Gratitude for 2012, Hope for 2013

There is just so much to thank God for.  I think that we should be able set aside signficant amount of time just to express our gratitude to our Lord. An attitude of gratitude, is something we can develop.

What we can do for the end of the year is to just randomly list down things that God granted upon us for 2012.  His providence may suprise and astound us.

I'd like to share three things as my reflection on His blessings and our posture of thanksgiving.

1. God's blessings will always surpass our failings.

       When we fail, we tend to highlight that particular experience and wallow in regret. But truly, failures are opportunities for us to become better or even become the best in our field. When we look back at our year, let us take time to squeeze out major lessons, specially from our failings.  With humility and in God's wisdom, these so called failures will later transform into deeply rooted values that will contribute to our success.
        If we look around and notice the details of our lives, even for just this year, there is enormous blessings.  Let not our regrets overwhelm us, instead let hope prevail and let His Spirit urge us to press on. Let us thank God for showing us the lessons of our failures.

2. God is faithful and He wants us to be fruitful.

      Often our unfaithfulness hinder God from fully blessing us. Yet, like the prodigal Son, who went back to his father, a feast still awaits.  God is ready to bless us, we just have to embrace His love and accept the kind of life He offers. Let us thank the Father for loving us despite our unfaithfulness.

3. A humble heart will always have room for God's providence. 

     When our hearts are full of pride, is there room for God to bless?  Let us empty our hearts from pride, unforgiveness, doubts, and other negativities. Let us make room for Him and surely  true joy will reside in us. Let us thank God for continuously knocking at the door of our hearts and patiently waiting for us to invite Him in.

4. We ask for the grace to praise and thank Him amidst gloom

For many of us, 2012 was a tough year.  Thousands lost family and friends due to a calamity, a people divided because of social and moral issues, heart wrenching news of kids murdered in Connecticut, personal undertakings that didn't go our way, and many more. Yet, amidst all these things, God is love.  In His mystery, He has a plan for us and for mankind.  This was Job's reaction when everything was taken from him

Job’s Reaction.
Then Job arose and tore his cloak and cut off his hair. He fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back there.* The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!” In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with wrong. (Job 1:20-22).

Let us thank God even if it is difficult to do so.

We look forward to the New Year with hope! Let us commit to do better for 2013, with much gratitude in our hearts and with full trust in the hope of God's plan.

God Reveals Who We Are

"When God reveals Himself to us, He reveals who we are."  These were words spoken by Msgr. Allen Aganon in the last Mission Core teaching night.  I come to reflect on this statement. I'll try to rephrase it.  When we come to know God, we come to realize who we really are.  By our relationship with Jesus, our true selves come out.  Our purpose, our worth, our design, and why we have experienced all the sweet and bitter things of life come to realization when we are one with the Lord.

We reflect on some people to whom God revealed Himself.

A drug addict comes to embrace the salvation of the Cross and becomes a renewed productive citizen, then shares his life and inspires others.

A heart that was badly hurt because of much betrayal, then comes to know the loving mercy of Jesus, and is given the grace to forgive and heal.

A corrupt businessman upon knowing the true riches of Heaven, gives up all that is illegal and decides to help the poor.

An inspirer, healer, helper of the poor, among other things that are great are who really are.  God through His love, reveals our true nature.

Describing Christ to Others

In understanding about being a witness for Christ, let's try to visit a simple analogy of someone witnessing an accident. Usually, you are a good witness if:

“You saw it, you heard it, you felt it, and you can describe it.”

By these things, we can testify the truth of the matter.

The apostolic community witnessed Christ.  In Acts 4:20 it says, “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."  And that is why their witnessing, even without video cameras or pictures to prove it, was so powerful.

We come to ask ourselves, "Have we seen, heard, and felt Christ?" Can we describe Christ? I believe that the following can make us good witnesses of Christ.

1. Being a friend of Christ.
Knowing Christ allows us to see Him, hear Him, and feel Him.  Through prayer, study, and sacraments we come to be closer to our Lord. I'm not talking about trying to pray well or to study diligently.  I'm referring to a growing relationship, a deepened friendship every time we come before Him in prayer, study, and sacraments. To enjoy His friendship is very important, and it shows.

2. Being able to Describe Christ to others
How has Christ changed you today? By answering this question, we can describe how Christ inspires us and transforms us.  Some have very powerful and dramatic testimonies that really convict us of our faith.  These testimonies describe the greatness of Christ's redeeming love.  But I'm also looking at how we can describe Christ in the ordinary day to day life that we live.  Can we describe Christ, even amidst heavy traffic?  Having a good disposition despite being in the worst of situations can be reflective of how Christ lives in us. Through good witnessing, people will even come to the point of describing Christ by describing you.  I have heard sometime ago that "Your life may be the only Bible other people read."

Witnesses for Christ are much needed in today's secular world.  Our prayers, study, and sacraments should help us become true Christians.  May we come to describe Christ to others, without much effort and much more naturally.  Through His friendship that is contagious and overflowing, we can become effective witnesses of His great love.

The Sword That Brings Life

"The sword that brings life." This was one of the philosophies of the Kamiya Dojo as depicted in the movie Rouroni Kenshin.  It's actually a movie based on a famous anime series in the late 90's, Samurai X. Apparently the protagonist, Kenshin, have turned away from his life as an assassin and embraced a non-violent way of life and pledged never to take life again.  This became his conviction, despite others telling him that his notion was a joke.

The Word of God which is the Sword of the Spirit, brings us life.  Everytime we practice with the Word and apply it, we become more attuned to it.  I have heard from somewhere that "The Samurai practices with his katana, until sword and soldier become one."  Using the analogy of a sword as a way of using God's Word helps us in understanding it's great value and power.  Interestingly, the words "word and sword" only have the letter "s" as a difference. We can say that S-stands for Spirit, and therefore the Sword is the Spirit's Word.  That is why when we face the day without God's Word, we are open and defenseless to the attacks from the evil one.

Let the Sword of the Spirit defend us and give us life eternal, for Christ is the Word made flesh.  Let us stand firm with conviction, even if people tell us that the Christian way of life is a joke.  In Lineamenta 7, it says "This is the form of Christian martyria in today's world, engaging in dialogue even with the recent forms of a militant atheism or an extreme secularism, whose purpose is to eliminate the subject of God from human life."  As we battle evil in today's world, we are called to be new martyrs for the new evangelization, making a Christian stand amidst atheism and secularism.  Let us live and die for Christ, using the Sword of the Spirit that brings us life eternal.

'Waiting on God' and the 'Waiting of God'

In this joyous season of Christmas, one thing we often forget is the value of Advent. Advent is about waiting and preparing for the Lord's coming birth. Often we focus on the merry making rather than the joy and sacrifice of waiting.

