“NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU”

We often hear people say that past is past and there's nothing more we can do about it. It's time to move on and think of what needs to be done at the present time and this is the truth. We must admit that we get disappointed and annoyed when we hear people narrate of guilt feelings of what they did in the past or happened a long time ago already which they keep on saying repeatedly and reminding themselves. A speaker in a convention once said that what took place 2 hours ago is irreversible and can not be undone but we're still gifted with the present time wherein we are still able to do and achieve whatever we set our minds on. Today's 1st reading reminds us that we have to be grateful to God for the present. This could also be the reason why we call a gift the present. God sends us daily assurances and confirmations that we can get from the scriptures, mass readings and from the very people we meet and get in contact with. The Lord is inviting us to step forward and enter into greater heights of faith. We might have been accustomed to our old ways we thought that we are just doing fine with what we are presently doing for the Lord. Our God is great and infinite. We must open ourselves to new things from the Lord. For as long as we have life, we should not stop and grow weary. Each day presents to us an opportunity to see and experience the desert or dry land that we are encountering in our lives. Let us be aware of the water that springs forth from it.   We need to keep on going and be better Christians each day and eventually become the person that God has meant us to be, the best we could ever be. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 43:16-21
...Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; 19 See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. 20 Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, 21 the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.

Somebody from our bible study group asked Fr. H (Hyacinth) this question, "How come God chose Israel (Jewish) to be the chosen people when they are so stubborn and stiff necked." The answer that Fr. H gave him was so satisfactory and centered on the unsurpassed and infinite love and mercy of God and so much like what I read and chanced upon in the Book of Romans 11:33-36 as I read the 1st reading, " Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?" For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." We tend to take for granted or worst we become ungrateful in a way when we fail to realize the things that God has done for us. It is undeniable that if we will just look very closely at our lives we'll see and find out that the Lord has indeed done marvels for us. There are times when we really have to strengthen our faith and hope for something we do not see and wait with endurance. We may be experiencing right now, so many unforeseen events but we should always wait and hope that the Lord will be gracious and reveal His glory. There is some truth to the famous saying, “Easy come, easy go.” If there are some things that we've been praying for and it seems like nothing is happening we should never give up. Every good work should be carefully planned and carried out to completion. Though the process may be long and hard we can always count on God to stick with us through and through and make it happen. If we are always manifesting in our lives the values of the passion and death of Jesus then we are assured of the resurrection. For this reason it is good to share this prayer of Mother Angelica in times of temptation and whenever we are on the verge of giving up when undergoing trials and tribulations. The prayer suggests that we focus on the 12^th station of the cross which is when Jesus dies on the cross while reciting the following: Eternal Father, I offer you the 6 hours of agony, the death and the piercing of Your Son’s Sacred Heart for… (mention the need or petition). This is effective in the sense that the Lord looks down upon His Son, His agony, death and the piercing of His sacred heart for our sake. Only to God can we look with so much hope and confidence that the desert we are presently encountering at the moment will be turned into a refreshing spring of water. We may be suffering long enough under the heat of this life's difficulties but we must not forget that God is able to turn everything into green pastures. It is undeniable that if we will just look very closely at our lives we'll see and find out that the Lord has indeed done great things for us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 126:1-2. 2-3. 4-5. 6 (3)

R: The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

1 When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing. (R) Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 3 The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad indeed. (R) 4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the torrents in the southern desert. 5 Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. (R) 6 Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves.

If we can truly find ourselves in total surrender to God's will first and foremost and focus on Christ then we will definitely find ourselves on top of everything else. The prize of God's call encompasses all other things and that we have to fully realize if not now then soon enough before it's too late. According to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a distinguishing mark of Christians is the fact that they have a future it is not that they know the details of what awaits them, but they know in general that their life will not end in emptiness. Only when the future is certain as a positive reality does it become possible to live the present as well. The Pope reminds us that this perspective does not mean that we live only for the future. A people of hope builds up a kingdom on earth but is also on a pilgrimage to that eternal kingdom God has in store for those who follow Him. Poet Robert Browning said, “our reach must be beyond our grasp or what’s a heaven for.” Hope is a future oriented virtue. It acknowledges that there is a future awaiting us that there is much better than the present. The virtue of hope and its orientation in the future enables us to handle present distresses and struggles in a positive way. Amen. Hallelujah!

Philippians 3:8-14
...For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him,...forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.

It is not surprising to know that we often place our trust and confidence in the closest, most dependable and dearest people that we have in our life. Only to them can we open up and reveal everything about us without the fear of being let down and rejected. Although there are times too when we get disappointed by the fact that people are not perfect and could eventually let us down. It is a consolation to know that there is one whom we can be totally confident of not being let down or rejected no matter how mess up we are. Everybody might have turned our backs on us but God remains faithful, loving and accepting to us at all times. The gospel for today speaks of a life spared and this Lenten season speaks of the sparing of all of us. Believe it or not but we have all become like this woman in the gospel. We may not have committed the same sin but we have all been spared and forgiven from all our countless offenses and sins. Aren't we happy about this? To be happy is an understatement once we fully realize the great price that Jesus has to pay for our sake. Although women in the olden times are of less worth than men and have no rights and privileges that women enjoy in this present day, their good example in scriptures compel us to really take part and be involved in God's saving power. This truth has to sink in deeply into our beings so as not to neglect it and treasure and value this great privilege of being forgiven and saved. We did not contribute a single effort on this the only thing we need to do is clearly and specifically stated in today's gospel. We can be made innocent again and not be condemned as we sin no more. Every sin of all of us is laid on the whole body of Jesus on Good Friday. What does the prophet Ezekiel said, “Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?” God is about mercy and reconciling ourselves to Him. It doesn’t matter how far, long it’s been and ugly our sins, God is calling us back, to rise up from the darkness, shame and guilt of our sins because Jesus our Savior is coming for us. Jesus died for all the sins of the world. Every pain, scourge of His passion, nail of crucifixion, He would have endured even if it’s just only one of us who have sinned. Our souls should be aware of what’s to unfold in Holy Week, the week that saved the world. It’s wonderful, all of us who have sinned and denied God one way or another are being embraced by this truth. Jesus forgave this woman caught in adultery but the scribes and the Pharisees wanted to test him. If Jesus said no when asked, should we stone this woman? It would mean that He doesn’t follow the law of Moses and approves of adultery. But if He said yes then He can no longer be identified as friend of sinners. Everything that is written in the Old Testament and before the time of Jesus is partial revelation, a line has to be drawn in the sand. In today’s gospel, Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the sand. Jesus revealed the mercy of God. On our part we need to repent which means being sorry for our sins, turn around and embrace what is right but not to diminish the seriousness of sins. It doesn’t mean that Jesus is more tolerant of adultery than the God who spoke to Moses. He is the same God. The advancement of revelation in the Christian era does not diminish the sin but enhances the magnificence of the mercy of God. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, the trap and test for Jesus does not work. He stoops down writing in the sand like keeping a record of something, of the sins. He knows that we know the difference from right or wrong but we have to look at that in the light that we all have sins. We must recognize that we all have to turn to the Lord. The name of the woman in the gospel is not mentioned. The passage does not say anything about her, the people don’t care about the person and just making her an object to test Jesus. Every day this gospel passage is taking place again and again, Nowadays we see a culture that sees the doing away of a life of a person as the solution to a problem. We need to bear a clear witness to Jesus in whom we believe tells us, “Neither do I condemn you.” We need to build a society that rejects death penalty and abortion. We have to constantly hear these words of Jesus in order to find this path leading to peace. We have to know the Lord in prayer, sacraments and in virtue to find ourselves in the embrace of God’s mercy.  Amen. Hallelujah!

