Jesus Heals!

The gospel today is such a powerful testimony of Jesus love and power!

We see that at least two people were healed, the woman with haemorrhage and Jairus’ daughter. The woman with haemorrhage was flat broke. She has no money, she is an outcast, she is helpless and hopeless. However, there’s one thing left in her that no sickness or circumstance could take away – her faith. Being behind the crowd did not stop her from getting close to Jesus and it did not dampen her faith. That faith was all Jesus needed to heal her.  That was what healed her, not Jesus cloak.

Then Jairus daughter was said to be dead. Again, Jairus had faith in Jesus and did not listen to people saying his child is dead and Jesus could not do anything to save her. Yes, nothing is impossible with Jesus. He wants to heal us, he can, but he needs our help, he needs our faith. Yes, God cannot do it alone. Like what Saint Augustine said: “God who created us without us, cannot save us without us”

What are your concerns? Do you have faith that God can and wants to heal you, not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, socially, and spiritually? When people and circumstances seem to go against you, how do you react? Do you come to Jesus in faith? Do you bring Jesus to others who need him?

May we always remember that Jesus can and wants to heal us, but we need to have faith in his power. May we let go of everything that is preventing us from fully trusting him, and have complete faith in him. When faced with challenges, may we remember and get strength from Jesus words to Jairus: "Do not be afraid, just have faith" knowing that this faith of ours is very important, as Jesus said to the woman: "Your faith has saved you"

Have a faith filled day!

Start at home

The gospel today reminds me that God calls each one of us to serve Him in different ways.

As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
"Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you."
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed

The man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus asked him to go back to his family and proclaim to them what Jesus has done. Jesus does not always need us to go out of our way or do extra special things to serve and glorify him. Sometimes, we just need to proclaim his works in our own homes, in our own families.

It is also interesting to note what the people in the gospel were just as bad as Legion, one of the spirits who tormented the man. The people, instead of praising God for saving the man and being awed by Jesus’ power over the enemy, they asked him to leave because he sent the spirits to the swine. They put more importance on their swine rather than the welfare of the man. They are too attached to their possession and material things that they fail to see God’s power and love for us.

May we be reminded to be humble enough, like David in the first reading, to accept God’s will even if it is painful. May we not put too much emphasis and importance on material things that we fail to see God’s love and power at work to and through people around us, and may we work for God no matter where, no matter how simple the things we do are, having faith that God can magnify even the little things we do for Him.

God bless!

It is not enough to know Him

The readings today, especially the gospel, reminded me that it is not enough to know God. We can see that in the gospel, the unclean spirit knows who Jesus was. The spirit had an encounter with Jesus. However, his words and intentions are not to glorify God. Instead, it was that of a proud spirit – not wanting Jesus to have anything to do with it. He was afraid that Jesus would come to destroy him, to destroy them. This reminds me to constantly be aware of how I respond to Jesus and of how I live my life.

How should we live our lives? How do we acknowledge God? The second reading tells us – that we should give our undivided attention to Him. Marriage in itself it not bad – as long as it does not get in the way of our faith and our glorifying God. The marriage in the reading represents not really marriage, but more of attachment to other things that would hinder us from focusing on God, from serving him and glorifying him.

Do you know Jesus? How do you respond to Him? Are you afraid of him, knowing that He will change a lot of things in your life, or are you humble and willing to let him mold you? Do you recognize him as God in your life, thus living a life glorifying him, or are you just saying it with your mouth?

May we live our lives glorifying God with our words and actions. May our intention be always to glorify Him and not ourselves, and may we always be ready to open our hearts to him.

Faith in all circumstances

The first reading today continues yesterday’s story. Here we see Nathan confronting David for the evil he has done. What’s nice about David is that he quickly admitted his sins. He did not deny it. His attitude made things better. Instead of being sorry, blaming himself and going away from God, he repented, fasted and wore sackcloth… At least he was humble enough to accept his sins and repent. He did not move away from God, feeling ashamed and sorry for his sins. Instead, he worked on getting back on track, on making peace with himself and most especially, with God. We can see he was truly repentant because this was when he wrote Psalm 51 which we started reading yesterday – the prayer of repentance. Indeed, David was deeply sorry and longed to be in God’s grace once again.

God is always there even if we do not always see or feel him. God saw what David did to Bathsheba and Uriah, even if David did not feel his presence. The apostles in the gospel also had the experience. Jesus was sleeping in their midst when a strong hit them. They did not feel his presence, and asked Jesus upon waking him up if he did not care if they all die. However, when he made his presence felt, it was just awesome.

God wants us to have faith in Him – especially when we do not see or feel him. Maybe this was what Jesus wanted the disciples to develop. This is what he wants us to develop. We all know how great and powerful God is. We have seen him work in the bible, and we are continuing to see him work in our daily lives. May we have faith in Him, be it in asking for forgiveness like David, or during times of trouble like the disciples. Let us be still, and know He is God.

