Reflect the Light of Christ

I took this picture on a rooftop of a friend's house. I was struck by the beauty and splendor of the moonlight. Generally we know that the moon's light is a reflection of the sun's. But as I read...

"The real mystery is why does the moon reflect at all. Like most objects in space, the Moon possesses a reflective characterisitic called albedo. Albedo is how well an object reflects light. This characteristic seems pretty straight forward. Material like ice and snow have very reflective albedos. Land and Greenery have very low reflective albedos. What makes the moon so interesting is that it has the same Albedo as coal. That means that it has almost no reflective quality up close. " http://www.universetoday.com/75891/why-does-the-moon-shine/#ixzz2fejsFkUb

How high is our reflective characteristic -- our spiritual albedo? How well do we reflect Christ's light? When we encourage people to succeed, we often tell them, "It's your time to shine." But like the moon, we cannot produce our own light. Everytime we try to "shine" by our own efforts, we end up proud and conceited. True light can only come from the Son reflected through a humble spirit. A better encouragement would be, "It's HIS time to shine."

Let us remember:

1. Receive His light daily

 Numbers 6:25  The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!

By God's grace, through daily prayer and especially the Eucharist, we receive His holy light that illumines our minds and hearts to reflect His glory.

2. We are Children of Light

Ephesians 5:8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.

 Jesus brings us out of the darkness of our own sin and pride. We are God's children, bringing the Father's light to overcome the temptations that call us to hide in the shadows.
 

3. We shine Christ to others

As the classic praise song declares -- shine Jesus shine! The presence of Christ radiates through our smiles, our humble posture, and the love we give.

 

Like how the moon is likened to coal because of it's high reflective quality, we too, must remember that God's radiance can only shine if we remember who we are---our own insignificance---in relation to the light of Jesus.  Yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20.

 

 

How is Christ reflected in your daily actions?

 

 

 

Christ, the King of Our Lives

Once a month, we congregate in Christ the King Parish for a teaching in Couples for Christ. I come to reflect on my relationship with Christ as my King. An encyclical of Pope Pius XI called Quas Primas (latin for In the first) talks extensively about Christ as our King. It was written for the purpose of promulgating the Feast of Christ The King in 1925. I'd like to quote section 13 of the encyclical, "The foundation of this power and dignity of Our Lord is rightly indicated by Cyril of Alexandria. "Christ," he says, "has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature." 

What are the things in our lives that are itching for lordship?  We can get a hint on this in the scene of Christ's temptation in the desert (Luke 4:1-13). These lord-wanna-be's can potentially usurp Christ's Lordship over our lives if we do not defend our souls from them: the lords of the flesh, money and power, and applause.  These lords can do a guerilla warfare with our minds and hearts or do a hostile take over if we are open and vulnerable due to a lack of prayer.

Let us shun these worldly lords and declare allegiance to the Lord of lords, the King of kings -- Jesus Christ. When Christ the King reigns in our hearts, all the temptations will lose their appeal. Our fealty to Jesus will save us. Our King will defend us. Jesus is the King crucified who bought our freedom from the worldly kingdom of the evil one. Now that we have been ransomed by the King's blood, let us not waste the freedom given us. Let us bring others to discover the life Christ is offering in His Kindgdom.

1. How are the lords of flesh, money, power, and applause trying to lure you to their kingdoms?
2. What are you going to do to express your fealty to Christ the King? 

Ride the Wave of the Spirit

I was delighted to see surfers on the Bagasbas beach in Daet, Camarines Norte. In the Philippines, surfing is quite rare. Since the Bagasbas shore is facing the Pacific, the waves are there. Both local and foreign surfers were riding the waves! They were patiently waiting and sensing for the right wave. And when the wave came, they had to act immediately, or they'd miss it.

Surfing the net, I came across a comment on how one feels when riding a wave:

There’s no greater feeling than surfing and that feeling of being part of the ocean, really riding on top of the world. Surfing’s freedom, adventure and creativity rolled into one. It’s easy to see why surfers love surfing so much and I also love teaching newbies to surf so they can experience that joy. There’s only one place you can get that feeling and it’s in the surf.
-Annabel Candy

Much of what Annabel Candy was describing relates to living in the Holy Spirit.

1. In the Spirit, there is freedom!
When we live in the Holy Spirit, indeed adventure and creativity is rolled into one. The Spirit is always fresh, never boring, mysterious in His ways, and ever relevant. The Holy Spirit puts us at the edge of our seats, waiting in anticipation for His move. When the Spirit blows, we've got to catch His wave --and experience Freedom!  "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! (Darrel Evans, Freedom)."  When things seem routinary, lifeless, and dry, let us examine our lives.  We might be imprisoned by our sinfulness. Sin leads us to the wrong ocean, where the Wind doesn't blow. Sin makes us content of paddling instead of riding the waves.

2. A life in the Spirit is a life shared.
Once we have recieved the Spirit in our lives, we have to share it. We have to teach others how to "surf and catch the wave."   The Holy Spirit was promised by the Lord, and given in Pentecost to strengthen the community and embolden them to spread the Gospel.

But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

Once they caught the tsunami wave of Holy Spirit during Pentecost, the gospel spread -- like never before. 

Acts 2: 38. Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized,* every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.

v.41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

I can only imagine if the Apostles did not proclaim the Gospel after recieving the Spirit. It would have been impossible, since the joy cannot be contained -- it was too much it had to oveflow to all of humanity.