John 8:1-11

...“Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

IN GOD’S HANDS

Jeremiah in today's 1st reading cried out for help to God. Our confidence should also be like his as we call on God in our prayers. He reflects the same kind of trust of a lamb led to slaughter and ultimately that of Jesus on the cross. There will always be discord and chaos for as long as we live. But this is so that we can draw closer to God and learn the perfect act of entrusting everything to God. We can never find real security in this world. We may be rich, powerful and successful but these things can only amount to something if we have totally surrendered our lives to God. Only God can bring about true and lasting happiness and security in our lives. It may be true that these things can bring joy to one's life but only up to a certain point. One day we will find out that all these things will never suffice. The world we are in right now is being presented to us in a way that we almost consider it as the only real thing that exists since it is the one that we can truly see and hold at the present moment. Let us not be deceived by this and try to look further and beyond. If we do, we will realize that only God can truly sustain us. We have to place God in the center of our life in order to draw meaning to all these things that this world offers. We can be rest assured that God will always uphold our cause and see to it that justice is served to all who remain faithful in Him. It is only right that we should consult all our plans and desires to God first before we decide to do something. God is good and He will never deprive us nor withhold from us the things that we need to know. He is always there to show us the right step to take. Although the road we may be traveling is difficult, tiring and taking too long before reaching our dreams and intended goals there is always a guarantee that God is able to fight for our cause and bring everything to fruition. Amen. Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 11:18-20

I knew their plot because the LORD informed me; at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings. Yet, I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized that they were hatching plots against me: “Let us destroy the tree in its vigor; let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will be spoken no more.” But you, O Lord of hosts, O just Judge, searcher of mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause!

We are not lost nor doomed no matter what kind of situation or circumstance we are facing because we can always take refuge in the Lord and be assured that He rescues us. We should realize by now that we have a big God as we look back at all the things that have happened to us especially during times when we are in dire need, big trouble and to the point of despair when all of a sudden it was lifted up just like that as if a big boulder or burden had been removed from our chest. We can turn to no one else but God for He alone can save us from all our distress. All we need to do is firmly decide on which side we really are through our thoughts, words and actions that reflect the goodness of God. Our confidence in God should be 100% no matter what our situation is. God shields us for as long as we hold on to Him and believe exactly what the psalm reading says. Amen. Hallelujah

Psalms 7:2-3, 9-10, 11-12

R: O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.

...save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, 2 [3] lest I become like the lion’s prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me. (R) 8 [9] Do me justice, O LORD, because I am just, and because of the innocence that is mine. 9 [10] Let the malice of the wicked come to an end, but sustain the just, O searcher of heart and soul, O just God. (R) 10 [11] A shield before me is God, who saves the upright of heart; 11 [12] a just judge is God, a God who punishes day by day.

There is power in His word. There is something that convicts, heals and attracts. This man who seems to be from Galilee is the fulfillment of the prophecy. He is no other than Jesus, the Son of God who is from heaven, our Savior and Redeemer. We have a lot of fears and doubts that cripple us and make us unable to participate in the Master plan that God has in store for us. He can see through our future and knows well also what we are going through at the moment and what we had been through. All things work for the good of those who love and serve God. We should not forget that God operates but we need to cooperate. For into the hands of our Creator we should confidently entrust and totally surrender everything in our life who knows perfectly what is best for all of us even before it came to be. Everything that we hold dear in this world will all come to pass and only one thing remains and will matter in the end. It is our relationship with God that we should work for at all times. In all the things we do, we must find God in the center of our will. If we fall into the trap of this world and start to work in favor of this world rather than of God then we are surely in big trouble if not now then sooner or later. Life here on earth is not fair. Even Jesus, the Son of God suffered unjustly in this world. Unbelievable but true. We feel bad when people don’t treat us right. How about Jesus? Let us take into consideration what He went through and still people doubted Him and even plotted to kill Him. They are guilty, but aren't we all? Nowadays, we all profess the same belief in Jesus as Messiah though our actions are not completely convinced of this truth. We do not differ from those people in today's gospel if we are not daring enough to really come out of the open, stand up for the call to live by example and dare to show the difference. If we hope to surpass all these things then we, too must place everything in God's hands like Jesus did. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 7:40-53

Some in the crowd who heard these words said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But others said, "The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he?

Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David's family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?"So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him...

The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.” 47 So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, 51 “Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” 52 They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” 53 Then each went to his own house.

WHAT'S YOUR DESTINY?

Have you ever experienced feeling so down and out? It's like heading for doom and destruction. It seems so hopeless and discouraging, not wanting to go on with life and just succumb to depression and defeat. Today's 1st reading is a prophecy of the plot of trying to put Jesus to death and this is way before the incarnation took place. According to Bishop Sheen the spirit of enmity is not only present when Jesus lived but as long as time endured. There are people who were persecuted and forgotten when they died but the hatred of the world and against Jesus lives on. It is still happening today. This is because He is alive. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We should never be discouraged and rather be strong as we are reminded how the only begotten Son of God, the Ruler, Creator and Majestic King of heaven and earth was put to the test, condemned unjustly, tortured, and  accepted a humiliating death on a cross all because of God's great love for all of us. We have to be ashamed of the times when we question, complain and even blame God whenever we encounter trials and hardships in life. We should be aware of the reality that we sometimes do things without realizing the repercussions of our actions. Everything starts with something small and may not realize it until we get caught in the web of our wrongdoing. One small sin happens after another without realizing that we've gone a long way and caused our spiritual blindness. No matter what the reasons are let us hold on to God’s purpose although it is not clear or even unknown to us. Let us not be mistaken and blinded but always rely on the hidden counsels of God, recompense of holiness and the reward of the innocent soul. Amen. Hallelujah!

