My Inner World

Reading 1 Rom 11:29-36

Brothers and sisters:

The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy
because of their disobedience,
so they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may now receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given him anything
that he may be repaid?

For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To God be glory forever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 69:30-31, 33-34, 36

R. (14c)

Lord, in your great love, answer me.
But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me. Gospel Lk 14:12-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
He said to the host who invited him,
“When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Today’s Gospel is very powerful, meaning it is the right thing to do but often difficult. Part of my advice from my Confession this past Saturday by Fr. Paul Chovanec was to try my best of refraining saying anything hurtful or regretful to my mom, because her time is shorter than mine; thus I will never know when she will leave this Earth. I had always heard that piece of advice, however coming from a Priest might be a little bit different or the fact that he is absolutely correct about our time on Earth.

Thus, when Jesus said to the Pharisee to “hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.”, we should reflect on our own life on how can we be able to “invite” others into our lives and hopefully giving them the opportunity to see the light of God, know that we might be hurt in the process.

When was the last time you open the door for an elderly and not hearing a thank you from them? When was the last time you give a financial blessing to someone who you know can not repay back to you? When was the last time you lend an ear to comfort a  distressed friend, knowing that you will hear the same thing the next day? When was the last time you say “I love you” to your family, friends, or anyone? When was the last time you gave hope to the hopeless, life to the “dead”, blessing to the cursed, joy to the miserable, love to the unlovable?

Like Fr. Paul Chovanec said to me, your life here on Earth is short. Why waste it?

“I think the only way to become a better Catholic is to realize that we aren’t perfect. If we aren’t perfect, then we have to be constantly challenging ourselves, or pushing ourselves in new ways. We have to question our spirituality, and force ourselves to become better. This doesn’t mean that we keep jumping on the next new thing, but instead, stepping outside our box a little. If you haven’t been to Eucharistic Adoration in a year… go spend an hour. If you haven’t prayed the Rosary in the past month - do it now. If you haven’t read an encyclical - try it, give it 10 pages. The point is to push yourself. We are spiritual warriors - athletes of the faith.”

-Excerpts from Defend Us in Battle

The answer is simple, but it does take some good old-fashioned bible study on our part to give the correct answer. The answer is that the Catholic Church is modeled on the Davidic Kingdom in the Old Testament.  That’s why Jesus is called the “Son of David” so many times in the New Testament.  We have to take off our American Democracy hats and put on our Jewish Davidic Kingdom hats in order to properly understand the structure of the Catholic Church.

There are so many parallels between King David and Jesus that it is impossible for the astute Bible scholar to miss them: 

David was born in Bethlehem, as was Jesus.

David started his Kingship at age 30, the same age Jesus started his ministry on earth.

David, a shepherd, was anointed by Samuel in 1 Samuel 16, and the Spirit of the Lord descended on David.  Jesus, the good shepherd, was the Messiah, which means “the anointed one,” and the Spirit of God descended on Jesus during his Baptism in the River Jordan. 

Again in 1 Samuel 16, David was responsible for exorcising the evil spirit from Saul.  Jesus also cast out demons. 

David was betrayed by one of his trusted advisers, Ahithophel, in 2 Samuel 18, who hanged himself as a result.  Jesus was betrayed by one of his own apostles, Judas, who also hanged himself.

In 2 Samuel 15, David goes up to the Mount of Olives, crying.  Jesus also wept at the Mount of Olives.

David wrote the Psalms, 1000 years before Jesus was born, and Psalm 22 was appropriately quoted by Jesus from the cross:

1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but thou dost not answer; and by night, but find no rest….. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads; 8 He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him! …14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; thou dost lay me in the dust of death. 16 Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet 17 I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots.

David was the King of Israel. Jesus is the King of Kings who sits on David’s throne.

