TRANSFORMED

Today’s readings have become so memorable for me because they were the same readings on the occasion of my 1^st SCRC Convention that I attended in August 31, 2008 and also happened to be my son’s birthday. I have felt tremendously the blessings that I received with the rest of the congregation from the SCRC Convention. I am very confident that they have been securely extended to our family and loved ones. I could still recall how my friend Bernadeth who was very sick at that time received healing from the Lord during the convention.  I praise and thank God for activities like the SCRC that continue to enrich the life of the faithful. The new anointing from the Lord and the unforgettable  first time experience which I felt in my heart back then have confirmed, affirmed, renewed and transformed everything that I hold dear in my heart and all other things whether it is good or bad as I have perceived it, up to this very moment. Amen. Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 20:7-9

...But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.

Only the love of our Lord God can satisfy all our longings and desires. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. We can never find true satisfaction unless we find Jesus. “My soul is restless until it rests in You” (St. Augustine). Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 (2b)

R: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

1 [2] O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. (R) 2 [3] Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory, 3 [4] for your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify you. (R) 4 [5] Thus will I bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name. 5 [6] As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied, and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.

No amount of wealth, fame and glory in this world can satisfy our longings. What are we doing on this earth? We are here to know, love and serve God. Where is our God? He is nearer to us than we are to ourselves. He is in the depths of our being every moment of day and night. St. Augustine said, "It is in knowing God that we know of ourselves." To know and to love God is to do the same for ourselves. We love our family, friends and work but do we stop at the gifts and miss the Giver. Remember, however weak or wayward or wicked we may be, God is madly in love with us whether or not we love Him because His nature and name is love. In an act of love he drew us out of nothing in the yesteryears and that love has sustained and enveloped us every single moment of our life. It is an act of love that we are still able to draw the next breath of life. The moment He cease to love us for an instant, we will cease to be. How easy it is to put ourselves in the center of the universe. All we think about is our comfort, health, wealth and work. We are not the center of the universe, God is. We are here on this earth for a few fleeting years in which to serve God. St. Theresa of Avila took a private vow or oath never to waste a moment of time. She knew that the moment which secured heaven for the good seed would secure it for us too. Amen. Hallelujah!

Romans 12:1-2

...be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect

Aren’t we supposed to live life in abundance? Today’s gospel tells us, that if we wish to come after Jesus, we must deny ourselves and follow Him. The one who saves himself will lose it. We have several selves and we have to lose our sinful selves. St. Paul in Gal. 2:20 said, it is no longer I who live. There should be no coexistence. Jesus should take over.  We are challenged to leave the world a better place than we found it. There can never be anything more rewarding than possessing the greatest treasure in the whole wide world. Are we willing to give up everything just to take hold of it. If we are wise and smart then we must carefully decide what we consider most precious for us. Indeed, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul. It's wiser to invest on treasures that will benefit our soul instead of material wealth. We can bet on this. There are very difficult situations in life that we simply have to experience and go through. But whatever it may be it is of great consolation if these difficulties, trials and hardships that we are confronted with and encountering are offered to God as a form of sacrifice that will make us whom God meant us to be. If we know that we are always conformed and aligned with God's will and plan in our lives to become a pleasing sacrifice before Him then nothing that we go through and suffer is in vain. If man recognizes, acknowledges and gives tribute to the goodness of a person how much more can God give to those who faithfully follow and obey Him. Our journey with God is a continuous struggle to allow God's will to happen in our lives. We should strive to succeed in our transformation and achieve to have the mind and attitude of God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 16:21-27

...You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do…24 Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.