Wisdom 2:1, 12-22

1 The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright: 12 “Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. 13 He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD. 14 To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, 15 because his life is not like other men’s, and different are his ways. 16 He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father. 17 Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him. 18 For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. 19 With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. 20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him.” 21 These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, 22 and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.

The considered powerful and mighty of this world is what appear to be the blessed and favored ones as far as human logic and reason are concerned. The exact opposite of what Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount and Plain (Beatitudes) in the gospels. A lot of people find it difficult to really understand the beatitudes since it contradicts the values of this world we live in. The poor, weak, hungry and sorrowing are called blessed. This may not sound acceptable for everybody and would even go around its meaning to get away with the real issue that Jesus wants us to face. Whatever it may be that's still stopping us from grasping the wisdom of God let us pray to God that we will always hold on to His word as He assures daily. We’ve got to have the right heart, mind and attitude. Be poor in spirit and receptive to the Word of God. It doesn't make sense that despite these truths that are ever before us we still reject Jesus. Let's admit that we do it one way or another, knowingly or unknowingly. Pope John Paul II narrated a story when he was in the hospital for his operation. Just before the surgery, he went out of his room unnoticed and visited a very sick boy on the verge of dying. His mother was so depressed that no amount of words was able to console her. She told the Pope to tell God to go away. The Pope answered her that he did tell God to go away but He wouldn't listen. He embraced the inconsolable mother and told her that God knows exactly the place where He needs to be and that is none other than with her. We should realize that God never leaves nor forsakes most especially in times of despair. He is always there for us. Our God indeed is a perfect God and we must entrust everything to Him without questioning believing that He knows what's best. We must be aware of the truth that it is by His power that we exist in this world. Have you heard of blind obedience? Following without knowing exactly why you follow. Take the example of suicide bombers, who willingly die to spread terrorism. What courage! We should know that it is always worth it to obey God, obeying and knowing fully well that it is for our own good. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. We may have encountered situations wherein we were not able to plan ahead and totally placed us in a very unexpected, uncertain and insecure position.  They just happen suddenly that we have no time to prepare and really caught us off guard. This has caused us to feel at a loss. Just imagine how it feels to be blind not knowing where to go and groping in the dark. But we can be assured that God will rescue us from all distress and deliver us from our troubles. The wickedness and the hatred may persist but let us not lose hope and despair because we have a mighty Savior and Redeemer in our Lord Jesus. This truth stated in today’s psalm reading should keep us going and do exactly what we are told. The Light of the World already came and judgment day is coming soon. In fact, judgment is happening even now. In Deuteronomy 30:15 "Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom..." God asked us to choose. It's got to be one way or another. There should be no mingling or ambiguity. It is all up to us. We can be assured that if we take God’s side then we’ll definitely taste and see His goodness. If we will just seek God at all times then we surely find Him. Let us not turn to anything or anyone else but to God alone. Let us be firm and wise in our dispositions to really stick to God's ideals and principles alone instead of the suggestions and insinuations of the so called wise and learned of this world's standard. For if we do, we'll find ourselves rescued, saved and  truly blessed. We should always keep our hopes up in the Lord no matter what our situations are because it can never change the fact that He is God and always in charge and in control. There are times when we feel forsaken or abandoned but we must always hold on to the truth that He loves us so much. He would never leave us in misery. Let us remove all doubts and fears. Nothing should make us feel afraid for God hears our cry. He will surely carry out what is clearly for our own good and the best. All we need to do is allow God to work in our lives and stop hindering His grace to flow in our lives. If there's one big obstacle that is blocking this flow then it is surely not God. It is time we analyze the things in our life that continue to build up and shut out God. We don't want that happening and it's all up to us for the Lord hears and saves us. Although there are times when we do not have to sweat at all and things just come and fall into place we also have to know that our life is mostly a product of the choices we make. Our choices must always be responsible and carefully decided on. We've got to have a reliable standard for it. One without fail and is sure to work. Actually there is only one thing that we can surely depend on and that is the goodness of the Lord. If we always have this in mind then nothing should stop us to always look at God, listen and follow Him. We should not care so much about gaining the approval and admiration of men rather than God. Our focus first and foremost should be to please God and everything else will follow. Even if it sometimes does not work the way we expected and planned things to be. We can be assured that the Lord heard, hears and will hear all our prayers and surely has the best answer at hand in His most perfect time. In guarding our faith the bible passage from Ephesians 6:10-11 which is about the armor of God is an important tool. If we read it we will find the only weapon mentioned in the said bible passage is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. We should check it once again and be aware of this important information as Catholic Christians. In the gospel about the temptation of Jesus the devil also demonstrated his knowledge of the scriptures. As it is written, we need to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. We are undoubtedly engaged in this battle every single day that's why we are in need of a weapon. This reminds us of the importance of knowing the word of God by heart since it is our only weapon. God never fails. He would always make things work for our good and rescue us in our distress. I have always believed in angels even before I got this petal from a healing service with the image of a cherubim miraculously imprinted on it. It's been a while since I got it and has served as a testimony of God’s abiding love. I have no doubt in my mind that God will always deliver me from all my fears. I always keep my rose petal with me and show it to almost everyone I meet, as a way of propagating God's goodness to me. I can still remember and will never forget how my mother used to narrate to us how I was miraculously saved by my angel several times. First was when I was about 2 months old, and I fell from a height of 2-3 ft countertop when the nanny after giving me a bath left me for only a second to get something and upon returning found me already unconscious and lying on the hard, ceramic tiled floor. I was rushed to the doctor but he told them that if I fail to regain consciousness within an hour then he said I am gone. To everybody's surprise I started to cry even before the time is up. Another one was when I was barely 2 yrs old when I almost got hit by a speeding jeepney. My parent's house is right beside my grandparent's house which is right in front of the school where my mother used to be a public school teacher. She said she was standing in the center of the stage of the school that was why she had a good view of the things around her even the terrace of my grandparent's house so she got the shock of her life when she saw me there alone running very fast heading toward the open gate while a speeding jeepney was coming and looked as if I would really get hit and it would be too late even if somebody was there to stop me. She was already screaming from afar together with the other teachers who saw it and was trying to call the attention of the driver but to no avail for he didn't even slow down because their screams were of no match to the loud engine of the jeep.  It was just a miracle that the moment I stepped on the side of the road, I suddenly stopped and stood very still as if someone was holding me back. She said it was my guardian angel who held me and prevented me from getting hit by the jeep.  I don't remember personally any of those experiences it was only through my mother's stories that I came to know about them. But when I was older like in 4th grade I could already remember how I was spared again from being hurt seriously when the fluorescent lamp right on top of my head fell on my desk a split second after I stood up and left my chair.  My classmates were really shocked and were hovering around me and told me that it was really close. One of my bestfriends, Myrsa got me even more scared of what could had happened when she said that fluorescent lamps are laden with poison that once it gets broken, the poison is released and if the broken glass cuts your skin open the poison will get in and the wound caused by it will never dry up or get healed. From then on I developed this childlike trust in God and thanked God for saving me from death. There was another instance in my life as a child when Myrsa and I were left all alone in school while waiting for our ride home and the deafening sound of lightning and thunder got me very scared. Myrsa played the role of my guardian angel when she tried to calm and stop me from crying by telling me that I should not be afraid because the lightning is the flash bulb of God's camera. She continued by saying that I should not cry but instead smile for God was just taking our picture. Myrsa's legendary stories played a role in my developing a great faith in God. Another funny story was what she told me about the needle. She said that we must be careful with needles because it will find its way into our bodies and once it's inside it will go to our bloodstream and very quickly end up pricking our hearts which can cause us to die right away. There was one time when I lost a needle and couldn't find it anywhere. I went to bed very early that day which surprised my mother and was asking me if there was anything wrong. I decided to myself that I would just wait for my death silently and not tell anybody. I was praying to God not to give me a painful death and let me not feel it once the needle pricks my heart. When I woke up the next day I was so glad that I was still alive and thanked God for sparing me from death. Those were the early formative years of my faith which started out in a funny, amusing but definitely amazing way. We all have fears in life and sometimes they drive us to the point of despair. This should not be the case. If we truly believe with all our mind, heart and soul what today's psalm tells us then there is no reason for it. If we will just constantly nourish and fill ourselves with the words of God in scriptures then there is really no reason for us to fear rather be always filled with joy. He will never allow us to be defeated and conquered for He is always there to rescue us. Amen, Hallelujah!

