My 10-year-old nephew, Heinz, was diagnosed with Wilms tumor last January 27, 2017. This is a common type of kidney cancer in children. The doctor reviewed the CT scan results and explained to my brother how serious the condition was. He recommended that Heinz undergo surgery in two to three days to remove one of his kidneys. The tumor will then undergo biopsy to determine what stage the cancer is.

       Tumor. Surgery. Removal of kidney. Cancer stage. Chemotherapy. Radiation. All these words came as a shock to our family, especially since it involves a 10-year-old boy. We had no option but to pray to God.

         The surgery was done as scheduled and was successful. We got the biopsy results five days later, and the findings surprised us. The tumor was benign! It was an extremely rare case of hemangioma, a benign tumor composed of blood vessels only. Heinz was cancer-free!

       Do you need a miracle now? Approach Jesus and trust in His powerful intervention. Alvin Fabella (alvinfabella@yahoo.com)

Reflect: What miracles has God done for you lately?

Jesus, You are my miracle and having You in my life is the greatest blessing. May I treasure this more than the problems that I have in my life. Amen.

The Book of Job attempts to address the existence of evil and human drudgery that stems from it. Our life can become routine without expectation and purpose. Each day is the same as the next, and change seems to be a distant possibility. But if we have faith in Jesus Christ, we believe there is hope for change and redemption. No matter how mundane life can be, He has promised us salvation. Let us hold on to His promise.

1 Job spoke, saying: Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of a hireling? 2 He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. 3 So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me. 4 If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?” then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope. 7 Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again.

R: Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.

1 Praise the Lord, for he is good; sing praise to our God, for he is gracious; it is fitting to praise him. 2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; the dispersed of Israel he gathers. (R) 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4 He tells the number of the stars; he calls each by name. (R) 5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; to his wisdom there is no limit. 6 The Lord sustains the lowly; the wicked he casts to the ground. (R)

Paul is a slave of the Gospel. The Good News of salvation has transformed his life, and he wants to share this with others so that their lives may also be changed. Paul’s commitment to the Gospel is extraordinary — not all of us can be as committed as he was. However, we are encouraged to give our all to the service of the Gospel. It has changed us for the better, so let us share the Good News with others.

16 Brothers and sisters: If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! 17 If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my recompense? That when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. 19 Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. 23 All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.

Jesus always remembers that the source of His power and love is His relationship with the Father. Like Jesus, our faith in God is our source of hope and life. Having a personal relationship with God gives us hope of living life to the full and receiving the gift of salvation. Let us pray for the humility to surrender to God’s grace at work in us through baptism.

Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.

29 On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. 31 He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. 32 When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. 33 The whole town was gathered at the door. 34 He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. 35 Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and those who were with him pursued him 37 and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” 39 So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

Read the Bible in one year Genesis 19-21

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________

BRING YOU R DEMONS TO JESUS

“Remember that my life is like the wind, I shall not see happiness again.” I used to wonder how such words of Job, so full of doubt and despair, were made to be part of Sacred Scripture. I thought then that only words of praise, joy, hope, and gladness were worthy of being sacred, were worthy of the Lord.

       Praying on today’s readings, however, made me realize the beauty of this inclusion, of why we consider such a negative response to life’s trials part of what we revere. We honor these words of Job, because God Himself honors these words, and honors and respects how we feel. He sits with us and listens to us in our darkest of hours.

       This can be hard for us to truly grasp because our natural reaction to negativity is aversion. We avoid the negas (pessimists) among our friends because they are party-poopers. We dislike being with people who dump their emotional burdens upon us and drain us with their drama.

         In the same way, we avoid the parts of ourselves which aren’t too bright and shiny. We’d rather just forget or ignore our failures, heartaches, and woes. We love the distractions and noise that keep us away from the silent moments of truth, which can sometimes be lonely and sad. And we cover up our insecurities by perfecting the art of projection. Naturally, nobody wants to face the demons of their lives.

           But not Jesus, not God. Jesus is game to face our demons, head-on. He is willing to meet those whom others do not dare to approach. He is willing to include and make time for things we would rather not see or talk about. And He is willing to hear out and bless everything we are afraid to say or admit. Fr. Mark L. Lopez, SJ

------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS -------

How do you react to the negative people around you? How do you face your own

demons?

Dearest Lord, teach me to accept the negative parts of me that I find hard to face. In the same way, help me to be more accepting of others. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________