“When the oceans rise and thunders roar, I will soar with you above the storm. Father you are king over the flood, I will be still, and know you are God…”

It starts with a seed

The readings today remind us that big things start from small things…

For the past few days, we have seen David portrayed as someone chosen by God. He was anointed as a young shepherd, he defeated Goliath, he served with the king, eventually became king, and he expanded his kingdom. We see God working through him. Indeed he was anointed. However, we see today what can happen if we are overconfident, if we live on yesterday’s spiritual highs and become proud and complacent on our faith.

It was the time when “kings go out on campaign”, meaning expand their territories, but David stayed at home and did not do what kings should do. Maybe complacent, maybe he wants to relax and let others do his work. Then he saw Bathsheba. That admiration turned into lust, then turned into adultery, then eventually led him to have Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, killed in battle.

The gospel, on the other hand, says what great things we can accomplish by patiently planting little seeds. Like the man who planted seeds, we too do not know what the effects of our actions are. However, we should continue doing things for God, even if we do not know what will happen. We should have faith in God that in due time, the seeds of good work and service we planted will bear fruits for Him. It does not matter how little or big we do for God. He can and will use it to glorify Him. Like a small mustard seed, the things we do, no matter how small we look at them, will eventually be used by God mightily for Him.

May we always remember that from small things, good or bad, something big will come out. Let us choose wisely which seeds we scatter, knowing one day they will eventually grow.

Have a blessed day!

The more you give, the more you receive

Sharing with you an excerpt from today’s gospel

The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away

I was pleasantly surprised when I read this gospel, because just last night, I was talking to a friend about this, about giving and receiving from God. I guess God wanted to reinforce something.

I believe this tells us that the more we give, the more we receive. Giving to and for God does not really take things from us. I believe that God cannot be out given, and the more we give to Him, the more he will give us back. Although of course, this should not be the reason why we give. Jesus knows what is in our hearts, and he knows if what we are doing is genuine giving. He says in the gospel that the hypocrites who fast to be seen and acknowledged by people have already received their reward. God knows what our intentions are in serving and in giving, and he will reward us accordingly.

God does not think like human beings. We give God our time, talent and treasure – but he doesn’t necessarily give us back those. He gives us something greater than that. He doesn’t give us back time we spend for him, but he gives us genuine friendships built over time spent serving him. He doesn’t give us back our talents we use, he improves our talents so we could serve him better. He doesn’t always give us back the treasure we give for him, but he gives us true treasure in heaven as he changes us and prepares us to be with him for eternity. Indeed, the more we give, the more we will receive from God, not because we deserve it, but because God is just so generous.

The second part of the excerpt may seem harsh. Konti na nga lang yun nasa tao, kukunin pa. Well, it is up to us for it to be taken away. God will not take that away. When we refuse to follow God, when we refuse to receive God’s blessings, it is like giving away what God wants to give us. IT is like refusing to receive what God wants for us. In the end, we end up empty, not because God took what we have or what we could have received, but because we continually choose to refuse to follow and serve God, we refuse God’s blessings.

May we all remember this, and may we strive to give genuinely for God’s kingdom.

God bless!

Testify

The readings today encourage us to testify for God. It does not matter what you background is or what you think you are capable of, God calls each and everyone of us to testify in our own little way.

In the First reading, we see Saint Paul’s conversion. A former persecutor of Christ’s followers, Saul was on the way to Damascus when God spoke to him, and he eventually was converted and testified for God. In the gospel, Jesus appeared to the eleven and told them proclaim the gospel.

I believe this shows that God does not discriminate. Does not matter if you’re a devout follower or not, God will still give you the opportunity to follow him and testify for him. It’s just up to us if we will heed his call. Saul could have chosen not to follow God’s voice and go on his way. The apostles could have chosen not to follow Jesus’ commands, since he was not with them anymore. We too could choose to follow him or ignore him.

It is never too late to follow Christ and to testify for him. You are never too bad or too unworthy to testify and follow Him. What matters is we are sensitive enough to His call, and we respond positively to what God wants us to do.

May we testify with our lives, in our own little way, how great God and his love for us is.

Dance with abandon

Sharing with you an excerpt of the first reading today…

Then David, girt with a linen apron,
came dancing before the LORD with abandon,
as he and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD
with shouts of joy and to the sound of the horn

What struck me the most was how David danced. He Danced with abandon – meaning he let go of everything. Never mind if he is king, or what other people will think of him when they see him dancing like that, or if they will still respect and obey him after that. David danced with abandon because he was dancing for God – to praise, worship and glorify God. He was happy, for God was with them throughout their journey, their battles. God was with them, and they knew everything will be blessed, that everything will fall into place.

