GESTURES OF GENEROSITY AND INGRATITUDE (Sunday, October 5, 2014)

World Teachers' Day

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Is 5:1-7

Phil 4:6-9

Mt 21:33-43

The Lord had a vineyard that have all its materials that will surely bring a good produce of grapes. All is well with it but of one thing - it just yielded wild grapes. The outcome cannot be caused by God for he provided everything that is good in His vineyard and so it is expected that its fruit will be of good quality so, we can safely assume that there is another person who is responsible for the fruits but of wild grapes.

In the Lord's cry of a one who had been mistreated unjustly despite of the good things He provided for His people, the favored ones were not even with the Lord as we can see with the bad produce they have caused, they were the cherished plant by God yet He just sees bloodshed and outcry from it instead of judgement and justice that were expected as the fruits of God's vineyard.

In the Gospel it became clear that the responsible for this "wild grapes" were the chief priests and the elders of the people themselves. They were the tenants of the vineyard. They were supposed to care for the vines that bear fruits but we have wild grapes instead. God is sending His prophets or emissaries from time to time but they were either get beaten, killed, or stoned by these tenants. It is a total rejection of God's rectification to them. In Jesus' parable, the chief priests and the elders of the people answered their fate by the time they had done the killing of Jesus. The Lord will surely strip-off their right over the vineyard and will give it to other tenants who will give the produce at the proper time. By this time, Jesus Christ will be the cornerstone - the first stone of His Kingdom which is the Church. 

Then what was St. Paul is saying and what can we draw from his pastoral letter to the Philippians? It must be clear that everything is provided for us by God and what'll just do is to pray and not be anxious for anxiety compromises the hope we have in God who provides everything for those who asks Him in prayer. If we pray with no anxiety at all, God Himself will secure His peace in us for He know that it is hard to ask Him without us being anxious of our prayer and what we pray for in our prayer. God knows that it is hard for us to differentiate the prayer of ours from the content of our prayer. Anxiety is fear and is contrary to hope, and prayer is of hope. If our attitude of praying is of hope and never of anxiety or fear or worry, then the peace of God will be with us in Christ Jesus, especially in our hearts and minds. We are taught by St. Paul to keep in mind the things of judgement and justice. To meditate on these things which St. Paul enumerated will make the God of peace be with us as we also keep on doing what we have learned and received and heard and seen in the tenants of God like St. Paul. Again, a prayer said in anxiety is no prayer at all for anxiety reflects the state of the worrisome problem whereas prayer is the solution and a step of hope on Heaven's ladder reaching God. So prayer is a law where you just state your case in hope to God and it's just that. When you pray with anxiety, you state your case in fear which is a violation of the law of hope for prayer is hope and a gesture of hope. An anxious prayer somehow shows ingratitude to God's unquestionable generosity.

It is evident that God's want is so simple: to return the materials we received from Him in judgement and justice. Let us never return it with bloodshed and outcry instead. If we attend to the Church with an utmost care for its materials of sanctification and its utilization then surely, no doubt, God will have His good fruits of grapes - our sainthood. Let us be good tenants of the Lord's vineyard!

Jesus I trust in You

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Mary H. Distributist

THE TWO RELATIONSHIP STATUS WITH GOD (Sunday, September 28,2014)

National Seafarers' Day
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Ez 18:25-28
Phil 2:1-11
Matthew 21:28-32


In the first reading, we heard that God defends Himself from the accusations of the Israelites. They are saying that the Lord is not fair towards them because of the death they are experiencing. But on the other side of the coin where God is on the one side and the Israelites on the other, it is rather them that did unfair deeds which is the cause of their experience of death which they blame unto God rather than themselves who are the caused of their own death - it is them, the Israelites, who were unfair in their ways for their wickedness and never God.

In the Gospel of Matthew, it is important to observe the comparison of the two sons as what the Lord Jesus told the hearers. The first one refused but did as what was asked by his father. While the other just said his yes but never did anything as what was asked of him. It is so much like as this. The son who later on became obliging but refused at first can be compared to sinners who refuses God's love and mercy but changes their status into allowing themselves to embrace God's infinite and intimate compassion He has towards them, like the tax collectors and sinners who came to John the Baptist to be baptized for the admission of sins and always mindful of never sinning again. 

But the other son is in a very dangerous and deadly path of saying yes but do not in anyway did of what was asked of him. It can be compared to religious men or women or part of the laity yet complacent on the status of their being religious without a mindful look at themselves if they are indeed doing the will of the heavenly Father. They are religious men and women or of the laity and that is their yes to God by being religious yet they are not righteous. Actually, they are very much indeed to become righteous given the fact that they are already religious and yet no one walks to the path of righteousness. That is an outright disobedience to God's will. Why? Because you said yes by the mere fact that all of us are already here on this religious path yet we are saying no to God by not using the utmost gift of religiousness to become righteous. So, what do we do now? Let us never do anything out of selfishness or of vain glory as what St. Paul said in the second reading. Let us empty ourselves by not seeing ourselves religious although many of us can already be considered one. That is the only path to righteousness - to forget that we are already religious or even righteous because we are doing it not for ourselves but for the Lord. Emptying ourselves as if it is not us who lives in ourselves but Christ alone. By allowing Christ to live in us as we progress in virtuous life, we must be overwhelmed by joy because the Lord is exalted in us by the Father who is no doubt very much delighted of the obedience of us. Let us always be mindful of our own relationship status with God. If you are a sinner, say yes to God by reforming your ways and never to return to your sins again. And if you are a religious man or woman, whether you are a bishop or a lay, it is your prime duty to say yes to God by becoming righteous and not only as a religious. It is already a wickedness of sinners not to accept the mercy of God while the wickedness of religious people is the disobedience by not becoming righteous. We must become holy as the heavenly Father is holy, we must become perfect for He is perfect. Let us consummate the Lord's mercy while we are still alive. We must now do what we are ought to do as sinners or religious. Everyone must do his or her own Christian homework.

Jesus, I trust in You.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recoursed to thee.



Mary H. Distributist

THE TWO JOHNS: THE INTIMATE RELATION OF SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM AND EUCHARIST

THE TWO JOHNS: THE INTIMATE RELATION OF SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM AND EUCHARIST (January 3, 2014)

“Everyone who remains in God through sanctifying grace is an agent of God in driving away sins and the Evil One.” “Let your material body be on earth but your soul must always be in heaven.”

(1 John 2:29- 3:6; Psalm 98; John 1:29-34)

This day, we refresh in our memory the Most Holy Name of Jesus that’s why it’s a memorial. In the Gospel of St. John the apostle, we are told that St. John the Baptist preached about Jesus Christ saying, “See, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The Baptist knew that Jesus Christ is the sacrificial Lamb of God that will save the world from sin the moment he saw the Holy Spirit came down and remained in Jesus Christ. The Baptist had the Holy Spirit from the beginning of his existence and there is no doubt that this same Holy Spirit who had spoken through the prophets of the Old Testament will not reveal everything to the Baptist. Of course the Holy Spirit will reveal everything to him on everything that was said by the prophets of old about Jesus Christ who chose the Baptist as His prophet or preacher now. The Baptist is the preacher of Jesus Christ and the Baptist must know everything about the person whom he will go to preach about and of course by the means of the Spirit of God which is the Holy Spirit. The Baptist’s baptism of the admission of guilt by ordinary water is an indirect reference to the Baptism that Jesus Christ will establish using holy water that contains the Holy Spirit; the Baptism of the forgiveness of sins which washes away the sins that were admitted by the people and makes them holy for the Holy Spirit remains in them now. And in Christ’s baptism of the Holy Spirit, we are made children of God and the Holy Spirit remains in us which is the Spirit of the Son which make us adopted children through our Brother Jesus Christ.     

