THE PUZZLE

 It amazes me how jigsaw puzzles can look so topsy-turvy when piled in a disorderly heap but can turn into something beautiful once the pieces are put together right. All that is needed is to take time to figure out which pieces should stick together. There might be a need to sit down, be patient and really look at each piece very closely. Upon reading this bible passage from today's 1st reading it made me realize that our life is like a jigsaw puzzle at times. We are God's children and we have to see and recognize the work of God in our lives. We may be seeing a disorderly heap at the moment but we have to believe that there is more to it. Let us pray that the understanding and instruction being spoken of from today's 1st reading will be upon us. May we come to see the tiny scattered pieces of our lives that we find hard to make sense of as part and parcel of the big and beautiful picture of God’s plan. Sometimes we make a lot of excuses and alibis to the point of lying in worst case scenarios when we are confronted by difficult situations. We tend to justify our shortcomings just to get away with it. Today's 1st reading tells us of a time when we will no longer have an excuse and alibi because God will make perfect every situation that everything that is left for us to do is decide for Him alone. I learned from our bible study that the gospel of St. Matthew is where we can find written 55x, "the fulfillment of what the Lord said through the prophets" (Mt.1:22). In those passages, Matthew reminds us about the facts in the life of Jesus which are the fulfillment of the prophecies from the Old Testament which has become one of its peculiar characteristics making "The Coming of the Kingdom" the main theme of the gospel. I could still remember that it was the same message that was impressed to me in the opening prayer that I was assigned with in our bible study at San Lorenzo. Here’s the Opening Prayer:

We praise and thank you Lord that we are once again gathered in Your name to study about the scriptures specifically about the gospel of St. Matthew under the guidance of Fr. Hyacinth. May we gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the life of Jesus here on earth for us to really appreciate the fulfillment of what the Lord had said through the prophets. May this lead us to a personal relationship with Jesus in order to truly reflect it in our lives and become the fulfillment as we transform ourselves into the person that God has meant us to be. This we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

The message did not stop there because today's 1st reading is taken from Isaiah one of the prophets in the Old Testament and speaks of the particular prophecy being spoken of by St. Matthew and the foreword in "Companion" at that time (Daily Reading Guide Journal) was written like this:

"We are preparing for the birth of Christ; the Jewish people were preparing (and still are) for the coming of the Messiah. The prophets often spoke of a future full of promise and hope. We live in the fruits of that promise as Christians who have welcomed the Messiah and built our lives on His revelations of the love God has for all people. Let us continue to witness to the fulfillment of the promises of the prophets and thus be a light to the world that lives in darkness."  And these were the exact words written in a Kerygma gospel reflection. “Are you a missionary in your own way, in your own home, community or workplace? Are people who see your way of life attracted to Christ  or are they turned off?”

I am writing all of these to emphasize even more the overwhelming truth that the fulfillment of what the Lord said is at hand because our God is the God of the past, present and future and is the same God who fulfilled His promise to our forefathers long before time and will remain faithful to the end of time. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 29:17-24

...On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. 19 The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel...Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of, nor shall his face grow pale. When his children see the work of my hands in his midst, they shall keep my name holy; they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob, and be in awe of the God of Israel. 24 Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find fault shall receive instruction.

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 long 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!

Psalm 27:1, 4, 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) 4 One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek, to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD and contemplate his temple. (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.

There is a need to have a strong faith in God and profess it in our words and actions because He will never put us to shame, God is able to perform a miracle in our life.

It is a given fact that our Christian faith holds that with God there's nothing impossible. God is always faithful and the problem lies in our part of the faith. Today's gospel tells us exactly that when he healed a blind man. What's in question here is Jesus' warning to keep it a secret. Sometimes we do not fully understand or have misconceptions about matters of the faith. If there's one thing sure, then that is the truth that we have to always follow God's instructions because He would always lead us to the right path where we can be assured always of His love and care. All we have to do is nurture to maturity our faith in God in order for us to truly understand what God expects us to do. And with that I again quote what is written in today's 1st reading, "Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find fault shall receive instruction" It is very sad to know that there are times when we always expect something great and extraordinary to happen before we get excited about who Jesus is and what He can do with our lives. Sometimes our sense of awe and wonder in the miracles He has done for our lives has a tendency to lessen or worst even take away its real essence. That even without it we should always have the same feeling of great admiration for Jesus no matter what happens be it awe inspiring or not for it doesn't change the fact that He is always God Almighty. We need not say and have all the thrilling and exciting encounters with God for us to say that He is indeed present for He is supposed to be felt and experienced in all circumstances and will always be present with or without the so called "miracle" for each day given to us is already a miracle in itself. Today's gospel is very timely, as always, I should say. It reminded me of a friend who was so apologetic for what she did and admitted to being hard headed and stubborn for not following the warning given to her. Just like these 2 blind men who were healed and were warned sternly, she did not follow instruction. Sometimes we just can't blame them and her for acting the way they did. It was something they thought was the right thing to do and could be the right thing or nothing wrong with it. It happens to most of us when we think we know better but we really don't. It's always good to follow what God tells us to do as based in the scriptures than just rely on our "good old feelings" like what we usually do. It boils down to one important thing, obedience because we can sometimes be blinded by pride and stubbornness as Fr. Martin Macasaet said in Companion with regards to the gospel. Furthermore he wrote this, Reflection Question: Are you proud? Would you rather have your own way than follow what God instructs you to do, as written in the Scriptures? Lord Jesus, open the eyes of my heart and humble me. Teach me to follow You with utmost obedience. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 9:27-31

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”  “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

ROCK FORMATION

Today's 1st reading reminded me of a game that my 2 sons and I used to play when they were still small. During weekends when I was off from work I regularly spent time with them at home. Since they were 2 active little boys who loved playing rough with made up monsters, beasts and robots what I did was to run around with them inside the house and pretend that the enemy is in pursuit of us. They never seem to get tired of it but I always did, so I needed to take a breather by pretending too, that we can stop running and just lie down in bed and still remain protected and unharmed even if the enemy caught up with us because we can surround ourselves with a shield that can not be penetrated by the enemy. In that way I was able to take my needed rest and not spoil the game for them. Sometimes we, too are like that in life when we keep on running away and fending for ourselves without realizing that we can stay put because God can set up walls and ramparts all around to protect us. The words firm and rock connotes strength and endurance. These words have always been used extensively in the bible and today's readings should encourage us to be firm in this truth that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. In the Philippines there is an expression that goes like this, "Para kang nakasandal sa pader" which means "You are leaning on a sturdy wall" This is commonly used when we see someone who is undisturbed or unaffected despite the many problems that beset that person. Or it could be attributed to someone who gets away with anything without any struggle because someone is behind to back up. It's like nobody would dare mess with someone who is well covered. This should make us realize that if we can put so much faith and confidence in a person who have the ability to give protection, watch our backs and got it covered all the more should we feel this way for a God who is an Eternal Rock. We must never neglect to bring back to God the glory, by sharing our blessings in terms of giving to the church, we thank God that He provides for our needs and continue to provide for us a source of income. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 26:1-6

“A strong city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us. 2 Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith. 3 A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you.” 4 Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock.

