STEP BY STEP

Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time: Year C Mark 8:22-26 Jesus took the blind man out of the village and, having healed him, told him not to return there. I loved this phrase: “not to return to the village.” Friends, what and where is your village that makes you blind? Perhaps our village is our fears, anger, guilt, money, temptations, human weakness, wicked job and unhealthy relationships. Today the Lord is telling us, don’t go back there again. If we wish to see clearly let us move away from our village of addictions. Get rid of the village of sin. Never allow your sight be distorted by bad habits and dreadful vices for it does not produce God’s righteousness. Secondly, the blind man regained his sight because his “friends” brought him to Jesus. Are you a friend who inspire others to follow Christ more closely? Do you have friends who push you closer to Christ? In our life we need people who can help us see things clearly. I called them-friends. True friends are not the ones who make your problems disappear. They are the ones who won’t disappear when your facing problems. True friends are those who help you to see things as they are. Are things little blurry in your life? In our life there are moments that we don’t see things clearly. As a matter of fact, it is possible to have eyes and yet not see very clearly. Right? Friends, healing is a process. Jesus healed the blind man in two sessions. If on the first session you’re not healed don’t worry because there is another session waiting for you. Never rush things, do it step by step. Today, let us begged the Lord to open your eyes so that we may see things clearly as they are. Friends, come close to Jesus and listen to Him. Conclusion: 1. Healing is a process. Transformation is achieved step by step. 2. If there are people and events or things that makes your vision blurred, do bot return to them anymore. Dump them. They are like waste and garbage. 3. We need people that will enable us to see things clearly. Blessings Fr. Jhack

YEAST

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time: Year C Mark 8:14-21 The disciples were worried about having too little bread, and Jesus is saying: "Why are you talking about having no bread?” They had no bread but what they missed that Jesus was with them. Oftentimes, like the disciples we are so worried about the future that we failed to enjoy the present. Friends, don’t over think so much of the days to come without first enjoying the now. Watch out for sometimes too much emphasis of the future robs the joy of today. Let us learn from Jesus. Trust Him and don’t worry. One bread is more than enough and this bread is no other than Jesus Himself. Second point, the gospel is reminding us the truth about discipleship. Discipleship is learning from the master. In this case “comprehending” Jesus. “Do you still not perceive or understand?" Friends, let us keep learning especially on the matters of our faith. Learning never exhausts the spirit. Never stop learning because life never stop teaching about our faith. When we know better, we can do better. Finally, our gospel for today is warning us to protect ourselves from the influence of hypocrisy. Jesus warns the disciples to look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod. "Watch out - beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod." The Pharisees were unable to see the truth that Jesus was the Messiah. While the Herodians loved having wealth and put their hope in power, pleasure and money. Herodians use religion to make money and to impress others. They mixed religion with commerce. Yeast is a rising agent. Little of Herod’s and of Pharisees’ yeast iare detrimental to our life. Watch out of this Pharisaic and Herodian influence in us folks. Jesus is warning us not to get caught up in the quest for more of the world’s goods or more of the world’s favor. Beware of the leaven of hypocrisy and worldliness. Friends, stay away from people who are greedy. Shun people who are full of pride and selfishness. Protect yourself at all times! Blessings Fr. Jhack

SIGNS

Monday of the 6th week in Ordinary Time Year C Mark 8:11-13 The Pharisees were looking for miracolous signs and some other spectacular display to test whether Jesus is the true messiah. They tested Jesus because He was not the Messiah that they are expecting. They tested Him because Jesus is not the Savior that fit to their presumption. Jesus sighed profoundly, probably feeling disgusted and sad for the blindness of the Pharisees. He concludes by saying, “No sign will be given to this generation”. Sometimes we too are like the Pharisees. We keep on demanding signs. And you know what, SIGNS will be SINS if we remove God in it. We look for signs but we dont look for Jesus. We look for signs but failed to see Him as the greatest sign of all signs. We demand for signs when we make decisions in life but we failed to consult Jesus. This is spiritual blindness. Brethren, we dont need signs, what we need is grace and wisdom from above. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.” If you are waiting for sign, this is it! Jesus is the grestest sign were waiting for! Let me end my reflection with the following reminders. First, there will always be people we can’t please. There will be people who will question your credibility. Be willing to let go some of them in your life. Second, some people will never be won by argument. They will demand for proofs, evidences and signs. Don’t argue with them for they will just drain your energy and patience. Stay away from this kind of individuals. Finally, if people demand for signs it means they are not interested to you. Do not force the blind to see if he is not willing to open his eye. Conclusion: Consider it nothing but joy whenever you face trials of any kind because the testing of your faith produces endurance. Moreover, ask for wisdom and do it with faith. Happy Valentines folks! Blessings Fr. Jhack

