MYSTERY OF HOPE

In the readings this Holy Monday we see how the prophecies are to be fulfilled. There are no more contradictions to the sufferings that are about to unfold as part of the mystery of our salvation. As a Christian believer we should have this same attitude of prayerful and loving acceptance of the suffering that comes to us inevitably. It comes to everyone and we should have the willing acceptance. Although this doesn’t mean that we no longer care about justice but we put up with our sufferings and unite it with God. We recall from yesterday’s gospel how Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested as if there is nothing He could do. The truth is that he could call an army of angels to rescue Him but He didn’t. When we are resigned to the inevitable and still maintain peace in our hearts that is when we encounter the mystery of hope as Fr. Benedict Groeschl says. There are 2 types of people in this world, those who shed the blood of others for their advantage and those who shed their own blood for the love and benefit of others. Violence wants to force its own will and never interested in God’s will. We see how some people would even use friendship just to get what they want. King Henry VIII used St. Thomas More and even became his friend but had him killed when he can’t get his own way. This is what we often see when people who are grasping and greedy try to manipulate others for their own selfish desires. We should learn the ways of our Master and Lord Jesus Christ who gave up His life for the love of others. It is not just learning His ways but what He did as He poured Himself out of His great love for us as He laid down His life for us. This week the Lord teaches us about this love that He has for all of us as He washes the feet of the apostles on Holy Thursday. This love is not seeking to use others to its advantage, or coerce and force others, rather it is a demonstration of generosity of pouring out one’s self like a libation for the love of others. We see how Judas, enslaved by his selfishness fell into the great tragedy of desiring the empty things. Just to find out that this greed only brought him emptiness in everything that he was grasping for. If we fall for this trap and seek satisfaction with anything less than God then we just end up frustrated, insecure and disappointed. We should seek the Lord and wait for the Lord with courage. It takes patience to do God’s will but it’s worth waiting for. The words of God remain forever and true. It can stand the test of time. The very words spoken by the prophet Isaiah from today's 1st reading can also be found in the gospels. It tells us that God is consistent with His word and does not change. What He said a long time ago will always find a place throughout time and history. There is a time gap between when these books of the bible were written yet their message applies for both times even to this present day. We can always hold on to the words of God and not be disappointed. God will always be true to His word and can always make things happen in accordance to His everlasting will and power. God is so merciful that despite of every wrong we do He could still forgive us. The Lord said to Judas,” Friend do what you have come for.”  The Lord is inviting him for a conversion of heart even at the last moment the same way with Peter when the Lord looked at him when he denied Him and Peter wept bitterly. But Judas couldn’t be humbled, instead he took his own life and committed suicide. We see this sad figure of Judas and the shining example of our Lord. May we learn from these things and truly be a Christian in words, thoughts and deeds. The Lord, the God of goodness has spoken and promised to give everything that we need for this life most especially for our life in the next which is everlasting. If we are to look very closely at our lives, we'll find that God is always mindful of us every single day. We just don't bother to sit even awhile and count our blessings rather than focus on the imperfections of this world we live in. Although this should also drive us to attain what is perfect and eternal instead of being stuck on the false promises this temporary world offers. The truth of Jesus coming to us in the form of the flesh to save us from our sins may sometimes fade in our consciousness even at this special time of the year when we celebrate Holy Week. We need to always be in touch with God's reality no matter how opposed it may appear for the world. We have a God of Justice who reigns, let us not doubt that He will do for us what a loving Father does to an obedient child. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 42:1-7

1 Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, 2 not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, 4 until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching...I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

Brothers and sisters, if we are confident that we are where we are supposed to be and the Lord allowed things to happen in our life the way they are happening right now then we should be still and know that God is in control. We need to understand the mysteries of our faith in order to appreciate it better. We have to go near as much as possible to the Word of God and experience it come to life and see His glory shining on us. As we go near Him we see his face and feel His love. We always have hope in the Lord who knows what's best for each one of us. There should be no doubt in our minds that He answers prayers. All we have to do is call on the Lord, trust that He hears the sound of our call and wait for Him with courage. When we get carried away by all the commotion there is a tendency that we neglect the essential and most central issue which is to always believe that we shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. There is really nothing that we should worry about if we always hold in our hearts the truth about Jesus. There may be times when we encounter disappointments and setbacks in life but this doesn't mean that God has stopped becoming the Loving God that He is, who suffered His only Begotten Son to die on the cross for our sake. Our focus should be on the truth of this love and everything that it stands for. This reminded me of a mini play staged in EWTN of a passenger waiting to be boarded on the airplane. He was the 1st and only person in the boarding area waiting patiently for his seat reservation to be called. He got surprised when someone came along and hardly ever waited when his seat number was called. He felt somehow annoyed at the idea of someone who just came and did not wait but got on the plane first although he managed to stop himself from making a scene. A lady with her young child also came and looked very excited to board the plane but he tried to warn them not to keep their hopes up too much because it would definitely take time and said that he had been waiting for a long time and came early but his number had not been called yet. To his surprise their numbers were called and happily boarded while he was once again left behind. He simply couldn't stand it anymore when a pleasant young lady came with all smiles on her face and speaking of how excited she is to board an airplane for the first time. The company of this nice lady kept her impatience at bay. She advised him to stop thinking about how the others were able to get there quickly but rather think of the joy he would have once he gets there. She assured him to just relax and make the most of his time because he has a reservation and a ticket all he needs to do is just wait. He did exactly just that and found himself at peace until the time his number was called. The same thing happens to the best of us when we are confronted with a tedious and exasperating process of waiting. We tend to lose our peace and joy and succumb to worry and doubt. If we are holding on to something that was assured to us by a trustworthy and reliable source we can put our worries to rest. Although sometimes anxiety can still find its way to our hearts and forget on whom our confidence lies.  If we remain in the Lord and put our trust in Him then there is nothing we should worry about. In life, there are 4 things which are 1. sin 2. grace 3. forgiveness 4. reconciliation that we could all learn a lot from. The 1st 3 are all a reality but #4 is only a possibility. Reconciliation calls us to true conversion. An example that fits this is a snake and caterpillar since both of them undergoes conversion. The snake sheds off its old skin but comes out the same while the caterpillar emerges into a butterfly. We have to ponder and think about setting our goals high, keeping our thoughts positive and coming up with new solutions. There is no room for fear for He is consistent to His nature as God. Let us strive to become the child He has meant us to be. Another thing we could learn something about is a puzzle. I am one person who never even thought of working on a jigsaw puzzle. I am not the type of person who would bother to even buy one. It just happened that when I was in Japan and saw all sorts of things which are being sold in a bazaar, I ended up buying one for no reason at all. In fact it took years before I finally opened it and put the puzzle together. That was when I actually experienced how to do it. It takes patience and perseverance to do it especially with the complicated puzzles. Sometimes in life we just back out and give up when things become complicated and when we do, we fail to witness the bounty of the Lord. As today psalm tells us, we've got to wait with courage and be stout hearted. We should all long for the day when we will have 100% confidence level in all our decisions for God. When the time comes it will totally remove all forms of anxiety and fear and incline ourselves to Him at all times. It should be our ultimate desire and nothing else, to always be in the presence of the Lord. To abide in Him at all times even when things are not very good. I could never forget and would always remember those times when I used to pick figs at Sis Loreta's garden. It was then that a thought came to my mind while I was climbing a ladder in order to get the figs in hard to reach places. Despite the fact that I was already on top of the ladder there were still some figs that I was not able to see and pick up right away although it was already right in front of me. They are being covered by the leaves of the tree and some are hidden in between branches. I just realized that it could be compared to how God showers us with all the blessings and graces that we need. There are times when we fail to see it though it is already right in front of us. Sometimes we have to really look very closely and try to turn our gaze into different angles in order to see it. What's funny was that when I thought that I've got almost every ripe fig in the tree, I noticed one big ripe fruit at the lowest part of the tree, there was even no need to use a ladder in order to get it. Sometimes in life we resort to a lot of means that are sometimes no longer necessary. All we have to do is believe that we will see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living if we will just be patient and full of courage. We ought to realize that if we wait on the Lord patiently and persevere long enough we will never be disappointed for He alone is our light and salvation. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14

