Inspirations at your Fingertips!

23 December Luke 1:57-66 The Christmas story moves on with Elizabeth naming her child "John".  Zechariah was able to speak again. The Book of Malachi is one of the last books that give reference to the immediate coming of the Messiah. One very noticeable theme it gives is on the area of purification: "For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and then they will make the offering to the Lord as it should be made." He shall restore Israel to its former glory. Two days to go and we shall celebrate Christmas.  But the Lord wants us to purify all our intentions to its pristine form, like John the Baptism and how he lived in righteousness.  Let us enter into our purification process: First, the Lord wants pure offerings - "He will purify the sons of Levi ..." If in the case of the priests of the Lord, they are deman...

20 December Luke 1:26-38 Today's readings tell the story of Ahaz as he was given a prophecy of being sent a king born of a virgin whom she will call "Emmanuel" which means "God-is-with-us." In today's gospel, that virgin is Mary who consented to bring forth her son Jesus, the savior of the world. As we prepare for the blessed Christmas, we beg the Lord the grace so that we, like Mary, may incarnate Jesus in our lives and share him to others.  Let us learn from the personages presented to us in the readings: 1. Ahaz and the Fear of the Lord - Even if Ahaz, the king of Israel was notorious in worshiping false gods, still he knew when not to put the Lord God to the test. Let us be imbued with the Holy Fear of the Lord.  This is not to say that because we fear his majesty, we veer far away from him; nor practice the exact opposite - that we are not ashamed of committing sin against him.  Let us learn the two meanings of Fear of the Lord in the Act of...

19 December Luke 1:5-25 Today's story brings us to the precursor or forerunner of the Savior. In the Old Testament, we see the story of Manoah and his wife; from them came forth Samson, who was also the forerunner of the Lord. But in the gospel, though John's birth had been foretold, Zechariah had to come face to face with his doubts.  Not that he doubted God, but he doubted the angel for saying such things since both Zechariah and his wife were advanced in age.  But the Angel, standing as representative of the Lord in such a holy part of the temple could not accept such excuse; thus, he made Zechariah dumb. As Christmas approaches, let us learn the hard lesson Zechariah learned: 1. Stop doubting.  We have doubted before the Lord and relied on material things for our security.  We have sacrificed spirituality for practicality.  We have lost sight of God.  We don't know what Church means as the body of Christ.  Christ would still be born, but ...

Friday of the 2nd week of Advent Matthew 11:16-19  Christmas is always a time to renew ourselves to know who the Child in the manger is and how we can consider his offer of salvation. Unfortunately, when people are too preoccupied with worldly things, this offer of salvation is cast aside till later date, perhaps at the time of death.  This is the message of the Lord to hard-headed children, " We played the pipes for you,  and you wouldn’t dance;  we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t be mourners.”   Let us resolve to use each day to know, love, adore, and serve the Lord.  Knowing the Lord does not commence at the end of life, but now. Doing the Lord's commands is not an end-of-life task but entails listening each day for his word. Loving the Lord through others entails utilizing each day to offer oneself to bring life to others.  Then we shall not be sidetracked with the materialistic concerns of preparing for Christmas; rather, our ho...

Messengers Luke 7:24-30 What is Christmas?  It is not an annual activity of merrymaking, but a once-in-a-lifetime event that we recall every year and hopefully everyday of our lives.  It is the story of God's wrath and punishment turned to forgiveness and love.  It is the story of everyday miracles of love, healing, and growth.  And Jesus caused that miracle to happen by becoming man. We haven't felt this in a long while.  All we thought is that Christmas is an annual activity of going to malls, buying gifts, and eating good food.  We haven't realized that our world is so wounded we have just covered our wounds with more wounds. In the gospel, Jesus praised the messenger, John the Baptist, who prepared for His coming, although at this point, people still didn't recognize the presence of the redeemer.  But perhaps we can correct this situation.  How do we become Jesus' messengers? First, know the message We cannot become messengers unle...

Choose God! Matthew 11:16-19  The second week of Advent really compels us to choose God as the center point of our lives.  Christmas is not simply about joyous celebrations.  It actually opens us to the world where God rules and we follow him. Jesus warns us against dancing a different tune other than the one offered by Father.   “We played the pipes for you,  and you wouldn't dance ...  Yet wisdom has been proved right by her actions." Choosing to play Jesus' music entails giving in to what he desires;  it means knowing the advantages and disadvantages of following or not following him.  It is always advantageous to follow him.  A personal conversion will yield a communal conversion.  As people's hearts will change, so too will the entire human race. Pray to know, love, and serve Jesus this Christmas and for the rest of our lives. ch

Heed God's voice Matthew 11:16-19 Since yesterday in the mass readings, God is assurance us the Jesus will do all the work; and He did. In today's readings, the Lord reminds us to listen and follow Him, "If only you had been alert to my commandments." (Isaiah 48:17-19) Even in police stories, "Don't take the law into your own hands" is a common norm.  Why not apply it with faith? But know that if only, ALL people would heed God's command, then this world will exist in abundance. But if mankind is not following God, does it mean that we would also do the same?  No, because as long as there people attuned to God, and that includes us, there is still hope for the world.

I am coming!  Luke 5:17-26 "I am coming soon!" says the Lord. These words seem to resound during this time of advent.  Time will come when all hills and mountains be made low, the earth will be filled with abundance, and people's hearts will change. The words "I am coming" may mean an immediate future; but for the God of eternity, the time may also be now.  Where are we at this point in time?  What have we done for God and our brothers and sisters at this time? Pray to utilize this time well and lead others to the Lord like the friends who brought the paralyzed man on a stretcher.   For Christmas is not far away; the time is now.