In a recollection I attended today, Monsignor Allen Aganon said, "we have to wait for the Lord to speak, specially in our time of prayer." How often have we rushed our prayer time? Many times, we just read the Word and forget to wait what the Word will reveal. We tend to "intellectualize" the Word instead of "spiritualize". Monsignor also mentioned, "Love reveals." God is love, therefore God reveals Himself. When our hearts are ready and molded by waiting, we will be able to accept Him with the fullness of grace.

Prerequisite to Learning is listening. To be an effective listener, one has to master the ability to wait. Prayer is about talking and listening to God. The more we can wait, the more God will reveal of Himself. The things I mentioned above, according to Monsignor, is about "waiting on God." The next part, he said, is about the "waiting of God."

Yes, God waits for us. "Behold I stand at the door and knock. (Rev. 3:20)" He waits for us to respond to His invitation. This is the waiting of God. He does not force us to love Him back. He patiently waits and longs for us to love Him. Like a persistent suitor, daily He shows to us the reasons to love Him. Yet despite our passivity and rejections, He still waits patiently and hopefully. Yes, the All Supreme God of all the heavens and the whole universe...waits for our yes.

This advent, let us respond to God when He knocks at the door of our hearts. And when we finally realize His love, let us wait on God daily, to reveal His wisdom to us through prayer and His Word.
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Great Things Await

Fear not how I may use you
My purpose will bring you joy
Worry not of the future
Tomorrow is in my hands

Surrender all evil intentions
Let me purify your soul
Receive my offer of blessing
Open your heart to me

My child, to Me you belong
behold your Father's love
Rise up, claim your identity
you are heir to My kingdom

Do not fret on the impossible
your faith can achieve no bounds
wake up from your slumber
Today great things await
 

Fearless

Sharing something I wrote for Didache:

“Don’t be afraid when you hear of wars and revolutions, such things must happen first, but they do not mean that the end is near.” – Luke 21:9

I remember watching the movie 2012. During the week it was shown in the cinemas in 2009, there was a lot of talk going around about the possibilities of doomsday. I recall that there were documentaries coming out on TV and it even became the topic of homilies during the Mass. Well, if you’re alive and reading this reflection today, that means it was all untrue.

Many of us are scared of death, or the end of the world, because we are not ready. We don’t have to wait for the world to end to accept God into our lives. His kingdom resides in us if we invite Him in. “The Kingdom of God is near, repent and believe in the Good News (Mark 1:15).”

The best way to live is to live for Christ. Then there will be nothing to fear, not even death. Or the end of the world.

REFLECTION:
If you knew that you only had one day to live, how would you spend the next 24 hours?

Lord, I invite You into my life. May Your kingdom reign in my heart and soul. Make me fearless in facing life, knowing that You are my Savior. Amen.

St. Francesco Antonio Fasani, pray for us.

Multiplying Our Talents

I'm reflecting on the parable of the talents in Matthew 25: 14-30. The Hebrew talent is a unit of weight. 1 talent would equal 34.2 kilos or 75.4 pounds. It referred mostly to the weight of silver and gold and other precious stones. In essence if you were given a talent of gold, that would mean much already. Although incidentally talents for us would mean our abilities that God has given, which is actually worth more than gold. So, each of us were given different weights of abilities or various unique key strengths that is expected to be multiplied.

How do we multiply the talents God has given us? We are all created out of his love and endowed with gifts to help build God's kingdom. Have we realized this set of special gifts, which is our key strength? How can we be more productive with the limited amount of time given to us live on this earth? Here are some suggested steps:

1. Discover the Uniqueness of Your Talent.

We are all created unique. The combination of our skills, virtues, intellect, feelings, and experience makes us distinct from the rest. Each of us have that quality that contributes distinctively from others. A way to do this is to simply list them down or ask others what is positively unique in you. Often we are not aware of this and tend to put ourselves down. The discovery of our own strength or self-awareness is an important step to improve ourselves.

2. Spend more time, money, and effort in harnessing your talent 

Where does our money go? The more we invest in our talents, the more we actually increase our value. Attending workshops or even doing further study to 'professionalize' our talent will help multiply our God-given abilities. Buying books and finding the right mentor will accelerate our learning curve.

3. Build a team of loyal, differently talented, and dedicated people 

We all have weaknesses that others can fill. We are created this way, so we may work as a community and live harmoniously. Building a team will increase our productivity a hundred fold. Have the eye for talent, avoid redundancy, and let your people shine by giving them work that matches their skill set.

4. Delegate work that do not match your strengths which may take up your time 

Often we find ourselves doing urgent things that we can probably delegate or most probably others will be better at doing. Let us spend our time and effort on our strengths and see the excellent results.

5. Go from strength to strength.

"Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities." Mt 25:21When engaging in new and large responsibilities, there is an initial difficulty that will challenge the limits of our talents. Press on, persevere, and be consistent. Soon enough we will gain "talent muscles" that will lead us from strength to strength.

We do not easily give up out of fear and "bury our talents." Even if we fall at times, we have to resurrect and pursue our goals.  At the end of our lives we wish to offer God our talents and long to hear Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Value Your Freedom

We went to a pizza place today and was delighted to be able to avail of a good deal on a meal. I got a super sized slice and a large drink for 99 pesos.  Compared to many pizza prices, this was inexpensive and the pizza was excellent!

I am reminded of how Christ saved us.  In order to set us free from sin, he bailed us out with His very own life!  Unlike the pizza, our freedom is expensive! We are indeed "dear" to God.  God thought we were worth the heartache of seeing His only begotten Son suffer and die to buy us from death.  Everytime we see the cross, we should be reminded of the price God paid for our liberation.

Knowing this, how are we valuing our freedom in Christ? Since we have been bought by His blood, we are no longer bound by sin.  But there times we act as if we have not been liberated.  We keep on going back to that cell, imprisoning ourselves even with the knowledge that Christ can set us free. Let us be remided of the following:

Christ on the Cross by Francisco de Zurbarán

1. Let us not take the cross for granted, our freedom did not come cheap.
2. Let us value the freedom of our new life in Christ, which is the best life anyone can ever live.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. John 3:16

 

God Answers Our Prayers

When we ask in faith, like the blind man in Luke 18, we will be saved.

 What do you want me to do for you? He replied, "Lord, please let me see."
Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." (Luke 18: 41-42).

We praise God for the many answered prayers he has granted in our lives. Like the blind man who asked in faith, we too have experienced big and small miracles in our lives. But there are times too that it seems that our prayers go unanswered. Times when we desperately needed a miracle, but it just didn't come. We also pray for something or "someone" important to happen in our lives and that miracle hasn't come yet and its been years. I'd like to reflect and share on 3 things pertaining to our faith that might help us when it seems that our prayers are not being heard.

1. God's plan is always better than our own. 

There is a divine reason why our prayers don't go our way: His way is better. And if our prayers are answered exactly as we ask it, it is because it matches with His will for us. God is always faithful and He is perfect. In faith, all our prayers have already been answered, as to when and how, we leave it to God because He knows best.