God is the source of all good things. Only Jesus can satisfy our souls. We should be really careful in setting our priorities. Sometimes we end up making the wrong choices and decisions in life. We end up rejecting something that should be valued and treasured more than anything else in this whole wide world. All we need to do is trust that the Lord will always take care of all our needs we need not tire ourselves to the point of exhaustion because it is better to take refuge in the Lord than resort to trusting in our own strength and others. According to Fr. Joseph Koterski a Jesuit priest and a professor in Fordham University it helps to always have GRACE. G stands for Gratitude, R for Respect, A for Account (have an accounting of the things we have done whether good or bad), C for Charting (to chart our course of action in order to see where we're going) and E to Entreat the Lord for the energy  and enthusiasm He has been giving us in this life. We need to always think of the things we are grateful for. It will help us examine our conscience and live a holy life that is fitting for a people of God. There are times when we don’t feel like saying our prayers. Whenever we feel this way but still managed to gather all our strength to still commit to our prayers then we will surely find ourselves with renewed strength to start our day right. When we master the art of praying and always drawing near to God then we become "Untouchables".  This is due to the fact that no one is like God. There is none like Him, for no one else can do as much as the Lord God Almighty and All Powerful can. We can rely on God’s goodness and build confidence on that knowing that with God on our side we are undefeated. His might knows no limits and His power is able to do wonderful things beyond our imagination. Everything fits like a key in a hole. There is only one thing that is conveyed here that God allows things to happen for a reason and everything falls into its perfect place. God's love and mercy endure forever and do not fail. We can always count on the goodness of God at all times and in all circumstances all the days of our lives. Truly knowing and proclaiming that God is Lord of all our days makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness for heaven and earth will fade but His words will remain. We may not have witnessed first hand when Jesus walked and lived on earth but we can never deny witnessing to God's miracles working in our lives every day. Truly knowing and proclaiming what we are celebrating this Christmas season makes all the difference. It gives us real joy and gladness that never fade. We should have the confidence to joyfully shout out what the psalm tells us today.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a

R: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes...I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior. (R) 25 O LORD, grant salvation! O LORD, grant prosperity! ...The LORD is God, and he has given us light.

If we really love God then we will listen to His word and act on His will. The love of God is inseparable to love of His 10 commandments. The gospel reading for today reminded me of the lecture of Atty. Jess Moya  on the Fundamental Catholic Moral Principles.

1. We can never do evil (i.e. "intrinsically evil") to bring about good. The end never justifies the means, Rom 3:8; Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1753, 1754 & 1756) Examples that were given are killing to save lives/abortion/euthanasia/artificial contraception/ethnic cleansing. The error of "Consequentialism" states that good intention is not enough. We may have the grandest intention but if your means of attaining it is not good then we should never resort to doing it at all. The same is true with the error of "Proportionalism" wherein the good desired outweighs the evil. These are just means that mitigate the problem and can never be a solution. If worse comes to worst then it can even aggravate it.

2. The principle of double effect can be applied if a good act may have evil side effect (CCC 1737) and have fulfilled the following conditions: good must be willed, must not be the result of the tolerated evil and good desired must equal/outweigh the evil effect. An example given for this is a mother who needs to undergo a life saving operation (tumor has to be removed) while she is pregnant but in the process miscarriaged her baby. The miscarriage was not intended or deliberate but is just a result of the operation done.

3. The principle of Totality states that for health reason, may mutilate, modify or remove an organ or body part. An example is removing a gangrenous arm or leg in order to save or extend the life of a person or mastectomy-breast removal due to cancer.

4. We may choose the lesser of Two Evils if the conditions are: both are unavoidable evils and must not intend the evil outcome. An example is a pilot left with no other choice but to crash the plane on a school or a residential house and he has only a few seconds to decide before he ejects himself and he decided the lesser evil which is crashing the plane in the residential house.

5. Counseling the Lesser Evil only if we are faced with an unavoidable evil and the evil outcome must not be intended. An example is if you are being robbed and instead of being shot with a gun suggested that he steals everything he/she has just to spare his/her life. To advise a robber to steal is not good in itself but is a lesser evil if we are faced with an unavoidable situation of being killed when pointed with a gun. 

"God has equipped us with the totality of the means of salvation and we can overcome with the grace of God." Let us continue to call on the Lord but be sure to do His will by acting on the words that we heard from God and be like a man who built his house on rock. There are a lot of things going on around and within us and it seems like there is no stopping to the trials and sufferings that come to us if we are to closely scrutinize every single detail of our lives. But there is always hope in the truth that if we anchor ourselves to the "Rock" and never let go then we can surely withstand all the storms that come our way for God is our refuge, rock and deliverer, we can stand firm. We've got to take every word of God like a treasure of great worth. It has a value that is beyond measure because it is capable of bringing us to heights and depths of faith that can not be moved. Today's gospel speaks of faith that is as solid as rock. Rock formation is a result of weathering and erosion. It is not an easy process in fact it can take years and years before it can be formed. Somehow it tells us that it is not a pleasant one too, if we apply it to our own lives. Just imagine ourselves being subjected to all kinds of weather in life and going through subsequent erosions as we strip ourselves of the things that hinder our growth. Just like a rock formation, it is a process and not something instant. As we go through life and endure all kinds of weather and be rid of all kinds of baggage that we needlessly carry and be burdened of then we are set on a path to a faith set solidly on rock. This we should continue to do in order to enrich our faith continuously to this point for as long as we live. Today’s gospel is also a reminder of my mother as I have shared several times already. When she was still living she told me about this place in America that she consider as most beautiful, the place where the House on the Rocks is. I have been really blessed with a mother like mine and many wonderful people in my life that have helped me build my faith like a wise man who built his house on rock. Another wonderful story I could relate with the gospel is about my 2 sons. We all know that little children especially boys get bored whenever their playtime starts to slow down and suddenly put to a halt. That was what usually happens whenever my 2 sons and I end up lying in bed for too long I just can't keep them there any longer. I had to be more creative in my game plans. I needed to start with my just lying down in bed activities with them and be very creative. I had to come up with exciting twists and turns in our games. Just as they were starting to get out of bed I would immediately tell them to keep still or the shield that is protecting us might break. Although it was a silly thing to say and worked only half of the time I am overwhelmed by the fact that today's gospel scenario when the rain fell, the floods came and the winds blew and buffeted the house was almost the same picture I was presenting to them. I kept on telling them to be still because the enemy was hammering our shield and trying to destroy it but I assured them that the shield surrounding us can protect us and would not collapse. I guess, God is telling us the same thing whenever we get bored and impatient with what's going in our life. What we need to do instead of disturbing our peace is just to deepen and strengthen the foundation of our faith in God. I just realized now that the game plan I had in mind back then for my 2 little boys contains the same message that is being conveyed today about the house built solidly on rock which did not collapse. Let us be wise by following the path leading to Him and not be led astray for our sake. Let's build up the solid foundation of our faith and stand firm in the midst of the trials. Amen. Hallelujah!

