DON’T WORRY

Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C Matthew 6:24-34 Do not worry Life is very simple so do not worry. 99% of the things you worried about don’t even happen. So relax for God is always with us. He who trust in the Lord will not be disappointed (Isaiah 49:23). Today the gospel is reminding us to put our 100% trust in God. “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” Worrying is not a good idea. The gospel does not suggest that we stop worrying but it challenges us to trust in Jesus instead. Those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything. Trusting God means having faith that He knows what is the best for us. As St. Pio once said: “Pray, hope and don’t worry.” Anxiety is useless faith is power. 3 reasons why we were stressed: 1. We serve the wrong master. We love wealth more than God. 2. We focus not on the Creator but we keep on chasing the ephemeral things created by the Creator. We pursue the offer of this world and neglect the promise of Jesus. 3. We never trust the ability of God to perform wonders and miracles in our life. Worry undermines our confidence in God. Worry will freeze God’s blessings in you. Anxiety is futile, be allergic to it. CONCLUSION: Depend on the Lord, trust Him and He will take care of you. (Psalm 37:5) Friends, if you are struggling right now remember this: God will always provide. His ways are often different than our own but He always provides. It just might different than what we have in mind but He will supply all our needs. Whatever causes you to worry, give it to God and sleep. Don’t worry because worry is incompatible with being a Christian. If we’re worried it means we never trust the Lord. Worry undermines faith. To get rid of worries rely solely on the hope of heavenly grace. Be a warrior not a worrier! Trust the Lord and He will take care of you. Worry ends when faith in God begins. Blessings Fr. Jhack

TREASURES IN HEAVEN

Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C Matthew 6:19-23 Where is your treasure? Nowadays, most of us are more incline to materialism. We have the tendency to accumulate and amass something. Infact, large number of people seem to believe that material wealth is the solution and answer to every problem. Materialism is buying things we do not need with money we dont have to impress people that don’t matter. Today, Jesus in the gospel reminds us:“Do not store up treasures for yourself here on earth.” Friends, be mindful that finite things cannot quench infinite longings. What is not eternal is eternally useless. Our real treasure is not what we possess but the God who owns us. The most important things are not things! Remember that folks. Store up treasures in heaven. That is the very message of today’s gospel. Those who lays up treasures in heaven looks forward to eternity. And the way to store up treasure in heaven is in investing people getting there. My dear friends, if material things are what you are talking about when you say “I am blessed.” You have no idea what blessing is. Jesus is our real treasure. Today, never allow earthly treasure corrupts your hearts. Blessings Fr. Jhack

ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER

Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C Mt 6:7-15 Prayer is not a multiplication of words. Jesus told His disciples “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them.” In short, pray without using words. Why? Because the Lord knows our needs before we ask him. Even if we dont make a sound God still hears. Do not believe that the more words we say during our prayer it makes our petitions better. Take note, silence is the language of God. Prayer us not about the quantity of our words but it us all about the quality of our trust. For me prayer is not more on words but of actions. When we smile at someone that is prayer. When we give somebody a ride, that is prayer. When we phone someone thats prayer. When we prepare food for our family that is prayer. When you give someone a thumbs up, that is prayer. When we obey traffic rules that is prayer. Prayer is where the action is. Remember prayer is a verb not an adjective. Without action prayer is powerlesss. My dear friends please pray ASAP. Always Say A Prayer Conclusion: When you pray make it SHORT, SPECIFIC and SINCERE. Blessings Fr. Jhack