3. The Wave will come. We cannot create it.

The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8

Through prayer, we wait upon the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it comes almost immediately, at times it teaches us to be patient -- to wait for His Power. Those who cannot wait---those who don't pray---try to make their own waves, their own wind. But like anything that is fake, it always fall short of the authentic -- and it shows. When on mission, we have to ride with the wave of the Spirit. Go where it blows and when it blows.  As they say, In His time.

Let us ride on the Wave of the Spirit! It's the best way to live.

 

A Heart, Big as the World

In a retreat at St. Paul Center for Renewal in Cavite, I came upon the "Prayer to St. Paul". I was struck by the words, "Obtain for us the heart of an apostle, a heart, big as the world. 

Reflecting on this, I tried doing a "heart check-up". How big is my heart? Is my capacity to love enough only for my family and friends? How easily does my heart tire? Is my heart hosted with humility that I am able to accommodate criticism and correction? 

I am reminded of Saint Candida de Jesus (my high school alma mater's congregation founder). On favoring God over earthly lures, she said, "The world is too small for my desires". 

Indeed, when one discovers the joy of God and allows Him to enter the heart -- there is no other way but for the heart to grow bigger. 

A heart without God shrinks in size until it becomes compacted like stone. Nothing permeates through a stony heart. But the Lord cries out, "If today you hear My voice harden not your heart." It is the Lord who is the initiator of love. He knocks at the door of our hearts without tiring. Need we only open and welcome him and God will give us a new heart, big as the world!

"I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh (Ez 36:26)."

There are many out there who will discover the truth about God's love through the channel of our own hearts. 

Love not as yourself, but as the Lord using you as conductor of the currents of His powerful love. A big heart can take in and deliver large amounts of God's grace to His people. 

St. Paul, pray for us as we dare take on the world with our puny hearts in the hope that God will expand it by His grace and mercy. Amen.

Travel Light

One of my favorite travel accessories is the inflatable travel pillow. It helps me get a good shut-eye. It supports my neck in the awkward positions of seat-sleeping. I have been to many long trips that end up with a neck sore. So, this pillow is really a good investment on my part.

I recall a passage from Luke about instructions for the missionaries to be sent off. 

Luke 9:3  He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.

Now during those times, there was even no travel pillow to speak of! More shockingly, even the basic and logical travel necessities were not allowed on this mission. The missionaries had to depend on "living off the land" and trusting in God's providence through those who will welcome them. 

On this, I reflect 3 things:

1. Travel light, God provides

Life is a one big mission journey. When we carry a lot of baggages, we won't be able to fulfill what we were meant to do. Our tendency is to focus more on our attachments instead of God's supplements. When we are still attached to the baggages of anger, unforgiveness, materialism, fear, and many others -- we cannot move forward in life. 

The Lord provides, provided that we leave room for His blessings, leaving the unecessary weight of sin. The lighter we travel, the heavier the blessings.

2. Offer your discomforts to God

Along our life's journey, there will always be "bumpy roads" and "uncomfortable seats".  Instead of complaining, let us make an offering of sacrifice for the Lord. Our pains can be lifted us prayers for the salvation of souls in purgatory. 

3. Mission is total surrender

When all that you possess in this world is gone, yet you have God -- you are rich! Just like the man who finally found the pearl of great price and sold all he possessed to acquire it. In Luke, when the missionaries were sent off, they knew that they had everything -- God. If we embark on a mission and fail to "bring" God, then we have brought nothing. We surrender our lives to God, so that God can finally lead us to the awesome life that He prepared.

In our pilgrim life on earth, let us start to detach from worldly pleasures and attach ourselves to the heavenly delights of a life of mission.

Do Not Pamper Your Fear

Fear can paralyze.  Our imagination of the worst case scenario can stir emotions in us that make us retreat instead of bravely marching forward. But let us be assured -- God is always ahead of us. 

"It is the Lord who marches before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not be dismayed (Deut 31:8)."

A missionary priest shared to us, "When you go to a mission area, do not presume that you are 'bringing' Christ to the place. Christ is already there, waiting to use you. Christ is already with the people you will serve. You will meet Christ there." True enough, in the missions that I do, I am always amazed of how the Lord talks to me through the people I serve. The Lord surprises me of the unforeseen opportunities that he opens up for the mission -- especially at times when oppressions happen. The Lord's promise of not forsaking us should make us the bravest person of all. 

The only thing that blocks us from moving forward is that we are pampering our fear instead of conquering it with faith. We feed it, entertain it, and nurture it -- and so it grows until it eats us up. 

Let us not make fear our best friend -- Christ is. Peter was walking on water when Christ called him. But whenPeter feared the strong winds, he started to sink. We should trust more the One who commands the strong winds to stop; He who lifts us up when we start to sink.

Many of us fear this one thing -- the future. Fears that affect our future: fear of not having enough, the fear of loss, the fear of not being good enough, the fear of not meeting high expectations. Fr. Joel Jason in one of his homilies said, "When you plan for your future, make a faith declaration not a fear declaration." We must work hard not out of fear but out of faith. Fear can make us greedy, while faith can make us generous -- and when we share, the Lord blesses us a hundred fold. Just ask those who tithe.

Faith is a response to the reality of God in our lives. When Jesus revealed the true nature of God as our Father, He was not only talking about any other father but the reality of a perfect Father! A Father who knows the number of hair on our heads, who knows us more than we can ever know ourselves, who looks at us lovingly and assures us, "I will never fail you or forsake you."

