Much toiling and little result.

“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” (Luke 5: 5).

Simon and his partners toiled all night but caught nothing. These are seasoned fishermen. Where are you in your profession?  If you toil much and accomplish little or nothing, it may be time for stocktaking.

Jesus knows your Next Step. Trust Him to lead and guide you as He did to Simon Peter, James and John. If you do whatever He tells you, you will have lifelong fulfilling employment and assured of life eternal.

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May the God of Peace bless you with abundant Peace.

"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. May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever [and ever]. Amen."  (Hebrews 13: 20 - 21).

Brothers and sisters, let us claim this blessing in the name of Jesus. May He Jesus, the Great Shepherd give us the grace to do always His will.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need." (Psalm 23: 1).

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Can you trust God with your money?

"Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.”  Thus we may say with confidence:
“The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?” (Hebrews 13: 5 - 6).

The devil sows fears, worries and doubts in our hearts.  "If you trust God about money, you will be poor, homeless and starve," the liar whispers. The ancient monster, Father of lies, repeats every day the game plan he used against Adam and Eve in Paradise.  He urged them not to trust God implying that God is a liar.

Do you trust God when He says to you: "I will never forsake you or abandon you.” Faith is to trust completely in the promises of God.

Jesus Christ, the night before He died, gave us His Body and Blood as a sign of the New Covenant.  "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."  (Luke 22: 20).  Has Jesus been faithful to this Covenant?  Every single day for the past 2000 years, everywhere, every day all over the world He offers the Bread of life to those who believe.   Just as Jesus was faithful to the Covenant yesterday, He is faithful today.  He will be faithful tomorrow.

Rest in His faithfulness with regard to money and all your needs.

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Don't be weighed down by clutter and bagages.

"He [Jesus] summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.  He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts." (Mark 6: 7 - 8).

The Gospel of today presents us a challenge to examine our lifestyle to see if clutter and bagages are hindering the penetration of the Good News and make us ineffectual disciples.  Jesus never teaches a lesson He never lived Himself.  Like the Beatitudes which is a portrait of Himself, the evangelical poverty and simplicity Jesus prescribed to His disciples is what they see every day in His life among them.

Poverty like disease and ignorance frightens many people. But the fear is altogether irrational if we consider a few salient points:

#1.  Jesus, our Leader and Captain is without doubt the best in our human race. If it is good for Him, it should be good for us.

#2.  God knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

#3.  Who owns all the gold, silver, diamond, oceans, lands, etc if not God.

#4.  God asks:  "Is anything too marvelous for me to do for you?"  (Cf Genesis 18: 14).

Jesus knows that the greatest asset of the disciple is faith and complete trust in Him.  If a disciple is armed with this, he needs nothing more. It was therefore necessary to train His disciples at the outset of their ministry in this great truth.

"Fear is useless. All that is needed is trust."  (Mark 5:  36).

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Endure your trials as discipline.

"Endure your trials as “discipline”.  (Hebrews 12: 7).

It was one Sunday morning at the 10 am Mass that I heard the above Scripture from the Altar.  I was in the midst of the most severe desert experience of my life. I had lost everything including health.  As I listened on, I heard this:

"For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?" (v 7).  Is God saying that He is my Father?  Is my crisis therefore not divine retribution but training?  Then came the closing argument for me:

"If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards." 
(Hebrews 12: 8).

Indeed I had been without discipline for many years.  I welcomed this word of God into my heart with faith.  I went home, found the passage in my Bible and read and re-read it that blessed Sunday. What returns shall I make to the Lord for the wonderful thing He did for me on this Sunday?

"Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. For he knows how we are formed; he remembers that we are dust.
 
"But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity to eternity toward those who fear him.  And his justice toward children’s children among those who keep his covenant." (Psalm 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18).

God is good all the time is not an empty slogan. It is a most profound truth.

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The Feast of St Agatha, Patron Saint of Breast Cancer.

"Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith."  (Hebrews 12: 1 - 2).

Today is the feast of St Agatha, Virgin and Martyr.  Agatha was martyred in the 3rd century under the persecution of Emperor Decius. Her cult was very popular from ancient times. She is the patron saint of breast cancer, sterility and rape victims amongst others.

Agatha is one of the "cloud of witnesses" urging us to run to win the Christian race that Jesus Christ our Leader set before us.  We Christians have today many challenges facing us in our Journey of Faith. But let's face it honestly. Unlike Agatha and so many other saints, "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood." (Hebrews 12: 4).

Disregard the negative and futile messages of the world and listen to Jesus who tells us:  "Fear is useless. All that is needed is trust."  (Mark 5:  36).

