I hated myself. I had one description for myself: Vile. At 16, I thought I was a rotten kid. I was disrespectful toward my mom and would often answer her back. I would stomp my feet like it weighed 100 pounds and slam the door when I was upset with her. If she didn’t hear it, I would open the door and slam it even louder!

Then in one routine oral X-ray, they found a tumor in my lower jaw. This was forty years ago when tumor was synonymous with death. My mom immediately brought me, not to a doctor, but to the head of her Charismatic community. 

From my high pedestal of pride, I was brought low. I realized how much I loved and needed my mom. The elder spoke to me like a gentle father. He said, “Oftentimes, God sends us love letters to get our attention by writing it on a sickness.”

Well, God definitely got my attention. He let me know how much He loved me despite my vileness. And the rest is history. And I owe this all to my mom who never gave up on me! Ronna Ledesma (ronna_ledesma@yahoo.com.ph) 

Reflect:

Where did God write His love letter to you? 

Lord, thank You for Your merciful love that never stops seeking me until it finds me! 

St. John Jones, priest and martyr, pray for us.

Hosea calls the people to repentance. We, too, need to constantly respond to this call in our lifetime. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is always available to us—a source of grace for repentance and conversion. Let us humble ourselves before the Lord and confess our sins. The grace of forgiveness of sins is brought to the entire world through this sacrament. Let us tap into this spiritual gift.

² Thus says the Lord: Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. ³ Take with you words, and return to the Lord; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls. ⁴ Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion.” ⁵ I will heal their defection, says the Lord, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. ⁶ I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, ⁷ and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. ⁸ Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; They shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. ⁹ Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. “I am like a verdant cypress tree,” because of me you bear fruit! ¹⁰ Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-13, 14, 17

R: My mouth will declare your praise.

3 Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. ⁴ Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) ⁸ Behold, you are pleased with sincerity of heart, and in my inmost being you teach me wisdom. ⁹ Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (R) ¹² A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. ¹³ Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. (R) ¹⁴ Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. ¹⁷ O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. (R)

Gospel | Matthew 10:16-23

Jesus is upfront with His disciples about the difficulty of their commission and the obstacles they will encounter as they fulfill their task. This is still true today. But let us not be discouragedas this is part of proclaiming the Gospel. Opposition serves to convince us that we are on the right track. Let us pray for the inspiration to keep on doing the good we are doing.

Gospel Acclamation

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you to all truth and remind you of all I told you.

¹⁶ Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, ¹⁸ and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. ¹⁹ When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. ²⁰ For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹ Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” 

Read the Bible in one year! Read PSALMS 26 - 30 today.

Life in this world can be cruel. Easy life can be best experienced through conformity and compromise. Elections, consensus, decisions are numbers game. Our problem is this: the side of the majority is not necessarily the best and moral choice. The voice of the people, especially if this voice comes from an unthinking and manipulated group, is not always the voice of God. His truth works its way in a praying, conscience-driven, disinterested people.

Many times, faithfulness to Gospel values may mean living a “counter culture” life. Therefore, there is the risk of being ridiculed, misunderstood, marginalized, and martyred. Through the ages, the Church never ran out of new saints: those who underwent violent opposition from the world, and those who simply confessed their faith by clinging to virtues in an extraordinary way.

To simply live as a good Christian is then not simple at all. To follow the call of the Gospels—to love unconditionally, to be channels of peace and forgiveness, to be merciful even to those inimical to us—requires extraordinary boldness and courage, and extraordinary steadfastness. The benevolent spirit in genteel humanity may not be enough.

Jesus speaks about opening up to the Spirit that comes from the Father. This Divine Spirit puts together peace and kindness with self-control and power. The Spirit is fire and wind, but it is also likened to dove and spring. A favorite morning prayer that I recite goes: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart . . . Let my weakness be penetrated by Your strength that I may fulfill all the duties of my state conscientiously, that I may do what is right and just . . . Melt me, mold me, fill me . . . Stretch me . . . Expand my capacity . . . I want every purpose God has for my life to be fulfilled, and I need You, Mighty Spirit of God, to bring that purpose to fulfillment.” Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

Reflection Question:

Do you pray to the Holy Spirit each morning? What do you normally ask from the Him?

Holy Spirit, be my Companion as I go through my day. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ____________________________________