I tell you if your sense of right and wrong is not keener than that of the lawyers and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard, that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who murders will have to face trial. But now, I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will face trial.  Whoever insults a brother of sister is liable, to be brought before the council. Whoever calls a brother or a sister “fool!” is liable, of being thrown into the fire of hell. So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there, in front of the altar; go at once, and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God. Don’t forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put in jail. There, you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.

POINT OF REFLECTION

The gospel of yesterday did mention a complete obedience of the law as modeled by Jesus saying that “I have not come to annul the laws and the prophet but to fulfill them.” Meaning He emphasizes how important for as Christians  to obey the laws and the words of the prophets. However, today’s gospel warned us not to overly interpret the laws and the words of the prophets. It might compromise our relationship with the community folks and the Father in heaven.

As we have learn from the writings in the Bible and today’s ways of proclaiming  God’s word, many would tend to fall into arguments about cannon laws citing verses  to support the merit of their argument.  They hung up themselves from the very details of the laws and words of the prophets but did not recognize the value and meaning beyond mere obedience to the details of actual spirit and meaning that are embedded in them.

The heart of the Laws and words of the Prophets is the true and meaningful relationship with God who has given us the law and sent to us the Prophets. Be reminded that such relationship with God can only be achieved through intimate relationship with our fellow Christians in the community and to the Father.

We could not imagine what life would become without Law.  However, this gospel cautioned us to implement the Laws with love and compassion to promote serious relationship to the people in the community and to the Father in heaven.

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Do not think that have come to annul the law and the prophets.  I have not come to annul them, but to fulfill them. I tell you this: as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or dot in the law will change, until all is fulfilled. So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be least in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys them, and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the kingdom of heaven.

POINT OF REFLECTION

Laws are established system of rules to be followed to regulate actions and behavior to maintain order in the community. Laws are for everybody. It is non-selective in order to be objective in its effect.

When Jesus said “I do not come to annul the law and the prophets, instead to fulfill them.” He taught us the very important   lesson of being a good follower. We are told to follow not just the written laws in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, but included as well oral orders from the prophets and practices in the conduct of their tradition inspired by the Holy Spirit.  

In totality, there are three sources of Christian teaching which included the Bible or the Scripture, the prophesies from the prophets under  the guidance of the  Holy spirit and the Christian tradition handed down from generation according the message of the Holy Spirit.

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You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It has become useless. It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it.

You are the light of the world; A city built on a mountain cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead, it is put on a lamp stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do, and praise your Father in heaven.

POINT OF REFLECTION

All of us are borne to be the “the salt of the earth and the light of the world.”  All are borne with the necessary potentials according to the plan of God. Perhaps one of the greatest responsibility God has given to us, is to discover and bring to the topmost functionality every hidden talent and skills He has given to us. And for all this goodness, it is therefore right and proper for us to repay Him by using our talent and skills to glorify His kingdom on earth.

We will use all we have so that the world would appreciate the goodness of God in us. Make it to the point that the world sees God in us, Christian, through our talent and skills. May everyone shine in the light of Jesus as we use our talent and skills to touch lives and bring back to Jesus His lost Sheep.  

In conclusion my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, all are bestowed with the gift of wonderful talent and skills upon birth. Our greatest responsibility is to hone it and use the same to further His kingdom on earth.  

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When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain. He sat down and his disciples gathered around him. Then he spoke and began to teach them:

Fortunate are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom in heaven. Fortunate are those who mourn; they shall be comforted. Fortunate are the gentle; they shall possess the land. Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for  justice, for they shall be satisfied. Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. Fortunate are those with pure hearts, for they shall see God. Fortunate are those who work for peace; they shall be called children of God. Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of righteousness, for theirs, if the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are you when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are my followers. Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God. For that is how this people persecuted the prophets who lived before you.

POINT OF REFLECTION

This gospel proclaims “beatitude.” It is the state of great joy which proceeds as a blessing from above. Jesus mentioned that, the one fortunate in the eye of the Lord are those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, who hunger, who suffer injustice, who are persecuted and insulted and likewise  those who are merciful, pure in their heart and  peace loving for what awaits is a reward in heaven.

