ought to consider everything as preparation. It is best to take advantage of this period that we're going through to rest a while and just be in hibernation in order to come out better Christians ready to fulfill our God given destiny with much fire and enthusiasm. It is of great consolation to know that we have a God who answers all our needs even before we ask for it. We need not whine, complain nor put matters into our hands because He got us covered and well taken care of. We might not be fully convinced of this if we still allow the world's influence to overpower us. This is perfectly understandable because we are still in this world. Let us not forget that we are not of this world and are destined for much greater things than any of us could imagine. Amen. Hallelujah!

Mark 6:30-34

30 And the apostles coming together unto Jesus, related to him all things that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them: Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little. For there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to eat. 32 And going up into a ship, they went into a desert place apart. 33 And they saw them going away, and many knew: and they ran flocking thither on foot from all the cities, and were there before them. 34 And Jesus going out saw a great multitude: and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

THE REED & THE WICK

 Whenever something bad happens to us whether it is caused by our own doing or of others it is always for our good to go to God. He is our true friend and He will always put our cause into His hands all we have to do is completely trust Him and know that He will always uphold justice for the downtrodden, outcasts and right our wrongs if we repent and turn away from sin. We should pity those people who do evil or no good instead of being angry and despising them. We are supposed to feel sorry for them. There is very little difference between succumbing to evil and failing to do good. Both becomes a trap that we fall into and is so difficult to get away with. It brings dishonor, disgrace and takes away our dignity that we become full of shame and could not even lift our heads high. Evil is like a wolf disguised in sheep's skin. We should be wise and vigilant at all times so as not to fall for the schemes and tactics of the enemy who wants us to fall into his trap. Let us always guard our defenses so as not to fall prey to the roaring lion that is always on the lookout to get his chance to devour us. The only thing that we could do to stand against the attacks of the enemy is to always do good and avoid evil. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Micah 2:1-5

1 Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil ...Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I am planning against this race an evil from which you shall not withdraw your necks; nor shall you walk with head high, for it will be a time of evil...

There is no sense in brooding or crying over spilled milk. We should always believe that God will always fill our glasses to the brim and overflowing. We can always count on the Lord's help at all times. There was, is or will never be a time when the Lord abandons the poor, the afflicted, those in sorrow and misery. It is just a matter of trusting and hoping always in the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 10:1-2, 3-4, 7-8, 14

R: Do not forget the poor, O Lord.

...You do see, for you behold misery and sorrow, taking them in your hands. On you the unfortunate man depends; of the fatherless you are the helper.

Let us be sure that we do not drive away Jesus in our lives. It is important that we are aware of our actions and know if it draw us closer to God or end up pushing Him away from us. There are times when we are not keen on striving to direct all our actions towards this goal. The Pharisees for sure are so wrapped up in their self righteousness that they have this feeling that they are pleasing God by condemning Jesus. They have become so blinded and failed to recognize who Jesus is. We hope and pray that we will always be sensitive to God's presence in our lives and not forfeit the blessings. Just like the Pharisees who ended up rejecting what was really meant for them first and foremost because God withdrew from them and turned to the Gentiles. God will never impose or force, it should be by our own volition that we love Him back. Sometimes we wonder why things are happening the way they do. The same way we may find it hard to fully understand what is being said in today's gospel. Why is something meant to be known to everyone be kept hidden? The wisdom of God is so unfathomable that it comes to a point when our limited capacities can no longer process everything in our minds. But it is always a consolation to know that we have an Almighty God who makes all things possible. Everything that happened, is happening and is bound to happen is already known to Him and we can always trust Him, our God and Savior to deliver us out of our miseries and lead us through to our Promised Land. Rather than complain, whine and be discouraged, it is best to just allow God to do wonders in us. We need not even do anything at all. We sometimes come to a point when we are no longer confident of what to do and just entrust everything to God completely. A lot of people may even take it as simply stupid and dumb when we act in the manner when we hesitate to follow the wise and smart suggestions of this world. Some may even doubt that there could still be something good in store for us. We may have experienced a time when we feel that we have to do something but is not quite sure about it. If we do then we can always hope in the Lord who will surely bring justice to victory. In spite of all these uncertainties that we go through, we can surely learn from and follow the example of Jesus. Today’s gospel is a prophecy foretold by Isaiah long before the time of Jesus. When He freely accepted death on the cross for our sake, He did it with perfect resignation to the Master Plan and Will of God. During His Passion and Suffering, He never said a word of contempt or bitterness in what He went through because He trusted God completely. We should have the same attitude of Jesus when it comes to pain, difficulty and suffering if we truly believe that God's plan for us is perfect and will surely come to pass. Nothing or no one could get in the way for it would press on to fulfillment even if things seem to be not going to the right direction and look delayed.  All we have to do is just trust and wait on the Lord because nothing is ever late for those who hope in the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 12:14-21.

