The Devils Plan Versus God's Plan of Salvation

The plan that God had from the very beginning was lost because of the fall. Man's disobedience became an obstacle for him to attain salvation and eternal life with his Creator, and for the devil, it became a moment of victory. God’s plan was to restore what was lost because of the Devil. The Devil had a plan in mind; he wanted to take away from God what he truly loved. He knew that he had no opportunity to return to heaven because he himself was prideful and tried to be above God. God, on the other hand, did not allowed him to take ownership of heaven and earth because he was willing to serve creatures on earth because he was of a higher kind in the realms of angelic beings. For this reason, he refuses to serve mankind on earth, so God and his angels waged a war against Satan and his followers. He was thrown out of heaven along with those that followed him. He knew that he did not have a chance against God, so he went after God's creation; thus, God’s enemy threatened mankind. 

The Devil's plan was to enter the Garden of Eden and disguised himself like a serpent. He manages to succeed without God noticing that his enemy was in the Garden of Eden. He found the moment to trick Eve and manipulate her mind because he knew that he was smarter than Creation and tried to be cunning before the Creator. His plan was to destroy God's beautiful creation, since he knew that he had no chance against God. Thus, he succeeded in taking away that which was precious and beautiful to God, namely, mankind and the entire Cosmos. From the very beginning, the devil has been very selfish and destructive because he wanted something he could not obtain. His deception was an art of work because he had a plan and that plan was to disconnect mankind from his Creator. As soon as he found the opportune with the woman, he tells the woman, surely, you will not die but you will attain knowledge of good and evil and you will be like your Creator (Gen 3:2-3). In the eyes of Eve, imitating the Creator was the greatest thing to do; how can one resist the temptation in not trying to be acquire the qualities of God, such as loving, merciful, kind, and good? She had the right intention of choosing something that will please Adam and God. However, the Devil succeeded in his plan in deceiving Eve and Adam. He brought death and sin into the world because he was not willing to summit to God nor was he willing to serve mankind. He was already instructed in the Word of God and knew how to counter act against God’s Word. Because of his artifice deception, he brought with him all of God's creation under his dominion.

With this being said, God had a different plan in mind, and that was to save mankind from perdition. His human beings were fallen from grace, and he needed to rise what was fallen into glory. He prophesied to the serpent that a woman would bring enmity between her and the serpent (Gen. 3:15). In return, she will crush the head of the serpent; this prophesy came about hundred of thousands of years later, since one day for God is a thousand years. When Mary obeyed God and surrender her will, she trusted on God's plan for her life. She obeyed until she saw that the Jews crucified her Son. Christ, who was hidden before all ages, came down from Heaven in order to fulfill what said about him through the prophets. For it was written, a messiah will come and save his people from their sins (Mt.1:21). God had a plan in mind, and that plan was to send his only begotten Son to die for the sins of mankind in fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities” (Is. 53:5). God has this plan hidden from the Devil because God needed to offer the perfect sacrifice to redeem mankind.

God sends his only Son to enter the realms of time and disguise himself in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He came in the flesh and fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah said, "A virgin will give birth to the savior, and she shall call him Emmanuel (God with us)” (Is. 7:14). Unlike the Devil who disguised himself as a serpent, God does the impossible by taking the form of man and going into a Virgins womb. The devil realized that God enter his kingdom, but he did not know the virgin that conceived him. For this reason, the devil was working hard trying to kill the son from the very beginning of his birth. He used Herod to kill every first-born male in Judea and Bethlehem. He was furious when he found out that a new king of Israel was born. Yet, he did not know that God had a perfect plan for restoring humanity.

When Devil tried to torment Jesus with demons, Jesus defeated him by forgiving sins, healing the sick and blind, deliberating people from demonic influence, and raising the dead. He, the devil, sought a way to defeat Jesus and his teaching about the way. He realized that the only way to defeat Jesus was to cut him off from the land of the living. For this reason, He used the High Priest Caiaphas to arrest Jesus and put him to death. After the crucifixion, the devil thought he won the victory against God by defeating his only Son. However, the devil was furious when Jesus, the Son of God, went into the place of Sheol. He took away from the devil everything that he had, namely, Creation and Mankind.   