R: The Lord is my light and my salvation.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) 2 When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies themselves stumble and fall. (R) 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust. (R) 13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD with courage; be stout-hearted, and wait for the LORD.

The gospel of today challenges us to examine ourselves and look closely whether we are a Mary or a Judas. Sometimes we cling to material things without realizing that the most essential things in life are not these precious and priced possessions that we hold dear but exactly what Mary had chosen and what the gospel message is trying to convey to us. Let us not be blind, deaf, mute and unfeeling any longer to the real and what's most important in our lives. Let us imitate the example of Mary in the gospel who never hesitates to use expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus. For Jesus is worth all the riches we own in our lives. Let us offer everything we do to God and make it fill our lives with its fragrance for everyone to smell so that they will know that we have a God whom we love back extravagantly. Let the fragrance of our love for God reach the heavens.  This gospel has a special meaning for me and has come to occupy a soft spot in my heart. In fact, I sometimes imagine myself doing what Mary did since I have a very long and thick hair it could really dry up the feet of Jesus. It always reminds me of the promise I have made in relation to the word of God I have received in Oct 2007 in Habbakuk 2:2-3 which is:

“Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.” Not many of the people who know me, know that I have never cut my hair since 2007 and do not intend to have it cut until the time when what I have been waiting for a long time comes. Not a lot of people understand this and some may find it ridiculous and funny. Some might think of it as irrelevant and impractical that I wear my hair this long. I’ve had enough of the persistent prodding and sometimes degrading remarks I get from people who may think that they mean well by convincing me to get a haircut. On the other hand, I’ve also had a share of people and situations that have continuously strengthened and built up my confidence in keeping this promise. More than anything else, I have given my word and I intend to keep it as I nurture and cherish in my heart the same overwhelming love of Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus while holding on to the confidence and conviction that God will surely see me through this. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 12:1-11                         

1 Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. 3 Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, 5 “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” 6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. 7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9 The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, 11 because  many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.

THE WEEK THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

Today is Palm Sunday which opens for us the great days of our salvation. Jesus enters Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and He is passing over from death to life in anticipation of the resurrection. This is an image of ascending to Jerusalem which is 3,000 ft in latitude coming from the Sea of Galilee. He is fulfilling the Old Testament kingship, in the donkey as He takes Jerusalem in peace and humility. As in Zechariah 9: 9 “Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is He, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” God lives in the eternal now not past or future. God has the ability to see through the future. Even before something happens He already knows it because He is God. This alone should make us confident and secure that God knows exactly what we went through, we're going through, and we'll still go through. Since all good things come from God all we have to do is entrust everything to Him and follow whatever He tells us. Has it ever happened to you when people, things and circumstances come into your life as if they were all lined up to happen even before it came to be? The disciples asked Jesus what to do and were given specific instructions. They obeyed and followed what they were told despite the oddity of the situation. This same thing happens in our lives too but we simply do not believe, obey and follow. We have a tendency to rationalize things in our life and make decisions that we think are wiser for us to take rather than look very closely and pay attention to the things that God is telling us to do which are all very clear and established even before each one of us came to be since the time of Abraham, Jacob and Moses and until the present time through the teachings of the Church that remained intact and true since the "gates of hell" did not, does not and will never prevail. Amen. Hallelujah!

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion - At the Procession with Palms MT 21:1-11

When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem

and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,

Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,

“Go into the village opposite you,

and immediately you will find an ass tethered,

and a colt with her.

Untie them and bring them here to me.

And if anyone should say anything to you, reply,

‘The master has need of them.’

Then he will send them at once.”

This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet

might be fulfilled:

Say to daughter Zion,

“Behold, your king comes to you,

meek and riding on an ass,

and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them.

They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them,

and he sat upon them.

The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,

while others cut branches from the trees

and strewed them on the road.

The crowds preceding him and those following

kept crying out and saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David;

blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord;

hosanna in the highest.”

And when he entered Jerusalem

the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?”

And the crowds replied,

“This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

There is power in the familiarity of the cross. These are the words of Fr. John Korapi in his talk about pain and suffering. He said that there are no shortcuts although what he went through he wouldn't wish on anybody. What he is doing right now he won't be able to do if he hadn't been through what he went through. God permits evil for a greater good. He said that on the day after the wake of the 9/11 tragedy there were no records of any abortion in New York at that time. The pain of the cross is essential and can't get away or escape from it. When we look at the Son of God crucified on the cross we see evil and cruelty but through it we were all saved. The gate of heaven was closed when our 1st parents (Adam & Eve) fell into sin. In Gen 3:23-24 "The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life." The price of sin is death but through the death of Jesus we were once again given access to heaven. The cross is the way to power and victory. We have to fight a good fight all the way to the end. There is an unbelievable power in the cross which is a conduit of grace. Today's readings prepare for us the most sanctified and holiest week ever known to mankind, the week that changed the world. We don’t call any other week all throughout the year, holy only this coming week. It is a week like no other. This is where our attention should be fixed, on Jesus giving up Himself for the institution of Holy priesthood and servanthood by suffering, dying and rising from the dead. It is written that on the day Jesus died, the veil in the temple of the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom. If this was done by a person the tear could have been from bottom to top considering the thickness of the veil but God was the one who rent that veil from top to bottom. This is to tell us that He no longer dwell in the sanctuary but in the body of Jesus and became the temple of God. As Catholic Christians we have a responsibility to spread the word of God and impart it to as many people as possible.