Now, in the first letter of St. John the apostle, we are told by him that if we consider that Jesus Christ is righteous or holy, then we also know that everyone who acts in righteousness or holiness is begotten by Him which means that everyone who acts in holiness is one in Christ’s being as Christ intended the person to be for the person now has the Holy Spirit in him/herself. That’s why the Sacrament of Baptism is so important so that everyone will become one in Christ’s being and will know who God is and what God has intended him/her to be as he/she advances in age and wisdom by the help of the Holy Spirit. That’s why a new born baby must be baptized right away, at the appointed time according to the Catholic Church. We became children of God because of the Holy Spirit which God bestowed on us. We children of God are unknown to the world for the world does not have the Holy Spirit and what they have is sin, darkness, and the devil. For everyone who has the Holy Spirit knows who God is and knows who God’s children are. St. John further teaches us that as children of God on this earth, and what we shall be has not yet been revealed for we are not in heaven yet. But when the time has come for us to be in heaven, then and only then will we see that we are the image and likeness of God and we are one in God’s being. That’s why everyone who has this hope based on God makes oneself holy or pure for God is holy and pure. And the beloved apostle goes on that sin is lawlessness or against God’s law. Everyone who remains in God through sanctifying grace is agents of God in driving away sins and the devil. And for those who commit sin, they do not know fully who God is and what God is: the truth that God came to destroy sin away from us and in God there is no sin for He is pure and holy. And everyone who knows the Word of God by all of his mind, heart, soul, being, and strength is sensitive enough in sensing what is sinful and what is of holiness and of God. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Lamb of God makes us pure every time we worthily take him in our selves. We must be pure like the Sacred Host for God, the Lamb, is holy. And as we take Him, we are called to be more like Him.

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Mary H. Distributist

THE TWO JOHNS: BAPTISM OF GUILT AND COMMITMENT TO BAPTISMAL VOWS

THE TWO JOHNS: BAPTISM OF GUILT AND COMMITMENT TO BAPTISMAL VOWS

“To remain in Truth and sanctifying grace is to remain in God. To remain in falsehood and sin is to remain in the devil.”

(1 John 2:22-28; Psalm 98; John 1:19-28)

St. John the Baptist was questioned on who he is and why he is baptizing. St. John told the truth saying, “I am ‘the voice of the one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord,”’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

The Gospel is very fitting for this second day of the year for it invites us to know who we are and what are we doing for God. St. John know what is his commitment and that is to preach and baptize in the desert of penance and suffering to all people as they acknowledge their sins. St. John is baptizing water for the admission of guilt or contrition while our Lord gives the Holy Spirit bestowing forgiveness of sins and adoption.

Just so, let us ask ourselves: in these first days of the year, does my ways made straight for this new year of the Lord? Do I know now what it means to be a Christian? Do I know now myself? Do I know now my obligations for God? For just as St. John the Baptist knows who he is and what is his obligation, so also must we. And as we acknowledge our sins, may we know or recognize that our Lord is the one who can forgive sins and the one who is offended and is wounded by our sins. The Gospel also teaches and reminds us to become prudent always, all throughout the year. Prudence is the habit of proper decision-making. This day, we must have a bird’s-eye view of what we must do this year. To be prudent is to have “the knowledge of what to seek and what to avoid” as St. Augustine had taught. So this second day of the year, we must be prudent always so as to be committed to our “New Year’s resolutions” for God and as children of God.

In St. John the Apostle’s first letter, we see here that to deny Christ is to be a liar and not to have the truth. To admit that our Lord is Christ is to have the truth and to have Jesus Christ who is the Truth Himself. If we are in mortal sin, we do not love the Lord for we denied Him when we acted on what is sinful and what will hurt God. It is not enough to admit the truth and to admit that Jesus is Christ who came to forgive sins and to sanctify us of His Holy Spirit. It is not enough for to admit the truth, it requires us to act on what we admit by our mouths. If we admit the truth by mouth but we act sinfully living in mortal sin, then we are lying and denying Christ and the truth is not in us. If we are in mortal sin, we do not have the Holy Spirit, and what we have in us is the spirit of the devil which is falsehood, deception, and sin. And for those who are in mortal sin, they are the antichrist. For to live in mortal sin is to be against Christ and to be against the Holy Spirit of Christ.

So what is St. John’s teaching as resolution? He wrote that we must have the truth in us so as to remain in God. In our anointing that we received from the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, we received the Teacher of Truth and empowered in the Truth respectively. To remain in Truth is to live in sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit and God.

What we heard in preaching is the Truth, and what we received in the said Sacraments sanctifies the Truth that we have heard. If we have the Holy Spirit that we received in the two said Sacraments, we will know if the preaching is the Truth and if the preaching is falsehood. For the Holy Spirit is the Teacher of Truth. The anointing we received in the two said sacraments will remain in us even if we sinned. But if we fell into mortal sin, the Holy Spirit in us will leave us, but will return if we recourse to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Sacrament of Confession. Again, to live in mortal sin is to cut-off oneself to the promised eternal life and to be admitted to eternal damnation. St. John instructs us to remain in sanctifying grace and Truth so as to be evident that we are prepared for the coming of the Lord.

“Jesus, I trust in You “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Mary H. Distributist

THE SHEPHERDS MET THE SHEPHERD OF ALL THE SHEPHERDS!

THE SHEPHERDS MET THE SHEPHERD OF ALL THE SHEPHERDS!

“Mary kept all these things she had contemplated, and meditated on them in her heart.”

(Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 67; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21)

The Gospel for this first day of the year of the Lord which is also the day of the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, shows us the visitation of the shepherds to our Lord who is the Shepherd of all, but cared first by His parents. The story in the manger tells us that the God and Shepherd of all chose to be laid in a poor box-like container where the animals eat. This scene is referring indirectly to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we have. Our Lord sacrificed or compromised His Divinity in order to become a human for our salvation. These shepherds who visited the Lord are our witnesses to the acknowledgement of the truth that God came here on earth as a poor creature like any other babies but preferred to be laid in a poor box where animals eat. The shepherds are our examples in finding who God is and what God is in order for us to know and understood that God humbled Himself for us and we must know and understand this, for God preferred to be laid as a baby in a place where animals are fed, as if God is a food for the animals.

And as the shepherds preach the message that was preached by the angel they had seen who was with the heavenly host, all were amazed at their preaching. The shepherds testify that the poor baby is not an ordinary baby but Christ and God as what the angel said to them. The angel and the heavenly host praised God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to His people who have God’s will.”