David had a son named Solomon. Solomon is also a precursor, or biblical type, of Jesus:

Solomon was the son of David, a name that the followers of Jesus referred to him as, especially when he entered Jerusalem triumphantly, riding on a donkey. His followers were shouting shouts of joy, “Hosanna to the Son of David.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”  Solomon, in 1 Kings 1:38, is anointed by Zadok the high priest as King, after riding to Gihon on King David’s mule. The people there rejoiced with great joy and made a very cheerful noise. 

In 1 Kings 2:20, we learn that Solomon’s Queen was his own mother Bathsheeba, and that he could not refuse her requests.  In John 2, we learn that Mary, the mother of the King of Kings, the son of David, requests Jesus to do something about the wine that had run out at the wedding. Jesus, even though it wasn’t His time, also could not refuse His mother’s request.  The Queen Mother is therefore a very powerful intercessor with the King.

King Solomon later built the great Temple in Jerusalem, where the Ark of the Covenant (which contained the Word of God in stone) was kept, on a huge rock. Today, the temple has been replaced by an Islamic Mosque, known as the Dome of the Rock.  Jesus, many centuries later, told Simon that his new name was Kephas, or Rock, and that He would build His church on this Rock. The Tabernacle containing The Word Made Flesh is in every Catholic Church in the World.

In 1 Kings 4:7, we learn that King Solomon had 12 officers to rule over Israel. Jesus, of course, had 12 Apostles which were picked by him to rule over His Church after He ascended into heaven.

And the Davidic Kingdom also had a prime minister who had the absolute authority of the King himself. 

In Isaiah 22:15-24 we learn that God is angry with his prime minister Shebna, and will replace him with Eliakim, who will be given the keys to the Kingdom, and will have the power to open and shut, who will be a father figure to his people, and who will be a sure peg on a throne of honor to his father.  The whole weight of his father’s house shall rest on him.  Jesus gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom of God, a symbol of authority prefigured by Eliakim in the OT. The word “Pope” means Papa, and Peter and his successors have the power to bind and loose (open and shut) in the name of Jesus, from Matthew 18:18.  The entire weight of the Catholic Church rests on the Pope and his teachings, just like the entire weight of David’s house rested on Eliakim. 

Israel’s Kingdom also had high priests who took care of holy bread.

Jesus Himself compared his apostles to the high priests of Israel, in Matthew 12:3-5, where he was asked by the Pharisees why his disciples were plucking grain from wheat stalks and eating it, which was not allowed on the Sabbath. Jesus says that since it was okay for David and his priests to eat the bread of the Presence on the Sabbath, it is therefore okay that his apostles do the same.  In this one statement, Jesus very coyly lets us all know that He is the successor to King David, and that His apostles are the successors to the high priests of Israel.

So what’s the point in all of this?  The point is that Jesus, the Son of David, came to establish the Kingdom of God on earth, based on how David’s Kingdom in Israel 1000 years earlier was set up.

Jesus very plainly said in Matthew 4:17 that “The Kingdom of God is at hand,” which means now, not some time in the distant future.

In Matthew 16:19, Jesus gives Peter, or Kephas the Rock (Peter is explicitly referred to as “Kephas” by Jesus in his Aramaic language, in John 1:42, not “Petros” or “Petras”. Jesus spoke Aramaic, not Greek.), the keys to the Kingdom of God on earth, and declares that His church will also be built on a rock, just like the Temple in Jerusalem was.

In John 20:21-23, Jesus breathed on his apostles, and said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Then he gave these men, his priests/apostles, the power to forgive sins in His name. That one statement, “as the Father has sent me, so I send you,” is a very powerful statement that helps to explain the power of a priest to forgive sins in the name of Jesus, as well as their ability to change ordinary bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus. It also complements what St. Paul later said in Romans 10:15: “And how can men preach unless they are sent?”  Nobody has the authority to preach unless they are sent by the ones who have the authority to send.  The apostles picked their own successors (Acts 1:20);  the successors did not pick themselves!

