RESURRECTED SAVIOR (03-31-13)

Easter Sunday

Matthew 28:5-6

Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid!  I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.  He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.”

We all lose hope.  We have a Savior that died on the cross.  How can He possibly save us, when even He, cannot save Himself.  How can He possibly be with us forever, when He, cannot even free Himself from death.

These were the words uttered by the disciples during that time.  And these are the same words we are uttering now.  How come the Lord did not saved my son from that accident?  How can he promise me forever, when that promise was broken, and my husband left me?  How can the Jesus allow these things to happen to me?

There are no answers, even if we seek for it.  For we are asking the wrong questions.  And what is the right question?  Just one – what does the Lord wants me to remember and do amidst these trials in my life?

And then the resurrection would offer the answers.

First, open your heart, as the tomb was opened during the resurrection.  We cannot be free unless we open our hearts and accept Jesus inside us.

Second, empty your heart from distress, fear, and worries as the tomb was emptied during the resurrection.  Trust totally and believe in the power of Jesus to bring you from pain to joy, from suffering to healing.

Lastly, tidy up your life, as the tomb was tidied up during the resurrection.  Be with Jesus forever totally surrendering your life to him and totally amend your life, so only Him is in your heart as you attain the fullness of life.

Let us pray +

Almighty and ever-living God, hear us, and through this holy mystery give us hope that the glory you have given Christ for he is Lord forever and ever.  Amen +

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

SILENCE OF THE LAMB (03-30-13)

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.

And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

And then, there was silence.  Everything has happened for a reason.  Everything has happened as promised. 

The lamb of God has taken away the sins of the world.  Grant us peace.

Jesus has given us this peace – peace of mind, peace at heart, inner peace.  Jesus Christ is our peace, and in his death and resurrection, he gives God's peace to our world.  Because we have been gifted with God's peace in the risen Christ, we are called to our own peace and to the making of peace in our world. 

Have that peace in your heart.  Close your eyes once in a while and feel the silence, being away from it all, from all the sufferings, from all the pain, from all the temptations.

For tomorrow, we will face a new life in Him.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, 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.  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.  Amen +

Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

CRUCIFIED SAVIOR (03-29-13)

Good Friday

Luke 18:7

They cried out, “Take him away, take him away!  Crucify him!”

We believed in Him first, and we even welcomed Him in our home, in our heart.  But why the sudden change of heart?  We first betrayed Him, then we denied Him and then we let Him die on the cross.

Death on the cross was the punishment given to the most wretched criminals.  Dying outside the city gate signified a death without God.  Thus, His death suggested a sinner’s death:  a sinner far away from God’s grace.

The Son of God, dying a sinner’s death.  Isn’t it ironic?  Shouldn’t we be the one nailed on the cross?  Shouldn’t we be the one hanging there and being laughed at?  Shouldn’t we be the one who died on the cross for we are even worst that any wretched criminals?

But the Lord said, “No, I will do it”.  For, only a sinless man can take away all the sins of the world.  His death is the divine manifestation of the merciful Will of the Father who wishes to save everyone from the clutches of sin and death.

And through Jesus, the Father offered a new life to all.

From a symbol of death to a symbol of eternal life, Jesus comes out victorious for all of us.  And so a cross without Jesus is nothing.  A crucified Christ

is the greatest manifestation of God’s love to humanity.  Fix the eyes of your mind firmly on Jesus crucified, and He shall deliver you from all your fears.  Welcome Him again in your homes, in your hearts.  And don’t you ever have that change of heart again.

Let us pray +

Merciful and everlasting God, 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.  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.

FULLY CLEANSED (03-28-13)

Maundy Thursday

John 13:14-15

“If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.  I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

At least once a week, I would have my feet subjected to a foot spa.  They will be soaked in warm water with soap for about 15 minutes.  Then, the sole will be scrubbed to take away dead skins and calluses.  Finally, a basic foot massage will be applied.  Your feet is supposed to feel rejuvenated and clean afterwards.

