WE ARE NOT SLAVES BUT FRIENDS OF JESUS

Friday of the Fifth week of Easter Year C John 15:12-17 We are reminded today to love one another. This is a command not an option therefore it requires a total obedience. The greatest proof of love was exemplified by Jesus. He did it by dying on the cross. He died in the name of love. Friends when you choose to love, do it without measure, love without conditions. Loving means committing to it without guarantee. You know what, the best and the greatest way to love is to die for someone you love. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Loving to the point of death is possible only if we only develop genuine friendship. “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Are you willing to offer your life for others? Finally, the gospel reminds us that we are not slaves but friends of Jesus. Let us reciprocate this love by observing the Lord’s command. In our first reading there are certain ordinances we need to keep as a sign of promoting our love to God. One among them is “abstaining from unlawful marriage.” If you abstain from doing wickedness, you will do well because the Father will give you whatever you ask Him in Jesus’ name. Friends, love is not using others for personal satisfaction. Love is dying for others. The Lord is telling us today to love people not to hurt them. We are told to love one another not used one another. Love one another do not rob one another. Love is who you are! Blessings Fr. Jhack

THE POWER OF LOVE

Thursday of the Fifth Sunday of Easter Year C John 15:9-11 “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” Our gospel for today is very short but very inspiring. Jesus offer us the secret to true happiness. “I have loved you; abide in my love.” Joy is what happen when we allow ourselves to recognize how much love God has for us. Friends, love is what we need today. “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete." Today Jesus wants us to be happy. Do you guys want to be happy? Remain in God’s love and listen to Jesus. I am pretty sure that love is reason behind your smiles. Love is what makes you happy. Love is the other name of God. It is interesting to note that joy is the vissible fruit of love. And what is most interesting is that; joy lasted even during trials. Friends, we are invited to rejoice even under persecution. You know what, no amount of persecutions can kill our joy. Joy is immortal. Joy is the presence of God in us. If we remain in God’s love no barriers can stop us from keep smiling. Life is better when you’re laughing. Keep yourselves in God’s love. Let the power of love overwhelm the life of people around you. Keep loving because love is an agent of change. Love can transform people. Love can change people from bad to good. Love can make all things beautiful. Love will makes you complete. “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” Blessings Fr. Jhack

VINE AND THE BRANCHES

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Year C John 15:1-8 If we remain, the divine life will flow and overflow in us. On the otherhand if we cut ourselves and choose to detach we will surely die. Connection with Jesus is the most important connections. Nowadays, our worldly concerns gradually separating us from the true source. If we disconnect we will surely have FLU. We will be FRUITLESS LIFELESS USELESS CPA is our mission. We are called to : CONNECT PRODUCE ABIDE Three years ago I was on my trip to the city of Rome and I have connecting flight in Toronto from Edmonton. I need to be connected or else I will surely lost my track. God wanted us remain in Him because He knows, we can do nothing without Him. “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Friends, connection with Jesus is an immortal connection. Once you are connected it has no expiry date. “I am with you always until the end of time.” Abide in Him and prayer is the link that connect us to God. Blessings Fr. Jhack

SHALOM

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Year C John 14:27-31a "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." The gospel is reminding us that if we want to look for genuine peace seek it in Christ. Peace cannot be find in this world. Pleasure is not the answer for peace. Fame is not the solution to peace. Power is not the password of peace. Drugs is not the medicine of peace. Look for it with Jesus. The peace that Jesus promises is not an escape from trouble. It is an avoidance from unpleasant things in life but believing and trusting in Jesus. Lord, help us to seek the peace that will bring us eternal joy in this changing world. Peace is relationship with Jesus. If we have Him, life has no worries and without anxieties. Jesus is the peace! Simply put, peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of Jesus. Let me suggest three important proposals for us to experience serenity and tranquility of the soul. First, make it a habit to pray. Connection to Jesus leads to inner peace. Second, dettach from earthly desires. Friends, let go of your inordinate attachments. The less we have, the peaceful our life will be. Finally, do good and keep doing it. Goodness is the door of peace. May the peace of Christ be with you always. Live in peace. Blessings Fr. Jhack