And Mary, the Mother of God, transforms in love on all the she had contemplated by meditating in her heart. This is what we must know about the Blessed Virgin Mary! She kept all of these things in her heart or she knows everything by heart yet she reflects on all of these things! This is a proof that Mama Mary is a humble Queen and Mother of God for she does not say to herself that, “Oh! I am the Mother of God! All ages will call me blessed! I know all these things already!” Mama Mary kept all these things in her heart and still reflecting on all of these things.

This great day invites us to imitate our Queen and Mother Mary in her contemplation in everything and on meditating on what she had contemplated. What Mama Mary contemplated by the senses, she bears all of these again by meditation. Mama Mary teaches us today how to pray!

In St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he tells us that God’s Son was born under the law of nature where His Son was born of a woman and did not came here on earth in an instant. And under the law of God which was cared by God’s people, God’s Son subjected Himself to the law like everybody else. Just so, all of us must be born of the Blessed Virgin Mary to become like Jesus Christ, who subjected Himself in the womb of Mary to become human. If we have Mary as our Mother, we will be born under the law just like His Son, Jesus Christ, for Mama Mary will care for us for we are vulnerable to danger of living against the law. For it is against the law of spiritual grace not to be born first of the Blessed Virgin Mary before becoming like Jesus Christ, who have the Holy Spirit that God sent into our hearts and cries out, “Abba Father!” For just as Jesus Christ subjected His spiritual nature as God and humanity to the Blessed Virgin Mary, so also must we who are humans only.

This first day of the year of the Lord is very perfectly matched with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the Gospel for today. This day invites us to imitate Mama Mary to be always reflective on everything especially for us humans who do not know all these things already. This day teaches us not to be arrogant for we do not know everything at all. It just shows that we must always be humble in everything by looking – again on all of these things. Our Queen and Mother Mary teach us here to be contemplative, meditative, humble, discerning, and to be prudent! Let’s go back again to January of last year up to now in order to see all these things if we followed God’s will, and will still ready us for this new year. Amen. Let us come to our Shepherd as an animal and let us preach on all of what we have witnessed as poor shepherds of the Shepherd!

Our Lord in this Gospel is not only a cared Shepherd cared by Joseph and Mary, He is also the Lamb of God laid in a manger. The shepherd’s who visited the Lamb of God were shown here doing their work at night watching their flock before the angel spoke to them. This scene refers indirectly to God as a Shepherd who watches His people day and night. These shepherds are our priests who care for us – we who are God’s flock. As they heard the word from the angel, they went in haste to where the Lamb of God is laid. And as these shepherds contemplated Him, they made known the words of the angel that they meditated on. Just so, it is the principal task of the priests to contemplate the Lamb of God before they go on their mission, glorifying and praising God. 

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Mary H. Distributist

MY MEDITATIONS ON OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, DECEMBER 12, 2013

The Advent of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Advent of God

Readings: F.R. Revelations 11:19; 12:1-6/ Ps. Judith 13:18/ Gs. Luke 39-47

Today we remember the Advent of Mama Mary in Guadalupe where she chose an Aztec as her preacher by the name of St. Juan Diego.

The Gospel for today tells us the Advent of Mama Mary to her cousin St. Elizabeth who was saved by God from infertility and public shame. Mama Mary, we are told, greeted St. Elizabeth and we can deduce that our Blessed Lady came in haste to St. Elizabeth’s home for she also wants to rejoice together with her cousin who unbelievably, like her, became pregnant by the power of God. The difference between these two women is that Mama Mary is a virgin while St. Elizabeth has a husband St. Zechariah. Mama Mary’s greeting to St. Elizabeth is a greeting of salvation, rejoicing, marrying, celebration, and Christmas because the time of infertility, dryness in the desert, and waiting for the Lord’s Advent had ended. Mama Mary’s Advent to St. Elizabeth is a testament and great evidence for us that Mama Mary is the bringer and bearer of Life for us. Not that Mama Mary is the reason why St. Elizabeth became pregnant but because Mama Mary is the mother of the Eternal God who is Life Himself and the One who made St. Elizabeth bear life in her womb that was barren for so many years.

And when St. Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the preacher of the Advent of the Lord St. John the Baptist jumped in her mother’s womb. St. John the Baptist jumped for joy because he heard the Word of God that was preached by Mama Mary when she greeted her mother St. Elizabeth. That’s why every word that comes out in Mama Mary’s mouth is the Word of God and Jesus Christ Himself. Every word of Mama Mary contains Jesus Christ. That’s why Mama Mary is a preacher herself and the Queen and Mother of all the preachers. Mama Mary’s words are joy.

Then St. Elizabeth, filled with the Love between the Father and the Son, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb...” St. Elizabeth was filled with wonder and amazement for the mother of God visited her, what a great privilege! What more can St. Elizabeth say when the Tree of Life and the Ark of the Covenant (Revelations 11:19) visited her? For sure she will die out of fright and of joy! Thanks to the Holy Spirit that filled her and helped her to bless the Mother of God and God for without Him, St. Elizabeth will die! Mama Mary brings and grants salvation for she carries in her womb the Salvation Himself, Jesus Christ. St. John the Baptist, the preacher of the Advent of the Lord, jumped for joy as he heard the preaching of Mama Mary that contains the Word of God who is his cousin and the one he will be going to preach about someday.

St. Elizabeth blesses Mama Mary again for her faith on the preaching to her by St. Gabriel which came from God, would be fulfilled. Who can’t imagine that this Mama Mary, an unassuming woman, will be the mother of the ancient promised Messiah?

Then Mary’s soul preaches the greatness of the Lord and her spirit rejoices in God her Savior for she was saved by God form the stain of original sin and death. Mama Mary (Revelation 11:19) is the fulfilment of the Old Testament (Judith 13:18) where God guided her blow at the head of Satan the chief of all demons. Mama Mary’s immaculate feet crushes the head of Satan in accordance to God’s will (Genesis 3:15). That’s why we must strive to become immaculate for we are Mama Mary’s feet that will crush and cast out (Revelations 12:10) Satan and his demons. Let us bless Mama Mary and the fruit of her womb Jesus for through her, now have salvation and power come (Revelations 12:10).

So let us bless the Immaculate Conception and the fruit of her womb Jesus Christ as we pray their Holy Rosary everyday as we say, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Let us call on our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the soldiers of Life! St. Juan Diego, pray for us.

Here are some points to consider:

1 We must make ourselves become deserts and dry especially this season of Advent like what St. Elizabeth did before Christmas.

2. Let us empty ourselves with everything that concerns worldliness and materialism.

3. We must not stupidly mistaken Advent as Christmas. Remember that there are time for these seasons that must be properly observed.

4. Let us all be bearers of Life!

5. “Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths.”

6. “O womb in which was conceived the living heaven, wider than the wideness of the heavens.” – St. John Damascene

7. Pray the Holy Rosary everyday!

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Mary H. Distributist

MY MEDITATIONS THIS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013

The Gentle Mastery of Christ (Matthew 11:28-30)

We Are Like the Angels?

