HANDMAID OF THE LORD

Solemnity of the Annunciation

Luke 1:30
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
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THE LORD IS WITH YOU.
Many times in the Old Testament the words “the Lord is with you” signaled that someone was being called to a daunting task. In fact, these words often accompanied an invitation from God to play a crucial role in his plan of salvation. Such a divine calling generally entailed great sacrifices and challenged people to step out of their comfort zones and put their trust in God like never before. At the same time, these words offered assurance that they would not face these challenges alone. Some of Israel’s greatest leaders—men like Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Gideon and David—were told that God would be with them when they were commissioned to serve his people.

FAVOR WITH GOD.
We learn more of Mary’s mission in Luke 1:30, as the angel says, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Like the phrase “The Lord is with you,” the notion of finding “favor with God” also would bring to mind Old Testament covenant mediators in God’s salvation plan. Noah was the first person in the Bible described as finding favor with God (see Genesis 6:8). God saved him and his family from the flood and gave him a covenant to be the head of a renewed human family. The next person to find favor with God was Abraham (see Genesis 18:2-3). God made a covenant with him, calling on his family to be the instrument through which he would bring blessing to all the nations of the world.

Like these great covenant mediators of the Old Testament, Mary has found favor with God for God is with her. Walking in the footsteps of Noah, Abraham, Moses and David, Mary now is called to serve as an important cooperator in the divine plan to bring salvation to all the nations. And we are called in the same token. Are you willing to be His “handmaid”?

Almighty Father, You have revealed the beauty of your power by exalting the lowly virgin of Nazareth and making her the mother of our Savior. Her total obedience brought Jesus to the waiting world and filled the void of incompletion with the presence of her child, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit one God forever and ever. Amen +

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

DOUBTING THOMAS

John 20:29

“Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

If we do not believe because we have not seen it, we are called a doubting Thomas. We only tend to believe if we see it first-hand. This is what Thomas the disciple wanted when his fellow apostles told him that they have seen the risen Christ. He remarked, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Thomas, as pictured in the scripture, is a pessimist. When Jesus decided to return to the place near Jerusalem where Lazarus died, he exclaimed, “Yes, let's go there that we might die with him.” He fully knew that they are now being hunted by the Jewish authorities and will be condemned to death. And now, a week after the Lord’s resurrection, his pessimism persists.

All of these pessimisms simply vanished in the air, as soon as He saw Jesus. Thomas slips to his knees and says in awe, “My Lord and my God!” He uttered the greatest confession of faith recorded anywhere in the Bible. Doubting Thomas does not stay a doubter. When he sees the risen Jesus, all that Jesus has taught over the years now sinks in, and up to his death Thomas is an outspoken advocate for his Lord. Thomas traveled to the east coast of India, preaching relentlessly. He is killed near Mylapore about 72 AD, near present-day Madras. Tradition tells us that he is thrown into a pit, then pierced through with a spear.

He is speaking to us, doubters today, to those of us who have seen our hopes and dreams destroyed. He is telling us his story of his fears and doubts and how Jesus' life had changed everything. Let us exclaim our faith together with him, as we recount his joy at seeing and knowing the risen Jesus himself – “My Lord and my God!”

Lord Jesus, Saint Thomas doubted Your resurrection until he touched Your wounds. Once he was cured of his doubt, You freed him and he began the work You had called him to do. I ask him to pray for me when I question the direction in which You are leading me. Forgive me for mistrusting You, Lord, and help me to grow from the experience.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

WITNESSING

Acts 4:20

“It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”

My mother still remembered what happened. She saw a man entered our house… through the window. That man is looking for something. Fear crept through her body and pretended to be sleeping. The man then went downstairs, took some small things and when out through our main door. Afterwhich, she immediately woke up my father and told him what happened. My father immediately called the police. The thief was caught as my mother was able to recognize his face (and he was a neighbor!). She witnessed it and her story was enough to have that man jailed.

The disciples of Jesus, after receiving the Holy Spirit, have started sharing the good news. Many tried to disprove their pronouncements about the risen Lord, but those disbelievers only tried in vain. The disciples are first-hand witnesses and have seen, touched and heard Jesus after rising again from the dead. As material witnesses, no one can dispute their integrity and so the Christian faith spread faster than one can ever imagine. They witnessed for Him and were even willing to die for Him so His Words can be shared to all.

We are not first-hand witnesses to the Lord’s resurrection, that is true. But this should not stop us from witnessing for the Lord. We live today because of Him and shall die for Him and for things that He stands for: love and peace.

So, we must ask ourselves again, who are we? And, for whom do we witness? I hope and pray each one of us is a good witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. But if we're not completely there, then I pray that each of us would receive the Holy Spirit, even to overflowing. And in this overflowing, we would lead others to Christ, and not just to His name, but also to His peace, and His love, and His compassion.

Almighty Father, Jesus is calling me to a new beginning; to a fresh call to discipleship. You are asking me to deny myself, take up my cross and follow you. It was at my baptism that you claimed me as your child. Today, I affirm that I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. I surrender my will, my desires and my life to you, O God. I commit myself to your call to discipleship: to pray, study your Word, worship you, invite other people to a life of discipleship.