So let us put our faith forward and march on. Be brave, God marches before us!

Let God's Voice Be Heard

Everyday we are bombarded with so much information (both useful and unvaluable) -- through our emails, facebook, twitter, billboards, tv commercials, ads on the internet and etc. We are also engrossed with the latest gadgets and the newest apps. Many of us are absorbed in the plots of  popular TV series' and movies. We are also busy with work, school, and family concerns. These among many take up our attention in our 24-hour day. It is indeed the information age.

With all these things that overwhelm our senses, the voice of God can easily get drowned in the background of the noise of the world. We can easily be distracted away from Him.  Many of these information promote values of materialism, secularism, relativism, as if trying to take God out of our minds--out of our system. Just try to notice how many Christians today struggle to have a consistent prayer time or even have the time to go to Mass on Sunday. I think one of the great challenges of evangelization today is how to get people to notice the wonderful and salvific friendship offered by Jesus Christ. It is God who initiates this relationship, but many cannot hear His voice.

Quoting Herbert Simon, he said, "What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention."

As evangelizing Christians, how do we grab the attention of today's people towards God?


1. Get Creative

Creativity is important.  Jesus will always be relevant, since He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is a matter of being able to communicate or evangelize the Gospel message with the right medium -- hitting what is relevant to the target audience.  We need to approach evangelization by means of Creative Fidelity.

 According to http://www.publicchristian.com/?p=196 :

“Creative Fidelity” is the solution Gabriel Marcel (French Catholic existentialist philosopher) provided for the problem of time and change in human relationships. [2]

For example, the man who made my wedding vows is not the man I am today. I am more experienced, more knowledgeable, more mature, perhaps wiser, have different interests and occupations. My spouse also has changed significantly. Why should these older and wiser persons be bound by promises made by younger and more foolish people who in so many ways no longer exist?

I am sure they should; that’s what ‘vow’ means.


Is our approach to evangelization stuck in the 80's when the world was "quieter"?  Are we not a different society, now with more history, and with an evolved behavior?  Getting creative doesn't only mean having an attractive poster or theme or a new program.  It means having fidelity to the truth and depth of God's message -- and expressing it in a manner that rises above the noise of the world.  "The Church recognizes that these media, if properly utilized, can be of great service to mankind, since they greatly contribute to men's entertainment and instruction as well as to the spread and support to the Kingdom of God." (Inter Mirifica, 2)

2. Be in the world, but not of the world.

“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves." Matthew 10:16

Many have a tendency to alienate themselves from the rest of their peers. Sure, we have to be modern day martyrs and stand of for Christ amidst persecution or getting ridiculed, but we also have to look on saving the souls of those around us. We have to connect to our peers, but not with their addictions, corrupt ways, or general unchristian habits.  We have to be loving witnesses who do not judge and condemn, but who reach out and listen.

In today's generation, many are turned off by straightforward preaching. Although preaching truly proclaims God's Word, but to quote Evangelii Nuntiandi 41:

 "Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses."

What really wards off people from hearing about Jesus is how we represent Jesus to them through our own lives. Indeed it is a tall order to become witnesses, but by His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, we will have the strength to be true witnesses for Christ amidst an environment of "wolves."

3. Find Common Ground

What we also need to do to catch people's attention towards the Lord is to find out what their interests are. They will listen if it concerns them. Are they young parents? So, they must be dying to hear about parenting or raising children to be good Christians. Are they sports enthusiasts? So organize a sports event like a basketball tournament or a fun run. Are they technology buffs? Organize a forum on making the most out of their gadgets. Sometimes we have to transform the "noise" of the world into the sweet sound of God's voice by Christifying the secular.

If we look intently, people's natural interests may as well be a new mission area.  It may not be geographic, but if you see  how the hundreds or thousands of people with a common enthusiasm gather, there is enormous potential.  "Missionary activity is closely bound up even with human nature itself and its aspirations (Ad Gentes, 8). By finding common ground, we let God transform it into holy ground -- His kingdom on earth.

Let God's voice be heard today!  Let us emerge from the drowning noise of the secular world and sound off the beautiful ensemble of the Good News.

Big in God's Eyes

I've always been fascinated how ants can carry 100x times their own weight (upside down, on glass according to the link). Ants are one of the strongest animals in the world--relative to its size.  This small creature has been endowed by God with something unique and special--a reflection of how He loves the little ones.

Have you ever felt small, insignificant, and even stepped on? In the Bible, God always uses the least of all to do His great works--the youngest brother tending the sheep (David), the least in a family of the least tribe (Gideon), the one sold as a slave (Joseph), a stutter (Moses), a small insignificant nation (Israel), and the list of the least goes on.

Never underestimate how God will use you. The Lord sees a lion in us even if we feel like a scared cat. God who is the source of true strength can give us the power to carry even 100 times the weight  of things we think we can't bear. Remember, Jesus bore the weight of mankind's sins that we may enter heaven. Sometimes our crosses feel like too heavy to bear, but the Holy Spirit enables us! How? We cast our burdens upon the Lord, we who are heavily laden.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,^* and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 11: 28-30

We have a supernatural God who gives us supernatural strength. Without Christ in our lives, we will be borrowing strength from the wrong sources---worse, from the devil---that will lead us to our ultimate fall.

Get your Bible, hold it tight...feel the power, see the truth, live with His strength! You are BIG in God's eyes.

