Inspirations at your Fingertips!

The fruitfulness of the Resurrection John 21:1-14 The Easter experience has produced 5,000 converts.  It also caused Peter to gain wisdom and with the gift of the Holy Spirit, proclaim the Good News of salvation.  Also, the Easter experience enabled the disciples to have a continuing direct encounter with Jesus even after his death. What can Easter make of us? Our adherence to the Eucharist enables us to have a direct experience of the Resurrection of Jesus that no other religious activity can supply.  This is the sacrament of Jesus' direct presence in the world as he commanded, "Do this in memory of me." Second, the power of the Eucharist enables us to proclaim a message of hope for the hopeless and a conversion experience that will have an eternal effect in all people, including us. Finally, the Resurrection of Jesus can enable us to experience Him even after 2,000 years.  Jesus is here and now; we just need to continue opening our eyes to His presence ...

Christian witnessing Luke 24:35-48 Our actions always reflect a way of life, a set of belief, adherence to culture, a certain conviction. But let our actions be formed, not by the world, not by the preoccupations of daily life, but only with the words and saving action of Jesus. These are the marks of a Christian witness patterned after the Eucharist: 1. Docile to the words and actions of Jesus with Jesus as model. 2. Judging what is true and what is right. 3.  Performing the words and actions of Jesus in one's own decisions and actions. Only then can we regard ourselves as Christian witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus.

Availing of the graces of the Eucharist John 13:21-33,36-38 Jesus' role as the Messiah was prophesied in Isaiah 49:1-6 as "being called even before I was born" and "a servant with whom I (God) will be glorified", and "I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth." In other words, Jesus would be the one to heal the wounds of alienation and bring back the children of God to the Father. In today's Gospel, Jesus revealed that one of the apostles would betray him.  But he will be glorified nevertheless. The Eucharist is a steady food for the pilgrim people of God.  Unfortunately, not all are receiving this tremendous grace from Jesus.  Either they lack the knowledge of the Eucharist enough to appreciate it or they are so entangled with the world affairs that they forget the true affairs which consist of the Father's affairs. Our regular attendance at mass makes us beneficiaries of the...

Ending violence John 10:31-42 "There is terror from every side," says the first reading for today.  Even in the gospel, the Jews want to stone Jesus to death. But in the end, the Lord will triumph. He is also showing us why there is violence and how violence can be counteracted with the power of the Lord. There is violence simply because people do not know Christ and his ways.  They don't recognize him as God's only Son.  Secondly, they don't recognize his works as coming from God the Father.  They simply don't recognize him as One with the Father.  When we encounter violence with other people, notice any of these three things lacking.  However, the Lord will triumph with people who know Jesus, follow His will, and produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, and peace, among others. Let's pray for the conversion of this world.  Consequently, violence will end.

The covenant John 8:51-59 Just as God changed Abram's name to Abraham, so too God gave us our names when we were baptized. When God changed Abraham's name and He made a covenant with him, so too God made a covenant with us that we would His sons and daughters of God and He would be our Father. When God made a covenant with Abraham, he promised that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and that he would be blessed forever.  When God made a covenant with us, remember that God promised us eternal life and blessings.  What happened to us? Do we still feel we are living up to the demands of the covenant?  Do we realize that it is God who gave us our meaning here on earth? Let our lives reflect our total obedience to Jesus who is the way to the Father.

Water John 5:1-3,5-16 Water is the underlying theme of the readings from Ezekiel and today's gospel. Water is necessary element for survival.  Our body is composed of seventy percent water. When Jesus cured the sick man, he need not hurry to dip in the pool.  Jesus is the water that heals him. I would focus then on life rather on death.  Our bodies are dying each day; but with enough boost of water and its daily supply, we will continue to live. Others seem to inflict death more than inspire others to life.  They think that if they do it eveytime, they live.  When will we realize that all of us need water, not judgment or ridicule?  Let's pray that we may serve as water to each other. Second, let us focus on the One who is our water.  Just as water is important for our survival, so too do our livees depend on Jesus alone for healing, strength and life.

The consequence of following God Mark 12:28-34 What exactly happens when we don't go back to the Lord? what would happen if after all this time of receiving the Lord in the Blessed Eucharist, we are still back to our own selfish, vindictive, materialistic ways as if there's no significant change whether we receive Him or not?  What would happen?  The Lord will still pour to us his overpowering love and blessings, enabling us to really change. In the Gospel, Jesus laid out the template for real life, "Love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind."  This invitation calls us to leave nothing for ourselves, but to offer our entire being to God for his greater glory and honor.  Unless we live this out, our lives would redound to nothing. Second, Jesus calls us to love one another as we love ourselves.  This is in the area of giving to others what is due as signs that we are all special in God's eyes.  And it is our desire to ...

Offering and life Matthew 18:21-35 In the first reading, the offering Azariah mentioned in his prayer should be congruent to his repentant heart.  It's time that we also see the parallelism of the offering we do at every Eucharist we celebrate to the offering of our everyday lives to God. In the gospel, the degree of forgiveness to others should be seen in the extent of God's forgiveness to us.  And how does God forgive us? Absolutely and without conditions. Then how should be serve others?  Absolutely also without conditions as well!  This is to mirror in our lives what God has done to us that we should also do to others.