“If... it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them….” – Acts 5:39

       The story of Stanley Villavicencio’s miraculous healing and encounter with Jesus will be difficult for cynics to question. One of the doctors assigned to him, a board topnotcher at that, entered the seminary and is now a priest. All because he witnessed the miracle himself! And Stanley lived for 20 more years to witness and proclaim around the world the Divine Mercy of God.

       Here’s a gist for those who do not know Stanley’s story: He was clinically dead for three days during which time, he was face to face with Jesus who confronted him with his life. Jesus told him to go back to earth and spread His Divine Mercy. Meanwhile, his kin were making burial arrangements when, all of a sudden, he came back to life.

       They said you will know if something is from the Lord by its fruits. Well, his life testimony bore hundreds of conversions and miracles. As a verse from today’s reading goes, “If... it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them….” Cristy Galang (cristy_cc@yahoo.com)

Reflection: God’s mercy is scandalous. But let’s not mock it by persisting in our sins.

Jesus the Divine Mercy, I trust in You. Please give me the grace to spread Your mercy to others while the time of judgment has not yet come, because no one can escape Your judgment. Let all turn to You now while it is still Your era of mercy. Amen.

St. Katéri Tekakwitha, virgin, pray for us.

11^ST READING

Discernment is part of the life of a disciple of Jesus. Gamaliel, a Jewish leader, counsels his fellow leaders that if preaching the Gospel is not from God, it will eventually die. He said we are better off leaving the Christians alone because if they are right, then we will be working against the will of God, which he did not want to do. If God does not want me involved in a particular work, He will make it clear to me. This is good discernment.

34 A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the Apostles to be put outside for a short time, 35 and said to the Sanhedrin, “Fellow children of Israel, be careful what you are about to do to these men. 36 Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed, and all those who were loyal to him were disbanded and came to nothing. 37 After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census. He also drew people after him, but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered. 38 So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. 39 But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him. 40 After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. 41 So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. 42 And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.

R: One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (R) 4 One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple. (R) 13 I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. (R)

The miracle is a sign of the neverending nature of the love of God. God’s love for us is infinite; His mercy is infinite; His gift is infinite. We trust that He can and will provide for the needs of His people. God will never run out of grace and love no matter how much we draw from His storehouse.

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

1 Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. 2 A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 5 When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. 12 When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” 13 So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. 14 When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” 15 Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

think: God will never run out of grace and love no matter how much we draw from His storehouse.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Numbers 7-9

CLARITY AND COMPASSION

Yesterday, we reflected on clarity of mind and vision. One who sees rightly would also do rightly. The Apostles, given a choice between obeying men (and displeasing God), chose to obey God rather than men. They had clarity of vision. They knew well their Scripture that told them to put God before anyone and anything else.

       Gamaliel was a teacher of the law and, thus, a learned man. He could see through his mind. He, too, had clarity and perspicacity of vision. But he was more than just brilliant. He could see with the heart. He was compassionate. Years ago, I was the young principal of the basic education department of a big school. There were times I agonized about dismissing certain boys, or whether to give second chances to those who seemed not to give much promise of reform. All the conditions were clear and the teachers and supervisors were unanimous. But I still had the power to veto or affirm the decision.

       Thirty years later, I knew I goofed in certain cases, but I also realize I took the better option in many cases by following my heart rather than my mind. Clarity of mind seemed pretty much in place then. But in those cases, what was needed was the Gamaliel model of prudence and compassion. “Be careful what you are about to do to these men — you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” Gamaliel’s prudent words resonated in the hearts of his hearers, and the distraught Apostles found a most unlikely ally in him.

       In life, not everything is predictable. No matter what management gurus say, not everything can be neatly planned and not all things can be subjected to pure and sure rhyme and reason. Blaise Pascal was referring to this when he wrote: “The heart has reasons that reason itself does not know of.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTION: What do you use more in decision-making — your head or your heart?

May I always have the grace, Lord, to know Your heart as well as Your mind in every decision I need to make.