14 The Pharisees went out and took counsel against him to put him to death. 15 When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many [people] followed him, and he cured them all, 16 but he warned them not to make him known...I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles...Many (people) followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet...He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. 21 And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

MERCY NOT SACRIFICE

We may all have experienced getting sick and undergone a lot of pain at the same time, one way or another. We must realize that going through difficult and painful times could serve as a testimony to the love and power of God. Our God is the Divine Healer but if we have never been sick and healed how can we attest to this truth. What's most important is that we focus on God's goodness rather on our pains and sicknesses and we could find meaning in all of these. Today's 1st reading tells us of this wonderful story of Hezekiah's repentance and God's response to him. No matter what we did in the past if we are to mend our ways and really turn away from our sins then God will surely hear our prayers, forgive us and make things right for us. When He acts on our behalf, He assures us constantly of His unfailing love by making it known to us in so many marvelous and mysterious ways. God speaks to us in a variety of ways, as the bible says: God’s ways are not man’s ways and His knowledge is beyond our reach. It is not surprising how many times already we have heard and seen people who have a lot of wonderful stories to tell which is all about the Almighty Power of God which is beyond our comprehension. We may not be able to fully understand the wisdom of God but we can never deny the fact that He utilizes all means possible which could be in the form of various signs and symbols just to get it across to us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 38: 1-6, 21-22, 7-8

...3 “O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in your presence, doing what was pleasing to you!” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah : 5 “Go, tell Hezekiah: Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David. I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, in three days you shall go up to the LORD’s temple; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; I will be a shield to this city.” 7 [21] Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken and applied to the boil, that he might recover. 8 [22] Then Hezekiah asked, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the LORD?” 9 [7] Isaiah answered: “This will be the sign for you from the LORD that he will do what he has promised. 10 [8] See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun on the stairway to the terrace of Ahaz go back the ten steps it has advanced.” So the sun came back the ten steps it had advanced.

If we have 100% confidence in our God then we can always hold on to His words which are all truth and life. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 38: 10, 11, 12abcd, 16

R: You save my life, O Lord; I shall not die.

18 [16] Those live whom the LORD protects; yours is the life of my spirit. You have given me health and life.

There is always a commitment to any relationship and what God desires of us most of all, is our genuine love and concern above anything else. It goes beyond what is seen and spoken from the heart. We should see that being merciful and offering a sacrifice goes hand in hand, it is very important that we renew ourselves constantly as we grow in virtue. It comes in stages and we'll just have to work on it one day at a time. We have to be conscious of our motives and intentions, bottom line is always think that whatever we do, imagine God watching us and honestly feel in our heart if it can elicit a smile on His face. Today's gospel has always been a very controversial issue for most people of all kinds of religion. A lot of people makes a big deal out of the Sabbath Day and sometimes fail to see what's most essential. We sometimes become very legalistic and scrupulous of a lot of things with regards to the faith that we end up defeating the purpose for what it is really meant for. Jesus tells us in today's gospel that although David and their companions violated the Sabbath they were justified. He emphasize that more than anything else it is mercy that pleases God more than sacrifice. We may be fulfilling all the dictates of the Sabbath but if we forget to have compassion and mercy to our fellowmen then we are not at all justified before God. The Sabbath is considered the rest day and is obviously made to serve its purpose which is for man's welfare. We need to fulfill the Sabbath, there is no doubt but we must not forget that the Sabbath is made for man and not the other way around. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 12:1-8

...“Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, 4 how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent? 6 I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you knew what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned these innocent men. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”

PERFECT TIME

It is in the dark hours of our life that we encounter so much fear, anxiety and confusion. When we are experiencing these things it is best to just stay calm and know that we can count on God. Let us not lose hope nor be discouraged whenever we go through a time like this. We can always hold on to God's words in the scriptures as in today's 1st reading which instructs us what to do. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19

...My soul yearns for you in the night, yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you; when your judgment dawns upon the earth, the world’s inhabitants learn justice. 12 O LORD, you mete out peace to us, for it is you who have accomplished all we have done...

