GOD IS ENOUGH

Saturday after Ash Wednesay Luke 5-27-32 Better a humble sinner than a self righteous saint. Our Gospel present to us two different types of persons- the sinner (Levi) and the self-rigtheous (Pharisees). The sick and those who pretend to be healthy. In today’s gospel it tells us that Jesus did not come to call the righteous. He is here for the sick. “Those who are well have no need of a physician”. He is inviting us to follow Him. Have yourself check to our Divine physician. Levi was an outcast, unwanted, despised, hated because of his profession. Someone no one wants to be around. You know what, our sins makes us the modern Levi but I have goodnews to tell you-the world may not care about us but God does. Yes, He does! He hates our sins but He loves us. I made mistakes, I messed up, I am not perfect but God’s grace is perfect and greater than my sins. We maybe a great sinner but the goodnews is, we have a greater savior. When Jesus invited Levi to follow Him; Levi left everything and gave a great banquet in his house. Levi understand that Jesus is more important than his wealth and his career. Friends, like Levi repent and rejoice. When we found Jesus we have the great reason to celebrate and initiate a party. The Eucharist is always party because it is celebration of a sinner who found a saviour. "Eucharist is 'not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak”. (Pope Francis) Brothers and sisters don’t miss to attend the party everyday. Jesus is waiting for you! Blessings Fr. Jhack

FASTING BRINGS US CLOSER TO GOD.

Friday after Ash Wednesay Matthew 9:14-15 Today our gospel is reminding us that when we fast we don’t need to compare what were doing. “Why do we and Pharisees fast often but your disciples do not fast?” Stop comparing, do your thing! Comparison is a thief of joy. Second, don’t complain if others are not fasting. Complaining never makes anything better. If were comparing and keep on complaining such fasting will not make your voice heard on high. Such fasting is not acceptable and pleasing to the Lord. There is a bit of Pharisaic attitude in us. We fast but we complain. We fast but we compare our piety to others. We love to post in social media our piety. We dont have to post it to prove it. Its an irony if we are faithful in fasting but the Lord is far from our lives. Finally, our gospel tells us that to be with Jesus is a thing of joy. “The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them.” Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God. Its the echo of God’s life in us. Celebrate and choose joy because happiness is not enough. Blessings Fr. Jhack

CHOOSE WELL

Thursday After Ash Wednesday Luke 9:22-25 I find our Responsorial for today very reassuring. “Happy are they who hope in the Lord.” Following the Lord is not an easy commitment. Observing our lenten piety is a challenge. Sometimes it is difficult to renounce the lures of worldly appetites. Temptation is very alluring. Indeed, life is a mixture of good and evil. As our first reading says: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.” Friends, on this second day of Lent our gospel present to us the reality of suffering. Life is a struggle but its not our identity. Today we are invited to rise up from our frailties and never allow any shortcomings of ours; taste their victory. Brethren, make a decision to follow the Lord. If we put our trust on Him the following will be our rewards. First, you shall live long and become numerous. Second, the Lord will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. And finally, your name will be remembered for all eternity. Remember, we are the product of our choices. There are times in life when you have to choose between turning the page and closing the book. Choose well. Choose to be better instead of bitter. Friends, you have the power to choose the life you want to live. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow the Lord. Blessings Fr. Jhack Diaz

ASH WEDNESDAY

ASH WEDNESDAY First day of Lent Matthew 6:1-6,16-18 “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” In this ancient formula we are reminded of our mortality and that we shall one day return unto the dust from which man was originally drawn. The ash reminds us that we are not immortal, we are only pilgrims travelling on the journey. One day we will be gone. Ash Wednesday is a reminder of our humanity. It is a day that reminds us we will not be here forever. We have an expiration date thus we are challenge to live the very best everyday. Folks, make the rest of your life the best of your life. For today, I would like to share 5S’s with you guys. The season of Lent reminds us that we are all SINNERS. Sin make us dirty, mortal and weak. Ashes on our foreheads reminds us that we are dirty. We commit mistakes in thoughts, in words and in actions. But no matter how sinful we are; there is a God who always loves and accept us. As St. Paul said: “Where sins abounds, grace abounds all the more.” Friends, Return to the Lord for He is gracious and merciful. Yes, we are all sinners that is why we need to do some SACRIFICES. We need to do something to please our creator. Be reconciled to God and now is the acceptable time. Our Holy mother Church asked us to pray, fast and give alms. Today is the right season to minimize our focus on the worldly affairs and fix our life to spiritual endeavors. Less of inordination worldy concerns and spend more on heavenly reaities. But, in doing so we need to do it in SECRET. Friends, pray in secret, fast in secret and give alms in secret. Showing that we are praying is hypocrisy. Displaying our generosity is pretension. Jesus warns us in the gospel saying: “Beware of practising your piety before people inorder to be seen.” Do not let your right hand knows what your left hand is doing. Finally, when we do some sacrifices we need to accompany it with a big SMILE. When you pray, smile. When you fast, smile. When you give alms, smile. SILENCE and SMILE are two powerful tools. Smile is the way to solve many problems and Silence is the way to avoid many problems. Fellow sinners, do sacrifices but do it in secret and accompany it with a smile. My dear friends, wishing you a blessed Lent. Let me end my reflection by sharing with you three signs of a sincere repentance. 1. CONTRITION. It means, you show a sincere sorrow not by shedding tears but by changing your sinful lifestyle. You are sad because you hurt someone up there who loves you so much. 2. CONFESSION. It is an act of humble recognition of our sinfulness. Naming our sins means accepting our limitations and imperfections. 3. CONVERSION. It means you promise not to do it again. You make an honest oath not to repeat the same mistakes again. Friends, don’t do it again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you. Blessings Fr. Jhack