Psalms 34:17-18, 19-20, 21, 23

R: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

16 [17] The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. 17 [18] When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. (R) 18 [19] The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. 19 [20] Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

Today's gospel is taken from John or the 4th gospel. Its genuineness is affirmed by the whole character of the narrative. The arrangement of this gospel follows historical order of events and portrayed with precision of eyewitness. Even the most minute subsidiary circumstances are mentioned with special concern to determine exactly the time of occurrence. It is accepted as one of chief and historically credible sources of knowledge of the life of Christ. The 4th gospel has a high Christology that emphasizes the Divine aspects of Jesus’ identity compared with low Christology that emphasizes human aspects. John’s belief in the preexistence of Christ is very pronounced. According to Frances Hogan, she believes that it was John the youngest of all the apostles who really wrote the gospel. The person behind the gospel have seen and heard Jesus first hand. He came to Jesus as a teenager and seems to know the heart of Jesus instinctively. It was to John that Jesus gave His mother on the cross. John was taught by God's beloved mother, Mary. The book of John is known as the book of signs. The Book of Signs (Jn 1:19-12:50)

The seven signs are miraculous deeds of Jesus that reveal his true identity. They show Jesus bringing different types of people to believe in Him while at the same time provoking many among the Jews to hostility. The author interprets them for the reader by various reflections, narratives and discourses. Many Jews were provoked to hostility on account of the declarations of Jesus which they could not accept as in today's gospel. Signs and symbols are very important to John as it is to us. God is from above and we are from below. From our human level it is very difficult for us to grasp the meaning of things in our life in relation to God. We have to look beyond the physical and understand them better as we go beyond the surface into its deeper meaning. The same is true in our relationship with God, the more we know about Him the better we understand the things in our life. We can look into the things happening in our life and find meaning in it. It becomes symbolic in a sense that God has communicated to us, making us more inclined to do things that are divine. We should praise and thank God for the perfect example and pattern of Jesus' life that He left for all of us that serve as an inspiration and guide. There is no doubt as to the perfection of our God who knows exactly the time when things are bound to happen for He knows best. Let us just continue to trust His Divine Providence that everything happens for a reason at the appointed hour. Jesus was destined to suffer and die for our sins because He was obedient to the will of God and that same destiny resurrected Him from the dead and now seated at the right hand of the Father reigning in His kingdom forever and ever. May our destiny be to always obey the will of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Jesus moved about within Galilee; but he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret. Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Messiah? But we know where he is from. When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.

NEW MOSES

 We read in today’s 1^st reading a reference to the stiff necked nature of the Israel people and the contrast as Moses displays a deep friendship with God as he speaks in behalf of his people. The Israel people thought he’s not coming back. Despite of the wonders that their very eyes have seen they had the nerve to complain, gripe and abandon God. They were grumbling against God. It is an apostasy, abandonment and rejection of the faith that they had been entrusted. They forgot the God who had saved them. Somehow this reminds us of ourselves, midway in this season of lent. Here we are in our own desert, we sometimes very quickly think that God has abandoned us. In the middle of fasting, penance and prayer we quickly forget God who has saved us, abandon and reject our faith in our living of life today. Sometimes we feel guilty about something that we didn't directly or indirectly cause. Or we feel responsible for the actions of other people especially those who are close to us. We must keep in mind that we are not supposed to own the decisions and actions of other people since there are certain limits to this and must know up to where our responsibilities extend. In the same way we must not blame other people for things we ourselves have caused. We must be brave enough to accept the consequences of our actions and not point fingers. We have to be clear about these things for God said that sins will be punished accordingly in its appointed time. So while we still have the time let us see to it that everything is in the right order before it gets too late. We need to remain steadfast no matter how difficult it may seem. We quickly turn aside from the way that God is pointing out. The love that this world can’t imagine and comprehend is not dormant, it is the love of God. We tend to set ourselves up to be our own little god and soon turn aside from the way God has pointed out. We need to cry out for mercy to God and listen to Moses as he points out to us our wrong doings. The plea of a righteous person is always heard, answered and never refused by God. Moses was heeded by God in his request which tells us that if God listened to Moses all the more should we be always rejoicing knowing that Jesus the Lamb of God not only pleaded before God for our sake but offered Himself on the cross in order to save us. We are blessed to have a glorious background much more than the heritage of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. We have the blood of Jesus who took upon Himself on the cross, the guilt of all our sins that have won for us His perpetual kingdom. People during the time of Moses don't know better than any of us living today. Only the legacy of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Israel was known to them and haven't come to this point in our time when we already have the Incarnation of Jesus as the highlight of the glorious background of our faith. Moses pleaded with God in behalf of His faithful servants, the Patriarchs and was heard by God. We have to be aware of the fact that looking back more than 2,000 years ago and even way back to the time of Abraham, God has already been extending His desire to be in a loving relationship with man. If we are to visualize and construct a timeline for this, we would find that God has already invested so much in His people. Aren't we filled with joy and gladness that we are living at this time when we already have the legacy of not only the patriarchs, the Kings, Judges, and the Prophets but most especially and importantly, Jesus. He is the fullness of God's love and came in the fullness of time. God is unchangeable and remains Holy, Mighty and Immortal. We might misunderstand these words in today's 1st reading when it said, "the Lord relented..." We must keep in mind that it is not God who changes but ourselves who change in the process. God is the constant we are the variable. What God has ordained He will forever sustain and it is up to us, to accept and respond to the challenge. One thing is sure, His grace is always enough. Amen. Hallelujah!