I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me.

LET YOUR HEART LISTEN

John 21:12

And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord.

You answered the phone and said “hello”. The person at the other end replied also, “hello”. You immediately realized it was your wife, or your daughter, or your mother, or your friend simply by the sound of his/her voice. You do not have to ask who he/she is. You can identify that voice anytime, anywhere for you know that voice by heart.

Hearing God's voice is something we all long for – but tend to always forget. Yet, it's not hard to do? In fact, God wants you to hear His voice! He doesn't speak to us through a phone or a medium. Hearing the voice of God is as natural as hearing your wife or your bestfriend talk to you. In fact, we can hear Him everyday - not just on Sundays or during special occasions. He speaks to us in the natural moments of life.

Do you want to hear God's voice? Then you must be ready to listen. In his book Knowing God, J. I. Packer says, “God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given to us to make us wise unto salvation”. So, when was the last time you read the Bible and let your heart listen intently to His Words? Spend some time learning His Words. Spend some time understanding what He wants us to do in our lives and for the live of others.

Are you hearing His voice right now? Don't let your final answer be the wrong one. Know and identify His voice anytime, anywhere. Know His voice by heart and live your life believing in that voice.

Almighty Father, Your voice we desire for our lives above any other desires. Direct our paths as we constantly listen to Your message. May we be quick to obey and be ready to share it so that others may also hear and understand Your voice. It is our desire to do Your will, Oh my God; Your voice, Your will and Your commandments is within our hearts.

“Let me hear Your voice, speaking to me tenderly
Let me heed Your will, and follow You lovingly.”

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You.

QUESTIONS

Luke 24:38

“Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?”

SIMPLE QUESTIONS:

Where did we park the car?
What will we eat tonight?
Are you sure?
Where are you?

SILLY QUESTIONS:

Do cemetery workers prefer the graveyard shift?
Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?
If con is the opposite of pro, then what is the opposite of progress?

LIFE’S QUESTIONS:

Why am I here?
How do I beat this loneliness?
What makes my life so hard?
Where is that one special relationship?

MORAL QUESTIONS:

Why does God allow sufferings in the world?
What will happen to those who never hear about Jesus?
Is there really right and wrong?
Do all religions lead to God?

So many questions, but the answers are so few. You can look for answers to life’s questions in many places, but have you considered how Jesus can answer these questions for you? Ask Him, hear Him, believe in Him. He is the answer to your questions.

Lord Jesus, when I ask You how much You love me, you did not reply by words. Instead, you spread Your arms on the cross and died for me. Isn’t that enough so I may believe in You? It is enough, it is.

“I have lot of questions, and is never satisfied.
When all I need to do is hear Your Words
And in Your will, I abide.”

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

BURNING SENSATION

Luke 24:32

“Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?”

By means of touch and the sharing of a meal, the risen Jesus establishes direct contact with His disciples. He invites them in this way to recognize that He is not a ghost and above all to verify that the risen body in which He appears to them is the same body that had been tortured and crucified, for it still bears the traces of his Passion. As He shows Himself to His disciples, their hearts grow fonder and really feel His love. His glorious appearance signifies that He did not only risen from the dead, but also possesses the new properties of a glorious body: not limited by space and time but able to be present how and when He wills. For this reason too the risen Jesus enjoys the sovereign freedom of appearing as He wishes: in the guise of a gardener or in other forms familiar to his disciples, precisely to awaken their faith.

Christ's Resurrection was not a return to earthly life, as was the case with the raisings from the dead that He had performed before Easter: Jairus' daughter, the young man of Naim, Lazarus. These actions were miraculous events. However, the persons miraculously raised by Jesus returned to ordinary earthly life and at some particular moment they would die again. Christ's Resurrection is essentially different. In His risen body, He passes from the state of death to another life beyond time and space. At Jesus' Resurrection, His body is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit: He shares the divine life in His glorious state, so that St. Paul can say that Christ is "the man of heaven".

Our hearts yearn for and burns in His presence. Let us acknowledge the life-giving power and evangelizing dynamic of encountering Jesus today - just as the two disciples felt their hearts burn within them and returned in haste to Jerusalem to tell their story of meeting Jesus.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, we praise You for the love that You have revealed through your Sacred Heart, which was pierced for us and which has become the fountain of our joy, the source of our eternal life. May all we say and do give glory and praise to you and to the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God living and reigning for ever and ever.

Rejoice, Oh hearts that seek the Lord.

MARY, JOHN AND PETER

Acts 2:38

Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

On the morning of the first Easter Sunday, the day of resurrection of the Lord Jesus, three prominent figures took part in seeing first the empty tomb. First is Mary of Magdala. Along with some women tasked to finish the anointing of Jesus, the women were the first messengers of Christ's Resurrection for the apostles themselves. But for her, the first impression that came to her mind was that the body of Jesus was stolen and that no one knows where it was taken.

