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.

JP2: Church is Mission!

We visited the exhibit of the Relics of Blessed Pope John Paul II.  It was in Gateway Mall.  Many people were there, mostly surprised and delighted that there was a display about the holy objects.  But what was also fascinating were the different quotes from Homilies that he gave in different places. One of many particularly caught my attention.  The one he gave on June 6, 2004 in Switzerland.  He exhorts...

Dear friends, the Church is mission! Today she also needs "prophets" who can reawaken in the communities faith in the revealing Word of God, who is rich in mercy. The time has come for preparing young generation of apostles who are not afraid to proclaim the Gospel. It is essential for every baptized person to pass from a faith of habit to a mature faith that is expressed in clear, convinced and courageous personal choices."

1. The Church is Mission!  In my reflection we need to be going out and to boldly regain territories that have been dominated by evil. Like media, politics, and business.  Ironically at the other end of the mall was an autograph signing by a popular men's magazine that feature nudity.  We are being desensitized by the enemy into accepting evil practices as a social norm, until it becomes the law of the land as in the case of many anti-life bills.  We, the church, are called to be missionaries for we are sent to witness God's love to others and stand up for Him.  We are meant to go out and make disciples. But JP2 also reminds us that the Church itself is also a mission area.  We also need Church Renewal so we can be a strong force to battle evil in our society and the world.  One of the ways to actualize this is to be part of a prayer group, a Christian community, be active in Church service, wherein we can be formed and be sent to live out our mission.

2. We need "prophets" who can reawaken faith.  Many of us Christians are 'non-practicing.' We go through the rituals of our religion but forget to practice our faith.  There is a need to reveal the Word of God to others through the lives we live.  How can we reawaken the faith in others? By making the faith awake and alive in our own words and specially our deeds.

3. Preparing young generations of apostles. Much of my formation and conversion was when I joined CFC Youth for Christ in 1995.  There I realized that together with other young people, it is possible to live out my faith in an environment where Christ is upheld and our talents were used to serve Him. I experienced my first mission when I went to Lilo-an, Cebu to start YFC there together with others my age. Since then, mission has been a great part of my life. Now that I am in Couples for Christ, I will never forget how the community has molded me in my youth and helped me in my most trying times.  We are to capture the youth, so when they become the decision makers of society, they will carry in them the experience of Christ and apply it in their profession.

4. Clear, Convinced, and Courageous personal choices.  This is the challenge to many of us who have a "lukewarm" approach to our Christianity.  Many of us do not wish to make a stand. But the truth is that if we do not make a stand, we have already made a stand to sit on the fence and accept the crisis that is before us.  Are we really for Jesus?  Then let us take a look at our business dealings if they are for Christ.  If you are a student, take a look if you are honest and hardworking in your studies. To be clear is not to mar our lifestyle with compromises. To be convinced is to root our decisions to God's word. To be courageous to finally take action for the sake of Christ.

The Church is Mission.  Let us ponder on that. We need to strengthen those who are within the church. We need only look around us, our family, our neighbors, our city.  Let us be inspired by Blessed John Paul II's words. Let us do mission, also from within, so we can be strong, revitalized, and on fire for God's will.

A Thousand Lives

September 28 is San Lorenzo's feast day. The first Filipino Saint. Before his death he said, "Isa akong Katoliko at buong pusong tinatanggap ang kamatayan para sa Panginoon, kung ako man ay may sanlibong buhay, lahat ng iyon ay iaalay ko sa Kanya." (English: I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly accept death for the Lord; if I have a thousand lives, all of them I will offer to Him.)

 Along with him in his martyrdom were about 50,000 other Christian Martyrs (source). Today, the subject of dying for one's faith is hardly talked about or even entertained in our minds. Here we see the saint's conviction. How is our conviction for our faith? How many times have we denied our faith in the face of simple peer pressure? 

Is Christ truly worth sacrificing our own lives? The answer is yes. It all boils down to knowing the truth about our lives.  Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live (John 11:25).  Martyrs understood this truth. Lorenzo Ruiz got it as well.

But we are also called to live for Christ. How do we live then?

1. Live with conviction.  The Apostle's Creed is our conviction.  The first line says, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty."  Believing in God makes us live our lives with meaning.  When we acknowledge God, we know that there is Someone bigger than us or Someone more important than anything we hold dear.  God is Someone we offer our lives to, even a thousand times over.

2. Live a life of prayer. Being in constant communication with God leads to become focused and directed to our mission.  It is easy to forego prayer, because no one checks on us if we pray or not. Prayer time is a test of our integrity.  One who prays acknowledges that he or she cannot do without God for the day.  Prayer makes our conviction strong and helps us to be emboldened to serve our Lord.

3. Live a life of service. The act of breathing is to, "Breathe in and breathe out."  Try breathing in continuously without breathing out and we find ourselves in need of release.  Service is about giving and it is necessary for a healthy life. Without service, we are sure to die of our own greed and depression.  Helping the poor will teach us things no other formation module can give us.  To share your life through service is a way to live life to the full.

May we live our lives with conviction, prayer, and service. May the martyrdom of San Lorenzo Ruiz inspire us to stand up for our faith and encourage us to give our all for Jesus. 

Honoring God through Excellence

We give honor to God by striving to be excellent through the talents, opportunities, work, and service He gives us. If we have to be God's servants, we need to desire to be God's excellent servants, giving 100% for Him. Excellence requires focus, conviction and commitment.

Focus by learning to prioritize. Even giving up other responsibilities to be able to devote more time and attention to the main goal. Without the right focus, there is a great possibility of being mediocre to all your supposed engagements. We might disappoint some people by turning down some offers of service, work, or business, but the return to your main priority will be great. By focusing, we can give full strength to the very thing we hope to achieve. When we focus, we learn to sort the clutter in our lives and realize the most important things we should do first. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13)

We have to be convicted in what we do. Being convicted is preceded by a journey towards clarity of purpose and arriving at the point of having inner peace. When we are convinced that what we do is part of a greater purpose that God wants for our lives, then we are able to brave all kinds of trials and challenges. When convicted, we are held "prisoners" to our beliefs. We are captured to the idea of our mission. I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received (Ephisians 4:1).

Commitment will sustain us through the rough times. At the point of giving up and even losing heart, commitment will allow us to persevere and move forward. When the excitement is lost, the commitment should stay. A commitment is a bond, a promise. To be a committed person is to be a person of character and integrity. Promises made, promises kept. Excellence resides in people who can truly stick through the difficult times and stay true to their word. You will honor God through this genuine act of service because of your commitment to spread the Good News of Christ and because of your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else (2 Corinthians 9:13).

It is not easy to gain focus, conviction, and commitment. We have to come to a point of humility and surrender, so the Holy Spirit may give us the strength and guidance to achieve these three. Let us continue to honor Him by desiring to be excellent servants of God and letting His love shine in what we do.