How do you dance? How do you serve? Do you serve half-heartedly, worrying what other people may think of you, or worrying about your career, reputation, finances, etc? Or are you like David, who let go, who danced with abandon? What you do for God doesn’t matter too much, it may be big or small, maybe simple singing or dancing, as long as done with abandon for God, is well appreciated by God. What’s important for him is we give our all as we serve him, no matter what we do for Him. May we let go of what is holding us back from serving God with abandon, and expect him to bless us mightily as we surrender everything to Him.

Promise Fulfilled

Today’s readings remind me that God delivers his promise. Always.

The readings last Tuesday tell us that Samuel anointed David, the youngest and a simple shepherd. Last Friday’s readings tell us that even King Saul believed that David would be king. Now, we see David being King. Indeed, God fulfils his promises.

David was thirty years old when he became king,
and he reigned for forty years:
seven years and six months in Hebron over Judah,
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem
over all Israel and Judah

David’s life was not without challenges. Yes, he was chosen and anointed to be king. However, he still experienced hardships. Trials. Problems. He saved the people, but after, King Saul wanted to kill him. He lost a dear friend in Jonathan, and someone he looks up to in King Saul. However, David was faithful to God. He did not give up. He had faith in God. And now we see God fulfilling his promise that David would be king, and that the Lord was with him in his life. In the gospel, we see Jesus having challenges as he was doing God's will. But he pressed on, he had faith in God, and God kept his promise.

We know God loves us and wants the best for us. We know his promise that He has great plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Life will not always be easy and we will have challenges, but we should always hang on to God’s promise, and have faith that one day, God’s promise will be fulfilled.

God bless!

The Call

God calls each and everyone of us in a unique way. Today’s readings show us that

In the first reading, God called Jonah to tell the people of Nineveh to change their ways. In the gospel, Jesus called the first disciples to follow Him. They were called in different ways and for different purposes. God calls each and everyone of us in different ways, but no matter how he calls us or what he wants us to do for him, he expects all of us to answer in a positive way… or else… yari tayo.

God called Jonah the first time, and when he refused, the boat he was on while trying to run away from God was hit by a storm, and he ended up in the belly of a whale. We cannot run away from God. It’s useless and stupid to run away from God when he calls us, when he expects us to do something. God’s perfect plan cannot be ruined by us humans, and if we choose to disobey him, especially even after he tries to give us “not so gentle” warnings and reminders, we are only bringing destruction upon ourselves, not to God’s plan.

In the second reading, it says that time is running out, and the world is passing away. The gospel shows Jesus telling us to repent and believe in the gospel. How much God loves us! He knows that as human beings, we tend to get tangled up in the concerns of the world. That is why he constantly reminds us to know our priorities, to know where our focus should be. He warns us and asks us to detach from material things, because as he said, all things of this world will pass. Yes we are living in this world, but we need not live of this world. We should be conscious not to be too attached to material things, so it would be easier for us to immediately respond to God’s call, like the disciples who immediately abandoned their nets and their father to follow Jesus, and the people of Nineveh who immediately repented and responded to Jonah’s warning.

What are you holding on to? What baggage is weighing you down? What prevents you from fully following God?

May we always remember that we are not permanent residents of this world, and that we are destined to be in heaven with God. As we live our lives in this world, may we constantly seek his voice, and may we be ready to immediately respond positively when he calls us. No matter what our concerns may be, like Jonah who probably hated the people of Nineveh or was afraid of being embarrassed and ignored in preaching God’s message, may we respond positively to God’s call, and trust in Him and his power, knowing that He is God of everything and he can and will use us mightily for his purpose, for his glory.

When we do not know…

The readings today show the different reactions of people when they do not know, when they do not understand…

In the first reading, David was so saddened after learning the death of the warriors, especially Saul and Jonathan. They were really close to him, and David, even if Saul did some not so good things to David before, remembered the goodness in Saul, the greatness in him. He also has only kind words for Jonathan. Indeed, David was really in grief – yet he did not question God. He did not know why this happened, but instead of questioning, he turned to God in prayer.

The gospel shows us how other people respond to things they don’t understand. Jesus relatives thought he was crazy because he was so busy doing God’s work, he did not even have time to eat. Siguro normal talagang maging busy when serving God, that’s why people usually ask: “why do you serve?” or “what do you get from that” or “wouldn’t you like to sleep rather that do that?” Well, Jesus got that from his relatives. Instead of supporting Jesus, they thought he was out of his mind.  Instead of trying to understand and support, they thought Jesus was crazy.

The readings obviously tell us how we should respond when we do not know God’s reason for allowing things to happen, or when we do not know what to do at all. May we be inspired by David and seek God more, especially when we do not know… May we have faith in his word, that If we seek him with all of our heart, we will find him, we will know his will for us (Jeremiah 29:13).

God bless!

How Generous are You?

Today’s first reading made me realize how important it is to be generous with what God has given me..