2. We have to endure in prayer.

Jesus heals to save us, totally. The miracle is in the saving of our souls. Often we ask for physical healing or financial miracles, but it is in the spiritual healing that we are ultimately saved. That is why we pray-over someone in order for the person to ask in faith and that faith will purify and heal the soul. The essence of total Christian liberation is in freeing the person from the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bondages brought by sin. God heals totally by means of the faith we put in Him. Total healing and liberation is a process and not a one-shot deal. The constant prayers we offer to Jesus, should mold us to become more and more like Him. The mother of St. Augustine, St. Monica , became a saint because of her persistence in praying for her son's conversion. As she endured in prayer, she herself became holy. And yes, her prayers were answered. Augustine did not only convert and reform his ways but also became one of the greatest saints that ever lived.

3. Faith without action is dead.

 So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  (James 2:17)

Like the blind man, he did not only have full faith that Jesus would heal him, he also exerted his best effort. He put his faith into action.

He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!"  Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; (Luke 18: 38-40)

Despite that the people were hindering the blind man to approach Jesus, he persisted and acted upon the situation. If we want financial miracles, we have to get off the couch and act upon it! If we want to get better physically, we have to sweat it out in exercise or find means to buy medicine. There will be many hindrances and distractions along the way in asking Jesus to heal and save us, but we have to focus and work doubly hard. Pray hard and work hard! At the end, it is by His grace that we are saved, not by the merit of our works. But if through these works we are led to a stronger faith in Him, then grace abounds.

Let us continue to pray knowing that God is faithful and perfect. When the right time comes in His wonderful and mysterious ways, that our prayers are manifested, let us give glory to Him Who saves!

"When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God." Luke 18:43

Marvelous!

Behind us is one of the tallest Christmas trees I've seen so far this season. I think it's 5 floors high. It's just in our neighborhood in Cubao. People stop, smile, and marvel at this big tree. Christmas is truly in the air.

When was the last time we marveled at something? Often we take many awesome things in our life for granted. Neil Pasricha, In his TED talk, the 3A's of Awesome, he called this 'Awareness'. He refers to seeing life through the eyes of a 3-year old. Toddlers see many things in this world for the first time, and marvel at it.God created a marvelous world. He created it so, so we can live happy and be awed by life. What blinds us from marveling? I can think of three.

1. When we stop thanking God.

Having a grateful heart leads us to acknowledge the joy in everyday things. Notice that if we forget to thank God, we complain most of the time. At the end of the day, thank the Lord of at least 3 things.

2. When our worries overcome our faith.

Sometimes our days are filled with fears and doubts about our future. We must be aware if we are becoming 'weary worriers' instead of prayer warriors. We sometimes fail to acknowledge that God provides. Let us marvel for a while at how God provides for the birds, the fishes, the plants and the rest of the living things in this world. Yet God loves us more than these things. Surely, our faith should be greater than our worries.

3. When we focus too much on ourselves.

In helping others, we can marvel at God's mission for us on this earth. But if we are too greedy specially with our time, and we are not be able to serve, we will eventually lose sight of our purpose. What is your "occupation" or what occupies most of your time? Shouldn't God's mission for you take priority? I'm not saying that you should quit your job. But how is your job helping you fulfill God's purpose for you, which is to help build His kingdom on earth? Marvel in the discovery of your mission and live an amazing journey with Him according to His purpose. Let us see life with lenses of faith. Let not our ungratefulness, worries, and self-centeredness blind us. Find God in all things and...marvel!

The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 118:23

Finding Strength In Surrender

Life as it is, is not always easy. It comes with pressures and high expectations. We need to be strong. But man's strength falls short to the demands of this world. So we try to find strength in convenient places, things or persons. We try to seek it through our friends. Others resort to addictive things like alcohol, drugs, or vices. Some like to go on a vacation to recharge. We surrender to these pleasures, hoping to reset ourselves and be re-energized.

But what is real strength? What should we do to gain it?

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your strength and with all your mind." Luke 10:27

To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is an act of sweet surrender. Instead of surrendering to the love of temporary pleasures to "regain strength." We are to surrender to loving Him. To God shall we lift up our worries, hopes, and dreams. Surrendering to God is to yield, giving way for His love to capture us.

When we give to God our love, we are responding to His initiative. God loved us first and He is just waiting for us to accept His love. Our response is like opening the flood gates of abundance that is reserved for us every single day. When we are filled with His love, then we have much strength to give. We then shall overcome the world.

So go ahead, surrender to loving Him and see how real strength...God's strength, will change your life today.

Unprofitable Servants

Reflecting on servanthood in Luke 17:7-10, a servant is one who...
1. Seeks no affirmation
2. Faithful to his obligation
3. Serves without expectation of reward.

By using the metaphor of a servant, the apostles understood the level of commitment and humility required to truly follow Jesus.

Christianity is not an easy path. It's ideals are humanly difficult. But we are blessed by the gift of the power of the Holy Spirit.

The lives of thousands of Saints, through the Spirit's power, also remind us that "Christianity is possible." To serve Christ with a servant's attitude is possible.

In today's world, we do not see Servanthood being espoused in commercials and ads. The lure is to live an "easy life", to be recognized, to have power and fame. Christianity with it's Gospel of the Cross does not seem to fit in the world's standards.

But the Lord wants us to live a blessed life, more so to live in abundance. Contrary to the world, true abundance is in knowing Him, following Him, and in serving Him.

Only in having a personal relationship with the Master can we truly appreciate why to live in abundance is to be an unprofitable servant of Christ.
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The Building Blocks of our Character

We went to a kids recreation area and I was fascinated by how my children were excited to play with wooden building blocks. I guess I'm so used to seeing plastic toys with lots of fancy designs. With the blocks, their imagination started to work and they tried out their own design ideas. With a solid base of blocks, my son was able to build a tower! The simplest of toys gave them great joy and tons of fun.

What is our character made of? What are the values that we consider to be building blocks of who we are? On the surface we can try to express and even impress, but sooner or later when unguarded, our true character comes out.

Let us recall the times when we were in crisis or when people offended us. How did we react? How do we behave at home? These are the unguarded times when we find out the strength of the foundation of our character.

I have heard once in a homily that humility is the mother of all virtues. It is the strength of God and the weakness of the devil. The crucifixion of Christ was an act of utmost humility that saved us all.

Funny thing about humility is that when you admit that you are humble you automatically lose the virtue.

Like the wooden blocks, it is humble in appearance but rich in value. Let humility be the foundation of the building blocks of our character. May humility be evident in our unguarded moments, when no one is around to judge. May Christ, our sure foundation, build us up to be like Him.

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Take Courage, Explore, and Follow

My daughter Kaitlyn much enjoyed her time in one of Playhouses in the mall. What was unusual was that I had to be with her since she was just 2 years old. And so I entered into the colorful world of kids. There I was, encouraging her to climb the obstacles, explore the other side, and dare the slides. Before I knew it, it was already time to log out. I had a swell bonding time with my little princess.