We are encouraged as Catholic Christians to know more about our faith and not be complacent. There is big responsibility in our hands to not just accept things as they come but be able to handle and understand it well. It can build up our confidence in God and love Him best. The word of God never fails. It has always been a source of enlightenment, assurance and encouragement especially at times when we needed it the most. It has been consistently living up to what it stands for from Ephesians 6:17 as sword of the Spirit. Also in Hebrews 4:12, "Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart." We can always prove this to be true if we will constantly consult the word of God in the daily readings, we will find that it always perfectly fits the situation that we are presently in for we have a God who knows everything that is going on with us, is always around and never leaves us. We may sometimes think that evangelization is just work for the priests and the religious. It is not limited to them but anyone who is baptized should take on this responsibility. Our speaker in a Lenten Retreat quoted JFK who said, "Here on earth, God's work must truly be our own." Nothing should ever stop us from being part of the work of God. God made man in His own image and likeness. (Gen 1:26) In this context we need to define personhood well and know the perils of limited definition. It could be classified into 2 definitions, nominal and real. Nominal definition of personhood is decided by man. It is approaching something that we don't know but we already have the answer. We make decisions and play God. The dangers of this definition of a person are:

1. nominal- when we deny to identify a person as a real person. Example is abortion, when doctors deny the fact that at the moment of conception a person already exists.
2. real but limited - We do not deny but identify them as persons but with lesser worth like the sick and terminally ill. Just because they are old, weak and sick they deserve to die as in the case of euthanasia.
3. full and real but limited - Kills people as in the Holocaust.

The whole principle involved here is discovery and deciding. When our approach is discovery then we are being lead to the events in our life with a sense of total surrender, trust and faith in the Lord's Providence for the realization of things that are unseen and hoped for. God may not fully reveal and present us with a surprise but we maintain full confidence in a God who brought us to wherever we are right now. In deciding, our approach is a lot different since we already have an answer for something that we don't know yet. It boils down to the fact that we think we know too much but we don't. We end up playing God. We need to remain as man and allow God to be God of our life. When man becomes God, we lose everything because we are not God. We have to realize the impact in our life of discovery versus deciding.

We should ascribe to the real definition of personhood. It answers the question what, how and what is it meant to be. Our approach in life to achieve faith and righteousness is by discovery and through an authentic Christian life. Discovery in the sense that we are open to the intention and purpose of God for us. With a seeking and expectant faith we should allow God to lead us in discovering what is ahead of us and prepared by God. The approach should be in a manner of discovering what God's intention is and respecting it.

Only to God should we rely for all our needs. If at the end of it all, when we've exerted our efforts and placed our best foot forward, still things do not work the way we expected and planned it to be then be at peace knowing that God has no boundaries and the real best is yet to come. God surpasses all bests and always have something great in store for us. The ignorance of our faith is ignorance about Jesus. Today’s 1^st reading also tells us the prophecy of the passion as foretold 500 years or more before the time of Jesus and give us an account of Judas’ betrayal. We are confronted with the fact that there are very troubling aspects that go with sin. We can see in Matthew 16:22 that the apostles were distressed. In John’s gospel there’s an account of deep emotions that troubled Jesus whenever He encounters death and betrayal. We’ve also experienced this in our own lives especially when people intentionally deceive us. These could be very disturbing but the Good News is that Jesus’ passion is about to conquer evil and death. We should take note that in both accounts of Matthew and John’s gospel this betrayal when satan entered the mind of Judas happened at the Feast of the Passover. This is also the time when Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and taught the apostles of this Most Blessed Sacrament. The Eucharist is the heart of our faith and the very foundation of Jesus’ work. It is the goal of satan to attack our Eucharistic faith and take us away from it. Satan wanted to influence us and make us abandon this great sacrament that Jesus Himself instituted at the Last Supper. When we leave God we will succumb to another power. This is what satan is watching out for in order to maneuver his entrance into our hearts by using greed and lust. We must not lose sight of the cross because it is where the glory of God is revealed. It is made manifest in the love of the Son. Death is conquered by life eternal in the revelation of glory through obedience to the Father’s will. Satan is conquered. In John’s gospel we can see the betrayal of Judas in contrast with Peter’s denial. It is an interesting contrast because Judas betrays him, deeply regrets and tries to repent but what’s lacking was the return to our Lord. Peter turns back to Jesus while Judas despairs. He did not accept God’s mercy. We’re all sinners but do we repent and turn back or do we keep going along the path of sin. Often times in our confessions we have repeated sins but the beauty of confession is that we keep on turning back to the Lord. We keep the hope alive through the sacrament that gives us the grace to keep coming back to our Lord. Though, we never want to commit sin, It’s a terrible thing to sin because it is a betrayal of Jesus. Let us pray that we continue to have faith in Him and accept His mercy. This reminds me of the Catholicism lecture by Atty. Jess Moya in St. Martha's Church about the principle of "Sola Fide" or faith alone. The title of the talk is "Rebutting the principle of protestantism:"Faith alone" (Sola Fide). The speaker said that as Catholic Christians we have a responsibility to spread the word of God and impart it to as many people as possible. We are encouraged as Catholic Christians to know more about our faith and not be complacent. There is big responsibility in our hands to not just accept things as they come but be able to handle and understand it well. It can build up our confidence in God and love Him best. It has become my offering to the Lord that I write my personal reflections of the daily bible readings. As I commit this daily to the Lord I have always prayed that someday I can announce these same words in today's 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 50:4-7
...Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; 5 and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. 6 I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. 7 The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