God’s plan was to restore back to life what was taken away from him from the very beginning. Jesus with his precious wounds gives the evidence of that unfailing love is. His sacrifice paid the debt that was needed to liberate humanity from the grips of the devil. On the third day, Christ rose from the dead and revealed himself to more than five hundred people in Galilee. There, he ascended onto heaven, and the angels could not recognize him because he had a glorified body. The psalmist says, "Oh Gates lift up your heads! Let him enter the king of Glory!" Christ, who bears the marks of his ultimate sacrifice, enters through the gates of Paradise that once was close and expelled humanity. Here, the plan of Christ was to restore humanity back to its original state, namely, sons and daughters of God the Father. 

Today, God has reveled to us the plan of salvation for mankind. God has a plan just for you in this life. The prophet Jeremiah says, “For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11). The plan that God has in mind to follow the way fo Jesus. The person has to pattern his or her life in accordance to belief of the Son of God. His or her life must resemble Jesus by dying to sin. The person dies to sin when he or she loves God and avoids anything that will take that love away. When St. Paul persecuted the Church, he heard of the message of salvation. He, then, had an encounter with Christ on his way to Damascus. Paul heard about the Good News because many believers testified to death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul believed and trusted that if his life resembled Christ to the fullest than he too will rise from the grave. The purpose in every Christian is to rise from the grave and not allow the devil to defeat us by taking away the love of God in our hearts. The Christian must have the firm conviction that he too can rise with Christ from the dead and enter the realms of Eternity with Christ.  

The Kingdom of God

   

    The bible talks about a kingdom. In the Biblos, the word kingdom in Greek is basilica, which means kingdom, authority, kingship, rule, and sovereignty. However, in the Old Testament times, kingdom was referred to the country of Israel. Israel's kingdom was considered to be both man and God ruling over the people, and the entire providence with authority, power, and might. 

     In addition, the Israelites focused on the Davidic dynasty that was based on a covenant with God. Although the Israleites did not have a king from the very beginning, the Israelites could not understand the meaning of the kingdom. For instance, form the time of Moses and during the time of the judges, their only king was God alone, and yet, they wanted to have a man representing them, guiding them, and protecting them against their enemies. Because of this, they rejected not the kingdom of God butt eh protector and king of the Israelites, who was God alone. 

       Saul, who was the first king of Israel, was chosen to lead the people of God. On the other hand, Saul displeased the Lord, so The Lord chose David to guide his people. David was the second King of Israel. He was known to be a man after God's own heart. He had the fear of the Lord, despite his failings and short comings. He ruled Gid's kingdom with authority, might, and justice. As a result, God sworn to him thT his dynasty will last forever. On the contrary, there is a flip side to this side of the story because the kingdom of God is no longer focus in Jerusalem or in a specific place. The kingdom of God has revealed itself differently throughout the entire bible.

      The kingdom of God is no longer focused on a group of people or country; although, their
 is a kingdom in heaven where a community of believers would gather together around the King, who is Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, Jesus proclaims the Good News. His news is about repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. He is the Messiah that will liberate his people from the grips of Satan. Now, satan had dominion over the entire human race. No one, not event he holy Patriarchs and Prophets, were able to enter the kingdom of God. Because of this, God desenced into to the place of Sheol to liberate his people from the Old Testament beginning with Adam his first son. 

     As Jesus went through the towns and villages, he proclaimed the kingdom of God being at hand. Here the kingdom of God takes on a new meaning. It is no longer a specific place like the temple or Jerusalem. The kingdom of God is found in the heart of the human person. Christ wants to liberate the person in the heart and help him ascend to the Father through the narrow gate. 

     The kingdom of God is relevant to Jacob's ladder. When Jacob was traveling, he rested his head on a rock and went to sleep. In his dream, he saw a ladder touching earth and heaven. He also saw angels descending and ascending the ladder. Now, the rock where Jacob rested his head signifies Christ. Christ is the foundation and starting point to ascend to heaven; without Christ no one is able to enter the kingdom. The only way to ascend the ladder is by growing in grace and virtue. The ladder is narrow and difficult to climb because it takes a lot of practice to develop virtue and grow in humility. 

       On the first Sunday of advent, the readings were about climbing the mountain of The Lord. However, the overarching theme was about the kingdom of God. The mountain can only be climbed when the person has allowed God to reing in the heart and allow the Good Shepherd to lead the way in faith. In the Old Testament, God spoke from a fiery bush on Mount Sinai. He, God, gave Moses the Ten Commandments and handed them down to his people to follow the way to reach the mountain top. The commandments are directions for the heart to follow and not fall off the ladder as he or she ascends the mountain top. 

