Words That Build

A priest said in his homily, "Words lose their meaning if they are not born out of silence."  Often we neglect the value of contemplation.  To set aside time to reflect and consult our thoughts to the Lord is very important amidst the busy world we live in today.  We have heard of the saying, "Silent waters run deep."

Some things to think about before speaking our minds:
1. Do my words add value to the other person?
2. Is it necessary for me to give my opinion?
3. Have I prayed about this statement I will make?
4. Am I reacting recklessly without understanding the situation?


If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal (1 Cor.13:1).

The words that come from our mouths should be able to build up, not destroy.  We have to speak in the language of love.  Just as the tongue is destructive, it can also be very upbuilding.  Words that build have a deep foundation.  The foundation of love.

Let us honor others as often as we can and be generous in praise.  Let our words be music to the ears of God and men.

Rejected for the Sake of Christ

Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the scriptures:  ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes’? (Matthew 21: 42)


This is an interesting passage from the Bible. but I always wondered what cornerstone meant. Here's a definition from Wikipedia:

The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure (Wikipedia).

How often are we being teased of being a member of a prayer group?  I remember I was fondly called "Father Kirby" by some of my friends because I went to prayer meetings.  But I noticed later that those who made fun of me often confided with me in their most difficult and hurtful life situations.  At the end they asked me to pray for them.

We experience rejection at different degrees.  There's a subtle rejection through teasing or being referred as weird.  Another degree is when you stand up for your Christian values in a corrupt environment, then you are branded as "a person hard to get along with." Another is when one feels the call to be a missionary or to be a priest, but his own family and friends reject the idea.

What should be our philosophy in times of rejection?  Here are some reflections:


1. It is an honor to be rejected for the sake of Christ. 
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed (1 Peter 4:13).  In life we get rejected for many reasons.  We may get rejected because of our lack of ability or our physical appearance.  But if we are rejected because of Christ, then what an honor to have represented Him and to have been truly loyal to Him.


2. Draw strength of conviction from your rejection

Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ;e for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).3.

The experience of rejection helps us to be emptied or stripped of our pride.  When pride is gone and humility is practiced, then the full strength of the Holy Spirit will be experienced.  For the Spirit dwells in a humble and contrite heart.


3. God's acceptance is more important than man's rejection
If we are on the side of truth and yet we are rejected, we can only have the peace in our hearts that we did our best to represent the teachings of our Lord.  His righteousness is beyond our life on earth. What is more important than man's rejection is our acceptance in the Lord.  Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me  (Luke 10:16).”


The challenge of evangelization is how not to repel people and lose the chance of bringing them to the Lord. We must therefore have the zeal for righteousness by being an example, a true witness of God's transforming love.  We have to be in the world but not of the world.  If by our witnessing we are rejected, then what a privilege to have taken one for the team.


Why is Christianity alive until today?  I believe a major factor is because of the sacrifices of those who were rejected and martyred for the sake of Christ.

A Perspective On Livelihood

As a birthday gift, I gave my 3 year old son, Sev, a ukulele. He loves it so much. He brings his ukulele everywhere. In the office, in the mall, in the sala, in the bedroom, you name it. He does his best to sing worship songs. His favorites so far are 'Worship the Lord' and 'How Great is our God.' He strums and strums and sings his heart out. He is so happy playing his ukelele. He even made a song called, 'Hippopotamus.' During Mass, he tries to keep up with the music ministry by strumming along. Today, while the other fulltime workers were worshipping, he was even closing his eyes and trying to sing the songs. I saw in Sev something he really loves doing.

What is it that we love doing so much? What is the very thing that we do that ignites our hearts? What makes us sing with joy when we do such a thing? They say, "Find something you love doing, and you don't have to work a single day."

This reminds me of our livelihood. Our daily work, whether at work or in school. The word livelihood' comes from “lyuelode,” a 14th century Old English word which means “the way of life” or “the manner of living one’s life.” Since it is a way of life that supports our personal and family's needs, is our livelihood, life giving? Many of us complain about our jobs or livelihood more than we are thankful for it. For some, it's all about logging in on time and logging out on time and making sure we get paid for our work. I believe we have to assess some key points in our livelihood. We ask, "What is our company's end goal? It's vision and mission?" Is it something we believe in? Is it something we are proud of? What are the values that we are practicing or pursuing in our livelihood? Is it being lived out or is it compromised? Is what we are doing pleasing to the Lord? My perspective is that it would be great if we are in a livelihood that we are truly passionate about. But even if we land on something that is not fully aligned to our passion, I believe we have to sincerely consider these three important things. First, we dedicate all our works to the Lord, making us strive for excellence. Second, our character and integrity are not to be compromised. This will allow us to live a life of dignity and righteousness. Third, we think beyond our profit goals and see ourselves contributing to the noble vision of the workplace, specially if it is compatible with our Christian values. This will remind us that the little and big things we do lead to something worthwhile. With these, we gain peace. With these, we honor God.

Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better (Colossians 1:10).

Let us remember that our livelihood gives us life and not the opposite. May we do our work passionately like how my son plays his ukulele. Let us grow in loving our work, fully dedicating it to our Lord Jesus.

Building and Honoring God's Gifts

I was watching History channel today. The episode was about the History of America, particularly about how the Statue of Liberty was mounted in New York. It was a gift from France to the United States as a thank you for helping them obtain their independence, and as a way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of America's independence. The different parts of the statue came in gigantic crates. Now, the problem of the city was that it was too expensive to actually to put up the statue. They didn't have the money to build it. The gift meant a lot and it was important to honor it. The people were determined to build it. The one who lead the construction, Joseph Pulitzer, was also the owner of the most popular newspaper of that time. Through print media, they asked the people of New York to help build the statue. After the sound off for support, money came in through letter envelopes. There were 120,000 people who gave money and most of them gave less than a dollar. Amazingly, through the help of the people they were able to raise more than enough money to be able to put up the statue.

The Statue of Liberty is like God's gifts to us. We have been given great gifts from the Lord, but we have to build it up. We have our talents, our family, our friends, our jobs and many more. But for us to realize the full potential of these gifts, we have to ask others for help. We need them to be able to put together the different pieces of God's gifts to us. If God gifted us with the talent for leadership, we need to be mentored by different people and gain insights so the gift may be harnessed. God has given to us the gift of family and we need each member to contribute so that the family will stand strong. The gift of our jobs or businesses can only grow if we have co-workers and customers. The gift of our creative talents like playing an instrument, painting, singing, dancing, and writing will be maximized if we actually study and asked to be taught by others. To achieve something great through our gifts, we need other people.

If we have to build something great out of our lives by allowing God to fully use us, our vision for ourselves must also be clear. What do we envision ourselves to be? What do we see ourselves doing for the Lord? It helps if we start to draft a personal vision and mission statement. "Each one, as a good manager of God's different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God (1 Peter 4:10)."

Another insight I got is that the people of New York were excited to help because they were awed by the possibility of this grand vision. For us to be able to get people to support our cause, the vision must be as clear as building the Statue of Liberty. It should be something that excites and captivates the imagination. The vision should make our hearts long for its completion.

God has a great plan for our lives. "I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for (Jer 29:11)." With this great plan comes great gifts. May we be able to build up and honor God's gifts so His glory may be seen throughout the world.

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.