GIVE UP EVERYTHING AND FOLLOW THE LORD

Tuesday of the Eight Week in Ordinary Time: Year C Mark 10:28-31 Friends, it is no easy to give our all but today’s gospel is very reassuring. The promise of Jesus is very clear: No man ever gave up anything for the sake of God and of His good news without getting it back a hundredfold. Our practice of self denial had a reward of eternal life in the age to come. Today, try to practice some sacrifices and self-denial for God’s sake and be surprised of God’s reward. You know what, spending your time in prayer is not a waste of time. Attending daily masses as your personal devotion is not a vain effort. Making yourself the last priority for the sake of others will surely receive hundred more times reward. Suffice it to say, the more we give the more we receive. Friends, let us make our life here on earth a means of storing-up heavenly treasures. Never be afraid to let go of our earthly wealth for Jesus promised us that if we give up this world and chose to follow Him; we will receive more than this world could offer. “The just man’s sacrifice will never be forgotten.” (Sirach 35:6) Challenge: Let us start accumulating spiritual wealth now. How? Give up everything and follow the Jesus. Following the Lord must be our greatest investment. Friends, what are you capable of giving up for Jesus? Blessings Fr. Jhack

DETTACH

Monday of the Eight Week in Ordinary Time: Year C Mark 10:17-27 “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The season of Lent approaches. As we enter this beautiful season we are invited to give our full attention to Jesus. Today’s gospel is teaching us to value the importance of dettachment. Friends, the less attached we are the more joyful we become. Attachments lead to sadness and disappointment. “And he went away sad, for he had many possessions." Our unwillingness to share our blessings with the needy cause us a troubled heart. Friends, never be a prisoner of your possessions. Jesus thus makes it clear that a true follower of His who wants to possess eternal life must share his riches and other blessings with the less fortunate. Our Buddist friends believed that attachment is the cause of all sufferings. Friends, loosen your grip on what is not eternal. Be not entangled of what is temporary. Today if we wish to follow the Lord, let go and let God. “Go sell what you have and give to the poor, and come follow me.” If we have God we are rich. If we have God we are saved! Jesus is all we need. Blessings Fr. Jhack

HOW TO BE A GOOD GUIDE

Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C Luke 6:39-45 Some people may judge us by our appearance. Others through the types of gadgets we possess. But how do we really get to know a person? Our first reading tells us that the interior defines the exterior. To know someone it requires us to discover their heart. Wait for the person to open his mouth because “Man can be detected in what he says.” Friends, speech is not just about words and sounds but can be the guiding principle to know one’s heart. Speech is the mirror of the soul. Let us then be careful because our speech can affect the lives of others. Be mindful of the value of human speech. Friends, how pure is your interior? When your heart is troubled your speech is grumbled. “For the mouth speaks from the fullness of the heart.” How to purify our hearts? Three points we need to consider. First, we need a good guide. “A blind person cannot guide another blind.” Second, we need to get out from the trap of selfrigteousness. Sometimes we are quick to judge but slow to correct ourselves. It’s so easy to see the sin of someone else and point it out but often more difficult to see our own sin. “Friends, being selfrighteous is hypocrisy. Hypocrites are those who conveniently forget their faults to point out someone else. Better to be known as humble sinner than a selfrighteous hypocrite. Counting other peole’s sins does not makes us a saint. Inshort, do not judge another person for what we see in others ussually exist in us. Let us examine our own sins, failures and mistakes. Friends, don’t find fault, find a remedy. Finally, let us use our speech to produce good words. Lord please clean my heart so that my words and deeds may glorify you. Blessings Fr. Jhack