      Christ comes as the messiah, and he brings grace and love to help the sinner reach the mountain top. The sinner no longer has to walk the journey alone because Christ will dwell in the heart of the person. For this to happen, the Word of God makes it's dwelling in the heart of man. Jesus comes and makes his dwelling in the human heart through Word and Sacrament. Every time the priest celebrates the sacrament and proclaims the living Word of God, he brings to life the Good News of salvation by allowing the person to have an encounter with the Risen Lord. Let us climb the ladder of virtue and reach the mountaintop where God's reign endures forever. 

The Light of God

         

   In every part of the world there is light illuminating the darkness. In Metropolitan areas, there are lights on the highways, the streets, inside the houses, the parks, and other public areas. The light is needed for the person to travel, to do things, and to work. Without the light, no one would be be able to see clearly. Even though there is no light in some places in the world, people can create light with fire, such as a burning lamp with oil, or using a flash light that will bounce the light to other places. In the bible, the word light appears in many places. From the very beginning of Creation, God needed light to create the cosmos. He said," let there be light." And light became. And He saw that the light was good." Light was necessary, but it was a light that ruled the entire day, which was called daylight. The author of Genesis does not call the light sun or the night moon. Now, the sun is the source of light that illuminates the entire world. The sun can transcend the rays of light to the depths of the earth; in addition, it can produce energy and heat. The analogy of the sun as light can help to understand the application on God being the light of the world. 

                In third century, Tertullian tried to explain the existence of God with the analogy of the sun. His view was external and concrete. Normally, the existence of God would begin with the faith of the believer from within instead of without. Augustine once said that, "late have I love you, Beauty so old and ever ancient and ever new, for you were within and I was without." Tertullian looked upon the sun to explain how God was consider to be the light of the world. Indeed, the sun is the center of the universe, and it is the light of the world; since every living thing depends on the source of the sun. The sun is the Father. The Father, who is unbegotten, is the source of all visible and invisible things. From the Father comes forth all things in creation. He is known to be the creator and center of the entire universe. Jesus thought his disciples that he came into the world to be the light of world in darkness. A light that shines in the darkness. He reveals the plan of father through his death and resurrection. He shows his disciples that God was a loving Father, and that every living thing depended upon Him for existence. Jesus thought something new and different from the rest of the world. He thought that one, who was baptized, was an adopted son of the Father. For this reason, St. Paul states that we can call God--Father, which means Abba, meaning daddy. 

                Tertullian also explained that the light of the sun was inseparable from the sun itself. The rays of the sun is a different identity, but it comes from the same source of the sun. Jesus, who is the begotten Son of the Father, is known to be the rays of the sun. Jesus reveals himself as being the light of the world in John's Gospel; even though, he did not explicitly say that about himself. He said, " I am the light of the world. Anyone that comes to me shall not walk in darkness." Jesus comes from the Father who is the true source of life. His existence is not created nor made but draws his life from the Father's love. He was present from the very beginning of creation and saw everything that the Father created. He rejoiced and played in the presence of his Father's creation. St. Paul says that "all things came into existence through him. He is the image of the invisible God. The first born of all creation." Not that he was created, but that he existed before the Father created the world. Jesus came into the world the same way he came from the Father; begotten not made, one in being with the Father. He came into the womb of a virgin, Mary, the mother of God. She gave birth to the living God, and he became man. Yet, his will was totally united with the Father. The Father never left his side nor abondoned him to death because the rays of the light can never be separated from the sun. He revealed the light to the world by claiming his authority and unity with the Father. This light was the truth from the very beginning. He came to shine light in the darkness where truth was no longer available. 

                Lastly, Tertullian said that the rays produce energy and heat. It is obvious that the rays produce heat, especially when it rains. When the it is a hot and rainy day, one can noticed heat that produces smoke from the ground. Moreover, the rays of sun produces energy for plants to grow, without energy the plants would not be able to produce fruit. Solar panels also require the rays of the sun to produce electricity in houses. For Tertullian, the rays of the sun that produces energy or heat is the action of the Holy Spirit. Now, the Holy Spirit is not a source of energy; he is a person, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Spirit, who is the third person of the Trinity, is also inseparable from the Father and Son. Just as the energy and the heat are inseparable from the sun, so too is the Holy Spirit inseparable from the source of the Father and the Son. He draws life from both of them. He gives grace and love in the heart of the sinner, and he renews the interior man. 