Exodus 32:7-14

7 The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. 8 They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshipping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ 9 I see how stiff-necked this people is,” continued the LORD to Moses. 10 “Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation.” 11 But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, “Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent he brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains and exterminate them from the face of the earth’? Let your blazing wrath die down; relent in punishing your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’ ” 14 So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.

We should always keep in mind that if Moses was able to turn back God's anger and withhold His destructive wrath how much more Jesus His only begotten Son who suffered, was obedient to the point of death on the Cross and gave Himself as ransom to redeem us from all our sins. Let us not forget even for a second nor neglect this truth every single minute, hour and day of our lives that we have been ransomed, saved and redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus. Our little gods and idols can not do anything for us. They are useless and stupid things. How foolish we can be as a people of God  to do such things and be off track by turning away from where the Lord has pointed out. A lot of terrible things happen when we forget. Important and significant events in our life should always hold a special place in our hearts. We must not ignore those times when we had those special moments with the Lord. These will serve as a constant reminder to us and would definitely help us remain faithful to the Lord. Our memory of this, though very wonderful to forget may sometimes become dull or fade in the background when we are beset by the present and daily cares of this world. We may eventually lose the awe and wonder that we used to feel about it as time passes most especially when we encounter trials and difficulties. Today's psalm tells us to always remember, never forget and always tell our story of the goodness of God. Let us not forget and be mindful always of the love of God. Sometimes when things don't turn out the way we wanted or expected we get sidetracked by the realities of this world then we start to immediately or slowly lose sight of the goodness of God. No matter what our situation is we must not forget that God saved us, had done great and wondrous deeds and He alone has the power to make things happen and not happen in our lives. We have to be in a relationship with the only true God. If there's something we really need to be thankful to God for bringing us to life at this present time that is the fact that we have a glorious background that we can always draw strength, hope and inspiration. We need to focus on this and be aware that we've got so many things in this present life to look back to and be blessed. The timeline of our salvation history demonstrates God's persistent and consistent effort to win our hearts and be in a relationship with us. Not to forget that after Jesus, the saints followed which added to the color of this long time running declaration and evidence of God's great love for us. It's been quite a while already that He has been waiting for our answer much more than a suitor offering his pledge of love to his lady. We should never doubt any single moment that God is good all the time and all we need to do is just give thanks to Him no matter what our circumstances may be. Let us always remind ourselves of the good things God has done in our lives. Let us always count our blessings instead of focus on the negative things. We are constantly reminded in the readings today to always work for the things that win the favor of God. It's not because of any selfish motive but because what we do is born out of great love for the Lord. God calls us to repent and live a new life. There's one very important thing that we should be guided with. We always have to keep in mind that a repentance born  out of fear will never last but repentance born out of love will last. We should always keep in mind the great love of God for all of us. Our Lord's instructions are very simple and easy to understand. It is in the following and obeying part that we find difficulty in doing. Let us always focus our eyes on the Lord and remember to follow and keep what the responsorial psalm tells us if we intend to live a blessed life not just in the beginning but to the end. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalms 106:19-20, 21-22, 23

R: Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
...They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt, 22 wondrous deeds in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea. (R) 23 Then he spoke of exterminating them, but Moses, his chosen one, withstood him in the breach to turn back his destructive wrath.

Moses is the foreshadowing of Jesus. Jesus is the new Moses that stands between us and God. He reconciles us to God. We always have questions that are left unanswered or we do have the answers but are not sure of it. This happens most of the time especially when we do not have confidence or doubtful of the person who answered our question. We tend to probe and investigate further in order to prove it right. This is just a normal reaction for someone who is in search for nothing but the truth. We can only trust a credible, reliable and trustworthy source. We may search high and low, far and wide but we may still end up with nothing. If we are to rely on human intelligence and capabilities alone then we are just setting up ourselves for a disappointment. Sometimes too, we need to brag about something just to convince other people. Today's gospel tells us that it is unnecessary. It is very clear that more than anything else, our works and deeds testify on our behalf. We look at Jesus and follow His example. There should be no doubt in us about who He is and what He is capable of. We must come to the realization that we can not lean on our own understanding and just trust God who can make all things possible. There is only one thing required that is to accept Jesus as our Personal Savior and Redeemer. Jesus is the way, the truth and the light. It sounds so simple and easier said than done. The following and living part of what we accept and believe should be manifested in our life testimonies that speak of the voice of God, visualize the form of God and live the Word of God.  May our life testimonies be verified by God. Is our answer to God, yes? Today's gospel is consistent with the message from the rest of the readings. If we have truly come to the understanding of who God is in our life basing it from our past in relation to our present life and not looking any further we would find that history repeats itself. God never stops in His consistent and persistent efforts in getting His message of love across from that time when time is still known as BC and AD up to this present time of ours when it has been known and counted as century, decade, year and day. Whew! It's been quite a while. How long do we still intend to stall and doubt? It's time to put our act together and really live the message of God's timeless and endless love. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 5:31-47

Jesus said to the Jews: “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true... the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent...I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU

The love of God knows no limits. The song, “Hindi Kita Malilimutan” (“I will never forget you” in English) is taken from today’s 1st reading. I am a mother myself and I could not imagine forgetting my infants, (I had 2, now fully grown) or be without tenderness for them and I couldn’t even come close to being perfect. So every time I hear it and basing from this love I have  for my sons, I just can’t help feeling that gush of emotion coming from the fact that even if a mother forgets and be without tenderness for her baby, God does not forget and does not cease to love us with an immeasurable love. This also reminded me of the dream I had about my mother. It happened many years ago but it is still clearly etched in my mind. I was in a hurry to leave and she just stopped me right there and gave me a tight embrace. It was so real I could almost feel her arms around me and my arms embracing her back. Once again I felt the love and care that my mother used to shower us when she was still living. This was somehow preempted by what my son, Allan did a week before the dream when all of a sudden he sent me a baby picture of him and his kuya (elder brother). Every time I look at it, it makes me smile and brings back pleasant memories of the times when I used to care for them when they were still very young. It was also at about the same time when I saw on Facebook Lindsay’s open declaration of her love to her dad (Kuya Babette) who was celebrating his 1^st death anniversary at that time. These related and uniform flow of events happening one after the other steadily built up or triggered feelings and emotions only a loving mother/parent and beloved child can feel. It made me even more aware of the wonderful feeling that makes the bond of a mother/parent and child bring joy to our hearts. What made this experience even more meaningful to me is the fact that this bible verse in today's 1st reading speaks of the same great love of a mother for her child. Though it may seem great and awesome enough, we are still assured of the greatest love ever known. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 49:8-15

...Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

There is really none like our God. We can have all the things that this world can offer but in the end we will still be wanting and not satisfied if we do not have God in the center of our life. The Lord has always been faithful and not a single moment would He ever not be. We should have the confidence always of a beloved child of God and the honor of being on top of God's creation. The Lord is always ready to extend His help and shower His blessings on us, His people. The question is, are we willing to accept His help and stay within the circle of His blessings? This question is very critical and sometimes left unanswered, neglected and taken for granted. When we choose to continue in the path that does not lead us closer to God the answer is clear, it is a no. When we direct our actions in things that draw us closer to God then it is a yes. If this is so true for us then we ought to do as the psalm reading today tells us. All our thoughts, words and actions should reflect how great our God is. As humans we tend to downplay God's role in our life because we subject our experiences to human terms and conditions. We are still bound by the limitations of this world we are in and we can't help it. We sometimes just go with the flow and get carried away by the pressures imposed to us by our present and existing situations. Today's psalm tells us that we owe God more than just plain courtesy for His goodness. Whenever we watch box office hit super hero movies, news about it spread like wildfire and the promotion for it is international that almost everybody around the globe gets to know about it and watch it. If only we can devote that same fervor and enthusiasm in spreading word about the greatest Super Hero of all times, Jesus and make a decision to watch His life unfold and be part of our own, then we can someday be a part of God's great Kingdom in Heaven. Sometimes we might even have to come to a point when we look and sound strange  for others or even suffer the ridicule of not just others but the very people who comprise our circle of close family, relatives and friends. What matters most is that we ought to give God what He rightly deserves, to be extolled and praised forever. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18

R: The Lord is gracious and merciful.

...slow to anger and of great kindness. 9 The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. (R) 13 The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. 14 The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. (R) 17 The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

The Pharisees persecute Jesus for His healing on the Sabbath. It is a supposed day of rest for them but God is always at work. The call upon us is to live in faith that God is always at work. In the midst of poverty and difficulty, it seems hard to believe that but God is the fullness of life and always self giving in generosity. The term rest does not apply for there is no such thing as Divine inactivity. John Paul II referred to this rest on the Sabbath as the lingering gaze of God at what has been accomplished. God enjoys looking at what has been achieved like the beauty of creation. Men are invited to rest, especially enjoy communion with God and establish a special relationship with Him. Jesus speaks of these things from this passage and tells us that whoever believes has eternal life and can pass through death to life. This is the beginning of Jesus’ marvelous teachings which is followed by the Eucharist in John 6. He speaks of the fullness of the sacramental life, the gift of the Eucharist. He said that the one who feeds in Him will have life. The Father gives the son the power to exercise judgment. All good deeds will go to the resurrection and the bad deeds for final separation. There is the conquering of evil and those who obey are called to the fullness of life. Jesus emphasizes to us the truth that God is His Father. Only the son knows the father and He comes to reveal the father. God is in eternity and created the world from nothingness. We are called to enter into His world,  into his eternity, in fatherhood and sonship. He is revealing the mystery of God and making visible the invisible. The Father gives life and He gave to the Son possession of the life. Furthermore following today’s gospel in John 6, He said that “I have life because of the Father.” He gives us the same life and this is a very profound statement. He is giving us eternal life in the Trinity.  There is an eternal activity in the Father in union with the Son and expressed in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They are equal in glory and co-eternal in majesty. He is the beginning and the end but not as we understand it. Jesus is trying to tell us that God is at work, expelling demons and granting healing. The sacramental life is still being performed for us to this very day and still in us through communion with him in the Holy Eucharist, confession and worshiping at mass. This lent we are invited to live it to the fullest of ways because it is still being poured upon us and still at work today. In the 15th century, Plagianus came up with this ideology which came to be known as Plagianism. It states that man is basically good and don't need God. We all know that this is not totally right. In the 16th century, Protestantism came about with this general thought that man is basically bad, we need God. Later on, the likes of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas introduced in their teachings the presence of original sin which states that there is an in between in these 2 opposing thoughts. In the process we've come to know that we have the free will and commit personal sins. God loves us so much that's why He wants the best for us. He shows us the right way to go and tells us, " If we want to be redeemed we need to cooperate and participate in the redemption. Though there is only one Savior in Jesus Christ, redemption is a two way process and not one way as most people think. We are all co-redemptors and for that matter stakeholders of our salvation. We have a choice, God respects our decisions and has given us the free will to decide. So what's your choice? It isn't a tough one after all for no one can give us a better option because God is the best choice. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 5:17-30
17 Jesus answered them, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. 19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also. 20 For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. 22 Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. 25 Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself. 27 And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”