THE BEAUTITUDES

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Year C Luke 6:17,20-26 Our gospel for today speak about the beautitudes. The beautitudes are the standards of God. It is an invitation to a way of living that brings true happiness and supreme blessedness. Literally speaking beautitude means “happiness.” Now, looking each beautitudes it seems like it is illogical and unacceptable to think that being poor, hungry, weeping, hated, persecuted are considered blessed. Right? In the eyes of the world we take these as misery and being unfortunate! Yet, in God’s eyes it is blessedness because being poor, hungry, reject, persecuted mirror and reflect Jesus Christ. Each beautitudes begins with the word “blessed” (translated as extremely fortunate, well off, extreme happiness) and it speaks one as highly favored by God. Friends, we are blessed if we are poor, hungry, weeping and insulted. Why? Beause our only hope is the Lord. We are blessed because we take Jesus as real source of our joy. Friends, money, food, possessions, cars brings temporal happiness. “All that is not eternal is wternally useless because what is essential is invissible to the eyes.” When we follow the Lord we will never be poor. We will never be hungry. We will never be sad and that is our blessedness. There are eight beautitudes but today let me just highlight the firts one-being poor. To be gifted with riches is a blessing. We have all the desires to live in abundance and prosperity. We aspire to have good health, good job, good friends, good source of income. There is nothing wrong being affluent because wealth is a grace and gift from God. God does not condemn rich people but God warned them on their attachment to their riches. It is not sinful to be rich infact God wants us to live in prosperity. Being rich is a blessing. But replacing God with money makes it not acceptable with our Lord. Friends, attachment to material riches is a dangerous attachment. Too much possession will possess us. “If material things are what you are talking about when you say I am blessed, you have mo idea what blessing is.” Money cannot substitute God. Challenge: Today, use your money to help people. Dont use people to make more money. If we want to be extremely happy, live simply. “Blessed are poor of spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Friends, becareful of the non economic use of money. Money can make people selfish and greedy. Money can destroy relationships. It can break marriages. It can but people’s integrity. Money can be a pathway to damnation-hell. Let us be careful because the devil is very clever. He will help us to accumulate temporary wealth so that we will forget God. Woe to us if we fall on the trap of the devil. In this world, the rich are on the top and those who are poor are in the bottom. But in the kingdom of God there will be a reversal if you despise the poor because of your possessions. Friends, the coming of the kingdom turns everything upside down. Today, let us ask the Lord to give us the grace not yo be materialistic but to live according to His plans and designs. Blessings Fr. Jhack

BE OPEN

Friday of Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year C Mark 7:31-37 The healing of a deaf man with a speech impediment is telling us that we have a who God cares about us and what we are going through! He has mercy on our misery. BE OPEN- (Ephphatha) it means God is telling us to prepare ourselves to received blessings from him. Open your life to God’s infinite blessings. He will turn your sorrow to joy. He will lead you from darkness to light- EPHPHATHA! Nowadays there are so many Christians had speech and hearing impediments figuratively speaking. We close our ears to the truth. We cover our eyes to the needy. Like Jesus we are invited to take care for the misery of others because kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. When we care we can cure. Addictions, loneliness, depression will disappear if we care. Today is a day for us to be aware of our own muteness and our own deafness. Don’t be deaf and mute to the things of God. Jesus has blessings, favors, gifts, surprises for you today. Be open! Finally, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone of the miracles he had done because He would like to teach us one great lesson in life. When we done something, let us avoid announcing it. Let us not be tempted to broadcast and advertise our deeda of kindness. WORK HARD IN SILENCE, LET SUCCESS MAKE THE NOISE. Work for a cause not for an applause. Live life to express not to impress. Dont strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt. Blessings Fr. Jhack

PPROBLEM, PERSISTENCE, PRIZE

Thursday of the 5th week in Ordinary Time Year C Mark 7:24-30 Today I would like to share 3 P’s with you. Our gospel start with a PROBLEM. What’ the problem? A Gentile woman of syrophoenician origin needed help in a desperate way. She was concerned about her daughter tormented by a demon. Shes looking for a solution but she finds series of problem as follows: 1. She is a woman: during the time of Jesus woman are not allowed to be with men in public places. It’s a taboo. 2. She is a Gentile and Jesus is a Jew. They have cultural biases to each other. 3. She was insulted. She was called “dog”. Jesus was not minding her. There are moments in our life that like this syrophoenician woman we are looking for a solution but we find series of problems. Right? But amidst of the insults and discouragement and her low social status, she never give up. She’s very PERSISTENT. PERSISTENCE is stubborness with a purpose. Brethren, never mind what others are telling about you. No amount of discrimination can stop you if you have persistence and faith. Miracles are possible if you don’t stop believing. If you are ignored, denied and refused, keep trying but be humble. Because of her persistence she got the PRIZE. The reward was; her daughter was healed. Brothers and sisters you may have so many PROBLEMS but if you are PERSISTENT God will reward you with a PRIZE. Remember this: If your plan A didnt work, the alphabet has 25 more letters. When things and occassion are disappointments, try not to be discouraged. Obstacles don’t have to stop you. Success were accomplised by tired and discouraged people who never quit. Keep the flame of optimism shine on you. No matter how bad it seems today, it will be better tomorrow. After every storm, the sun always shine. Blessings Fr. Jhack