               Jesus said that if man had the light, he would not stumble nor fall in the darkness. He also said that if the body had the light, he would be able to see in the dark. He said that the eye is the light of the body that shines through the darkness. If man had this light, he would be able to walk in righteousness and in truth. The light is Jesus that the person finds inside of the heart. Jesus shines the light in the dark places of the heart where sin is found. The spirit, then, purifies the sinst that person has committed in order to see the darkness in the world. Once the person has a personal encounter with the risen One, he can walk in the path of righteousness and never stumble because he is united to the source of life, the Father. The spirit brings the penitent to the Father, as he becomes more like the Son by doing His will. Light is produce in the heart when virtue is growing and sacrifice is evident. Virtue is the opposite of sin, and it is necessary to see the darkness of sin to have the eye of the light. The eye see interioly and offers the sin to the Son, who paid a ransom for his sin. Thus, light comes into the person from within and then transcends the person from without by walking in newness of life.

The Lord Speaks in Dreams

                                                                                                                                                                                  
Dreams are strange, awkward, horrific, inspiring, divine, judgmental, or even depressing. Each person has the experience of having a dream that marks the story of his or her life. However, no one can escape the reality of avoiding a specific dream even he or she tries to think about something else. According to Psychology, dreams are hidden in the subconscious of the person, and  the person, who finds himself asleep, begins to see things rise to the surface the conscious. The conscious, then, begins to reveal the things in the  imagination. Thus, the imagination provides a picture frame or scene of something that almost looks real. On the contrary, a dream can be interpreted in many ways that will help the person improve in his or her life; they also can be a sign of warning or judgement. In the book of Genesis, God speaks to the patriarch Abraham in a vision. A vision can also be interpreted as a dream. The speculation begins when God begins to speak to man in a dream as he is asleep. 

          God directed his Word to Abraham in a dream. He said to him, "Do not fear Abraham! I am your shield! Your recompense shall be great!"(15:1-2). Abraham is asleep, and the narrator does not explicitly describe the image of God. The only thing that is said in this scripture verse is that God spoke to him personally. The question begins to grow in how does Abraham know that God is speaking to him. Abraham must of had some experiences that allows him to recognize the voice of the living God. On the contrary, the reader cannot know exactly what Abraham saw in his vision because it does not go into details. In addition, there is no way to enter the mind of the patriarch and jot down everything that the Patriarch saw. It is said that God speaks to the person in a deep sleep where the person is able to pay full attention to the message. Abraham was probably in a deep sleep, and he was able to hear, with clarity, the voice of God. Yet, in every dream, there is a dialogue. Abraham questions God about him being childless. He tell God, "What do want to give me?"(Gn. 15:2). Again, the scripture states that the word of God came to him. This is very interesting because it seems that the Word of God comes from somewhere unknown. 

         As Abraham awaits for God to respond, scripture states that the Word of God comes to meet Abraham in a dream twice. Here, the Word of God can be interpreted as things that were brought into existence from the very beginning of time. The Word, as it is known in the Gospel of John, is meant to be Jesus. Abraham has encounter with a Person whose name is Jesus. Scripture states that, after Abraham questioned his offspring, Yahweh took Abraham outside and told him to look up at the heavens and count the stars if he could (Gn. 15:5). Then, God tells Abraham that his descendants will be like the number of the stars. In the scene, the narrator does not explicitly say that it was daylight or nighttime, but the scene took place during the night. Thus, Abraham's dream was taken place in the night where God appeared to him and gave him a message that his offspring will be great. On the other side, Abraham has an encounter with God within his tent. In the dream, Abraham awaits patiently for God to visit him during the night. It seems that Abraham was already accustomed to the fact that God speaks clearly to him in dreams. 

        The picture scene is already painted for the reader. Abraham is asleep on the floor within his tent. He waits for the Lord to give him a sign or a message for his given situation. He, then, has an encounter with Jesus as known to be the Word that came to Abraham in the night. Furthermore, Jesus takes Abraham by the hand and walks him outside of his tent. The scene begins to develop as the scripture   states that the day was night because Abraham was able to look at the stars in the sky. In the dream, there is also peace, hope, and faith. Abraham has peace when he listens to the voice of Jesus. He has hope when he hears the promise of his offspring. He has faith and has not given up on the One that gave him life and protection throughout his life. 

