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San Marcos Evangelista of Pagali- Saoit, Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Philippines, Pagali, Burgos (2026)

31/07/2023

Joy and Judgment
July 30, 2023
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” Matthew 13:47–50

This parable is the third of three parables Jesus tells in a row. The first compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a “treasure buried in a field.” When a person finds it, they sell everything they have so as to buy that field. The second parable likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a merchant who is in search of fine pearls. “When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” In both of these parables, the discovery of the Kingdom of Heaven is a great joy. The person discovering the treasure or the pearl is so elated that he is willing to trade all that he has so as to obtain it.

The third of these three parables, however, is much different. In this case, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a net that gathers all people at the end of the age and separates them, the good from the bad. The parable then concludes with a frightening image. The wicked will be thrown “into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

In the end, for those who enter the glories of Heaven, there will be unending joy. And this fact must be understood so as to draw us into those riches of grace. Anticipation of such a gift should motivate us to diligently seek out the many graces our Lord wishes to bestow upon us. But sometimes we need a bit more of a nudge. We can easily become complacent in our life of faith and our search for God’s will. For that reason, Jesus includes the third parable, outlining the consequences some will endure at the end of time. Though it might not be a happy thought, it is a holy thought because it reveals God’s definitive justice and judgment at the end of time.

Do you believe in the Justice of God? Do you believe that He will exact definitive judgment upon those who reject His holy will in this life? Do you believe that Hell is real and is a possibility for us all? If this thought is difficult to accept, then it might be worth further prayerfully pondering this third parable. Justice and judgment are real. If we are not fully motivated in life to diligently seek out the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven, then we should at least honestly face the reality of the consequences that await.

Reflect, today, upon the glory, beauty and splendor of God. Try to put your eyes of faith upon the Treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven. Allow this prayerful meditation to inspire you to make obtaining the Kingdom of Heaven your sole mission in life. But if you struggle with this joyous discovery, then do not hesitate to reflect upon the potential consequences. The Lord speaks of these consequences of God’s justice and judgment for our good so as to keep them from becoming our reality.

My just Judge, You see all things and know all things. You know my heart through and through. Please cleanse me of every sin and all complacency in life. Fill me with a holy zeal for Your Kingdom. May the joy of the discovery of You fully motivate me to remain diligent in my journey to Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.

15/07/2023

Growing Rich in Grace
July 16, 2023
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

“To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.” Matthew 13:12–13

How is it that someone can look without seeing or hear without listening or understanding? This is only possible when one’s eyes and ears are working properly, but the mind is distracted, not attentive to what is seen or heard. For example, say you were listening to a book being read and suddenly you realized that even though you heard what was read, your mind was elsewhere and you had no idea what was spoken. This is a common experience for everyone from time to time.

This portion of the Gospel quoted above comes immediately after Jesus spoke the Parable of the Sower to the crowds from a boat. In that parable, seed fell on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns and in rich soil. Only the seed on the rich soil grew and produced good fruit. Therefore, Jesus’ teaching quoted above, as well as His parable spoken before it, teach that there were many who heard the Word of God and witnessed Jesus’ miracles but failed to allow His teachings and miracles to produce faith in their hearts.

This Gospel passage is especially important for those who have been Catholics for many years but have become stagnant in their faith. When someone goes to Mass every week, listens to the Gospel and shares in the Eucharist but fails to continually grow in holiness and understanding of the Mysteries of Heaven, then they will slowly lose even the little faith they have. They will become lukewarm Catholics who go through the motions but fail to produce the good fruit that comes from authentic faith.

When you look back at your life as a practicing Catholic, what do you see from year to year? Was there a time when you were strong in faith but have slowly closed your ears to the Gospel and have drifted away from a deep and prayerful interior engagement with our Lord? Or when you look back do you see that the Lord has continuously given you more and more, leading you to a life of true spiritual riches? Has the Gospel entered not only your ears, but also your mind and your understanding? Do you both see and perceive the action of God in your life and in the world around you? Are you actively engaged with the life of grace and find that you grow closer to God every day? Or, sadly, have you lost interest and zeal and now find yourself slowly drifting away from the fruitful practice of your faith?

Reflect, today, upon these important questions and strive to answer them honestly. If you do not see yourself growing in faith every year and becoming truly rich in the grace of God, then know that something needs to change. Stagnation and lukewarmness in the faith are not good. They lead to the slow loss of everything. As you reflect upon your own faith journey, recommit yourself to a zealous embrace of the Gospel so that your soul will be truly rich soil that continually produces an abundance of good fruit.