SECRET BUT SEEN

Wednesday within the Eleventh weeknin Ordinary Time Year C Matthew 5:43-48 In today’s gospel Jesus is showing us the difference between hypocritical righteousness against noble sincerity. “Beware of practising your piety before others inorder to be seen by them.” Jesus begin with a warning. Beware! It means becareful because many of us are doing beautiful acts of righteousness with wrong motivations and intentions. Friends, it is not only important that you do the right thing but you do it in the right way and for right reason. It is good to ask this question. What is motivation? What is your intention behind your actions? Our piety and other spiritual devotions are not meant to impress people but to please the Lord. It should not be done to seek attention or to gain the vanity of impression but to please the Lord. Brethren, GOD’S THUMBS UP IS THE BEST! When you pray don’t show it. When you give never announce it. When you fast do it in secret. When we pray inorder to be seen that is the wrong to pray. When we give and broadcast our generosity that is the wrong way to be generous. When we fast just to show that we are holier than others, that is the wrong way to do it. Do good but do it in private. Pray but do it in secret. Fast but avoid showing it in public. “Do not let your left han knows what your right hand is doing.” Everything we do does not need to be seen or heard. Let me end my reflection by saying: If we want to be admired, if we want to be recognized, if you want to be appreciated ALLOW GOD TO DO IT NOT PEOPLE AROUND US. Let your goodness melt like snow. When you give, write it on the water. Work for your salvation not for recognition. Please the CREATOR NOT THE CREATURES. As what I have told you: GOD’S THUMBS UP IS THE BEST! Blessings Fr. Jhack

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time: Year C Mt 5:43-48 It is very easy for us to love the person who love us. It is not difficult to smile with those who smile at us. Everybody can do it. What if someone will give you a finger (not the thumb but the middle one) what will you do? Today’s gospel is inviting us to love the unlovable and pray for those who persecute us. How to love enemies? What is the best approach in loving them? The first step towards loving an enemy is prayer. Sincere prayers can move mountains. “Pray for those who persecute you” says the Lord. If we have enemies let us keep them in our spiritual habit. Let us make them part of our spiritual journey. Why? Because when your mind is friendly your whole body will agree. When our thought is spiritually friendly our mouth will offer a smile, our hands become helpful, our tongue gives compliments. Brethren, be thankful if we have enemies because God is giving us an opportunity to be like Him. “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Friends, let us be convinced that every person is lovable. We have to love everyone and not to be selective about who we love. In today’s gospel we learn that there is more merit in loving enemies than liking a friend. There is great reward in transforming our enemies into friends. Therefore, let us transcend the meaning of love by transforming our irritations into acceptance. Let us switch our frown into smile. Lets us change our hatred into kindness. Keep loving the unlovable for love is a ladder that will enable us to reach the joy of life. Be like Jesus. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES! And that’s the password of perfection! Blessings Fr. Jhack

MOST HOLY TRNITY SUNDAY

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity John 16:12-15 Trinity Sunday is one of the sundays in a year that gives me headaches. Why? Because I found it difficult to explain this dogma. It is difficult to explain why 1+1+1=1. Three yet one! Three persons in one God. The Father who creates, the Son who redeems and the Spirit who sanctifies. The big term for this in theology is HOMOOUSIOS meaning the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are ONE in substance. It is a mystery but it is not a problem. Friends, let us allow it to be a mystery to be celebrated. We may not able to understand the HOW of the Trinity but I think it is very important to understand the WHY God reveal to us this mystery. Our God does not exist in isolated individualism but in a community of relationship binded by love. To profess God as Trinity is to say God is love and we see this in His revealed actions. God is all about love. When we live in love, we live in God. Let me remind you of this truth: God loves you! Today’s celebration is an encouragement for us to survive during this hard times. Why? Because there is a God who continue revealing himself as a God of love. What is the doctrine of the Holy Trinity teaches us? The truth is this: the Holy Trinity was not invented or discovered by men. The truth about the Trinity was revealed by God himself. There is one God and in this one God there are three divine Persons; the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three Gods, but one, eternal, incomprehensible God! The Trinity is our identity. We were baptised in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We mark ourselves with the cross. The cross is our identity. We were welcome by this sublime mark during our baptism. When we die, we will be commended by the same faith. Blessings Fr. Jhack