An artist works his way through a piece of art like a clay and marble by molding and shaping it into a masterpiece. It is a painful and difficult process of change and transformation. Just like clay and marble being molded and chipped away.  When we go through life and experience its different struggles we become one with Jesus in His suffering. If we understand the reason for human existence, the older people get the greater should be the respect they get. Each and every step is imbued with the power of the Master. We need to walk the way that Jesus walked. The easiest way is God's way. The pain of the cross is essential. There is no other way since there is a pedagogical structure in suffering or the cross wherein only greatness comes forth. Whenever we reach a point where we feel like we can no longer hold on and about to give up then we must not forget that our God is always with us ready to help us. If He was able to suffer His only Son on the Cross for our sake then there is really nothing else He can not do for us. Our security lies in the knowledge that God is always with us. We should always have this hope in a God who loves us so much that He sacrificed His only begotten Son to the point of a humiliating and gruesome death so that we can start a new life with Him full of joy and prosperity. If we decide for God in what we say or do in all circumstances then we can surely experience the joy and happiness that God has in store for His faithful people. If we are all set and very sure where we are headed then nothing can stop us from being there. Considering, too that we have a God who has secured a place and our future for us. John 14:1-3, " Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be." Nothing or no one can prevent us unless we ourselves decide not to go. The truth is, it's all up to us. If we decide for God in what we say or do in all circumstances then we can surely experience the joy and happiness that God has in store for His faithful people. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24    R: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 7 [8] All who see me scoff at me; they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads: 8 [9] “He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, if he loves him.” (R) 16 [17] Indeed, many dogs surround me, a pack of evildoers closes in upon me; they have pierced my hands and my feet; 17 [18] I can count all my bones. (R) 18 [19] They divide my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. 19 [20] But you, O LORD, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. (R) 22 [23] I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you: 23 [24] “You who fear the Lord, praise him; all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him; revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”

What hold our attention and interest range from a variety of people, places and things and we express them by engaging in various ways and means. Some are hooked in business, sports, entertainment, romance, travel, food, fashion, current events, issues with nature, outer space and all other things we can think about that we can consider profitable, enjoyable, fun and worthwhile to do. We had our moments and stages wherein we’ve been there and done that. Coming from this point of view, we eventually realize whether now, soon or later that ultimately we must acknowledge the fact that if there’s one thing that should hold not just  our attention and interest but our constant admiration is the truth that is stated in today’s 2nd reading because it has definitely got it all. It is reminding us of the things God has to go through just to show His great love. It sounds impossible when we hear about this kind of love that God is sharing to each one of us. This should give us the confidence and courage to carry on. Jesus is God, King of Heaven and earth and the Master of all creation but took the form of a slave and obeyed to the point of death. If we are to look at ourselves and try to figure out who we really are as compared to God's greatness then we should not even think of boasting anything about ourselves but rather we should always be compelled to follow His example in our own little way. No matter how inadequate and insufficient we are as a people we still try our very best to bridge our gaps in the best human way we can. This should make us realize how much more can the Lord do for us in His Godly power, resources and love. Christ divested Himself of His dazzling glory and majesty. He was lost in the crowd, lived in obscurity for the majority of His life and was thought to be Mary’s boy and Joseph’s son since it was only in the last 3 years of His life that He went public. When we are on top of everything there is greater danger of turning away from God knowing that we have lesser need for God. Humanity has become so full of itself. There is a need to be empty and sometimes the only way we can fill up ourselves with God's grace and breathe life into us is through a painful and difficult process. We are asked to empty ourselves of all that is false, ignoble, and 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, be consulted, be loved and be preferred to others. John the Baptist gave us our ideal, I must decrease and He must increase (John 3:30) . All the foolishness, unreality, intolerance, selfishness and the sin that is in us must decrease so that we must fill the vacuum with our Lord who wants to share our life. 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 for. 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 and the prayer that is said all over the world among Christians should be our prayer now, Make our hearts like the meek and humble heart of Jesus. The Holy Father, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI points out this route through Jesus as the way to ascend to God. The orientation of the believer changed when Jesus came. When Jesus offered Himself as the Lamb of sacrifice, He forever reconciled man to God. Jesus goes out to Jerusalem as a lamb without blemish to be sacrificed in the eyes of Israel. He goes beyond to a New Jerusalem which opened for us the frontier from earth to heaven. In view of all these we can always have confidence in all our actions and decisions if we have consulted every plan we have to God in prayer.  We experience peace and serenity that no amount of wealth, fame and power can offer. The joy in our heart comes from knowing that every single step of the way God is guiding and directing us. Most of all, we have to learn the lesson that goes with everything that we've been through and realize that there is nothing else we can do best but to totally surrender our will to Him by being obedient to God at all cost. For we are the dear children of God and everything become beautiful in His time. Amen. Hallelujah!

Philippians 2:6-11

Brothers and sisters: Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. 7 Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, 8 he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. 9 Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Though, Jesus knows the outcome of our actions and even warned Judas in the following words: “It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” He said this within the context of His hope on the slightest probability of Judas to listen to His warning and not betray Him. The implication of His response, when Judas his betrayer said in reply "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" and answered, "You have said so.", is that Jesus will always respect our decisions and He will never be an imposing God. He will always give us the benefit of the doubt. No matter what destiny has brought us, we always have a choice and the freedom to decide. In our commitment to follow the Lord there are times when we encounter disappointments. We can say that serving God is not lying on a bed of roses, though God rewards those who obey Him we have to realize that we too must share in the passion of Christ if we truly are His followers. We are no different from Judas whenever we succumb to impatience. Judas may have gotten impatient with the existing condition of their life at that time. He was thinking that he needed to act aggressively in order to achieve his end at all cost. We may not realize it but we sometimes succumb to the same attitude of Judas when we resort to means that are clearly not pleasing to God. We need to stay firm in our conviction and faith in God. "Life is God's gift to us. What we make of it is our gift back to God. We only pass this way once. We better know life's reason and purpose. Our ultimate happiness depends on it. Life is a terrible thing to waste. At the end of the day, we should all leave this world a better place than the way we found it." Judas could have been saved or maybe he is. We actually never know for we are not here to judge people and say who is saved or not. The grace of God is so great that we really never know. But apart from it, what we should really be concerned about is the truth that we are called to cooperate in God's saving grace. Have faith working in love (Gal. 5:6; Cor 13:1-3) In conclusion it is said that we are saved by God's grace alone through faith that works in love. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 26:14-25

14 One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, 16 and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. 17 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” ’ ” 19 The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. 20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” 23 He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” 25 Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”

