This is My beloved Son. Please listen to Him.

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

"The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me." (John 10: 27)

Whose voices are competing with Christ's voices for our attention today?

Media, Family, Friends, Teachers, Parents?
Why do we listen to our parents?
Why do we listen to our teachers?
Why do we listen to our government?
Why don't we listen to our Bishops?

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

Thank you Father for pointing Jesus to us. Open our hearts to listen to the words of your Son. Move our wills to obey him. 

We listen to Jesus in the Scriptures. St. Jerome says that ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. We listen to Jesus especially as the Scriptures are proclaimed in the Eucharist. We also listen to Jesus in prayers.

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Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary who bore the Son of the Eternal Father.

"All generations will call me blessed, for God has looked on his lowly handmaid."  (Luke 1: 48 RM).

Who is the subject in the above Scripture? The Blessed Virgin Mary on the occasion of her visit to her cousin Elizabeth.  She uttered through the Holy Spirit this prophecy which has proved true for every generation.  (Luke 1: 48).

As Jesus was busy ministering, a woman approached and blessed Jesus thus: Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the eternal Father.  (Cf Luke 11: 27)

On the Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major,
the Church says:
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb."  (Cf. Luke 1: 28, 42).

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Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the First Friday in August, 2017.

August 04, 2017 First Friday in August.

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 8th month of the year, we look at Promise #8.

#8.  "Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection."

What do you think of the above Promise?  If this world is your stomach, you may be pitied if you think little of this Promise. (Cf Philippians 3: 19.)

But Jesus who knows exactly what we need, gave us 12 great promises to motivate us to strive for the Best.

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Friday, August 4th.

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Jesus performed few miracles in His home town because the people did not believe in Him.

"Because they did not have faith, he [Jesus] did not perform many miracles there. [Nazareth] (Matthew 13: 58 GNT).

No faith. No miracle.
Which is better? To have faith and enjoy all the good things God has in store for your life or to stubbornly stuck in your unbelief?

I would rather have faith and dwell in Your Sanctuary than to remain in the deep cold of faithless hopelessness.

What is faith brothers and sisters?
"To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.  It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God's approval."  (Hebrews 11: 1-2 GNT).

The people of Nazareth who knew Jesus as a home boy, knew His father and mother, knew all His relatives but allowed familiarity to breed contempt.  They refused to believe that He could perform any miracle.

For your faith to grow, pray and be nourished by the word of God every day.

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I had rather one day in Your Sanctuary than a thousand in Las Vegas.

"How lovely your dwelling,
O Lord of hosts!" (Psalm 84: 2).

In Exodus 40, Moses built the Dwelling Place of God, the Ark of the Covenant not haphazardly but strictly according to God's detailed instructions.  Solomon followed this pattern.  Cathedrals and the Churches are built not with cheap materials or in slipshod fashion but with deliberate purpose as  lovely Dwelling Places of God.

"Better one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere.
Better the threshold of the house of my God than a home in the tents of the wicked."  (Psalm 84:  11). 

I love beautiful Churches and Cathedrals. I hope you do too.

"Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young–
Your altars, O LORD of hosts, my king and my God!" (Psalm 84: 4).

How come it that the tiny sparrows and swallows worth 5 for a penny chose the best place in the world (near the Altar of the Most High) to build their nests and lay their young ones?  You may call this pure divine instinct.

"My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and flesh cry out for the living God."  (Psalm 84: 3).

Have you experienced the pure Pearl of Great Price that is the Sanctuary of God?  Why deprive yourself of this ocean of peace and mercy that is available to all?

"Blessed are those who dwell in your house!
They never cease to praise you." (Psalm 84: 5).

As David writes this line, he heaved a sigh of envy at the priests whose duty is to minister in the Sanctuary of God day and night.

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Jesus is the Pearl of Great Price.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.  When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."  (Matthew 13: 45 - 46).

Are you the merchant searching for the pearl of great value.  What if you realize that Jesus is the Pearl.  Are you prepared to sell everything to follow Jesus?

Lord Jesus, may you equip me with a generous spirit and a courageous heart to respond to You fully.