 

Mt 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven..."Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

RATIO & PROPORTION

There are seasons in our life that we have to go through. In fact, there are many changes looming around the corner nowadays. This Christmas season there is really a need for the people to kneel down in prayer for God's will to prevail in every person. There have been a lot of issues going on around us and we can not be assured of the economic stability all over the world but what should be of utmost concern is the decline and decay of the moral fabric of every person. In just a few weeks we would be celebrating Christmas, the birth of our Savior. Whatever seasons, or feelings we have there is always a reason to paint our faces with a big smile just like what the 1^st reading encourages us to do. Have we given it some serious thought? During those times when we almost hit rock bottom and looked like everything is a dead end as if nothing good is ever going to happen but managed to make it through, still standing to this day. We may not be fully aware of it but in all those things God is always there for us. It is just a matter of drawing ourselves really close to God so that we can feel Him better in the midst of the so many stimuli that constantly compete to catch our attention. We have a tendency to underplay the role of God in our lives because we are not focused on Him. It is time we give credit to whom it is due. As today's 1st reading suggests to us, we really have to behold and look to God so that we will truly see. I could never forget the time when I decided to buy my son a laptop as a birthday gift. Actually I wasn't really sure about buying one since at that time I was a bit short in my finances. His birthday will be in a few weeks back then and I intended to give it as a birthday gift so it will not reach him on time if I send via balikbayan box and I know for a fact that it is not wise to send brand new laptops and the like via door to door box.  I heard of rumors that it is not safe because it might end up getting lost. I finally decided against it and just hoped that if there will be somebody going home to the Philippines then that's the time I will decide to buy one. I knew at the back of my mind that it may not be possible to find someone going home to the Philippines within the specified time I have in mind which is just 1-2 weeks, in order to reach my son on time for his birthday. To find a trustworthy person and generous at that to be willing to carry a laptop in his/her baggage is another thing. Although there was a longing and aching in my heart to buy this gift for my son because he has been wishing for one, I knew I was unable to do so because of my limited options which lead to my indecision. I was just surprised that during the consecration in the Holy Mass, the Lord suddenly impressed in my heart that I should push through with my plan to buy that birthday gift. It gave me a new found confidence in pursuing the plan even though I had limited resources and options. To my surprise, I got a call from my friend Carmen in New Jersey who told me that she's going home to the Philippines on Aug. 24 which was exactly a week before his birthday on Aug. 31. This may be the sign that I've been waiting for I thought, because when I asked her if it was ok to include a laptop in her baggage she immediately agreed. All the while I thought that everything will end up there when I was finally able to buy a laptop and had it shipped to Carmen. It was just barely a week when I got news from Carmen that she is no longer going home and will just send the laptop via door to door and will no longer reach my son on time for his birthday. I was so disappointed since I never intended to send it via door to door, could have decided against if I had known right away and worse it was late for his birthday. I had so much anxiety and fear upon learning of it but I held on to God's goodness despite the seemingly endless wait for the delivery of the door to door which took almost 2 months when normally all it takes is just 1 month or less. For I know in my heart that my decision was based first and foremost on the message that I got from the Lord during the consecration in the Holy Mass I was not moved. I continued in my prayers and supplications to God that the laptop will reach my son in good shape because it really meant a lot to me, the way a mother longs to be with her sons but couldn't and the only consolation is the fact that somehow I can give them something to be happy about in exchange of my absence. Despite the long wait, God rescued me in my distress. My son finally got a hold of his birthday gift. It was like a great relief washed over me. If we continue to persevere in our faith in the Lord against all odds we will come to know that something good is going to happen because the best is in store for us.  Today's 1st reading tells us that we can look forward to a grand celebration or fiesta galore with much rejoicing that nothing can ever be compared to it. How can we not believe and trust in Him? How can we not give full confidence that He is able to answer all our needs? If we allow God then every single day should be viewed like He is always with us in the most intimate and personal way. Our God is the most loving and caring father that He will never abandon us. No matter what we are going through right now today's first reading should relieve us from every kind of worry. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 25:6-10a

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!” For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain. 