The second was Peter, himself. What he witnessed was only the burial clothes neatly rolled up in separate places. Peter must have been dumbfounded at the time, still in shock and doesn’t know what to say or do. He may have felt fear for he knows that their enemies did this so they can put the blame on the apostles and charge them for stealing the body.

The third was John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. Actually, he arrived at the tomb first, but stayed outside. After Peter went in, he followed, he saw and he believed.

In our celebration of the resurrection of the Lord and as we celebrate the resurrection in our lives, how do we react? Do we feel like Mary – seemingly lost in what is happening. Or do we feel like Peter – a born leader and yet truly aware of his shortcomings – clueless on what is happening that day. Or do we identify with John, who came, who saw and who believed.

Jesus has risen. The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ. It is the fulfillment of a promise from the One who came, for those who saw and for us to believe.

Almighty Father, we pause from the cares and worries of the day to worship You for all that You have done for us. We thank You for Your might and power and for Your deep love for us. We thank you for your glory as we come, see and believe in the resurrection of Your Son, Jesus.

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

CHILDREN OF EASTER MORN

Acts 2:24

But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.

Jesus conquered death and darkness so we may see the light and live in the light. Let us raise our lives to Him so we may continue to live in His love. He is the salvation and eternal life. Our entire observance of Lent was for this day - to honor the Risen King! Come, let us worship Him!

Let me share with you another beautiful song.

We are the children of easter morning
We sing to celebrate our new lives
The dawn of an eternal morning
The fulfilment of our ageless desires

We sing with joy in our hearts over flowing
We sing to beck on those who dwell in the dark
We’ll keep on singing till all men celebrate this eastern morn

We are the children of easter morning
We sing to proclaim the Lord’s might
Now there’s meaning to a life of dying
For the Lord our God has conquered the night

With joy we dedicate our lives to the service
Of the God of life whose goodness we’ve known
Until our lives be themselves our song of easter morn

May our simple lives be a song of praise
To the goodness of the Lord
May the Lord delight in this song we sing,
This song we live with joy

If we had to sing just one song to the Lord creator of life
May our lives be that song, resounding in praise
To the goodness and glory of God.

Lord Jesus, all power in heaven and on earth has been given to You. May we go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit as we put our trust and faith in You until the end of the age.

Keep me safe, O God; You are my hope.

ALIVE!

The Resurrection of the Lord

John 20:7-8

When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

After weeks of abstinence and fasting, my mother would buy 100 grams of lechon (roasted pork) for our Easter Sunday lunch. That would be the only day in a year that we would be eating lechon. She would explain that this is our way of celebrating the resurrection of the Lord.

Our Lord has offered more than a lechon on that first Paschal Triduum. He offered Himself, body and blood during the last supper, died on the cross on the first Good Friday and fulfilled His promise of eternal salvation on Easter Sunday.

Thus, the whole Christian world celebrates. It doesn’t matter whether we eat lechon, do easter egg hunts, eat chocolate bunnies. Let us Rejoice! Christ died and has risen. Let us offer our life in this truth for we are saved because of one man who followed that will of His Father. Lechon, anyone?

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus, the celebration of Your Resurrection over death is a celebration of life. Resurrection is a daily celebration over fear; man's greatest and most powerful enemy. Fear of tomorrow, fear of our yesterdays, fear of what shall become of our young our old our unborn. Resurrection is replacing fear with physical action. This alone, the most touching and profound of Your signs that fear is dead and belief in You brings, not just hope but life. You sacrificed Your life, leaving those who had been comfort, and follower; You left them behind, to conquer fear.

Almighty and ever-living Lord, you restored us to life by raising Christ from death. Strengthen us by this Easter sacrament. God our Savior, hear us, and through this holy mystery give us hope that the glory you have given Christ for he is Lord for ever and ever.

Amen +

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.

REST IN PEACE

Black Saturday

John 19:40-42

They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, you sent your Son to carry out your mission of redeeming the world. Let the light of your Gospel of love so shine in the world that it may be transformed into a worthy home for all your children of every race and country.

Holy Spirit, help me to surrender my life to the gift of salvation offered by Jesus on the cross. I pray that I will always be faithful to living the victory over sin He offers me through my commitment to Him.

All these in Jesus name.

Amen +

You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

GOLGOTHA

Good Friday

John 19:30

“It is finished.”

Let us pray +

Merciful and everlasting God, behold your family spread before You. We don't know why but, for us, Jesus was willing to be obedient to You, to go to the Cross prepared for Him and to die there.

He bore our sins in His own body and they were nailed with Him to the Cross. You spared Him not, Lord. Help us to deeply know within us what it is that Jesus has done for us – dying for our sins, so we will live forever in Your love and glory.

Help us remember it always and to make His Passion a part of us that we will live the redemption we are given and the salvation You have promised. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son.

Amen +

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

LAST SUPPER

Maundy Thursday

John 12:8

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Let us pray +

O Lord God, this night Your Son instituted for us the great sacrament of His Body and Blood in the Eucharistic meal. In this way, on the night before He was to die, He chose to reveal His deep love for us and to provide for us communion in Him.