MEDITATION:  I am very delighted to share you a homily I heard today in Monasterio de Santa Clara, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. The homily was given by a young – looking Franciscan priest. I will share it and will have “little enhancements” of my own.

The Gospel for today tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ’s Advent for us is an angelic relaxation from heavy human laws or any man-invented unnecessary orders that were designed for us and under obligation to follow suit. But we have also an Advent of our own to God for He invites us to come to Him who will give us an angelic rest. I think this is very troubling. How can Jesus Christ give us rest where in fact, even His commands and words are hard to do? Were not they? But that is the angelic point of Christ. His commands and words may seem for us hard for it is really so and too much a burden if we are worldly, materialistic, world – minded, material – minded human beings. The Word of God Jesus and His words of course will give a real burden for us if we stupidly burden ourselves with things and matters that all are worthless in eternity or in eternal life. And it will really be a burden for us if we are agitated and anxious about things and matters that has no connection to God; has no connection with the salvation of our souls and of others; has no connection to the greater glory of God; has no connection to the charity we are obligated to act upon for our neighbor who are in need; has no connection to the corporal and spiritual acts of mercy that we must do like to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, to instruct the ignorant, to pray for the living and the dead, and many others. All of this stupidity that really burdens us is too much revolving around on what is human, wicked, sinful, and what will excite and comfort our senses and wants that were material greediness at all. Worldly people will be really burdened by the world for they live a worldly way and not in a Godly – angelic way. This is same as to the worldly truth which is science and worldly life which is human or self – centered life that were both contrary to the Godly – angelic Truth that was revealed for us and Godly – angelic life that is living a life of poverty or poor in spirit, simplicity, prayer, charity, and faith that will let us fly to eternal life.

That’s the soul and spirit of our Gospel for today. To follow God and to act on His words will unburden ourselves and will certainly give us angelic rest for God said so; our false worldly freedom will really burden us not the way we thought it that this will give us relaxation nor rest but will just burden us and leave us restless. To obey God’s will gives true Godly – angelic freedom – a freedom that will be hurtful and painful but will definitely lead us to God and in His promised eternal life. Our labor for God and for our neighbor will certainly burden us but God will give us angelic rest.

Let us take God’s yoke and put it in our shoulders and learn from His teachings in the Gospels and instructions for Jesus Christ is patient in enduring long – suffering and He is humble of heart. In acting on God’s words, we will definitely find angelic rest for ourselves for we will realize that in obeying His words and acting on them, we will see that we are flying and floating like the angels for God’s way is the way of the angels. So, we must live like the angels, I mean, the good angels.

The Gospel teaches us that we are like angels in a human flesh provided that we are not living in sin and we are following and acting on God’s teachings and instructions while working, laboring, and living on this world by God’s ways and not by human ways. We are like angels, but because we are in human flesh, we feel burdened and restless of course. That’s why we must live like the angels who can take themselves lightly for they have wings. The Gospel is intended for us humans so that even we are humans; we can be and live like the angels. The only difference we and the good angels have is we humans get exhausted, get tired, and even worst, to sin against God and against our neighbor. We must live an angelic – life by living the Gospels, and by doing so, we will notice that the Gospels are our wings that will let us fly and float around God like the good angels do. So let us relax and rest in the shoulders of our God, the Lord of Angels.

And last but not the least, we must not let ourselves labor, be burdened, and be restless in the world by becoming worldly that will let us sin. For if we live and die in a burdening sin, we will definitely fall down in hell having Satan and his bad angels as “loving” companions. So let us not live on this earth like a fallen angel. For if we live like that, we will definitely fall and suffer eternal damnation.

Let us unite ourselves to the Angelic Body of God in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass only if we are pure like the good angels who have no sin. So, if you are a fallen angel at this very moment, run and go to the Sacrament of Confession!

Again, we are like angels living in a human body. Our wings are the Gospels and the Most Blessed Sacrament, and our feathers are the pages of the sacred scriptures, the sacraments, the sacramentals, and many more.

So this will be my parting words my angelic – like brothers and sisters: Our earthly bodies must stay here but our soul must be always in heaven.

“Jesus, I trust in Thee” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Go and set the world on fire!

Mary H. Distributist

MY MEDITATION THIS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2013

The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18: 12-14)

Eureka! Eureka! I have found you! I have found you!

MEDITATION: The Gospel for this Tuesday shows us that Jesus Christ is asking for our opinion. We are told by our Lord that a sheep had gone astray leaving its 99 fellow sheep that a man owns. The man here is our God and the sheep who had gone astray is a fellow of us loved so much by God but he walked all alone without God and without us his brothers and sisters who were together with our God. We see how God leaves just for the only one who had gone astray to search him, while leaving the other 99 sheep. The 99 sheep that God left do not shows that they can stand on their own without God; it just so happens that God left them in search for the only one who had gone astray, the other 99 sheep was left by God in a safe place where they can roam around without straying, they were in that safe place of God as if God is still with them for they are still cared where they were, even if God left them for the one and only sheep that was gone astray. How important that lost sheep is! But do not dare to be lost too like that of the lost sheep so God may find you too and rejoice for you, for God will punish you severely if you've done this. 

In God’s Advent or arrival for us, let us be always sensitive enough to know that He is looking for us. He is in search for us. What are we doing to repay that untiring search of God for us? Let’s look also for God for we can hear His searching call for us. We can hear His voice in, take note, every moment of our lives. What we must do is not just to hear Him but to listen to Him. We can see God every day, provided that we just don’t notice that He’s just there, but also we must look for Him for He is there for us. We must seek Him.

But do not tell me that you are now doing what I said above. Maybe in yourself you see God and you know He sees you, but it is just the eyes that sees. It is just the eyes that see the outward appearance. What is important here is to ask you yourself: Do God found me in my heart? Do I found God in my heart? For do not deceive yourself I tell you. You cannot found God if you do not see Him with your heart. In finding and searching God, it is the heart to be used, not the eyes. God sees you of course and He always found you for He is always in search for you. For know that, “Happy are the pure of heart for they will see God.” He always found you. The question is: have you found Him? I think the sound judgement will be made after you seek His forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession.

But God will not cease to find us. That’s how great the love of God for us. When you know in yourself that you found God who is always in search for you, know that God found you first before you found Him. He will rejoice now that He brought you back in Him and to us your brothers and sister sheep. In God’s rejoicing on having you again, we your brothers and sister will rejoice together with God! That’s how important you are for Him. And for us, we know that to you who were brought back by God, we must also rejoice and know how important you are for God!

In our Gospel, we must know that in order for us not to stray, we must be with the Church always, having Jesus Christ as our shepherd. Our heavenly Father does not will or intends anyone of us to be lost. God wills that everyone must be found through Jesus Christ. Our Lord is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

You, what is your share on searching and looking out for our lost brothers and sister? Have you done your part in bringing them back to God? For know that we are our brother’s keeper.

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

 "St. Dominic encountered heretics on his way to France. In his opinion was that the people were not to blame - the preachers were. If there are good, orthodox preachers, then the people will be good and orthodox also. So, he founded the Ordo Praedicatorum - Order of the Preachers...."