Psalm 23 assures us where the road of God’s love will lead us because it tells us exactly what kind of road we are heading to if we accept the love of the Good Shepherd. When I was a young child, I used to sing and imagine the scenario in the psalm reading for today. Psalm 23 has a Tagalog song version in the Philippines entitled, “Ang Panginoon ang aking Pastol” I have always loved singing it because of the very comforting words in the song. It has always given me an impression that with God on our side nothing can go wrong and if things seem to look like there is something wrong there is really nothing to fear for He will always be there to defend and protect. Let us not stray away from the Lord and always stay in the flock that He cares for. We may have heard a story of how a lion attacks its prey by separating it from the flock and once it has cornered it and all alone that's the time it devours it. It pays to always stay in the flock under the care of our Good Shepherd. We have to make sure we are not misguided or deceived by a fake shepherd and really belong to the flock of sheep that Jesus shepherds. If we are just to read and understand very well every word said in today's psalm then we ought to find ourselves the most contented and secured person in the whole wide world. There should be no more room for fear, doubt and anxiety. We've got to develop the confidence and faith of a person who have truly believed that the Lord is our shepherd. A sheep without a shepherd doesn’t know where to go and get food. They just stand there looking dumb and hungry. Today's psalm is a reminder and great consolation that we are the sheep and the Lord is our Shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd as stated in today's psalm. He makes us want for nothing more. We are so caught up with our problems and concerns in life that we become oblivious of God. We do not see the love of God in the midst of these disturbing events. In our journey here on earth we are all confronted with the bitter and harsh realities of life. Let us always remember and never forget that on top of those realities is the resounding truth and most essential one that we have a Good Shepherd. We should praise and thank God for those experiences although difficult served as an inspiration which we could hold on to at times when things do not turn out right. We can be assured that everything is in control although there is really a need to go through a so called "dark valley" of our lives in order for us to be fully aware that we have a God who looks after our welfare no matter how things turn out unexpectedly and not according to what we have in mind. We always have to believe that in the end, God is always on our side to give us the courage to carry on and find that God got us covered. There is one thing sure if we hold on to God as a sheep to the Good Shepherd, we will never be disappointed. The words of God in today's readings give us an assurance that He is always there for us. He said it and He means it then so be it. There is nothing more He could possibly mean when He said that He is the Good Shepherd other than He cares for us. He never forsakes nor abandons any single one of His flock. Sometimes we are confronted with situations that push us to the limits and thus we give way. This should never be the case at any single time. We should not entertain the option that is clearly not pleasing to the Lord even beyond the point of maximum tolerance. We may find ourselves able to resist up to a certain extent only. Thus when the tough gets really tough we would suddenly find ourselves shifting our loyalty. We only find ourselves proclaiming God in our life when situations are favorable. It's such a pity if we would ever come to this point where almost everybody in this world found themselves comfortably positioned. We can easily change positions when things get uncomfortable and easily turn our backs on what is ultimately God’s will for us. As in Rev. 3:16, So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. It is time to make a stand and know which side we really are rather than continue making excuses and justifications. We must not doubt God's ability to be the  Good Shepherd that He really is to us and trust Him rather than ourselves to carry out the plan He has for us.  Just like this old adage, "Never put the law into your hands." We should not take away God's plan from His hands into ours and act like we know better. If there's someone who could perfectly carry out this plan for our lives then that is no other than God Himself. Nothing could be more perfect than entrusting our life in God's hands. Just try to imagine ourselves right now, as is, where is with all our cares and problems in this world. Then try to paint another picture, this time with God as the Good Shepherd that tends the sheep, then picture ourselves as that sheep that the Lord tends. Be still for a moment and try to absorb and allow to sink in the words in the responsorial psalm. In God's loving embrace we are secured and satisfied that there is nothing we stand in need of. If the Lord is our shepherd who could ask for more? Goodness and love pursue us all the days of our life. For as long we're sure that the Lord Jesus is indeed the shepherd who leads us and whom we follow then there is no doubt about this. We should thank the Lord for our daily assurances, confirmation and in all circumstances. God will never allow us to go hungry and will always give us what we need and even more. God is a generous God that when we're feeling hungry or in need of something He is always there to provide, all we have to do is trust Him in His ways, as He has promised. Amen. Hallelujah!

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

R: I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

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

The gospel for today is about the miracle of the multiplication of the bread and feeding of the five thousand. They were hungry and satisfied. God has always wanted us to become the best persons we ought to be. Our lives should be a testimony of God's glory. He wants us to be always focused on this goal and if things are not turning toward this direction then it is time to realign ourselves to God's agenda and not be carried away by the enticements and false assurances of this world. The gospel specifically said that Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee and went up on the mountain. It hit me in the sense that it is somehow telling us to go across the Sea of Galilee and elevate ourselves to a higher level. This invitation is for all of us. Sometimes we get too comfortable doing the old thing and whatever we have gotten used to. It is time for us to go past it and take the challenge of climbing a higher level for the greater glory of God. The disciples in the gospel today said this to Jesus, "Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?" He wanted to test them, because he himself knew what he was going to do.” It's a good thing His disciples responded and cooperated with Jesus. The same with us, we may be asked by God to go out of our comfort zones and practical outlook. You know why? So that God can perform His miracle in our life. It emphasizes the truth that God will never allow us to grow hungry and will always provide for our needs. There is no need to go anywhere else for nourishment. There is no need to go away and search elsewhere. We only have to go to God for only Him can satisfy all our longings and desires. We may all know about the story in today's gospel and  have heard it several times already but somehow lost the element of surprise already. But if we will look at it very closely we will discover much more amazing things than we already know. It was not just the satisfying and healing of the physical hunger and deformities that God can do for us but more than we are able to really comprehend. God can go beyond the satisfaction of our physical needs. There is really no one or nothing else we can rely and depend on more than God. We have a very generous God that He gives us more than enough and even went beyond our satisfaction levels which is symbolized by the number 7 which means perfect and was used to describe the fragments left over that they picked up. God assures in the readings for today that we will never go hungry or thirsty for anything at all be it physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Since today's readings emphasizes the fact that we will be fed and satisfied by the Lord this reminded me of our visit to Sis Ester's house for our block rosary. We were all so blessed to experience the generosity of Sis Ester in welcoming us in their home. She had gone out of her way for several days just to accommodate us in their home. We hadn't been just fed but also end up with “to go” treats. This outward display of affection on her part gives us much joy and makes us appreciate even more the goodness of God. Although a pale comparison to the fiesta galore or great banquet in heaven that we all look forward to but definitely a foretaste of the best that is yet to come. In the gospel, all they've got is the seven loaves and few fish which is nothing in proportion to the great crowd that Jesus wanted to feed. Well, I guess ratio and proportion does not apply to the limitless power of God. We may think that we are in a desperate situation or we are a hopeless case. We must not underestimate what God can do. We just have to go to God "as is where is" just like any other junk material that can be bought in whatever condition, God will take us exactly as we are and do the necessary work and miracle for us. God will not just provide for our needs but more. He is indeed a God who is more than enough! Just as Bishop Fulton Sheen was emphasizing in his talk that there is a need to see and live both sides of life. As there is a tragic and comic side to it, Jesus in today’s gospel also did the same thing. He attended to not only the spiritual need of the people but also their physical needs. If we sometimes feel that we are in a pitiful situation and nothing good is happening to us, we better think twice before we wallow up in self pity and depression. More than the miracle of feeding the five thousand, God is telling us to focus more on His compassionate heart that nourishes us physically and spiritually as well because only Jesus can satisfy us. We have a God who will not only satisfy one aspect of our life but all of it. In today's gospel, the vast crowd who followed Jesus in a deserted place despite of being late was not disappointed. It gives us the assurance that God will always rescue us and work for the good. Neither will he abandon or forsake us for He knows what we need even before we ask it. So no matter what our situations may seem to appear, whether we feel like we've been abandoned in a deserted place and things are running late, we should always trust God to give us everything we need and have been praying for. We are also invited to look at the beautiful truths contained in the gospel. This is the only miracle that appears in all four gospels. The others appear only in 3 or less. We can gain insight and a deeper faith in God by focusing on these words, Bethlehem, manger and star. Bethlehem in Hebrew means “House of Bread”. Jesus is laid in a manger, and the root word mange means to much, chew or gnaw. The 3 wise men were led to Jesus by following a star. The star could represent the tabernacle lamp which is the guiding light that houses the Holy Eucharist. They would benefit us to contemplate on these things in relation to the gospel today. Jesus always mentions in the gospel that He is the True Bread who came down from heaven. John 6:33-35, “For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” John 6:48-56, “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;  this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. We need to consume His True and abiding Presence. He teaches us to adore Him, Christ the Lord just as the shepherds did with the angels and the Magi on bended knees. Let us adore Him as well. Though we see and taste the bread and wine, it is no longer bread and wine but the Body & Blood of Christ. The Lord transforms what lies before us. The scriptures especially in John 6 are very clear so as not to judge it as a mere sign and symbol. Everybody left Him except the apostles because it is a very hard teaching and they could not accept it. It can’t be apprehended by the 5 senses but by faith. We must not doubt if it is true we just have to rely on the words of our Savior who is Himself the Truth. St. Cyril of Alexandria said that we have already been instructed in words and filled with unshakeable faith. Furthermore he said, “What our senses fail to fathom, let us grasp through faith’s consent.” We must not find it difficult to believe of Christ’s true presence in the Holy Eucharist as we believe that God is on earth as He is heaven. Let us not contradict God’s words and allow it to prevail over our reason and senses. It will be very meritorious to our souls if we hold on to His words because it will not lead us astray nor will it deceive us. Jesus declared it to be His True Body & Blood so who would dare question it. We need to be strong in faith that upon the blessing of the bread the very nature is changed so that what looks like bread is truly the Body of Christ. If we believe the Word made flesh and dwelt among us and created the world from nothing why can’t we believe that He can cause His own Body & Blood as in transubstantiation, to be present from something already existing as in the bread and wine. What a gift we have in the Holy Eucharist, the True Bread from heaven. We need to have a profound love of the Eucharist and be united and transformed by Holy Communion.  The faith required of the believer is more than just being fed physically and satisfied but has to go beyond it. How long will we be hard of heart? God is humbling Himself daily in the altar in the hands of the priest. As we see bread and wine with bodily eyes we should see it as the Holy Body and Blood, living and true while we remember what He said in the scripture, "Behold, I am with you even to the end of the world." Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 15:29-37