THREE S

Monday within the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time Year C Matthew 5:38-42 Let me start with this story: From his death bed. the husband called his wife and said, "One month after I die I want you to marry Samy." "Samy! But he is your enemy!" "Yes, I know that ! I've suffered all these years so let him suffer now ." Let me share 3S for today’s reflection. First, Life is SHORT. Our life span is 70, 80 for those who are strong. Friends, since life is short the purpose of life is not to live long but to live well. Better short but memorable than long but miserable. Remember that! We threfore are challenge to make the rest of our life the best of our life. How to live a memorable life? 1. Eliminate hatred in your life. Hatred, anger and resentment are the reasons why people suffer from highblood pressure, depression and hopelessness. 2. Take no revenge. Abstain all forms of retaliation. 3. Forgive. Not to forgive is like drinking a poison and expecting others to die. Second, let us make our life SACRED everyday. Live a holy life. How? 1. Be mindful that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Dont destroy it with drugs, alcohol, sex and toxic relationships. Your body is sacred. Respect it. Dont destroy it with over eating, over sleeping. 2. Life is sweet if there is no division. Unity is a sign of holiness. We have to avoid faction and division. There is no holiness in division. Unity is power, unity is strength. 3. Spent your heaven by doing good things on earth. Friends, ARE YOU GOOD? Finally, God wants us to be SAINTS. Be holy as I am holy. Be perfect as our Father is perfect. How to be holy? 1. Love your enemies. 2. Pray for them! 3. Return evil with good. Love is the weakness of the enemy. Be holy by being good and be good by loving. Blessings Fr. Jhack

THE GOSPEL IS NOT FOR SALE

Saturday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time Year C Matthew 10:7-13 Today our gospel is telling me personally, "Fr. Jhack like the disciples you are sent to go out to spread God's kingdom but carry no purse, no bag, bring no sandals." As a priest, my primary interest is God not material possessions. My mission is to proclaim the message of God not to accumulate things of this world. All I need to bring is JESUS. Only Jesus, always Jesus. Friends, if we bring Jesus we can cure the sick. If we bring Jesus we can cast out demons. If we bring Jesus, we can be a source of healing and peace. If we bring Jesus with us people will welcome you and give you something to eat. Suffice it to say, if we have Jesus, we have everything. Please don’t be ashamed to proclaim God's message for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but power of love and self-discipline. Friends let us renounce wealth and possessions and start spreading the good-news. Let us stop worrying about clothing, money, shelter because God will provide. We should only take what is essential and leave behind whatever would distract our mission. Renouncing the treasures of this world will free us from greed and from the danger of materialism. The lesser our possessions the more we become effective evangelizers. Remember, like the disciples we are sent to bring life, healing and renewal. Everything we received are free so let us return it back without payments. "Freely you have received, freely give." Friends, the Gospel is not for sale. It is free of charge! As a man of God I am called to serve with full of charity and live a life with utmost simplicity. Blessings Fr. Jhack