We remember that He said, “This is my body... eat indeed. This is my blood... drink indeed... He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in Me and I in him.”

May we who celebrate this eucharist find fulness of love and continue to show the fruits of redemption in our lives. We ask through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

Amen +

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

THIRTY PIECES

Holy Wednesday

Matthew 26:15

"What are you willing to give me?”… They paid him thirty pieces of silver.”

Thirty pieces of silver was the equivalent of 120 denarii. A denarius was the wage a worker was paid for a day's work. So Judas was given the equivalent of three months pay. In Zechariah 11:12-13, thirty pieces of silver is referred to as a paltry amount of money compared to anything of real value.

Thirty pieces of silver. It is the legal price of a slave. They purchased Jesus like any other slave so there is some legality in handing him over to the Roman authorities. There is irony, of course, that Jesus was paid for out of the temple treasury, with silver that had been marked for the purchase of sacrifices. And irony that Jesus, who took the role of servant for us all, was purchased for the price of a slave.

Thirty pieces of silver. For Judas, the amount is not only the price of slavery to greed and ambition and self-preservation, but the value of his own cheapened life.

Thirty pieces of everything. Have we exchanged our life with the Lord for something else? Watching a movie, instead of going to Church? Telling a lie to cover-up our sins? Entering into questionable transactions for money? Jesus is the only wealth we should aspire for, we should crave for. Earthly possessions and money must be used for His glory, not in betraying Him. How are you using yours now?

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, we call ourselves Your friends yet one among us who ate at table with You betrayed You. We know that we often fail You. Transform us through Your Passion and the sufferings we merit to choose to bear for Your sake so that we may help reveal Your Glory at the appointed time. This we ask through Jesus our Lord, Your Son.

Amen +

“Thirty pieces of silver is nothing;
Enriching your life in God is everything.”

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. – Winston Churchill

DENIAL & BETRAYAL

Holy Tuesday

John 13:38

“Will you lay down your life for me?”

It was a scene in a Cenakulo, a play about the passion and death of Christ. ‘Judas’ is about to hang himself for betraying the Lord Jesus Christ. Suddenly, a girl from the audience shouted, “Do not do it! Go to Jesus and Mama Mary and ask for forgiveness!” Silence filled the air, but the show must go on. ‘Judas” hanged himself.

Both Peter and Judas (the Iscariot) has done something unacceptable, being friends and disciples of Jesus. Peter denied Jesus three times, totally disowning that fact that he knows Him and have been with Him in His ministry. While Judas betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver.

In the end, Judas is dead – taking his own life. But Peter is alive, and even led the first Christian Church. The difference? Repentance. Peter remained with the disciples, asked for forgiveness from the Lord and was given the Spirit to live fully under God’s love and blessings.

In this season of Lent, we are given the opportunity to reform our ways and lead a life that is in total obedience to the will of the Lord. We may have done a grave sin in our life, but this should not make us feel detached from Him. In fact, He is even reaching out to us – to repent, to ask for forgiveness and to reform our lives.

Reach out to Him for forgiveness, He is waiting.

Let us pray +

Almighty and everlasting God, we wish to see Jesus. Grant us the grace of humility during this Passion time so that we may indeed, like a grain of wheat falling into the soil, die to ourselves and thus obtain pardon of our sins. We ask this through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord.

Amen +

“Denial and betrayal?
Repentance and forgiveness!”

I will sing of your salvation.

GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP

Holy Monday

John 12:8

“You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

We give gifts to friends and our loved ones. And most of the time, we give gifts that are “expensive”, meaning gifts that come from our hearts. Gifts that we know will make them happy. Gifts that signifies true love and friendship. And it is this friendship that really matters most, and the money we spent is nothing compared to the love we have shown.

Mary ‘wasted’ an expensive perfume, as Judas has thought. She should have just sold the perfume and gave the money to the poor. Judas has a point there. But he has another agenda. What he speaks is not what is in his heart – “he said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions”.

Jesus knows this. But instead of humiliating Judas in front of His disciples, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, He just dismissed him and advised him to just leave Mary alone. Being friends of Jesus, Mary and her siblings has shown true faith in the Lord. But this time, Mary’s gesture is geared towards bringing back the friendship that the Lord has shown to them. The expensive perfume is nothing compared to the love that Jesus has given them. Lazarus is alive because of their faith in Him. Jesus acknowledged this and received her extraordinary gesture of love with gratitude.

Be a friend to the Lord. Only then can your sacrifice be worthy to Him.

Let us pray +

Grant, we ask you, Almighty God, the grace of restoration through the merits of Jesus' Passion and Death. Today we remember the great gift of gratitude, given courageously, by Mary when she anointed our Lord with the costly oil whose perfume filled the house. May the perfume of her deed fill our hearts with praise. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord.

Amen. +

“The bird a nest, the spider a web;
the human friendship.”

The only way to have a friend is to be one – Ralph Waldo Emerson (poet)

RAISE HIM UP

Palm Sunday

Matthew 21:9

“Hosanna… blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.”

The Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem. And as He comes in, a very large crowd spread their cloaks, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. And as the people rejoice, Jesus most probably had mixed feelings and emotions.

He may have felt sorrow in His heart for He knows that these same people will ask that He be crucified in exchange for a thief. However, He must also really very happy, for the people have accepted Him as their Savior, exclaiming “Hosanna in the highest”. Moreover, He knows that His mission is coming to an end. As such, He would be fulfilling God’s will so He may also fulfill His promise of salvation.

In that scene also, the people may have failed to notice two important figures that are with Jesus in His triumphant return. They are not His apostles. In fact, He only met them in the morning of that day. They are no other than the ass and the colt. “Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” He did not come in chariots dressed in elegant robe with diamond-studded crown. From His birth to His death, He remained humble and meek.

Today, we are His donkeys. Let us lift Him up so others may see Him and accept Him in their hearts. We are His donkeys, and Jesus is the true star of the show. In our spiritual life up to our death, we may have been an unseen figure or even forgotten by everyone, but always remember Him!

Almighty Father, I would then bring back to You all the glory and praise. And I would also like to point out that in all of these, I am just a donkey that would continue carrying You around so everyone may hear, see and experience Your words and everlasting love. And I know that without You, I would just be an ordinary donkey.

“May our lives be that song resounding in praise
To the goodness and glory of God.”

Glory to God in the Highest, and peace to God’s people on earth!

ST JOSEPH

Matthew 1:20

“Joseph… do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.”

Your wife came to you one evening. She told you that she is 2-month pregnant. You were ecstatic and even jumped for joy. Then, she said that you are not the Father, but some other guy. In fact, it was the Holy Spirit. What will you do? What will you think? Would you believe her? Would you say goodbye and leave her?

St. Joseph actually thought of leaving Mary at that time. Not because he felt cheated, but because “since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly”. During that time, a woman accused of adultery will be put to death by stoning. And here is his wife, pregnant, and no one has ever touched her in the first place. Yet, he changed his mind, after a dream. He took Mary as his wife, took care of her and Jesus. They lived in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up strong in body and spirit and have been very obedient to His parents.

What a great privilege it was given to St. Joseph. He was a mere carpenter, and ordinary man. Yet, he was given the opportunity to be the earthly father of Jesus, calling him “Papa”, “Father”, “Tatay”, “Daddy”. What a great privilege of being called “Papa” by no other than the Lord, himself. And all along, he remained humble and did not even bragged about it.

He remained obedient to the will of the Lord, letting Jesus grow in spirit, totally being under God’s love and glory. And he remained truly faithful, believing and trusting the Lord that one day, Jesus will “save us from our sins” so we can be with God forever in heaven.

Lord Jesus, I need your special care. Like your earthly father, Joseph, I want to do God's will, even if I may not always understand. Make me gentle and selfless in the care of my family and children; help me guide them in the toils and troubles, the happiness and wonders of this life.

“How could a father's task be done
Unless he remembered his children were created
By a loving, wise and merciful God.”

Make me strong in love and forgiveness for those you entrust to my care.

WORKMANSHIP

John 10:38

“… but if I perform them, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may realize (and understand) that the Father is in Me and I am in the Father.”

You dropped by an art gallery and a painting caught your attention. You haven’t seen anything as beautiful as this one, you thought. The lines, the colors, the contours, the shapes, the shades. Put them all together, and what you see, from every aspect, is perfection. You looked at the signature to check who painted it. You even asked the curator if the painter is a very talented man. Of course, he would say yes – and you would believe him. However, he also mentioned that the painter is a boy. In fact, he is only 12 years old when he painted it.

Suddenly, disbelief comes into you. How could a boy paint such beautiful work of art. You did not only lost interest on the painter, you also lost interest on the painting. Just because it was painted by an “amateur”, it is not anymore beautiful as you thought it was.

In His time on earth, Jesus has only done good things. Preaching the words of God, healing the sick, feeding thousands, casting out evil spirits, raising up dead, and making blinds see again, paralytics to walk again and lepers to be cleanse, all in the glory of God. Everyone who marveled at these things would surely believe that He is the Son of God. But not the Pharisees. They saw Jesus as a threat to their perceived leadership. They failed to see the wonderful things that Jesus has done because they see Jesus as just an ordinary mortal – an ordinary Jewish man, who is not worthy of being with them, let alone being the Son of God. For them he is a liar, worthy to be put to death for blasphemy.

See and believe in the works of God. Let your mind and heart respond with a life filled with thankfulness, service, and worship. God has opened your eyes to the truth of creation so lift up your voice in praise and adoration to the Most High. Jesus is His greatest work, believe in Him and His works.

Almighty Father, I know that whatever You do, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; You have made it so, in order that men should fear, love and glorify You, and You alone, now and forever.

Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED

Genesis 17:9

“On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”

We have a project in one of our subcontract houses. Before we can even move and order equipment to start-up the project, a lot of time was spent in formulating, reviewing and revising the contract before it was approved. This contract would ensure continued support of both parties to the project. In fact, a contract may not really be necessary as long as both are true to their promise and commitment. But sometimes, one party or both tend to forget which leads to disagreement and conflict. Hence, the contract becomes viable so as to document what was agreed upon. And both sign the contract (with their “own blood”) signifying agreement and commitment.