29 At that time: Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. 30 Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. 31 The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel. 32 Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way." The disciples said to him, "Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?" Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.” 35 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave  them to the crowds. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over — seven baskets full.

THINK, FEEL, SEE AND HEAR...

 Today the Lord reminds us in the 1st reading that we have to be careful in our words, thoughts and action. Sometimes we easily get carried away by the things we see and hear that we judge wrongly. It is important that we pray and think long and hard before we act on something. We can never be too careful especially when we are not at peace with God and ourselves at the time we are confronted with these things. There is more to it than meets the eye. We tend to see and hear things in various ways and the difference matters a lot. We encounter all kinds of people and situations in life. We sometimes succumb to the pressure and tension that build up when we are confronted with the anxiety and turmoil it brings about.  We should always seek to follow the standard of God in our judgments and we will never be led astray. There was a time when I was feeling very sick and was roused from my sleep by a sharp pain in my stomach. I felt like throwing up and I didn't know what caused it but I prayed to God to heal me and it was miraculously gone in an instant and was able to go back to sleep right away. God is good. He will always save us in our distress even before we call on Him. I always have this desire to sing a song to the Lord especially when I hear the chirping of the birds on top of the trees. I could never forget that time when I heard the birds singing along the road and thought to myself that I would continue singing if these birds would join me as I walk on, and they did. I was so overwhelmed by the fact that even before I entered the church I still heard their chirping and it gave a joyful feeling which lasted throughout that day and the following day because when I woke up, the first thing that entered my mind was this song with this lyrics, "...mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name..."  and envisioned a vast ocean with all its beauty and strength. Today's 1st reading speaks of the sea. This may be very petty for some but the feeling of joy coming from the imminent and looming presence of God in everything that surrounds us is so awe inspiring that we all have to realize. When something has been cut off, all that is left is a stump. We go through life experiencing so many things that we sometimes feel like we have been obliterated or erased from the face of the earth. I have heard someone said something about being erased from the face of the earth as if they never existed. This happens when people try to deliberately wipe out the existence of another just as what happened to the chosen people of God during the time of the prophet Isaiah when the Davidic lineage and kingship had been cut off. It was a very difficult time then but Isaiah gave hope through his prophecies which were all fulfilled in Jesus. As we all live to this day, we can also say that we are in a siege and sometimes do not know anymore who to turn to. In times when we ourselves experience trials and persecution as if our very existence is being wiped out.  Who do we trust? We have to go higher and beyond ourselves and become closer to God. God is like a mountain and He is there period whether we acknowledge Him or not. When on a mountain we can gain new perspective and build on solid grounds. It is the same when we have God in our lives. Our suffering has value and we know that we are not alone. We turn and cling to God and cultivate this loving relationship with Him. We must continue to hope that we have a God who could make miracles happen and exactly what we are being told in today's first reading that He is a God of impossibilities! Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 11:1-10

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom... Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide... Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea.