Saul then said to David: "You are in the right rather than I;
you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm.
Great is the generosity you showed me today,
when the LORD delivered me into your grasp
and you did not kill me.
For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed?
May the LORD reward you generously for what you have done this day.

David went into hiding because Saul was planning to kill him. Then one day, David had the chance to kill Saul. Yes, he was tempted and was planning to, but eventually he restrained himself and as we can see in the reading, things ended well. Saul aknowledged David’s generousity, thanked him and realized that David really is a man of God.

Being generous is not all about money. Giving money does not necessarily make someone generous. God has given us so much, so we should be generous of these things. David was generous with love and respect. He repaid Saul’s anger with love and respect, and that’s what made Saul realize things about David, That was a great testimony on David’s part and that’s what changed Saul’s perspective.

These days, there are a lot of things we can be generous of, aside from money. One is time. Yes, time is something we all have, no matter how rich or poor you are, we all have the same amount of time. When we give God our time, we are giving Him something we can never get back. Another thing is love. How do we repay those who are unlovable? Do we become unlovable to them too, or do we exert entra effort to love them, to make them feel and realize God’s love through us? Respect. How do we treat people who disrespect us? Do we disrespect them as well, or do we give them due respect, no matter how undeserving we think or feel they are? Another is forgiveness. How do we react to those who hurt us? Do we try to get even or do we forgive, thus healing all people involved in the process?

May we be challenged by today’s reading – to be generous with the things God has given us. May we be like David, who repaid evil with good, thus making his testimony powerful. As we follow God, as we serve him, let us allow ourselves to be used by God, let us allow ourselves to be more generous with everything God has been giving us. As we try to be generous, let us remember one fact – God cannot be outgiven. We may give so much, but he has been giving, and will continue to give so much more thatn we deserve.

May you feel and share God’s generousity today!

Let Go and Let God...

The psalm in today’s readings is very inspiring, very beautiful shout to God

In God I trust; I shall not fear.

We see in the first reading how Saul was jealous of David and was thinking of killing him. Labo no, after David (by God’s guidance) saved them from Goliath and the Philistines, Saul became insecure and had all focus on himself – not on what God did to them through David. This led on him wanting to kill David. Well, of course, we see how God used Jonathan to protect David. We did not know if David prayed for protection or not. All we know is that he loved and trusted in God, kaya nga nya nilabanan si Goliath… And that was more than enough for God to continue to bless and protect him.

In the gospel, we see people, a lot of them, coming to Jesus to be healed. Yes, he cured many. He loved them all, kahit na yung mga pumupunta lang para magpagaling, kahit na yung hindi sumunod sa kanya as he preached to different towns. His love has no conditions. Hindi sya yung “Sige, I will heal you if you follow me…” and I think that’s more than enough reason for us to trust him, to not fear anything or anyone, knowing that this powerful God is on our side, and loves us so much.

What do you fear? What prevents you from giving your all, from going all out for God? What holds you back from letting go and letting God take control?

Is it your abilities? He used David, a young shepherd, to kill a big seasoned warrior in Goliath. David was not qualified, he just had the heart, and that’s all it took for God to use him.

Is it your schedule? God makes time. He moves previously set appointments so you could go and do stuff for him. He fixes your schedule so you will never be too busy to serve him. Believe me, this is true

Is it the fear of not reaching the set target? Is it not having enough money to cover the expenses or to generate some funds? God calms the sea, heals people, raises the dead. He created the world in 6 days and took time off to rest. You think anything’s impossible for him? Have faith as you do your best to serve and work for Him

May we continue to let go, and let God be God in our lives. Let us trust in God, that he will deliver us, that he never disappoints, that He loves us so much.

Have a blessed day!

Who are you Fighting for?

Today’s first reading is a very familiar story. David and Goliath. David is small, Goliath is big. They fight, David won using his sling and stone. Pretty simple. However, upon closer look, we see in the reading what is essential…

You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him,
for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth."

David continued:
"The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear,
will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine."

…

David answered him:
"You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar,
but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.
Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand

…

thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God.All this multitude, too,
shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves.
For the battle is the LORD's and he shall deliver you into our hands.

Yes, David was not a proud young shepherd who thinks he could win over a big, season warrior. In fact, he was a humble, trusting servant of God, whose love for God angered him because the enemies were insulting God. He had faith that he could win and do the task, not because he is capable of, but because God is, and he knows God will equip him for the battle ahead.He had God on his side, he kew whose side he was fighting for, he knew whom he is getting strength from, he knew for whose glory the victory will be. Yes, He beat Goliath, but in doing so, he did not take all the credit, instead he lifted everything to God and gave God all the glory.

May we always be reminded that with God on our side, everything is possible. We just need to have complete faith in Him. As God delivers us from the enemy, as God equips us with the things we need to do his work, may we remember to always bring him back all the honor and glory. Again,  may we remember that It is not enough to do God’s work, it must be done HIS WAY and FOR HIS CREDIT… not ours.. not ever ours

Have a blessed day!

