A good and generous heart

"But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance."  (Luke 8: 15)

Lord, let your word fertilize my soul.  Help me to receive your word with a generous and good heart.  I want to bear large fruit for you.  I need your grace to persevere so that I can accomplish my mission.

Activation of the fruits of Redemption

"In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace."  (Ephesians 1: 7)

Through the cross and blood of Jesus Christ, redemption is made available to all.  The Great Commissions orders the Church to go and preach this redemption to the whole world.  The word of God convicts sinners who come forward to be baptized and confess their sins.  This action triggers the fruits of redemption to be released.

Below are part commentaries on Ephesians 1: 7 from John Gills Exposition and Matthew Henry Commentary

"Redemption supposes captivity and slavery, and is a deliverance out of it; God's elect by nature are in bondage to sin, Satan, and the law; through the grace of Christ, they are redeemed from all iniquity; ransomed out of the hands of him that is stronger than they; and are freed from the law, its bondage, curse, and condemnation, and from every other enemy: and this benefit Christ is the author of; he was called to be the Redeemer of his people from all eternity; and he was sent in the fullness of time, to procure the redemption of them; to which he had a right, being their near kinsman; and for which he was every way fit, being God as well as man; and which he has obtained by his obedience, sufferings, and death: and in whom it resides, as in its proper subject and author; who, by imputation, is made redemption to all the chosen ones; for not angels, but men, share in this redemption; and not all men, but elect men; such as are chosen in Christ, predestinated to the adoption of children by him, and who are accepted in the beloved: and this comes to them through the blood of Christ, which was freely shed on the cross to procure it; and was a sufficient ransom, or redemption price; it being not only the same blood with those who are redeemed, but the blood of an innocent person; and not of a mere man, but of one who is truly and properly God, as well as man; see more of this (See Gill on Colossians 1:14). A branch of this redemption follows, or a blessing that comes by it, and along with it,"
(John Gills Exposition)

"All blessings come from God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. No good can be expected from a righteous and holy God to sinful creatures, but by his mediation. He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings. Note, Spiritual blessings are the best blessings with which God blesses us, and for which we are to bless him. He blesses us by bestowing such things upon us as make us really blessed. We cannot thus bless God again; but must do it by praising, and magnifying, and speaking well of him on that account. Those whom God blesses with some he blesses with all spiritual blessings; to whom he gives Christ, he freely gives all these things. It is not so with temporal blessings; some are favoured with health, and not with riches; some with riches, and not with health, etc. But, where God blesses with spiritual blessings, he blesses with all. They are spiritual blessings in heavenly places; that is, say some, in the church, distinguished from the world, and called out of it. Or it may be read, in heavenly things, such as come from heaven, and are designed to prepare men for it, and to secure their reception into it. We should hence learn to mind spiritual and heavenly things as the principal things, spiritual and heavenly blessings as the best blessings, with which we cannot be miserable and without which we cannot but be so. Set not your affections on things on the earth, but on those things which are above. These we are blessed with in Christ; for, as all our services ascend to God through Christ, so all our blessings are conveyed to us in the same way, he being the Mediator between God and us."  (Matthew Henry Commentary)

The Eucharist is the Sign of the New Covenant

"But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days—oracle of the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people."  (Jeremiah 31: 33)

Write your law in my heart, O my God and then I will remember it at all times.

"Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed* for many."  (Mark 14: 23 - 24)

The Eucharist is the everlasting covenant that Jesus Christ has left for us.

Today is the time of favor

"Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
I form you and set you
as a covenant for the people,
To restore the land
and allot the devastated heritages,
To say to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the roadways they shall find pasture,
on every barren height shall their pastures be."  (Isaiah 49: 8 - 9)

Today is the time of favor.  Today is the acceptable time to come confidently to the throne of grace to ask for strength in my time of need.  Today, I ask the Father to deliver me from the spirit of fear.  The Father has given me a spirit of love, courage and power.  Yet, I notice that my heart is troubled by unnecessary fears, worries and doubts.