Mary H. Distributist

MY MEDITATIONS ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, DECEMBER 9, 2013

Announcement of the Birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38)

Gratia plena!

MEDITATION: Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception where the Blessed Virgin Mary was saved by God from original sin from the beginning of her conception in the womb of St. Anne. Mary the Mother of God’s soul was made immaculate or saved from original sin by God for if it was not made so from the beginning, then it will appear that Jesus Christ will be stained by sin from the beginning of His conception in Mary’s womb for the soul is the one who carries the original sin, and the soul who is in original sin will damage its relation to the human flesh thus making also the human flesh impure for the soul is darkened by impurity, malice, and loss of innocence, just what had happened to Adam and Eve after they ate a fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Then even if the only thing Jesus Christ need is humanity that will be taken from Mary’s human flesh, Jesus Christ Divinity and humanity united together as one will be stained or compromised by original sin which Mary had if Mary is not Immaculate Conception. Jesus Christ has two natures. He is Divine and He is human. Jesus is a Divine Person and His Divine Person will be united with Mary’s human person thus making His Person God-man, where His Divinity now becomes His nature and not anymore His own Person. We can see how great the humility of God is! He compromised His Divine Person when He took His humanity in Mary. Now His Divine Person is not anymore His Person alone but now a part of His own Person which is called Divine nature as God-man, and as God-man, another nature is human. If Mary is not Immaculate Conception or even full of grace, Mary’s humanity will compromise and stain with sin the Person of the God-man Jesus Christ, if Mary’s soul is not made immaculate by God from the very beginning of Mary’s conception in St. Anne’s womb. God willed that from the beginning, Adam and Eve be holy and without blemish before Him (Ephesians 1:4). Now, if that is God’s will from the very beginning before the foundation of the world, is it not very fitting to begin again and to have a New Adam in the Person of Jesus Christ who will be born of Mary, the New Eve?

Adam is immaculate and so is Eve before they fell from sin. Jesus is immaculate of course and so His mother Mary because Mary is full of grace and she has found favour with God. Grace and sin cannot be united to each other. Then how much more is the Immaculate Conception Mary who is full of grace herself? Is not it right to believe that Mary is the Immaculate Conception and she is without original sin?

But how the Immaculate Conception began? The Immaculate Conception began when God said it and He did it. God said the Word and He did it. The Immaculate Conception began in God’s Eternal Wisdom that this Immaculate Conception will champion the purity and innocence Adam and Eve lost. God said it in Genesis that the Immaculate Conception and the serpent will have enmity against each other and even between the offspring of the serpent and of hers; the Immaculate Conception will strike at the serpent’s head while the serpent strike her heel. If there is a continuous battle between Mama Mary and Satan and between her children and his children, how can you arrive at a diabolic conclusion that Mary is not the Immaculate Conception?

Indeed, Mama Mary is Immaculate Conception and she is full of grace!

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Mary H. Distributist

MY MEDITATION FOR 2ND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, DECEMBER 8, 2013

The Preaching of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-12)

MEDITATION: The Gospel for this second Sunday of Advent shows us the Advent of St. John the Baptist whose Advent is for repentance and acknowledgement of sins. We are told that St. John preaches in the desert where God and Satan meet. Here in the desert, a person meets God as his strength and life alone where this person’s life is solidly relying on God alone. Here in this same desert, Satan meets God and the person of God so that this person must be tested if he is really a repentant sinner and will solely be with God fighting Satan. This is the same condition of the people who meet St. John to receive the baptism of repentance. But the story I gave above for similarity is different from the story of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They came for St. John to be baptized but St. John exorcises the hidden devil in them and to bring this hidden evilness of them in the open. These Pharisees and Sadducees according to St. John, were a family of vipers or relatives of snakes for in their evilness and sins they made themselves children of Satan the serpent and brethrens of demons the snakes; they also poisons the people with their respective venoms of zealousness for traditions that were not of God; negligence, ineptness, and incompetence in working in God’s vineyard; making philosophy greater than or above theology; giving too much importance to external holiness rather than interior holiness which must be the first one to be corrected and checked always; being devoted to the law of God but losing faith in God making themselves hypocrites, being experts to the law, becoming experts on misinterpreting the law or selecting and/or rejecting legal traditions or laws that suit their tastes or freethinkers in matters of religion without having interior holiness above all else. These Pharisees, Sadducees, and the scribes are our Church authorities and governments today and I pray you understand why I said that they are those people of today.

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to St. John but not because they are repentant sinners but because of their arrogance and again, their faithful observance of external holiness or external acts of holiness. That is why St. John exhorts them t produce good fruit that will become evidence of their repentance. Which must be really hard for St. John requires them to produce good fruits as evidence that they were truly repentant sinners and they must show that really, they are turning themselves away from sin and making resolve to reform their lives before acknowledging them before all that they are repentant sinners and worthy to be baptized by water of repentance. That is why we must show our repentance by not sinning again and again and making resolve to reform our lives from being a sinner of evilness to being a sinner yet in holiness and perfection; and not by false acknowledgement of our constant sins because of sinning constantly and going constantly to the Sacrament of Confession, confessing the same old sins again and again. Our good fruit we produce must be rooted on the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

These family of vipers in the Gospel and of today must not presume that they have Abraham as their father by blood, or by law, or by promise of God to Abraham and to his descendants as their arrogant claim without understand that if they are really the descendants of Abraham, they must be children of him not just by blood but also of Spirit and the seven gifts of the Spirit that was read in our first reading for today (Isaiah 11:2-3), and also of faith and holiness. In this regard, because of their sins and evilness, their father is Satan and not Abraham. That’s why even God can raise descendants of Abraham out of stones. Then what more are the Gentiles who are not Jews like them and are much greater than stones? Will God not raise descendants from the Gentiles? Of course God will raise descendants out of them!

Every person will wait for judgement or even condemnation that lies in our bases as beings and if we do not bear good fruits we will be uprooted and be thrown into the hellfire. St. John the Baptist baptizes water for repentance but Jesus Christ will baptize by the Holy Spirit and fire that brings forgiveness of sins to the sins we have repented and burns the original sin we have in us, and purifies us to enjoy forgiveness and salvation of God. Jesus Christ is having the judgement in His hand. He will gather the righteous ones into His barn but the deadwood will be burned into the hellfire.

So in this season of Advent of our Lord and even every moment of our lives where He Advents for us, let us prepare the way of the Lord in us as individuals, as a family, as a community, as a society, as a nation, and as a world, and let us straight His paths in us for God is with us, so it is just fitting that we become worthy of God’s belonging of Himself in us.

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Mary H. Distributist

MY MEDITATION THIS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013

The Compassion of Jesus/ The Mission and Commissioning of the Twelve (Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5-8)

The Proclamation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

[35] And Jesus went about all the cities, and towns, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease, and every infirmity.