Like Jesus, he came into our colorful world. He encouraged us to live in righteousness, he taught us about heaven, and dared us to radically follow Him. His words to this day and for eternity will last and will always give our toddler-faith the assurance of His salvation if we trust and accept His saving hand.

Let us therefore take courage, explore the faith, and radically Follow Him.

Who We Really Are

When ordering in a coffee shop or fastfood, 9 out of 10 times my name gets misspelled. It's either Kervin, Kerby, Korby or some other version. I find it very amusing.

Names have a lot to do with identity. 'Who we are' is very important to us. We may have different concepts of our own identity, but there are truths about our identity that are constant.

1. Our real identity is that we are God's children.

What does it mean to be identified as a son of God? It means that we have to reflect the goodness of our Father king and that we are heirs to His kingdom. The devil, like Rumplestiltskin, wants to snatch us away from the Father's arms and entices us with deceivingly attractive deals and compromises to our own demise.

2. As God's children, we are to be like Christ, our brother. We are to be identified as Christians. "No longer I but Christ." Gal.2:20.

Jesus is the Word become flesh. His life meant to be an example for us to follow, for our own salvation. Christ is in us, in our hearts, and He will shine through us if we let Him.

3. The expression of our Christian identity is to be a witness.

More than preaching, the way is to live out our identity in Christ. When people imagine Christ, can they relate through our lives? Witnessing is a day to day challenge and a measure of the depth of our relationship with Christ.

Knowing ourselves is a journey of humility. When we look at our real intentions and motivation, we discover our weaknesses and how far we are from becoming like Jesus. But acknowledging our weaknesses before God is the way to move forward.

"But He gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scripture say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." James 4:6

Responding to the Challenges of Media Evangelization

I just came from the GMA7 Christian Life Program to give the Orientation Talk. I was glad to see SFC members from a rival network ABS-CBN who committed to help and support. Indeed, if it's for the Lord, there is unity. There is a great need to evangelize the influential media networks and I'm inspired how SFC's in GMA7 stepped up to conduct their first ever CLP.

Media is one of the six sectors that the New Evangelization wants to reach. Media can be considered today's greatest educator. Much of how we think and behave is influenced by the dictates of media. Media popularizes. The challenge is to be able to permeate to media what is right. We must remember that it does not mean when it is popular, it is right. Easily, society develops a "poll mentality", as if what is just and right is defined by what the majority thinks is right. Beware of the following:

1. Popular people who think the world should conform to their set of beliefs, even if it's sinful.

Today's "twitter culture" reflects the kind of influences people are willing to be exposed to. Just look at the number of followers a celebrity has. Popularity should be used to promote righteousness and Christian values. Those who are in the position to influence should take into deep thought and prayer of the kind of society that ought to be built..

 2. Negative Norms in the storylines of sitcoms and movies.

Many western comedies or soaps promote pre-marital sex as normal or even cultural and regard sex as casual as playing tennis. Many movies project violence that border to being sadistic, as if banking on the entertainment value derived from seeing someone being killed. This is very reminiscent to the gladiator days where coliseums were dedicated for "deathtertainment."

3. Irresponsible use of social media.

Some people think that having a youtube, facebook or a twitter account gives them the license to unfiltered expression of hatred, disgust, and hurtful opinion. In my observation, the virtual society is slowly being desensitized to reveal more regardless if it is upbuilding or not, even to the point of endangering themselves and others.In our own way, let us seek to renew the field of media.

In today's advanced technology we are all empowered to have a voice. Use that voice like how John the Baptist would, to prepare the way of the Lord."A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord." Mark 1:3

Questions to ponder before broadcasting:
1. Is my message the truth that honors the Lord?
2. When I post or repost, will it build relationships, help people, and proclaim God's goodness?
3. Am I contributing to God's intent for the gift of media?

 Let us continue to "Proclaim the Greatness of the Lord." Luke 1:46

Life to the Max

At 11:44am on August 29, 2012 our 3rd child, John Maximilian S. Llaban greeted the world. Max is a "Holy Land baby." Seeing him grow will always remind us of our experiences in the pilgrimage.  We praise God his safe and normal delivery.

My prayer for Max is that he may live life to the fullest, to the max, for our Lord Jesus.  May he embody the posture of John the Baptist, always humble and preparing the way for the coming of Jesus.  I pray that he may also reflect on the life of St. Maximilian Kolbe, declared by Pope John Paul II as "Patron Saint of our difficult century" and known as an Apostle of the Consecration to Mary.

Thank you Max for blessing us with your glowing presence and for the immeasurable joy you give to Sev, Kaitlyn, your Mom Michelle, and I your father.

So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. (Ephesians 5: 1-2)

Thrilled with Anticipation

Our doctor said, "The baby can already come out anytime."  So, I'm always on call and ready.   We have on stand-by; the baby bag, our clothes, video and camera, and other important things related to our 3rd baby's birthday.  I'm thrilled with anticipation.  The days seem to come by very slowly as I wait and wait for his coming.

I remember what was written in Matthew 3: 1-3: In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea (and) saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'"

Are we prepared for the Lord's coming? Are our hearts ready to be His dwelling place? Are we ready to serve Him on call?

In our day to day lives, let us be thrilled with anticipation. Today, the Lord desires to dwell in our hearts.  In the same manner of how we prepare our homes for a newborn, we strive to make the home of our hearts clean and suitable.

And when the Lord calls us, we cannot pass up the opportunity and say, "I'm not yet ready Lord."  We might just miss out the very best thing that can happen to our lives.  "On call," should be our posture.  We prepare our hearts to be ready to respond to His coming and to His prompting.  We look on to God's will for our lives with thrill and excitement.

Rock Solid Faith in the Lord

While in Batanes, we came upon a row of stone houses located near the sea shore. The stone houses were built to withstand the worst storms. The people there through time developed this design out of the many experiences they had with all kinds of treacherous weather.

If the conviction of our faith is like a house, what is it made of? Is it made of stones or rocks that is immovable and strong even through tough conditions? Is the conviction of our faith made of Nipa (dried leaves made into straw), that when tested by winds of peer pressure or popular opinion will easily be blown down?

How can we build up our conviction?

1. Study and research about your faith. Nothing imprints on our minds and hearts better than the process of reading through and noting down. Discovering more about the faith through a laborious undertaking convicts us.

2. Engage in discussion with others. Our stand is tested in engaging through dialogue. By conveying and defending our beliefs to others, our convictions are deepened.

3. Have an Intimate relationship with the Lord. Having this type of relationship with God makes our faith like solid rock. Peter was referred to as the "Rock." He truly had a strong relationship with Jesus and he was convicted in his faith until his death.

Let us have a solid rock faith conviction; immovable and constant amidst winds that want to blow us to the direction of sin and pride.

He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. (Luke 6:48)

Finishing Strong!

