The Word of Everlasting Life: John 6: 60 - 69

In one Marriage Encounter the facilitator asked his audience the question, "Which is more valuable, your spouse or your money?" A man stood up and said, "Money is more valuable because it earns interest as time goes by, while a spouse loses interest as time goes by".

After the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, people fed by Jesus followed him because they thought they have found the solution to their problems. That is why they were running after Jesus to make him their king. And towards the end of the bread of life discourse he revealed to them that he is the bread of life that came down from heaven. That his flesh is true food and his blood if true drink. And he continued saying, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, there is no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him".

Because of this statement of Jesus many of his disciples complained and said, " this is too hard to accept, who can bear all this?" And they began to leave him and returned to their former way of life.

The attitudes of the disciples who left Jesus reflects our own attitudes. Many times in our lives as Christians we, too, question the many teachings of the Church especially it it goes contrary to our desires and wishes. There are many tenets of the Church that we frown upon, or we are oppose to them, sometimes even violently and say, "why the Church leaders interferes in the live of people?" Especially if we talk about laws against abortion, divorce, contraceptives, and same - sex marriages and other moral issues regarding human life. Many time I hear people say, "why dont these priests confine themselves in their convents and just pray?" Or people say, "as if these religious are sinless?" Or other statements to that effect.

As a priest, I for one knows fully well that I have my own weaknesses, or imperfections or wickedness, but the teachings I am imparting are not my own but they are God's. Even if I myself is a sinner, I have the responsibility to say what is right or wrong, even if my listeners do not like what I say.

It's a pity and it saddens me if some members of the Church falls away from the Church because they cant accept the teachings of the Church. But as it is we need to take a stand for what is right, just and true.

When most of those who followed Jesus left, he turned to the twelve apostles and asked them, "do also wish to go away?" Peter answered in behalf of the group, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God". What a way of invoking a lively faith in Jesus. Truly, there is no one we can turn to except God in good times and in bad. It is only in God that we can find true peace and happiness. St. Augustine said it beautifully in his book Late Have I Loved Thee when he said, "My heart is restless, until they rest in Thee, my God.

If and when we are tempted to free ourselves from God, remember that even if the world offers us a lot of solutions to our problems, there is still nothing that is certain than to cling to God. Hopefully, we could also say as Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You are our life everlasting!" Amen.

Requirement to Eternal Life

Who among us is ready to go to heaven? All of us who believe that there is life after death may say, "yes I am ready". But, if we are to be asked are we ready to give up our material possessions to gain entry to heaven?, we may answer it differently or not answer the question at all.

What good must I do to to gain eternal life? asked the rich young man to Jesus. Jesus answered him, "if you wish to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments". The rich young man replied, " all of them I have observed. What do I still lack?" "If you wish to be perfect, go sell your properties and give to the poor."

Jesus is trying to tell us that to be perfect is to free ourselves from the cares of the material world. That is to detach ourselves from material possesions and focus our efforts and energies to the things in heaven. It is not enough that we keep the commandments, we need to share our resources to the poor.

The rich young man was sad when he heard the response of Jesus because he has a lot of properties. No wonder Jesus said, "it is easier for a camel to enter into the hole of needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

REAL FOOD from HEAVEN

There is a story of a lonely man who walked into a restaurant. He called a waiter and he said, "I want a whole roasted pig and a few kind words". The waiter took his order and walk into the kitchen, after a while came back with the whole roasted pig. Turned his back on the man heading towards the kitchen. The man called his attention saying, "I ordered a whole roasted pig and a few kind words, but you gave me just the roasted pig, how about the kind words?"

The waiter whispered to his ears, " be kind to yourself don't eat the whole roasted pig".

Food and drink are neccesary for the sustenance of our bodies. But if we don't watch the food we eat and the drink we take, it can kill us, not instantly but slowly and softly. Jesus in the gospel reading is offering us food. The food that Jesus gives is his flesh and blood. He said, "my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal".

Some of us may have doubts about the real presence of Christ in the body and blood we receive in the celebration of the Holy Mass. We have to remember that at the last supper when Jesus gathered his disciples in the upper room he clearly said, "this my body, this is my blood", he did not say, "this bread is a symbol of my body, this wine is the symbol of my blood".

It takes a deep faith in Jesus to accept that Christ is present in the body and blood in the form of bread and wine. If we see the gap between heaven and earth, its too wide and too deep. But because of the love of God for all of us, Jesus humbled himself took a form of bread and wine that we maybe able to partake of him in the celebration of the eucharist.

"Unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, there is no life in you. If you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will remain in me and I in you and I will raise you up on the last day." Partaking in the body and blood of Christ is necessary for one's salvation. But why is it that when we come to celebrate the eucharist, we want to listen to the word of God but we don't want to receive his body and blood?

Some may say that, I need to go first to confession, or some might say I am not worthy. True. We need to clean our hearts first before we come and receive his body and blood. But as it is whether you a saint or a sinner, Jesus invites all of us to receive him. Before God all of us are unworthy to receive him. Nobody but nobody could say with his own merit that he is worthy to receive Christ. We are made worthy to receive him only because of his grace and of his love for us. That is why before the reception of the body and blood, we say pounding our breast, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I will be healed".