He Sees the Inside

Sharing with you an excerpt from the first reading

Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart."

I find it inspiring how God sees us. As human beings, yes we tend to see the physical appearance. Good career. Nice cars. Beautiful houses. Fancy clothes. We tend to be impressed by these, and we sometimes find ourselves saying “ang galing siguro nya, ang ganda ng negosyo nya eh” or “matalino siguro sya, maganda sya magdamit eh.” God reminds us in the first reading, that humans sees the appearance, but God looks into the heart – he sees what is inside, what our eyes cannot see, what the most important thing is.

God sees through you. He sees what’s inside you. That is why I believe that he calls those who have a heart for him, not those who seem capable and equip to serve him and do his work. God chose David, a very young shepherd – insignificant compared to his older brothers. God chose Samuel, a very young person, to be a prophet. God does not look at our credentials, not on our capabilities. He looks at our heart, and when we respond with a “yes”, when we recognize Him, he equips us, he gives us what we need.

May the readings today remind me that God looks at my heart, that he sees my heart. Like in the gospel, he sees what is in the heart, and prefers real, genuine obedience from inside, rather than just the physical obedience to the Sabbath. As we live our lives, as we serve him, let us remember that God sees what is in our hearts, and once we say yes, he will equip us. Indeed, God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called.

God bless!

Consistency is the Key

Are you living a life consistent with God’s values all the way? I believe this is what God is asking me in today’s readings

In the first reading, God was displeased with Saul because he disobeyed a direct order from God. In doing what he thought was right, he placed himself above God.

The LORD anointed you king of Israel and sent you on a mission, saying,
'Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction.
Fight against them until you have exterminated them.'
Why then have you disobeyed the LORD?

…

"Does the LORD so delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obedience to the command of the LORD?
Obedience is better than sacrifice

Maybe Saul’s intention was good. He took the best sheep and oxen to offer to God. Pero iba kasi ang sinabi ni God. God asked him to exterminate everything. We need not know what God’s reasons are, we simply have to have faith and obey. Hindi na kailangang mag magaling, kasi si God, mas magaling.

Another point is maybe Saul became too consumed with the victory. Baka nagalingan sya sa sarili nya, forgetting that God was the reason for the victory. Maybe he wanted to prove a point to the enemies, that’s why he brought back the leader even if God asked him to destroy everything. Maybe he wanted to let his people see how great a king Saul is, kaya nya binalik yung leader ng kalaban. Maybe in doing God’s work, he wanted to be praised as well.

In the gospel, Jesus again reminds us of the importance of consistency. Old wine into old wineskins, new wine into new wineskins. Pag pinagsama, masassayang lang. Jesus wants to tell us that we should live our lives ALWAYS in CONSISTENT with God wants from us. Not like Saul who yes, did God’s work, but pasaway na di sinunod lahat ng sinabi ni God. We cannot claim to do God’s work if we have old baggage and issues that we don’t want to let go. We cannot work for God if our hearts are not fully committed to Him.

                         

What things are weighing me down? What habits, feelings, issues do I need to let go to be able to serve God wholeheartedly? Am I ready to let go, and let God take over?

May we strive to consistently listen and obey God’s voice. In serving God, may we let go of the things we should…. All the bad habits of our old self, pain, hurts, anger, and everything that will weigh us down, that will hinder us from following God wholeheartedly. And as we work for him, may we remember what Erwin Lutzer said, that It is not enough to do God’s work, it must be done HIS WAY and FOR HIS CREDIT… not ours.. not ever ours.

From the Inside Out

Sharing an edited part of my prayer which is related to today’s gospel…

In the gospel, the disciples asked a simple question.. Where are u staying. But instead of telling them where, you ask them to follow you. Why? Because you want them to stay and know you more. You want them to be immersed with you. You want them to experience you firsthand so they would have a personal relationship with you. LORD I KNOW THAT YOU WANT ME to know You more as well. You want me to be immersed in your presence. You want me to have a firsthand experience with you to build my own personal relationship with you. And Lord I know that you want me to move and do my part. You want me to take a step, a leap of faith, to make an effort to attain that. Having a personal relationship with you needs my commitment as well, and I need to do that.

Lord i pray that i be radical the way the two disciples were. May i not be comfortable enough where i am. May i always want to improve my faith. May i seek and follow you lord. May i allow myself to be immersed in your love as i strive to be more like you. Lord, I know all you want from me is the decision. The decision to follow you wholeheartedly. As we start the year, I may already or may not yet know what you want me to do to improve my faith and my relationship with you…but lord, I know you just want me to make that decision – the decision to seek you, follow you and to get to know you. I have faith lord that kayo na ang bahala, that you would guide me once I make that decision to improve my faith. I just need to make that decision… Now lord, I ask you to look into my heart. I know my heart is not so clean… but amidst all the things that are in my heart, You know lord that I love you and I want to follow you and to improve my faith. My friends, if you are ready, make the decision with me. Lord, I commit to it. I commit to seek you, follow you, be immersed in your presence, even if it is painful. Help me Lord to stick to my commitment.