At the Last Supper, Jesus changed ordinary bread and wine into His Precious Body and Blood, and gave His apostles the power to do the same.  This meal was not only a memorial meal, but was also a sacrificial meal (separating the body from the blood always means death) with the power to forgive sins.  And just like the Jews had to physically eat the spotless lamb to be saved from the Angel of death at the first Passover, in this, the last Passover, Jesus declares that we also are to eat the spotless Lamb of God.  Eating a symbol of the Lamb of God has no power whatsoever to save us, any more than if the Israelites would have eaten a Spam lamb at the first Passover.  Jesus said it is His Body and His Blood, not a symbol of them.  John 6:55 says that His flesh is real food, and His blood is real drink, and that we have to eat His flesh to live forever (the actual verb used here meant “to gnaw” or “to munch,” rather than just “to eat”).  No one can see their soul – It is hidden within our body, but it is still there just the same.   The same goes for the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist – It is hidden under the appearance of bread and wine, but it is still there.

Matthew 26: 26-28: Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you;  for this is my blood of the  covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

So what about the fabulous building known as the Vatican?  Well, it’s built over the tomb of Peter, which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “Upon this Rock I will build My Church.”  And since Solomon’s Temple was designed by God (1 Kings 6), and was very opulent with gold and silver and yes, statues, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the Vatican being beautiful. And besides that, if the artwork isn’t kept by the Catholic Church for all to see, then it will in all likelihood go to private persons who will keep it locked up so that hardly anyone ever gets to see it. And for the record the Pope’s apartment where he sleeps is very spartan. Most bedrooms in America are nicer than his apartment.  And lest we forget, the Vatican is the worldwide headquarters of a country, The Vatican, AND the Catholic Church.

So to sum up, the Catholic Church is the Kingdom of God on earth, the new Israel (Jesus said in Matthew 21:43 that he was taking the Kingdom away from Israel, and giving it to a nation that will produce the fruits of it - namely, the Catholic Church), and is modeled after David’s Kingdom, with a huge temple (the Vatican), a prime minister (our Pope), a sacred tabernacle containing the Ark of the Covenant (our tabernacle containing the Eucharist), officers who take care of the kingdom (our Cardinals and bishops), high priests (our priests), a Passover Meal (our Eucharist), and a Queen Mother (The Blessed Virgin Mary).

-Excerpts from CatholicBible

John 17:20-23: “I do  not  pray for  these  only, but also for those who believe in me through their  word,  that they may all  be one;   even  as thou,  Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. The glory  which  thou  hast  given  me I have given to them, that they  may  be  one  even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they  may  become  perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.

2 Peter 1:3: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,  by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature.”

Luke 20:35-36: but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,  for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 6:2-3: Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, matters pertaining to this life!

1 Corinthians 6:17: But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

Ephesians 2:19-20:  Now, therefore, you are no longer visitors and new arrivals. Instead, you are citizens among the saints in the household of God, having been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and of the Prophets, with Jesus Christ himself as the preeminent cornerstone.

Matthew 12:33: “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit

Luke 1:42: and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

Luke 6:43:”For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit;

The Blessed Virgin Mary!  The New Testament Ark of the Covenant, The Woman of Genesis 3:15 & Revelation 12, The new Eve, The Queen Mother, Our Mother, who  is the most blessed woman of all time.  As Gabriel said, “HAIL FULL OF GRACE!  As Elizabeth said, “Blessed art thou among women.” As Mary said, “My Soul magnifies the Lord”, and “All ages to come shall call me blessed!”

Romans 6:14:  For sin will have no dominion over you,since you are not under law but under grace.

Luke 1:28:  And he came to her and said, “Hail, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you!”

No Mary, no Jesus.   Know Mary, know Jesus!

Gospel Lk 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”
He replied to him,
“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”
Then he said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, “What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?”
And he said, “This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”“
But God said to him,
“You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?”
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God.”