UNITY

We may have heard of the presence of the roaming spirits here in this world and the frightening experience of people who claimed to have encountered such presence. Usually people who engage in the occult practices are the ones mostly susceptible to this type of phenomenon. It would be best not to justify their presence by not thinking of them much more involving ourselves to such activities and staying clear of these practices. It is very relevant in maintaining a good relationship with God and so in line with what is being suggested in today's 1st reading. We have to realize the importance of being focused on just God alone and avoid entertaining thoughts about the supernatural and superstition. What was it that Jesus has done that many came to believe in Him? He raised Lazarus from death and this was when they started to plan to kill him. More and more people are following Jesus, they can’t control Him anymore. The Sadducees unlike the Pharisees were very political. They make sure that their relationship with the Romans are safe so that they do not lose their power, land and nation. This is what the human heart wounded by sin, is capable of doing. We see a mighty deed and yet it results to what we’re going to reflect this Good Friday, the sin of killing God. This is what happened so that we would not perish. There’s an irony here because Caiaphas said something not on his own but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. This concern about losing their land and nation to the Romans is connected to the 1^st reading about the land and nation being spoken of. It is to unite and bring back the people that have been divided and scattered. This is the history of the Old Testament. It is about the division and the split of the northern and southern kingdoms. Some were faithful and unfaithful. God wants to deliver them from apostasy and idolatry that they imitated from the other nations. God gave them a land and a king and they were not to be overcome by the Assyrians but because of their sin of shedding the blood of the innocent they were swept away by the Babylonians. This reading according to Ezekiel is something that would happen in the future. At that time, listening to a prophecy like it is difficult to understand but we see its fulfillment in the gospel today. This is also connected to the promise to David and in conjunction with Caiaphas prophecy of gathering the nation into one. It is also talking about us. Nowadays, we see our nation dispersed by all kinds of indignity, violence by various forms of jealousies and rivalries, tensions and selfishness. Just like what Paul says in the scripture, I know the good I ought to do but can’t do it. We are torn among ourselves and we can be whole through the wound of the cross. This coming Good Friday we are invited to venerate the cross. Meditate on the body and blood of Jesus given up for us. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He has something to say about what kind of nation we’re supposed to be. He gathers the dispersed nation of God. We pray especially this coming week that the things that divide us will be healed. It is a good thing to pray for especially on those days. We pray for the unity of all Christians and for the church to come together to intervene for the rights of the oppressed, the poor and the helpless not only in the physical sense. It is important that we realize that unity doesn’t mean pretending that there are no differences among us but it is more of looking at our brothers and sisters as co disciples of Christ. We join hands and hearts to proclaim the truth that God so loved the world that He died for us, arose from the dead and He is coming back. We focus on the affirmations that we can strongly and consistently proclaim and seek opportunities to affirm the faith that we share in common. It is not pushing aside or pretending that the differences we have are not there but work   together as dispersed children of God to bring us all into that unity and life. Amen. Hallelujah!

Ezekiel 37:21-28

21 Thus says the Lord GOD: I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have come, and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. 22 I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. 23 No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God. 24 My servant David shall be prince over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all; they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees ...They shall live on the land which I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their fathers lived; they shall live on it forever, they, and their children, and their children’s children, with my servant David their prince forever. 26 I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever.

We can always take courage in the fact that we have a Loving Father who is like a Good Shepherd. He will surely lead us to the right path. There are significant events in our life that we can associate with certain major decisions we made and can never forget. In everything let us always lift it to God in prayer.  The place where we are right now is exactly where God wants us to be. If God brings us here then He will bring us through it. God knows exactly and with perfection what is being allowed to happen to us in our life at this precise moment. God's purpose for us is simply perfect. He wants to show us things that only we can understand by living what we are living and by being in the place where we are now. That's God, He passes us through a lot of things for us to see His glory. It is a consolation to know that we can always count on God’s loving care and protection just as stated in today’s psalm reading. It can really make our hearts swell with joy and pride knowing that the Lord guards us as a shepherd guards his flock. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M
Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13
R: The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
10 Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock. (R) 11 The LORD shall ransom Jacob, he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. 12 Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings: The grain, the wine, and the oil, the sheep and the oxen. (R) 13 Then the virgins shall make merry and dance, and young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.

We become instruments of God for others knowingly or unknowingly. God uses us to profess His words to others in the same way that Caiaphas in today's gospel prophesied about the death of Jesus to serve as a ransom for many. There are times when we encounter people and situations that are related to the main message of the readings for a particular day. It is like getting confirmations that are undeniably orchestrated by a higher power capable of making things fall into place. No one or nothing can get in the way of God's plan. People, things, events and situations move in such a way to carry out the good God has intended for all of us. It is a consolation to know that despite of the imperfections and unpleasant things we are confronted with in this world, we are assured that God can make all things bright and beautiful. It is very undeniable that each day God is moving in power with tremendous signs, wonders and miracles. His Spirit moves in us and conveys a uniform message of love but it is us, sometimes who taints the purity and distorts the clear message of God when we resort to the negative attitude that is so evident in some of the Jews in today's gospel. Let us not end up in that part of statistics that Jesus offered His Saving grace but failed to respond properly and perished but instead belong and be counted as the children of God, saved and redeemed. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 11:45-56

45 Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. 48 If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing, 50 nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. 53 So from that day on they planned to kill him.

THE PATTERN OF A CHAMPION

The readings today speak of opposition gathering and enemies organizing. It’s not just about Jeremiah and Jesus, it’s also about us, our church and the journey of our lives striving to be faithful to God. No matter what those enemies do, the readings speak of the reward of those who are faithful to the Lord and many other passages show us a pattern. As we approach near and prepare for the events for Good Friday like the betrayal of Jesus when his enemies organize and attack, let us not overlook that the one being persecuted and attacked said sing and praise the Lord for He is victorious. The Church wants us to follow this pattern and interpret every persecution and suffering that we undergo in this manner. If we are in a way taken to captivity just as what happened to Jeremiah at that time there is no cause to resist. Jeremiah was even accused to be a traitor and out of his mind. He recognized that they are the instruments for his people to be converted by placing the responsibility right on the shoulders of his own people.  The same is true with Jesus in today’s gospel when He is being opposed for claiming to be God and equality with the Father. They want to stop Him and considered Him to commit blasphemy. Both Jesus and Jeremiah expressed extreme confidence in the truth. They can say it with confidence and courage even as they see their enemies. Shouldn’t we have the same attitude knowing that the Lord is with us? Christ lives within us. We must have unshakeable confidence knowing that He has the indestructible victory. As we enter the Holy Triduum, we see Jesus crowned with thorns, spat upon and mocked while the disciples flee. Where were the people who saw the mighty miracles like the feeding of the 5,000 and the raising of Lazarus from the dead? They all fled in fear and left him alone. Why? They didn’t play this song in the psalm on their minds, they forgot and did not reflect the confidence that it tells us. We should know how to interpret the persecution and trials in our lives. God can prevent it and no weapon against us would work but we need courage that makes us act and speak just like Jeremiah and Jesus. Even if they knew that the people will lash out at them they stood by their faith. According to Fr. Frank Pavone of the Priests for Life the real danger lies in these things. The faithless vacillation, endless deliberation without action and the refusal to take any risk are the dangerous things we resort to. In the passion of Jesus, the real danger is not on those who crucified Jesus but on those who fail to speak for justice for fear of losing prestige, power and popularity. Nowadays, nobody is sincere anymore. We have to mean what we say and say what we really mean. This should be part of our attitude and spirituality, to speak the truth, be sincere and not just think for ourselves. In the scriptures it is written that there is indeed a time to be silent and a time to speak but it doesn’t say a time to pretend. We can’t claim to pray the rosary, hang all religious items like the crucifix, rosary beads and have access to the holy water but if our actions are not converted and aligned to God’s Holy will then we are not safe. We have to remember that Christ suffered for all of us. We follow His footsteps as we speak for what’s right and work for justice. The pattern of today’s readings tells and reminds us that we are in God’s hands and not man’s. If we always keep this in mind then everything becomes easy even in the severest situations. We should entrust our lives to no one else but God alone. We can be assured that He will make everything fall into proper place. Although some things may not be working out the way we expected and planned it to be, there is no need to be afraid for God will surely and eventually make things work out to our advantage. Sometimes we ask ourselves why we have to go through difficult times, trials, persecutions and hardships in life. And why should we not? When we hear stories about people who were victorious and came out as winners in a certain competition we discover that they have to go through rigid training to endure, persevere and come up as the champion. If we are experiencing at the present moment a difficulty and hardship that seems to deplete our energies and push us to the limits then we ought to be thankful. It means only one thing that we are called to be a winner for as long as we draw strength from God our mighty champion. Just like any champion, we have to go through a certain test or competition to prove our worth. We have to defend our crown from the many challenges that we face. Just like anybody who has been declared a champion several times but continues to face other challengers. We'll just have to put up a good fight because we've already got what it takes to win and we are assured of our victory. Amen. Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 20:10-13