God created man with the potential to have a relationship with Him. Thus, He has initiated many agreements with man - some conditional, some unconditional. Since God wants us to obey Him, many of these covenants stress the necessity of obedience as a condition to receiving what He promises. However, Adam and Eve forgot about the agreement and had disobeyed Him and broken the contract. It was somewhat re-established during the time of Noah, Abraham and Jeremiah. But, it was not enough to bring back the relationship between God and man.

God has written a new covenant. And that new covenant is none other than Jesus, himself. God formulated a new contract and put Jesus as the main sacrifice for our salvation. And it was signed in blood! And that blood only shows the power and value there is to reconcile all things unto God.

And that blood of Christ, the "blood of the cross" stands, therefore, as the focus and center of everything, not only of our redemption, but of the reconciliation of all things to God, to Whom alone be glory. May that blood be the focus of our faith, that upon which we depend today and always.

Almighty Father, may Your new covenant in Jesus Christ motivates us to obey Your laws, extends forgiveness when we don't, and results in an intimate and everlasting relationship with You. We all look forward to fully experiencing the benefits of the new covenant as eternal spirit members of Your heavenly family.

The Lord remembers His covenant for ever.

MOMENT OF TRUTH

John 8:31-32

“If you remain in My word, you will truly be My disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

We always want to know the truth. When our kids went home late, we want to understand why, we want to know the truth. When one of our people is late or absent, we want to know what happened, we want to know the truth. In the current scandals plaguing the government today, everyone says that he is not lying, they are all telling the truth! And yet, when we examine our lives, most of the time, we are also living in lies. This is because we are either afraid of the truth or doesn’t even know what is the truth.

When a Christian has questions concerning his faith, he turns to the Bible, the inspired Word of God, and seeks answers. Guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit – the same Holy Spirit that guide and protects us from doctrinal error – the diligent believer will always discover God’s truth. The Scriptures reveal those things necessary for salvation and are the sole infallible rule of the Christian faith. No one has any right to opt out of the search for truth, especially in faith and morals, no matter how limited or deep their level of religious understanding are.

Jesus is the way, the TRUTH and the life. Find the truth that we are yearning for. Look into your heart and be true to yourself first before asking for truthfulness from others. Turn into Him for salvation, for only Him can set us free. The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for.

Almighty Father, lead me in Your Truth and teach me. I seek Your Truth and trust You and Your Divine Plan because I know that I originally came from You. Protect me Father and help me to always speak the Truth and to purposefully move away from omissions, lies and anything that is not a deliberate reflection of Your Truth.

“I am in constant search, yet I don’t know for what
‘til I found Your words, all along, written in my heart.
Bring me up, so I will search no more; to know and see
That Your truth, shall set me free!”

Glory and praise for ever!

AT YOUR PLEASURE

John 8:29

“The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.”

Pleasing God involves more than the avoidance of ‘serious sin’. Failure to abide by some of the most basic principles of the kingdom will grieve the Spirit of God. How can we please God?

A HUMBLE HEART (Psalms 51:16-17)

For thou hast no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

OBEDIENCE (Isaiah 1:19)

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.

FAITH (Mark 11:24)

Therefore, I say to you – whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them.

PRAISE (1 Chronicles 16:29)

Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him, Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

FEAR AND LOVE OF THE LORD (Psalms 147:11)

But the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

A SURRENDERED LIFE (James 4:7)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Almighty Father, be merciful to us, sinners. Strengthen our faith as I live in total obedience to Your will. We praise you, forever, Oh Lord and with humble hearts, we surrender fully our lives to You.

“Open our hearts, and let us do what pleases You.
Praising You forever, in everything that we do.”

O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

ABSOLUTION

John 8:11

“Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more.”

I just came from confession. After I received my absolution, I really felt good inside. I attended the mass; afterwhich, I went home. But along the way, a car suddenly sped in front of me while I am crossing the street. Luckily, it did not hit me. But I did curse the driver, shouting on top of my voice. I just came from talking with God, and now this happened. Well, I will just confess again my sins next week.

Then, it struck me. What if another car speeds up and this time, it hits me. What if a bad person suddenly robs me and gunned me down in the process. What if I just fall down on the street, dead, not knowing what happened. Yes, the Lord forgives sin. But he also expects that we do not sin anymore. It is hard, you and I know. And it means constant amendment in our lives, as we live in total agreement with Him, His will and His Word.

Let us learn from the case of the woman caught in adultery. Although Jesus had forgiven her sin, He expects her to live a life of grace and union with God by not sinning anymore. Sin does matter and damages our relationship with God, but it is not man who should judge us, but only God. When we receive Jesus’ forgiveness, He expects us to live as new people afterwards. As we come to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, it would make no sense to come to confession if we intended to continue committing the same sin again. In weakness we may commit the same sin again. But surely we can only genuinely say that we are truly sorry for our sins if we have a firm intention not to commit sin again, amending our lives and living a life that God has intended and wants for us.