LOVE IS A VERB

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter Year C John 14:21-26 My attention was drawed to this line of the gospel. “Whoever loves me keeps my word.” Our Gospel directly reminding us that love is best express when its proven by action. It means when we love someone, do not just say it but also do action to prove your love ; for love is a verb not an adjective. Love is a verb! When you say it, do it. Simply put, love is not just a lips service. Love is not about how much we say ‘I love you’ but how much we can prove that it is true. Nowadays, any person can say that they love you but only few can prove it. In the same manner, loving God means keeping His commandments. If we love the Lord we should keep His ordinances. We are reminded that whoever observes the commandments of God is the one who loves Him. Friends, if we love the Lord we should refrain from doing wicked things. If you love the Lord stop hurting your partner, stop hurting your family, stop hurting people around you. If you love the Lord be honest and cease from spreading fake news. If you love the Lord, do what pleases Him. Today, we are challenge to prove our love for Him through our loyalty and obedience. Friends, love what the Lord loves. Finally, we are reminded to cast away our worries because Jesus promise a paraclete to teach and reminds us of everything. The Holy Spirit is the Advocate that God has sent to help us and to support us. The Holy Spirit too help us to carry out the will of God. Blessings Fr. Jhack

LOVE IS WHO WE ARE

Fifth Sunday of Easter Year C John 13:31-33a,34-35 In today's gospel we hear Jesus's commandment. “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” Friends, LOVE is our mark and identity. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Do we really demonstrate the love of God to others? You know what, today we are reminded that we have the responsibility to show to the world who we are by loving one another. Friends, learn to love well! Why do we need to love? For three reasons: First, love is the weakness of the enemy. When we love the devil trembles. When we love, we can transform our enemies. When we love, we can change the world. Love will make all things beautiful. Second, we need to love because love, can make all things beautiful. Love is the force that makes an earth a heavenly paradise. “There shall be no more death or mourning, crying out of pain, for the world that was, has passwd away.” Folks, love makes a world a happy and perfect place to live in. Today and forever, love without conditions. If we really love others, then let us love them without terms and conditions because it is a love not a bussiness contract. Friends, love without limit for love has no expiration date. Finally, when we love expect some troubles and persecutions. “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” But do not be afraid for love is the greatest conquerors. It conquer all obstacles and defies all storms. Friends, the beauty of love will lead us to our salvation and of the salvation of others. Start to love the way God loves. Blessings Fr. Jhack

REMAIN IN GOD’S LOVE

Saturday of the Fifth week of Easter Feast of St. Matthias John 15:9-17 When I was a seminarian, I remember what our Italian formator told us. He is telling that during their time there were three major requirements for priesthood. Number one, you should be BELLE, second you must be BENE and third BRAVI. Its an Italian words meaning: BELLE-you should be good-looking BENE-you must be smart and intelligent BRAVI-strong and brave. Inshort, the definition of best are belle, bene and bravi. Priesthood is giving your BEST to God. Looking at myself with all these three basic requirements, I felt I am not qualified. Im not the personification of BEST. Im not a good looking guy, Im not the smartest one and I don’t possess the virtue of courage. However today’s gospel is clearly telling me, I was called not because I am the best but because I am loved. I was ordained not because I am good but because of God’s grace and love. Love is the completeness of joy. Jesus is telling me today, Fr. Jhack I called you because I love you. I choose you so that your joy may be complete. Friends, life is not complete without God’s love. Remain in His love and let us share this joy by loving one another. Blessings Fr. Jhack