But when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, this is not the same as having a foot spa.  It is far from it.  People at that time do not wear closed shoes.  And, the dusty and dirty conditions of the region and the wearing of sandals necessitated foot-washing.  Moreover, foot-washing was reserved for the lowliest of menial servants.

Peers did not wash one another's feet, except very rarely and as a mark of great love.  And so the Lord did it for the disciples as a mark of true and supreme humility and of true love for them… and for us.  Through this action Jesus taught the lesson of selfless service that was supremely exemplified by His death on the cross.

As the followers of Jesus, we are asked follow Christ, to humble ourselves, to wash the feet of others especially those under our care.  In real life are we willing to demonstrate that humility and love for those below us?  Are we willing to sacrifice whatever we can for the betterment of others?

Let us ask God to also give us this great virtue of humility so that we can in our own small ways, bring about the peace and harmony in our own surroundings.  Let Him cleanse our feet… our heart and our soul.

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus, washing the feet of others is not something that we want to do. We all have trouble with humility and service, esteem and pride. Help us today to become less of ourselves and more of You.  Amen.

Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

THIRTY PIECES (03-27-13)

Holy Wednesday

John 13:21

“Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

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.”

Yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God.

REPENTANCE (03-26-13)

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 (03-25-13)

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 +

Lord Jesus, 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. +

Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

HUMBLE TO THE END (03-24-13)

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Matthew 21:9

“Hosanna… blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord…”

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.” 

Up to the point of accepting His fate, 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!

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I would then bring back to You all the glory and praise.  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.  Amen +

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

HIS LOVING KINDNESS (03-23-13)

Psalms 66:20

Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or his kindness!

Somebody took my bike away.  I do not know how it happened.  I looked for it all around, but it’s not there anymore.  I went home crying.  On the way home, the thought of being scolded by my father plays repeatedly on my mind.  Upon reaching the house, my father saw me crying and hugged me.  He already had a hint of what happened.  He just said, “I am glad that only the bike was lost and you returned back alive and safe”. 

The thought of being loved brings into us great joy.  That instance instilled in my mind one important thing – that material things are nothing; loving and caring for someone is everything.

The love of God is pure, unadulterated one.  God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to become one of us and to save the human race.  When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the ransom so we can be with Him again.  In His resurrection, the promise of salvation was fulfilled.  And He takes care of us now and forever and will not let the devil take us away again.

However, we sometimes forget this.  When we experience death or loss (lost the business, lost our house), we ignore Him completely.  We always thought that He was the one who let these happened in our lives.  But instead of being “freed” from Him, we suffer more miseries.  We suffer more setbacks.  We indulged more in sins and the devil has once again owned our heart and our soul. 

Jesus will not let this happen further.  He is there over and over again for us, loving us and trying to get us back again into His loving presence.  He will never lose you again, for you are more important to Him than anything else.  Jesus opened the way for us to have eternal life.  Be not afraid and come to Him.  He is our joy forever.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I am lost and it is hard to face up to the wrong that is in my life.  Help me feel this goodness, and strengthen me to forgive those who have wronged me.  Amen +

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

BY HEART, WE OBEY (03-22-13)

Matthew 5:19a

“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.”

The commandments are clear.  And they are summarized into two main points:  Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself.  However, sometimes, people would interpret these commandments differently.  Some men would have other woman aside from his wife because it says, “love your neighbor”. 

And so when Jesus added more into the context of these commandments, He was charged as trying to change the laws of the prophets and Moses.  But, in fact, he was just reinforcing the law.

He would not just say “do not kill”.  Just being angry with another person and mere thinking of or saying bad things against this person would already mean breaking the commandments.  For it was not just physical death but also emotional, relational and spiritual death for both.

He would not just say “do not commit adultery”.  For everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  This is a powerful statement.  This further advances the thought that our mind should always be pure and free from sins.  For once we harbor ill and dirty thoughts, this can drive us to commit further sin against God and against men.

