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!

A Paradigm Shift on Holiness and Hopefulness

I came upon this heater resembling an electric fan. I just found it awkward to see an electric fan doing the opposite function of what I'm used to in the Philippines. To me, the heater fan impressed me as strange, but surely this appliance must be common to the people in China who experience winter.

When Jesus came to earth to save mankind, it must have been strange for the Jews that their expected Savior turned out to be a carpenter's son.  For generations, their paradigm has been a savior king with all his might and glory. Instead, someone from Nazareth claims to be the Son of God, their Savior.  Although Jesus showed all the signs and wonders as being the One, many still could not accept it. John confirms Jesus as the Messiah for what is written in the Old testament is being fulfilled.


The disciples of John told him about all these things. John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” When the men came to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” At that time he cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind.And he said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. (Luke 7:18-22)

We now come to reflect on our own paradigms.  What paradigms do we have that need to shift? Just because we feel strange about something, it doesn't mean it is not the truth. I now propose two paradigms due for shifting.

1. The paradigm that we can never be holy.  This is different from being "holier than thou." I also do not claim that I have reached holiness. I am proposing that holiness should be something we should never dismiss. Otherwise we will be using this always as an excuse to sin.  We are to strive in growing in holiness in everyday of our lives. "but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,for it is written, “Be holy because I [am] holy.""(1 Peter 1: 15-16). It may be strange or even impossible for us to think of achieving holiness, but we look upon the saints who like us are humans, also vulnerable to sin, but lived out a life pleasing to the Lord.

2. The paradigm that there is no hope for change.  When we look at our society, like in the Philippines, the poverty we see in the streets and structural sins of corruption can easily lead us to resign from hoping for change.  Even when we look at many 1st world countries who have fully integrated the culture of death through legalizing contraceptives, abortion, and even prostitution, it will be convenient for us to give up hope and just go with the flow of immoral societal behavior. But Paul encourages us, "Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9)." Whether reaping the harvest will happen in our lifetime or beyond it, what is important is that we contribute to the process of change towards a Christ-centered society.  After all, what is required of us is faithfulness. Success is the Lord's.

The journey towards holiness is the path to hope. For how can we change the world, if we ourselves do not?  The day to day struggle to be holy and overcoming our personal sins, in effect is our way to bring about change in society.

Let us not shrug the possibility of being a holy person. For if we do, we also have given up on change.  The paradigm shift, the strange feeling, of accepting God's will for us to grow in holiness is the mindset we now have to embrace.

The Meaning of New Year's Resolution

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind had conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Cor 2:9."


It's a brand new year, and it's once again time for our New Year's resolution.  But what does it really mean?

According to Macmillan's Dictionary, New Year's resolution means "a decision that you make on the first day of the year about the things that you intend to do or stop doing during that year."

Let me dissect this definition. 

A Decision... 

a resolution is first and foremost a decision. When we decide, say, to lose weight, this will be regardless later on whether we will feel like it or not.  Once you decide, you have to stick to it or else nothing significant is going to happen.  You can tell this decision to a friend or your spouse so you can be accountable to someone and to have a person that reminds you of your commitment.

 ...Made on the first day of the year...

This would mean that during the holiday break, you might have done some soul searching or deep thinking that lead you to that resolution. So on the first day, the resolutions would have been already processed or best, prayed for. The first day is significant because it symbolizes a new hope. There is a strong sense of renewal on the first day.  But of course, some of us may not have read this post on January 1st, so choose your first day whether it be the first day of work or school.

...About things you intend to do... What are the things that you need to continue? What are the new things that you are willing to start? You can start to list about ten things that excite you. It may be a passion you wish to pursue or a basic skill that you always put off (like swimming or driving).  Maybe you want to set your financial goals for the year. It can also be an opportunity to start to write your life dreams, and how you intend to start pursuing it starting this year. Top on the list can be to have a more faithful time of prayer, 'cause all the rest will successfully flow from this.  

...or things you intend to stop doing...  

Now this part is serious. There are things that we habitually do that hinder our growth:  a favorite sin, vices that kill our body (smoking, drinking, food with much cholesterol), impatience, laziness, and procrastination, among other things. By God's grace we can stop these. We need the Holy Spirit, a supernatural strength, to overcome our human weakness. We can start through repentance, having faith, forgiving, and the process of healing and strengthening will follow.  

...during that year. 

It's time bound! It's for the specific year. This means you have to carefully plan and decide on the things you can accomplish this year.  In fact, you should be able to schedule it, take a leave for it, and mark it on your planner.  If you are a good planner when it comes to your work or in your studies, you should also be the same when it comes to your personal and family life.

With God, we can do it! 2012 here we come!

"For nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37)."

The "Change Begins with Me" Mind-set

Last Sunday, we went to the 1st year anniversary of the Holy Mass Celebration in a place where we used to live in Taguig. My wife Michelle initiated in arranging for that 1st mass, and I assisted in the choir. During the announcements, I was delighted hear that a Christian Life Program of Couples for Christ will be conducted for the residents starting on Sept 9 in a nearby clubhouse.
We are happy that our simple efforts were blessed by the Lord to bear fruit that remains.

Here are some of my reflections on Initiating:

"If not you, then who?" Everybody is just waiting for somebody to start it. If you really believe in something, might as well be you who should initiate.