"More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ"  (Philippians 3: 8)

Jesus Christ is the Good News.  The Good News is Jesus Christ.  He is the top price, the Pearl of extraordinary value.  The idols that compete with Christ Jesus - health, family, money, job, property/tools, food are all considered as dung compared to the genuine and priceless Pearl which is Christ Jesus. 

"O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot.  For me, the measuring lines have fallen on pleasant sites, fair to me indeed is my inheritance."  (Psalm 16: 5 - 6).

"And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life."  (Matthew 19: 29)

Lord, may we respond fully to Your extraordinary challenge. Amen.

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The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy.

"So the Lord passed before him [Moses] and proclaimed: The Lord, the Lord, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity, continuing his love for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin."  (Exodus 34: 6 - 7).

"The Lord came down in a cloud and stood with him [Moses] there and proclaimed the name, “Lord.”  (Exodus 34: 5).

Why is it so important to God to reveal who He is to us?

God reveals Himself to us so that as we get to know Him better, we may come to love Him and trust that He really cares for us. (Cf 1 Peter 5: 7).

“Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.  I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.” 
(Exodus 34:6-7 NLT)

Ask the Holy Spirit to grant you this intimate knowledge of God.  This knowledge will make you happy beyond anything you can imagine.

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To know the Heart of Jesus intimately, to love Him passionately and to follow Him everywhere.

"At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  (Cf Philippians 2: 10 - 11 RM).

The Church honors today the memory of St Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus.  After his conversion, he attracted a group of like minded men. They wanted to form a group to serve God in a radical way. "What will you call this new body?"  "Society of Jesus."  This appeared too radical at the time. No other religious order or congregation for 1500 years had Jesus as part of its name.
St Ignatius and his companions wanted to be truly "companions of Jesus." Intimate friends of Jesus.

The Society of Jesus was a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds planted in 1540. Now it has grown into a giant tree. Jesuits work all over the world in all types of ministries.

"O God, who raised up Saint Ignatius of Loyola in your Church
to further the greater glory of your name, grant that by his help we may imitate him in fighting the good fight on earth and merit to receive with him a crown in heaven.
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 on the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola).

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Ask something of Me and I will give it to you.

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."  (Romans 8: 28)
All things serve your plans, O Great God and Father!

"I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be hindered."  (Job 42: 2)

Our God is almighty.  Whatever He wills, He does, come what may.  Nothing can resist Him.
Father, I delight in the truth that all things serve you.  (Psalm 119: 91)
Nothing that concerns our purpose is too marvelous for God to do for us.  (Genesis 18: 14).

"I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth" (John 18: 37).

Jesus defined His purpose on earth as bearing testimony to the truth.

What is your purpose in life? Do you feel in your heart that you are destined, chosen, called and sealed with the Holy Spirit for this purpose?

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

"The Lord will accomplish his purpose for me." (Psalm 138: 8).

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people."   (Ephesians 1: 17 - 18  NIV)

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Welcome Jesus to Martha's Vineyard!

"Jesus entered a village,
where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home."  (Cf Luke 10: 38 RM).

Today is the Memorial of St Martha, sister of Mary and one of the powerful women of the Bible.  After her is named Domus Sanctae Martha, or Casa Santa Martha, the Guest House in the Vatican where Pope Francis lives.

A week ago, the Church celebrated the feast of St Mary Magdalene. Let us consider the lives of two great women in the life of Jesus:  Jesus cast out seven demons from Mary Magdalene.  She was possibly a high class prostitute with considerable income.  She belonged to a group of women who traveled with Jesus and His apostles and provided financial support. (Luke 8: 2 - 3).
Mary Magdalene is distinguished in Christian history for being the first person to see Jesus after the Resurrection and the person sent by Jesus to take the message to the Apostles.

Martha on the other hand is renowned for her hospitality.  Whenever Jesus wanted to have a good meal with some wine and relax with friends, He headed to Casa Martha.  Martha's Vineyard was always a welcome home for Jesus and His Apostles.

"Almighty ever-living God,
whose Son was pleased to be welcomed in Saint Martha’s house as a guest, grant, we pray, that through her intercession,
serving Christ faithfully in our brothers and sisters, we may merit to be received by you in the halls of heaven.
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 on the feast of St Martha).