My son Sev and I joined the CFC Ancop Global Walk to sponsor scholars. It was participated by about 80,000 people. It was a 5km distance and Sev was on his bike. At first I doubted if Sev could finish the whole stretch. But my son was determined. It also helped that I was encouraging him. We took it slow, enjoying every bit of the scenery and the people until we finished the race. We were not ahead of the rest but I could say that we finished strong!
In our walk with the Lord, we can easily have doubts along the way. Some of us start strong with our relationship with Him, only to give it up later in life. Somehow we get tired and succumb to the weaknesses of our humanity. But the Lord is there to encourage us and to show us how to enjoy our journey with Him until we reach the end. So how do we finish strong? We must have...

1. Faith that God wants the best for our lives. The Lord wants us to reach heaven and he'll do everything to help us get there. We go through trials to strengthen our faith and practice humility, so we may fully embrace the cross. We have to keep on believing in him in both good and bad times to reach heaven, our finish line. We have to...

2. Invite the Lord daily to walk with us. Prayer and Scripture is key. The Lord encourages us through His Word. But if we don't invite Him and take time to listen, we might just miss out His message that will give us hope and determination. We have to seek...

3. Nourishment to gain strength. Attending Mass regularly is the ultimate nourishment. The Eucharist gives us the grace to partake in the body and blood of Christ that will quench our thirst and hunger. We are also nourished through the relationships in the community of believers. We must gain...

4. Inspiration from those who successfully finished. One of my inspirations is a video in You Tube about a father who entered an Iron Man race with his son who could not walk and speak. They called their team "My Redeemer lives." Despite the odds, the father pressed on and finished the race. I was inspired to tears. We also know of countless saints who like us, humans with weaknesses, have kept the faith and finished strong in life. We can draw inspiration from them.

5. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God. And yes, all these things shall be added unto you. What slows us down are the many distractions along the race. We get sidetracked by our own greed and selfish ambitions. We must remember that if God comes first, everything else will be put in order.

6. Help others along the way. God calls us to evangelize and bring glad tidings to the poor. In fact the only way to reach the finish line, heaven, is if we have helped the poor around us.
Let us strive to finish strong by being faithful to the end. His grace will give us strength to endure and reach the finish line.

I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:14

A Life Shared to Others

Today, we had a relief operation at the home office. Many came to help. While packing some goods the rain was still down pouring and we noticed the flood rising in the parking area. When I checked the streets, the way home was already almost at waist level. I took the long route walking, finding the least possible flooded streets. Praise God, I arrived safe at home wading through knee high water level.

When offering relief, we have to realize that we are also yielding to possible risks and sacrifices. But this is exactly why the Lord said, "there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends (Jn 15:13)."

We offer relief in many ways; listening to somebody's problems, extending financial help, tutoring a classmate, sharing food and clothing...these among other things. When we give up something dear to us like time, money, possessions, and security...our very own life is shared, not diminished.

As we share in this time of need, let us think of something dear that we can give up so that others will be blessed by our lives.
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Gloom to Glory

August 7, 2012, 8pm
And the monsoon rains keep on pouring down...It's been raining like crazy. I wonder when the rain will ever stop, it's relentless. Watching the news of flood victims breaks my heart. Water levels are at the roof tops in many areas. Some flyovers are almost caught up by flood. While all these are happening, my wife Michelle can give birth anytime. She's starting to feel the contractions. It's probably the worst time to go to the hospital since the streets are flooded and our doctor's residence area is also affected by it. It's a gloomy situation on the streets as I made my way to buy some emergency groceries. There will be days of gloom in our lives. But gloom doesn't mean doom. Times like these remind us that there are things beyond our control and that Someone bigger than us can help.Days of gloom bring us down to our knees before God. We are brought to a point of an honest and sincere conversation with Him. Yes, the trying times will bring us closer to Him. We may find it hard to understand His plan for us, specially in painful circumstances. Our 'rational' minds and the feelings in our hearts are too primitive compared to God's infinite wisdom and love. Yet, our Lord Jesus showed us the way to the Almighty by teaching us to relate to God as our Father. Like a little child, there are things that we cannot comprehend about the father's ways. We sometimes cry over things that we do not know can be good for us in the future. Days of gloom are allowed by the Father so we can bloom in the strength of our faith.There will always be times of testing, especially in days of gloom. Here we come to know our true self; where we stand, what we believe in, our level of courage, and the depth of our faith. We might breakdown or breakthrough. We can either lose hope or find faith. We were not created puppets. We were created as children in His likeness. With the gift of life, through His love we are granted the freedom to choose. Hoping that we choose what is right, what brings life, and what reflects His love. Times of testing, these days of gloom, will surface our weaknesses and how far our pride and self-idolatry has taken us. We pray to God for mercy and the grace to embrace humility.Gloom does not mean doom. There is hope in every person and in every season. The best in us also surface in these times. Our heroism, our faith, and our love go the distance in these unusual occasions...if we choose to. Christ, in His days of gloom suffered and died. His sacrifice was not that of doom, but of resurrection. From gloom to glory.Let us then choose as what Christ had chosen in His days of gloom. He chose the Father's will amidst excruciating and unimaginable physical and emotional pain. Christ's heroism cannot be surpassed for He saved us all. He chose to see the glory of God beyond the gloom.
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Ask Why

Any goal, no matter how big can be organized into chunks of smaller, achievable milestones. The bigger challenge is to actually first understand the full intent of the goal or vision. The design of these "smaller chunks" whether an event, product, or deal will greatly depend on it's intent.
Many will go through the motions or "with the flow" without understanding the intent. They soon find themselves tired, uninspired, or even lost. The intent of the goal answers "The Why." Surprisingly only few people ask why and also less leaders explain why.
One can start to ask, "Why am I in my current job?" or "Why am I in this group?" Or "Why am I taking this course?."
Asking "why" is not a sign of a lack of faith, rather it is an indicator of having great interest in the very thing you believe in.
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A New Way in Christ

While in Batanes, I was introduced to a new way of eating, using the "Kabaya." It's a leaf of a breadfruit tree. It is thick enough to even hold water and use it as a cup. Folding the leaf in the manner shown in the picture makes it easy to handle while eating. It was new to me but it proved to be a useful and effective plate substitute.

When was the last time that we tried something new? When Christ taught the disciples about "loving your enemies (Mt 5:44)" it was a new concept since they were raised to believe that it should be "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth (Mt 5:38)."

How open are we to change our old ways and embrace the new ways of the Lord? How can we start to adapt the new things our Lord is teaching us?

1. Pray for Renewal from the Holy Spirit.
Through His power, "be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self (Eph 4:23-24)." Only by desiring God's transforming love can we become new in our ways. It will help to join a Christian Life Program.

2. Form a New Habit
Making God's ways as a part of our lifestyle will not be easy. We will have to make it a habit to say no to the things that destroy our souls and say yes to the things which leads us closer to Him. Like food, the more we eat cholesterol and fat, the more probable that we will get sick. But if we are in the habit of eating nutritious food, then we will become stronger. Let us have the habit of nourishing our souls with God's daily bread for us, the The Word of Life.

