In God’s Ways

Today’s Gospel Text: And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; 18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:16-21

Reflection: There are some things in life which cannot be told to others nor will it be easily understood by others.  

Can you tell any adult about engineering or science or politics?  One has to be technically proficient in that particular subject in order to understand the depth of the matter.

But there are something’s in life which are understood easily and yet not completely understood as it is supposed to be understood. 

When it comes to the word of God we face a similar predicament; there are some who never understand it and there are some who understand it and yet never understand it as it is supposed to be understood and the worse is when they understand it superficially and yet think that they have understood it all.

It also depends on who communicates to whom and how it is communicated; a good teacher will normally make their student thorough in what they teach.

In this gospel passage we have the angels who have communicated to the shepherds about the Child Jesus: I am sure when God or his agents communicate they communicate much more perfectly then any human being.

Because when humans communicate, they need to take into consideration the categories in the mind of the other, which is not done most of the time or is done imperfectly.

But when God or his agents communicate they know the categories in the human mind, its many objections and then it is, above all, communicated in grace to the spirit, which perfectly understands.

Hence what was understood by the Shepherds through the message of the angels was well listened to by the people who heard these shepherds share and yet did not understand it and “wondered at what the shepherds told them.” (vs.18)

Prayer:  Lord, put your Spirit within me so that like Mary I too may learn to ponder on your word and then cause me to walk in your ways. (cfr. Ez. 36:27)

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Mystery of Life

Today’s Gospel Text: He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And some one said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, 24 "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us.' He will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' 26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' 27 But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!' 28 There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." Luke 13:22-30

Reflection: Did anyone tell you that all will be saved from damnation because he is a God of love? If you believed in them then remember; beginning with that person even your salvation is at stake.

How dare they make the master of all truth a liar or make his chosen servants the evangelist a liar? If you address truth as lie, then what is left for you except to dwell in lies all along life’s journey unto eternal damnation?

Woe to the wise of the world, the learned and the educated who despise the wisdom of the God of all ages. It is his action of love to preserve those that walk righteously in his ways.

Yes only a few will be saved and if you have to condemn such assertion as fundamentalism or by any other name without ascertaining the truth of the matter then it is to your own condemnation.

The choices we make today have eternal ramifications and Jesus' warning about the few being saved is not to be taken lightly. It should make us see the truth behind it and more so the price that he paid in order to bring this truth to us.

The death he endured just so that we may know the eternal truth and the eternal value of our soul could help us in not rejecting what Jesus has to say.

The cross of Christ speaks a powerful message; that eternity is offered to us as a gift by living out the challenges that comes through faith in Jesus.

There will be many to ridicule and mock as they did at the cross, willing to shed innocent blood in order to accomplish their agenda for a just world achieved through pseudo equality, justice and brotherhood and through vile suppression and wrong doing. 

Prayer:  Lord, in your mercy open our minds to understand the depth of the mystery you have revealed in the revelation of Jesus and his cross and resurrection. 

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Foolish Fools

Today’s Gospel Text:  Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 11 And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: 'You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive.  15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.' 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Matt 13:10-17

Reflection: To make fool of people or to fool the people is one and the same.

Many experts and trainers do that; they use the gift of their gab to fool people with half truth.

The most surprising part is that people do get fooled and get carried away by the such crooked nobility of apparently sincere men and women.

History is replete with examples of such Characters who have led their own generation astray, only to be condemned by subsequent generations, who walk in the same folly in their own generation.

What do you call such stupidity of men in their own generation, who think their learning and their intellect and study makes them wise.

To prod them on, the world dishes out its wisdom to them, such as these; "failure is a stepping stone to success." How can failure due to absolute stupidity and foolishness be a stepping stone, if not to pride and self-conceit?

How can you explain this phenomenon in men of every age; believe in the lie, more than the truth?

This could be the reason why Jesus presents to them the pure truth of the parable in a covert way. The parable is all truth and there is a mystery about it; a store house of truth which needs to be explored and discovered, What is more, it comes to us in many dimensions, 

Those who dwell on it with God's help are richly blessed into penetrating the mystery and can multiply  their blessings according to their perseverance.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your love for us,  that you allow us to enter into the depth of your mysteries and saving grace.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us