An Invite

Accept or Reject?

25 At that time Jesus said in reply,[a] “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.-Matthew11:25-27

What are the ways of the wise and the learned? Some have become intellectually arrogant and stubborn. Others have closed their mind to new learning. Still others have become proud of the little or much learning they have. Jesus was a breath of fresh air during His time when He did the ministry. Like a sower scattering the seeds, He showered upon all - without partiality - what the kingdom of God is all about. However, just like the seeds that fell on different grounds, our response vary per person. What is our response to His invitation to change? What is our response to new learning?

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What about us?

What about us?

20 Then he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon,[a] they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 [b]And as for you, Capernaum:
‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”-Matthew11:20-24

What about us? What will Jesus say to us? Did we repent? Is Sodom and Gomorrah, with all its wickedness, a little better than our present world and time? When are we going to repent? Is destruction our lot?

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Free!

Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.

24 No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,[a] how much more those of his household!
26 “Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.[b] 27 What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. 30 Even all the hairs of your head are counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 [c]Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. 33 But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.-Matthew10:24-33

"Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known." So many men and women love to take pictures or video of themselves (selfie). Sometimes they take pictures or videos of too personal instances that should should have remained off the record. And when it leaked or acquired in a malicious way by other individuals, alas, what shame, horror and fear there is! "Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known." Let us live in light and truth! Jesus is inviting us to live a blameless life, a life where our conscience cannot say anything against us. There is nothing wrong in taking pictures or videos, but let us do this with maturity and responsibility. Let us try to keep private what needed to be kept private. Let us share to the world that which is for the betterment of the world - Love.

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Nothing

No extra?

7 He summoned the Twelve[a] and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 [b]He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. 9 They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. 10 [c]He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. 11 Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” 12 So they went off and preached repentance. 13 [d]They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.-Mark6:7-13

Nothing. Jesus instructs His disciples to travel and do their mission without provision. No extras! Actually, it is not such a bad thing especially if mobility is the issue. As a poor traveler and packer, unnecessary things and "extras" are always my problem. To have nothing is a good thing because it makes one humble one's self to God. Last year, I almost have everything and I can buy anything. But I always say, "What good are these things to me if the one thing that I really want cannot be bought for a price?" I realized that accomplishments, money, praise or anything earthly cannot suffice at all. God alone can quench and satisfy all thirst and hunger.

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Division, Condition, Reward

Jesus: A Cause of Division

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. 35 For I have come to set
a man ‘against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and one’s enemies will be those of his household.’
37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up his cross[a] and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 [b]Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 “Whoever receives you receives me,[c] and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 [d]Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
1 When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples,[e] he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.-Matthew10:34-11:1

Jesus is not saying we should wage war against our loved ones because it will be contrary to the Law (Honor your father and mother) and He comes to fulfill the Law. Rather, at a certain point in our life, we should learn that the ultimate goal is always God, that the ultimate Love is God. Sometimes our family is against us if we make or do things for God i.e. serving the Church. We face tough opposition from our family should we decide to make a sacrifice for God i.e. entering the priesthood or religious life. Today, Jesus is reminding us of the conditions to be His disciple. It is always about God first and foremost.

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Opposing Forces?

"...be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves..."

16 “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. 17 [a]But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. 19 When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. 20 For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 [b]Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end[c] will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.[d]-Matthew10:16-23

"...be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves..." Is it possible? Can we be shrewd as serpents, yet remaining simple as doves? Yes, we can! Jesus is not saying we embrace our wickedness along with goodness at the same time. Shrewdness is not a bad attitude, on the contrary, it can complement and boost goodness to far far places. I actually remembered Harry Potter and Voldemort. Both are great wizards, but each is in a different path. One is great but evil. The other is great and good. If greatness is given to us, which path are we going to choose? Jesus today is inviting us to be strong and firm in times of difficulty especially if our faith is put to the test. And, to appreciate the greatest gift of freely practicing our faith.

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With a Mission

The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent!

7 As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 [a]Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. 9 Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; 10 no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. 12 As you enter a house, wish it peace. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.[b] 14 [c]Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. 15 Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.-Matthew10:7-15

The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent! Let's mend our ways. It is not such a difficult thing to do when one is open to change. But if one resists, there the problem enters. So many despise religious men and women for doing their jobs. So many blame the missionaries for the spread of HIV-AIDS in Africa because the latter is teaching against the use of condoms. The scientific and medical communities hail themselves as the real helpers in solving the problem by providing condoms and other ways to stop the virus. Really? Just really? But I say, let's not just focus on HIV-AIDS but the deeper root of the problem - lack of self-control and lack of discipline. If one chooses to say No to premarital sex or fornication, then s/he preserves herself/himself. You don't worry about sexually transmitted disease, or malicious videos. You respect your very self as a holy temple. The Church is never against having a happy life. But how do you define happiness?

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