Point to Jesus: My prayers For Max's First Birthday

It's Max's first birthday. Firsts are always special. Max won't remember this day unless he sees the pictures and videos and--reads something about it. And so I go back to blogging after almost a month. John Maximilian Siatong-Llaban was born on August 29, 2012. I got to witness how Michelle gave out all her strength to bring Max out into the world. I salute all Moms!

 Max was the fruit of our Holy Land Pilgrimage. During that blessed trip while renewing our baptismal vows in the river Jordan, I was inspired by the humility of John the Baptist. Though he was great and people followed him, he never lost sight of his purpose--to prepare the way for the Lord.

John answered them all saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Luke 3:16)

I want Max to be as humble as John, never clouded with pride amidst the great things God is doing through him.

Max's name is also inspired by St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Martyr and Marian devotee. 2012, Max's birth year, was the Magnificat year for Couples for Christ. In the community we were inspired by Mary's words, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord! (Luke 1:46)." I was looking for a saint that experienced and honored Mary in a very special way, thus, Kolbe. I pray that like the great saint, Max will embrace a deep devotion to Mother Mary and emulate Our Mother in proclaiming God's greatness.

Both saints, John and Maximilian, always pointed to Jesus. Max, my prayer for your 1st birthday is to grow up leading others to Jesus Christ--pointing to Him always. May God do great things through you and envelope you with the virtue of humility. Happy birthday my dear boy.

Marriage is Mission

My wife Michelle and I took the midnight bus to Baguio. We were on a mission trip to share God's goodness in our life. I thank God for giving our marriage a purpose beyond ourselves. Serving God as a couple gives me great joy and affirmation.

I believe that people in love with each other have to seriously consider the following:

1. To love God more than your spouse.

It is In loving God that we can truly learn how to love the other.  For there is no question that God loves us. It is in opening ourselves to Him that we are filled with abundant love. The person nearest to us is the greatest beneficiary of this overflow of divine love.

2. To share the same purpose of building God's kingdom on earth

This settles the purpose of wealth, time, and even raising kids. Many quarrels  happen because of a lack of purpose in the marriage. Marriage is a sacred vocation. Just as priests are called to serve God, so are married couples. Marriage is also mission. It is not enough to look at each other and declare your love, but to look towards the same direction and declare your mission. 

3. To see Christ in each other.

How will you treat your beloved if she/he is Christ?  Truth is, Christ is in all of us--especially with our spouses. It is in looking through the lenses of grace that we can treat each other with respect, love, gentleness, and kindness.

Your spouse is your mission partner--forever. Let us fulfill the purpose of our vocation and live our lives with fullness in Christ.

Serve With a Smile

Mother Teresa was a symbol of the joy of God amidst difficult service. Often, when the service gets challenging and extremely difficult, our worries overwhelm us.  It either leads us to a depressed state, discouragement, or reluctance. Here are some of my reflections about serving with joy:

1. Sin robs us of our true joy

Sin entices us to pleasure, and we mistake it for joy. Since sin separates us from God--the ultimate joy giver, we are led to misery. Union with God is true joy.

2. See challenges as opportunities for growth

In life, we easily remember the times when we faced trials-- and the lessons that were derived from them.  In these times we are to stand our ground. 

Exodus 14:13  But Moses answered the people, “Do not fear! Stand your ground and see the victory the LORD will win for you today. 

Ephesians 6:13  Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.

God will give us His victory. Growth is about desiring God's victory in our lives.

3. Serve with a smile

1 Thessalonians 5:16  Rejoice always.

Philippians 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!

Joy is not dependent on our circumstances, but it is dependent on our relationship with God. If God is in our hearts, then even amidst crisis, this joy is complete. This joy in the Lord can even be our strength.

Nehemiah 8:10  ...Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD is your strength!”

Let us therefore serve and work in the Lord's vineyard with a smile. Christians are marked by their joy. 

Permeating the Christ Culture in Society

The other day I was with two people who are very convicted in the work of evangelization. Fr. Jacob, from Bangladesh shared that even if Christians are the minority in his country, they continue to make an impact by simply being witnesses of Christ in their area. He shared to me that the way to truly evangelize is to bring families to the faith. This is something we both strongly agree upon. Moses, a CFC brother from Sierra Leone (West Africa), expressed that in spite the problems their country faces, especially coming from civil war that ended just in 2002, they do their best to pursue the work of evangelization through Couples For Christ.

No matter what color, race, or tongue--CHRIST is universal. There is one Christ culture. The culture of humility, servanthood, sacrifice, and the mandate to make disciples of all nations (Mt.29:18).

What is it that stops us from spreading the faith? Is it our office culture? Our peer culture? The Christ culture is seen and felt in our speech and in our deeds.  If one is truly filled with the presence of God, His grace will overflow to the people we meet.  With constancy, the environment will slowly transform and adapt to the culture of Christ. Let the Gospel permeate into society through the lives we live.

Be filled, let His lover overflow, and witness change!

Christ is our Purpose

9As Jesus passed on from there,^d he saw a man named Matthew^*sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9

It is inherent for man to search for meaning in his life. Whether this seeking of purpose is conscious or not, we feel that we are called to something--a role to play in the bigger scheme of things.  When we are not in communication with our Creator, it will be hard for us--His creation, to hear our calling.

Matthew, being face to face with Jesus, was struck by the truth of his calling. An experience of Christ will radically change our lives because suddenly the truth becomes clear: CHRIST IS OUR PURPOSE.