As i commit follow you, consume me father God. Take all of me. You alone are worthy of my praise, of my best in everything, and that’s what I’m giving you. I offer my life to you to glorify you. Take all of me and make me into the person you created me to be. I trust you with all my life, for you are my rock, my savior, my source of strength. You are my God, my father, my redeemer, my friend. Yes lord, you are everything to me, and you are everything that I need. As I trust and offer my life to you lord, and i beg you to consume me from the inside out.

Follow Him

Sharing with you an excerpt from today’s gospel

Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed Jesus.

Levi was at the post doing his thing, normal stuff, when Jesus passed by him. Jesus asked Levi to follow him. Levi got up and followed Jesus. It’s just something interesting, having a picture of this scene. Ganun ka simple, levi stood up and followed Jesus. No questions asked. No Ifs, not buts… How cool is that?

Levi immediately followed Jesus maybe because Jesus was just so credible that you had to follow him when he calls you. Maybe Levi was really looking for something better to do, maybe he wanted out of what he was doing. Maybe he was so detached with material things that’s why it was easy for him to follow Jesus. Whatever the reason is, what’s inspiring is the way he responded. Agad agad. Tayo kaya, are we ready? Will we respond the way Levi did?

May the gospel remind us to constantly and continue to prepare. We prepared last Christmas for Christ’s birth, but it should not end there. We should always be ready, consistently living in a state of grace and consistently doing His work, remaining in him, so when he calls us, we can respond like Levi.

God bless!

How Far Will You Go?

The gospel today is very inspiring

They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
"Child, your sins are forgiven."

How blessed the paralytic man is – having friends who will go the extra mile for him, having friends with such faith. These men did not stop at the first challenge – having a lot of people standing between them and Jesus. Again, Jesus honours their faith when he saw it. He healed the paralytic man. It’s interesting to note that Jesus did not heal the man of his paralysis at once. Jesus first healed the man from the inside by forgiving his sins…then he healed him of his paralysis. In the end, God was glorified in all of this.

How far will you go? When faced with challenges, do you give up, or are you persistent in faith, knowing that God can do anything? What kind of friend are you? Do you bring others to Christ? What kind of friends do you keep? Do you have faith that God can heal all the areas of your life?

May we all work towards being like the four men, who will not stop at anything to get to Jesus and bring others to Him… and may we have faith in Jesus, in his love for us, and his power which can heal all the areas of our life.

God bless!

Jesus Heals

Sharing with you an excerpt from today’s gospel

A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.

Jesus is so loving and so powerful. In the gospel, we can see that Jesus healed the leper, not only physically but also on the other aspects of his life. Lepers were considered outcasts during those times. They were unclean. People do not touch them, because having contact with them will make a person unclean as well. That’s why they usually have a bell tied to them, so people would know if a leper is coming. I could just imagine how hard it was for the person, that’s why he kneeled down and begged Jesus. He had that faith in Jesus, that He could make him clean… maybe that’s his last resort, he’s in a desperate situation that’s why he clung to Jesus. Kasi wala nang ibang makakatulong sa kanya. No matter where that faith came from, Jesus honoured it, and he cleaned the man. Jesus, by healing the man, brought him back to society – that’s why he asked the man to show himself to the priest, offer to the Lord what is due him, and be declared clean.

Do you believe that God can heal you physically, emotionally, financially and socially? Do you have faith that God can? When helpless, how do you react? Do you cling to God like the man, or do you shun away from him? What’s your attitude in coming to him? Are you proud, asking what you feel you deserve, or are you totally abandoning yourself to his will?

I pray that we come to God with complete abandon, like the leper in the gospel who knows that he is helpless on his own and that only Jesus can help him. And in coming to God, may we have childlike faith, who knows that God our Father will not abandon us and He has our best interest in his heart.

Alone with God

Hello friends. Sharing with you an excerpt from today’s gospel

Rising very early before dawn,
he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.

Isn’t is inspiring how Jesus lived? After a busy day doing God’s work, healing people and proclaiming God’s kingdom, Jesus woke up very early and went to a deserted time to pray, to have his alone time with God. Personally, kung ako yun, after doing God’s work. I probably would have slept longer, thinking that I need energy to continue doing His work and that my body needs to rest too… anyway, I’m doing God’s work, so ok lang naman siguro. Well, we see a big difference on how Jesus acted. Being the Son of God, He definitely is closer to God than any of us, yet that closeness, that relationship was not used as an excuse to pray a little less or to do other things. Kaya siguro lalo silang nagiging close ni God kasi ganun ang buhay nya. He gave priority to God – praying rather than sleeping… praying first thing in the morning. Ang galing, diba? Nakaka inspire.

