"For God so loved the world..."

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 3:13-17.
No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.


Commentary of the day
Pope Benedict XVI
Homily the Paschal Vigil, 07/04/2007 (©Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

"He gave himself up to death and by his resurrection he destroyed death and restored life" (Eucharistic Prayer IV)

In the Creed we say about Christ's journey that he «descended into hell»... The liturgy applies to Jesus' descent into the night of death the words of Psalm 23[24]: «Lift up your heads, O gates; be lifted up, O ancient doors!» The gates of death are closed, no one can return from there. There is no key for those iron doors. But Christ has the key. His Cross opens wide the gates of death, the stern doors. They are barred no longer. His Cross, his radical love, is the key that opens them. The love of the One who, though God, became man in order to die – this love has the power to open those doors. This love is stronger than death.

The Easter icons of the Oriental Church show how Christ enters the world of the dead. He is clothed with light, for God is light. «The night is bright as the day, the darkness is as light» (cf. Ps 138[139]12). Entering the world of the dead, Jesus bears the stigmata, the signs of his passion: his wounds, his suffering, have become power: they are love that conquers death. He meets Adam and all the men and women waiting in the night of death. As we look at them, we can hear an echo of the prayer of Jonah: «Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice» (Jon 2:2).

In the incarnation, the Son of God became one with human beings – with Adam. But only at this moment, when he accomplishes the supreme act of love by descending into the night of death, does he bring the journey of the incarnation to its completion. By his death he now clasps the hand of Adam, of every man and woman who awaits him, and brings them to the light.

My Reflection:
God really really loves mankind. But am I responding to His promise? How can I contribute to the society especially now that we are in the modern age of technology wherein people are so much focused on earthly things. I know that God has a special plans in my life. All I have to do is to die in myself so that others may live. Doing this blog makes me an instrument to propagate His Good news of salvation.

Will you follow Him also?
Pray for it...

The Splinter and the Beam

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 6:39-42.

And he told them a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?
No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye.

Commentary of the day
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, 19,63 (©Fathers of the Church)

The splinter and the beam

The Lord in this passage warns us against rash and unjust judgement. He wants us to act with a heart that is single and intent on God alone. Because there are many things about which it would be rash to pass judgement since we do not know with what kind of a heart they are done. For the most part, those who readily judge and condemn are those who love to find fault and to condemn rather than to reprove and correct (and this is the vice of pride or envy)... So if, for instance, someone sins through anger, you would reprove him through hatred. There is as much difference between anger and hatred as there is between a speck and a beam. For hatred is an inveterate anger which, in time, has come to such a pitch that it may aptly be called a beam. Even though you are angry with someone, you may nevertheless wish them to amend. But if you hate someone, you cannot wish them to change for the better... First rid yourself of hatred, and then you will immediately be able to correct the person you love.

My Reflection:
People are truly judgmental. I can relate to the Gospel because I have so many experiences about being judge by someone without first looking in the hearts of the individual. We can easily be judge by our looks and personality. You see, I am the type of person who is not so handsome but I am charming and cute...(my mother told me so)....Whenever I go to mall to shop or inquire something, I was being ignored by the saleslady or the seller all because they thought I look like I don't have no money to buy or maybe something else. I am easily hurt when I saw people act that way.

But that was my old life. Because now, I am totally complete and perfect. I am totally created in the image and likeness of God. There is a saying, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care for them."

Alleluia! God is Really Good All the Time!!!

"Do good and lend, expecting nothing in return"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 6:27-38.
But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful.
Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

Commentary of the day
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), founder of the Missionary Sisters of Charity
No Greater Love

"Do good and lend, expecting nothing in return"

Perhaps in an apartment or house next to yours there lives a blind man who would welcome a visit from you to read the newspaper to him. Perhaps there is a family that is in need of something of small importance to you, something as simple as looking after their child for half an hour. There are so many little things that are so small that a lot of people forget them.

Don't think have to be a simpleton to do the cooking. Don't think that sitting, standing, coming and going, and all that you do is not important to God.