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The Commandments of the Lord are true, all of them just.

"In those days:
God delivered all these commandments:"  (Exodus 20: 1 RM).

We shall deal today with the 2nd Commandment:

"You shall not invoke the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. For the Lord will not leave unpunished anyone who invokes his name in vain."  (Exodus 20: 7).

A quiet examination of conscience:
Have I used God’s name in vain:  lightly or carelessly?  Have I been angry with God?  Have I wished evil upon another person?  Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?  Did I curse or swear? Have I used foul language or jokes?

"The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple."  (Psalm 19: 8).

"Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance."  (Cf Luke 8: 15).

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When you use your talent, you will have more talent and grow rich.

"To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away."  (Matthew 13: 12).

Jesus is speaking here of genuine riches and not what the Bible describes as filthy lucre or dishonest wealth.  (Titus 1: 11;  1 Timothy 3: 3).

Examples of spiritual riches are faith, hope and charity.  Others are:  patience, wisdom, humility, courage, peace and contentment. When you exercise your gifts, they grow and you will become rich in what matters. When you fail to use your talent, they diminish and atrophy and then die.

Gracious Lord, grant us the grace to be grateful for the gifts You have given us and help us to use them in Your service. Amen.

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Do not grumble against God.

"And the whole community of Israelites began complaining about Moses and Aaron in the desert…." (Exodus 16: 2).

The Journey of Faith is a journey through the desert. This is by the intentional purpose of gracious will of God. Things may get rough and tough on the way. A good principle is never to complain, criticize or condemn. Instead,  take whatever problem to Jesus in prayer. Have I always lived up to this principle? I wish I could answer in the affirmative. But alas, my record here is abysmal. I am not discouraged. I keep working to eliminate complaining, criticizing and condemning from my character.

"O Lord, hear my prayer and let my cry come to you. Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily." (Psalm 102: 2-3)

Father Almighty, do not allow us to tempt You in our hearts by demanding the food [things] we crave. When we call, answer us speedily.

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The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

"And the whole community of Israelites began complaining about Moses and Aaron in the desert…." (Exodus 16: 2).

The Journey of Faith is a journey through the desert. Things may get rough and tough on the way. My principle is never to complain, criticize or condemn. Instead, I take whatever problem to Jesus in prayer. Have I always lived up to this declaration? I wish I could answer in the affirmative. But alas, my record here is abysmal. I am not discouraged. I keep working to eliminate complaining, criticizing and condemning from my character.

"O Lord, hear my prayer and let my cry come to you. Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily." (Psalm 102: 2-3)

Father Almighty, do not allow us to tempt You in our hearts by demanding the food we crave. When we call, answer us speedily.

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My grace is sufficient for you.

"But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves."  (2 Corinthians 4 : 7 AMP).

"We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us."  (2 Corinthians 4: 7 CEV).

We see here the interplay between human weakness and divine power. The more our weakness, the more God can pour His power into us.
Where do you store [hide] your treasure? Bank, bunker?  God hides His treasure in you and me!

"My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.”  (2 Corinthians 12: 9 GNT).

Today is the feast of St James the Apostle.  Happy feast day to all my friends called James, Jim and Jimmy.

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Be calm and watch what the LORD will do for you today.

"Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for those Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.” (Exodus 14: 13-14 AMP).

"Cast your care upon the LORD,
who will give you support.
He will never allow
the righteous to stumble."  (Psalm 55: 22).

Since the LORD Himself initiated this Journey, why not cast your cares on Him and watch what He will do for you.  Be calm. Let the LORD be the Actor. You be the spectator.

"Let nothing trouble you,
let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing;
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who possesses God lacks nothing: God alone suffices."  (St Teresa of Avila).

Salvation is the experience of the profound peace of Christ.  It is deliverance from the distress of fear, worry and doubts.  Salvation comes from Christ alone.  Trust Him.

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The Mustard Seed is the smallest seed.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.  It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches."  (Matthew 13: 31 - 32).