WATCH

Wednesday of the 5th week in Ordinary Time Year C Mark 7:14-23 “It is not what you eat that defiles you” It is not what goes into our mouths that makes us ‘unclean’. The problem is not the stomach, but the heart. The food may not healthy but ut won’t make us unholy. What we eat may make us dirty but it won’t make us sinnners. Food has nothing to do with our holiness. If we watch our physical figure but never watch our spiritual fitness there is something wrong with our life. Defilement is moral and spiritual, not physical. The heart of the problem is the heart. Jesus said, if you want to be concerned about things that defile - look into your hearts for the cause of real impurity: adultery, fornication, murder, stealing, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride and foolishness. Moral cleanliness is more important than ritual purity. Our worship is meaningless if our practices is just for display. Our going to the church is just a show if on the other hand we are still living dishonest, unfaithful to each other, having illicit affairs, keep on swearing, lustful etc. Internalized our externals. Keep WATCH! Watch your: W-ords A- ctions T-houghts C-haracter H-earts Becareful with what seeds you allow to take root in the garden of your heart. Not all seeds bear good fruit. Fellow sinner, our heart needs the help of heaven. Let us cry out to Jesus right now and ask Him to make us clean in and out. Friends, we may not be clean but Jesus can purify us. Change my heart O God and make it like Yours. Amen. Blessings Fr. Jhack

MATCH YOUR WORDS AND YOUR ACTIONS.

Tuesday of Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year C Mark 7:1-13 “This people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.” Three points that I would like to share. First, it is easy to honor God with our words but He is not after of the sweet words of our mouth but He is looking for the purity of our hearts. Words are nothing if what we profess does not match with our performance. It is very easy to say, I am sorry, I love you, I will not do again. But the question is: Did you put into practice what you have promised? How sincere are your words? How true are you tonyour promises? Friends, let not our lips and our lives preach two different messages. Honor God with your heart not just by your lips. Do it, show it, prove it. Remember, “well-done is better than well-said.” Second, Jesus is not please with people whose hands are clean but with dirty heart. In short, it is the behaviour and character that counts not the looks and appearnace. Be mindful that dirty hands does not mean dirty hearts. Clean and beautiful hands does not follow clean and beautiful hearts. Let us prove our devotion with the authenticity of our love. Belief in God is superfecial and shallow if human tradition transcends God’s law. Finally, eat whatever you wish to eat but never be hard on people. Washing of hands is good but cleansing of our hearts is better. Sanitize your hands and don’t forget to purify your hearts. Do not worry if your hands are dirty as long as your hear is pure. Friends, never live a dicotomize life. I mean, avoid living a double life. It is hypocritical if you are faithful church goer but having an illict affair with someone at the same time. You memorized all the church prayers but at the same time you have your own daily litanies of swearing and cursing that’s hypocrisy! Just like Jesus, he broke that sanitary law because the rules are not serving love anymore. Jesus broke the law to heal people. Take note, the highest rule is love. The rule of love is the supreme law. God’s commandment is far more important than human trafitions. Stop confusing what you do with who you are. Blessings Fr. Jhack

PURIFY YOUR HEARTS

Tuesday of Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year C Mark 7:1-13 Our gospel speaks about ritual purity:sanitary concerns. The Scribes and Pharisees questioning Jesus for violating their tradition and practice of purity-washing hands before meals. It is very clear for Jesus that it is not what goes into our mouths that makes us unclean. Friends, the gospel is telling us that the problem is not the stomach but the heart. Sanitize your hands but never forget to purify your hearts. Cleanliness is not only an external concerns but primarily on internals affairs too. If we are clean externally but dirty internally that is hypocrisy. For Jesus, if we want to know the things that defiles us let us look into our hearts. I hate to say this but my dear friends, if our hands are clean but we are stealing stuff we dont own, we are dirty. If our hands are pretty but our thoughts are adulterous, lustful possess a pornographic memory, we are dirty. If our hands are spotless but we are malicious, greedy slanderous, dishonest and gossipers, we are dirty. Remember this: sin does not begin in the stomach but it starts in the hearts. What we eat may make us dirty but it won’t make us a sinner. Its unhealty but not unholy. Cleansing our hands does not make our hearts pure. Friends, moral cleanliness is more important than ritual purity. I love people with dirty hands than people with dirty mouth. Today be cautious with someone whose actions does not match with their words. What defiles a person is his own actions no the food he eats. Sorry to say this: It is hypocrisy when we are smiling but deep within we are upset and angry. We are fake if we praise the Lord but cursing other people. It is hypocrisy if we are praying in the church but swearing at home. It is hypocrisy when we say I love you but our actions shows hurts and hate. Hypocrites claim to know God but their actions deny Him. Hypocrites love to wear white robes but live in darkness. Hypocrites have clean hands but with dirty hearts. “This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Fellow sinners our heart needs help of heaven. Let us cry out to Jesus right now and ask Him to make us clean both in and out. Amen! Blessings Fr. Jhack

