Epiphany Sunday 2013

Gospel Acclamation:

     "We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."

Matt: 2 : 1-12
 
today we observe the solemnity of the epiphany of the Lord Jesus Christ. the epiphany is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on how the Lord is manifested in our lives. 

may the light of the Lord continue to shine in our lives especially in this year of faith.

Build His House

Gospel Acclamation:

"I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord, that my name may be there forever."

1 Cor 3 : 9-11, 16-17

   Brothers and sisters, you are God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

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... the most important temple of God that we will visit is our own lives. nobody is perfect and nobody is sinless, but let us endeavor to make our lives worthy for the Lord to dwell in and unite with us in spirit. and the Lord that we serve is the One that will bring us wholesomeness and healing. 

God's Love

today when i went to hear mass at our parish church, i had the privilege of attending the concelebrated mass for Fr. Jek's 6th anniversary in the priesthood and it was attended by a number of Dominican priests and parishioners here at the Our lady of Fatima Parish in Mandaluyong. the sermon given by Father Jerry was wonderful and Fr. Jek's mom gave a heartwarming testimony during mass.

i suddenly remembered the mass i attended in dubai (A Blessed Day) where the headmistress for St. Mary's school, Sister Anne Murray, made her renewal of vows. it was such a wonderful experience for me, being a part of the dedication ceremony to the holy life of people who i do not even know personally. fact is, i have just started attending masses in this parish middle of this year and i'm still familiarizing myself with the priests serving here.

the message i received was that we have to acknowledge that priests are also human like us. and though they have been tasked to take care of the flock, there are times when they themselves have burdens of their own but they just hide it with a smile and a pat on our shoulder whenever we go to them to ask for prayers and guidance. they actually get their strength not only from God but most of all from us, the ordinary folks, because they see the face of God in us.

it warms my heart to hear Fr. Jek say, "Masarap maglingkod sa Panginoon! Masarap maglingkod sa Panginoon kasi unang-una, da best Siya magmahal!"  Amen! i say to that Fr. Jek. what a joy for us to feel God's warm embrace everyday of our life. and He gives us that through the people around us and sometimes in the most unexpected of circumstance. however a lot of us do not realize that God is already speaking to us  and answering our prayers. let us be more mindful of God in the world around us.

i received this in my email years ago and found it posted and re-posted on the net because of its very nice message so i'm re-posting it once again:

The man whispered, "God, speak to me"
And a meadowlark sang.
But the man did not hear.

So the man yelled "God, speak to me"
And the thunder & lightning rolled across the sky.
But the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you."
And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not see.

And, the man shouted, "God, show me a miracle."
And a life was born.
But the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me, God, and let me know you are here"
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.
But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

The man cried "God, I need your help"
and an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement.
But the man deleted it and continued crying.....

The good news is that you are loved.

The Lost Sheep

Luke 15: 1-10

today's Gospel speaks about the Good Shepherd who leaves his ninety-nine sheep and goes looking for one sheep that is lost. it is a story about God's promise of redemption and joy at retrieving one lost soul back to Him. how fortunate we are that we can look forward to God's mercy to take us back again into His fold even after we have fallen into sin.

"The Ninety and Nine" by Elizabeth C. Clephane (1868):

1. There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold.
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold.
Away on the mountains wild and bare.
Away from the tender Shepherd's care.
Away from the tender Shepherd's care.

2. "Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?"
But the Shepherd made answer: "This of Mine
Has wandered away from Me;
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep."

3. But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry,
Sick and helpless and ready to die;
Sick and helpless and ready to die.

4. "Lord, whence are those blood drops all the way
That mark out the mountain's track?"
"They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back."
"Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?"
"They are pierced tonight by many a thorn;
They are pierced tonight by many a thorn."

5. And all through the mountains, thunder riven
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of Heaven,
"Rejoice! I have found My sheep!"
And the angels echoed around the throne,
"Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own! 

Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!"

The Beatitudes

Gospel Acclamation:

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

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in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught a set of ideals that touch on virtues of love and humility and echoing mercy, spirituality and compassion. this came to be called beatitudes, as rooted from the Latin word beatus meaning blessed, fortunate or happy.

i pray that the Lord God bless you in whatever state of life you are right now, whether in a condition of wholeness or brokenness, of sadness or joy, of success or failure, or whether troubled or at peace. please continue to pray. God is listening.


Matthew 5 : 3-12

  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 
  Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.  
   Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.  
   Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.  
   Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  
   Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.   
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  
   Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs 
   is the Kingdom of heaven.   
   Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you   
   and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.  
   Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven."  

let me share this vid i found on YouTube. we sang this in school often during my elementary years. i have been blessed indeed. i pray that you too may be blessed!