PURITY OF HEARTS

Friday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time Year C Matthew 5:27-32 “Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Adultery is a pandemic. The weapon it brings is a virus called lust. Lust is an addiction that begins with the thought that something physical can instantly fill up our emptiness inside. Because of lust families were destroyed. Because of lust healthy relationships were shattered. Because of lust good number of children transformed the street as their homes. Because of lust, cheating became a passion. Because of lust people were deprived of a genuine joy. Because of lust the world were filled with so much tears and regrets. And you know what, lust creates a long line up of people towards the gate of hell. Remember my dear friends, the price of dishonesty is always self-destruction. Friends, lust is a self destructive drug. To medicate ourselves from this addiction let us fill our life with the vitamins called love. Love is the prescription from the Divine Physician. The desire of God is to save us from being drowned in the ocean of destruction flooded with disoriented sexual fantacies. The desire of God is for us to grow in love. Friends, let me share the difference of love and lust. Love is of God and lust is devil’s. Love is eternal and long but lust is temporary and short. (Invest in a long term love not is a short term lust.) Love is the rose and lust is the thorn. Lust shouts but love whispers. The desire of love is to give but the desire of lust is to take. Folks, do not let lust consumed you. Do not let it be a sharp knife that will only kill you in the end. You know what, a man and woman controlled by lust is a foolish individual. When you allow to express your emotions in lust it will surely drain you. The more lustful you are the more weak you become. But if you reorrient and refocus your sexual energy to your passion amazing things will surprise you. Great is the reward for those who transform lust into love. Friends, today long to see the face of the Lord as our Reposorial Psalm is telling us and not look at the woman lustfully. Save yourself from the pit of destruction. Nowadays, people don’t want to hear the truth because they dont want to destroy their illusion. God’s version of reality is very beautiful that no man can make it. Friends, adultery is a grave mortal sin. Becareful of the devil’s trap. Just because someone desires you, it does not mean they value you. Read this again and again. Let those word sink in your mind. This could be the day you stop doing that self-destructive thing you do. Whatever causes you to sin, destroy it. Adultery can be avoided if you always remember who you are! Blessings Fr. Jhack

BE QUICK TO RECONCILE

Thursday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time Year C Matthew 5:20-26 In today’s Gospel Jesus is talking about holding unto grudges, anger, hurt and perhaps even hate. Friends, the Lord is inviting us to avoid unkind words. We are invited to choose love rather than hatred. Why? Because anger is one letter short to danger. It is a feeling that makes your mouth work faster than your mind. Friends, hold your words when you are upset because words spoken in anger leave a scar that can never be healed. Becareful with your words, once they are said they can only be forgiven, not forgotten. Becareful with bad-mouthing like gossip, slander, and defamation because it kills. Control your tongue! Finally, going to church for worship but having someone in life you are not in good terms with; is a fake worship. It is bigotry when we pray and make our offering to God but we keep hurting a brother or sister. “If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift”. People are more important than gifts. The best gift you can offer to God is to make peace with your enemies. Loving God but hating our brother is hypocrisy! Conclusion: People are more important than gifts. Reconciliation should not be delayed. Be quick to forgive. Reconcile right away. Friends, any material gifts are inferior to interpersonal relationships. Our offering is nothing if we keep hurting others. The best gift we can offer to God is making prace with our enemies. Today, “make peace with your brothers and sisters then come back and offer your gift to God.” Blessings Fr. Jhack

LAW KEEPERS

Wednesday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time Matthew 5:17-19 Today’s readings strongly emphasize the importance of God’s laws. In the gospel Jesus warns his disciples that anyone who breaks the law or entices another to break the law will be called “least” in the kingdom of heaven. He also tells his disciples that everyone who obeys and teaches the commandments will be called the “greatest” in the kingdom of heaven. Greatness is measured by being law abiders. Greatness is nothing more than following God’s rules and practising it everyday. When we break God’s law, we are broken into pieces. Friends, we are challenge to be doers not breakers of the law. Nowadays, we don’t need law instructors but law abiders. We need more witnesses than preachers. I remember what Pope Francis have said: “Preach by example, speak if necessary.” My dear friends, “whoever listen to the Word of God and act on it will be great in the kingdom of God.” Let me end my reflection by reminding us that rules are not made to be broken. Life without rules is a chaotic life. Life without rules is a path to danger. Life without rules leads to damnation. When we live without law, we live as if we don’t have freedom. Law puts order. Friends like Jesus let us respect any laws especially the law of God. Let us be law keepers and abiders. Move away from any law breakers because they surely are harmers. Friends, If you want to break something: Break the cycle of sin, break the bond of wickedness. Break your unhealthy relationships. Break your dishonest lifestyle. Break your vices and addictions. Break your ways of hurting others. Break your hypocrisy. Blessed are those who follow the law of the Lord. Blessings Fr. Jhack