Inspirations at your Fingertips!

Know Jesus John 7:1-2,10,25-30 The essence of the today's Gospel is knowing.  "Knowing" in the scriptures implies total intimacy as in "knowing a man or a woman" or in Mary's case, "I know not man." Knowing means knowing God's saving action, "Know the righteous acts of God" (Micah 6:5) Knowing in Jesus' case means, it is knowing him as the Son of God and the Messiah, "Who you say that I am?" Knowing more deeply implies that the person knowing becomes totally one with the person being known.  It means entering in the very mystery of Jesus. This Lent, the only way to know Jesus is to change one's life in total unity with him, i.e., knowing his will and sharing in his salvific action.

Witnessing the Messiah John 5:1-3,5-16 WITNESSING is born forth from a concrete encounter with someone or something - a family member, a friend, or even an enemy. It is also true with witnessing God's presence - it is borne out of a myriad of experiences of God's loving presence and how he brings life to us and others. We need to purify our senses before we can give witness to God.  From belief that he can be cured by the waters, Jesus brought him to a deeper realization that Jesus himself can cure the man as the Messiah.  Who is the Messiah for us? The Messiah brings change to our hearts and lives.  We experience concrete conversion.  We cannot live double lives.  We can subdue one over the other.  We need to rue sin so we can experience change in our lives brought about by our faith in Jesus. Third, witnessing to the Messiah always leads us to the truth.  Truth frees us from darkness and commits us to doing what is right.  God leads us and corrects our notions of

Witness to joy, life, abundance John 4:43-54 In the book of Isaiah, God creates a new heaven and a new earth where there is joy, long life, and fruitfulness. Alas, in our world today there is sadness, people grow weary and get sick, and fruitfulness is gauged only by personal abundance while others suffer from poverty. We would need witnesses in a deeper level; witnesses serving as hope for the suffering people of God. In becoming witnesses, faithfulness to the Lord is absolute requisite.  Prayer integrated with life manifests an intimate union with Christ. Second, witnesses recognize and form other witnesses.  The Church where we belong is composed of witnesses strengthening each other. Finally, to be authentic witnesses, faith needs concrete action leading to life offered to all.  The sick became well, there is an abundance of homes and harvests mentioned in Isaiah's prophecy.  But the real fruitfulness is found in people's hearts as they cooperate with God'

Uprooting sin Matthew 21:33-43,45-46  The challenge for the Lenten Season is to align one's life with Jesus and to make a stand on what he stood for as against those who harbor hatred, vengeance, and self - destruction. We need to uproot selfishness, greed, hatred, and violence by knowing the core of sin and have the courage to rue it: First, sin does not create; it destroys creation. We need to be stewards of God and help create and build all for the service of others. Second, sin does not give; it simply receives.  We need an attitude and a lifestyle of giving.  "It is in giving that we receive." and third, sin exults self rather than God.  "Let us kill so we can claim inheritance for ourselves" is a sure formula for eternal punishment.  There is no space for us at the center of things; give everything to God.

How to be eternally happy Luke 16:19-31 We are called in this Lenten season not just to say sorry for all our offenses but to root ourselves in Christ.  In Jeremiah, a selfish person is like a dry scrub in the wasteland while the person who puts his trust in the Lord is like a tree by the waterside. God can see right through our hearts if we are the dry scrub or the flourishing tree; or whether we are the poor man Lazarus or the rich man in the gospel. In the Holy Father Pope Francis' Lenten message, he dwelt exactly on this parable to help us really prepare for our conversion in Christ and attain happiness. First, he reminds us that people are gifts, most especially the poor.  It's an opportunity for us to recognize God's gifts and serve Him through them. Second, he warns us of the blindness of sin that hinders us from becoming truly happy. Third, he encourages us to listen to God's word as our path to holiness and happiness.

JESUS' OFFER OF SALVATION - TO SUFFER FOR OTHERS Luke 9:22-25 In the first reading God offered man a choice - to follow his command or not; to be his people or not.  The people consented.  This is a covenant based on free will. Where and how do we use our freedom?  To kill or to build?  To unify or to separate?  We would know that our freedom could also lead us to slavery.  It can also lead us to true freedom to be God's people. Jesus offers us the same thing - to suffer for others; to take up one's cross.  What actions lead us to freedom - our selfishness?  Those who save their lives will lose them.  But those who lose their lives for the sake of Jesus will save it. Let us review all the times we brought freedom or slavery to ourselves and others.  It is not yet late to choose. The more we offer ourselves for others, the more we live.