Feast of St. Luke

today is the Feast of St. Luke, the Evangelist. Luke was a companion to Paul and Barnabas, as we can gather from the Acts of the Apostles during their years of spreading the Good News. he was a doctor in Syria (in ancient Antioch) who became a disciple of Paul. he was not present during Jesus's ministry.

Luke was a writer as well (imbibing a clearer grasp of the Gospel during their missionary evangelization). being an educated person, his accounts were very accurate and well-put. some would even say he is a good historian because of the details that can be gleaned from his writings. but still, they were just narrative, a historical account. the Gospel as told by Luke has unique accounts of miracles and parables not in the other books. he depicts Jesus as pro-poor and pro-social justice, who is forgiving and merciful to sinners and who has a special connection and reverence to women (esp. Mary's Magnificat and salutation in Hail Mary).

St. Luke's symbol is an ox, as a symbol of sacrifice. he is the patron saint of physicians and surgeons.

Ripples of Faith

Gospel Acclamation:

"I choose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord."

Luke 10 : 2-3

He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves."

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Thought to ponder:

We are all called to be Gospel writers in the sense that we can all reflect on our own faith experiences and share them with others.

Reflection:

i am not one for talk, especially idle talk that is. i am really not that good with the spoken word. i would much rather write. in fact, if i have to stand in front of a crowd, i would like to prepare ahead of time - write my jumbled thoughts and put them in order before i can be confident in saying my piece. i recall a time when i was in the speakers' ministry of the Singles for Christ in laguna. i always prepare in advance for my talk, especially since we usually go to secluded towns and barangays to give our testimony of God's love and mercy at work in our lives. and i always pray for God's voice to work through me as i collect my thoughts and share the good news of God's love. i miss those days.

St. Luke is one fine example of a Gospel writer. even though he was not physically present during the time of Christ, he learned about Christ during his years of evangelisation from the accounts of Paul and the other disciples. and he believed. he firmly believed. that is why he was able to write vividly about Christ's life and works. his faith reinforced his will to share God's love and message to the world.

with the advent of IT and the global phenomenen that is the internet, i am happy to be able to do my own share once again. it is the only way by which i can share the Gospel. i do not even know if somebody reads it. but i pray that sometime, somewhere out there, someone will come across my writing (maybe at a time when somebody needs it the most) and i hope that it will be helpful in sending the message across about God's unconditional love and infinite mercy.

i hope that like small pebbles thrown onto a pond, my small voice (sharing) will touch at least one heart or one soul out there and let them feel God's embrace. i hope that it will in some way be helpful to the one reading it. i pray that my sharing will cause a rippling effect to others about the power of God's love.

A Time for Contemplation

Today the church celebrates the Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila, known as Virgin and Doctor of the Church. She is known as the Mystic for her contemplative works and writings.

a thought to ponder on:
"We should never take lightly the moral decisions that we make as they shape the person that we become."
                                                                       - lifted from Companion Q4 2012

Living the Simple Life

Gospel Acclamation:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. 

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God!

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Yesterday's Gospel spoke of a man who felt sad when Jesus told him that he needed to give up everything he has so that he will be able to enter heaven. you see, he was a very wealthy man and had lots of possessions.

In the present times, people are going after materialistic pursuits and are on a constant drive for career development. i know, i've been there myself; and have not been immune from that 'keeping up with the Joneses' crippling disease. things just don't seem to be enough. you needed to satisfy yourself with having the things that you think you should have. so you struggle so much to be better that what you have now. you go for higher studies, you go for that career move, you buy the things you think will say "hey, you've got it!". but  there's never enough time to do all the things that need doing. and the more that you give yourself into your work, more tasks keep pouring in. it never stops. it's a constant cycle of chasing after life's 'to-haves'. in my personal experience, the process of letting go is painful but crucial to attaining a more peaceful and balanced life. now, i place more value in the things that have more meaning to the people i love, my family.

taking the road less travelled was not an easy decision. while all the rest of my friends are buying new cars, moving into their new house, going up another rung in the corporate ladder, or posting pics of recent trips abroad, i opted for the slow life, the less stressful life, and it has given me peace and satisfaction. well, it is in fact just a matter of mindset and willing the heart.

with more time on my hands, i can think more, reflect more and laugh more; heck, even cry more... as i have more time to watch dramas now. bottomline is that i have changed a lot in my perspective about life. i am now able to appreciate life's little joys. i look back to my growing up years and realize the value of living a simple yet sensible life.