      Dreams are part of the human experience, and they can teach every person something valuable. Nowadays, dreams have fallen into the psychological level of understanding that describes the psyche of the person. However, scripture also attest that a man should never place his hopes or faith in his dreams because he will be like the waves in the ocean. It takes a lot of discernment just to know exactly whether God is speaking to someone in a dream. Some of the Church Fathers have stated that dreams can sometimes confused people by demons that disguised themselves as angels of light. The only difference between a demon and a angel is that a demon tries to bring false light to a situation and a angel brings judgment and peace. Saint John Climacus, in his Latter of Divine Ascent, states,

"For angels reveal torments, judgments, and separations  and when we wake up we find that we are trembling and sad. As soon as we begin to believe the demons in dreams, then they make sport of us when we are awake too. He who believes in dreams is completely inexperienced. But he who distrusts all dreams is a wise man. Only believe dreams that warn you of torments and judgments. But if despair afflicts you, then such dreams are also from demons" (67-68).         

The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd is a recurring theme throughout the Bible. From the very beginning of Genesis, Abel was the first Shepherd. The Bible says that he became the first keeper of the flocks (Gn. 4:2). Moreover, Abel offered the first fruits of his labor to God by sacrificing a lamb. The patriarch Abraham was also considered to be a Shepherd. When Abraham was in Egypt with Sarah, he was given many gifts. He received flocks and herds and other things (Gn. 12:16).

Shepherding has always been part of Israel's life. However, it began to decline throughout the years as farming became the driving force of the economy. In fact, when the Israelites were in Egypt, many Egyptians and Israelites looked down upon the shepherds. For instance, Laban, who was of Hebrew origin, forced Jacob to work as a shepherd for many years (Gn. 30:31-34). Moreover, Moses when he fled out of Egypt to Midian, it was there that he also became a Shepherd after being a ruler in Egypt. It seems that the role of a shepherd began to be the lowest part of the economy  for caste system in that time.

Shepherding means a lot more than just being a status in the economy of Israel. To be a shepherd, one had a lot of responsibilities, such as staying up all night and watching the flock. Because of this, the job was transferred to the younger children to tend the flocks. For instance, David was the youngest of his brothers, and Jesse tells the Prophet Samuel that David was out tending the flock. The Shepherd had to watch the flock from its prey at night; he had to count the sheep everyday; he had to feed the flock and take it to fresh waters; he had to look for the lost sheep and bring it back to its pasture. In addition, the sheep had to become familiar with their shepherd's voice. According to Holman Dictionary, Shepherding is translated as Feeding...the Shepherd will carry weak sheep on his shoulders (http://www.studylight.org). No matter how ugly the sheep may looked, when being wounded, the Shepherd never gives up on his sheep even if it dies on his arms.

To be a Shepherd is to be a chosen leader for a community that will listen and follow the way. In the Book of Exodus, Moses leads the people out of Egypt to Mount Sinai. He first had to learn what it meant to be a shepherd before he served a people that will eventually become the chosen people of God. As Moses reaches his destination near the mountain, he was away for about forty days. The people thought that he had abandoned them, so the Israelites sought someone in their midst to guide them into the promise land. As a result, they created a molten calf and began to worship it. Moses, while conversing with God, is told that the people had abandoned the way of the Lord. They began to worship a false image and God decided to wipe them out from the face of the earth. However, Moses knows that even if a lamb leads astray or is weak, he is willing to work with the lamb for as long as it takes. For this reason, Moses intercedes on behalf of the people by saying, "Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people...remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Ex. 32:13-14). Moses reminded God about the covenant that He had made with the Patriarchs, and how God had to fulfill that promise with his chosen people despite the faults and failures of the people. Thus, God relented that day from punishing Israel for their disobedience.

Although Israel has had faithful leaders to the LORD, they still struggle throughout history to have good Shepherds. The idea of Shepherd has taken a different form within the content of Israel. The people sought sought a leader that would be obedient to the Lord's command, but it was difficult to find a leader that would imitate Abraham, Isaac, Israel, and Moses. After the babylonian exile, the prophet Ezekiel was very aware that the Kings of Israel have failed to keep the Lord's covenant. Because of this, God had given them over to their enemies and suffered the consequences. The hope for a faithful and true Shepherd to come remains in the words of the Prophet mouth. He utters the words of the Lord by saying, "I will appoint one Shepherd over them to pasture them, servant David; he shall pasture them and be their shepherd" (Ez. 34:23).  God has commission the Prophet to the let the people know that a Shepherd will rise in their midst like King David but different.