"He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”  (Mark 9: 29)
I got the message Lord.  So I pray and keep praying till I am free.  Thank you Lord.  Help me Jesus to pray and labor for this grace which I ask of you.

Get wine and milk without money

"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)

Lord, I understand what you are talking about.  You are talking about the Eucharist.  You invite us to eat bread in the kingdom.  You offer us your Body and your Blood.  Your Church teaches us that this Meal is the source, center and summit of the Christian life.  Thank you Jesus for this awesome gift.

Everybody is invited to come and eat and drink without money.  But come thirsty.  Come hungry.  Do not forget to put on the proper gown.

"God indeed is my salvation;
I am confident and unafraid.
For the LORD is my strength and my might,
and he has been my salvation.
With joy you will draw water
from the fountains of salvation."  (Isaiah 12: 2-3)

New Heavens and New Earth

"I am creating new heavens
and a new earth;
The former things shall not be remembered
nor come to mind.
Instead, shout for joy and be glad forever
in what I am creating.
Indeed, I am creating Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;"  (Isaiah 65: 17 19)

The prophet paints the picture of the Church in the fullness of time.  How glorious is the destiny of the Bride of Christ!

"The world is yours if you be Christ's, 1 Corinthians 3:22.  When God is reconciled to us, which gives us a new heaven, the creatures too are reconciled to us, which gives us a new earth."  (Matthew Henry Commentary)

Anyone who is in Christ becomes a new creation: new friends, new clothes, new joys, new entertainments, etc.

Whoever is in Christ is a new creation

" So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come."  (2 Corinthians  5: 17)

Who is in Christ?

• He who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
• He who is baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit.
• He who is confirmed in the Holy Spirit.
• He in whose heart Jesus Christ reigns as Lord and King.
• He whose life is directed by the Holy Spirit.

Such a one is a new creation.  Anybody that meets such a one a shopping mall, stadium, gas station, school, play ground would sense that something is different about the person.

A new creature cannot be hidden just as a tiger walking down the street is perceived for what it is.   In the case of a tiger, you take cover immediately.  But the new creation in Christ attracts.  He attracts because "the old things have passed away" in him.  New things are perceived.  Holiness attracts.

Slay me with your words

"For this reason I struck them down through the prophets,
I killed them by the words of my mouth;
my judgment shines forth like the light.
For it is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."  (Hosea 6: 5 - 6)

Abba Father, slay me with your words but do not kill me in your anger.  I will accept your admonishments because I know that you love me.  You train me as a father trains the sone he loves and approves.

"You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons:
“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.”
Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?
If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards.
Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not [then] submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live?
They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness.
At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it."  (Hebrews 12: 5 - 11)

Father, I submit to your discipline.

"It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."  (John 6: 63)

The Verdant Cypress Tree

"Ephraim! What more have I to do with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will take note of him.
I am like a verdant cypress tree.
From me fruit will be found for you!"  (Hosea 14: 9)

Jesus, the Pearl of the Greatest Value, our Treasure is here compared to the "verdant cypress tree."  That is, the ever-green cypress tree that is ever flush with foliage come winter come summer.

"He is like a tree
planted near streams of water,
that yields its fruit in season;
Its leaves never wither;
whatever he does prospers."  (Psalm 1: 3)

So, I can always trust Jesus for protection and provision and prosperity.  "Whatever he does prospers."
Yes Lord, I know that because of you, I will bear much fruit for you.  Because of you too, I will remain faithful till I cross the threshold.  Thank you Jesus.

Jesus Christ is the stronger Man

"When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils."  (Luke 11: 21 - 22)

The strong man is Satan.  Note that he is fully armed with all the tools of his trade.
But thanks be to God.  The stronger man is Jesus Christ who overcomes him, takes away the armor on which he relies.

With such certain knowledge, "So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help."  (Hebrews 4: 16)

Confident in the power of Christ, "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me."

Although Jesus Christ takes away the armor of our mortal enemy, in His wisdom, He leaves for Satan certain tools with which he harasses us.  And besides, our concupiscence is always warring against us.