GOD’S TEMPLE

If we stay connected to God then there is really nothing we should worry about. Today's 1st reading describes fruit trees of every kind growing with their leaves never fading nor their fruit ever failed. God provides for all our needs and this is a reality that most of us sometimes fail to realize. Whenever things do not turn out the way we expected it to happen we end up searching for other sources or worst decide to do things our way instead of staying within the sanctuary of God. We should not stray from the right path for God will not just provide for our needs but make us a source of blessing for others, too. When it is orange and lemon season we can harvest bags of these fruits from our backyard. We are so generous in giving them away because we have very productive fruit bearing trees and it seemed like it doesn't run out of fruits to harvest. We would fill up big garbage bags and harvest as much as 3-4 bags. Just imagine how many fruits our trees bear. It is so amazing that even after we've harvest too much for us to carry, the tree would still look like it didn't give out any. In fact the topmost portion of the tree where the ladder could not reach had fruits that just waited to rot and fall off. The fruits were too many and heavy that the branches started to bend low and almost reached the ground. It is definitely something and it was like nothing we've ever seen before or something that we often do not normally see. It resembles what today's 1st reading is telling us since we have become so amazed and blessed of these fruit trees but it still is nothing compared to  what the Lord has prepared for us in that heavenly place where we all long to be someday. The 1st reading also reminded me of my 1st boss. She is Mrs. Teofista Tan Tena or Tita Pat as we fondly call her and I consider her one of God's instruments in my having a personal relationship with God. She is an active member of a Catholic Charismatic group (Reach Out For Jesus) and being the boss she would persistently invite us to attend the regular prayer meetings they were having during lunch breaks every Tuesday and Thursday. I can never forget that day when I had a dream or vision of water coming from all directions and I couldn't figure out why. I shared it to her and she said that it was the 1st reading for the day. I was able to confirm it when I went to mass that day and found out myself that it was indeed the reading for the day. From then on I have started leafing through the bible and look for quoted bible passages by people in seminars and retreats I attended. It all started there, my love to read and reflect on the scriptures which is often coupled with a confirming event or situation. Some are overwhelmingly amazing in nature that it has inspired me to keep it going and progressed to writing daily reflections. Looking back after all those years, I should say I have gone a long way already in terms of my frequenting the word of God. I praise and thank God for her that whatever she has planted through me have grown and improved.  I will strive to do my best to keep it that way, continuously maintaining and improving for God's greater glory. She has become God's channel of blessing for me which made me realize now that she has become like the river that flows to me that is mentioned in today's 1st reading. These are only a few of the several experiences I had right after my baptism in the spirit. It kept me inspired and always on fire for the Lord. It was also her who told me that it was the so called honeymoon stage with the Lord.  There are degrees or levels of faith. What I am being reminded today is my 1st degree, level or stage of faith experience. Just like all other stages we have to step up or move up the ladder and reach the peak. We have to mature and look beyond the spiritual highs and still keep up with the faith as we go through an all time low, a plateau or the so called spiritual dryness. It is when we can really prove our loyalty to God. As scriptures say, just like gold we are tested through fire. In this journey of life we need to go through a process where we all hope and aspire to bring out the best in us and be the person God has all meant us to be. This inspiring message that is often quoted by preachers should resonate in us. Sow a thought and it will become an act. Plant an act and it will become your habit. Create a habit and it will become a virtue or vice. Cultivate that character and it will become your destiny. Morality is defined as living an authentic and responsible Christian life. In order to understand morality there is a need for us to look at our physical world in parallel to a spiritual world. We are made up of body and soul. If we refer to our bodies as the 1st person then our soul becomes the 2nd person. We need to feed our soul the way we do to our bodies. It is very sad to know that according to some actuarial scientists only 13% of Americans believe that the 10 commandments will lead us to happiness.  There is a specific percentage of people who would be willing to do evil in exchange of $10M. There is a need to educate ourselves morally and enrich our spirituality. God looks into the heart and soul. We need to be a human person that God wants us to be. We should do good, avoid evil and be a beatitude person. In saying this we need to understand that beatitude means blessed or happy. The Old Testament speaks of the 10 commandments while the New Testament speaks of the Beatitudes. It is noteworthy that in some versions of the beatitudes the word "blessed" is also translated as "Happy are those..." There 5 important things we need to know to achieve happiness.

1. The main reason that God created us, is for us to be happy. At the end of it all God wants us to experience eternal happiness with Him.

2. God planted a desire in man to search and long for happiness since it is the nature or GPS of man.

3. God is the author of happiness and the author of desire.

4. Essence of happiness is God since God is love, "gaude" and "agape". He is the author of happiness and desire and only Him can make us happy.

5. God through the Holy Spirit can guide us in this treacherous journey in our desire to be happy.

We’ve got to make a decision whether we want to become a holy soul filled by God’s love or remain a holey soul. According to Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, a Jesuit priest and author of the book, "Holy Longing", man's desire is so intense that he called it a raging inferno. It's unstoppable and powerful that it creates holes in our souls. We can attempt in our human nature to fill in these holes but we still end up with a hollow feeling. These holes come in different shapes. We may be trying to fit in the wrong shape into these holes. These holes can only be filled in by God. Only God our Creator knows best and He is the only one who can determine which will fit into our soul. We all have our desires and longing in life but if we insist on doing it our way and not follow the pattern and shape that God has given us then we will never be truly happy. M. Scott Peck of the book, "The Road Less Traveled" said that desire is a feeling but to love is a decision. God loved us first in the same way that the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son showed his wasteful and reckless love for his son. He welcomed back his prodigal son who squandered his possessions in gambling and women. He did not even demand for an explanation but instead gave his love lavishly on his son. From the Annotations of St. Ignatius of Loyola he said something that consist this song,

Take and receive O Lord my liberty

Take all my will my mind my memory.

Do Thou direct, and govern all and sway,

Do what Thou wilt, command and I obey.

Only Thy grace and love on me bestow

Possessing these all riches I forgo.

All things I hold, and all I won are Thine,

Thine was the gift, to Thee I all resign.

Amen. Hallelujah!

Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12

1 Then he brought me, Ezekiel, back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the facade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side. 3 Then when he had walked off to the east with a measuring cord in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and had me wade through the water, which was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand and once more had me wade through the water, which was now knee-deep. Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade; the water was up to my waist. 5 Once more he measured off a thousand, but there was now a river through which I could not wade; for the water had risen so high it had become a river that could not be crossed except by swimming. 6 He asked me, “Have you seen this, son of man?” Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit. 7 Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides. 8 He said to me, “This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. 9 Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. 12 Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