DON’T WORRY

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Year C John 14:1-6 In this world filled with so much worries and anxieties concerns, Jesus tells us to have trust and faith in Him. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God.” What are worries you right now? What are your fears? Have faith; give to Jesus your worries for He will take care of it. Give all your worries to God and sleep. Jesus is the comfort for troubled hearts. With Jesus everything will be okay. 99% of the things you worry about does not happen. Worry is a misuse of imagination. Worry ends when faith in God begins. The gospel too is reminding us that earth is not our lasting home. There is a better place than where we are now. We are not meant to stay here forever. We are only pilgrims travelling temporarily on this planet called earth. Canada nor Philippines are not are real home. We made better than that. Friends, heaven is our final destiny. It is our true home. God built a home for us. A home not made by human hands. We are destined for a blessed wonderful future because Jesus will come again and take us to himself. Folks, the deepest and greatest desire of Jesus is to take us with Him. ”I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” God wanted to bring us back to the original place where we came from-HEAVEN. To reach this beautiful paradise, let us put our faith and trust in Him. Worry no more because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Blessings Fr. Jhack

SERVING IS BLESSING

Thursday within the Fourth week of Easter Year C John 13:16-20 Christ invites us to serve. Friends, we are not here for ourselves but for others. Like Jesus our mission is to serve not to be served. Our calling is to make our world great by serving one another. Jesus is the master but He shows the great example by washing the feet of his disciples. We are called to do the same! Election is over and we have choosen our public servants. Take note we called our government officials “public servants” not leaders because their positions are office to render service. They are public servant servants because like Jesus they desire to serve and not to collect revenues for self promotion. To serve means to actualized the meaning of love. Service is putting love in action. We pray that our newly elected public servants will truly become men and women of service. Today’s gospel reminds us that position and power are opportunities to “bend-down” to wash what is dirty. We cannot serve if we don’t have the humility to bend. Friends, let us avoid eleveating ourselves to the pedestal of self promotion. Instead, let us exalt the virtue of humility by following the splendid example shown by Jesus himself. “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” Let me end my reflection by saying: there is blessing in serving. Blessings Fr. Jhack

JESUS IS THE LIGHT

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Year C John 12:44-50 The struggle between the powers of light and darkness dominate in John’s gospel. Friends amidst of these two opposites the desire of God for us is for us to live in the light. Choosing to live in the light brightens other people’s way. Folks, those who lives the light will make clear the reality of God in the world. If we truly accept and believe what Jesus teaches, there should be some evidence in our lives of that belief. Mother Teresa once said: “Words which do not give the light of Christ, increases the darkness.” How to spread the light? First, believe in Jesus for He is the light Himself. Second, shine your light because we are design to brighten the darkness of the unbelievers. Let your kindness shine so that all nations on earth may praise the Lord. Third, we must pass through the darkness to reach the light. Life has ups and downs. It does not have to be perfect to be wonderful. Our experience of pandemic is telling us that this world is not perfect but God is. We will surely have valley of darkness but don’t be scared of it for within us is the light of a thousand suns. Let us make this as our mantra today: this little light of mine, I am gonna let it shine. Blessings Fr. Jhack

BELONG, BELIEVE, LISTEN

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Year C John 10:22-30 “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me.” To follow Jesus is not easy. Why? Because we need to listen to him. In today’s gospel the Jews did not believe on Jesus for two reasons. First, they are not listening. Friends, it is difficult to convince people who are not listening. It is hard to persuade people who does not like to listen. Second, the Jews refused to believe because they were not his sheep. They don’t belong to the flock. You know what, it is a challenge to convince someone who does not belong to your group. Belongingness is believing. Today we are challenged to listen, to believe and be part of the flock. Why? Because eternal life is reserve only for those who believe. Eternal life is not difficult fo those who are listening. Conclusion: BBL- Belong, Believe and Listen. Be part of God’s flock. Accept Him and hear his voice. Are part of the flock? Do you believe that he is the Messiah? To whom are you listening? Blessings Fr. Jhack