3. Teach others about the New things you have learned.
One of the best ways to imbibe a new way is to try teaching it to another. In community, I fully understood and internalized the talks I received, when I started giving them. It's like Math, when we tutor others, we bring it upon ourselves to fully understand it so we can be effective teachers. Giving is a way of mastering the new things we have learned.

Praying for renewal, forming a new habit, and teaching others can help us to be transformed in Christ and to embrace His new ways. Let us be open to the new things our Lord is teaching us today.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Cor 5:17

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A World of Relationships

We live in a world of relationships.  It’s amazing that if you actually have a network of about a thousand friends on facebook, you are loosely connected to 800,000 friends of your friends. Imagine if all your friends reposted your status, then it would have potentially reached 800,000 to a million.

There is great power in the network, and I’m not only talking about the social networking sites, but relationships in general.  It’s so important to nurture our relationships.  If we sacrifice a relationship because of pride and unforgiveness, we are not only giving up one person, but also potentially the friends of this person.

Somehow we are all connected. What you do makes a ripple to the rest of the world in different degrees.

How are we taking care of our relationships?

How are we using our network to do great things for God and country?
Are we easy to sacrifice friendships? Do we bother to mend our broken relationships?

With the argument above, I conclude therefore that no one is insignificant.  We were created to matter.  What matters to you may matter to millions out there.

What is surprising is that many of us sacrifice the most important relationship: our relationship with God.  God who created us and loves us immensely, is someone whose relationship we should continue to build and nurture. Prayer is our way of communicating to Him. He is the ultimate relationship and believe me, he has the greatest network in the universe.  He is a friend we shouldn’t “unfriend.”  He can inspire others to come to our aid as an answered prayer or even tell the sea to calm down if we are afraid (like Peter and the apostles in the boat) and even stop sun from setting (Joshua).

In a world of relationships, we are to connect to each other and work towards building God’s kingdom.  Let us have a humble, understanding, and forgiving nature, so we can overcome relationship hurdles and build stronger ties.  May God bless the people we meet along our journey towards heaven.

God's Gift of Imagination

God's gift of the human imagination is limitless.  We can go on a "date" with our brains, alone in a coffee shop and fly to a land of possibilities.  Armed with pen and paper plus an open mind, great things can be created.  Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Knowledge, we can learn from books and people, but imagination is unique to each one of us.  There can never be two same imaginations, like a thumbprint or a voice print.  A good imagination gives us an edge.  Like mastering any craft, imagination needs practice. The lesser you use it, the shallower it gets.  The more you use it, the broader your vision becomes.

The challenge  is closing the gap between our imagination and current reality.  Achieve this and we'll have progress.  Robert Orben wrote, “There are only two kinds of people in this world. The realists and the dreamers. The realists know where they are going and the dreamers have already been there.” 

It is good to store ideas in a notebook or on an online journal. Many of these ideas may not seem relevant today, even bordering to crazy funny.  But as time progresses, these ideas if anointed, will take root and bloom at the time most needed.  Just watch Back to the Future and you'll realize that some things there, like talking face to face on a screen, are already happening today.  

Don't be afraid to dream, for if the vision is clear, the resources will fall into place.  People contribute to something they believe in. Just look at the amazing amount of knowledge people share for free to Wikipedia or the solutions people provide in online forums, or the story of how the American people contributed to finance the Statue of Liberty. In faith, they just need to see what you see, and believe in what you believe.

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” John 20:28

Are we a "doubting Thomas?"  We need to have great faith for God's plans in our lives to happen.  In the 3 years of Christ's ministry on earth, many times the Lord described the vision of the Kingdom of God in ways we can understand, through parables.  Christ shared His vision, the Father's will, and people followed and contributed.  

It's amazing that even if we take a shot in imagining how great God is, the reality of His greatness will still be unfathomable. He is beyond imagination. 

Let us use God's gift of imagination to do great things for Him. After all, God invented imagination, and we are to utilize it to build His kingdom.

Rainy Days

It was raining hard and I was trying to get a ride, hoping not to be late for my appointment. I had no choice but to get a taxi. I had to spend more than the usual commute fare. I guess that's why they say that we have got to be prepared for the "rainy days."

In the "rainy days" of our lives we are forced to spend more money, exert more effort, use up more time, and be in discomfort.

So how do we prepare for the rainy days? What are we to do in these situations?

1. Save. Just like the ants, they store up food for the future. Although our intelligence is far greater than these creatures, they have it in them to prepare for the rainy days. I have heard that it's not how much you earn but its how much you save.

2. Adapt. We have to be flexible to the situation and find ways and means. There is a tendency to complain more rather than to find a solution. When in trouble, its easy to play the blame game. We have to manage and adapt. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

3. Pray. In these "rainy days" we will be faced with instances where our human capacity reaches its limit. There is nothing more we can do, but there is something more God can do. That is why in the lives of the saints and the faithful, there are always miracles. We have to believe in God who saves us.

Noah was prepared for rain. He saved by storing up food in the ark and by gathering the animals. He adapted to a life in the ark. He prayed for hope and salvation to come. There is always the glory of the rainbow after the rain, a sign of God's promise fulfilled.
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When Big Things Come

In the middle of much work and rush for the events, we ordered a 30-inch pizza for a short break and fellowship. Its not the usual pizza size. Everybody would say "it's big!" We had our fun and our fill as we it finished off.
There are a lot of "big" things that come our way. We have big blessings and big opportunities as well as big decisions and big challenges. What is our attitude when these big things come?
My children who are 5 and 2 years old, are very fond of watching 3 little pigs. And of course aside the pigs, with them is the Big bad wolf. We all know that the pig who built his house with bricks was safe from the big bad wolf. He was ready.
When Big things come, we should be ready. Let us therefore...
1. Have Big Faith
Knowing that we have a God who is bigger than any of our problems will give us hope to endure and overcome. Having big faith will also help us stay focused when big blessings come. Many who receive much often forget the Lord. When blessed with a business, we forget God because we become too busy. When blessed with a special love relationship, some stop serving. Having big faith will make us remember that we are here for God and that He is here for us.
2. Have a Big Plan.
The Lord blessed us with intellect and sense enough to "build a house of bricks." The problem would be our laziness. Have a Big plan. Get a pen and paper and start envisioning, setting goals, and putting them into action. In this way, we know what to do when challenges come and we would also know how to share our big blessings. Having a big plan will aid us in making Big Decisions in life. Most of all we have to discern if this big plan is God's plan for our lives.
3. Have a Big Heart.
When it's pressure time, we will come to know the size of our hearts. We will be able to measure our capacity to love. We can start to expand our hearts by exercising love even in the simplest of things like affirming people and volunteering to help. When blessings come, specially monetary blessings, a big heart will remind us that happiness is not about money but about the joy we give others and to God. A big heart will help us weather the big storms in our lives by knowing what matters, by enduring in painful times, by learning to sacrifice, and by preserving our relationships.
Don't let the big things overwhelm you. Rejoice always and be grateful for our Big God is in control if we surrender to Him.
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Train to Gain

My son was gifted with a new bike for his birthday (Thanks Lolo Art and Lola Mel). He was so happy. He was already biking inside the mall. Oh kids, they grow up so fast. I even thought the bike was big for him. But he was able to manage pedalling it like a big kid.  His bike still has training wheels, because my son still needs to learn to balance, and I'm going to teach him just that.

