Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of Your law.

"Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 5: 19 NABRE)

This Sunday, the 6th in Ordinary Time, the Spirit focuses our attention on one theme:  God's law, God's commandments.  Let's consider a few of the pointers in today's letter to the  Churches:

#1.  "If you choose, you can keep the commandments; loyalty is doing the will of God."  (Sirach 15: 15)
#2.  "He never commands anyone to sin, nor shows leniency toward deceivers."  (Sirach 15: 20)
#3.  "Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord."  (Psalm 119 : 1)
#4.  "Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart."  (Psalm 119: 34)
#5  "Whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 5: 19)

What is the reward for keeping the commandments?

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
 and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared for those who love him.”  (1 Corinthians 2: 9 NLT)

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They ate and were satisfied.

"They ate and were satisfied."  (Mark 8: 8 NABRE)

Jesus fed 4000 people with seven loaves and a few fish. They all get ate and were satisfied with plenty leftover.  How many times have you been to a party, wedding or reception and can honestly say that you ate and were satisfied?  Only Christ the Bread of life who knows exactly what we need can pull this off.  Remember the Wedding Feast at Canna?  The people drank the best wine until they could drink no more.

Jesus fulfilled admirably the prophecy in Isaiah 55:

"All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money, come, buy grain and eat;
Come, buy grain without money,
wine and milk without cost!"  (Isaiah 55: 1)

In verse 2 of the same chapter,  God asked our throw-away generation an intriguing question:

"Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what does not satisfy?
Only listen to me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare."  (Isaiah 55: 2)

Every single day, Jesus continues to feed millions of people with the finest wheat, the Bread of life.   (John 6 : 35;  Matthew 26: 26; 1 Corinthians 11: 24)

“It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God."  (Matthew 4: 4 AMP)

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Be alert. Watch and pray.

"Now the snake was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made."  (Genesis 3: 1 NABRE)

St Peter warns us:  "Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour."   (1 Peter 5: 8)

What is your attitude to temptations?  Are you the type that likes to get to the very edge of the cliff?  Is playing with fire like a sport to you?

Now listen to Jesus:  “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.   The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  (Matthew 26: 41 NIV)

Know yourself, your weak points. Satan knows these very well.  Be alert.  Watch and pray.

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Welcome the word that has been planted in you.

"Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls."  (James 1: 21 NABRE)

The "word" above means also the word of God, law, command, statute, promise, etc.

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  (Romans 10: 17 NKJV)

The word you hear is the Good News.  His name is Jesus.  When you welcome the word or the message, you welcome Jesus.
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."  (Revelation 3: 20 NLT)
Where Jesus is, there is salvation; there is prosperity.

"Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls."  (James 1: 21)

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O bless the Lord my soul!

"All creatures look to you to give them food in due time. When you give it to them, they gather; when you open your hand, they are well filled."  (Psalm 104: 27 -  28)

Every living thing depend on God for  nourishment and life.  Note there is a time for gathering.

"Young lions roar for prey; they seek their food from God."  (Psalm 104:  21)

Even young powerful lion's still depend on God for their food.

"You make the grass grow for the cattle and plants for people’s work to bring forth food from the earth,
wine to gladden their hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread to sustain the human heart."  (Psalm 104: 14 - 15)

Are you surprised to learn that God gives us wine, beer and spirit to gladden our hearts?  How about those fine cosmetics?  And all the assorted kinds of food?

"Bless the Lord, my soul!
Lord, my God, you are great indeed!" (Psalm 104: 1)

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Sunday Rest is a great gift from Abba Father.

"On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.   God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation." (Genesis 2: 2 -  3 NABRE)

God rested on the seventh day from His labors.  He set it apart for us for rest and worship. 

Families should take advantage of the Sunday Rest for spiritual and physical refreshment.  It is a day to visit the sick in the hospital, enjoy the zoo and the parks.

It is a day when all anxiety about work and money should be banished.  Cast the burden on the Lord who ordered us to rest on Sunday.

The Sunday Rest is a Rehearsal for the promised Eternal Rest.

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Cry out to Jesus with expectant faith and you will be healed.

"Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed."  (Mark 6: 56 NLT)

Many today need healing for their infirmities.  The sick in Mark 6: 56 were healed by their faith in Jesus and not by the act of touching the fringe of His robe.   Since Jesus is alive and active today, whoever approaches Jesus with expectant faith will be healed.  Jesus is the same today, yesterday and forever.   (Hebrews 13: 8)

Where and how can we approach Jesus today?
#1.  The Eucharist, which is the New Covenant and the source and summit of our faith.
#2.  The word of God, which contains His presence, power and person.
#3. Prayer, which Jesus calls a vital necessity.  (Luke 18: 1)

The important thing is:  Approach Jesus with a dynamic and expectant faith and you will be healed.