[36] And seeing the multitudes, he had compassion on them: because they were distressed, and lying like sheep that have no shepherd. [37] Then he saith to his disciples, The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. [38] Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest. [1] And having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of diseases, and all manner of infirmities. [5] These twelve Jesus sent: commanding them, saying: Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the city of the Samaritans enter ye not. [6] But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [7] And going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils

The Gospel of the Lord

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

MEDITATION: The Gospel for today shows us the Advent of God to His Church Israel. The Eternal Word, the Bread of Life, and the Eternal Living Water Jesus Christ went around to all places doing acts of compassion and mercy to His people. But the Advent of God to them was not enough. Why I say so? It is so because the people were many in number and they are troubled and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd. God’s Advent to them is really a consolation. But why is it that they are still troubled and abandoned? It is because they were in hunger and thirst for the Eternal Word that is both the Bread of Life and Living Water Himself. Aside from that, they lack of people who will take care of them. There are people that must be there that will take care of God’s sheep so this will not stray and fall into a pit. Out of Jesus Christ mercy towards His people He told His disciples that the harvest is abundant but the workers who will labor for these are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for His harvest. We can deduce here that harvesting these abundant people is a laborious task to do. In our world today, the laborers of the Lord in His kingdom are still few. Now, let’s ask ourselves. What am I doing about this? For don’t tell me that these problems that Jesus Christ said in His Gospel do no longer exist. We are still in lack of workers who will labor laboriously and painfully in God’s Kingdom! That is why we must pray to God that He sends more people that will work alone in His service and in His kingdom. I think you can also deduce here that these laborers must embrace a life of unmarried chastity. So let us pray and ask God to send more religious or victors of God that will labor for His harvest. The naive question we can dare to say is after all, it is God’s harvest. Why must we bother? It is because His harvest includes us – His laborers. So, if you will not work for God’s harvest, then don’t expect that God will include you to His harvest, rather expect that He will belong you to the weeds for burning, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth – it’s hell.

Then Jesus Christ the Authority Himself gave His disciples authority over unclean spirits or demons and to exorcise them out and to cure every disease and every illness. We can deuce here that the mission of Jesus Christ and the disciples is a ministry of exorcism, deliverance and liberation; and ministry of healing where these both lies on the ministry of compassion, mercy, and love. I remember what an exorcist said about exorcism which is a very good meditation in increasing Jesus Christ in us and we must decrease in ourselves. Fr. Michell Joe “Jojo” B. Zerrudo, an official exorcist of the Catholic Church said in one of the documentaries about exorcism where he was featured, “I think that is the essence of exorcism. That it is not an arrogant display of Divine Power but is actually a display of Divine Love [towards the person afflicted by the enemy.]” This applies to the power bestowed by both Christ and the Church upon the disciples’ actions within the ministries of compassion, mercy, and love.  

Now, Jesus Christ sends the disciples on their mission, giving them instruction that they must first minister on the people of the Church especially the straying ones and so strengthening them first before going to a gentile territory or a Samaritan town thus doing these in obedience to the command of Christ “not to give what is holy to dogs or throw pearls before swine for fear that these will be trampled underfoot and turn and tear them to pieces. This command is also applicable to our fellow Christians who hardened their hearts on listening and obeying the commands and demands of the Gospel that was preached before them. We Christians must first strengthen each and every one of us before entering a gentile territory or a Samaritan town. We must be of one mind and of one heart in everything that we pray, believe, and live. For if we are not yet strengthened as we must be because we are a Church of the Lord, what can you expect from the gentiles?

As we preach the Gospel, the people must see and hear in us that ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’. We individuals who comprises the Church of the Lord must make our very best that everyone sees and hears us must know that the kingdom of God is near for our mission as a Church is the Advent of us to all peoples and giving them the foretaste of the kingdom of heaven, doing this by curing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers, driving out demons by the power of God.

Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi – The law of prayer is the law of faith is the law of life.

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Go and set the world on fire!

Mary H. Distributist

MY MEDITATION THIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

The True Disciple and the Two Foundations (Matthew 7:21, 24-27)

The Proclamation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

[21] Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. [24] Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock, [25] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock.

[26] And every one that heareth these my words, and doth them not, shall be like a foolish man that built his house upon the sand, [27] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof.

The Gospel of the Lord

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

MEDITATION: The Gospel for this Thursday tells us that even if you have the Holy Spirit that lets you to call God, “Lord” or lets you to be firm in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and on calling upon Him is not enough for you to enter the kingdom of heaven. We are told by Lord Jesus that the only one who does or acts the will of His Father in heaven will enter the kingdom. We can deduce that to have the Holy Spirit in us for us to be able to call God, “Lord” is not enough. We can also deduce that if we have the Holy Spirit and we believe so, we must work and act, according to the will of the Father in heaven. But how can we act if we do not know the will of the Father in heaven? A person of good will or a man of good will knows what God wants for him to do. He is struggling to be always sensitive as much as he can in order to know the will of the Father for him. He is doing this by the Holy Spirit or prayer that connects us to Jesus Christ who is the One who will mediate for us to the Father, for the Holy Spirit is the prayer that enables us to know the will of the Father in heaven. That’s how important is the Holy Spirit our Spiritual Director, when it comes to discerning!

We are also told by the Lord Jesus that for everyone who listens to His words and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on God who is the Eternal Rock (Isaiah 26:4), and Jesus Christ the Eternal Word is the Eternal Rock Himself. Those who listen to the Word of God’s words and acts on them build’s his house on Jesus Christ who is the cornerstone Himself who was rejected by the builders (Psalm 118:22). Now, if God is your rock and you are solidly rooted on Him because His words crawled intimately in your mind and heart, how strong are you now? So, do not let yourself become a fool who listened to the words of God but did not act on it where he is scattered by God like a sand because of his arrogance and conceit of heart (Luke 1:51). A person who acts o God’s words is a person who chooses to become anawim or poor in spirit that is, whose richness, wealth, and property is God alone. If we are solidly standing on God our Eternal Rock, how then are the people on their high places, and the arrogant city compared to us (Isaiah 26:5-6)?

In Psalm 118 verses 12-27 of this Thursday, the Eternal Rock Jesus is thanked for He is the strength and savior of us who is our rock and refuge. At God’s Advent, we are encouraged to be victors or righteous ones of God that will enter the gates of holiness where we will thank the Lord, for we became holy because we listened and acted on God’s words that made us strong like a rock. And in our arrival or Advent to the world, we pray that we bear the name of the Lord because of our listening and acting on God’s words by our preaching in words and deeds. And we pray that when our Advent to the world as righteous ones of God begins, may the world say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” For God is granting salvation to everyone who welcomes the bearers of salvation of God and it is us – the just people of God whose trust is set solidly on Jesus Christ the Eternal Rock.

Here are some points to consider:

1 We can all say that everyone is a good person but not all of them are a person of good will. A person of good will knows how to live and act on the will of the Father in heaven. He must be filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:39-45) in order to bless the Blessed Virgin Mary and also to bless the Word made flesh in her womb which is the Eternal Rock Himself. A righteous person or a person of good will greatly knows that it is truly right and just to proclaim “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” to the Blessed Virgin Mary for she came in the name of the Lord and not only that for she bore in her womb the Lord Himself and not just the name of the Lord. A good-willed man must possess the Holy Spirit who will let him to be in the state of sanctifying grace that exorcises sin which is the spirit of the devil. The will of the Father is for us to be a person of good will who lets the Holy Spirit to live and act in us and not us in ourselves.

