THE KINGDOM OF GOD

 Well, I guess everybody is guilty of this. We really tend to doubt and lose heart whenever the things that we want are not within our reach and sight. We really have to strengthen our faith and hope for something we do not see and wait with endurance. Just like what the 1^st reading is telling us today. There are so many unforeseen events at hand but we should remain firm in our faith, patiently wait and hope that the Lord will be gracious and reveal His glory. We may be going through a lot of trials and uncertainties in life that we sometimes feel like things are not going to get better. Or worse we may be experiencing it for quite some time and starting to become impatient of our situation and start to think of resorting to ways and means that this world offers rather than continue to trust in God’s steadfast love that never ceases. Today's 1st reading reminds us to not lose sight of what is truly important and of greatest value. Let us not be lured by the false, empty and senseless promises, satisfaction and delight that it offers for nothing compares to the glory of God to be revealed for us. For no eye has seen, no ear has heard nor anyone has imagined what is in store for us in the Kingdom of God. Though, there may be times when everything seems so difficult and farfetched we should always believe and never waiver for only those who persevere to the end will be crowned with victory. We have to fight a good fight and never lose hope. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Rom 8:18-25 

Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us...Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.  

Somebody from our bible study group asked Fr. H (Hyacinth) this question, "How come God chose Israel (Jewish) to be the chosen people when they are so stubborn and stiff necked." The answer that Fr. H gave him was so satisfactory and centered on the unsurpassed and infinite love and mercy of God and so much like what I read and chanced upon in the Book of Romans 11:33-36 as I read the 1st reading, " Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?" For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." We tend to take for granted or worst we become ungrateful in a way when we fail to realize the things that God has done for us. It is undeniable that if we will just look very closely at our lives we'll see and find out that the Lord has indeed done marvels for us. There are times when we really have to strengthen our faith and hope for something we do not see and wait with endurance. We may be experiencing right now, so many unforeseen events but we should always wait and hope that the Lord will be gracious and reveal His glory. There is some truth to the famous saying, “Easy come, easy go.” If there are some things that we've been praying for and it seems like nothing is happening we should never give up. Every good work should be carefully planned and carried out to completion. Though the process may be long and hard we can always count on God to stick with us through and through and make it happen. If we are always manifesting in our lives the values of the passion and death of Jesus then we are assured of the resurrection. For this reason it is good to share this prayer of Mother Angelica in times of temptation and whenever we are on the verge of giving up when undergoing trials and tribulations. The prayer suggests that we focus on the 12^th station of the cross which is when Jesus dies on the cross while reciting the following: Eternal Father, I offer you the 6 hours of agony, the death and the piercing of Your Son’s Sacred Heart for… (mention the need or petition). This is effective in the sense that the Lord looks down upon His Son, His agony, death and the piercing of His sacred heart for our sake. Only to God can we look with so much hope and confidence that the desert we are presently encountering at the moment will be turned into a refreshing spring of water. We may be suffering long enough under the heat of this life's difficulties but we must not forget that God is able to turn everything into green pastures. It is undeniable that if we will just look very closely at our lives we'll see and find out that the Lord has indeed done great things for us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 126:1b-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6 

R. (3a) The Lord has done marvels for us.

1 When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing. (R) Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 3 The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad indeed. (R) 4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the torrents in the southern desert. 5 Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. (R) 6 Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves.

We have encountered the words of "Kingdom of God" several times already in the bible especially the gospels. In today's gospel from Luke a reflection of St. Maximus Turin is referring to Jesus as the mustard seed planted in the garden. He wrote, "... a man named Joseph, a member of the council, from Arimathea»... He went to Pilate. He asked permission to take down the Lord's body and bury it. When permission was granted he placed it in the tomb he had prepared in his garden (cf. Lk 23,50-53). That is why Scripture says: «A man took it and buried it in his garden». In Joseph's garden there mingled the scent of many different flowers but such a seed as this had never yet been placed there. The spiritual garden of his soul was embalmed with the scent of his virtue but Christ's embalmed body had not yet occupied its place. When he buried the Savior in the memorial place of his garden, he received him even more deeply into the crevice of his heart." Once again we are being called to elevate, deepen and widen our knowledge of the Lord. Our faith also has the capacity to be just like this mustard seed, it will not only grow but will shelter others, too. God invites us to touch other people's lives by our example of faith shown and reflected in our lives. It took some time before the small mustard seed became fully grown into a large bush and so is the wheat flour mixed with yeast. Both of them did not instantly grow big. With regards to the mustard seed it was first planted in the garden and for it to grow must surely be cultivated and nourished. The same is true with the Kingdom of God, we have to take good care of the seed planted in our hearts. There are so many things that could hamper its growth or even cut it dead. Or we can't rush things, hasten the process and by pass the necessary stages of growth. We've got to take things one step at a time. We ought to take responsibility of making sure that this seed will reach its full maturity and be a pleasing testimony of God's kingdom. We all come to think of life as a mystery. We can't get all the answers that we want all at once but we can somehow work our way to it. As in the tiniest seed which eventually grew gigantically. Let us be assured that we will all get there sooner or later as we plant, cultivate and nurture the Kingdom of God as a seed planted in the rich soil of our heart. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Luke 13:18-21

18 Jesus said, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and ‘the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.’ ” 20 Again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”