Let us keep our hope and faith in the Lord who never turns His back on those who continue and persevere in their prayers and pleas to God. God knows the perfect time for everything. It is not a matter of delaying and withholding His blessings but rather a matter of perfect timing. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 102:13-14ab, 15, 16-18, 19-21

R: The Lord will not abandon his people.

...for it is time to pity her...when he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer.

By this time we may have experienced and witnessed a lot in life already to know that today's gospel is the best thing we ought to do. No one in this world can get away from problems and sorrow in life. Life here on earth is as imperfect as it is. We can not expect to live a life of perfect peace and happiness here on earth but we can surely make the best out of what we've got right here and now if we are to follow these words below in the gospel. There is really nowhere and no one else to go to but the Lord. We should have realized this by now if we have learned our lessons well. In times past when we have forgotten to surrender to God and depended more on our strength, skill and intelligence, we have seen the difference and the worst in the outcome of our actions. In whatever we do, for as long as we are not violating God's commands we must not forget to lift up everything to God in prayer and He will clearly show us the way. Why, because God said, come to me who you labor and heavily burdened… Our Lord looked at the people around fighting heavy battle, losing, carrying great burden and running out of strength. Sometimes life gets us down and causes us a tiredness of body and weariness of soul that no amount of sleep can rectify. On such occasions we hear Him say “Come to me let me help you carry your burden. Of course the problem with us is that we’re carrying burdens that we were never intended to carry. The burdens and the problems belong to Him. He is in charge of the world, not us. We can not solve problems on our own. We must realize that He alone can solve problems we could never solve. When Moses met God in the burning bush, Moses asked God “What is your name and whom shall I say sent me?” He said My name is “I am” not I was nor I will be but I am. God lives in the eternal now where it is neither past nor future. If we are going to realize that at this very moment God sees us not only at this lovely day He created but He sees us already dead, buried, judged and safely home with Him forever for the ecstasy that He has planned for us. He sees now as we are worrying and fretting about a future that may never come. Moses told the Lord, who am I to go to pharaoh. But God was with Moses as He is with us. He said I shall be with you and He was with Moses, as He is with us, too. In the Angelus we say behold the handmaid of the Lord… These are the words of our Lady which she said and meant. Though, she has no idea what the Lord has in store for her, she allowed God to do what He has in store for her. Can we also say the same and mean it? God has a plan for us and that plan is filled with love. The Lord said I am meek and humble of heart. He has no ego problems like we have. We must realize that the most difficult problem is preoccupation with self. When we go into a room and try to impress everybody we come out and think how we fair in ourselves. We just have to let go. He wants us to work with Him in helping other human beings. The yoke is the 2 metal piece ring that links 2 animals.  It’s what happens to us when we give our help to the Lord, not what happens to whom we have helped. If we are blinded with selfishness we fail to accept the plan God has for us. Our desire to thank God is our gift and adds nothing to His greatness. Did we ever stop to think that the only thing that our Lord asks of us is humility. Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for your soul. But we listen so easily to the father of lies. We imagine to find what we pray in flattery, in the applause of the crowd and in riches. But what is humility? What is this vague, ethereal, intangible, supernatural virtue? It is simply the truth. The truth shall set us free.  And the truth about us is that apart from God we are nothing. We have nothing, we can do nothing. We have a body but we can not control it. We do not know when it will die. We have a mind but the bursting of a tiny blood vessel will make us imbeciles forever. We have a heart that can love but at times we have no control over it. It is hard, cold and unresponsive to the needs of others. But there is a positive side about this which is beautifully described by Father Faber, in Frederick William the English poet who became a Catholic after Cardinal Newman. He said, “There are some thoughts which however old they are, are always new. Either because they are so broad that they are never thoroughly learned or because they are so intensely practical that their interest is always absorbing. And such thoughts are for the most part very common thoughts. They require no peculiar keenness of vision for no one can fail to perceive them. They are like the huge mountains visible to everybody on the plain below. Now among such thoughts we may reckon that thought which every child would know that God loves each one of us with a special love. This is one of the most common thoughts in our religion and yet when we come to look steadily at it we find it very hard to believe. God does look at us in the mass and the multitude as though we stand single and alone before His judgment seat one day but before the eye of His boundless love. This is our faith.  This is the faith in which we must live and die. 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 the 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. 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. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