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Men and women who conquered the world through faith.

"By faith they conquered kingdoms."  (Heb 11: 33).

Who are these who conquered kingdoms and did mighty deeds by faith?  They are:  "Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel and the prophets."  (Hebrews 11: 32).

These mighty ones also through faith:  "closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders."
(Hebrews 11: 33 - 34).

Not just men did valiant deeds through faith but also women:  "Women received back their dead through resurrection.
Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection."  (Hebrews 11: 35).

Friends, through trusting in God and His promises, these men and women were able to accomplish impossible things.  Jesus spoke a great deal about the power of faith.  Again and again, He said that if we believe, we can move mountains. Nothing will be impossible for us if we have even a mustard seed size faith.

The Hebrews who were suffering severe persecution when the Letter to the Hebrews was written needed such message.  How about us? Look at the state of the world. We too need the strong medicine of Faith and Hope and Love.

"Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord." (Psalm 31: 25).

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I appoint you my prophet to the nations.

"The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you."  (Jeremiah 1: 4 - 5).

We may call the theme of the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time the tale of two prophets: Jeremiah and Jesus. The first Reading from Jeremiah 1 is an interesting dialogue between God and Jeremiah that resulted in Jeremiah accepting his mission to be a prophet. God truly piled on the incentives.  I am moved whenever I read this 1st Chapter of Jeremiah.

"But do you gird your loins;
stand up and tell them all that I command you. Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land." (Jeremiah 1: 17 - 18).

How would you react to such motivation?

"They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD."  (Jeremiah 1: 19).

From the Gospel of Luke we see the experience of the Prophet Jesus in the synagogue. The situation started with praise and admiration for Jesus and quickly turned to hostility and threat to His life.

What are we to make of the prophetic vocation?

If the Lord sends you to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives, thank Him for the honor and privilege. He will support you fully.  His faithfulness and love never fails.

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The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.

"Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord." (Luke 2: 22).

Today is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord.  Christ was presented in the Temple to the Father in the substance of human flesh: One Person, God. Two natures: God and man.
Christ had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way.

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is the manifestation of the Child Jesus to the People of Israel.  There were four representatives of the People present to witness this key event in salvation history: Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna.  Only Simeon, the Prophet spoke on this occasion.  He said that the event marks the fulfillment of the promise of God to Israel. God is faithful and fulfills every promise He makes.

The Presentation in the Temple gives us hope.  If you are waiting for God to fulfill any promises to you, you are now encouraged to believe that God will do it. He fulfilled His promises to Simeon, Mary, David and Abraham. Sacred Scripture records that God has fulfilled every single promise He has ever made.
Trust Him.

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You need endurance to do the will of God.

"You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised."  (Hebrews 10: 36).

Our reflection today is from the first Reading, the 10th Chapter of Hebrews.  If the message is not familiar to everyone, the experience is.  You know from experience that the Journey of Faith is a constant spiritual warfare.  When you are emerging from a brutal struggle with your health, you are hit with another with your finances. And then you are challenged in a different war zone: family, job or anxieties about the future.

The Letter to the Hebrews is written to Christians like ourselves.  But we have a great advantage.  We have the solid inheritance of 2000 years of Christianity.  We have the Church, the Hierarchy, the Sacraments, the Magisterium. We have the full Canonical Scriptures. They had none of these.  But nonetheless, they were expected to be firm and steadfast in their faith. How about us? Even more so, we are expected to be unflinching even before the most desperate circumstances.  Because:
"Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."  (Luke 12: 48).

How long shall we be required to endure the trials?
We have great encouragement from Sacred Scriptures:
"For, after just a brief moment, he who is to come shall come; he shall not delay."  (Hebrews 10: 37).

Therefore my brothers and sisters,  "Do not throw away your confidence. It will have a great reward."  (Hebrews 10: 35).

Remember that the "Just one shall live by faith, and if he draws back [God] takes no pleasure in him." 
(Hebrews 10: 38).

Let us confess together in confidence:
"We are not among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and will possess life." 
(Hebrews 10: 39).

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Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday.

February 1, 2019  -  First Friday in February.

The 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:  Jesus promised 12 special favors to all those who will honor His Sacred Heart especially on the First Friday of every month.  In the 2nd  month of the year 2019, we look at Promise #2.

#2.  "I will give peace in their families."

My friends, many people like this promise because peace in the family is the foundation of health and prosperity. Moreover, if there is peace in the family, there will be peace at work and school, peace in the nation and peace on earth!