Following Christ then is the most spiritual and most logical decision we can ever make.

God Is In Our Favor

My son,” Abraham answered, “God will provide the sheep for the burnt offering.” Then the two walked on together. Gen. 22:8

Abraham, knowing that Isaac is the actual sacrifice, hoped in the Lord to provide a substitute for Isaac.  Having hope amidst desperate situations is what The Lord requires. As well as having faith that The Lord has a purpose for our obedience.

Having encountered The Truth--who is God, Abraham obeyed without question even if it was excruciating for him. I would have thought, "How can God ask this of me?" Yet an encounter with The Truth makes us realize that all we see are His--even our children, that He is good all the time, and that He always acts in our favor.

To Jesus Through Mary

I recently visited the Our Lady of Piat Bascilica in Cagayan Valley.  Thousands of devotees flock the Shrine, especially on July 2, it's feast day. It's one of the most venerated Marian images in the Philippines

Many miracles have been reported to happen through the Intercession of Our Lady of Piat.  To mention some are ending a persistent drought in 1624, boy recovering from insanity, a native from Piat freed from the grip of a crocodile, a child cured from leprosy, rescuing of drowning people in Pamplona, and other testimonies throughout time.

Yes, miracles happen. It's not old-fashioned belief. The same God Whose stories of miracles upon miracles are highlighted in the Bible is still performing miracles and very much alive today. Prayers made through the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary makes our faith stronger.  There is much power in intercession.

"This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation . . . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 969)

When we tell someone, "Please pray for me", we are are asking him/her to intercede for us.  If we ask others for their intercession, how much more powerful it would be if we ask the angels, saints, and especially Mama Mary to pray for us. 

Not only do those in heaven pray with us, they also pray for us. In the book of Revelation, John sees that "the twenty-four elders [the leaders of the people of God in heaven] fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (Rev. 5:8). Thus the saints in heaven offer to God the prayers of the saints on earth. (Source: Catholic.com)

To Jesus through Mary, may our faith increase and may the miracles we pray for be granted according to His will.
 

Smell Like Your Sheep

A brother in community shared something to me he read from a news column. He said "If you truly want to be a good shepherd, you must smell like your sheep."
As we mature in a Christian community, we are entrusted with a flock. How involved are we in the life of the sheep given us to care for?

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep. John 21:17

As we spend more time with our sheep, we will start to smell like them. We come to know how they live, their worries, their hopes and dreams, and their prayers. And by this immersion, we will learn how to feed them.

Christ the Good Shepherd, though in the heavens, came down on earth to be with us... to smell like us. Let us follow His example. As He feeds us, we are asked to feed others with His amazing love that we receive daily.
 

Remember Your Destination

Being on a 13-hour trip to the northen tip of the Philippines, Cagayan Valley, it allowed me some time for myself. Travel situates thinking time and more so, a super extended personal prayer time. This is I believe is one of the great blessings of mission. As we journey to our destination, we are led to also journey internally, to the depths of our minds and hearts.

Life is one big journey. Often, many are swayed by the evil one to forget that heaven is our final destination. Everyday, in this journey of life we are to take time for ourselves and be in God's presence. We are to search from within and continually ask Jesus, "Lord am I still on track?" If we feel the peace that we are still on a ride towards heaven, then praise God! But if we are detoured, side tracked, or have made a u-turn to the opposite direction (hell bound), then prayer and God's mercy will open our eyes to heaven's road signs.

By God's grace, we shall reach heaven. May we fix our eyes on Him!
 

Hunger for Learning

The hunger for knowledge and wisdom is a sign of humility. It expresses our admission that there is yet much to be learned. When one resigns from trying to gain wisdom from prayer or from others, he is a person lost in his purpose. Our brains are created by God to accommodate more than what we can learn in a lifetime. Scientists say that we are only using 10% of our brain cells.
The fastest way to learn is to be an apprentice to a master. To have a student-teacher kind of relationship makes us learn with more speed and better imagery than reading books alone. Because life is short, the more mentors we have in our lives, the more knowledge we gain.
Books are an attempt to fully transmit one's learning to another person. Yet written words have limitations, for it cannot capture the full emotions and the body language of the author.
May our lives be blessed with mentors that guide us and books that allow us access into the minds of people who are far and long gone.

Why History Is Important

The way to move forward is to have an understanding of the past.  History tells us,"we have done this, learn from it, build on it." An appreciation of history helps one become a visionary leader.  The farther we see the past, the farther we see the future. Often, one does not know his way forward because he doesn't know where he's been. 

If we take time at night to evaluate our day, tomorrow will surely be better. Each day is an opportunity to improve one's self. I heard from one of my leaders say, "The path to holiness is to become the best version of yourself." I also heard from a song, "I love you more today, than yesterday." Have we become more loving to others today, as compared to yesterday? Are we the best version of ourselves today?

If one knows much about the past, he should take time to write it and teach the new generation, especially of it's lessons. If one wishes to contribute to the future, he should seek out the pioneers and derive wisdom from their stories. This is how ideals survive and thrive. Let not what you start die with you and let not what you inherit be partial.

Stop Living in a Bubble

We bought this special bubble formula from the bazaar and had loads of fun when we got home. The kids couldn't wait to pop the bubbles.  The bigger they were, the more fun it would be to burst them. I imagined that if the formula were stronger, I could make a bubble big enough to "live in it."