As a result of that prayer life of Jesus, he was always on track, his life always in focus and always in the right perspective. When the disciples told him that everyone Is looking for him, he told them that they need to go to the other village. Why? Because he already did what he should, and needs to move on to the next town. Sabi nila, baka di sya paalisin and they may even make him their leader, because of his works and power. Kaya din ayaw bumalik ni Jesus, kasi hindi yun yung gusto ni God for him, and that may put the glory on Jesus, not on God. So there, Jesus was always in focus because of his prayer life and relationship with God.

May we also aspire to have a prayer life as strong as Jesus. As we live our daily lives, may we not forget to put God above all things and to give him the best.

In Our Weakness, God is Greatest

The readings today inspire me to see hardships and challenges as opportunities not only to grow, but for God’s love, power and glory be made more evident.

If life was all happiness and joy, if things go according to what we want to happen, maybe we will not seek God. We may become proud and confident, and forget that tthese things are happening because of God’s goodness, because of his love for us. This is why I believe that challenges are really opportunities to glorify God, to make his power and love evident in our lives.

In the first reading, Hannah was childless for quite some time. This deeply saddened her, but she kept her faith. She continued praying to God and continued to trust in God – and God heard her prayer. God blessed her with Samuel. Until today, we see Hannah as a woman of faith, and God’s love and power were seen in her life. She glorified God by keeping her faith, especially when faced with challenges. In the gospel, Jesus cast out an evil spirit in the synagogue. Again, another challenging situation, another opportunity for God to show his love and power.

May we continue to have faith in God and in his power, even when things are challenging, even when our faith is tested… and may we always see our challenges as opportunities for God to show and demonstrate to us his goodness, power and love

Come to the Water

Today we celebrate the feast of the baptism of the Lord. God wants to remind us that Jesus, his only son, is one with us, except in sin.

Baptism is related to water – which cleanses us and makes us part of God’s family. That’s why one of the first reading struck me…

All you who are thirsty,

come to the water!

God asks us to come to him, to get nourishment from Him. He gives not only physical nourishment, but more so spiritual nourishment. A friend mentioned that during drought, people seek water for nourishment. However, with spiritual drought, we sometimes move away from the very source of water, we move away from God who can wash the dryness away. It maybe because we are ashamed, afraid, or not in the mood to make an effort. Whatever the reason may be, we should make a conscious effort to not move away from the source of water, from God, especially during spiritual dryness.

As we come to God to water us, to give us strength and as we come into his family, we should also remember that God will not conform to our ways. We should be the one to conform to his ways.  Doing God’s work does not guarantee that our life will be problem free and stress free, and we should not expect it to be like that.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.

As high as the heavens are above the earth

so high are my ways above your ways

and my thoughts above your thoughts

As we come to him for water, for strength, as we worship him, as we work for him, may we always remember that His ways are better than ours, that he loves us, and that His plan is perfect, and it is the best for us, so we just have to have faith in God.

Reflection Questions:

How do I react when I have problems? Do I turn to God in humility, or do I get angry with God and turn away from him? Do I expect him to answer me the way I want to? What do I do, how do I feel, when God does not answer the way I want him to? Do I trust that His plan is better than mine, and he has the best for me in his heart?

Wala Siyang Pinipili

What a beautiful reminder. As we celebrate today’s feast, the Epiphany of the Lord, we are reminded by the readings that God does not favour one above another. He is fair, and his love is more than enough for everybody.

Epiphany is the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles, as represented by the Magi or three wise men. The second reading emphasizes this.

that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel

The Jews were referred to as the chosen people. Non-Jews were referred to as Gentiles. That is why Jesus says that he came for the Jews and Gentiles, he came for all, and his promise is for all who accept him

The gospel shows that the Magi, who were Gentiles, did not get to Jesus easily. They were just guided by the star, and it took them a while before they got to Jesus. What is important is they knew what they were looking for, and they acted upon it. Tayo rin ganun. Hindi madali ang paghahanap sa Diyos, hindi madali ang pagdadaanan natin para sundin sya, pero this should not stop us. In looking for God and living a life for God, we should be motivated and assured that God came for all, no matter who you are and what you do, and the promise is for all who believe in Him.

God bless!

Confidence in God

How inspiring today’s readings are! Having confidence in God, or simply – faith, makes a lot of things happen.

We have this confidence in God,
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask,
we know that what we have asked him for is ours.

The reading reminds me that God hears when we ask things that are according to his will. He will give it to us, as long as it’s for our good, and as long as it is aligned with God’s plans for us! We should have confidence that God indeed will give it to us, no matter how big or small it is. God wants only the best for us, and his plans for us is definitely better than the plans we have for ourselves. That’s why if what we’re asking will build towards that plan, God will give it to us, so we should have faith.