"If not now, when?" Procrastination is an element of sloth. There is no better time to start but today. Start to do the little things that will lead to your goal.
Launching something takes much energy and effort. Just like a rocket shuttle, most of the fuel and energy is consumed at launching. But when it is already up there, then it will continuously run with lesser effort.

"Change begins with me" should be the mind set of every Christian. Initiative is a value we hope to develop in the new generation of Christians. We are living in a world where evil is very aggressive. We cannot wait for others if the Lord's call is clear to you. "Here I am! (Gen. 22:1)"


Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld

No Boring Day With The Lord

While in Papua New Guinea, I was told that "Good Night" meant good evening.  So, when we started off our meeting at 7pm, I had to say good night to everyone.  

This is just one of the things I had to get used to while being away from the Philippines.  I had to get used to the time difference in Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. I had to endlessly get used to the right hand drive set up. I had to adjust to using Kina or Australian dollar instead of Peso (always multiplying in my head).  And just when I got used to the changes, it was time for me to head back home for the Philippines.

When I look back at those adjustments I had to make, it was both fun and exciting for me.  You'd find me laughing every time I made a mistake in opening the wrong car door or taking time to pay because I had to find out how much in Peso am I spending my lunch on.  It was exciting because it was not routine, it was a disruption of what I was comfortable doing everyday. 

The Lord wants us to live an exciting life.  He wants to disrupt our routine.  One day he tells Peter, James, and John:

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men (Mt. 4:19)."

Surely, their fishing routine was changed.  When we serve the Lord, no two days will be the same. Our days will be filled with endless possibilities.  Who will I bring closer to God today?  Who shall I pray for?  Lord, where are you sending me today?  What are you telling me through Today's Gospel?  These questions will help us live a boring-free life. 

The things that God asks us to do may not always be something we are used to doing.  It may not fall within our areas of strength.  We might even find ourselves laughing at some bloopers of our attempts in evangelizing others.  But at the end of the day, we are excited because it was out of the ordinary, out of our routine.  There is no boring day with the Lord.

Lord, we know that you have a specific mission for all of us.  And in this mission, help us to see every discomfort as an opportunity to live a more exciting life with You. Amen.

We Can Change the World

Now in Singapore and only 2 days to go before the 13th International Kids' Village (IKV).  It's really happening. A year ago, it was impossible to many people's opinions to hold the IKV outside the Philippines. There were many hindrances; the cost, the distance, the time of the year (December rush), the fee, to name a few.  But it's Christ call that's more important.  The call to raise a generation who will Renew the Face of the Earth, a generation of World Changers! The cause is truly greater than the cost.  From a previously targeted 400 participants, we are now almost 700 delegates.  We had to change our 3rd day venue to accommodate this sudden increase of delegates.

Here are some of my reflections.  

We are only limited by our own imagination.  Christ has given us all an extraordinary gift, our imagination.  He inspires us to dream big for Him, to dare great things for Him.  He is honored when we ask from Him what our human mind and strength seemingly cannot achieve.  For if we do what we know we can achieve, is there room for God to do His miracles and wonders?

Know that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.  If we are not reminded of the 'why,' then the 'how' is hard to come by.  People who clearly understand the value of what they are fighting for, will die willingly for the cause.  This was evident during medieval times, when nations were conquering nations.  For us, it's not only about what we are fighting for, but it's about for whom we are fighting for.  We are in this for Jesus Christ.  And we are here to spread His kingdom on earth. His mission is totally bigger than ourselves, and there is no time to be self-centered.

Our fear is overcome by our faith and love for God. When treading the unknown and inconveniencing other people along the way, fear creeps in.  The amount of fear we have measures our lack of faith. "If it's You Lord, I will go" as Peter would say when about to walk on water.  If our faith and love for God is greater than our fears, then we will start to walk on water and see the impossible become possible. He will send the right people and inspire us with His wisdom.

Can we really change the world for Jesus? Sounds impossible, but it is really up to God to make it happen.  We only have to heed His call and be available for Him to use us powerfully.  Join us, as we dream of a world changed by Christ.

Changed by Christ

I just came from a conference of Kids for Christ couple coordinators of Metro Manila. There were about 350 coordinators present, devoting their time in the service to build a new generation that will proclaim Christ and bring great change in the world. The theme was "Changed by Christ."

We come to realize that Christ desires change in our whole being. He can change how we see things, how we feel for others, how we do our work, and where we want go. But we need to surrender to Him our eyes, heart, hands, and feet...our whole self. When we let Him take over, He lets our eyes see visions, our hearts love without condition, our hands build the mission, and our feet be led to the right direction. We want come to the point of having to declare, "No longer I, but Christ (Galatians 2:20)."

It is always difficult to embrace change. Change would mean having to adapt to a new system and to drop old habits. One of the sharers in that conference testified that he was once one of the top 3 in the wanted list of drug pushers in Metro Manila. Upon hearing her mother pray to God, the Holy Spirit touched him. He didn't push through with a big time drug deal on that day. He asked for forgiveness and decided to do rehabilitation. The doctor said that it would take a year to get the drugs out of his system. But with God's grace, in 6 months, he was clean of drugs. He then got married and joined Couples for Christ and is now testifying God's goodness not only in the Philippines but also in many countries. From a pusher to an evangelizer. Truly, He was Changed by Christ.

May we come before God and offer our whole selves to Him. As we individually experience being changed by Christ, the people around us are affected by this change, and in turn the community of the people around us are also positively affected. One day, these ripples of change will reach far and wide, until we will see our whole world changed by Christ.