In the New Testament, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd before his listeners. He says, " I am the Good Shepherd. A good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep" (Jn 10:11). Jesus makes a bold proclamation about himself and he cannot deny what he truly is. He compares himself to a shepherd that is willing to do anything for his people, Israel, and the whole world. Jesus goes out in search for the lost sheep of Israel. He says, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling!" (13:34). In another passage, Jesus says that he only came for the lost sheep after the woman begged him to grant her her prayers request. He tells the Canaanite woman, " I was sent only to the lost of sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt. 15:24).

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, fulfills the work of the Father. He comes to seek the lost by proclaiming the Good News of salvation. He offers his life as a sacrifice for sinners by dying on the cross. He speaks openly in public areas where others can listen to his words of hope, forgiveness, redemption, and love. As Jesus makes his way through many towns and villages proclaiming repentance, there are many who follow him and listen to his words. However, before they can actually follow him, the sheep must be carry by the shepherd. This process of healing will take time for the sheep to be restored back to grace. In addition, Christ becomes the mediator between the Father and humanity. He continues his work of salvation through the sacraments as he heals the wounds of humanity and forgives sinners. He is restless when he searches out for the lost sheep that has fallen away from grace. The Son's primary duty is to bring back to the Father's house the lost sheep.

As Jesus continues to knock at the door of the sinner's heart, let the sinner say, "Come Lord Jesus!"

Avoid the ways of the Pharisees

 The empty tomb is a clear strong message to every person. A person can look and discover that the empty tomb can reflect the inner life of being. It can also explicate the feeling of the heart of experiencing a void and hollow. In the same, Catholics are surrounded by statues. A statue can be beautiful on the outside, but within it is hallow and empty. Both the empty tomb and the statue can cause a gong noise that will resound within. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells his audience that when the bridegroom is taken away his disciples will fast, which will leave a sense of emptiness.

Jesus confronted the Pharisees when they asked him why his disciples did not fast and prayed like john's disciples.

             And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, 
             and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink 
             and Jesus said to them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast 
             while the bridegroom is with them?
             The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, 
             and they will fast in those days." (Lk. 5:33-34)

Fasting and praying has been one of the elements that has been questioned the most. The Pharisees were more concerned about order and demonstration of self piety before the rest of society. Jesus counter acts their way of thinking and expresses a faith by doing the opposite. He teaches the opposite about prayer by not doing it before others to see. However, His disciples tell Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus does give a prayer, but it is not focus upon himself to draw attention. He said,

            Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
            Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven.
            Give us this day our daily bread;
            And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors;
            And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
            For if you forgive men their trespasses,
            your heavenly Father also will forgive you;
            but if you do not forgive men their trespasses,
            neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Mt. 6:9-15)

It would seem that Jesus should have taught his diciples how to pray and lay out a set of prayers for others to imitate. However, Jesus does not draw attention to himself because he is pointing to the Father. The moment a group of people or an individual begins to create structures of prayer on their own, it will lead to self interest. For instance, John taught his diciples how to pray, but they had focused upon the Baptist and not on the coming of the Messiah. Jesus does not need to teach His disciples how to pray, because the sending of the Holy Spirit will teach them how to pray. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says that when the Spirit comes he will teach you everything that I have taught you...in another part of his Gospel, Jesus says that the true worshipers will worship in spirit and truth. The fact is that prayer is good and necessary for the person, but it is useless when it is focus upon the self and not upon the truth, who is the Son of God. Prayer is not meant to be a routine or something that is devotional; although, vocal prayers are necessary and great during spiritual dryness. Prayer is much deeper than this; it is dialogue between Jesus, who is the truth and the life, and the person, who seeks a personal encounter. The Pharisees and the followers of John the Baptist were empty and hallow because they sought the praise and honor from others. Whenever the person seeks out to find Jesus, it begins with the openness of the heart that allows Jesus to enter into the most deepest part of the person. Jesus said,

            But when you pray,
            go into your room and shut the door
            and pray to your Father who is in secret;
            and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
            And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do;
            for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
            Do not be like them,
            for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Mt. 6:8-9)

Jesus helps his diciples to avoid attention or anything that may lead people to focus on the individual and not on the Father. He teaches that one must try to avoid prayers that only become a routine and does not lead to conversion or an openness of the heart. He teaches that one must have an intimate relationship with him that requires the freedom of the person to seek out the truth by welcoming Him into the most secret place where no one can enter. The Pharisees and the diciples of John focused on the externals, but within their hearts there was all kinds of evils that kept them from confessing their faults before others and not loving ones neighbor; this was causing them to fill their emptyness. If the relationship with ones neighbor is not well, then the relationship with God is disconnected because the person refuses to open his or her heart to the Author of life that leads the person to love.

