SIGNS, WONDERS AND MIRACLES

   What's your standard? I used to do R & D (Research and Development) work at the ITDI (Industrial Technology Development Institute) when I was in the  Philippines  and if there's one important thing that you've got to have that is to establish a set of standard to be used for the analysis. The same way with our life we've got to continue R & D work too, if we want to see improvement and success. As we are faced constantly with the struggles of daily life we have to discover new things, ways and strategies to come up with the best. As we go along our way we've got to carry on using the optimum parameters based on the only proven and reliable standard that is God’s. There should be no biases or indifferences among the community of God.    Today's 1st reading presents to us a problem among the disciples at the time of Jesus and even up to the present time. We should avoid taking sides and engaging in actions that instead of uniting, create factions. ...

   If we sometimes feel so tired and fed up with what's going on with our life then there is no reason for us to lose hope if we believe that we are under the care of a loving, merciful and just God. Each of us is called to fulfill our God given destiny here on earth. We can consider ourselves God's co-workers if we take upon ourselves the mission to spread the Good News of salvation that Jesus has won for us. We need not do exactly as Apollos and Paul in today's 1st reading. It doesn't matter whenever, wherever, whatever and whoever. We can contribute to the growth of God's Kingdom right here and right now. Amen. Hallelujah! 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 ...What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. 7 Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. 8 The one who plants and t...

   We should always affirm the presence and power of God's Spirit in us. We have to support and uphold this truth at all times by asserting it through our commitment to always allow the Spirit of God to rule over us and direct our actions. People who have grown mature in their relationship with God have become an alien in terms of relating to the world. Sometimes they are being referred to as fools for Christ just like the saints and martyrs who have given up everything for the sake of God's Kingdom. They are better off as aliens in this temporary world rather than in the  Kingdom  of  God  where life is eternal. They have found the real treasure as spoken of in the gospel of Mt. 13:44-46, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great ...

   Everything happens for a reason and there is a purpose for it but most of the time we fail to understand why things happen the way they do. We have to rely on God's power to make all things work for good. Sometimes we have this tendency to think that there is nothing more to this life than we see and hold right now. We have been bound by the physical aspect of life we forget that there is more to it. We ought to make this truth ever prevailing in us so that we do not fall for the trap of this world. The world has the advantage of making its values inculcated in us deeply if we just rely on human wisdom. Let us not be duped by this and rely not on anything less than the power of God. Amen. Hallelujah! 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fea...

 The word humility is very often misused and misunderstood. It has always been referred to in a very different way that sometimes there is a tendency for people to practice it in an ill mannered way. Instead of attracting or drawing other believers nearer to the faith, they shy away because of this wrong notion about humility. We do not have to undergo the extreme conditions needlessly. It is not the outward situation and circumstance that can attest to our humility but the disposition of our heart and mind while doing an act of humility. This is regardless of the status and influence of a person. We may have associated humility with someone who is materially poor, insignificant and belongs to the lowest in the social ladder. More often than not we seldom associate it with such people. We are greatly misled if we are to limit our definition of humility to just the physical. Today's 1st reading guides and leads us to its proper conduct. Humility should always be practiced in referen...