Mama Mary, in the gospel today, is an example of this. She had faith in God, complete faith. Kahit sinabi ni Jesus na hindi muna, she told the servants to do what Jesus says. Ganun kalakas yung faith nya, that no matter what she may hear, she knows Jesus will do it. I believe ganun din si God minsan. Parang feeling natin na ayaw nya, but when He sees our faith, he gives us what we want.. of course again, as long as it is according to his will.

May we strive to be like Mama Mary, who had such great faith in Jesus, in God. May we work to build our prayer life, spiritual life, that would lead to increasing our faith and knowing Jesus more. As we know him more, we would be able to discern more easily what God’s plans are, and have faith in Him, knowing that nothing is really impossible for him.

To end, I’d like to share a story told about Mother Theresa. How powerful her faith is! May we all be blessed!

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HOW MOTHER TERESA LIVED

by Fr. Joseph Langford, MC - Mexico City, Mexico co-founder of the Missionary of Charity Priests

This following story was told to me (Sr. Patricia) by Fr. Langford, the co-founder of the Missionary of Charity priests in a radio interview I was doing with him for my program, "Faith, Hope and Action."  I was so moved by his story that I asked him for permission to include it in this book and he graciously agreed. This story is the transcription from that interview:

One day in the mother house in Calcutta there were about three hundred novices and they were all out for the morning.  One of the novices working in the kitchen came up to Mother Teresa and said, "We've planned poorly; we have no flour to back these chipaties for lunch." Chipaties are little flour and water pancakes.  The situation looked bleak—three hundred plus mouths are coming to be fed in about an hour and a half and there's nothing to cook with. There's no food. 

"What I would expect Mother Teresa to do," Fr. Langford explained to me, "was that Mother would pick up the telephone and call some of her benefactors and mobilize them to find some way to feed her daughters. Instead, her reaction—her spontaneous reaction—was to say to this little one, `Sister, you're in charge of the kitchen this week?  Well then, go into the chapel and tell Jesus we have no food. That's settled. Now let's move on. What's next?'" 

Lo and behold, ten minutes later there was a ring at the door and Mother Teresa was called downstairs. A man she had never seen before was standing there with a clipboard.   He addressed her saying "Mother Teresa, we were just informed that the teachers at the city schools are going on strike. Classes have been dismissed and we have 7,000 lunches we don't know what to do with. Can you help us use them?" 

God provided for the needs of his children. 

Mother Teresa's sanctity was built on a very simple foundation of deep faith and trust in God.

Mother Teresa turned to Him in prayer, not only in need, but also to rest in the arms of the Father—body and spirit. 

That is how Mother Teresa lived each day of her life. 

May we live as Mother Teresa lived with true faith in God the Father who provides for all our needs who makes all things possible!  Amen!

http://101prayer.com/story2.html

Eternal Life in Jesus

The first reading today reminds us who we should focus on.

God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
Whoever possesses the Son has life

God loves us so much that he wants us to have eternal life, not eternal damnation. However, we should also do our part because he already did his. He sent his one and only son to save us from our sins. We should be the one to come to him, to follow him. God loves us too much that he gave us free will. Jesus came as a helpless baby, not a mighty king. He does not want to force salvation to us, he does not want to force us to come to him and believe in Him. Hindi nya ipipilit ang sarili nya sa atin. Tayo na dapat ang pumili na sundan sya, na makilala sya, because he is always willing and always glad to have us. We can only possess life if we are in Jesus and if Jesus is in us.

As we start the year, there are a lot of resolutions… to get healthier, to be a better person, to focus and do good on our career. However, may this remind us that this world and all that is in it is temporary. Only God is eternal, and he is the only one who can provide us eternal life. May we always remember this as we live our lives.

God bless!

Love

The first reading in today’s gospel is full of reminders about love..

we should love one another,

Yes, we should. Regardless of the person. No IF’s, no BUT’s. As followers of Christ, this is one of the most important things we should learn and do – love one another, especially those unlovable, just as Christ did.

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer

and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him

Such strong words. Hate can cause bad actions, evil actions.. like Cain who belonged to the evil one, killed his own brother. When we hate others, we also are being affected by it. It angers us, stresses us out, ruins our mood. It can move us sin, thus losing eternal life with God in the process. The best “Revenge” for someone we “hate” is to love him/her back. In the process, we change the person and we are being changed to be more like Christ. Everybody happy =)

The way we came to know love
was that he laid down his life for us

Christmas. Christ came as a man to save us… more importantly, he died and rose again to save us from our sins. Pure love. We cant love like that, but we can and should be inspired by that love of Christ for us.

Children, let us love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.

When we say we love, we should act it out, we should live it out. Lip service is not enough.

The gospel shows that love brings people to God. As we love others, especially the unlovable, we may not know or feel it, but we are bringing that person to God, and we are bringing God to that person. And this is something that makes it well worth it.

Live to love!

God bless!