10 I hear the whisperings of many: “Terror on every side! Denounce! Let us denounce him!” All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. “Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.” 11 But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion; my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. 12 O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause...Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!

One of the intriguing and debatable issues that always come up is about free will. God is all powerful and He can make all things possible. Due to the unerring nature of God, He was, is and will never be wrong and there is no room for mistakes. We are God's creation and must have been perfect in everyway. So how come human beings who are on top of all His creation always end up in chaos and disorder. There is no doubt to the perfection of God's handiwork, the only flaw is that we have our free will, if we could really call it a flaw. That we are not treated as merely slaves, puppets and robots that should follow our master's bidding since we have our free will is the most perfect gift a creator could ever give to his creation. Thank God! He is not an overpowering and oppressing God. He respects and honors us with this gift of free will to do anything we please. This is something that only perfect love can permit. It is from our love for God that we should gather our strength. We should focus on that alone and everything will follow. There is no doubt that God has already won the crown for us, all we have to do is defend our title as heirs of the kingdom of God from the snatchers of this grace. Show forth God's power in our lives. All we need to do is always call upon the Lord and we are safe. We are constantly beset by troubles in life but we should never forget that God is always with us and for us to win all our battles. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7
R: In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
1 [2] I love you, O LORD, my strength, 2 [3] O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. (R) My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold! 3 [4] Praised be the LORD, I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies...

God is able to do all things. He is Infinite, All Powerful, Immortal and Invincible. All we need to do is know exactly on whose side we are and we are sure to escape all dangers and harms that surround us. We can feel the presence of God in numerous ways which always strengthen us to withstand the flaming arrows of the devil. The enemy is mighty but our God is Almighty! It is always for our own good that we follow Jesus, the way, truth and life. Jesus is perfectly blameless, pure, inviolate and undefiled in all aspects. Nothing about Jesus can ever be found wrong for everything about Him is Holy and Perfect. No matter how rigid, the scrutiny of the Pharisees was, at that time they were unable to come up with anything that is genuinely wrong about Jesus. They can come up with all kinds of made up lies about Him but His actions speak for Himself.  We should follow the example of the life of Jesus. Although it may sound very difficult and challenging for us, we can always rely on the premise that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. If we claim that we are indeed champions then we should reflect in our works the mark of victory that Jesus has won for us. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 10:31-42

31 The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot be set aside, 36 can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; 38 but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 [Then] they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power...Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” 42 And many there began to believe in him.

PEOPLE OF HOPE

Today’s 1st reading speaks of God promising to Abraham that he’ll be a father of multitude. For the Jews he is the physical father and has an influence greater than anybody in the history of the world. For 75 years he was a pagan and worshipped the god of Mesopotamia and had not yet met God. When he met God he was transformed for all the nations of the world. It is ironic for him to be called that name for he has no children yet. His name was changed from Abram to Abraham and exactly what his name means, father of all nations. Abraham was promised that his descendants will be so great just like looking at the stars and not be able to count them. When God gave this promise, he was 99 years old  and Sarah was 90. All he did was trust God. It’s not hard to believe in a God who brought everything out of nothing. Are we going to trust or not? In Gen 18, Abraham was visited by the Lord’s angels. He exercises hospitality to them whereas Sarah laughed to herself when she heard that she’s going to bear a child at her age. And the Lord said to Abraham, why did Sarah laugh? God wants us to trust Him. There are times in our lives when we doubt the promise of God. Or worse, we sometimes laugh at the promises of God. We can be astonished and say how marvelous it is but we shouldn’t laugh. God made this promise and He will fulfill it. We can see that after God made a covenant with Abraham in Gen 15:12, As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.  This is a foreshadowing of someone who fell into deep darkness in Good Friday.  Abraham went into deep darkness as this deep sleep descended to Jesus on Good Friday. A soldier pierced His side from which flowed blood and water that fills the world, washes our sins and gives new life thus in the dark sleep a new humanity was born. We, the people of Christ belong to that humanity, a people of hope. There is no doubt that God is able to fulfill His promise thus it is imperative that we keep our part of the covenant, no matter how deep a darkness we may be going through. In doing so we sometimes have to go through our own Good Fridays in order to yield to God's will in our lives, be full of hope and thus become very blessed just like our father Abraham. (Psalm 112:4, Light shines through the darkness for the upright; gracious, compassionate, and righteous)  Abraham is the 1st recipient of God's revelation of Himself to mankind. He is considered as one of the Patriarchs to whom God chose to establish his covenant. Salvation history tells us of God's faithful love and continues to restore and bring back the broken relationship of God and man. It was through Abraham's total surrender to God's will to offer his son Isaac that he foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus as the Lamb of God. It is true that God started to reveal Himself to us through Abraham and the ultimate revelation was in Jesus His only begotten Son. The victimhood of Jesus to conquer evil not by slaying evil but by allowing Himself to be killed is the height of God's love. It should always be a treasure embedded in our hearts. Amen. Hallelujah!