At times, we hear the expression, "living in a bubble."  It means isolating yourself from the world, to protect yourself from possible dangers. There was even a movie in 2001, Bubble Boy, that literally depicted this idiom. Bubble boy was under the impression that he had to live in the bubble because he might get infected by the outside world.  But as it turned out, it was safe. It was because of the overly protective mother's idea that led to this predicament.

What is that risk that you should take to make life better?  Have you risked anything for God? Faith requires risk. St. Paul said in Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen."  Often when we hope for something, but before taking action, we wish to see it first before we believe it. Faith is evidence of things not seen.

God does not want us to live in a bubble. He wants us to go and live an exciting life. Not to play it too safe, but venture with the blessings God has given us. In the parable of the talents, Jesus pointed out how the master reprimanded the person who hid the one talent given to him. ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Matthew 25: 26-29)

Besides, the bubble decieves you to thinking that it will protect you. No bubble is infinitely stable. Sooner than expected, it will burst. What are the bubbles that we live in? What are we overprotecting ourselves from?

1. Overprotecting ourselves from the possibility of failure.

Still, the best way to learn is to actually fail at something.  I'm not talking about failing because of laziness or a lack of diligence, but failing despite giving our all.  Tom Peters would refer this as excellent failures.  Life is full of challenges and the fear of failure is something that traps us in a bubble. This makes us afraid of making bold decisions.  The fear of failure can paralyze our lives.

2. Overprotection from getting hurt

When somebody hurts us, specially a loved one, we tend to deflect from the possibility of getting hurt again. This makes our hearts closed to loving again. A betrayal is especially traumatic. We grieve over this hurt.  Often we make this hurt like a bubble to protect us from future hurts. I'd like to quoute a cartoon movie that I viewed with my kids, Tale of Desperaux. It says in the movie, "There is something greater than grief...forgiveness."  Once we forgive others, and especially ourselves, we can move forward in life and learn to love again. Yes, there is a possibility of getting hurt again, but one cannot experience the fullness of love unless the heart is open and vulnerable.  A good image of this is are the hearts of Jesus and Mary, crowned with thorns and pierced by a sword.

3.  Overprotecting the people, things, and the work we love

I love my kids and I'll die if I have to in order to protect them. But one day, when they are all grown up and capable to make decisions on their own, It'll be the time wherein I have to trust them in making the right choices and trust God that they be led to the right path.  We have to let go and let God. It is in empowering others that dignity is raised.  We cannot do everything for the people we love, especially when they have to really do it themselves like choosing the right course in college or answering to a vocation. 
Sometimes in work, because of our obsession for perfection, we hog all the work and end up tired while leaving others disempowered.
When we grow an attachment to things we love, like money or possessions, we can't bear to lose them.  We'll do anything to keep it, even by hook or by crook.  We cannot overprotect to the point of compromising our integrity and our faith.

Let us live freely! With full trust in the Lord, Peter, James and John left their nets and followed Jesus.  They let go of the very thing they knew and loved to do which is to be fishermen. Many of the apostles were persecuted, even martyred for the sake of Christ.  They even witnessed Jesus being nailed to the cross, and thought that all they did failed, until the Holy Spirit revived and empowered them to preach to the ends of the earth.

Let us go through life, full of faith in the Lord, willing to risk what we hold dear for the sake of His Name. Let us open our hearts, vulnerable to hurt, but entered with the grace of God to love others beyond our capacity. 

Filled, Changed, and Empowered Through Worship

http://www.cfcyfcilc.com/out-loud/

Giving honor, praise, and worship to our God. That's what I did together with 9,000 other young adults during the Liveloud Concert of CFC Youth For Christ.  It was awesome!

Here are some things I'd like to share about worship.

1. There is a hunger in us that only God can satisfy.

We are made for worship. When one does not discover God in his life, he tends to worship other things.  Things that are temporary and finite.  Money does not satisfy.  Man can never get enough of fame and recognition. People will fail us.  But God is perfect and infinite, and only in Him can we find our peace and contentment. Only in the worship of the One True God can our hunger be filled.  God is enough. Our hearts are restelss untily they rest in You (St. Augustine).

2. Worship is transformative. Sincere and reverent worship can change us.

Worship is a declaration that we do not lord over our own lives..  In worship, we are saying that only Jesus is Lord.  Being fully convicted about this, changes our whole outlook in life.  Every decision will be made with the thought, "Is this what the Lord wants?" Everytime we raise our hands to worship in full surrender, we are saying, "It's up to You Lord, take over."  Through genuine worship, our relationship with Christ deepens.  We come to trust in His plan, even though painful at times, because we know that Christ never fails. Our lives change because it has become a life of worship in the Lord.

3. Through Worship, the Holy Spirit empowers us to do the impossible.

We must remember that it is God whom we are addressing our worship. God, who parted the Red Sea. God, who created the Universe. God, who loves us immensely.  Worship is not just about getting excited or having that wonderful feeling, it's about giving honor to an ALL POWERFUL God.  If God wills to do the impossible through us, and if we desire it, then He will use us even beyond the capacity of our own abilities.

The ultimate worship experience is the Holy Eucharist.  Together with the invisible hosts of angels and Saints, we are one in worship with them everytime we attend Mass.

As we sing and dance in community prasie and worship-- be filled, be changed, and be empowered to do great things for our God! 

Being Christ to Others and Seeing Christ in Others

They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" (Luke 24:32)

I come to ponder on the thought about being Christ to others and seeing Christ in others.