Lord, You desire that all people hear Your Word and see Your action in their lives. Please continue to pour forth Your grace into my life so that I will continually grow rich in Your mercy. I pray that my eyes and ears will be open to You more fully every day. Jesus, I trust in You.

24/06/2023

The Nativity of St John the Baptist
June 24, 2023

Lk 1:57-66, 80

Elizabeth gave birth to a son...And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said, "Not so; he shall be called John"...they all marvelled...And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?"

"What then will this child be?" That question could be asked about every baby in the world, because God has made everyone for something. This isn't the first time that we hear about St John. Three months before, Our Lady came to visit her cousin and "when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb". St John felt the presence of Jesus in Mary's womb and leaped for joy.

When babies are little, all their features are tiny, like the eyes or the nose. Little by little they develop and we can start recognising more and more the features of their parents. We know that, from the beginning, they have everything; but it takes time to mature. They - like St John – also have a mission from the moment of their conception. That vocation is there from the beginning, but it takes time to recognise and carry it out.

My Lord, help me to remind people that all human beings have a purpose; all babies have a mission; to remind them also that You, Lord, are a Father, Who loves them so much that You sent Your Only Son to die for them. "What then will this child be?" said my parents when I was born. You, Lord, knew well what I was going to be. I don't know yet many of the things that I should be, but there is one I do know, Lord: 'I'm meant to be a saint!'

Holy Mary, Mother of the children of God, I pray today for all those who are facing difficult decisions about the life of their children. I pray especially for all those babies that aren't allowed to live and to become what God wanted them to be. What would have happened if St John had never been allowed to be born? We can't know for certain; all we know is that, as with any other baby, there would have been a hole in the heart of his parents and in history; and tears in the eyes of God.

24/06/2023

“Fear No One”
June 25, 2023
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Jesus said to the Twelve: “Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.” Matthew 10:26

This line is spoken by our Lord within the context of preparing the Twelve for the persecutions that are to come. Prior to this passage, Jesus said, “But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.” After saying much more about the persecutions to come, Jesus gives them a certain hope and encouragement in the passage above.

First of all, Jesus directly addresses one of the effects many people suffer when they encounter some form of persecution: fear. “Fear no one,” He says. Fear can consume a person when they lack faith in God’s care for them, allowing anxiety and worry to take hold. When we can keep our eyes fixed firmly on Christ and dispel the attacks we receive in life, then we will remain confident in God’s truth and not be deterred by lies.

Jesus is also very aware of the fact that fear can become overwhelming. This is especially the case when we must endure any form of severe persecution or trial. Therefore, He speaks a consoling line to the Twelve to help them have hope. “Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.” This is a reference to the end of time when Jesus returns to earth for the Final Judgment. At that time, every deceitful attack that people have endured will come to full light for all to see. Every virtue, including every hidden virtue, will also come to light. In the end, truth will reign and all will be judged by God’s Truth. This should be very consoling to those who have suffered injustice in life.

Persecution comes in many forms. Of course, persecution issued against you because of your faith is the worst form of persecution. But most often, persecution comes in other forms. Jealousy toward another could lead to gossip about them. Revealing the sins of another in a public way is the sin of detraction and is a form of persecution. Passive aggression, slander, the “silent treatment” and so much more are all forms of persecution. Any time one person attempts to inflict some form of harm upon another, this is persecution.

One common tendency that people encounter when another has harmed them in some way is to return the harm done. There is nothing wrong with defending ourselves by speaking the truth with love. But too often, the hurt experienced either turns into a consuming fear or into an attack against the one who harmed us. When this temptation is felt, Jesus’ words above are most helpful and freeing. In the end, no injustice will be ignored. Every wrong will be dealt with by the justice and mercy of God, and perfect order and truth will be fully restored for eternity.

Reflect, today, upon any struggle you have with fear. As you do, reflect upon Jesus’ words over and over. “Fear no one.” Do not allow yourself to be controlled by any injustice inflicted upon you. Instead, remain confident in the truth and, if some injustice is not able to be corrected here and now, look forward to the end of time when everything will be brought to light in accord with the mind and justice of God.

My courageous Lord, You endured so much ridicule and harsh treatment but never allowed it to deter You from Your divine mission of love. Please free me from all fear and give me courage when I face the injustices of life to trust that You will right every wrong in the end. Jesus, I trust in You.