In today’s society, we want everything. We want a bigger home, a faster car, the newest clothes, that heavenly vacation, coolest gadgets. Our desires are unlimited and we are always striving for the “good things” in life. There is nothing wrong with it, for God purposely made these things good for us to enjoy. However, when it gets to the point that only these things will fulfill us and placing God 2nd or last, then what good is your life then?

For the Catechism of the Catholic Church says,

“I. The life of man - to know and love God

1 God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.”

How much of our “menial’ and “routine actions” have the intention of Serving the Lord? What are we doing to help build God’s Kingdom and to let others know that God exists?

I am guilty of this many times and still contemplating about it right now. I went today’s Mass and couldn’t receive the Eucharist because of the Mortal Sin that I had committed. Even though I was not able to receive Him, the fact of being in a quiet and peaceful place in the mist of a busy city really calms my soul. If I had the opportunity to go to Mass EVERYDAY, I would. That will for sure keep me in check of committing any future Mortal Sins.

“I am writing to all the Churches and I enjoin all, that I am dying willingly for God’s sake, if only you do not prevent it. I beg you, do not do me an untimely kindness.    The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ.”

St Ignatius of AntiochBishop and MartyrFirst CenturyDisciple of St John the EvangelistFEAST DAY - October 17

Knowing, then, that “God is not mocked,”(Gal. vi. 7). we ought to walk worthy of His commandment and glory. In like manner should the deacons be blameless before the face of His righteousness, as being the servants of God and Christ, and not of men. They must not be slanderers, double-tongued, (Comp. 1 Tim. iii. 8.) or lovers of money, but temperate in all things, compassionate, industrious, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who was the servant (Comp. Matt. xx. 28.) of all. If we please Him in this present world, we shall receive also the future world, according as He has promised to us that He will raise us again from the dead, and that if we live (Πολιτευσώμεθα, referring to the whole conduct; comp. Phil. i. 27) worthily of Him, “we shall also reign together with Him,” (2 Tim. ii. 12) provided only we believe. In like manner, let the young men also be blameless in all things, being especially careful to preserve purity, and keeping themselves in, as with a bridle, from every kind of evil. For it is well that they should be cut off from (Some read, ἀνακύπτεσθαι, “to emerge from.” [So Chevallier, but not Wake nor Jacobson. See the note of latter, ad loc.]) the lusts that are in the world, since “every lust warreth against the spirit;” (1 Pet. ii. 11.) and “neither fornicators, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of God,” (1 Cor. vi. 9, 10.) nor those who do things inconsistent and unbecoming. Wherefore, it is needful to abstain from all these things, being subject to the presbyters and deacons, as unto God and Christ. The virgins also must walk in a blameless and pure conscience.

-Excerpts from CCEL

“So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” -Genesis 29:20

What price are you going to pay for the sake of love?

Your Mom went through 9 months of nurturing and incubating you, and then follow up with immense physical pain for bringing you into this world.

Your Dad work day in and out to make sure that there is food on the table, roof over your head, and clothes to keep you warm.

Your Teachers and Mentors try their best to give you the necessary knowledge you need to succeed in this world.

Your Friends lend you an ear to listen during tough moments, a hand to go through unmovable obstacles.

Your Spouse/Girlfriend/Boyfriend holds you when you are feeling insecure, encourages you when you have low self-esteem, talks to you when you don’t want to be lonely, do things for you so that you can have more time.

Your Creator gave up His only Son so that you can have a chance to be with Him eternally, forever, everlasting.

What price are you going to pay for the sake of love?

Today I decided to take a courageous act. Today is when I am in full obedience, or at least starting to, with the teachings of our Church and the predecessor of St. Peter. Today I kneel before the Kings of Kings, Lords of Lords, the Son of the Living God and receive him on the tongue, without touching the sacred and Holy Host for I am UNWORTHY.