God does not ask you how many books you've read, how many miracles you've done. He asks you if you did your best for his sake. Can you say in all sincerity: "I did my best»? Even if the best should be a failure, it must be our best. If you're really in love with Christ, no matter how unimportant your work is, it will be better done, from your heart. Your work will bear witness to your love. You can wear yourself out at your work, you can even kill yourself at it, but until it is mixed with love, it is of no value.

My Reflection:
Today's gospel seems very difficult to follow for me. Why is that? You see, I lend my friend an amount of P100,000 and I am expecting it in full return this month, but unfortunately she did not fulfill her promise because the money that I lend to her also lend her to other people. So how can you expect to be good and kind?

But I do know I have a bigger God who will always supply our needs.
I have faith Lord, I let go of everything....guide me...

Amen...

Blessed are you who weep now

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 6:20-26.
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.

Commentary of the day
Isaac of Stella (?-c.1171), Cistercian monk
Sermon 2 for All Saints, 13-20

"Blessed are you who weep now"

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Mt 5:5). By this saying the Lord wants us to understand that the path of joy lies in tears. It is through desolation one goes to consolation; in losing one's life that one finds it; in forsaking it that one possesses it; in hating it that one loves it; in despising it that one keeps it (cf. Mt 16,24f.). If you would know and have the mastery over yourself, enter within yourself and do not seek yourself without... Return to yourself, you sinner, return to where you are, to your heart ... Will not the one who returns to himself discover himself to be far away, like the prodigal son, in a region of unlikeness, in a foreign land, where he sits and weeps at the memory of his father and his native country? (Lk 15,17) ...

"Adam, where are you? "(Genesis 3,9) Perhaps still in the shadows, so as not to see yourself, you are sewing leaves together in a vain desire to cover your shame, looking at what is around you and what belongs to you .. Look inside, look at yourself ... Return within yourself, you sinner, return to your soul. See and weep for this soul subject to vanity and restlessness who cannot set himself free from his captivity ... It is clear, my brethren, that we live outside ourselves, we are forgetful of ourselves whenever we fritter our lives away in empty pursuits or distractions decked out with trifles. That is why Wisdom is more concerned to invite us to the house of repentance than the house of feasting, that is to say to call back into himself the man outside himself, saying: "Blessed are they that mourn" and in another passage: "Woe to you who laugh now."

My brethren, let us groan in the presence of the Lord whose goodness moves him to forgive; let us turn to him "with fasting, weeping and mourning " (Joel 2,12) so that one day his ... consolation may delight our souls. Blessed indeed are those who weep now, not because they are weeping but because they shall be comforted. Weeping is the way, blessedness the consolation.

My Reflection:
Today's gospel reminds me of just being faithful to God and do good deeds for me to become a better person and becoming an instrument to His plan.

Yet it is very hard because we are surrounded with ungodly environment. It is up to us to create an atmosphere of peace and abundance.

The formula? Pray and have a personal relationship with Him. Be Blessed!!!

Today is the dawn of our salvation

We are no longer to be enslaved by the elemental spirits of the world, as the apostle Paul says, or held in the yoke of slavery to the letter of the law (Col 2,8 ; Rom 7,6). This is the summary of the benefits of Christ for us; this is the unveiling of the mystery; this is nature made new: God is made man, and human nature assumed by God is deified. But so radiant, so glorious a visitation of God to us needed some prelude of joy to introduce to us the great gift of salvation. The present feast is such: the prelude is the birth of the Mother of God, and the concluding act is the union which is destined between the Word and human nature.

A virgin is now born..., and is made ready to be mother of God, the king of all for ever... A double gain will be ours: we shall be led towards the truth, and we shall be led away from a life of slavery to the letter of the law. How will this be? Clearly, inasmuch as the shadow yields to the presence of the light, and grace introduces freedom in place of the letter. The present feast stands on the border between these: it joins us to the truth instead of signs and figures, and it brings in the new in place of the old.

Let the whole creation therefore sing praise and dance and unite to celebrate the glories of this day. Today let there be one common feast of those in heaven and those on earth. Let everything that is, in the world and above the world, join together in rejoicing. For today a shrine is built for the Creator of the universe. The creature is newly made ready as a divine dwelling for the Creator.

note: taken from daily gospel.