2. A just, righteous, or holy person is person who is a sinner in his entire earthly life yet not sinning but doing and acting the words of the Word of God that makes him holy, righteous, or just. In short, a holy person is a doer of righteous deeds that makes him holy, yet he is a sinner but not sinning.   

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Go and set the world on fire!

Mary H. Distributist

MY MEDITATION THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013 (FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT)

The Healing of Two Blind Men (Matthew 9:27-31)

The Proclamation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

[27] And as Jesus passed from thence, there followed him two blind men crying out and saying, Have mercy on us, O Son of David. [28]And when he was come to the house, the blind men came to him. And Jesus saith to them, Do you believe, that I can do this unto you? They say to him, Yea, Lord. [29] Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it done unto you. [30] And their eyes were opened, and Jesus strictly charged them, saying, See that no man know this.

[31] But they going out, spread his fame abroad in all that country.

The Gospel of the Lord

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ 

MEDITATION: In the Gospel for this Friday, we are told that Jesus Christ was followed by two blind men who wanted to be healed by Him from their lack of sight. Jesus asked them when they approached Him, “Do you believe that I can do this?” We can behold that this is a question of faith of God in us and God’s faith on our faith in Him; anticipated healing that is to come to the two blind men and is waiting for an affirmation from these two who prays to have sight, to which they answered, “Yes, Lord.” They put their faith on the Eternal Word that if they believe in this Eternal Word and on His words that bring healing and salvation, they will be freed from their affliction. And it so happened. As the Eternal Word touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done to you according to your faith”, their eyes were opened. They were healed by the touch of the Eternal Word and His words and their faith in Him, their faith that God will show mercy to them and save them. We can deduce here that our faith changes us, and if not, then something is wrong with us. Our faith in God and in His words changes us or transforms us. For our faith is solidly leaned on the Lord, and if according to God’s will and want, will be a chance for the Lord to change us or transform us.

Faith is a two-way traffic. The other road is our faith in God. Our Advent or arrival towards God is a cry of us to be changed and transformed by Him. While on the other road is the faith of God in us. God’s Advent or arrival of Him for us is a question for us if we want to be changed or transformed by God according to our faith in Him. Therefore, it is really a two-way traffic of faith. Of course it is important to have faith in God but most important here is the faith of God in us and the faith of us in God’s faith in us. Faith opens our eyes to the Light which is the Eternal Word Jesus Christ, and the Light opens our eyes because of our faith. If our Light is Jesus Christ in the midst of gloom and darkness that surrounds us, to whom shall we fear? To whom shall we be afraid of?

The two blind men whom Jesus Christ healed were not blind anymore. When their eyes opened, Jesus Christ warned them strictly that they should see to it that no one should know about what had happened between them. This warning of our Lord is very peculiar and funny. I know that God knew from the very beginning that after He gave them a strict order not to report what had occurred between them, they will definitely report what had happened. For how can you contain your wonderment and joy after you were healed and saved by God from your affliction? How can you contain the indescribable joy that you felt and made you overwhelmed when you saw God face-to-face? How can you not spread the word about Him and what great miracle he has done for you? How can you not share the fruits of what you have contemplated when you saw God face-to-face? Pardon my being subjective and biased for I greatly believe in my deduction that this Gospel, the Psalm 27:4-10, and Isaiah 29:23-24 of today’s readings apart from the Gospel talks about the Dominicans on how they pray for Light against the darkness of sin, error, heresy, and ignorance; how they praise, bless, and preach the Lord; how they contemplate and give to others the fruits of what has been contemplated by them; and how they spread throughout the world the Truth about what really happened to them after reading the Eternal Word, the Truth which is Jesus Christ Himself.

The Dominican mottoes:

Veritas – Truth

Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare – To praise, to bless, to preach

Contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere – Contemplate and give to others the fruits of what has been contemplated.

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Go and set the world on fire!

Mary H. Distributist

MY MEDITATION FOR TODAY, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2013

The Healing of Many and the Feeding of the Four Thousand

The Proclamation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

29] And when Jesus had passed away from thence, he came nigh the sea of Galilee. And going up into a mountain, he sat there. [30] And there came to him great multitudes, having with them the dumb, the blind, the lame, the maimed, and many others: and they cast them down at his feet, and he healed them:

[31] So that the multitudes marvelled seeing the dumb speak, the lame walk, and the blind see: and they glorified the God of Israel. [32] And Jesus called together his disciples, and said: I have compassion on the multitudes, because they continue with me now three days, and have not what to eat, and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. [33] And the disciples say unto him: Whence then should we have so many loaves in the desert, as to fill so great a multitude? [34]And Jesus said to them: How many loaves have you? But they said: Seven, and a few little fishes.[35] And he commanded the multitude to sit down upon the ground.

[36] And taking the seven loaves and the fishes, and giving thanks, he brake, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the people. [37] And they did all eat, and had their fill. And they took up seven baskets full, of what remained of the fragments.

The Gospel of the Lord

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

MEDITATION: The Gospel and the first reading for today very well compliments each other most perfectly. We can deduce in the Gospel that the crowds who followed Him on the mountain and who desires to cure their sick and was healed by Jesus Christ had undergone an inescapable hunger for staying in the company of the Lord that can be likened to an inescapable fasting-like hunger. We can also deduce here that there is a hidden revelation of the Holy Eucharist and its indescribable greatness after the Resurrection of God took place. The people “fasted” with Jesus Christ for three days and on its third day He gave them bread and fish and all of them were satisfied. This is same with the Holy Eucharist and Resurrection. Jesus Christ “fasted” for three days and on the third day He, the bread and the fish Himself, was raised. Jesus Christ knew that if He will let the people go or if He will send them on their mission in hunger without sustenance and nourishment the Holy Eucharist gives, they will fall on the temptations of Satan and his demons, the people will collapse in sin, sickness, error, and death.

“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?”, was a worrying and striking question of the disciples to Jesus Christ’s unthinkable and kinda “stupid” statement where it shows a very great revelation for us that this Gospel is a miracle and not like the other way around where it was stupidly interpreted by modernists or liberation theology supporters and their same feathers of the same birds who all flocks together in heresy and error. This question of the disciples proves the fact or truth that this is a miracle for how can the people share the bread or fish they have if there is nowhere to get those? How can the people share the bread or fish they have if in reality, they have none? For modernists and liberation theology people this Gospel, they all believe, shows just the value of sharing, generosity, brotherly love, or caring for one another. They do not believe that this Gospel is nothing more than what they believe; therefore, this Gospel has no miracle. Now, you can fully know how stupid are the modernists and liberation theology people when it comes to misinterpreting the Gospels, letting their selves live in heresy, error, sin, death, and damnation. For them, the Gospel is just showing the value of sharing. How stupid they are!