19/06/2023

A New Depth of Mercy
June 19, 2023
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Saint Romuald, Abbot—Optional Memorial

Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.” Matthew 5:41–42

As the faith of Israel developed over the centuries, prior to the coming of Christ, there were various stages of advancement in morality. Prior to the establishment of moral laws in the Old Testament, it was common for families to inflict severe vengeance upon other families when harm was done to them. This caused ongoing violence and feuds. But advancements were made when the law of retaliation was established which said, “When a man causes a disfigurement in his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has disfigured a man, he shall be disfigured” (Leviticus 24:19–20). This was a new form of justice that forbade the vengeance from being more severe than the crime that was retaliated against. At the time, this helped end ongoing family feuds that continually escalated.

It is this law of retaliation that Jesus addresses in our Gospel today. The new and much higher form of morality that Jesus taught called His disciples to “offer no resistance to one who is evil” and to turn the other cheek when evil was done to them. Though strict justice requires satisfaction for sin, Jesus’ new teaching was that mercy pays every debt. First, His mercy bestowed upon us, for the forgiveness of our sins, pays the debt of our sins when we truly repent and change. But if we desire our debts to God for our sins to be forgiven and repaid, then we must do the same to others, holding nothing against them.

But Jesus goes even further. In the passage quoted above, Jesus exhorts His disciples to a new and radical form of charity and generosity. This new moral code was how the children of the Kingdom of God were now called to act. It was not enough to only forgive and to forget the debt one owes you because of their sin. Mercy now requires us to “Give to the one who asks” and to walk “two miles” with one who only asks you to walk one mile with them. In other words, Christian charity far exceeds every concept of strict justice and even goes beyond basic forgiveness. This was certainly a new and radical teaching from our Lord.

Think about this new moral law in your own life. What level of “justice” do you most commonly live by? When someone wrongs you, do you live like those prior to the Old Testament laws by seeking to get back at them to an even greater degree than the harm done to you? Do you live by the law that seeks the equal justice of an eye for an eye? Do you seek to forgive and offer mercy as a payment for the debt another has incurred by the sin they have committed against you? Or, ideally, do you strive to go even beyond the act of forgiveness and bestow mercy in a new and generous, superabundant way? This last level of love is difficult to obtain and live, but it is the way our Lord treats us and it is the way that He calls us to treat others.

Reflect, today, upon any hurt you may currently be struggling with. And consider the way in which you have been dealing with that hurt. As you seek to understand this new law of love and mercy given by our Lord, pray to Him that He will give you the grace you need to give to others the same level of mercy that God gives to you.

My generous Lord, You offer Your mercy in superabundance. You not only forgive when we repent, You also restore us to far greater heights of holiness than we could ever deserve. Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to offer this same level of mercy and love to those who have sinned against me. I forgive all who have hurt me. Please help me to also love them with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

19/06/2023

iPray with the Gospel reflection
June 18, 2023

Monday 11th week in ordinary time

"Mt 5:38-42"
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you."

In the old days, if someone struck you and you lost one of your teeth, you had the right to strike back. But you needed to calculate the strike well, for if two teeth fell, he may have had to strike you again to get even. You can guess how this could end: both toothless. To answer one injustice with another injustice only makes things worse. Children say sometimes: 'He started it!' Or even: 'It all started when he punched me back!'

But Our Lord's lesson is infallible. We Christians have to be ready to receive injustice and never hit back. That's the end of the argument. Have you ever thought what would happen if, when they call you 'ugly' you smile and keep doing what you were doing? 'Nothing'. Exactly! And if, on the contrary, you find another name to call that person back...? This is the lesson, the infallible way to stop all arguments, discussions and fights: don't answer back.

We can ask Jesus for the humility we need to be able to receive injustice and remain always calm and cheerful. Follow the example of the saints. One day a group of envious priests wrote a letter to the bishop asking for St John Mary Vianney, Curé of Ars, to be removed from the parish of Ars because he was ignorant and useless. The letter was sent round the parishes to be signed by all other priests who might want to sign it. By accident, the letter ended up on St John Mary's desk as well. He read it and saw the names and denunciations. What was his reaction? He signed his own name on it, stamped it and sent it off to the bishop! You can imagine how funny the bishop thought it was. Of course, he was never removed. He was humble enough to react to injustice calmly and cheerfully.

Holy Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, teach me to always react meekly to any injustice I may suffer.

28/05/2023

The Age of the Holy Spirit
May 28, 2023

Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday (Year A)

And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Acts 2:2–4

And with that, the Church was born. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost which, in many ways, was the culmination of the mission of Christ. The pinnacle of His mission will come at the end of time when He returns in all His glory to judge the living and the dead and to establish His permanent Kingdom. But for now, we live under the rule of the Holy Spirit Who has descended upon us in full form, transforming us and making it possible to prepare for Jesus’ final and glorious coming.