But Jesus wants us not to be afraid because  “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12: 9)

For our greater consolation we also know, "God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control."  (2 Timothy 1 :7)  Also, "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”  (Romans 8: 15)

Amen! Amen! Amen!

Establish my feet in your word

"Steady my feet in accord with your promise;
do not let iniquity lead me."  (Psalm 119: 133)

Direct my steps in the Church, home, work and everywhere.  Let no sin gain dominion over me.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
on your own intelligence do not rely;
In all your ways be mindful of him,
and he will make straight your paths."  (Proverbs 3: 5 -6)

"For you are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake lead me and guide me."  (Psalm 31: 4)

"In green pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me;
he restores my soul.
He guides me along right paths
for the sake of his name."  (Psalm 23: 2 - 3)

"But I, through the abundance of your mercy,
will enter into your house.
I will bow down toward your holy sanctuary
out of fear of you.
LORD, guide me in your justice because of my foes;
make straight your way before me."  (Psalm 5: 8 - 9)

"Make known to me your ways, LORD;
teach me your paths.
Guide me by your fidelity and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
for you I wait all the day long."  (Psalm 25: 4 - 5)

"Good and upright is the LORD,
therefore he shows sinners the way,
He guides the humble in righteousness,
and teaches the humble his way."  (Psalm 25: 8 - 9)

Guidance is promised to those who ask for it and those who wait on God and trust in Him.

Lesson about prayer from the Unforgiving Servant

" At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan."  (Matthew 18: 26 - 27)

What can we learn about prayer that gets result from the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant?
The servant fell down, did Christ homage and asked to be given chance to change. When I am in dire need and come to Jesus for an answer, I would like to remember these three steps: Posture, Worship, Words.  The right posture in prayer, praise and worship, asking with faith can get results.

Do whatever he tells you

"But his servants came up and reasoned with him: “My father, if the prophet told you to do something extraordinary, would you not do it? All the more since he told you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?"  (2 Kings 5: 13)

Learn the heart of God from the word of God, says Pope St. Gregory the Great.  What can I learn about the Heart of God from the above scriptures?
First, I see from the whole incident of the cure of Naaman the leper, a type of Sacraments.  The sacramental form and matter may appear too simplistic to be real but they are true and real.  Take for example Baptism.  Water is poured over the baptized and the formula of Baptism repeated as this is done.  The resulting effect is total cleansing from sin and effective incorporation into the family of God.  Can so much benefit be delivered by such a simple means and gesture?  Take another example, the Eucharist.  The matter is bread and wine while the form is formula of consecration.  The Holy Spirit is invoked and the words of consecration are pronounced over the bread and wine.  The result is the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.  Is this credible?  The Church has done and believed this from the very beginning, that is for 2000 years.  If this is not true and real, then the Church is guilty of the worst perjury.  No institution can survive for so long with such a monumental lie and deception.

We learn from the story of Naaman that God's thoughts and ways are not our thoughts and ways.  We learn also that it pays to listen to God when He speaks through His prophets.

 “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”  (Matthew 17: 5)

But listening to Jesus and the prophets is not enough, we must also:
"Do whatever he tells you."  (John 2:5)

The swallow lays her young by your altar

"As the sparrow finds a home
and the swallow a nest to settle her young,
My home is by your altars,
LORD of hosts, my king and my God!
Blessed are those who dwell in your house!
They never cease to praise you." (Psalm 84: 4 - 5)

Pope Gregory the Great (690 - 604) taught: "Learn the heart of God from the word of God."
What can I learn today about the heart of God from Psalm 84: 4 - 5?
I learn that God is so tender towards His creatures that He allows the common sparrows and swallows to settle very close to His altars.
And how about me?
My home is by our altars, O Lord my God.