Almighty Father, you sent your Son to carry out your mission of redeeming the world. Let the light of your Gospel of love so shine in the world that it may be transformed into a worthy home for all your children of every race and country.

“I confess my sins,
And sin no more.
I live my life in You,
And be in my heart, forevermore.”

Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

INTO THE LIGHT

Fifth Sunday of Lent

John 11:25

“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live…”

This is something obvious. Close your eyes and all you see is darkness – pure and unadulterated one. You cannot see anything as darkness completely envelops your world, your whole being. You can continue to be left behind in that darkness, or you can just simply open your eyes, and experience again the light of the world.

In our lives, we do not just experience physical darkness, but spiritual darkness as well. When we sin - when we ignore our loved ones, when we ignore the will of God, when we ignore ourselves – we experience darkness in our hearts. Our spirit just fails to function and becomes totally detached from the Lord. We begin experiencing fears – fears of the unknown, fears of being caught – fears that only darkness in our hearts can bring.

However, we must enter these periods of darkness and silence with hope and an expectant spirit. God is the artist and crafter of all we are and God knows what is needed for our growth. Let Him guide us through these periods of darkness until the eyes of our hearts are ready to see the light again.

When Lazarus came back into life, it was one great miracle performed by Jesus. His sisters do believe in life after death, so when Jesus advised them that Lazarus will live, they firmly believed Him, knowing that we will live again in the afterlife. Didn’t they know that what Jesus meant was Lazarus will live again, physically and spiritually. In that brief, shining moment, Jesus showed that He is God, the resurrection and life. Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what He had done began to believe in Him.

Jesus is the resurrection and life. Let us come to Him, so He can open the “eyes of our hearts”. Believe in Him, so He can open our hearts and be ready for the after-life.

Almighty Father, God of daylight and of darkness, God of heaven, God of earth: You are Lord of all our living. Hold us in the hands that made us. Cradle all our hopes and fears. Let us praise and glorify you forever.

Take me out of the dark, my Lord – I don’t want to be there.

NAMED TO SERVE

John 7:42

Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?

Jose Rizal of Laguna. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. St. Francis of Assisi. Karol Wojtyla of Poland. Mahatma Gandhi of India. Famous people that had become role models for all and every generations to come. In fact, their names had just become secondary in nature. For they will forever be known by the deeds that they have done. They will forever be known due to unselfishness of their hearts - choosing to serve than to be served. The “national hero”, the “living saint”, the “father of the nation”, the “pope of the poor”, the “patron saint of the environment”.

Fame comes from how your life has affected others for good, and sad to say, for bad. Jesus’ ministry is all about loving and affecting the lives of everyone for the better. And yet the people of Jerusalem failed to recognize those. They focus more on the things that he has done “wrong” - based on their standards, and not based on the standards of God.

AND if anyone had authority and had the right to have people serve him, Jesus was the man. But not even Jesus came to be served. Rather, Jesus showed His authority by serving others. He exemplified how God would have His people rule, and that is by serving others and not being self-serving. This is so important for all Christians to understand. Everyone is called to serve and not to be served.

Jesus of Nazareth, Prince of Peace, Son of Man, The Christ, Emmanuel, King of the Jews, The Word of God. We can call Him by many names, but this has become secondary in nature. He came to serve us. He came to save us. And to follow Him, we must be ready to suffer and ready to serve.

Almighty Father, teach me to be generous, to serve You, to give without counting the cost, to fight without fretting at my wounds, to labor without seeking rest, to spend myself without looking for any reward other than that of knowing that I do Your holy will.

“Serving You and others are one and the same,
Equates to loving You, glorifying forever Your name.”

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” – Albert Einstein

NO HESITATION

John 7:29

“I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent me.”

Most, if not all of us, must have already experienced being asked by someone to do something for them. That someone may be your parents, your son or daughter, your teacher or your boss. And that something may be to talk to someone, pay for or buy something. It maybe something bigger like leading a team, or making a financial or business analysis. We would hesitate for a while, think it over, before finally accepting the task. There would also be cases that we would reject the request outright, especially if we know that we cannot do it, or may not have the ability or resources to proceed.

But once we accepted it, a sort of responsibility was suddenly transferred to us. Hence, we have to do the task completely and without fail. If not, then the failure is on us. Our self-esteem is affected and we feel humiliated.

When God sent Jesus to do a task, it was not as simple as talking to us about Him and the promises of God. He did not talk only about salvation, but He lived and died for it. He lived so that we can see God in Him, and be the light of the world. And He died so our sins may be forgiven, and be with God once again as He promised.

When Jesus said “Yes” to God, he has no intention to back-out. When Jesus said “Yes” to God, it is not to boost His self-esteem but rather to boost our self-esteem so we may finally accept God in our hearts and Jesus as our Savior. And as Jesus was sent by the Father, Jesus is also sending us to the world so others may know Him and live life fully with and for Him. And this time, let’s accept the task without hesitation or second thought.