The mustard seed of God's word is alive, potent and sharper than a two-edged sword even if it comes in a tiny form. The origin of Christianity bears witness to this truth. What started very small with a handful of men grew into the biggest shrub. Many "birds of the air" today shelter in its shade. Many women and men make a decent living from this huge shrub. The beginning of a project may be small but if that enterprise is God's will, it will grow.

When Peter and the Apostles were arraigned before the Sanhedrin, Gamaliel, a leading member of the Sanhedrin prophesied: "If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will be unable to destroy them. " (Acts 5: 38). The history of Christianity proved that the enterprise is from God.

In the parable of the Mustard Seed, savor the truth of of small beginnings. Do not despise small beginnings.   Work of grace in the soul follows the principle of the mustard seed.  Small steps.  Small beginnings.  Silently.  Steady progress.

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Tell me, Mary, what did you see on the way?

"The Bride says:
On my bed at night I sought him
whom my heart loves — I sought him but I did not find him.
I will rise then and go about the city;
 in the streets and crossings I will seek Him whom my heart loves."  (Song of Songs 3: 1- 2).

This is the first Reading chosen today for the feast of St Mary Magdalene.  It illustrates the intense love of Mary Magdalene for Jesus.  She sought the dead among the dead and found the Risen Jesus who was waiting for her.  Jesus promised "Seek and you shall find."  ( Matthew 7: 7). Jesus rewarded her by saying to her: 
"Go to my brothers and tell them:
I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."  (John 20:  17).

And Mary responded:
"Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her."  (John 20: 18).

This made Mary Magdalene whose feast we celebrate today both the first person to see Jesus after His Resurrection and the first messenger of the Gospel.

St Mary Magdalene pray for us.

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I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

"I desire mercy, not sacrifice."  (Matthew 12: 7).

Jesus Christ brought grace and mercy.  Grace is unmerited favor.  Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown to someone who expects or deserves punishment.  Sacrifice is working hard to cancel or eliminate a debt.   "I have done my time in prison. So leave me alone."

Jesus is the Face of Mercy of Abba Father.  Mercy is the name and essence of God the Father revealed to us through His Only Son, Jesus the Christ. The open Heart of Jesus is the symbol and seat of Mercy.  Mercy is promised to all. 

Moses brought the law.  Experience shows that even for the best of us, it is impossible to observe the law perfectly.  Jesus Christ brought grace and mercy. 

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

Learn about how to be merciful from Jesus. Learn the ABC of Mercy:

A:  Ask for Mercy. 
B:  Be Merciful. 
C:  Completely Trust Jesus for Mercy.

Practice the Spiritual Works of Mercy:

1.Instruct the ignorant
2.Counsel the doubtful
3.Admonish sinners
4.Bear wrongs patiently
5.Forgive offences willingly
6.Comfort the afflicted
7.Pray for the living and the dead

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Come to me with your burdens and I will give you rest.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."  (Matthew 11: 28 - 30)

Gracious invitation from Christ.  But how do we come to Christ?  We come to Christ in prayer, in His word, and especially in the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance. 

What are the labors and burdens that we bring to Christ, the Doctor to heal?  We bring our burdens of sin.  We are overwhelmed with fears, worries and doubts about our health, family, finances, job, tools, food and the future.  We bring all these to Jesus.

How does Christ give us the promised rest?  He cancels our sins and relieves us once and for all from guilt.  Sometimes He heals our bodies and finances.  At other times, He gives us a supernatural perspective from which to view our woes.  You may call this indepth perspective therapy.  People go to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France for physical healing.  Many such people receive the indepth perspective therapy and decide to stay in Lourdes to minister to pilgrims sicker than themselves..

What yoke does Christ invite us to take upon ourselves?  The yoke of Christ is the Gospel of Christ.  The yoke of Christ is the Sermon on the Mount.  Christ Himself says that this yoke is both easy and light. John the Apostle says that to keep the commandments is not burdensome. (1 John 5:3). Paul writes of the weight of glory that awaits us after some light suffering.  (Romans 8: 18;  2 Corinthians 4: 17).

"Learn from me," pleads Christ.  Christ is the Teacher and the Lesson.  Learn to be with me.  Learn to be like me.

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