My son’s favorite words are “Best Day Ever!” A few days ago was his best day ever because I cooked his favorite food. The next day was his best day ever because we brought him to the nearby park. The day after that was his best day ever because we played board games at home.

Every day is his best day ever!

Sometimes, I envy him. Why can’t I see today as my best day ever too? Why can’t I see my work as my best work ever? Why can’t I see the people and situations at their best?

I envy the joy and peace that my child exudes.

The Gospel says that Jesus revealed the truth to the little children—the truth that we forget as we grow and get busy with life.

Friends, that “best-day-ever” child is still within us. Let’s choose to see the blessings of the Lord in our lives. Let’s not let the busyness of the world take away our peace and happiness. Today, feel the beat of your heart and say, “I am blessed. This is going to be my best day ever!” Mia Bueno (buenos@yahoo.com)

reflect

What is your default day? Is it always your best day ever or worst day ever?

Lord, please bless my eyes to see You in every person and in every situation. Amen.

Saint Eusebius, pray for us.

Isaiah prophesies about the coming Messiah in whom the Holy Spirit dwells and who will usher in a reign of justice and peace. The Jews interpret this as an earthly and political kingdom, but Jesus reveals that it will be one of the heart and spirit. The Holy Spirit that rests upon Jesus has also been given to us, so we can draw upon His gifts and graces .

¹ On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. ² The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, ³ and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, ⁴ But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. ⁵ Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. ⁶ Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. ⁷ The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. ⁸ The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. ⁹ There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea. ¹⁰ On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R: Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

¹ O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; ² He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) ⁷ Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. ⁸ May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. (R) ¹² He shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. ¹³ He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. (R) ¹⁷ May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun his name shall remain. In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. (R)

Gospel | Luke 10:21-24

In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that the one who reveals the Father is the Son. In fact, we would not know God as a loving father without the revelation of Jesus through His passion and death. By giving us the Holy Spirit, we are given a share in Jesus’ sonship with the Father and can cry “Abba, Father.” It’s a wonderful and precious gift from our faith that gives us a deep sense of security in the love and care of God.

Gospel Acclamation

Behold, our Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.

²¹ Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. ²² All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” ²³ Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

Reflect:

What have you learned about the Father as revealed by Jesus in the Scriptures?

Read the Bible in one year! Read PSALMS 136 - 140 today.

It is always God who reveals Himself first. He is always the initiator, and man responds to this “revelation.” God has revealed Himself in two ways— through His creations and through His words in the Sacred Scriptures. Ancient civilizations tend to worship mountains, volcanoes, the sun, and the moon simply because they can’t get over the wonder of His creations without realizing that Someone higher and magnificent created all these things. Meanwhile, the Sacred Scriptures is the language of God in human form. God directly speaks to us in a way we could understand Him. Other than these ways, we can know God through our everyday life experiences.

Some people do not believe in the first two ways God reveals Himself, but the third way—experience—is undeniably irrevocable. Every person is capable of an encounter with a personal God—a God who moves and touches one’s life in the events of daily life. God is the God of history. Though He is outside of history, He inserted Himself in history. To understand this requires more than speculative knowledge. It requires a divine awareness rooted in faith. St. Thomas Aquinas says that “the end of education is contemplation.” Contemplation is the realization of God—one’s sensitivity to His omnipresence, immanent and transcendent. It results to one’s fear of the Lord—the beginning of knowledge, the birth of wisdom.

In other parts of the Scriptures, Jesus says, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” It takes the spirit of knowledge, the fear of the Lord, and the wisdom to see what the Apostles saw and experienced—the God of history. Fr. Joel Jason

Reflection question

Who is God for you? How does He manifest in your day-to-day experiences?

Lord, help to me to always feel Your presence whenever I am at work, at home, in good times and in bad times, in my present, past, and future. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ___________________________________