My Reflection:
Happy birthday Mama Mary! To our dear Mother who is very precious to me and she's been helping me to be closer to Jesus. That is my Mother. Today, I received a miracle of forgiveness and reconciliation. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I was able to approach my aunt after the Mass because of misunderstanding. I hugged her and said, " I love you".

Gosh, is that me? A pride guy? Yes, it was Mama Mary and the Holy Spirit.

Another Miracle? My printer in my computer shop just operates a while ago.

Miracles happen all the way!!!

I love you Mama Mary! Happy birthday!!!

"He has done all things well."

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 7:31-37.
Again he left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!")
And (immediately) the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said, "He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and (the) mute speak."

Commentary of the day
Saint Laurence of Brindisi (1559-1619), Capuchin, Doctor of the Church
11th Sunday after Pentecost, First homily, 1.9.11-12; Opera omnia, 8, 124.134.136-138 (©Friends of Henry Ashworth)

"He has done all things well"

Just as the divine law says that when God created the world «he saw all that he had made and it was very good,» (Gn 1,31) so the gospel speaking of our redemption and re-creation, affirms: «He has done all things well» (Mk 7,37)... As fire can give out nothing but heat and is incapable of giving out cold; and as the sun gives out nothing but light and is incapable of giving out darkness, so God is incapable of doing anything but good, for he is infinite goodness and light He is a sun giving out endless light a fire producing endless warmth. «He has done all things well.»

The law says that all God did was good; the gospel says he has done all things well. Doing a good deed is not quite the same as doing it well. Many do good deeds but fail to do them well. The deeds of hypocrites, for example, are good, but they are done in the wrong spirit, with a perverse and defective intention. Everything God does, however, is not only good but is also done well. «The Lord is just in all his ways and holy in all his deeds. With wisdom you have done them all» (Ps 145[144].17)... Now if God has done all his good works and done well for our sake, knowing that we take pleasure in goodness, why I ask do we not endeavor to make all our works good and to do them well, knowing that such works are pleasing to God?

My Reflection:
Being a Music Coordinator in our Parish, God has gave me a Mission to work in His vineyard. Opening up to Him just like in the Gospel, Jesus has healed call the areas of my life in which before I was in the darkness of sin and pride. But now, having a personal relationship with Him gave me an opening to be an instrument of peace through Music.

"While the bridegroom is with them"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 5:33-39.
And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink."
Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days."
And he also told them a parable. "No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
(And) no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"

Commentary of the day
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Homilies on the First Epistle of Saint Jean, I, 2 (©Augustinian heritage institute; SC 75, p. 115)

"While the bridegroom is with them"

«We have seen,» he says, «and we are witnesses.» Where did they see? In a manifestation. What does that mean, "in a manifestation"? In the sun -that is, in this light. But how could he who made the sun be seen in the sun if not for the fact that «he pitched his tent in the sun and, like a bridegroom coming forth from his marriage bed, rejoiced like a giant to run his course» (Ps 19,4-5)? He who made the sun was before the sun, he was before the morning star, before all the stars, before all the angels. He is the true creator, because «everything was made through him, and apart from him nothing was made» (Jn 1,3). Thus he would be seen by the fleshly eyes that see the sun. He pitched his tent itself in the sun-that is, he showed his flesh in the manifestation of this light. And the marriage bed of that bridegroom was the Virgin's womb.

For in that virginal womb two things were joined, a bridegroom and a bride, the bridegroom being the Word and the bride being flesh. For it is written, «And they shall be two in one flesh» (Gn 2,24 Vg), and the Lord says in the gospel, «Therefore they are no longer two but one flesh» (Mt 19,6). Isaiah also notes very well that these two are themselves one, for he speaks in the person of Christ and says, «He set a wreath upon me like a bridegroom, and like a bride he adorned me with an ornament» (61,10). One person appears to be speaking, and he has made himself a bridegroom and has made himself a bride, because they aren't two but one flesh, for «the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us,» (Jn 1,14) The Church is joined to that flesh, and Christ becomes the whole, head and body (Eph 1,22).

My Reflection:

The message for me in this Gospel tells me to be connected everyday, every moment and every step of the way to God. Being the Word and the Flesh is enough for me to know that He is my saviour and my God.