The days of December, the last month of this year is starting to roll by but we continue to hope and pray against all odds. Amidst all the negative speculations, we must be firm in our belief that God will make a way. The psalm reading should inspire us even more because it is a confirmation of God's abiding presence in our thoughts, feelings, sight and hearing. There are times when it is easier for us to just be angry and fight back but the psalm reading tells us otherwise. We should experience peace in the midst of all the problems and concerns that beset us knowing that we have a God who knows, hears and sees all. Jesus Christ our Lord entered into this world as a helpless little infant like we all did. Thus every single day, hour, minute and second of our life should constantly remind us that He is our Savior. We pray that as we earnestly wait this Advent season for the coming of the Lord who took this humbling form of an infant may we prostrate ourselves too in homage in adoration to God. What the wise and the unlearned alike sought and found in the stable is the encompassing light of heaven. Herod was so afraid that Jesus will take away his earthly kingdom without realizing that He gives away the heavenly kingdom. We have no reason to fear knowing that we have a God who saves. No matter how difficult things may seem to be if we will just persevere in prayer then nothing can ever withhold the blessings that God has promised us. We must always develop a kind of surrender and dependence on the Lord that is total and be confident that He is our Savior. God is our stronghold and our defender. His strength and power is beyond all telling. In Him alone should we trust and depend. There is really no room for doubt and this confidence should lead us to only one resounding cry to God alone. If we allow God then we would discover and find a source of inspiration that could arouse a lot of good thoughts in our mind and heart.  A talk entitled, “Life is worth living” delivered by Bishop Fulton Sheen in EWTN served as an inspiration which we could all benefit from. He was sharing about his childhood and was describing how he used to argue with her mom whenever he was asked to run an errand at a time while he was busy playing. And her mom would always reason out, “What difference does it make if you’re running around the backyard or running an errand for me?” He said he would always end up  unable to answer her mom. It was only recently when he found the answer upon reading what Thomas Aquinas said, The difference between work and play is that, work is for a purpose while play is not. It relieves a tension. He further shared about St. John the Evangelist who was seen playing with his disciple and was questioned for his behavior. To stress his point, he asked that person to shoot arrows and asked if he loved it. The person said yes so he asked him to keep on doing the same thing non stop. But the person reasoned that he would end up tired. He was able to get his message across that when we get tired it has to be relieved by play.  He called God as the Workman and quoted this beautiful statement. “I was with the Workman playing with him all through the day.” Where does play come in when we work? Love is free without any obligation. In the divine order these 2 things go together, work and play. Greek philosopher, Plato even pictured God holding the universe with His hands playing with it. The Workman playing and swinging the world. He said that according to a famous writer, when giving a serious discourse you have to play but never completely distract the discourse. Even Shakespeare from his book “Taming of the Shrew” said, Have we any play to distract us from this terrible hour? These 2 elements work and play, tragic and comic are important in life. Why does life have a serious side? Because we have freedom which implies responsibility. We have the liberty to open doors and close others. Life is great to be alive. There’s joy in it. We get the true concept of life. Who best describes this combination of life, tragic and the comic? Comedians? Is it Jack Benny? He said he represents the victim of being the butt of the joke and the laughing stock of Billy Graham’s jokes. He depicts the tragic side of it. How about the comic? He chose Bob Hope whom he said is on top of everything. He always have something to laugh about and represents the comic side. Who depicts both sides? Is it the clown, a man who combines both sides within himself? He has the laugh and the tears. There is sadness in the clown but there is also humor. He said that there is no specific group who can claim the clown because he depicts all the contradictions of human life. He could be the butt of the joke but does the same to others. Why do we like the clown? A picture of what we are. Dignified and yet we make fools of ourselves, proud and frustrated and glory in our wealth and yet impulsive. He mentioned Charlie Chaplain as an example.  A clown could be appearing in green pastures, makes us ridiculous and laugh at ourselves. Scriptures have it that God laughed, too. He laughs at the atheist, those who say God is dead. He is laughing at finite men trying to be infinite, poor man trying to be rich, and carbon copy who calls himself to be the original. The clown reveals both sides of the tragic, comic, hedonists and pessimists. It urges us to see life as a whole, tears and laughter. But in the end we have to really make the serious side or work side matter. As an ending statement he said, “What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul? There was a commentary about Bishop Fulton Sheen and what catches my attention most is what was said of him in relation to the responsorial psalm which says that he is a man loved by all peoples of faith. God is constantly assuring us of His great love for us. He never fails in reminding us of His enormous and endless love that is displayed throughout the world. Which reminds me of another incident of this old lady close to my heart who confided of some plans she is considering acting upon. I was just so surprised when I found myself brave enough to advise her though she’s much older than I am to be patient about her situation and not take actions without giving it much thought and praying to God for it. I know I have said this to her several times already and still continue to remain unwavering in my position with regards to that matter but then again the choice is all up to her. I just left her with this words of wisdom that was impressed to me to say to her, that the end will never justify the means and it would always help to put God first in everything we do and He will do exactly what is stated in today’s psalm. Has there ever been a time when we look back at our past and realize what it meant to us today? It is surely good to do this and would help us better understand what path we are headed for in this life. There is a need too, to look back at our life's time line most especially during the times that we can never forget for the rest of our life, the dramatic and significant events that happened which will remain forever etched in our memories. This reminds me again of what happened a long time ago in the Philippines when my son, Jude was still very small and we were strolling in Megamall and before I knew it Jude is gone and nowhere to be found. I guess what happened was Jude panicked when he realized that I wasn't by his side and ran outside the Alexis watch store where we both were, without realizing that I didn't really leave him and was still with him inside that small store. As a mother my first reaction should have been panic and fear but I couldn't understand why I have the calmness and peace in my heart although I was really alarmed and was already looking for him intently.  The unexplainable feeling of serenity in my heart came from the assurance from God that was playing at the back of my mind that everything will be alright. I was able to find him at once with an old couple already carrying him. There is really nothing to fear although things at the moment demand or compel us to be afraid. Instead of running outside the security of God's love when our limited or disturbed vision hinders us from seeing God, we should always seek God who is always by our side and never really leave us. We can not deny that God constantly communicates to us in many different ways. He knows our limitations and would speak to us in the language that we can comprehend. He is never amiss in reaching out to us in countless ways that we may run out of excuses not to draw near and be able to speak to God and listen to His messages. Several experiences in the past inspired me to start a devotion to always pray whenever I can for the poor souls in purgatory and the souls of my dearly departed relatives, friends and even those I have no relation whatsoever but just happened to know them briefly and in passing. Our God is infinite and powerful. He is able to make all things possible. We just have to entrust everything and everyone, let go and let God. Let us trust God’s judgment in everything and we can be rest assured that nothing is outside His Divine Will and Providence. No matter how unstable and unsecure things are in this world we can always look forward to the time that God promises us in today's psalm. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R: Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; he shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. R. Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. R For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. 13 He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. R. May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun his name shall remain. In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. R.