The Trinity is truly a Mystery of Faith. In our limited way, we understand that God is Three in One. He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each a distinct Person. Each fully sharing in the one divine nature. Though They act in perfect unison, They each fulfill Their unique mission. The Father is the one Who sent the Son into the world and willed that He give His life for the salvation of all. The Son was sent and perfectly fulfilled the will of the Father, uniting humanity with divinity. The Holy Spirit is the Promise of Father and Son Who proceeds from Them and descends upon us, animating us and making it possible for us to share in the life of the Most Holy Trinity.

If that is hard to comprehend, it should be. Our limited intellects can only grasp a shadow of the reality of God. That fact, however, should not discourage us. On the contrary, it should inspire us to anticipate that day when we will see God face to face and enter more deeply into the mystery of His divine life.

Today we especially focus upon the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity: The Holy Spirit. It is an incredible gift we have been given to live in this age of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you have thought to yourself that it would have been nice to live during the time that Jesus walked the earth. But Jesus Himself said that it was good that He go. Why? Because then He would send His Advocate, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, Who will lead you into all Truth. Thus, the age in which we now live, the age of the Holy Spirit, is the most blessed age the world has ever seen. This is because we are now able to receive the indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is no longer spoken only through the prophets. He is no longer revealed only through the Person of the Son in Jesus Christ. He is now also able to live within us, making our very souls His dwelling place. Heaven and earth unite within our souls. There could be nothing greater than this.

As the Holy Spirit descends upon you, He brings the presence of the Father and the Son. They are inseparable. Therefore, as we prayerfully look within ourselves, we discover the Voice of the Father, leading us into His holy will. We discover the Person of the Son to Whom we are called to be conformed in every way, living as members of His very body on earth. This is made possible because the Holy Spirit descends upon us in a way similar to the way the Holy Spirit overshadowed our Blessed Mother, conceiving within her the Son of God. As the Holy Spirit overshadows us, God is conceived within our souls, and we begin to share in the very life of God here and now.

Reflect, today, upon these holy mysteries of our faith. See the actions of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as a true mystery. The only way we will be able to begin to probe these mysteries is through prayerful pondering. We must look for the workings of God within, see Him at work within our souls, savor His presence, rejoice in it and keep our eyes firmly fixed on Him. We must see the fruit of God’s presence in our lives, such as the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Below is a full list of these Gifts. Ponder them today. As you do, and as you see these Gifts within you, you will be seeing God Himself, the Holy Spirit, alive and living within the depths of your soul.

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I worship You and adore You with all my Heart. Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son into the world. Thank You Father and Son for sending the Holy Spirit into my life. May I open my soul more fully to You today and every day so as to prepare for Your glorious return at the end of the ages. Jesus, I trust in You.

Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Fear of the Lord:
With this gift, the Christian becomes keenly aware of anything that may hurt his/her relationship with God. There is a holy “fear” of hurting this relationship, and grace is given to avoid these things at all cost.

Wisdom: With this gift, the Christian is given a special grace to “ponder divine realities” in his/her speculative reason. We are able to see the big picture and know how best to be an instrument of peace and harmony in our world.

Understanding: This is the ability to have a supernatural assurance of the matters of faith. Life makes sense. We can make sense of the deeper parts of revelation, make sense of suffering and understand those things that tempt us to doubt. With this gift, we come to see how everything in life can work for good in accordance with God’s plan.

Knowledge: With this gift, the Christian knows, more in the practical intellect, what God’s will is in this or that situation. We know how to live, how to discern God’s will and what decision to make in our daily lives. It also enables us to learn from our past mistakes.

Counsel: With this gift, the Christian sees him/herself as a link in a chain which makes up the entire Church. God uses each one of us to help and support one another on our journeys. We know what to say and how to act so as to do our part to build up one another.

Fortitude: Simply put, it is a firmness of mind and spirit to do good and avoid evil. It’s a sort of Christian courage. The Gospel will call all of us to a radical life of love. Fortitude gives us the strength we need to follow through.

Piety: This gift enables us to first reverence and love God, but also to see the dignity of one another and reverence each other as children of God.

14/05/2023

Obedience, Truth and Freedom
May 14, 2023
Sixth Sunday of Easter

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you.” John 14:15–17

Imagine a spouse or a friend saying to you, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Such a statement might cause you to react with surprise. Ordinarily, we do not see obedience to another as a sign that we love them. However, what if a parent were to say to a child, “If you love me, you will be obedient.” That statement is easier to accept because of the unique role of a parent to their children. In regard to our love of God, obedience to His divine will is the greatest act of love we can offer. This is because God’s will is perfect. It’s exactly what we need in life. It’s what we were made for. And it is the one and only way to achieve the human fulfillment that we seek. Only God can say such a thing to us because only God is God.