Jesus is our peace. He is the Prince of Peace.  Would you accept today His generous offer of peace in your family?

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday by attending Holy Mass.

For the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, click the link below:

http://sfjweb.com/?q=content/sacred-heart-12-promises

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I will shine my little light.

"Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?"  (Mark 4: 21).

In Baptism, we receive the light of Christ.  As we participate in the Sacraments and the life of the Church, the little light we receive in Baptism grows.  Where do you place this light?  In the lampstand or in the closet?
To hide your is futile.  Like a barren fig tree, you will be found out.

"For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light."  (Mark 4: 22).

It is more exciting to share the light you have.  Imagine the people who are desperate for it here and now. But you may say: I don't know what to say.  You have the Holy Spirit. Ask Him. Do you have the desire? If not, ask the Holy Spirit.  Jesus makes two promises with regard to your engagement with His word:

#1.  "The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you." 

#2.  "To the one who has, more will be given."

And a warning:
"From the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”  (Mark 4: 24 - 25).

Friends, just shine your light and it will grow. Most people can share messages through their phones.  Why don't you share the word of God?

"A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path."  (Psalm 119:105).

Jesus invites us to "approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust" to participate in the work of Evangelization. (Cf Hebrews 10: 22)
His promise is trustworthy.

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ADL will intrude and choke the word of God.

“Hear this! A sower went out to sow."  (Mark 4: 3).

Today's Gospel presents us with one of the most important and consequential parables of Jesus.  Consequential because it can be life transforming if we get the message.  The question is:  Does the life, Good News of Jesus Christ mean anything to you? Do you believe there is a life after death? Where are you on the Journey of Faith to the Next Life?

The Sower sows the seed.  "Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain." (Mark 4: 7).
The seed is the word of God. The Master Sower is Jesus Christ.  Today pastors, evangelists, missionaries and spirit-filled Christians are sowers of the seed.

Consider those seeds that fell among thorns:
"Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word,  but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit."  (Mark 4: 18 - 19).

Do you know anybody with excessive anxiety about family, health, money, job, tools and possessions, food and the future? Could that person be you?  The Lord Jesus says that ADL or Anxieties of Daily Living will "intrude and choke the word."  And you will bear no fruit. In other words, you will be barren.

"Almighty ever-living God,
direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." (Collect Wednesday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time).

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You gave me ears open to obedience.

"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but ears open to obedience you gave me."  (Psalm 40: 7).

Friends, do you have ears open to obedience? I mean obedience to the commandments of God? Obedience to His laws?  Obedience to the Church and its lawful teaching authority? Read below the blessings of such obedience:

“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”  (Mark 3: 35).

Jesus made such a delightful pronouncement when He was informed that Mary and some relatives wanted to see Him while He was teaching the word of God.  Jesus loves His mother Mary and His relatives very much.  But the will of the Father was for Jesus to continue His ministry of the word of God at that time.

Was it a slight to Mary? Not at all.  Mary understands that the will of God takes precedence over everything. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”  (Luke 1: 38).  On another occasion, Jesus said to Mary and Joseph:  “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

We Christians have been baptized and consecrated to do the will of God and abandon our futile habits of conforming to the world by choosing our own will.  When a teenager is adamant always and everywhere to prefer his will in everything, everybody knows the rest of the story. When you delight in doing God's will, you are brother and sister of Jesus and here is another promise you can claim:

"I have waited, waited for the LORD, and he stooped toward me.
And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God."  Psalm 40: 2).

The Lord will never forget anyone who delights in His will.

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He is insane.

"The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”  (Mark 3: 22).

The scribes filled with envy accused Jesus of being insane. (Mark 3: 30).  Jesus used the opportunity of this drama to teach us the reality of two kingdoms in constant war with each other. Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of God.  And He Jesus is the "mediator of a new covenant" made by His blood. (Hebrews 9: 15).

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed Satan, the author of death and brought life to light through the Good News. (Cf 2 Timothy 1: 10).
Unfortunately brothers and sisters, many Christians live today as if this promise is something for the future.  This promise is for here and now. If you are not enjoying all the privileges, be good to yourself and ask:

What is going on?
Why am I often sad?
Where is the victorious life promised by Jesus?
Why am I not enjoying it?

Now listen to Jesus:
"No one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house."  (Mark 3: 27).

Which king reigns in your house? The strong man Satan or the Stronger Man Jesus? You must give Jesus all the keys in your home: health, family, finances, job, tools/possessions, food and your future.