Genesis 17:3-9

3 When Abram prostrated himself, God continued to speak to him: 4 “My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations. 5 No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations. 6 I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you. 7 I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are now staying, the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God.” 9 God also said to Abraham: “On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”

There is a lot to learn from the life of Abraham especially the part when he kept on with his faith in God. He was already of age when God promised him to be the father of all nations. All we need to keep in mind is that our time will come and all we have to do is just continue to trust God in His goodness and mercy and never let go of our faith. Just imagine what Abraham had to go through. If it were us and not Abraham who had fallen into this kind of fate we could have responded and reacted to this situation differently. Are these words familiar to us? I do not deserve to be treated this way. I did not do anything bad for God to punish me like this, as if God is a tyrant that is ready to strike us with every wrong move. Why me and not the others who are a lot more sinful than I am. And all these kind of things that we say without much thought. If we are to look at the life of Abraham very closely we would discover that he never let go of his faith in God despite the seemingly irrational and hopeless situation he went through. Imagine in his old age when his wife Sarah finally bore him a son God asked him to offer him as a sacrifice which meant losing his son. He remained firm in his faith and continued to trust in the word of the Lord. Abraham was tested and found to be true. In our own lives, we too are called to prove ourselves worthy before the Lord in order for all of the blessings to flow freely without any block or hindrance. We don't expect a mango fruit if we planted a banana tree. It is pretty much the same with our lives. If we strive to live up to the expectations of a child of the Lord by giving Him honor and praise then we will surely be not disappointed with the outcome. For God inhabits the praises of His people. Although we have a tendency to forget or become out of focus since we are surrounded in this world we are in by elements most especially the physical ones that make us more inclined to pursue worldly things. We become sidetracked or worse completely off track of the path where God is leading us. Let us live every single day of our life conscious of the wonderful truth that we are God's people and He has made a covenant with us. Almost everybody knows this famous Christian song from kindergarten, “Father Abraham has many children, some of them are small, some of them are tall, all of them are beautiful...” We remain beautiful as long as we keep God's covenant and remain obedient and faithful to God. He is the reason for everything and the source of all good things. Sometimes morbid thoughts enter into our mind and immediately we'd think that it is always the devil who does it but whether it is true or not this thought could be a wake up call and reminder that in worst case scenarios or life and death situations there is always a God ready to help us at any time. All we have to do is call on Him. It is indeed good advice to always look intently on God and find all the joys waiting for us. There is really no doubt that we need to further explore, know and understand about our faith. In doing so we have to constantly look to the Lord, seek Him and recall His goodness. Jesus' name is undeniably powerful and beyond measure. Its worth is more than all the riches we can gain in this world. There is really nothing we can find even if we search far and wide, high and low, more than what the Lord can offer. We could go on and on with so many options we are confronted with daily in our lives. There is an endless list of "To Do Things" but what comes first and last is always dependent on our priorities. In deciding on our priorities we have to always involve God in all the things happening around us. We would be so glad to discover that as we place Him in the center of our heart, body and soul He never fails in guiding and directing us. If we live by the word of God which is perfect and remains forever then nothing could go wrong. Our hearts will abound with joy and gladness. There is indeed great power in the name of Jesus. He is worthy of all praise and thanksgiving. Every single day we are confronted with so many challenges in life and we have to be always hopeful that the fulfillment of everything that we have been praying for has come. We should believe that whatever delays or setbacks we are encountering serve as lessons to be learned that benefit our spiritual journey with Jesus. There is a need to go through the different seasons throughout the year for there is indeed a time and a season for everything. Thus, we all go through different situations and circumstances in life. Some of them do not make any sense if we fail to acknowledge the power of God moving in it. There are numerous things that we can think, focus and decide on but there’s only one thing I am sure of. We’ve got to acknowledge that despite of it all God’s power remains to be above all things no matter what it may seem to be. We should always keep in mind all the wonderful things He has done for us. The Lord will never forsake nor abandon us. In the midst of all the turmoil we inevitably face in our daily lives may we remain hopeful in the Lord who is Almighty, provides for all means and prevails now and forever. Whenever we experience difficulties in life we tend to question God right away and somehow blame Him for what came upon us. Sometimes we come to a point in our lives when we tend to question the will of God in our lives. I have plans and you have plans but sometimes things do not fall into place and ask why things happened the way it did and not the way we planned and expected. We just need to always remember the marvels the Lord has done and always hold on to it. If we live by the word of God which is perfect and remains forever then nothing could go wrong. Our hearts will abound with joy and gladness as we further explore, know and understand about our faith. In doing so we have to constantly look to the Lord, seek Him, recall His goodness, keep our spirits up and make our hearts rejoice like what today's psalm is telling us about. We may have experienced a situation in our life when we encountered a lot of trials and difficulties. Just when we're about to give up and lose hope, suddenly we came across a particular incident or inspiration that perfectly fits or matches our specific problem which gave us this hope and feeling that God knows exactly what we're going through and promises to see us through it. The Lord is telling us is in today's psalm and assures us that He remembers what He has promised and will surely bring about what He said to us that He would do. If God remembers, so must we. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R: The Lord remembers his covenant forever.

4 Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. 5 Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought, his portents, and the judgments he has uttered. (R) 6 You descendants of Abraham, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7 He, the LORD, is our God; throughout the earth his judgments prevail. (R) 8 He remembers forever his covenant which he made binding for a thousand generations — 9 which he entered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac.

All of the Old Testament is a preparation for Christ. Those who were faithful were all looking ahead for salvation. Jesus is the source of salvation that God has prepared for us. As in today’s gospel, Jesus said, “Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” It was an act of faith for Abraham that he rejoiced which the Jews failed to see. Jesus is the great I AM, which means saving God’s people from their enemies as in Isaiah 45 and in John 8. Jesus said, “I AM.”  The sense of this name, I AM means life, being and existence. He brings us the way out of sin and death. He is life and being. He creates out of nothing. He says that before Abraham came to be I AM. In order to understand this we have to read the gospel of John from the beginning. He is the one who appeared to Abraham and who created everything. He is the Lord God. We are co creators of God as parents. Eve our 1^st mother when she gave birth said, “I have brought forth a man with the help of the Lord” It is a marvelous thing what has happened in our lives as parents. This is a creation of God who allowed us to cooperate with Him. What we have brought forth we have done by cooperating in His decision to bring forth someone to this world who is our equal in dignity, a human person. We can always have hope that out of barrenness God will bring life. We live in a world where life is in such attack. We’re dealing with not just the sin against life where 50 M babies are aborted each year. No war, plague, poverty nor any sickness even cancer or AIDS are taking more life than abortion. We fight not just against the evil of abortion but what we’re confronting is a sin against hope. Abortion is a product of lost hope. People feel that they have no freedom of choice. They do not have freedom or no choice. What they often say is that they do not know how to bring a child in the world, without realizing that the child is already in the world. People often say that we bring a child into the world when it is born. The child in the womb is real and already in the world.  If not, then what world is the child in them in? We should believe that the child fully exist and is already a person. We need to be careful about the way we talk about pregnancy and change about the way we talk about a child in the womb. The child is already in the world so we need not wait for the child to be born before choosing a name. We give it soon after conception as a way of acknowledging the presence of a person since we don‘t know anyone without a name. We need to restore hope, open the door to life and say yes to life. Hope leads to life. Jesus gives us life and hope and transforms the world in the process. We don’t pass from life to death but life through death. Thanks for Jesus’ words in today’s gospel. It tells us to move forward to salvation and keep His word and not see death. This is the core message of the gospel. Obviously we still die but not eternal death. Death is something that we should not be afraid of because it is only our physical bodies that will die if we continue to nourish our soul then we can be assured of being able to stand face to face with God when that day comes. An article said that once we die physically our souls will immediately depart our bodies and run back to our Creator, God who breathed life/soul in our bodies. It is written in Genesis that when God created Adam, He breathed life into it. This explains why some people when they die look as if their catching their breath it's because that is the breath of life that God has given to us and will return to where it came from. Since we are all aware of the fact that God is Almighty, Holy and Immortal, His Divine Presence can blind anyone standing in His Presence. Although Jesus has gifted us eternal salvation we are supposed to decide if we will accept in our lives this gift. Take it or leave it. The same way when we accept gifts from other people, these people can not force us to like their gifts and make use of them, it's all up to us whether we'll keep it, dispose it, or make use of it. Unlike the time of Moses, when only him can stand before God's presence, on our final day here on earth we come face to face with God that is why we are supposed to prepare ourselves for that day when we neither know the day nor the hour. Let us always keep God's Word that we may enjoy the gift of eternal life. The power of His death on the cross is so great that it can forgive sins and bring us to heaven because He is God Incarnate. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 8:51-59

