Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. – Luke 3:23

       Vera Wang, the famous bridal gown couturier, didn’t design her first dress until she was 40 years old. Celebrity chef Julia Child published her first cookbook at age 50. Henry Ford was already 45 when he created the revolutionary Model T car, while Colonel Sanders was 62 when he first franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken. Grandma Moses began painting at age 78, while Clint Eastwood directed his first movie at age 41 — the oldest person to win the Academy Award for Best Director. When Jesus began His ministry, He was 30 years old.

       Do you feel like time has passed you by and you compare yourself with other people’s progress? Take courage. Welcome to the Late Bloomers Club, a group of men and women who fulfilled their purpose later in life. I believe God took time to prepare them.

       Unlike us, God is never in a hurry. He takes His time to mold and shape people for His purpose. While we wait for His appointed time, let’s allow God to prepare us for our mission and build our character. And like Jesus before His public ministry, may we advance in wisdom and age (Luke 2:52) with God’s grace. Marjorie Ann Duterte (marjorie.travels@gmail.com)

Reflect:Are you frustrated that you haven’t fulfilled your purpose yet? God is not finished with you. Let Him prepare you for the task ahead.

Lord, You have an appointed time for everything. Help me to be patient as You prepare me for the mission You have for me. It’s never too late with You. Amen.

Blessed André Bessette, religious, pray for us.

Eternal life is possible by receiving the gift of salvation that Jesus offers us. We are saved only through Jesus. There is no other path towards salvation. As Christians, we know Jesus and have received the Gospel personally. Let us live this truth and allow the Gospel to shine through the witness of our lives.

5 Beloved: Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one who testifies, and the Spirit is truth. 7 So there are three that testify, 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord. 9 If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

R: Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

12 Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. 13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. (R) 14 He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you. 15 He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! (R) 19 He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia. (R)

We are a product of our heritage and our past is part of the person we are today. The way our parents raised us contributes to our character and personality. God affirms Jesus’ “Sonship” at His baptism and teaches us this – all that we ascribe to the Father we can also ascribe to the Son, except His “Fathership.” Let us pray that we will recognize that we are all children of our heavenly Father, His sons and daughters.

The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.

7 This is what John the Baptist proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 9 It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. 11 And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Read the Bible in one year Luke 16-18

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________

THE VOICE THAT CALLS US

TO ETERNAL LIFE

I recently met with my classmates from minor seminary — those who became padre de familia — and, as usual, we talked about our good old days in high school. We never missed remembering our classes in Latin with Caloocan Bishop Emeritus Msgr. Deo Iñiguez. If the U.S. Marines have a tough drill sergeant to remember and brag about, we in the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Bulacan had Bishop Deo. He was so good in Latin, and so tough that those ahead of us said, “Latin is a dead language and it is killing me now.” There was something funny every time he returned our test papers. If he missed out a correct answer, we complained, but if he failed to notice a wrong answer and credit us with a point, we never complained. But Bishop Deo must have been aware of it because before he would record our grades, he’d prick our conscience by asking us if we would trade our souls to eternal damnation with a single point or grade. That is when we would rise and admit he had counted a wrong answer as correct.

       In our Gospel today, St. Mark tells us also of a voice, this time from the Father that reminds us of eternal life. Through baptism, we become children of the Father. When we wake up each day, the heavens open and the Father tells us in a gentle whisper, “You are My beloved son/daughter; with you I am well pleased.”

       Our daily life is the seed of our eternal life. We need to listen to the voice of the Father telling us how much He loves us and wants us to be with Him in eternity. By becoming human and being baptized in Jordan, Jesus joined us in our humanity to share in our sufferings so that we may be with Him in eternal life. Every trial is a step closer to that reality. But do we heed the voice of God calling us to be faithful to Him? Or do we prefer the voice of the world tempting us with temporary happiness, comfort, and fame? Fr. Nick Lalog

------- REFLECTION QUESTION -------

Whose voice do you listen to more — that of Jesus or of the world?

Jesus, open our minds and hearts to always heed Your voice calling us to eternal life. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________