Jesus followed up His call to obedience by saying that obedience to Him will result in Jesus and His Father bestowing the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth upon you. The Holy Spirit will remain “with you, and will be in you.” This is such a profound statement from our Lord. In fact, so much of what He says within this sermon, given at the Last Supper, is profound beyond comprehension.

One clear thing this tells us is that obedience to God leads to a discovery of the Truth. And as Jesus says elsewhere, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). Obedience leads to Truth. Truth leads to freedom.

This begs the question: Do you want to be free? Clearly you do. We cannot not want to be free. Meaning, we are obliged to want freedom, just as we are obliged to want happiness. Why? Because the desire for freedom and happiness is written upon our very nature. It is a desire that we cannot escape. It’s how we are wired. However, it is quite possible to become confused about the way we achieve these desires. For many, obedience is not always understood as the pathway to that desired freedom and happiness.

Consider, again, a child. Imagine a parent telling that child not to eat a certain wild berry that grows behind their house because the parent knows the berry is poisonous and will cause the child to become sick. If the child disobeys and eats the berry anyway, he will learn the important lesson that he should have been obedient. Or if the child were to get in a fight with his brother and was angry and crying, the parent may tell him to say he’s sorry and reconcile with his brother. If the child refuses, he will remain angry and crying. But if he obeys, then he and his brother will once again be able to have fun together.

On a grand scale, this is what God does for us. He is the perfect Father Who always knows what is best for us. For that reason, we must not only conform to His will, we must desire it, seek it out and desire to be obedient to the greatest degree. This is the path to Truth. It is the path to freedom. It is the path to the happiness we desire.

Reflect, today, upon your own level of obedience to the will of God and your understanding of the importance of that obedience. Do you realize that God’s will is perfect? Perhaps you do intellectually, but how about practically? When you read through the Scriptures and hear Jesus’ commands of love, do you seek to follow them without hesitation? For example, do you forgive those who seem undeserving? Can you say, with our Lord from the Cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do?” Reflect upon anything this past year that was difficult for you to embrace from God. Ponder it, pray over it and seek to obey whatever He has revealed to you. Doing so will be the first step toward the fulfillment of your deepest desires in life.

Most glorious Jesus, Your will is perfect in every way. Obedience to Your will leads to the fulfillment of my life and my every desire. Please bestow the Spirit of Truth upon me so that I will always know Your will and embrace it with all my might. Jesus, I trust in You.

14/05/2023

Trust and Obey God 🙏

12/05/2023

True Friendship
May 12, 2023
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs—Optional Memorial

Saint Pancras, Martyr—Optional Memorial

“You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.” John 15:14–15

To some, Jesus’ definition of friendship may, at first glance, seem odd. He says that we are His friends only when we do what He commands us to do. Imagine saying that to one of your best friends. Such a statement would most likely be met with a laugh and dismissal as foolishness. So is true friendship always based on obedience?

Obviously, the expectation that your friends obey you so as to win your friendship is not the basis of any authentic friendship. Jesus is the only one Who can base your friendship upon obedience to His holy will. Why? Because of the nature of what He commands you to do.

Jesus is pure Truth. What He wills is the perfection of love. Therefore, His statement that you are only His friend if you do what He commands you to do teaches that friendship is based on the truth. It’s based on love, goodness, kindness, selfless sacrifice and self-giving. And it is all of these truths that Jesus commands us to do. Therefore, Jesus is essentially telling us that His will alone provides the pathway to the friendship we desire to have with Him.

In regard to your friendship with others, each true friendship can only be based on that which God wills for friends. And, in that sense, you can “command” the will of God for your friendships. This means you are only willing to establish a friendship upon the truth. It means you are only willing to share a relationship based upon selfless, sacrificial, self-giving mercy, compassion, honesty and love.

Reflect, today, upon your understanding of friendship. Begin with your friendship with God, but then also ponder your friendship with others. Do you love our Lord in the way that He commands? And as you ponder your friendship with others, examine whether or not each friendship also conforms to obedience to the will of God. If you can love God and others in conformity with the dictates of true love, then your friendships will produce an eternity of deep fulfillment.

My divine Lord, You call me to a friendship with You based only on the dictates of pure and holy love. I thank You for this command of love and accept this invitation. Help me, Lord, to continually deepen my friendship with You in accord with the truths of love and help me to base all my friendships only on the commands of this holy love. Jesus, I trust in You.

San Marcos Evangelista of Pagali- Saoit, Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Philippines

31/07/2023

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