Being Christ to Others. No longer I but Christ in me (Galatians 2:20). Knowing that Christ resides in us, gives us supernatural strength. For us to do His mission on earth, it requires His power. Pentecost made it known to us that the Gospel spread precisely because of the Power of the Holy Spirit.

When we recieve Christ's body and blood in Holy Communion, we are one with Him and strengthened by His grace.

In the Mass, after the sacrifice itself is completed, we have the unspeakable privilege of receiving the flesh and blood of the Divine Victim, who is not dead, but living, and comes to give life in abundance to our souls. This Holy Communion, if we are rightly disposed, produces an increase in sanctifying grace - the ability to take in the vision of God in the life to come - plus a special claim to actual graces as needed, forgiveness of venial sin for which one is repentant, help to keep from mortal sin, and an increase in the virtue of love.
--from Fr. William G. Most (http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/euchb2.htm)


Seeing Christ in Others. The walk to Emmaus allows us to reflect about Christ who is often with us, but whom we often fail to recognize. The idea of Christ in others is what Mother Teresa carries when serving others, specially the poor.

" I believe that we are not really social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of people. But we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we are touching the body of Christ twenty-four hours. We have twenty-four hours in His presence" -- from Mother Teresa's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, 1979

Having Christ in us and experiencing Christ through others leads us to a life of fullness in Christ.    For everywhere we look, whether inward or outward, we see the presence of Christ.  It is a life filled with passion, purpose, and missionary adventure.  In this way, man is fully alive and God's glory is revealed.  As St Irenaeus said, "The glory of God is man fully alive."

In my recent prayer time, I sensed the Lord saying, "Be faithful to Me, and I will show you how it is to truly live by My Spirit." Being Christ to others and Seeing Christ in others comes down to being consistently attuned to Him.  Being full of faith is what God requires as seen throughout the Bible and reflected in Hebrews 11. 

May we live our lives in the grace of the Lord, with hearts burning, knowing that He is in us and in the people around us. 

 

What a Glorious Mystery!

http://salesiansistersaes24.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/risen-christ.jpg

"He is risen!" How good must have this sounded in the ears of Christ's disciples.  Suddenly all Christ said made sense.

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,* and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. (John 2:19-22)


All hope is restored, fear is replaced by love.

What are the things that Christ wants us to do today that doesn't seem to make any sense? 

When I was 22, being a fresh engineering graduate, it did not make sense to "give it all up" to be a fulltime missionary.  Then when I got married, it did not seem to make sense to continue fulltime mission work.  Yet here I am, despite all the things that should have made sense in other people's minds, I continue to trust the peace that Christ gives me.  Yes, I still am a missionary, and mysteriously He continues to provide.  I believe one day with His grace, when in Heaven, it will all make perfect sense.  For what are our thoughts compared to His thoughts? 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
my thoughts higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9)

We are all called to serve a greater purpose.  It might not make sense now why you should use your profession or circumstance to spread and build God's kingdom. You might be laughed at, even persecuted. Buy hey, that's always been the story of Christians through history.  What has been consistent all through out the life of the Church are the persecutions. It did not make sense to the world why Christians were willing to be eaten by lions or be stoned to death for the sake of Christ. But through this, Christianity even spread more.  These are God's ways, wierd and mysterious as it may seem to us, but to the All Knowing and All Powerful it does not only make sense but it is The Way.  As we faithfully endure in carrying our daily cross (often struggling and rationalizing why this cross), there is always the promise of resurrection, of heaven, of eternal life in the Lord.  As shown by Jesus, the Resurrection will always be a Glorious Mystery!

Let the grace of peace in our hearts to do God's work satisfy our senses and bring us to the hope in partaking in the Glorious Mystery of His Resurrection. Happy Easter!

Encouraging Others to Succeed

Last month, our kids had a Sportsfest in school which involved us, the parents. They belonged to different teams according to their level. We were cheering on the sides, giving them the encouragement they needed. We'd shout, "Go Sev!" or "You can do it Kaitlyn!" We cheered on to make them strive harder and to diffuse their doubts. Our kids won some medals and we were very proud of them.

Are you an "encourager?" Do you cheer for other people to help them succeed? The world we live in is very competitive and we find ourselves in this race to success. We strive to reach our goals, so we work hard and jump at opportunities. We tend to look at our status and ask ourselves, "How am I doing compared to my peers?" While we are busy trying to reach the top to get the gold, there are those who are left behind and struggling. The question is, "Do we even care?"

Christ does.

He came from heaven to earth, died on the cross, and rose from the grave so people may join Him in the ultimate finish line...heaven. To achieve a relationship with Jesus is the true gold medal in life. There can be no real success apart from the Lord.

How can we help others succeed in life and in their salvation?

1. Praise others for their strengths.

Each of us is endowed with a gift. This gift is something that we do better than most people. When we recognize this in a person, remind him of how good he is with this talent. This positive input can go a long way in boosting one's confidence.  This will be a source of affirmation and will help in pressing on when times get rough.

2. Support others in their weaknesses.

Instead of just criticizing, loving correction is a better option. When we criticize, we just simply say something negative. When we correct, we first discuss the strong points then identify the areas for improvement, in the most loving way. We encourage him or her to strive harder. We cheer them on.  When a correction is due, the usual problem is that we do not want to experience the discomfort in confronting the person. When a person hears feedback by means of gossip, this will pull him down and even cause anger. Supporting others in their weaknesses will let them realize that there are still people who love and care for them.