Almighty Father, you sent your Son to carry out your mission of redeeming the world. Let the light of your Gospel of love so shine in the world that it may be transformed into a worthy home for all your children of every race and country. Bless all missionaries throughout the world that their work may bear fruit and that your Kingdom of justice, love and peace may come in all hearts and in all nations.

"As long as I see anything to be done for God, life is worth having.” - David Brainerd

EXALTATION

John 5:44

“How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another
and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?”

I have written some technical papers as an engineer of a semiconductor multi-national company. If your paper is chosen for publication, you will be given a token money prize. I admit, this is one motivation for me for writing those technical papers. But don’t get me wrong - those reports are product of hardwork and thorough analysis. But, of course, getting the prize is something else, especially for one who is just starting to raise a family.

Actually, there is another motivation. That is being chosen to present your paper to fellow engineers. Getting their praise for a job well-done is good to the heart. It makes you feel being important for having done something good for the advancement of the company – and of course, my career.

In our spiritual life, we are not only interested in doing something that is good to the heart. We must pursue more on doing things that is good to the soul. In this case, money and human praises is not enough. In fact, they would never be enough. Only praising God, and being praised in return, because of Him is the only thing that can satisfy our soul. Praise must be an expression of our whole being. We are called to praise God not only with our voices but by our actions. Thus even though our tongues may be silent our actions should cry out in praise of God.

By making us wait and giving us a gift of praise, God increases our desire for Him. It enlarges the capacity of our beings so that we are able to receive what will be given to us. God really means to fill us with His goodness. Praise Him and glorify Him. It is really good for the soul.

Almighty Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we praise you and give you glory: We bless you for calling us to be your holy people. Remain in our hearts, and guide us in our love and service. Help us to let our light shine before others as we lead them to the way of faith.

“God and Spirit, receive our love and prayer,
Praise to You, Jesus – my Lord and my Master.
Holy Trinity of love, we praise you now and for ever.”

Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

John 5:19

“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.”

Like father, like son. As a son, our father is our role model. He is the one we go to for wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. He guides our first steps, and teaches us how to live throughout our lives. While my father is not perfect, in my eyes and in the eyes of his children, he is perfect. He was the one who put God first in our minds and our hearts, and showed love to others by the way he chose to serve others and his family. He is our role model.

A father and son relationship is very special and should never be taken for granted. Christ bore the both the image of the earthly and the image of the heavenly. In this it is shown that Christ also bore the image of Adam according to the flesh, however he bore the spiritual image of the Father.

Seeing the imagery of the father and son relationship is very important. God desires a personal relationship with us. Though at times our trails and temptations may result in much suffering, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Therefore, the next time that you feel like you have let your father down, or failed to live up to his expectations for you, just remember that Jesus Christ, the perfectly obedient son, has given his righteousness to us, and has brought perfect satisfaction to our father as we are identified in Jesus Christ.

Live in Him, live with Him. We cannot do anything unless it’s His will. And we cannot will anything, unless He allows us to do it.

Almighty Father, we thank You for our earthly fathers, those to whom You have entrusted the responsibility to provide loving protection and guidance of their families. We ask Your blessing on all those to whom You have entrusted fatherhood. May Your Holy Spirit constantly inspire them with justice and mercy, wisdom and strength, fidelity and self-giving love as they look forward to eternal joy in Your presence.

May our lives be examples to all of heroic faithfulness to you.

GET WELL, BE WELL

John 5:6

“Do you want to be well?”

I am not really into taking medicines whenever I don’t feel well. I would just take a rest, a drink lots of water or juice and vitamins. However, sometimes, instead of getting better, it would get worse – I will cough more frequently, my body temperature will go up, and I will have a chilling sensation. That is when my wife would get angry. She would shout at me, “Do you want to get well, then please take your medicines!”

Being sick is no fun! And yet, we do sometimes get sick. Maybe we shook hands with a friend, but didn’t know that he was coming down with the flu. Or we may have eaten something that is contaminated, so we go down with stomach ache or diarrhea.

However, there are cases wherein we get sick because of something we do to our body. Smoking cigarettes, eating fatty foods, drinking alcohol or softdrinks (sugar), and worst, taking prohibited drugs. In such case, our sickness is brought about by our sins – this is called the sin of addictions. The results of that sin can make us sick, hurt us, or even kill us. And sadly, when we sin, sometimes others around us can be hurt or killed as well.

Do you want to get well from your addictions? Then receive the spiritual healing that God is offering us. Accept Him as your Lord, recognize yourself as a sinner, and repent from your sins. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 6:19-20), he wanted Christians to understand that they should take care of their body, because it was a gift from God. They needed to take good care of it so they could remain healthy and spread the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Almighty Father, we acknowledge that we are helpless to change our lives in our own power. We confess that we have attempted to numb ourselves to the pain in our lives through substance abuse and other addictive behavior. Transform our addictions, Lord; make them into a holy addiction to you. Let all our appetites bring us into greater dependence on you.

“Cleanse our bodies and our minds
As we leave all addictions behind.”

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