And so, through all of these, He would say, “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”  For most of us, this would be difficult to do.  For after all the bad things done to us, how can you forgive that person.  Yet, that is basically the advocacy that Jesus wants.  He is not abolishing the laws, but reinforcing it so it may come into fulfillment within us.

And to end His discourse, with all of these things said and done, “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I may not be perfect, but I will be in your love.  Amen +

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

WITH ALL MY HEART (03-21-13)

Matthew 18:35

“So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

It is always easy to say, “I forgive you”.  What is difficult to do is to forgive fully and forgive from the heart.  Our sinful flesh has a high resistance to laying offenses aside – we always want to take revenge.  We want others to suffer as we suffer.  Within our vicious mind, retaliation is most often not an option, but rather it's a driving force – the only option - it has to get even!

Learning to forgive implies that forgiveness is a learned process, not an automatic response.  It could be 7 times.  It could be seventy-seven times.  And it may even be seventy times seven.  The Lord doesn’t and will not care how many times you do it.  What he expects us to do is to do it repeatedly.

And we have to do it from the heart – forgiving and then forgetting.  For how can we ask God to forgive our sins, when we ourselves cannot forgive others?  How can we ask God to give us what we need, when we ourselves cannot give to others what they need?

Learning to forgive begins with understanding what God says about forgiveness in the Bible.  Our Christian life should be a changed life.  We should forgive others no matter how many times they sin, as we live a progressively more holy life as we grow closer to Christ. 

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).  “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace” (Ephesians 1:7).  

When was the last time you forgave someone of his sin?  Have you done it straight from the heart?

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  Solidify our understanding of forgiveness as you have done for us.  Amen +

Remember your mercies, O Lord.

CLEANSE ME (03-20-13)

2 Kings 5:15

“Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”

He was a great warrior.  Respected and highly esteemed.

But he suffered from leprosy.

And he was dying.

But these would not prevent him to take pride and heed the advice of Elisha, God’s prophet, to go and wash seven times in the river Jordan so he would be healed.

At least he did not take heed the first time.  But his pride would simply go away through the prodding of his servants.  Maybe, he finally realized that his pride would do nothing to him, and only the mercy and power of God can make him well again.

The healing of Naaman, the leper who leads the Aramean army, is not just a story of the healing of a man from one of the most dreaded diseases of ancient times.  It is a story of salvation, one which illustrates the spiritual salvation man finds only in Jesus Christ and how men come to find that salvation in Christ.

We knew in our heart that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life – our only salvation.  And yet, we sometimes keep a hardened heart.  Because of our pride and ego, we want to follow our own way and not God’s way. 

Listen to our loved ones.  Listen to our elders and friends like Naaman.  Become a new creature by faith in our Lord. 

Follow Him and be cleanse of our sins.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, heal me.  Let your living water wash away all my tears, illnesses, pains and sorrows.  My pride has no match to your unending mercy, love and forgiveness.  Cleanse me… heal me.  Amen +

Athirst is my soul for the living God.

WELL OF LIFE (03-19-13)

Luke 18:7

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

In my hometown, I experienced first-hand the problem of water shortage during summer.  I would fall in line and wait for hours just to fill two buckets with water.  So, we would really be careful in using them so it will not be wasted.

Most of the time, we try to “water” ourselves with things that we think will make us grow.  Then, a time will come when we experience “water shortage” as we start feeling dry, and thirsty and hungry.  And that only made us crave for more, as our principles and morality starts to fall off.  And deep inside, our body and our soul start to rot away.  We withers like grass and wilts like flower.

Only the words of the Lord can make us fresh.  Hearing the words of God and putting them into actions, could make our soul really jump for joy.  This is what we must think; this is what we must believe. 

