Be not afraid

QUESTION: Is the camote (sweet potato) a fruit or a vegetable?
Answer: It is a fruit because when you eat it, you get so much air in your stomach, and when you break wind, the sound "fruuuut" comes out.

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In today's Gospel (Mt. 10, 26-33) Jesus tells His disciples not to be afraid for "nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, no secret that will not be known." More than ever, let these words of Jesus ring out loud and clear to the Filipino people that truth shall prevail in the end. On the other hand, let Jesus' words be a warning to those who hide, manipulate, or block truth for their own interests and agenda in order that their wickedness will be made known.

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Someone once said that truth is tough. It can be kicked, slammed, hidden or beaten black and blue, but, it cannot be broken. It will stay. It will surface. A lie, on the other hand, is fragile, for it has to sustain its previous lies.

It has to remember, and it has to be always on guard. Consequently, he or she who holds the truth is at peace. He or she may have to suffer for it, because truth hurts, but he or she is free. But he or she who lies suffers more, because he or she is never at peace and is imprisoned by the very lies he or she has woven.

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In a Mass with the Korean visionary Julia Kim last week, she told me that she saw a vision. She saw a snake that was going to attack her, but she was able to crush it with her foot. Then came another snake, which she too was able to crush. When I asked her what the vision meant, she said that truth and goodness will triumph in the end. Goodness and truthfulness will be victorious. What a beautiful message of hope. Let us pray that truth and goodness will reign in our land.

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It is scary to stand for the truth, and to stand by the truthful, but the assurance is there-"you are worth more than many sparrows." God is on the side of the truth and of the truthful. Unfortunately, the truthful side is not a comfortable side because it is often laden with persecution, harassment, intimidation and even death. But the bottom line is: Did I stand for the truth? Did I stand by the truthful? Ultimately, did I stand for Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life?

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"Face the light, and your shadow is behind you. Turn your back to the light, and your shadow will always be in front of you." Lying has its own temporary rewards, but it also has its own permanent agony and scars.

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Let it play! Maybe you have one with you right now. Take a moment to look for a cassette recorder/player, and you will see the following buttons: PAUSE, STOP, EJECT, FORWARD, REWIND, PLAY, RECORD. What lesson can we learn from these? The reason why we don't live beautiful lives is that we keep on pressing the REWIND and the FORWARD buttons. Let it play! And don't forget the PAUSE button-let us pray! The STOP/EJECT buttons are best reserved for God. Let us not interfere with His truth and with His plans. And remember everything we have said and done is on RECORD, and He holds the master tape in His hands.

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In these very uncertain times, anything can happen. Anyone of us who stands for the truth can be persecuted by those who are desperately trying to preserve their lies. We take courage in Jesus' words: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but can not kill the soul." So be it. Let it play. Thy will be done, Lord. Our only consolation is that we stood for the truth, we stood by the truthful, and we did not deny Jesus Himself who is the way, the truth and the life!

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At this point in time, all of us, especially the Church and its leaders must ask: Did I serve as a smoke screen to obscure the truth, or did I serve as a searchlight to reveal it? Did I bring out the truth, or did I muffle it by my silence?

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For those who lie, for those who perpetuate and institutionalize lies, for those who allow themselves to be used by liars, we beg you to bend your knees before God and allow His spirit of truth to permeate and embrace you. Nothing more, nothing less. Only God's spirit can save you and free you from your shadows and from your prisons.

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We must stop the termites of lies, untruthfulness and corruption that now pervade our land. We must go back to truthfulness and honesty, otherwise the house that we have built will collapse and go down. We all must be vigilant, for truth to triumph. We must be doubly vigilant in monitoring our leaders and institutions that claim to protect us, or to investigate for us, or to deliver justice to us, for they themselves could be used against us.

Through it all, let us ask our Blessed Mother to hold and embrace us. Heal our land! Banish the termites from our land, Lord!

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Think about it: Those who give in to lies, even to white lies, soon become color blind.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, help me not to be afraid to stand for truth, to stand by the truthful, and to stand for you, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Amen.