FORGIVENESS BRINGS HEALING

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C Matthew 9:1-8 “Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven.” Jesus returned to his hometown. When the townspeople heard that He was home, they brought a paralytic to Him. But instead of healing the paralytic, Jesus does not perform a miracle of physical healing but told the man “your sins are forgiven.” The gospel reminds us that all of us all of us are in need of forgiveness. Why? Because it is SIN that makes us paralyzed. Everytime we willfully commit sins, we are making ourselves disable. Sin freezes us. Friends, today we have God who mobilizes our immobility. We have a God who defrost our frozennes. “Stand up, take your bed and go to your home." Don’t get stuck, MOVE! Finally, we have to be mindful that every time we do good we cannot avoid any criticisms. Theres always be a scribe critical in us. There will be people who will judge us and speak ill of us. Regardless of the negativity do not allow it to immobilize us. Good numbers of people cannot move because they get stuck to negativity. The paralytic man in today’s gospel is very fortunate to have his friends around him. They brought him to Jesus. How about you folks, what kind of friend are you? Are you that person who will bring your friends closer to Jesus or do you paralyze them yourselves? Remember, the farther we are to God, the more we cannot move. Be a good friend to your friends. How? Bring them to Jesus. Jesus is our friend who makes us laugh even when we think we will never smile again. Blessings Fr. Jhack

MAGNIFY YOUR STRENGTHS

Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul Matthew 16:13-19 St. Peter and St. Paul are often described as the ‘pillars of the faith': Peter was the rock upon which the Church was built and Paul was the apostles of the Gentiles. Like Peter and Paul sometimes we are fragile and weak but God chooses and calls us amidst of our limitatations. Friends, the feast of these two wonderful followers of Jesus reminds us that God can work through frail and weak people to establish his Kingdom. What are your limitations? What are your weaknesses? Embrace it, for out of it God’s power will shine. Magnify your strenghts not your loopholes. Paul a former persecutor became the great apostle to the Gentiles. Peter who denied Jesus thrice became the head of the apostles. Friends, to become stronger we have first to acknowledge and recognize our weaknesses. Today try to use your weaknesses to reach your strenghts. We are strong when we know our weaknesses. We are wonderful if we appreciate our flaws. We are beautiful when we have scars. We will be wise if we learn from our mistakes. Lord set me free from all my fears. Amen Blessings Fr. Jhack

FAITH NOT FEARS

Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C Matthew 8:23-27 “Lord save us we are perishing” Our gospel for today is inviting us to live in faith not by fears. Like the disciples in today’s gospel perhaps many of us are squeeze by storms. Perhaps many of us are about to sink because of different tidal waves that crash us down. Perhaps many of us are crying to the Lord pleading for His immediate help: “Lord save us we are perishing.” Friends, no matter how big the waves are, God can calm any storms of our life. Have faith! No matter what storms we are facing now, He has not abandoned us. When you felt you are drowning do not be afraid because Jesus is in the boat. Not all stroms can disrupt our life some of them come to clear our path. You know what, I firmly believe that the man who remain steadfast even in the midst of storms is blessed. Folks, God is stronger than storm. Today, let your faith be bigger than your fears. Faith will save us but fear may sink us. Friends, when fear knocks answer it with faith. Blessings Fr. Jhack

GOD FIRST

Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Year C Matthew 8:18-22 We may love our families very much and be very close to them but the greater love has to be to God. To follow Jesus would have meant leaving everything including our home. Jesus asks us to place Him above all--including occupation, family, personal desires, and aspirations. All we desire and all our work must have Christ as the focus and purpose. God must be first even before breakfast. Life is short, make the most of it and just go and follow Jesus. Life is short therefore spend it in serving the Lord. To be a disciple we must do what Jesus tells us to do. Put Christ before personal comfort, relationships and career. God first. Be willing to make Christ first in your life. Let Him your fundamental option. Friends, the password to a happy life is giving God the first part of your day, the first priority to every decision and first place in your heart. Put God first in your life and you will live joyfully. What holds you back to follow the Lord? Blessings Fr. Jhack

REJOICING JOT REFUSING

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C Luke 9:51-62 The call to discipleship is not easy. It involves making sacrifices like doing things that at times are not very pleasant. But you know what, the greatest things I ever done in my life was the moment when I say yes to the call of Jesus. Like Elisha in our first reading our response to the invitation of God should be joy. Friends, when you hear God is calling you, do not REFUSE but REJOICE. Never say “excuse me” but instead say “include me.” Suffice it to say, when the Lord calls you, celebrate and rejoice because our greatest inheritance is the Lord. Today, we are challenged to follow Jesus without any reservations. Let us make an effort not an excuse for excuses are nails use to build a house of failures. Friends, let us dettach ourselves from our attachments. It is attachments that creates problems and worries. We ask the Lord to give us the grace to give up everything we have and surrender our lives to Him in the service of others. Blessings Fr. Jhack