CHILD’S NOISE IS GOD’S VOICE

Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C Mark 10:13-16 “Let the children come to me for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Some parents never bring their children to the church because of the following reasons: First, they think it’s a disturbance; children can be noisy in church. Second, they cannot contribute to the financial burden of the church. Finally, they need special attention. But amidst of all these reasons, Jesus in todays gospel is telling us: “Do not stop them.” My dear friends, children is a blessing not a problem. Friends, if we prevent the children to come to Jesus we lose the big chance of entering the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." If you don’t teach your children not to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to. As a priest, it gives me great joy to see more children in my parish church. It gives me joy if my parish church is filled with noisy children because it conveys a message that my church is alive. Child’s noise in the church is better than the voice of the choir. The noise of the children is the best and desirable Sunday preaching you should listen to. Why? Because it tells me that the church has a wonderful future. The child’s noise brings a message that the church is not dead. The child’s noise is God’s voice. Make it your practice to bring your children into the house of God. Blessings Fr. Jhack

MARRIAGE IS FOREVER

Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C Mark 10:1-12 “What God has joined together, let no one separate.” To all the husbands, your wife is your forever. To all the wives, your husband is your eternity. Sometimes your marriage will be tested by different waves and forms of struggles but separation or divorce is not the best solution. If there is a failure in your relationship, start again fix it and give each other a chance to be better. Make a resolve to work together in good times and in bad. There is no perfect marriage and when storms attack your married life learn to dance and bend in humility and give your marriage a music to succeed. Friends, divorce is like an amputation. You survive but there is a less of you. To all the couples, our gospel is reminding you guys that that best gift you can give to your kids is a happy marriage. God created us to relate not to separate. “What God has joined together, let no one separate.”Friends, marriage is a divine institution and no human power can dissolve it. Divorce is as painful as death because it is a death without a burial. Today and for eternity dont forget to tell your spouse that you love him/her everyday. If in case you forgot, let me refresh you of this: “I, ___ do you take you as my lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold, to this day onward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?” Blessings Fr. Jhack

CUT IT OFF

Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C Mark 9:41-50 Jesus in today’s gospel inviting us to give taste to peoples lives by being salt. Nowadays, good number of our faithful had lost their faith because of some church scandals and bad examples cause by few church leaders. As a result, their faith turns bland, some stop going to church, others change religion and worst others denied the existence of God and draw them away from the Christian community. Today our readings gives us the perfect hint on how to restore the sweet flavour of our christian catholic faith. Three importhing things we need to consider. First, lets do acts of charity like giving a glass of water to someone who is thirsty. We have to put value more on people than things. What is interesting to note here is that, charity benefits the giver more than the receiver. Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven. “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose their reward.” By doing simple charity we set a good example for others to follow. Charity is our perfect testimony to Jesus Christ. Second, we give taste to our brethren by avoiding a scandal. Jesus warns His disciples not to give a bad influence and example that might lead others to sin. Woe to us if we are the stumbling block for others to enter God’s kingdom. Shame on us if we are the reason why others are deprived of God’s beautiful gift of salvation. Its a great horror if we are an obstacle to others and block their path to heaven. Friends we will lose our place in the kingdom if ourselves are the main reason for others to fall into sin. Whatever cause us to sin, cut it off! Finally, our first reading reminds especially those who are affluent who exploit and manipulate the poor to enrich themselves that deceiving others to gain more money is evil. The message is very clear: use your money to help people. Never use people to make more money. Money is good but too much love for it makes our life complicated and salty. “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.” Friends, “keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another." Blessings Fr. Jhack

DO NOT STOP HIM

Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C Mark 9:38-40 “Whoever is not against us is for us” Life is not a competition yet for some of us we live as if it were. We think that we are better compared to others. Our gospel for today is reminding us that if an outsider performs a good deeds using God’s name “do not stop them.” Goodness is the language that everbody understand. Three things I would like to share. First, part of our mission is driving out evil influences in us and in our community. Friends be mindful that evil is everywhere. Let us fill our life with God. “If God is with us who can be against us.” Second, never be envious with people who are doing Godly thing even if they don’t belong to our circle. You know what, evil begins when we treat others with envy. Let us get rid of our prejudices and biases towards other’s beliefs. The Lord makes it clear with His disciples, “do not forbid him for no one who works miracle in my name can soon after speak evil of me.” Friends, the message of today’s gospel is very clear: never prevent someone from driving away evil spirits even if they don’t belong to our group. Finally, doing good has no boundary and jurisdiction. Good deeds is our glorious task. Even if our kindness would not be acknowledge by anyone, remember that someone in heaven smiles for what you have done. Keep doing good stuff even if others hates you. The good we do today often will be forgotten tomorrow but keep doing good anyway. Be mindful of this my dear friends, doing good, does you good. Blessings Fr. Jhack