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Bestow your bread on the hungry and watch how the Lord will respond.

"Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them."  (Isaiah 58: 7 RM)

Yesterday, we heard the following from the Lord:   "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind."  (Hebrews 13: 16)

Today, the Lord became more specific.  The poor and the needy cry to the Lord and He hears them.  (Psalm 34: 17; 69: 33) It is not because of any limitations to His power that Abba Father does not supply the poor and the needy directly.   Father is pleased to share the government of the world with us.  As a good Teacher, He motivates us.

If you obey,  "Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!"  (Isaiah 58: 8 -  9)

For all who obey God, No fear.  No worry.  No doubt.

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If you bestow your bread on the hungry, it shall be well for you and you will never have to fear bad news.

"Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them."  (Isaiah 58: 7 RM)

Yesterday, we heard the following from the Lord:   "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind."  (Hebrews 13: 16)

Today, the Lord became more specific.  The poor and the needy cry to the Lord and He hears them.  (Psalm 34: 17; 69: 33) It is not because of any limitations to His power that Abba Father does not supply the poor and the needy directly.   Father is pleased to share the government of the world with us.  As a good Teacher, He motivates us.

If you obey,  "Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!"  (Isaiah 58: 8 -  9)

For all who obey God, No fear.  No worry.  No doubt.

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If you bestow your bread on the hungry, it shall be well for you and you shall never be moved.

"Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them."  (Isaiah 58: 7 RM)

Yesterday, we heard the following from the Lord:   "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind."  (Hebrews 13: 16)

Today, the Lord became more specific.  The poor and the needy cry to the Lord and He hears them.  (Psalm 34: 17; 69: 33) It is not because of any limitations to His power that Abba Father does not supply the poor and the needy directly.   Father is pleased to share the government of the world with us.  As a good Teacher, He motivates us.

If you obey,  "Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!"  (Isaiah 58: 8 -  9)

For all who obey God, No fear.  No worry.  No doubt.

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Do good and share what you have.

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind."  (Hebrews 13: 16 NABRE)

Do you groan if you find yourself sharing what you have?  Our Heavenly Father who is not partial has bestowed on each of us immense Time, Talent and Treasure.   He wants us to develop and enjoy these gifts.  He is very pleased when we share them. 
You can share your gifts of Time, Talent and Treasure not just in your faith and civil communities but even with strangers.

"May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord,  furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will."  (Hebrews 13: 20 - 21)

If the Lord is truly your Shepherd, He promises that you will lack nothing.  Trust Him.  (Psalm 23: 1)

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February 03, 2017: First Friday

February 03, 2017 First Friday

12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

#5:  I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.

The above is one of 12 of The Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary.

Jesus promises to pour abundant blessings on all the undertakings of those who honor and are devoted to His Most Sacred Heart.

I always remind Jesus of this promise.  Scripture teaches us to pray that God prospers the work of our hands.  (Psalm 90: 17).  When you tie this prayer to the Sacred Heart devotion, you give a boost to your faith.  God responds to Faith always and everywhere.

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Love money and money will enslave you.

"Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake  you.”   That is why we can say without any doubt or fear, “The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.”  (Hebrews 13: 5 - 6 TLB)

By dying Jesus Christ freed us from the fear of death.  (Hebrews 2: 15)
By His poverty, we are freed from the fear of being poor.  This fear has led many to be enslaved by money all their life.  (Cf Hebrews 2: 15)

Man does not live on money alone.  Man is created to live on every word that comes from the mouth of God.  (Cf Matthew 4 : 4)
Paul says that he knows how to live as a rich man and  how to live as a poor man.  There is no situation he cannot find contentment because of Jesus Christ who has promised him His presence, protection and provision.  He found his security in Jesus.  ( Cf 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10;  Philippians 4: 12)

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Is Jesus a sign of contradiction by choice or by design?

“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted."  (Luke 2: 34 NABRE)

It beats the imagination on how such a sweet child should be a sign of contradiction and contestation.  Yet this is what Jesus became almost from the womb.  Let us consider a few examples:

#1.  Joseph, a native of Bethlehem could not secure a room in  his home town for Mary to give birth.  (Luke 2: 7)
#2.  Because of Jesus, many innocent infants of his age group were massacred by King Herod. (Matthew 2: 16)
#3. The Infant Jesus and His parents became refugees in Egypt.  (Matthew 2: 13)
#4. His relatives suspected Him of insanity.  (Mark 3: 21)
#5. The religious rulers accused him of demonic possession.  (Mark 3: 22)
#6.  Under Pontius Pilate, he was imprisoned, judged and condemned to a cruel death. (Matthew 27: 32 - 60)
#7. Over 2000 years after He rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven,  His followers are divided arguing who is the first and the best.