In life, we need some of those "training wheels" and we need a good trainer. In doing something new, we need to train to help us cope and balance.  Everyday is training, for each day is new. There can never be a replay of yesterday or a preview of tomorrow.  So how do we train for this life's challenges? How do we keep on moving forward? How do we keep from falling?

T - Trust in the Father

Although Sev has his training wheels, it's me who's going to teach my son how to ride the bike. And  it's me who will say its time to take off the training wheels. But when I do, Ill be ready to catch him if he falls. If I, an earthly father can do this for my son, much more can the Heavenly Father do for His children.

R -  Reflect on the learning

It's not about how fast you get through the training, but how much learning you have absorbed.  When we make mistakes, let us reflect more instead of regretting. Surely, when we were learning to ride a bike we had some knee wounds or some bruises. It's these little accidents that make us remember what we did wrong and help us do better the next time.

A - Appear for training

Show up. If we are lazy, we will not learn. Nobody learns to bike if he won't show for practice.  When we do not show up, specially  in our prayer time, we might just miss out on what God would have been excited to tell us for the day.  The more we procrastinate or postpone, the longer will we move forward in life.  Consistency and diligence is important in learning.

I - Instructions should be followed.

What the trainer says is important. I'll be coaching or instructing my Son in balancing so he can avoid more mistakes.  In life, we get our instructions from the Bible.  I read somewhere that Bible can also mean Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.  Through His prophets and anointed writers, God has revealed how we are to live our lives.

N - New things come everyday

Even to the last day of our lives, there will always be something to learn.  We need to adjust to situations and  be ready to learn and respond better in the future.  In biking, not every turn or hump is the same. We have to know how to keep our balance and get through the obstacle.  The basics of training will help us in dealing with these new things.

My goal as father trainer is to take off the training wheels when the time comes.  But I'll always keep watch. God our Father, in His love for us, wants us to learn to be strong in faith.  By giving us free will, He lets go of us, trusting that we will call on Him when the road gets rough and when we're about to fall. God, with His mighty hand saves us. He trains us, so we may gain life eternal with Him in heaven.


Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. 1 Cor. 9:25

Temporal or Eternal?

The thing about coffee is that I really can't take too much time in drinking it 'cause it will lose its hotness. So,  I would have to finish it in a bit of haste or waste good coffee. After sipping all up my favorite cup of cappuccino, I felt that I wanted more. I was left staring at an empty cup, and telling myself, "That's it?"..."Bitin (the feeling of lack)."

Like my cappuccino, all good things on this earth will come to end. All that we own is temporarily ours. Yes, we will feel the urge to acquire more. But like all earthly things, urges turn to lust, and lust turns to obsession. And obsessions never satisfy until it consumes our whole lives. We tend to spend too much time and money on what is temporal instead of the eternal. Funny how people do not recognize the value of tithing but consider much value on their own entertainment. Hear how people complain if the church asks for donation to finish the church structure or help in a project for the poor. Let us review where we dedicate our resources. How much time and money are we investing in our spiritual education and nourishment?
What then is eternal?

God's Word, the bread of life and His Kingdom are eternal. We are to invest time and money to understanding His Word and in building His Kingdom on earth. We are to invest where we want our souls to be in the after life. Surely, we will choose eternity in heaven. But what are doing to prepare ourselves for receiving eternal life?

The lures of this world are obvious. They are visible and very tempting. We succumb until we are convinced that this temporary life is already "it." We have to strengthen our faith and constantly be reminded of our true eternal destination.

Let us then be happy of living a simple life, with simple joys, and an abundant faith. Even if at times it's "Bitin" we need to have discipline and to be content. After all, the more we sacrifice on earth, the more our Father in heaven will store riches for us in our eternal home.

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Entering A New World

It was Kaitlyn's first day of school yesterday.  We took some time off from work and brought her to school. The feeling of sending our child to enter a new world of friends and mentors is exciting and frightening at the same time. We want the best for our kids, but we are also aware of the elements of the "outside world." Well I guess, as they grow older they become more and more detached and independent from us.  I praise God that our daughter is starting to engage in the world of education, even just at the play level.

What "new world" have we entered lately? New work environment, new school, new classmates, new friends, new business?  Entering into these can be both exciting and frightening. Exciting because of the break from the usual and the learning we can get from the endeavor or the environment.  Frightening because of the idea of change, and we are afraid that we might not cope or live up to it.

What can be our posture in entering "new worlds"?

1. A posture of trust in the Lord. Peter when walking off the boat, entered into an impossible situation, a new kind of world where one can walk on water.  He was frightened, but his trust in the Lord was more than his fears, so he stepped off the boat and into the water.  If we are centered in the Lord, we will dare do things that is beyond our capabilities.

At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I;* do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Matthew 14:27-28

2. A posture of reaching out. Peter sank when he heard and felt the rushing wind. But the Lord held Peter's outstretched arms and saved Him.  When we are caught in the middle of things and feel desperate, we have to reach out in prayer.  We can sink into being paralyzed with too many work or dealing with our own lack of self-confidence. Christ will save us bring us out of our fears and move us into action. 


 But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith,* why did you doubt?” Matthew 14: 30-31


3. A posture of thanksgiving. With God as our strength, we will overcome and be victorious. Let us thank God for all our blessings and successes.  Sometimes when we achieve progress, our dependence on the Lord will loosen up.  We tend to think that we did it because we earned it by ourselves and because of our innate abilities. If this happens, it is because our pride has reached our heads.  By thanking the Lord each day, we are brought back to the humble posture that all glory is His.


After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14: 32-33


As we enter into new worlds, let us not be overcome by fear for the Lord wants us to grow in faith and He is there to save us.  Our challenge in life is to dare great things in His name.

An Honoring For My Love

Michelle, my wife, celebrated her birthday on a rainy Sunday. We had a unique celebration. Instead of going out, we ate at home. Had some cake, pizza and pasta. Kids were happily doing their impersonations of cartoon characters and we had fun singing the whole night.

I'd like to honor my wife. First, for being a woman of faith. Her prayers keep the family strong. She always reminds the kids to pray and love Jesus. Second for her patience, I'm not the easiest person to be with. But her humility and forgiving heart makes me learn more of God's ways. And third for her love, which makes her special, ever beautiful, and so easy to love.

Thanks love, for being God's gift to me and the kids. May God continue to make you a woman of faith, patience, and love.