My dear brothers and sisters, Jesus our Lord is inviting all of us to come share in his banquet. If we are in doubt of his real presence, we can always pray and say, "Lord, please heal my unbelief".

What God has Joined, No Human Being Must Separate

In the year 1998, "Der Spiegel" (The Mirror) a popular magazine in Germany carried a story that in that year there are 98,000 cases of divorce. Reasons of which are not really known.

The gospel reading today speaks of marriage and divorce. Pharisees came to Jesus asking him if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason. Jesus answered them that what God has joined no man could separate.

In Judaism there were two schools of debate concerning marriage and divorce. The Shammai's and the Hillel's. The Shammai's adhered to a very strict position on divorce. Hillel's on the other hand are more lenient. The question thrown by the Pharisees to Jesus reflects a similar discussion in the community of Matthew.

Jesus made it clear that the purspose of God from the beginning in creating them male and female is that they be joined as one in a permanent union. This bond is being cemented by God himself and no one can undo it. Strictly speaking, divorce is illegal.

The Pharisees cannot be convinced by the answer of Jesus and they cited Moses who allowed divorce. Jesus said that Moses permitted divorce because of their hard headedness.

Because of Israel's unwillingness to listen to God's word, their rebellioussness and sinfulness that made Moses allowed divorce. It does not at all reflect the will of God.

Thus, this would remind married couples to be faithful to their marriage vows. Because the vows they made before the altar of God is permanent and not contractual and indissoluble.

Seventy Times Seventy Times

Part of our being human is our sinfulness or wickedness. We commit sin a lot of times in our waking hours. And most of the times we commit the same sins all over again. That is one of the things I observed with penitents especially to those who come to the confessionals on a regular basis. And even I, myself that is my experience.

The gospel reading today speaks of forgiveness to a brother who sins. Peter went to Jesus asking if forgiving ang erring brother seven times is already enough. Jesus told him, "not seven times but seventy times seven times.." Jesus is trying to tell us that we need not put a limit in our forgiveness to a brother who sins. Because just like us who ask God for his mercy and forgiveness for the wrong we do every waking hours, God's forgiveness is limitless and extravagant. So, we need to be ready and willing to forgive our brother every time he sins, and asks for forgiveness. We have to bear in mind too, that to err is human but to forgive is divine.

And as Jesus said, we need to forgive that we ourselves also be forgiven.

Reflections on today's reading: A Brother Who Sins

Once I entered a Chinese Restaurant, a caption at the entrance caught my attention. The saying goes this way, "If you are happy and satisfied with our food and service please tell it to others, but if not please come tell it to us."

In the gospel reading today, Jesus reminds us that if a brother sins against us we need to win back that brother. And Jesus gives three steps on how we win our brother back.

First, we need to go and point his fault to him alone. In this way his dignity and pride his protected. And to avoid deeper misunderstanding.

Second, if he does not listen to you, bring two or three witnesses. In the Old Testament a person can only be acused of a crime if there are two or three witnesses. The two or three persons must be trusted by both the acused and the acuser.

If using the first two steps fail, then bring the case to the community. The local community or local church has given by Jesus the authority whom to include or to expel in the community.

But, we have to remember that we need to exert extra effort to win our brother back. They say that it is easier to judge others than to judge onself may be applied here. This means that we need to bear in mind that we, too, like our brother had sinned in one way or the other. That is why, we also be ready and willing to extend forgiveness.

The True Greatness Mt. 18: 1 - 10

When Manny "Pacman" Paquiao of the Philippines knocked down the Bristish boxing legend Ricky Hatton in their bout last May 2, 2009, in a couple of minutes in Las Vegas, Nevada, people proclaimed him the world's greatest pound for pound boxer. His victory over Hatton was celebrated by the whole of the Filipino Nation.

Looking at how the world's proclamation on the greatness of a person, it seems that one is considered great if one has the money, the power, the fame and the name. That's why the world has given a lot of titles to individuals such as, the mos powerful man, the richest man, the most influential person and the like.

This is not so in God's standard. When Jesus disciples approached him and said, "who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"(Mt. 18: 1) Jesus told them, "unless you turn and become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mt. 18:3)

What the Lord was trying to tell us is that, that the childlike attitude in us and not our childishness that lead us to the kingdom of heaven.

Let us then imitate the humility of child so that we become part of the heavenly family of God.

Gospel Reflections of the Day John 12 : 24 -26

"Unless the grain of wheat falls on ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat, but if it dies, it produces much fruit." Jesus tell his disciples in the gospel reading today. Jesus reminds us of his sacrifice on the cross to save us and give us eternal life. It is only through the cross that Jesus won over sin and death. To have a successful life we need to die within ourselves. If wish to have a strong family ties we need to spend time, to talk to members of our family. If we want to deepen our relationship with God we need to spend time in prayer, to actively participate in the celebration of the Eucahrist each day. If I want to deepen my relationship with the people I serve, I need to spend time with them, to talk to them and to listen to them and not isolate myself in the little corner of the world I created for myself.

There is only one way that leads us to success in everything we do, that is to DIE within ourselves, to sacrifice, just like what Jesus did.

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