We are blessed to have a line up of brilliant and anointed preachers who share their knowledge and zeal for the word of God in EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network). But there are only a few people who take on this mission of spreading the word of God because we don't fully realize this as baptized Christians, we are all sent by Christ on this mission. We should accept God's invitation and receive the word of God by living its message. We have a great responsibility in our hands and should respond to His Word for indeed the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few. The time is now to become part of this great harvest. Jesus knows exactly the kind of life we are headed to if we heed His call. What He expects from us is courage to go on and He will do the rest. Let us trust that God is truly the Good Shepherd who never abandons nor forsakes the lambs in the midst of the wolves. We, Catholics believe that God gave human beings reason although it sometimes gets darkened by sin but still human reason can figure out some things. One of the things that human beings figure out without God having to reveal it, is that human beings need to meet 4 qualities to be deemed a human being. The philosopher, before even Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, had this figured out. We find it mentioned in Wisdom 8:7, the 4 virtues or qualities are also called the hinge virtues because it is where all the other virtues or qualities of good people would hinge. The word cardinal means hinge. The Cardinals who surround the Pope are the doorway to the Pope. They are also the ones whom he rely the most for advice. Everything else depends on the cardinal virtues. (Prudence or wisdom, justice, temperance and courage or fortitude) Prudence is the ability to make right decisions in complex situations. They are decisions that lead to the best and right thing. Without this we can be in big trouble. We’ve got to be able to decide in a situation that we’re in what the right thing to do which is the best thing to do. How do we get something done? There are some folks who probably just can’t figure out what to do. There are other folks who look at the problem and they can figure out a solution. It’s a core and they execute that core. It’s practical wisdom. We’ll find in the Book of Proverbs a lot of things about wisdom even in Sirach, Ecclesiastes and all the wisdom literature in scriptures. We can also find all the other 3 cardinal virtues, like justice which means giving each person his or her due. We all know even as kids instinctively how important justice is. The first thing that a kid cries out as soon as he learns how to talk if he has brothers and sisters is “Not fair, he got more than I did” or “You ask me to do more than what that person is doing.” This is because we have instinctively or natively offensive justice. Each person has rights and ought to get their due. There’s also another part of justice that we forget, that is, we have obligations and duties to everyone. A person who is unjust is not a good person. To be just, we need to control our passions. Temperance is a virtue that balances and controls our passions. It is like controlling our desire for that last piece of cake if we know that it belongs to our sister. In order to be just, we’ve got to control our appetites. Make our appetites come into line with justice, truth and goodness. We’ve got to have that balance in our life in order to be a good and effective person. Temperance makes this happen. We also have to be courageous. If we are not courageous then every time a difficulty arises we’re going to shrink back. If there’s any danger involved in doing the right, just and wise thing then we’re just going to crack out and find an excuse because we’re afraid. Courage or fortitude helps us to master fear and not let fear keep us from doing what’s right. We’ve got have all these things but here’s the problem. When Adam & Eve decided to sin they let loose a weakness into our race and nature that impacts all of us. We call it original sin. Sin is not so original, we just copy what other people have done. There’s nothing creative about sin. Adam& Eve’s sin was the only original sin. What they did has an impact on us. By weakening their own nature, sin weakened man’s nature. They passed on to us a weakened nature. They separated themselves and the whole human race from friendship with God and were born into that. There’s a tendency in our nature to go on a downward drift, a drift off course and a tendency to a great degree is dealt with through grace. How do we get grace? Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has made possible for us, healing of our humanity. He gives us other gifts, faith, hope and charity that make it possible for us to really have wisdom, justice, temperance and courage. Without faith, hope and charity in this life, no one can really become truly wise. All throughout human history we see people who exercise these gifts. They may not be Christians, deeply spiritual people, or in a state of grace and can exercise some of these potentials here and there. But ultimately original sin means we are going to sin seriously and mess up. We need God’s grace for those 4 great virtues to be perfected. Faith, hope and charity are supernatural. These are things that human beings would never know that they need or could have without God giving them supernaturally that’s why they are called the theological virtues. We only know about them through divine revelation and we couldn’t know about them by reason. We can only have them through God’s grace. The theological virtues, faith, hope and charity are the crown of the first 4 cardinal virtues that transform and make them possible. God doesn’t want us just to be whole human beings and restore us to what Adam & Eve were when they blew it in the Garden. God wants us to be more than that. He wants to elevate our human nature and divinize it. He wants us to share in His own Divine nature. Charity is all about loving with God’s love. Loving as the 3 persons of the Holy Trinity love each other and sharing in that goes way beyond human nature. This is an incredible thing and call. It was only possible because God became man and we can share in his virtue. This is what the real Catholic life is all about. It’s not just about making it or going to heaven by the skin of your teeth after struggling. It’s about growing in holiness and becoming like Jesus all throughout our life, a champion not without struggles. As a matter of fact without the struggles we can never become a champion. It is possible with victory and excellence not with hopelessness, despair and frustration. This is God’s desire for us which is a fantastic calling. The power to do this is given to us. We are never alone because God is always with us. We should be so thankful to God for all the wonderful things He allowed us to think, feel, see and hear. Not only for the things that are visible but also the invisible. God has given us everything that we need, the love, care and protection that a child needs from a Father who loves us so much. The readings for today from the 1st, psalm to the gospel all speak of the importance of our senses. Sometimes we have this tendency to overlook these things and dwell more on the less important things. We must train our minds and hearts to know the top priority which is everything that connects us to God at all times. All we have to do is be aware that God reveals Himself in a very mysterious way that we have to continuously work for a heart and mind that is focused on the Lord, remove all distractions in our life so that He will reveal Himself to us. God is infinite and unlimited in nature and our minds can only comprehend as far as our limited brains allow. Let us seize every moment and opportunity in order to daily grow in our knowledge of the Lord. Let us all come to our senses. Once we've seen, heard, smelled, tasted, touched, felt and experienced who the Lord is in our lives then we are really blessed in the truest sense of the word. Although we can only come to the full understanding and knowledge of God when we die, we can still work our way to knowing God using the best of our abilities for it is written, if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Have you ever experienced talking to someone but it seems that he/she is not paying attention. Let us not miss a single detail about our Lord and always be attentive to Him. If we are caught up in our own personal lives then we have a tendency to misunderstand the messages sent our way. Let us develop an attitude of total surrender to God and He in His goodness will make known to us things beyond our understanding. When we're on the phone we sometimes fail to hear what's being said to us on the other line. We can always hear this being said, Hello are you still there? It may be due to a low signal, our lack of attention and other things that disrupt the communication. We are reminded by God through the gospel to remove all hindrances and be able to hear him loud and clear. It is imperative that we heed his call and the time is now. Sometimes we end up doing things that we are not supposed to do and we get confused and that's because we are not attuned to our Life Coach, who is God and no one can lead us to the right direction only Him. We need to sharpen and make our senses very keen so that we will not miss out on anything. Some people who lack one of the senses like for example the blind people develop a keen sense of hearing, feeling and smelling. The blind have mastered well their other senses that they can hear, feel and smell the slightest sound, touch and scent that can be unnoticeable for some.  We should say from this point of view that the lack of one sense can enhance the other senses. We can also say that there are moments in our life when we have to shut out one of our senses, too. There are a lot of things being presented to us day in and out. We should know that some things are better left unsaid and ignored. In times like these we need to know exactly what we need to take in and which of our senses do we need to pay attention to and focus on in order to see and hear what the Lord is showing and telling us and be truly blessed. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 10:21-24

At that very moment he rejoiced [in] the holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will... anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him...Turning to the disciples in private he said, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. 