Fill yourself with the words of the Lord.  Get your bible and read about the good news.  Overwater yourself with His words, with His promises, with His love, with His passion, with His spirit.  Your soul will definitely not rot away, but grow more and more in love, until, it overflows. 

Our body may wither as time goes by but our soul, watered with the spirit of God, will remain forever.  When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and come into our heart, He washes away our sins and gives us a clean heart! 

Let His blood wash you.

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus, heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul and spirit. Come Lord Jesus, cover me with Your Precious Blood and fill me with Your Holy Spirit.  Amen +

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

JUDGE NOT (03-18-13)

Luke 6:37, 38

"Stop judging and you will not be judged… For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

I disagree with what a friend is saying.  Instead of saying my side about the issue at hand, I criticized him - hmmm, no, it was something harder – I actually insulted him.  Yet, he remained silent. 

His silence made me stopped and think hard.  His silence exposed the pride I feel inside.  His silence judged me more than I judged him in the first place.

The act of judgment is an act of pride.  Judging others is an act of monumental pride - enormous pride, stupendous pride, galling, astonishing, fantastic pride.  When you render judgment on another, you have taken upon yourself an awesome responsibility for making the correct judgment. 

Because, after all, your judgment is not necessary.

So when we judge others perhaps we should step back for a moment and judge our judging.  Are we being fair?  Or are we acting on a double standard?  “We all have beams in our eyes, so to speak; to judge people for the little motes stuck in their eyes while we have big beams in our own is devilish arrogance as well as folly.”

As Tyron Edwards (renowned American theologian) have said, “Most of our censure of others is only oblique praise of self, uttered to show the wisdom and superiority of the speaker. It has all the insidiousness of self-praise, and all the ill-desert of falsehood.”

Make the right judgment based on facts, or don’t make any judgment at all.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, may Your Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision to follow Jesus' way of love. May Your Spirit of knowledge and reverence, help us to see the lasting value of justice and mercy in our everyday dealings with one another.

Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.

IN OUR WEAKNESS (03-17-13)

Fifth Sunday of Lent

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.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I am very sorry for all my sins.  I may again sin today or tomorrow… but please, show me the right path towards you, so that I may not sin again.  Amen +

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

A LIFE THAT IS FRUITFUL (03-16-13)

 John 12:24

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat…”

“… BUT if it dies, it produces more fruit.”

Does this mean that you have to die physically first before you can bear fruit?  Of course not.  Even heroes and saints have done something significant in the course of their lives.  And the lives they lived have become an inspiration to many, so when they died, we all remember their how they lived and use them us a model for ours.

Dying also refers to being free from our old selves.  When Adam and Eve was banished from Paradise, we became the property of satan.  And we would commit everything that would be in direct opposite to what God wants us to do. 

But with Jesus Christ, we are born to a new life.  He has paid the ransom though He, himself, has not sinned.  He died for us so we would also die and be reborn with the Spirit that is in Him – the same Spirit that He promised and gave us during our Baptism and Confirmation.  Still, some would go back to his old self and wallow in sins, to the delight of the devil.  And yet, God would still invite us back to Him, for his mercy is endless.  He wants us to live a fruitful life, totally surrendered to Him.

This is Jesus’ legacy – a life that is kind, a life that is loving, a life that is fruitful, a life that is eternal.

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus, you have died for our sins, and yet, most of the time, we would never give value to your suffering and death.  May we continue to die and forego of our old self and be reborn to be like You, accepting fully the Spirit of Life, of Love and of Truth.

Amen +

His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear till he looks down upon his foes.

SOMEONE DESERVING (03-15-13)

Matthew 20:22

“You do not know what you are asking.  Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”

As parents, most, if not, all of the time, we would only ask for something good will happen to our children.  And in this graduation month (at least in the Philippines), we would all be proud of our sons and daughters and would wish them all the best in the coming years.

