WOYWW: Maranatha!

 Here is the last of the three paintings I rushed

for the Manila Hotel exhibit.

I am not that happy with it and wish I have more time to fix it!

But I have to send it off tomorrow already!

 "Make your lives worthy of the God who calls you to His Kingship and glory." 1 Thessalonians 2:12

I don't think we can ever be worthy of God, the King of the universe, the creator of everything visible and invisible. How could we ever make ourselves worthy as Saint Paul exhorts us to do? In the 1st chapter of his letter to the people of Thessalonica, he writes them, "We know that God loves you, dear brothers and sisters, and that He CHOSE you to be His own people."

 Here in the Philippines, we never had a monarchy, a kingdom. We never had a King, so it's hard to imagine belonging to a Kingdom. But nevertheless, every Christian is part of a Kingdom, God's kingdom. We too, like the people of Thessalonica, were chosen, handpicked by God to be part of His own special people. It's hard to see God's Kingdom here on earth, especially with the news about babies being killed so their brains can be sold, or children being abused by their own fathers, or people being beheaded and hung upside down, etc. But God's Kingdom manages to break through- in people who serve, people who love, people who sacrifice their lives for others. After all, our God is a servant King, the King who saves. We see glimpses of God's kingdom in those who go to the prison regularly to bring not only real bread but the bread from heaven. We see it in Pope Francis or any priest who goes out to mingle with the poor and give them dignity. We see it in young people visiting the Aetas in far off Pampanga to feed them and play with the children. We see God's Kingdom in those who tutor street children, give them books and school supplies. We see the Kingdom shining in Africa's little Christian communities, in the underground churches in China, in the Christians in the middle East. 

Lord, show us Your kingdom is all around us, and show us how we can bring Your Kingdom to our little corner of the world. 

 "Cleanse first the inside of the cup..." Matthew 23:26

I have been guilty of superficial cleaning many a time. When guests are due to arrive, I dump all the clutter in my craft room, and then I am aghast when a kid opens the door, as kids sometimes do, and exposes what I have hidden inside! A "horror" guest would be one who opens drawers and peeks into the kitchen cabinets. But Jesus is always the unseen guest in our "home". He sees what is hidden in our hearts. He sees the clutter. He sees my resentment, my irritation, my envy, all those smelly things no one else sees!!!

Here in Matthew chapter 23, Jesus is speaking to the disciples about the Pharisees and teachers of scripture. He is quite disgusted that they are hypocrites and that they only "act out" their religion. They are like whitewashed tombs! "They try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside their hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness." Let us make sure that Jesus does not say the same about us! Let us not only clean outside our cups but inside as well!

 "His mercy is from age to age on those who fear him." Luke 1:50

In another version this verse reads "His mercy goes on from generation to generation..." Mary, the mother of our Lord is singing this from her heart, her soul magnifying the Lord, for He took notice of her, an insignificant young "servant", as she calls herself. She goes on to quote generously from the Torah, the prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1, the prophet Habakkuk's song in chapter 3:18, Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 41, verse s 8-9, etc. Obviously, even if women were not important in those days, Mary had mastered the scriptures.

Imagine Saint Luke sitting with Mary, and she telling him all these things which she has pondered about. Even when she is old, she still remembers her joy, her wonder at the plan of God. She still remembers what she sang when she visited Elizabeth. She is sitting in a humble little room, Saint Luke's eyes on her as she looks back at her amazing life. "Elizabeth said that when I came in, her baby jumped for joy when she heard my voice! She said I was blessed because I believed that the Lord would do as He said."

Indeed Mary believed. And that is why God's plan is fulfilled. Mary believed and that is why we have a Savior. Mary believed and that is why His mercy reaches down to our generation. Mary believed because she knew her scriptures and she was waiting for the Savior. How about us today? Do we know our scriptures? Do we believe? Because the Messiah is coming again. Perhaps very soon! Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

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Blessings!

Patsy