51 Jesus said to the Jews: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” ...Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad. 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

FORESHADOWING OF GOOD FRIDAY

In the 1st reading we see these 3 men who resisted the king's command, They knew the truth that there is only one God whom we should be faithful to even to the point of sacrificing power, fame, fortune and their very lives. They are so admirable in their courage. They were in the prime of their life and with a bright future ahead of them in the king's palace but did not even consider this. Nor did it make them falter in their conviction and firm stand. They did not fear death and gladly accepted it in testimony of their unwavering faith in God. Indeed this bible verse from Matthew resonates really well in their conviction and firm stand on their faith, "What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?" Our freedom consists in only obeying God not in inventing our own gods and laws.  These 3 men (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) said they don't have to answer the king. They didn't even acknowledge the king's question as valid when they said they need not answer his question. One of the things we have to understand is that during that time kings make it illegal for the Jews to practice their religion. Just imagine if it's illegal to go to mass and be arrested if we were to go to mass and profess our Catholic faith. Would we find the freedom or courage not to acknowledge the law that would be forced upon us? When our Jewish brothers and sister can't practice their faith we should notice when they said "If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.” They stated that even if God doesn't they would still do the right thing and sacrifice their lives so the people would know that even if they're not rescued they obeyed God. This is a kind of foreshadowing of Good Friday. When Jesus said, "Thy will be done" He was obedient unto death on the cross. Because of this, God highly exalted Him that every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Take note of these 3 men in the flames according to what the king said “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” “Assuredly, O king,” they answered. “But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.” In the gospel Jesus stated "I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.” The Father sent Jesus Christ even from the beginning of human history to rescue and save us. Just as stated in today’s 1^st reading, the 4th one walking with them in the flames. We have to realize that when we're ready to sacrifice ourselves to obey God, surely He is with us. As in the song, "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Blessed are we if we walk amidst the burning flames of these trials and persecution of the people around us. The ridicule, when we live our Catholic faith, is all around us. We need to know that we are free when we abide by our faith and the Church. We need to have this kind of freedom that these 3 young men have. They are not bound by fear because they are depending on Almighty God. Every time we hear stories of how people were able to escape unharmed from a sure death experience, we wonder how it all happened. This triggers our minds to think of countless possibilities and rational explanations in trying to figure it out. But how in the world can we explain such an event in today's 1st reading wherein Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when thrown in the furnace to be burned alive came out unfettered and unhurt. This only leads us to the one obvious truth that our God is faithful to those who are loyal and obedient to Him even in times of great trial and distress. He sends His mighty angels to guard, defend and protect us from all kinds of harm and even came Himself in the fullness of time to save us. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

King Nebuchadnezzar said: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made, whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all the other musical instruments; otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God that can deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.” King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual and had some of the strongest men in his army bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the white-hot furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” “Assuredly, O king,” they answered. “But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.” Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel to deliver the servants that trusted in him; they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”

We should never ran out of reasons to always praise and thank God for He never leaves us empty handed since everything is linked and works wonderfully well for those who stay connected most especially when the going gets really tough and the rough gets on going for we have a dependable God who comes up with more and more blessings and angels sent to us for our welfare. The same God who saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is the same God who continues to lift us up from our miseries for He is a God for all ages. There is a need for us let go and avoid too much attachment to the things that the world offers and learn the art of fasting and abstinence which not only in the form of food and could be in any other things. A little sacrifice goes a long way with God and can truly rid ourselves of the hindrances and obstacles that keep us from truly giving glory and praise to God. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R: Glory and praise for ever!

29 [Dan 3:52] “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; and blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages...“Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”...
Nowadays, we can no longer see or feel the presence of God like they used to experience during the time of Moses. Or see angels to the rescue coming down from heaven to minister to God's people. The reason it is so, is because Jesus already came to this world. We sometimes long to see marvelous signs and wonders happening before our very eyes. Things that we could only imagine like the presence  of mighty angels ascending and descending from heaven with lightning and thunder flashing from  all sides and much like the things that we can only see in the movies or some sort of miracle like the death defying stunt in today's 1st reading. We should realize that if the reality of the only begotten and beloved Son of God came to this world became man, lived among us, suffered and died for our sake could not move us to such great awe and amazement for God's extraordinary act of love for man then nothing else could. Nothing and no one else could be as great as this truth of Jesus who is God with us. Once we are truly in touch with this reality then we are no longer bound to anything in this world and absolutely free. It's quite obvious that the men in today's gospel who claims Abraham as their father is confused because they claim to do one thing and yet do another. Our actions should be a clear statement of what we believe in. Let us clear our minds of things that are not in accordance and does not conform to the legacy handed down to us by our forefathers and put into action the truth that Jesus himself testified to. Let us fully orient ourselves to the real inheritance given to us so that we can consciously and rightfully identify ourselves as sons and daughters of God our Father. There is really nowhere to go, no one else to believe in, remain in forever and truly be a follower of, for the rest of our lives other than Jesus Christ. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 8:31-42

31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”... They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works of Abraham.

But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this.