The Power of Prayer

as i end the day with my reading of the Gospel, i am reminded of the significance of prayer in our lives. prayer is our channel to God. it is an instrument to be able to communicate with the Lord.

i have always been living a life of prayer. i call on Him always, whether it's for giving thanks or asking/ requesting for something or asking Him questions or just simply letting Him work His calming grace on me. the Lord doesn't always give me answers right away. in fact, there's still a lot of things i have categorized as 'Pending' because i'm still waiting for them. but He talks to me most of the time. I feel Him and i have learned to listen to Him in the different ways by which He chooses to communicate to me. it's amazing how creative He is in the varied methods He uses. but i sense Him right away. we already have that connection.  :-)

i pray that wherever you are, whoever you are reading this right now, may you be continuously blessed by the mercy of God and touched by His overflowing love. continue to pray. it is our lifeline to God.

Luke 11: 9-10

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door 

will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; 

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

let me share this vid i found on YouTube. be blessed!

The Lord's Prayer

Today's Gospel acclamation:  
You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father!

Luke 11:1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test."

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

today marks the commemoration of the life 'the little poor man of Assisi', St. Francis, who changed the way the poor have been viewed by the Church.

         Prayer to St. Francis

Lord make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.

O divine master grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive-
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it's in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

The Good Seed

Today's Gospel is about the parable of the weeds in the field. The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to Him will live forever.

Here's another fave song of mine that i love singing in church:

An Early Appointment

Woke up early this morning as me and my mom and aunt had to go to church to offer prayers to uncle Nanding in memory of his death. It's been five years since. How time flies.

Today commemorates the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the Apostles. We are reminded about the lives laid down by these two great pillars of the Catholic church. However difficult were the obstacles during their days, they set the finest example of evangelism, thus were able to proclaim the good news of the Gospel  up to their very deaths.

Gospel Acclamation:  

"You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church, 

and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it."

Three But One

Today is the commemoration of the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity.

How the Holy Spirit is at work within, that we cannot even begin to understand. The Trinitarian formula of baptism reminds us how complicated is the three-fold relationship of our God - one substance but three persona: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Let us nevertheless continue believing and hold on tight to the Lord.

"When we are rightly related to God,

life is full of spontaneous joyful uncertainty and expectancy. 

We do not know what God is going to do next; 

He packs our life with surprises." 

 - Oswald Chambers  

1st of June

Today's Gospel acclamation:
      "I choose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that lasts, says the Lord."

The Gospel for today is about the story of the fig tree. It is a parable about the fruitfulness of our lives. We are given innumerable opportunities by the Lord to respond to His gift of grace.

Lord, thank you! I am what I am now because of the awesome power of your love.

According to Plan

"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, 

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

plans to give you hope and a future."

- Jeremiah 29:11

One lesson I've learned in life is that God really moves in mysterious ways. The most outrageous or unexpected event could be God's hand working in our lives. For all we know, the very thing in front of us is His answer to a prayer we have long been waiting for.

We do not really know the plan that God has for us, but if we continue to work as we should and do what we have to do, then we can certainly hope that He has laid out a beautiful future in our life. Let us continue to do good and wait hopefully for Him to unveil all things according to His plan.

A Matter of Choice

The following is lifted from a favorite book of mine, God Came Near by Max Lucado. This book takes us on a journey back to the time when Jesus came down to earth and became man. There are stories about Christ growing up, His ministry and His death. To me, these stories are very meaningful and hence it is but apt to share a passage here during this season of Lent.

From the chapter 'Out of the Carpentry Shop'

..."In Nazareth he was known only as Jesus, the son of Joseph. You can be sure he was respected in the community. He was good with his hands. He had many friends. He was a favorite among the children. He could tell a good joke and had a habit of filling the air with contagious laughter...

...I wonder if he wanted to stay. ..

...I wonder because I know he had already read the last chapter. He knew that the feet that would step out of the safe shadow of the carpentry shop would not rest until they'd been pierced and placed on a Roman cross.

You see, he didn't have to go. He had a choice. He could have stayed. He could have kept his mouth shut. He could have ignored the call or at least postponed it.

...He could have come back as a man in another era when society wasn't so volatile...

...He could have come back when crosses were out of style.

But his heart wouldn't let him. If there was hesitation on the part of his humanity, it was overcome by the compassion of his divinity. His divinity heard the voices. His divinity heard the hopeless cries of the poor, the bitter accusations of the abandoned, the dangling despair of those who are trying to save themselves.