Brothers and sisters, many times in our lives that world seems to be against us for no reasons. Many are the times that the world seems to be unjust and turn away from our favor. Many are the times that the world seems to roll over us and crush our spirit into unbearable sadness. But all those must not be the cause of desperation but a celebration in joy for the Father who is heaven gather gifts equivalent to our struggle in this earth. Remember, man’s greatest goal is to end up temporal life into heaven but if you have much of suffering, gifts filed in heaven.

So therefore, do not be blind by what you have more than others do. Do not be very dependent on your positions such as material wealth, exemplary talents and skills instead recognize that, who may you be will become, God has willed it.  Remember to live a life completely dependent to the Lord. It is impossible for us Christian to hurdle life in this earth without the presence of Jesus in us through the Holy Spirit.

Finally, Life in the colors of beatitude is a complete opposite of the world and requires complete dependence to God. Whoever you may become in the future, God willed it. Be brave and courageous for life is a continuous challenge to play on, do everything you could for the glory of His mighty name.

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Yes, God so love the world that he give his only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through Him the world is to be saved. Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned. He who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

POINT OF REFLECTION

All we know that God is a supernatural being who created all things both within and beyond our senses. But the most wonderful identity of God for us is Love. God is Love. This was proven when Jesus was sent by the Father to rescue us from this sinful world. Jesus presence in us is a manifestation of the Father’s great love to us for universal redemption of those who chooses to believe in Jesus only. Remember, brothers and sisters,  Jesus  does not come into this world  to condemn  but to save.

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As he was teaching, he also said to them, “ Beware of those teachers of the law, who enjoy walking around in the long robes and being greeted in the market place; and who likes to occupy reserved seats in the synagogues; and the first places of feasts.  They even devour the widow’s and the orphan’s good’s while making a show of long prayers. How severe a sentence they will receive!”

Jesus sat down opposite the Temple treasury, and watched the people dropping money into the treasury box; and man rich people put in large offerings. But the poor widow also came and dropped in two small coins.

Then, Jesus called his disciples, and said to them, “Truly I say to you, the poor widow put in more than all those who gave offerings. For all of them gave from their plenty; but she gave from her poverty, and put in everything she had, her very living.”

POINT OF REFLECTION

Life looks forward nothing but investment. When one dares into investment, he is not expecting less in return instead greater than anybody doing the same kind of investment. There are the two kinds of investment for life, the short range investment and the long range investment. Short range investment for life is a kind of investment goaled only till this temporal life. While the long range investment is a kind of investment that impact life not only to this world alone but into another world after temporal death.

Life after temporal world seems hypothetical to those who does not know and believe Jesus as the savior and the  key figure of resurrection. If one do not believed Jesus, their mentality would be the same as that of  the mentality of the Sadducees  who believe that  life is all in this planet earth. Their investment was limited only to the life on earth in accordance to their traditions, practices, and beliefs.

My dear brothers and sisters, the real and most meaningful investment of greater return is the long range investment. The very nature of this investment is the teaching of the gospel, MARK 12:38-44,  “Truly I say to you, the poor widow put in more than all those who gave offerings. For all of them gave from their plenty; but she gave from her poverty, and put in everything she had, her very living.” Jesus teaches us to value less in this life and value more unto the life with the Father.

Putting into donation boxes all for the promotion of God’s kingdom and His people, is a long range investment. This is not only about money resources but includes primarily our investment for our faith, for our prayer, for our spiritual life.  Jesus reminded us to invest like the widow did in the Bible. That is giving from our poverty not giving from our plenty.  Truly God’s ways is not man’s ways for usually, we only give from our plenty.

We might also come to think by how much we are to give? The answer is “the widow put in everything she had, her very living.”  By saying this, God is telling us to invest our everything unto Him or at the very least  give from  you until it hurts.

In conclusion, God requires Christians to invest in faith,   prayer, spiritual growth, and if possible giving our all, or at the very least giving from our poverty until it really hurts.

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