Moreover, fasting is such a blessing and a powerful tool for prayer, but it is only powerful when fasting is not selfish. Jesus warns against a false kind of fasting:

           And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites,
           for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men.
           Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
           But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
           that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret;
           and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Mt. 6:16-18)

The Pharisees fasted, so that others can see them in public areas. However, their kind of fasting did not lead them to conversion because they still continue to be uncharitable to others. They were not concerned about the poor or their neighbor who was suffering all kinds of infirmities. Fasting has taken a different shape today; it is done for the sake of health, loosing weight, feeling better in doing something that requires a lot of sacrifice, such as a food or a place that one enjoys. On the contrary, Jesus claims that fasting has a purpose; a purpose in not letting others know about your sacrifices because that can lead to self-glory. The prophet Isaiah gives the purpose for fasting. He says,

          Is not this the fast that I choose:
          to loose the  bonds of wickedness,
          to undo the thongs of the yoke,
          to let the oppressed go free,
          and to break every yoke?
          Is no to share your bread with the hungry,
          and bring the homeless poor into your house;
          when you see the naked, to cover him,
          and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
          Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
          and your healing shall spring up speedily;
          your righteousness shall go before you,
          the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. (Is. 58:6-8)

Thus, true fasting and prayer does not consist in self glory or self interest. It guides the person to personal encounter with the Triune God that seeks to reveal Himself to the sinner as he or she desires to to grow in an open relationship with the creator. Scripture reveals the true meaning of prayer and fasting, but it is an opportunity to grow in right relationship with Christ and avoid falling into the trappings of the pharissaic tradition that leads the person farther away from truth. Christ himself said that the Pharisees and scribes helped people in knowing more about the Lord, but they became children of the devil just because they gave bad examples of being a follower of God in righteousness and truth. Emptiness is caused by trying to please oneself in order to get the praise from others. Jesus is the only One that fill the void of the human person. One just has to allow him to enter and let him be God.

The empty heart is hallow

Looking at the picture of an empty, a person will realize that there's nothing in it. As one continues to observe the empty tomb, it will demonstrate the reality of the human heart hollow and empty. In the same way, most Catholics are surrounded with statues either at church or even at home. The statue within is also hollow and empty. One can knock at the statue and hear a gong noise resound. The same can be true when the person looks into the tomb and utters out some words that will form an echo. The heart can be shallow and empty whenever the bridegroom is not present. 

In the Gospel of Lk 5:33-39, "The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” The Pharisees and the scribes were a group of religious men that were more concerned with the outer appearance instead of the heart of the person. They critiqued the disciples of Jesus of not praying or fasting on sabbath day, which was prohibited for anyone to work. However, this was not first time they question Jesus about fasting and praying. 

In the Gospel of Matthew, the disciples tell Jesus to teach them how to pray just like John taught his disciples. However, Jesus takes a different approach. He tells them not to pray like Pharisees, scribes, and others that like to be seen before the public. Moreover, he also tells them not to perform righteous deeds so that others can see them. He calls such people hypocrites because they only do such things to get approval before men and the public. Jesus' teaching is the contrary because he says to perform righteous deeds where your left hand does not know what your right hand is doing; to give alms not letting others know what you are giving; to pray in secret where no one is able to see or know what you are praying before the father. Praying and giving alms in secret is much pleasing to God because it takes away the focus of self.  In addition, Jesus gives a prayer to his disciples; a prayer that will focus on the Father and be offered up to the father instead of self-attention. (Mt.6)

 As for fasting, Jesus does not put down fasting. He encourages fasting in different manner. He tells his listeners not to imitate the hypocrites when they fast as to be seen by others appearing to be fasting. He says, “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face" (Mt.6). Fasting must be done with a joyful spirit and a heart that is convicted on the power of fasting.  Isaiah 58 says, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungryand to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" Jesus wants fasting to lead to acts that glory him by loving neighbor and not self. Because Isaiah also says, Then your light will break forth like the dawn,and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.18so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.