And his divinity saw the faces. Some wrinkled. Some weeping. Some hidden behind veils. ...He saw them all.

And you can be sure of one thing. Among the voices that found their way into that carpentry shop in Nazareth was your voice. ...

And not only did he hear you, he saw you. He saw your face aglow the hour you first knew him. He saw your face in shame the hour you first fell. ..And it was enough to kill him.

He left because of you.

He laid his security down with his hammer. He hung tranquility on the peg with his nail apron. He closed the window shutters on the sunshine of his youth and locked the door on the comfort and ease of anonymity.

Since he could bear your sins more easily than he could bear the thought of your hopelessness, he chose to leave."

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It is truly amazing how Christ chose to live his life here on earth. Even though He was God, he chose to enter the world on a stable floor littered with sheep manure. He chose to grow up in a little town with roughened and calloused hands of a carpenter. He chose to mingle with fisherfolks, tax collectors and prostitutes. He chose the cross.

He chose humility. He chose simplicity. He chose poverty. He chose difficulty. He chose death.

And all because of you and me.

I choose Jesus. I choose His mercy. I choose His saving grace.

I know I've written sometime before somewhere on this blog about how everything is a matter of choice. From the moment we wake up in the morning, it is a choice if we should arise or just stay in bed. It is a choice if we should eat breakfast or skip a meal. It is a choice whether to keep a hurried pace or meander slowly through the day. Heck, it's even a choice what time to set the alarm so that we will not be late for work or school or whatever day's activity it is.

What course to take up in college (or whether to go college even) is a choice. What field of work to pursue is a choice. What dress to wear, what food to eat, what time to eat, where to eat, etc... is your choice.

Well, not everything goes to plan though as we do not always get what we want or what we choose. What can we do if the first company we choose to apply for work chooses not to hire us? What if the person paying for your education cannot support you anymore? What about if the person you choose to love chooses not to return that love, what then, huh? Well, again the answer is: It's a matter of choice. You can choose to just stop or choose to try to find a way to continue.

Not everything is in black and white. There are grey areas, too. There will always be unexpected surprises along the way. Things will not always be easy. There will be bumps on the road. There will be intermittent rains and storms every now and then. There will be brownouts. There will be headaches and heartaches. Yes, things do not always turn out the way we want them to. But these actually make life more colorful. Ultimately, it depends on how you react to these situations, what decision you choose thereafter.

So if you are at the crossroads or an important turning point in your life, I pray that you choose wisely on which road to take or what decision to make. If you are hurting or maybe sick, may you choose hope. If you are lonely or depressed, may you choose companionship and laughter. If you are lost and in the dark, may you choose the light. If you are in dispute and feeling anger, may you choose peace.

John 13: The Lamb gets Ready for the Slaughter

Lifted this from today's Gospel reading:

"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,

though you will follow later."

Peter said to him, "Master, why can't I follow you now?

I will lay down my life for you."

Jesus answered,"Will you lay down your life for me?

Amen, Amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow

before you deny me three times."

Let Us Clean Up Our Act

Today, Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of the commemoration of the Lord's passion and death.

Mom and I attended a retreat yesterday. Truly, it is healthy to spend time to cleanse our soul. A recollection is a tool to help in cleaning up our lives. As Father Illh mentioned yesterday, just like when we clean our home, we should also regularly clean our lives and try to keep it clean and orderly and smelling good for the Lord. But some of us fail to clean regularly and so the house gets messy and smelling foul. When a visitor comes, we try to quickly clean the surroundings but this becomes a superficial cleaning only. We hide the dirty laundry in the cabinet, we sweep up the floor and remove all unsightly things but dump everything in the backroom or backyard hoping that the visitor will not go inside the messy rooms and prevent them from wandering into the backyard. Because other people will definitely talk behind our back if they discover how messy and dirty our home is. However, Jesus the visitor does not behave like others do. When He comes into our home, He will help us clean up. He comes not for the healthy and the rich and the privileged. He came to the world for the sick, the hungry, the helpless, the poor, the sinner.

Father Illh asked all the participants to use the concept of the Johari window in reflecting over our lives. And then there was sharing and a mini-group discussion afterwards.

I remember a passage I read before from one of my fave author, Max Lucado.

"God is a God of perfect grace.

Grace forgets.

Period.

He who is perfect cannot hold grudges.

So do yourself a favor.

Purge your cellar.

Exorcise your basement.

Take the Roman nails of Calvary and board up the door.

Remember... He forgot."

What better time to start cleaning up our act than now? let me end by sharing this song with you all.