OVER ALL

It is always nice to look forward to something good and have this confidence that it will come to pass. This gives us the hope and the strength to carry on in whatever we are going through. We may be experiencing a difficulty but it makes all the difference when we know that our backs are covered or we are safe and secure in the care of reliable and trustworthy friends who would risk their necks for us. It gives us a nice feeling knowing that someone is there for us. Even though we do not feel this kind of assurance we've got to realize that we are not alone. We have a Mighty and Immortal God who is over all, in all and for all. We are very blessed that nowadays prayer meetings, bible studies and fellowship gatherings of all kinds are available and at our disposal. If we find joy in these activities then we can surely be overwhelmed by the concern and care that every member of this community has for each member. In such caring groups we are spared from the “to each his own” attitude and find good accommodation. God is good indeed. Everyday is God’s declaration of His great love. A loving community is a gift from God and could find a reflection of God in each member’s genuine and sincere commitment to really serve. It is a blessing to be part of such a community. Just being there, enjoying the presence of every person is already a tremendous blessing from the Lord. The grace of God abounds in each and every person. We just continue to pray that God will always hold all of us in His loving embrace so that we too can embrace other people’s lives. To God be the glory, Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 4:2-6

On that day, The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory, and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor for the survivors of Israel...For over all, his glory will be shelter and protection shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain.

Today's psalm reminds me of this popular game called, "Trip to Jerusalem" I guess, everybody's familiar with it. We may all have played this game when we were young or even when we're older. The fastest, quickest, most alert person who gets the last seat wins. If we are not paying attention or are too slow then we are bound to lose. We have to put up a good fight in this game in order to win because the chairs are always lacking so every round there is always one person who doesn't get a seat and gets eliminated. It is just a game but people have a lot of fun doing their best so as not to be eliminated and win. People who engage themselves in this kind of game and want to win exert a lot of effort. It is so tiring and can exhaust one's energy in the game. And to think that after all our efforts only one person gets to win. Isn't it a relief that we can go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.  We need not worry that all our best efforts would just be wasted because God has reserved a seat for each one of us. 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. We are confronted with a lot of things every day and if there is one thing we should choose and decide for then peace is one of them. It is important that we work and pray for peace to always reign in our midst. If we have peace that passes understanding always safeguarded in our hearts then we can rejoice in the Lord at all times. We should always be confident of the truth that we are blessed and secure in the knowledge and truth that we are where we are right now, doing what we are doing right now at the exact time God has provided for us, for with God there is always a perfect time for everything. When we are feeling tired from all the day's work all we want to do is just go home. Nothing could be more rewarding than coming home to a place where we find rest and peace. Our life here on earth could be compared to something like this. It is nice to know that at the end of the day or our life's journey we can go rejoicing to the house of the Lord and find ourselves welcome there. Ideally, there should be no other place we want to be, more than a place where there is peace and prosperity. It is a choice we have to make but sometimes we make the wrong choices and choose to be just anywhere but in a place such as this. We have all the time to be in different places that is fun and exciting. There is nothing wrong with being in these places for as long as we know our limitations but do we get the same joy and fulfillment when we go into the house of God. We should be balanced human beings. We should not just seek to satisfy our physical but spiritual needs as well. Let us tap our dormant souls that are left unattended for so long and revive it to really feel what the psalm tells us today. As much as we are confronted by the fact that we are still inhabitants of this imperfect world we are in we can not live as if it does not exist. We might as well make the most of what we can do while we are part of it. We’ve got to set goals in order to achieve this and keep our eyes focused on it. It helps go through our daily life if we have set goals that we want to achieve and fulfill. The SMART acronym tells us that our goals should be S for specific, M for measurable, A for attainable or achievable, R for realistic or relevant and T for timely or time based. This is very effective in helping us improve as a person especially at times when we can't get our acts together. We can always set SMART goals from time to time in order to keep track of our performance in whatever field we want to work on and excel. It helps a lot in assessing ourselves in order for us to make an evaluation on how we our doing with our life. After each SMART goal we set for ourselves and have achieved it gives us a sense of fulfillment knowing that we have accomplished something. Little by little everyday we step up the ladder of our SMART goals. All of these should eventually come up to rejoicing with what we have made of our life. These we continue to do until it all sum up to bring us to that ultimate SMART goal. It should all lead us and point to our final destination when we go up to the house of the Lord. There is no greater joy than being with the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9

R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

1 I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” 2 And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. (R) 3 Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. 4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. (R) According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. 5 In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. ...May those who love you prosper! 7 May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings...

The gospel speaks of one's love and concern for a fellow human being no matter who that person is. God also sees the love we have for each and every member of our household/family and He will always come to save and heal us just like in the gospel. It also serves as a reminder to us that just like that centurion we should have that unwavering faith in the word of God and seek to follow His lead always. It is very overwhelming to know that such power and authority of God is existent in all people, places, time and circumstances. There is no limit in what God can do for our lives. All we have to do is have faith, never doubt and just believe and it will be done for us. Just like this Gentile Roman centurion who did not belong to the race of the Chosen People and yet was reached by the power of God we, too should develop in ourselves this great faith in God no matter what. In fact, the words of this Roman Centurion resound up to this moment and time as it is being recited in the Communion Rite every time there is Holy Mass being celebrated all over the world. Jesus has defied the cultural barriers of faith and demonstrated in today's gospel that He is indeed over all, in all and for all. It is good to examine ourselves if we have the same humility and faith like the centurion right before we accept Jesus in Holy Communion. The centurion knows that Jesus can heal his servant. He humbly asked the Lord and showed Jesus an act of faith. St. Jose Maria Escriva once wrote, "We are going to receive our Lord on this earth, when we receive an important person in our home we bring out the best, food, lights, music and formal dress. How should we prepare to receive Christ in our souls? Have we ever thought of how we must behave if we should ever receive Him only once in a lifetime who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 8:5-11

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven.”