What an awesome God we have, he always declare His great love for us in psalms and songs. The joy that comes from God is like a well that never runs dry, it will neither be affected by dry season nor drought. We can compare it to the trials/problems that come our way and we will not be moved for the joy of the Lord is our strength. We can only imagine but we can never see the real picture of how it is to be in the holy dwelling of the Most High. It is always nice to have something to look forward to most especially because as Christians we believe that we are just passing by and everything around us will all be gone. When this happens we know that we are headed to an eternal place prepared for us by God. Isn’t it wonderful that at this present time we can go on living every day of our life to the full and still be assured that the best is yet to come. It is important for us to stay within the boundaries of the so called city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. There is no doubt that God is our refuge, strength and help at all times but we need to cultivate in ourselves a holy place for God where He can always dwell within us and not drive Him away from us. Peace and holiness can be achieved if we are one and in communion with God.  We belong to a community. If we commit murder we go to jail, become cut off from the community and separated from the rest. Somehow this explains the need to be communal or the "WE" vs "I". Our life is best defined by the choices we make as well as the choices that the people around us make. Love is the essence of morality and we need to live a moral life. In order to do this we need to be aware that there are certain laws that we need to observe and follow like the 10 commandments. The 1st 3 commandments is all about loving the Creator. The 4th is about loving others by exercising honor, respect and obedience. There should be mutual respect between parents and children alike. The 5th is respect for life from the moment of conception up to the last breath of life or from the womb to the tomb. We also have a responsibility to protect and conserve our environment. The 6th & 9th commandment speaks of respect of sexuality which is about chastity, purity and modesty. The 7th & 10th commandments: Life of Justice. Speaks of Respect of possessions, charity and social justice. The 8th commandment that tells us to speak & live the truth. Our world is governed by Natural and Man made laws. Natural laws has 3 attributes. 1. universal 2. permanent 3. unchanging. If we attempt to tamper with nature disasters happen. Earthquake is a natural occurrence in places where there are fault lines. In the same way that if there are faults present in our lives then we are headed for disaster, too. We need to guard our morality. Our moral conscience is God given to evaluate the rightness and wrongness of an action but we need more than conscience alone to be moral. There 3 elements of morality. 1. object chosen 2.intention 3. circumstances There are many factors we need to consider such as what is the object chosen, who is it intended for or the agenda and the circumstances that surround it. These are the questions that need to be addressed, who, how, when and where. There are mitigating and aggravating situations that are attributed to our actions. Are we nice to someone for the sake of goodness or do we have a personal agenda attached to it or a vested interest. Think of virtue and sin. It is best to always make the 3 theological virtues on loving God our priority. 1. faith 2. hope 3. love. Faith is the opposite of apostasy which is the total denial of Jesus and schism, a refusal to submit to the authority of the Church and the Pope. Hope is refusal to succumb to despair knowing that God will always love and forgive us. Love can be defined as our constant and eager desire to know more about God and not be spiritually lazy. The observance of the law is a demonstration of our love for God and neighbor. It is important for us to know that even man made laws are drawn and based from a moral standpoint. We need to differentiate virtues and sins very well. We have to remember HALT. Whenever we need to make certain decisions we must not be H-hungry, A-angry, L-lonely, T-tired. Sin is anything against reason and truth. To sin means missing the mark. When we sin we almost always blame the devil for it without realizing that some of our sins are self induced due to our concupiscence. We desire what is evil, give in to our weaknesses and stated in Phil. 4:8, we fail to fill our minds with everything that is true, noble, good and pure, everything that we love and honor, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise. There is no doubt that God can do a lot of tremendous things for us that is why the Lord invites us to fully soak ourselves in the living waters of God. Not just wade in it or be immersed ankle deep, waist deep nor up to your neck but take a plunge. In whatever situation and stage in life we are in, we ought to keep in mind that there are variables. Just like any variable they continue to come and go in our lives. What we need to hold on to is the constant and not the variable. At this point we need to be sure who the constant is. By this time we should have made it clear that the Lord our God is our constant. Amen. Hallelujah! 

P S A L M

 Psalms 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

R: The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

...There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. 5 [6] God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn...

There is a truth in the saying that that the best healer is a wounded healer. As in Isaiah 50:6, 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. This is the reason for the Incarnation of God. Jesus experienced everything. He had been wounded and hurt thus He is the best Healer there is. This season of Lent should be taken advantage to make the grace of God a mighty river of grace. We should see the source of the grace, Jesus Himself. The grace is not just a vague force. In today’s gospel we see the man waiting for the pool to be stirred. This is a very big pool in fact to this day, 2 churches were built inside the pool to commemorate the very miracle that took place in it and even pagans go there for healing. We find that Jesus does not take the man to the water. It’s the word of Jesus and His authority that heals the man. He is the source of grace that brings about the healing. The man does not come across to be particularly bright because he said that there’s no one to put him in the water. He did not even bother to ask who healed him and has no idea as he doesn’t go looking for Christ. It was Christ who looked for him. It was a sort of ungrateful way to deal with the healing. Jesus not only heals him physically but addresses the state of his soul as He told him to sin no more. He knows the depths of what’s inside of us. We are told also in a way to sin no more, so nothing worse is going to happen. We want that river of grace to flow from Jesus Christ to us so we pray, abstain and fast to intercede for the grace to come to our culture. We need to use our time to seek the word of God and know the gospel better and better so we have the word that heals to bring to our culture. We bring a word of Christ and its power. Not by our own but we bring that grace by the power of Christ. We bring healing to the dryness and deadly state of our culture. In this way the Lord uses us to help transform a culture of life. In a way this connects to this vision of Ezekiel in the 1^st reading. This is part of the Holy year of the Jews, a year of God’s jubilee celebration for Jerusalem after 25 years of exile. This is a vision of hope at that time because Jerusalem is still in ruin and the temple is a mess. People can’t offer sacrifice for even the priest was in exile. The huge amount of water gushing forth in a land that’s very much desperate like a desert but later on have trees grow there is a sign of hope. This jubilee vision shows how God heals the land of its desert status. It is not only to bring water but to become a permanent spring. The dead sea is 9x as salty as the ocean, meaning it is 27% salt and anyone can die drinking it. To heal those waters is a great sign of Jubilee. We need an outflow of grace into our culture where so much spiritual life does not grow due to materialism and attitude of people who don’t expect to find God anymore. The grace of God would flow through it and bring about new growth of Christianity. The saltiness of the dead sea is a great symbol that we can see in our culture in which no one idea is any better than another. Christianity is just one idea among many and we see strong forces in our culture. People are trying hard to evangelize and make a revival of paganism and worship of witchcraft. These forces are active and aggressive. In fact it becomes institutionalized as we see a campus minister that practices witchcraft or Satanism. We have to be alert of its salt which is deadly. The good news is that the grace of God is more powerful than they are. The grace that flows from God is more powerful if we are willing to cooperate to fight these forces they can be defeated. Every single day is designed by God for us to praise and worship Him through our daily lives, wherever, whoever, whenever we may be and whatever we do. In all circumstances we must choose to praise and thank God through our actions and turn our back on sin. God in today's gospel gives us a warning and a word of caution that Jesus already made us well and it's all up to us to keep it that way and even become the best. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 5:1-16

There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” He answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ ” They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, “Look, you are well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.