GOD’s GRACE IS ENOUGH.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C Luke 5:1-11 When God calls someone for a mission the feeling of unworthiness is always the immediate response. Isaiah finds himself not worthy of God’s invitation because of his unclean lips. Paul judges himself to be unworthy of the call because of his past as former persecutor of the believers. Peter doubts the words of Jesus telling him to drop his net one more time. These three men in today’s readings acknowledged their inadequacy, weaknesses and vulnerabilities. However, amidst of their excuses God qualifies and sanctifies them. Friends, when we start to be aware of our unworthiness and nothingness that is the perfect time to take a first step into deep water and follow the Lord. The moment we recognized our sinfulness that is the perfect indication of God’s active presence in our life. Our sins does not disqualify us to continue the missionary work of Jesus. At times we feel like Isaiah Paul and Peter in today’s reading. We feel so unfit, however let me tell you my dear friends that perfection is not a requirement to follow the Lord. Just like Isaiah be ready to say “Here I am Lord, send me.” Your dirty mouth can be used by God to speak the truth. Sometimes our mouth is dirty because we fed it with gossips. We fed it with dirty and bad words. We swear. We curse. We insult people. We use our mouth for profanity. Our mouths are sometimes dirty because we use it to complain and vehicle of spreading dishonesty. Just like Paul believe that it is God’s grace who makes us deserving. “I am what I am because of God’s grace.” God’s grace will sufficiently uphold us amidst of our limitations. Like Peter just drop your net. Friends, never allow your dirtiness, fears, and doubts paralyzed God’s trust in you. As Rick Warren once said: “In God’s garden of grace, even a broken tree can bear fruit.” The grace of God makes everything possible. We may think we are not good enough but God’s grace is beyond our imagination. God’s grace is enough. Blessings Fr. Jhack

NEVER GIVE UP

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C Luke 5:1-11 Most of the disciples of Jesus were fishermen. Of course, fishing is their way of life. When Jesus called them to be fishers of men, they stop fishing and followed Jesus for three years. But when Jesus died, they were frustrated and they went to their old ways of living:they went back fishing again. The problem was, they caught nothing. “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing.” Maybe they are trying so hard, giving their best, tried every possible means but end up nothing! For Peter it was a fruitless night. The effort does not corresponds to the effects. Friends, we may be like these disciples. Perhaps there are moments in our life that we tried everything but nothing happened. We give our best but seems our best are not enough. We try but we failed. We felt frustrated, disappointed, discouraged and seemingly wanted to give up. Maybe some of us here are undergoing difficult and hard time in our spiritual life, frustrations with our financial life, emotional imbalance or perhaps troubled marriage. Today the gospel is telling us: “Don’t give up, try something new.” Cast and lower your net again and you will find something. Three points I would like to share with you guys. First, when you are disappointed, discouraged and frustrated, never give up. Raised your hands to the Lord and let Him take over. Surrender your problems to Jesus. Don’t give up because great things take time. Remember, life has two rules. Rule number one, never give up. Rule number two, always go back to rule number one. If your plan A didn't work, stay cool for the alphabet has 25 more letters. Second, when you are frustrated, do not try to be tempted to go back to your old ways.(fishing to fishing). Try something new! The Lord wants us to grow. Start something new and fresh because life is great and amazing amidst of failures. Try to be better version of yourself everyday. Take this in mind: success is a journey not a destination. Try something new for old ways won’t open new doors. Friends, when you are tired passing through the doors, tried to get in the window because some windows are wider than doors. Finally, when we allow Jesus to come into our lives; amidst of our imperfections and unworthiness, we will no longer be dragging the burden of problems but we will enjoy the overflowing blessings of God. Amidst of our sins, we have a God who is ready to turn our frustration to celebration. God will always transform our burden into blessings. He will change our sorrow to joy. He will turn our cross to a crown Our trials will be changed into triumphs. If Jesus is all we have, we have all what we need. In our nothingness God will be our everything. Friends, never get frustrated by our emptiness. “Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on.” Duc in altum! Here I am Lord send me. Blessings Fr. Jhack