3. Lead them to Christ.

The best way to help people succeed is to lead them to Christ, Who wants us to live in abundance. Our hope should be in Christ and not in money, fame, or power. The devil lures mankind to the wrong kind of success. Satan offers fake gold which fades.  The evil one leads the proud to the finish line of suffering and torment. In Jesus, even if we will just live a simple lifestlye, our joy will be immense.

Along the way, some people cheered us on to be able to achieve our goals at the moment. Let us thank these people. Now, it is our turn to cheer for others, even if we ourselves are currently struggling. For it is in giving encouragement that we ourselves also gain it. When we become selfless, we transcend to a higher idea of fulfillment and success. I honor the educators who use their intelligence, skills, and even pass up financial opportunities in order to mold young minds. They find their joy in seeing their students succeed in life. Like our parents, they too are our avid cheerleaders on the sidelines while we run towards our goals of learning. Their example help us understand that for everybody to win, we have to put others first.

So we cheer each other on towards growing in our faith. Go, go, go for Christ! We can do it for the Lord!

Viral Faith

Faith is strengthened when it is given to others. -Redemptoris Missio

Today, I acquired this flu virus that's been spreading in the office these past few weeks. I thought I'd be strong enough to resist, but no, I still caught it.

It made me reflect on "Faith going viral". Are we spreading the faith? Are we contagious witnesses of the Good News?

Evangelization, though challenging, has a very simple faith formula: "Love one another as I have loved you (John 13:34)." If we can love others like Christ does, then faith shall spread. Consistent witnessing is tantamount to growth in evangelization.

Bishop Ambo, in his homily said "Bad news is contagious but Good news is even more contagious." The question we can ask ourselves is "Do we bring good news?" How often do we catch ourselves complaining, blaming, and frustrated? As if hope is gone.

People compromise their faith because of the loss of hope. The hope that one day, corruption will be a thing of the past or spouses will be more faithful to their vows or teens will save sex for marriage, will keep us striving for the ideal and not settle for less. When society becomes less hopeful, compromises happen. That's when laws that are anti-life start to get proposed. When society loses its faith in God, its concept of hope diminishes. But love can bring it back. If we love with the strength that comes from God, then anything is possible.

Faith, hope, and love are indeed connected to each other. St. Paul pointed out, "And the greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:13)."

Let us spread faith and hope by being infected with the contagious love of Christ.
 

Zero Tolerance

Why should any human being in the world be merely tolerated? What man has ever made a sacrifice in the name of tolerance? It leads men, instead, to express their own egotism in a book or a lecture that patronizes the downtrodden group. One of the cruelest things that can happen to a human being is to be tolerated. Never once did Our Lord say, “Tolerate your enemies!” But He did say, “Love your enemies; do good to them that hate you” (Matt. 5:44). Such love can be achieved only if we deliberately curb our fallen nature’s animosities.” -Fulton J. Sheen, Peace of Soul

There are many instances that we just let the wrong doing of others pass us by.  We tend to "tolerate" it and just keep it to ourselves.  But if we look deeper, we just don't want to be aggraivated by the situation or we just want to evade the person.  As Sheen would put it, One of the cruelest things that can happen to a human being is to be tolerated.

Loving your enemies is the Christian response to those whom we easily despise or to those who have wronged us.  To love is to be in an uncomfortable situation, where our humility is tested and our patience is challenged.  Jesus, despite knowing the criticisms he will get for entering the home of Zacchaeus the tax collector (Luke 19:1-12), didn't mind for love and salvation was His agenda.  Who was Zacchaeus? A rich "publican," that is, a tax collector for the Roman authorities, and precisely for this he was regarded as a public sinner (Benedict XVI).

The love of Christ transformed this public sinner.  Zacchaeus offered half of his possessions to be given to the poor and to pay back four times of whatever was extorted.  Salvation has come for this sinner.

Christ does not tolerate, He loves.  And so must we.

Radical Kindness

image from  http://thefilmstage.com/reviews/review-les-miserables/

The movie Les Miserables depicts how radical kindness can impact the lives of many. The Bishop's gesture to Jean Valjean made ripples of hope for others.

By God's grace, an act of unexpected generosity and selfless giving can change a person.

Who would have expected that Christ would suffer and die a shameful death? He gave of Himself, radically and unexpectedly, as a ransom for our sins. And so we are saved, as well as those to whom we evangelize.

Upon experiencing Christ fully, through people and through prayer, one cannot help but to also be Christ to others and see Christ in others. As Les Miserables' most famous line goes, "To love another person is to see the face of God."

Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. (John 13:34)

When was the last time that we gave unexpectedly?  Are we ready to do an act of radical kindness?

What's in it for God?

John Maxwell writes about how to check our motives in pursuing unselfish thinking. He described what Benjamin Franklin does in order to do this. According Maxwell, everyday Franklin asks himself two questions, "What good am I going to do today?" And before sleeping, he'd ask, "What good have I done today?

In a world where most people are motivated by thinking "What's in it for me?", we can go against the norm by thinking "What's in it for God?" For God wants us to serve Him by helping others.

In Mark Chapter 3:10, Jesus cures the sick despite being in discomfort.

"He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him."

Some things to ponder:

When we do good, do we expect recognition or a pat on the back?

When we help, is God glorified?

Lord, purify our motives. Grant us the grace to be unselfish. May the love that you fill in our hearts overflow into generous service for others.