The disciples had seven loaves of bread and a few fish. We must all know that in Jewish numerology, seven means perfection or completeness. So, if that is so, then, in this Gospel, we can deduce that the Holy Eucharist and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead completes and gives life to all the seven ritual Sacraments that we have in the Catholic Church. In this Gospel, it shows that the Holy Eucharist is the source of life of the seven Sacraments. And how great must we value the fragments of the Holy Eucharist! Jesus Christ is the Alpha of the Holy Eucharist and He is also the Omega, where the fragments of Him is also seven baskets full – again, the completeness, richness, and greatness of the perfection of the Holy Eucharist that was made perfect in the Resurrection of God and, together with the Holy Eucharist, they perfected all the seven ritual Sacraments.

The Psalms (Psalm 25:6-10) for today gives a striking revelation for us regarding the Gospel. On verses 6 to 8, we can deduce that this refers to the Body of Christ and Christ Himself who died on the cross thus destroying the veil of the Temple (Matthew 27:51) that symbolizes the sin that “veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; He will destroy death forever (Psalm 25:7-8). This reveals that the 3 o’clock of His death on the cross and on the third day when He was Resurrected is the Alpha and the Omega of life, for in Christ’s death on the cross, we had life; and on the Resurrection of Him from the dead completes that life of ours thus completing and perfecting everything like what God did on the seven-day Creation of everything; it completes and perfects also the seven Sacraments that give life to all people here on earth, serving as our oxygen tanks here while we are still on this earth and while we are all not in heaven yet.

And last but not the least, verses 9 to 10 of Psalm 25 may be likened to the priest’s words while elevating the Body and Blood of Christ before the Holy Communion. Here, we can deduce that the Holy Eucharist indeed is the summit of the mountain and source of everything for everything sources from it; for the “hand of the Lord” which is the Holy Spirit who lives in the Church, sanctifies and gives life to everything that were included in the Church, while Moab or the enemies of God will be trodden down in a mire-like place called hell.

Every day when the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered, everyday is Advent for in those moments, God arrives here on earth. Therefore, know that when you attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, it is always Advent.

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Go and set the world on fire!

Mary H. Distributist

MEDITATION FOR THE HEALING OF A CENTURION'S SERVANT, MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2013

The Healing of a Centurion's Servant (Matthew 8:5-11)

The Proclamation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

[5] And when he had entered into Capharnaum, there came to him a centurion, beseeching him,

[6] And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, and is grieviously tormented. [7]And Jesus saith to him: I will come and heal him. [8] And the centurion making answer, said: Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed. [9] For I also am a man subject to authority, having under me soldiers; and I say to this, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh, and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.[10] And Jesus hearing this, marvelled; and said to them that followed him: Amen I say to you, I have not found so great faith in Israel.

[11] And I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven:

The Gospel of the Lord

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

MEDITATION: The Gospel for today shows us a great faith of a person towards the Word of God’s words. The reply of our Lord Jesus to the statement of the centurion is really mysterious for the latter’s words do not contain anything that will invite the Lord to come to the place where the centurion’s servant is lying except for the prayer he said to the Lord informing God about the servant’s condition; and of course God also wants to go because of the faith of the centurion towards Him and also God’s love, mercy, and compassion towards the sick person. Jesus Christ’s reply is, “I will come and cure him.” We can see here how great is our Lord and God towards people who approach and pray to Him even if we do not invited God to come for us. Such words of God shows that our prayer and faith towards Him especially our cry for help for the people we want to be healed and where our concern, love, mercy, and compassion rest is an opportunity for God to come because these serve as an invitation of us for God to come for us and to cure us.

But the centurion’s reply towards the great consolation of the advent of the Lord to his house and God’s personal presence to cure the sick servant is much more mysterious for his reply to God’s advent and healing indirectly rejects the very person of God, not allowing Jesus Christ to come to his house. But his words show a very great faith for the centurion is unworthy to receive God in his house, he just wants the Lord to say a word that will heal the servant. Why he not allowed God to come? It is because the centurion fully knows that just an utterance of Jesus Christ’s word will bring healing, and he wants God not to be subjected and become obedient to his unworthy self and in his words that commands and give orders. The centurion fully knows that God’s word is enough to bring what he desires and that is the healing of his servant. He also tells God that he is subject to authority and he is also and authority himself, where the centurion shows to the Lord that his word of command and of order is being obeyed right away by the people who were under his authority. Well, if it is indeed so, then, the centurion has no right to command or order Jesus Christ to come to his house and to heal his servant for it is God and that is God. For if the centurion’s words were obeyed and carried out right away by his subordinates, then how much more are the words of God not to take effect right away after these were uttered by God Himself? Of course the Word of God will take effect far faster than the speed of light! This also tells us how important it is to be solid in the faith in Jesus Christ the Word of God and on the Word of God’s words. How great must be our faith to Jesus Christ and in His words! Now, it reasonable to say that all of us are a shame in front of God for we don’t have that great faith like that of the centurion towards the Word of God and to the Word of God’s words. It is wanting in us that we have that such great faith like that of the centurion’s. I think it’s not late to ask ourselves, “Am I now a centurion and do I have a centurion-like faith?”

I believe there is a revelation to us in today’s Gospel. God the Father sent His Son, the Word of God Jesus Christ for us “so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17). Because of our unworthiness, God the Father sent His Word for us so that we may be saved and healed through Him. Jesus Christ the Word of God was sent to us but we are still unworthy of Him because He is God. That will also explains why we have the Mother of God as our Mediatrix. Mama Mary is the one who will send the Word for us and she will bring us to the Word just as what she did in the Incarnation of God in her womb, carrying the Word made flesh in her body.

Because we are unworthy just like the centurion, we must approach Mary because she is the Body of God Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s Body was taken alone from Mama Mary. In the Gospel for today, it is clear that Mama Mary the Mother of God is the one who was approached by the centurion even if it is Jesus Christ in His own person. How can I say so? It is because Jesus Christ and Mary His Mother is inseparable to one another. In Jesus Christ own person, He has His Divinity and He is God while at the same time He is human for He has the Body of Mary, which is now His own Body too. Although Jesus Christ is God and man, still, He is God, and we are unworthy to receive God. So, because it is evident in the Bible or it is biblical, we must rather go to Mama Mary who is God’s Body even Mama Mary is not God herself but a mere human being. Why we must go to Mama Mary instead of going directly to Jesus Christ? Well, because it is in the Bible. Like the centurion who approached God made flesh in Mary’s flesh, so also we must approach God in His flesh which is Mary because we are unworthy to receive God.

The centurion’s reply to Jesus Christ can be paraphrased into this:

“Mother Mary, I am not worthy to have you and Jesus Christ enter under my roof; only say Jesus Christ the Word and my servant will be healed.”

And we can also add this as prayer before we receive Jesus Christ in the Holy Communion:

“Mother Mary, I am not worthy that you and Jesus Christ should enter under my roof; only make my body your body and say to me Jesus Christ the Word and my soul will be healed.”

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

“I am all Thine and all that I have is Thine, o most loving Jesus, through Mary, thy most holy Mother.”

To the greater glory of God!

Mary H. Distributist