JUDE’S LOYALTY

Everything is grace from God. Nothing in this world continues to be without God's Almighty power holding it in place. Sometimes we forget who we really are, where we came from, what we're created and called for and why we are here in this world and still exist up to this very moment. Today's 1st reading is a wake up call for the chosen people of God as spoken by the prophet Isaiah. When we are not in touch with this reality then we might end up exhausting all our efforts just for nothing. Let us not stray away and always be mindful of this truth so that we are always connected to the only one and true source of all powers.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 10:5-7, 13b-16

...My hand has seized like a nest the riches of nations; as one takes eggs left alone, so I took in all the earth; no one fluttered a wing, or opened a mouth, or chirped!” 15 Will the axe boast against him who hews with it? Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it? As if a rod could sway him who lifts it, or a staff him who is not wood!...

The wisdom of the world is folly to God. No matter how wise and intelligent a person may be if his or her whole being is not surrendered to God then all our efforts are futile or will eventually end up for nothing. God governs all and everything that happens is within His knowledge and will. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 94:5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 14-15

R: The Lord will not abandon his people.

...And they say, “The LORD sees not; the God of Jacob perceives not.” 8 Understand, you senseless ones among the people; and, you fools, when will you be wise? (R) 9 Shall he who shaped the ear not hear? or he who formed the eye not see? 10 Shall he who instructs nations not chastise, he who teaches men knowledge?...

Today I am reminded once again of my experience in St. Martha's Church when I was just new in the parish in 2008. I was so surprised when I saw the statue of Jesus in St. Martha Church here in West Covina.  It was a first Friday of Feb 2008 when I envisioned this statue of Jesus with its extended right arm holding His heart on his hand. Tita Piling was with me then so I asked her if that is a statue of the Sacred Heart because I have never seen anything like one before, but she simply nodded her head. That was how I saw it. It appeared to me like He was handing over His heart to me. But on the day we went for Sunday mass I found out that the image/statue which I envisioned was not how I saw it on that day with Jesus extending his arm offering His heart on his hand.   To my surprise when I came closer to the statue, I realized that it is indeed the Sacred Heart of Jesus but not as I had seen it on the 1^st Friday of that month. The heart of Jesus was not in His hand but on His chest. I was almost in tears and felt God's love being offered to me as symbolized by His heart held on His extended hand. A lot of people may find it hard to believe that I have seen Jesus holding His heart on His extended hand but the eyes of my faith can not deny it. Matters of the faith are very difficult to accept and understand for some people for they will always question and rationalize things. The vision I had of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is quite difficult to believe. 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. I am also reminded of Jude since he is a product of the Sacred Heart of Jesus miracle. When he was still a little boy, he used to move and act like his father in many ways. There are certain mannerisms that he got from his father even as a little boy which are really noticeable. As he was growing up I noticed that he has this peculiar attitude to his father that I have mistaken as fear since his father is very strict and very much a disciplinarian. There was one time when I was so irritated with his father and started venting out my anger verbally. I never expected that Jude who was very young at that time would say, "You are always angry at my father." He really sounded like he was in favor of his father and I never forgot that. Despite the many times that his father exercised rigid discipline on them which I thought was too rough, he remained loyal to his father. It made me realize that all the while what I thought was fear was really respect. 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 not far from achieving it. May we acquire the trusting attitude of the children and continue to discover the wonders of God’s love as a perfect father to us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 11:25-27

25 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.