But let us take a step back and check those things we are wishing.  Then we ask ourselves, do we really want them for our kids?  Or because we really want them for ourselves, also?  Such that if our son will become rich, then we can ask for some money from him from time to time.  Such that if our daughter would be able to marry a politician, then at least we can have a little influence and power of our own.

This could be what the mother of John and James was thinking when she asked Jesus to make her sons sit in places of honor with Jesus in heaven.  So if her two sons are seated with Jesus, then she would have no problems being with them also in Heaven.

Jesus did not really responded “No” to the request.  He simply said that it will not be His decision, but would be the decision of the Father, and these places of honor is only reserved for those who are deserving to be with Jesus in Heaven.

Our Father in heaven already knows what we need even before we ask for them.  But still, He wants us to pray and ask for it.  And so we must really be careful in wishing or praying for something.  We must always be ready for any consequences or effect of those things we ask.  And we must be ready to accept whether those are given to us or not.

Pray for something we need, and not what we want.  The last one is acting like a master, the first one is acting like a humble and trusting servant.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, give me a servant’s heart.  Amen +

Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

HABEMUS PAPAM FRANCISCUM

HUMBLE YOURSELF (03-14-13)

Matthew 23:10

Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Messiah.

We are nothing as compared to God.  And yet, we still think that we are better or even superior than most people that we meet or know. 

His instructions are clear and straight to the point.  These are exactly what’s wrong – pride, self-promoting, exalting self.  When we choose to fight, strive or desire recognition, appreciation, honor and respect, we are exalting our self as if we are the superior one.

But, He is also clear on how to change – humble your self. 

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." 

Our job is to humble ourselves.  God’s job is to lift us up.  We need to see that all that we have is given by God and be humbled by that realization. And we need to be willing to use all that we have been given for the sake of the Gospel.

Get our eyes off our self.  Focus on Jesus and His power working in us.  The genuinely humble do not seek their own honor, but rather seek to honor God.  But in the end, God honors them.

In the eyes of the world, we may think or believe that we are important, and they look upon us.  But we should know what is more important.  And that is our own salvation.

A true servant does not seek his own reward, but rather serves because he has accepted the Lordship of Christ.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, Show me how to be humble of heart, like you.  Please prevent me from gloating over praise on one hand or be discouraged by criticism on the other.  Amen +

…and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.

A GREAT PRIVILEGE (03-13-13)

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.

Let us pray +

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 children; help me guide them in the toils and troubles, the happiness and wonders of this life.  Amen +

The son of David will live for ever.

TAKE HEED (03-12-13)

Luke 16:29

“But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.  Let them listen to them.”

When coming back from a trip abroad, I would make sure to bring back souvenirs from the country where I have been, so, maybe my wife and my kids would believe that I have been to that country.  And so when I tell them stories, it would really be believable.

However, have you talked to a person who said he just came from Heaven (or maybe, from hell), and told you everything about the place and even brought a “souvenir” just to make you believe in all that he said?

Most probably, not.  And most probably also, you would not be encountering a person like that for the rest of your earthly life.  But, is it enough justification to say that Heaven (or hell) does not exist?  Is it enough to say that everything written in the Bible is not true?  Definitely not!

For the very person to whom we should believe that Heaven exist is the Lord Jesus, Himself for He came from that place.  He taught us about it, and even showed us the way to reach that place.  And all we need is to listen to the Word and keep it in our hearts forever.  Let it renew our lives and the lives of others.  When Jesus sent out His disciples, He tells them, “Whoever listens to you listens to me.  Whoever rejects you rejects me.”  He knows that His disciples can be trusted and would only share the right things based on His teachings. 

In Cana, Mama Mary instructed the helpers to listen to Him and do whatever He tells them.  During the Transfiguration, God the Father instructed us to listen to Him. 

So as a response, would you not listen to Him?

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, let there be no misunderstanding.  May we accept it as Your truth and listen to Your message to us, and use it to change our lives, for Your Word will accomplish its purpose.  Amen +

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.