"The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him."  (Luke 2: 40)

God Never Fails!

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The Lord chastened me severely but spared my life.

“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.”  (Hebrews 12 : 5 -  6 NABRE)

After I lost everything I had worked for, sick and penniless, I heard the above words from the pulpit at Mass one Sunday morning.  It was clearly addressed to me.  The word has met its owner.  For the rest of that Sunday,  I read and re-read the passage.  Gradually, the truth settled in my heart.  Abba Father was not punishing me for my sins but training me as a son.  By the end of that day, I resolved to accept all my trials as discipline.  My life was transformed.  It did not take long before I started to notice the peaceful fruit of righteousness that came from Abba Father's discipline.   Like David I crowed "Thank You Father for training me." (Psalm 118: 18)

Thank You Father.  Lead me, guide me, train me and use me.  Amen!

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Faith alone can help you attain your destiny and the best version of yourself.

"Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”  (Mark 5: 34 NABRE)

“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”  (Mark 5: 36 NABRE)

In Mark 5: 21 -  44, we see two miracles of healing back to back.  A woman suffering hemorrhages for 12 years was healed instantly and the daughter of Jaurus was raised from death.   Yesterday we named some heroes of faith in the Old Testament.  All these pure Scriptures on faith give us an opportunity to understand what faith is and how to nourish and use it.

Faith alone distinguished the heroes of the Old Testament.  It can make you great and a hero.  Perhaps not a millionaire.  Faith can help you attain your destiny, the very best person God has created you to be.

Faith is based on the trustworthiness of the word, promise of God.  If He says it, it shall be accomplished.  Fear is useless; all that is needed is trust.  Disregard sense evidence and feelings and trust in the pure word of God.

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You too can become a hero of faith.

"I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,  who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised."  (Hebrews 11: 32 -  33 NIV)

We see a sampling of some of the heroes of faith and some of what they accomplished through faith.  You may say:  "This is ancient history."  But how about Martin Luther King, Mother St Teresa of Kolkata, Mother Mary Angelica, founder of EWTN who died less than a year ago?   What God did in the past, He can repeat today.

"And my righteous ones will live by faith." (Hebrews 10: 38)

Lord, give us the faith of the heroes, then lead us, guide us and use us to the dust.

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Have mercy on us and the whole world, Jesus.

"Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy."  (Matthew 5: 7 NABRE)

Moses brought the law.  Experience shows that even for the best of us, it is impossible to observe the law totally.  Jesus Christ brought grace and mercy.  Grace is unmerited favor.  Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown to someone who expects or deserves punishment.  We have all sinned and fallen short of glory of God.  (Romans 3: 23)  We deserve severe punishment but God has chosen to show us great mercy.

How do we obtain and maintain mercy?   Remember the ABC OF MERCY?

ASK FOR MERCY
BE MERCIFUL
COMPLETELY TRUST JESUS FOR MERCY

Each step of this formula is essential.

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Faith in God's promises is more solid than most of the things we believe in.

"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.  Men of God in days of old were famous for their faith."  (Hebrews 11: 1 -  2  TLB)

Abraham understood the very essence of faith.  He faithed, that is to say, he obeyed as a consequence of his faith.  If a friend accepts your dinner invitation, you do not wait until he knocks on the door before you start preparing the meal.  Whether it is faith in your friends, the family doctor or a product or process, you believe because you consider the promise trustworthy.

Why then do you consider your friends, doctors, government more trustworthy than God?  God's promises are coded in the Bible which never changes.  Jesus asked his excited disciples after He calmed the turbulent sea, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?"  (Mark 4: 40)

Lord Jesus increase our faith.

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Take delight in the LORD, He will grant you the desires of your heart.

"Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart’s requests.

Commit to the LORD your way; trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light; bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

By the LORD are the steps of a man made firm, and he approves his way.
Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate, for the hand of the LORD sustains him.

The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him."
(Psalm 37:3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40 RM)

The above Scripture needs no commentary.  It is the pure word of God.  A most consoling truth.   Believe it and do not throw away your confidence; it will have great recompense.  You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what He has promised.  (Hebrews 10: 37)

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