For the first part of this entry, I'd like to share today's Gospel, Luke 6:27-38. For you guys who think it's boring, you can just skip ahead until after the Gospel reading.

Jesus said to his disciples: "To you who hear, I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.

But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and klend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

Hahaha, my dad probably thought I was crazy as he looked at me from across the church during the Homily this afternoon, listening intently to the priest. And to think that we were both so visible to everyone, with me sitting in one of the front pews and Dad sitting at a different front pew with the other ministers.

"So easy to say, but very difficult to practice," Father John said with his thick Indian accent. "If someone doesn't like you, either you understand why or you don't, just tell them, 'God bless you'."

Hahaha, I've been doing that a lot lately. I'm not the type who carries grudges.

When I got home, there was a new mountain bike parked in our garage. It was the bike Ate Maui had given Kuya earlier this morning when he had jogged over to her place (hahaha, we live in Las Pinas, and Ate Maui lives somewhere in Paranaque). Wheee! I took it out for a test drive. Gah, we have to get the seat adjusted by dad, because it was too high. Kuya can adjust to any height anyway, so we're gonna favor my level of comfort for the seat.

Kuya also got a badminton set, so we immediately started playing. Man, I haven't had this much fun sweating it out with my brother in quite a while. I mean, the last time we played badminton or rode bikes together was when I was still in grade school. Mom even joined in for a while when Kuya passed his racket to her to play with me. Gah, I forgot how much of a tennis player my mom used to be.

And to think that the morning had just started.

Thanks for the answered prayer.