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Father's Day in Heaven

We're missing you much dad
And all the good times we had
Your words I'll always remember
And our moments together

We now just have pictures
We're Imagining your gestures
You were so strong and tough
But you sure knew how to laugh

Who I am and what I do today
I say thanks for showing the way
Pray for us when we weaken
Oh my dear father in heaven

I just wish there was more time
To say these words of mine
In spirit I hope you'll know
That I love you dad, I love you so."

Happy Father's Day.
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Love is the hallmark of Christianity

I just witnessed one of my very good friends, Butch Alcudia, accept his first vows as a LaSallian brother. It was a touching scene and I'm privileged to see how the Brothers love one another. One can't help but admire their brotherhood and be attracted to their charism.

"Love one another as I have loved you, by these all will know that you're my disciples." (John 13:34)

Love is the hallmark of Christianity. If we truly want to be Christ's disciples, then the living out and expression of love should be first. We might worry much about organizing our groups and pushing our programs, and forget that we are here to love one another. Our structures and activities are all about love. We are to "organize love."

I congratulate my friend Butch for embracing God's call to love. He will be loving more people along the way, may it be the students that will be under his mentoring or the simple daily encounters. May we too, see the things that we do and the people we work with through eyes that love.
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You're Awesome Lord!

About 3 weeks ago in a park, I took a snapshot of this awesome cloud formation. When my son saw it, he exclaimed, "Look Dad, it's Jesus!" I was so taken by the sight, it made me thank God for letting me see something beautiful, even for a moment.

When was the last time that you were awed at something? Is everything too familiar already? When familiarity sets in, the spark gets lost. After some time what we used to hold dear, we already take for granted. It may be the beauty of our spouses, the care of our parents, the concern of a best friend, good food on the table, decent education, or your livelihood. I read in a book that "God hides things from us by putting them near to us."

Let us not look far. If only we can see the things and people around as how God sees it, then we will be living in awe. If you notice how toddlers view the world around them, they are unceasingly fascinated, curious, and full of joy.

By the way in the park, it was only my son and I who were admiring the cloud formation in awe. The rest didn't even notice it or care about it.

Let us look again to the blessings that we take for granted and say, "That's awesome!" or "She's awesome!" Most of all, we look at Jesus once again, with His familiar face and exclaim, "You're awesome Lord!"






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Why Names are Special

Last Sunday, we went out to have some 'catching up' time with friends. We landed on a Crepe Place. When they served the orders, we were delighted to see our names on the crepe's plate. We felt a little special because of the surprise gesture.

We are all special to God. God said, "Jerusalem, I can never forget you! I have written your name on the palms of my hands"(Isaiah 49:16). He expressed this visual to let Jerusalem understand how He loves, remembers, and takes care of them. This is a reflection of how God relates to us.

Let us keep in our mind and hearts that:
1. God knows us more than we know ourselves. Let us surrender our lives to hands of our Father.
2.He created us and he will never forget us. Even if at times we feel God is distant and quiet, He is always there. We need only turn away from sin and go back to Him.
3. We are specially loved. Special enough to be written on the palm of His hands. If you have someone special in your life and you treat him/her with extra care, God can even do more for us, beyond human capacity.

Oh God most high, thank you for keeping us ever near to you and inscribed on Your mighty hand.
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Be Spiritually Healthy

I tried this unique healthy juice mix. It's called Green Giant. It's fresh-pressed celery, cucumber, and apple. It actually sweet, with a little veggy after-taste.

They say health is wealth. Many of us would be more concerned about the health of our loved ones than our own. But then, how can we take care of them if we are not well?

The same goes with our spiritual life. Many of us are very concerned with the "sheep" entrusted to us. May it be our kids, prayer group members, or parishioners. But how is our own spiritual health? How often are we nourished of God's Daily Bread? Are we progressing in our time of prayer? When was your last retreat?

Let us then take time, better yet, make time, for God to feed us so we can be strong in Spirit. In this way, we can truly respond to Jesus' challenge to Peter, "If you love me, feed my sheep."

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Joyful Anticipation

In the fast food business, when the food isn't fast enough, they'll give you a number. This tangible object allows you to retain the idea of the 'fast food' and will keep you in suspense of the meal to come.

What is it that you are eagerly waiting for? A job interview, exam results, a business deal, a payout, visa, her sweet "yes", graduation, ordination? Waiting is a part of living. Those who cannot wait, cannot get the best out of life. Waiting can be excruciating at times and you might want to give up and quit, specially when there is nothing else we can do.

We need to savor the lessons of waiting:
1. Waiting allows us to go inward.
We can go deep into our hearts and find God's message for us.
2. Waiting allows us to have time to "smell the flowers." Amidst the busy life, are we still enjoying God's everyday miracles?
3. As we grow in anticipation, we are also to grow in gratitude. When blessings are to come, we thank God for His goodness, in daily increments.

When I was a kid, my mom used to make fruit cakes and she bakes them about 4 months before Christmas. Fruit cakes are my favorite, and these 4 months were "excruciating" (since I know where they were stored). But to get the optimum taste, I had to wait, patiently. So with joyful anticipation, I did wait... and it was worth it.

We know Christ will come again. We are all waiting for the second coming, and He gave us the Bible as a tangible holy object we can hold on and read on. Yes, Christ will come and when that day comes, and if we're ready, it'll be sweet.

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Freedom from Prodigality

June 12 is Philippines' Independence. On this day we commemorate our 114th year of freedom. Freedom is a beautiful word. It connotes dignity, choice, self-identity, and expression. But with freedom comes responsibility and stewardship.

The story of the prodigal son is a good reflection on freedom and independence. The youngest son wanted his share... he wanted some freedom. It was granted and finally he was "free" to do what he pleased. But we all know the story and what happened next. He squandered everything on worldly pleasures until he found himself eating with the pigs. So he went back to his father, who from a distance, ran to welcome him and prepared a feast for his return.

Lessons on freedom:
1. Freedom is meant to give us dignity. The moment we abuse freedom by choosing sin and evil, shame will be upon us.

2. We strive to be fully dependent on God and independent of sin. By our natural strength, we cannot avoid the lures of sin. But by God's supernatural power, we shall overcome.

3. When we falter, let us not forget our Father. God who gave us the most precious gift of free will is ready to accept us back in His arms. God does not like the concept of puppeteering. He is all powerful, but he did make us his puppets. In exchange for our dignity, he risks breaking His own heart by seeing us falter from time to time. But as soon as we realize our sins, he is ever ready and eager to welcome us back.

Responsibility, the ability to response to God's goodness, will help us realize true freedom. Also being good stewards will make us acknowledge that everything belongs to God, and we have to be grateful by using His belongings for His purpose.

The corruption, greed, and poverty that we see today is a result of remaining prodigal. Let us be free from wasting our freedom and liberate ourselves from our prodigality. Let us embrace genuine freedom by loving this country that our Father God has entrusted us.
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