I had this sense of peace, love, and humility. It was a crazy sensation filled with nervousness and excitement. Our Parish does not have the traditional altar rails nor do we have many people receive Holy Communion on the tongue, let alone kneel. When I went to the Nous Ordo Latin Mass and the Tridentine Mass this summer, I NEVER KNEW that we were SUPPOSE to receive the Eucharist by tongue and Kneeling. I went to 2 Parishes in Downtown Houston and asking myself “What are those rails for?”

I pray that my generation truly understand the immense disrespect we have towards Our Lord. I pray that our Parish, our Nation, our whole Church starts coming back towards the respect Our Lord deserves.

Here are some interesting videos on this matter.

Cardinal Arinze

Michael Voris

So today I went to my weekly confession at a local Parish. I typically have
Fr. Paul Chovanec, but since his confession line is a little longer (as always) I decided to go with Fr. Gregory Viet due to a time constraint. When I was finished with my typical sins (the ones that all single young men go through), it was Father’s turn to offer his guidance.

He told me that whenever I feel tempted, I should think about God. I do not have to go through a long prayer but a quick “bible verse” prayer ones is sufficient. Reason being is because out of “love” that we do not want to hurt our love ones, especially the one that created us. Whenever situations comes up to where it allows us to have the opportunity to “hurt” our “spouse” for instance, like cheating when out of town, because of “love” we would reconsider our actions and the long-term consequences.

With that being said, think of our “eternal” consequences that we will have due to our “sin”. Why would anyone want to live eternally separated from our Heavenly Parent? Why would anyone take in the short-term pleasures and have long-term negative consequences? Oh our flesh is so weak! I pray for all believers to fight against the Evil One and his temptations. I pray for all non-believers that they may believe so they can have the gift of eternal life.

On a different note, after much praying, discernment, and anxiety, I know that I am called to the Sacrament of Matrimony. I want to personally give thanks to Fr. Paul Chovanec for answering my millions of questions about the Sacrament of Holy Orders and Religious Life. I had this little nudge twice in my life about being a Priest. First was right after getting confirmed 7 yrs ago, and then again 6 moths ago. I would not say that being part of Holy Order is out of the question, because being a living public servant of our Lord seems quite attractive to me.

I have been open and taking initiatives as of late on discerning for my future wife. I am getting to a point in my life that I am quite ready to settle down. I admit that I am sometimes a bit envious towards all my close friends who happens to be with their partners for at least 3+years and it is pretty much a matter of time for Matrimony. I had this “perfect” plan of what I wanted to do when I was in high school, however after a ton of curve balls it never came into fruition. I am quite excited and start having those “Butterflies” in my stomach again. Then again, we should always have them “Butterflies” towards Jesus since we should be in love with Him first.

“For both the Old and New Testaments were canonized not for private study so much as public reading. The canon - the formal and definitive collection of sacred writings - formed gradually and closed relatively late in the history of both Jews and Christians. Indeed, there seem to have been many incremental “canonizations” along the way to the definitive closing of the canon. For Jews, the date is traditionally set at the end of the first century or the beginning of the second century of our era. For Christians, the New Testament list solidified with the synods of Hippo and Carthage (393, 397, and 419 AD).

The Scriptural Canon was enacted primarily as a “rule” for the liturgy. The Greek word kanon means, literally, a measuring stick. From the late fourth century onward, Christians used the word to describe the church’s official lists that determined a document’s fitness for use in public worship.The term is late and Christian, writes Eugene Ulrich, though the idea is Jewish.

The rule dictated liturgical use. Yet it was surely liturgical use that preceded (and determined) the rule. The church promulgated its final New Testament canon with the local councils of Hippo and Carthage, whose acts were confirmed and ratified by Pope Damascus I. By then, however, the church had been celebrating the Eucharistic liturgy for more than three centuries; and the earliest patristic evidence shows that the liturgy always made us of sacred scripture.”

-Excerpts from Letter and Spirit by Scott Hahn