During the awards night, Jacqui exuded an aura of peace and contentment. People felt it. It was no surprise when she won at the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature that evening.

She lifted all the glory to God.

The audience and other nominees had no idea she was a cancer survivor and that she braves daily migraine attacks. The pain and struggles she endures every single day are not visible on her face. She says it’s because of the daily conversations she has with God.

I believe her. She reminds me of Moses whose face turned radiant after his conversation with God. But not like Jacqui’s. His face literally glowed that he had to cover it with a veil.

Although light didn’t shine from Jacqui’s face, her inner glow inspires many to have meaningful daily conversations with God. Carlo Lorenzo (carloflorenzo@gmail.com)

reflect

What did you talk to God about today?

Dear God, You are my Friend. Help me pour out my heart to You in deep conversations, even if I sometimes feel that there’s no response from You. I know You are there. Amen.

St. Samson, pray for us..

It is a privilege to be in God’s presence. In the Old Testament, however, people believed that you will die if you come face to face with God’s glory. After Moses met with the Lord on Sinai, there was a visible change in his countenance. Let us strive for this change when we come before God in prayer. May prayer transform us into the image of God.

²⁹ As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord. ³⁰ When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become, they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ Only after Moses called to them did Aaron and all the rulers of the community come back to him. Moses then spoke to them. ³² Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him, and he enjoined on them all that the Lord had told him on Mount Sinai. ³³ When he finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. ³⁴ Whenever Moses entered the presence of the Lord to converse with him, he removed the veil until he came out again. On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel all that had been commanded. ³⁵ Then the children of Israel would see that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant; so he would again put the veil over his face until he went in to converse with the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 99:5, 6, 7, 9

R: Holy is the Lord our God.

⁵ Extol the Lord, our God, and worship at his footstool; holy is he! (R) ⁶ Moses and Aaron were among his priests, and Samuel, among those who called upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he answered them. (R) ⁷ From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them; they heard his decrees and the lawhe gave them. (R) ⁹ Extol the Lord, our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for holy is the Lord, our God. (R)

Gospel | Matthew 13:36-43

We all have likes and dislikes. We have secret desires and treasures. Let us ensure that these are aligned with the Kingdom of God. It would be hypocrisy to desire God’s Kingdom but be consumed by the world at the same time. Let us pray for the grace to put God first before anything else.

Gospel Acclamation

I call you my friends, says the Lord, for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.

⁴⁴ Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. ⁴⁵ Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

“To love or have loved, that is enough. . . There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.” (Victor Hugo)

Read the Bible in one year! Read JUDITH 5 - 8 today.

I was a member of a choir at the Paco Catholic School when I was a young student. One piece we had to master was a song titled “One God.” Part of the lyrics goes: “Many the ways, all of us pray to one God; many the paths winding their way to one God . . . One Father, loving each the same.” These words ring loudly in me as I reflect on the two parables about the Kingdom of God in today’s Gospel.

The first parable about the buried treasure highlights how God’s reign and friendship can come to someone in the midst of other preoccupations in life. The stories of a good number of the Apostles illustrate the parable. These men encountered the greatest treasure in their lives—Jesus calling them—while they were engaged with their trades. The second parable, which likens God’s Kingdom to a merchant’s search for the best pearl, makes us realize that there are occasions when the treasure is found through a quest.

Whichever way the Lord God chooses to reveal His reign and friendship to us, it is important that we are receptive to the work of His Spirit. More importantly, we have to know how to yield to God when He reveals His plan to us. This is usually where the struggle is—in giving our unconditional yes to the Lord.

The two parables teach us that the Kingdom of God demands an exchange. The man who accidentally discovered the hidden treasure in the field had to go

home and sell all he had in order to buy the field. The merchant engaged in the search for fine pearls also had to go and sell all his other pearls and gems so he could buy and possess the pearl of the great price.

When we discover the path to God, we need to make a choice—one choice among many. The hardest choice is a choice among so many goods. Surely, the man’s and the merchant’s other possessions that they had to sell were “good things.” How ready are we to walk with God and follow the path He has chosen for us? Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

reflection questions

Which of the two parables today speak more about your own experience with God and with His plans in your life? Are you enjoying your life with God?

Lord God, give me the courage to say yes to Your call for my life. And when I have said my yes, help me to fulfill it to the best I can. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ____________________________