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Storing Up On The Real Treasure

by Momong   June 22nd, 2007 [Friday]

Matthew 6: 19-23
2 Cor 11:18.21-30 / Ps 34

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
(Matthew 6:23)

We are blind to the real treasure
If the wealth of this world is our goal;
We will find the cost beyond measure
If it should mean the loss of our soul.

Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is bad, then your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be!” (Matthew 6:19-23)

Reflection

What did our Lord Jesus mean by His words, “Store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal”? (Mt. 6:20) How is it possible to store up treasures in heaven?

Perhaps the succeeding passages may shed light on this parable. “The lamp of the body is the eye; if your eyes are sound, your whole body will be in the light. If your eyes are diseased your whole body will be in darkness.” (6:22-23) Our spiritual “eye” is our conscience. A Christian with a sound conscience lives in the light of God’s love. He believes that it is in acts of charity that he can store up or gain graces, which are the real treasure from God. And nothing can take that away from him. But a person who spends his life storing up material fortunes for himself is in darkness, because money gained for its own sake is usually earned by means foul and false. And spent in the same darkness of vices. Such earthly treasures last only for a time, and will never bring happiness, but only the deepest darkness to the soul.

Our Days with the Lord sessions coordinator, Bro. Vener, has always been a model to us of one who has dedicated his life completely in “storing up treasure” for himself in heaven. For more than 20 years — in every monthly week-end formation seminar — he has been an ubiquitous fixture. He guides the assigned course director and his staff in the proper handling of the session, helps in the solicitations from sponsors, and coordinates with the Day’s spiritual director. Wherever a brother or his immediate family member passes on, expect him to be there in the wake, leading the members in the prayer service. I have not seen a Dayser servant as dedicated as he is. All the brothers know that Bro. Vener has long been unemployed and has no regular means of income, but he has never lacked for anything for himself and his small family. The Lord has consistently provided for his needs through the generosity of many brothers who consider it a special privilege to help him continue with his mission. He told me once that he might be poor in this life, but he knows he is very wealthy in the next. And that hope has given him reason enough to be happy.

Learn to savor the goodness of the Lord; happy are those who take refuge in Him. Nothing is lacking to those who fear Him (Psa 34:9-10). Thank You, Father for your faithful servants who show us how to store up treasures in heaven. Amen.

Posted in Conscience, Generosity | Leave a comment»

WHY ABORTION IS SO WRONG!

by Momong   May 31st, 2007 [Thursday]

Luke 1: 39-56
Zep 3:14-18 or Rom 12:9-16 / Is 12:2-6

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
(Luke 1:42)

For all abortions men performed
All the angels in heaven mourn;
May all – by God’s will be transformed -
Rejoice for every baby born!

In those days Mary went with haste to a hilly town of Judah to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? For behold, when your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Reflection

Mary travelled a great distance to visit her elder cousin Elizabeth. She wasted no time because she could not contain her joy, knowing that both of them were greatly blessed by the Lord, both principals in God’s great salvation plan. But upon reaching the house of Zechariah, and greeting her cousin, a strange thing happened. The six-month old baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped with joy. Elizabeth and her unborn child, John were even happier than Mary. Why? Because they were in the presence of the Almighty, the promised Redeemer of the world, the King of kings. Yes, a mere fetus just a few days old, but nonetheless a Presence that the babe in Elizabeth’s womb (through the Holy Spirit’s power), recognized as the Reason for its existence and purpose. We recall that the angel Gabriel told Zechariah that John the Baptist would be filled with the Holy Spirit even while in his mother’s womb (Lk 1:15). This meant that he would be God’s messenger “preparing the way before Him” (Mal.3:1) even while still in the womb by jumping with joy in the presence of his Messiah.

This brings a strong case against those who profess that a fetus a few days or weeks old is not yet a human being. This encounter between the baby (John the Baptist) in Elizabeth’s womb and Jesus, the Word made flesh newly conceived in Mary’s womb is biblical proof that at the moment of conception, the life growing in the mother’s womb is a sacred creation of God, a person He has destined to be born for a purpose.

We once had a helper who was impregnated by her boyfriend, whom she eventually married. Being her family’s breadwinner, our helper was pressured by her mother to have her baby aborted. The boyfriend also tried to convince her, and even made her take some pills to terminate the pregnancy. When we learned about her predicament, my wife strongly reasoned against her family’s plan, convincing her that abortion is a very grave sin that she would regret all her life. Reason and grace prevailed, and fortunately the baby boy was born healthy without any deformity. Everytime our helper paid us a visit, her little boy would run to my wife Ollie and embrace her legs. It was as if he wanted to express his gratitude for being given a chance to live.

Dear God, may Your message of life convince all women, whatever circumstances are prevailing in their lives that what has been conceived in their wombs is Your sacred creation, and has the basic right to be born. Amen.

Posted in Conscience, Mother Mary | 2 comments »

The God Who is Faithful and True

by Momong   April 3rd, 2007 [Tuesday]

John 13: 21-33, 36-38
Is 49:1-6 / Ps 71: 1-6, 15,17

Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.
(John 13:38)

God tempers our fidelity
In the fire of tests and trials.
He’ll turn to good all inequities,
Even betrayals and denials.

As the time drew near for the culmination of our Lord’s mission, He gathered the 12 apostles for the feast of the Passover. Before they ate the meal, He washed their feet as His last lesson on the essential meaning of leadership (servanthood). Then He dispatched Judas to proceed with his scheme of betrayal. After Judas left, Jesus said, “My children, I will be with you only a little while longer… Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, though you will follow Me later.” Immediately, Peter reacted (as he always did), saying, “Master, why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.” But Jesus knew his heart, and said, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny Me three times.”

Reflection

The last meal that Jesus shared with His friends before His passion and death must have been the saddest experience of His life. He knew that He was going to be betrayed by one of them. Then, another whom He had anointed to be their leader would reveal his cowardice, and deny His friendship consecutively for three times, barely a few hours after pledging that he would lay down his life for Him.

Judas has come to symbolize for us the height of treachery, which tragically drove him to the unpardonable sin of despair. He was no doubt a friend of Jesus, especially chosen by the Master to be the group’s treasurer. How could Judas betray such a sacred confidence and a friend like Jesus? And then Peter, whom He had exalted as the rock upon which He would build His Church. How could he jeopardize this position Jesus bequeathed to him as the apostles’ leader, declaring his loyalty to the end for all to hear, and then denying he knew Jesus at the first sign of danger?

The case of Judas shows us how wicked a person can become because of money. But aren’t we all in danger of becoming a little like Judas whenever we put the pursuit of money (our business) above our concern to become closer to Jesus and the Father? How many stall owners in malls and markets close shop on Sundays? Isn’t there also a bit of Peter’s cowardice in us whenever we hesitate to stand up for Jesus or the Gospel when our friends start criticizing Church doctrines or our Catholic beliefs like the observance of the Holy Week? How easily we justify our denials by saying we just don’t want to offend our friends.

Father, stir us when we hesitate to stand up for Jesus or His Word in our workplaces and our fellowships. Disturb our conscience should we start to sacrifice our moral values for the sake of material gain. Prevent us from ever denying Jesus. Amen.

Posted in Conscience, Sacrifice | Leave a comment»