The Lord Himself marks out the pleasant spots for me near His altars.
"LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you have made my destiny secure.
Pleasant places were measured out for me;
fair to me indeed is my inheritance."  (Psalm 16: 5 - 6)

The Sanctuary is still and restful waters.
"The LORD is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.a
In green pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me;
he restores my soul.
He guides me along right paths
for the sake of his name."  (Psalm 23: 1 - 3)

Where to seek the Lord?  In the Sanctuary.
"O God, you are my God—
it is you I seek!
For you my body yearns;
for you my soul thirsts,
In a land parched, lifeless,
and without water.
I look to you in the sanctuary
to see your power and glory.
For your love is better than life;
my lips shall ever praise you!"  Psalm 63: 2 - 4)

The Choice, the Call and the Sanctuary
"Blessed the one whom you will choose and bring
to dwell in your courts.
May we be filled with the good things of your house,
your holy temple!"  (Psalm 65: 5)

Where to finish my days?  Near your Sanctuary, O Lord my God.
"One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the LORD’s house
all the days of my life,
To gaze on the LORD’s beauty,
to visit his temple."  (Psalm 27: 4)

Learn the heart of God

"The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
The LORD is good to all,
compassionate toward all your works."  (Psalm 145: 8 - 9)

Father, let the truth about who you are in the above scripture transform me.
"Perfect love drives out fear."  (1 John 4: 18)

"Learn the heart of God from the word of God." (Pope St. Gregory the Great)

Believe what you read.
Teach what you believe.
Practice what you teach.

Grant me the grace to know the heart of Jesus perfectly, to love Him passionately and to follow Him everywhere.

God loves me so much that He....

"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."  (John 3: 16)

The "world" here is me.  The Father loves me so much that He made Jesus Christ suffer and die for me.  The afternoon vision I experienced some days ago brought the truth home. Below is the narrative:

I experienced a bizarre dream towards the end of my nap this afternoon.  2 young men were in an enclosure.  Both seemed equal in terms of build.  One of them ordered the other to undress completely.  Then he picked up a spiked belt and started tearing into the flesh of the other man mercilessly.  I woke up shaken.  The question I kept asking myself is:  Why did the other man not resist?  I got the answer on Wednesday morning when I said the Divine Mercy Rosary glancing at the Stations of the Cross at STM BS Chapel.  The man being flogged is a type of Christ.  The Lamb that was led to the slaughter and did not open his mouth. The man doing the flogging is Satan, the original man of wickedness.

I understand better what Christ did for me.  He took the lashes for me.  Lord, I believe in you.  Thank you for what you did for me.

Direct my path according to your promise

"Thus says the LORD:
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a barren bush in the wasteland
that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in lava beds in the wilderness,
a land, salty and uninhabited."  (Jeremiah 17: 5 - 6)

I trust in you with all my heart O Lord.  Help me never to lean on sense evidence.  In everything I do I call upon you.  O Lord, direct my path according to your promise.

The man who trusts in human beings and makes the physical world his strength does not enjoy the benefits of times and seasons.  Times and seasons are God's appointment.  Just as we have summer, autumn, winter and spring so does the life of  man cycle through periods of prosperity and poverty.  I see enough of this in my business and life to understand.

Servant Spirit

"But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;"  (Matthew 20: 26)

Lord Jesus, give me a true servant spirit.  Give me also deep humility.  I want to serve your Body, the Church with all my time, talent and treasure.  Let your Holy Spirit lead me, guide me and use me.  Amen!

"Some men are born great.  Some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust unto them."  Shakespeare

Writing and Publishing Praise

"I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds."  (Psalm 9: 2)

What will happen to make me praise the Lord with all my heart and declare his wondrous deeds to the world?  I have learned from experience that the purest joy I have known is the joy of answered prayers.  The bigger the item, the more the joy and the greater the praise.  St. Therese of Lisieux says that God puts the desires in her heart that He intends to fulfill.  God's desire then becomes the same as that of St. Therese.

God has a good plan for our lives.  If we are open to His voice, He gives us desires that align with our destiny.

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope."  (Jeremiah 29: 11)

Are the desires of my heart aligned with God's plan for my life?

"Find your delight in the LORD
who will give you your heart’s desire."  (Psalm 37: 4)

How do I find my delight in the Lord?

"I will bear a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers."  (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)

Stop Judging and you will not be judged

"Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven."  (Luke 6: 37)

No Complain. No Criticize. No Condemn.  Help me God.  Amen!