You remember the song:
"When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, 
What a glory He sheds on our way! 
While we do His good will, He abides with us still, 
And with all who will trust and obey.…"

Trust, Obey and Surrender are the Only way to enjoy life in the Kingdom.  Jesus is in control.

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They listened to the word of God from daybreak to midday.

"The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
and to proclaim liberty to captives."  (Cf. Luke 4: 18).

The 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time has a lot of juicy morsels on the word of God.  Luke informs us of "the certainty of the teachings" we receive from the word of God. (Cf Luke 1: 4). In the first Reading, we see the Assembly of the People of Israel wept as they were convicted as Ezra the priest-scribe read the word of God to them from daybreak till midday.

What does the Spirit want to communicate to us about the Bible?  Let us go to the Responsorial Psalm for today taken from Psalm 19:

"Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life."
"The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye.

The ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just.
(PSALM 19:8, 9, 10, 15).

The Response sums up the big take away from the theme of the word of God.
"Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life."

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My son, stir into flame the gift of God.

 "I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands."  (2 Timothy 1: 6).

We celebrate today the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus.  Paul describes Timothy as someone who inherited a rich reservoir of faith from his family, notably from his mother and grandmother.  He is a man of "sincere faith." But Timothy is lacking in one necessary thing. He is too timid and too afraid to stand up to the elders.  This is a serious problem for an apostle.  Fortitude or courage is indispensable gift of the Holy Spirit for the Apostle.

Paul set out like a good novice master to correct this serious fault:
"For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control."  (2 Timothy 1: 7).

How much do you know yourself?  If Paul were to write you this letter instead of to Timothy, what would he say to you? For a clue, review the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
1. Wisdom
2.Understanding
3. Counsel
4. Fortitude
5. Knowledge
6. Piety
7. Fear of the Lord

Then ask the Father to grant you the missing ingredient.

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Feast of the Conversion of St Paul.

 ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’  I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’ (Acts 22: 7 - 9).

The Church celebrates today the feast of St Paul the Apostle.  Paul who is also evangelist and missionary was chosen and appointed by Jesus Christ Himself to exercise a great influence in the very early Church.  His journey to Damascus in his blind zeal to persecute the followers of Jesus was rudely interrupted by the Lord.

"What shall I do, sir?’ The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything appointed for you to do."  (Acts 22: 10).

The compassion and gentleness of Jesus in the above scene is disarming.  A conqueror helping the conquered on the ground to his feet.  Note that this is always God's merciful attitude to the sinner.

"Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’ And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him."  (Acts 22: 13).
Paul was overwhelmed by loving mercy coming to him from Jesus, Ananias and the brethren.

Now Paul is ready to receive his mandate:
"The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;  for you will be his witness before all to what you have seen and heard."  (Acts 22: 14 - 15).

It does not end there. Every follower of Jesus must be involved in the worldwide evangelization:

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned."  (Mark 16: 15 - 16).

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Jesus is always able and willing to save us.

"Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him." (Hebrews 7: 25).

This Scripture empowers us to approach Jesus with tremendous confidence with all our needs.  Whether the need is in the area of health, family, finances, job, tools and possessions, food and future.  Jesus Christ is able and willing always and everywhere to help us. If this is not good news, tell me is.

What is the qualification of Jesus for such an incredible claim?  From the same chapter 8 of Hebrews, our first Reading today, we read:
"We have such a high priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up."  (Hebrews 8: 1 - 2).

Friends, let nothing stop you from marshalling your faith and approaching Jesus to get the help you need.  When you come to Jesus for help, remember this:  Surrender when He answers you and how He resolves your problem. Be assured that you will get the very best.

Today is the the feast of a most gentle and most beloved Bishop and Doctor of the Church - St Francis de Sales. He is the patron saint of writers and journalists and everyone in social communications.
St Francis de Sales pray for us.

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You are a priest forever.

“You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”  (Hebrews 7: 17).

Our first Reading from Hebrews celebrates the Priesthood of Jesus Christ.  Some writers see Melchizedek as the pre-incarnation of Jesus. Scripture calls Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He is "without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever."  (Hebrews 7: 3).

Jesus Christ, our eternal High Priest offered Himself once and for all on the Cross for our salvation. (Cf Hebrews 7: 27, 4: 14 - 15). He continues His ministry as Priest in Heaven through intercession.  How about on earth?  The Church has the priesthood of the Faithful where every baptized member belongs.  The Holy Spirit endows us with many gifts for the building up of the Kingdom of God in the world.

The Church has also the ministerial or ordained priesthood who is charged to celebrate the Sacraments in the person of Christ.

Thank You Jesus our Eternal High Priest for endowing Your Church with great gifts.

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