Jan. 21/07
3rd Sunday in Ordinary time.

I was the lector on this Sunday. The first reading was taken from the Book of Nehemiah. I proclaimed it slowly with eye contacts among the congregation so they will mentally picture the fairly complicated and liturgical scene in the narrative being read.

It was about "Ezra the priest who brought the law before the assembly. ( Torah is a Hebrew word meaning "law" or "instruction". In Judaism, the word refers to the 5 books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Sometimes called the "books of the Law", or just"the Law".Also commonly called "the 5 books of Moses" due to Jewish and Christian tradition that Moses was their inspired author... If "the book of the Law of Moses" Ezra reads before the people is a version of the Torah, and if our text contains th accurate historical recollection that Ezra had one, then it is quite likely that the Babylonian exile, despite its many hardships, was a fertile period in the composition and editing of scripture. " ( Workbook for lectors and gospel readers, Year C. 2007 James L. Weaver.)

Today we must rejoice and not be saddened for the Lord is our strength. Today is holy to our Lord.

The 2nd reading was from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians.
It was about the body though one has many parts and all the parts of the body though many are one body, so also is Christ. That is one spirit we were all baptized into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons- we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

The one body of people called Filipinos is from the Philippines. Although this one group of people (85% Catholics) came from many islands (7,100 islands ) with many dialects (87 local dialects) yet this one Group are united by the devotion, sharing and love of God. Whether they be in the far Far East, Middle East, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Americas, Canada or in the cold, cold region of the earth, Filipinos manifest their great love, profound praise, undying devotion and sans fear evangelization of the religion they are proud of- the Catholic Religion. They show their devotion to the Santo Nino, The Blessed Virgin Mary, and The Saints.

They love their God having a solid foundation that the "existence of God is naturally known, and things naturally are known are self-evident: for the knowledge of them is not attained by inquiry and study". And "since, the desire of man tend naturally to God as to his last end. ..." for as the light of the sun is the principle of all visual perception, so the divine light is the principle of all intellectual cognition." (Of God and His Creatures, Jacques Maritain Center:GC 1.10)