Build With Excellence

Today I was in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. I can't help but be awed by it's size and beauty. The details of the artwork on every corner is very impressive. The church was consecrated in 1147 and it is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna.

The people in the 12th Century really put much value in the construction of the churches. You could feel the level of excellence they put in the building of the cathedral. I observed that there are so many sculptures all over the church; in the ceiling, the walls, the pulpits, the posts, the doors and many more. After 900 years, this structure has survived wars and fires, and is continually nourishing its parishioners with the Eucharist and the other sacraments.

Reflecting on this, how excellent are we when it comes to our work and service? How much value are we putting into them? Are we building our work and service to last? What I learned from witnessing this marvelous church is that, if we put much value and excellence in what we do, our work will survive even beyond our own lifetime. Our desire is that whatever we started will continue for years to come. In the case of the St. Stephen Cathedreal, this excellent structure has lasted for 900 years already.

In World War II, It was even saved from intentional destruction when a Captain Gerhard Klinkicht of the German forces disregarded orders from the city commandant, Sepp Dietrich, to "fire a hundred shells and leave it in just debris and ashes (wikipedia)." I think that the Captain couldn't take it upon himself to destroy such magnificent structure and place of worship. People will help preserve and protect work that is done with much excellence. Presently, the cathedral is undergoing some preservation work and cleaning up, so it can last for centuries to come.

There were so many tourists that went to see the Cathedral. They took pictures and many of them went to Mass as well. As for me, I didn't understand a word since it was in German. But despite that, I couldn't deny the holy presence of God within the walls of this hallowed Cathedral during mass. It was as if I was transported through time, imagining that 900 years ago, people went to Holy Mass, and shared in the Body of Christ just as I did today. A work that is built excellently will benefit not only the maker but hundreds and thousands other people who are touched of its beauty and purpose.

May we devote ourselves to work and service wherein we can build great value and excellence. If you are in a business, may you work with excellence so it may last for many years. If you are in the service of the Lord, may you shepherd people and communities excellently towards God for generations to come. "The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock (Matthew 7:28)."

We Are All God's Children

August 6, 2010, 10pm, Doha, Qatar Airport

I just arrived in Doha Airport after 8 hours of travel. It’s 10pm and my flight is still at 7:50am the next day. It’s a long lay-over, the longest I’ve been. In the airport I see a lot of people waiting for their boarding, people of different races and nationalities. Here all of us are the same. No rich no poor, no white or black (or brown), all of us are travellers waiting for our flight.

How does God see us? Does He look at the color of our skin or our status in life? I believe that God sees only one thing, His children. All of us are God’s children, no matter who we are on this earth. Whether rich or poor, powerful or deprived, intelligent or simple minded, He only looks at the heart of His children. He sees the purity in our hearts, our intentions and our desires. As our Father, He knows us best. But how are we to act as His children?

As children, we act with dependence on God. The moment we try to figure out life without asking help from God our father, we become lost. Like the prodigal son, who thought he got things figured out but ended up squandering his money and eating with pigs. Being dependent on God makes us ask for His guidance and blessings. God is generous to His children, we need only ask.

As children, we act with honor and reverence to God. Being children, our actions reflect on our parents. When we commit a grievance, we bring shame to our parent’s name. Our parents, in their capacity, do all they can to raise us to be proper. But sometimes, our choice of actions is opposite to what we were taught. God our Father, has provided us guidance and teachings through His church. We know what is right or wrong, yet we dishonor him with our behaviour. May we be conscious of our actions and do things that will honor God. When someone thanks and honors us for the good service that we do, our answer is, “Praise God.” We give the glory back to Him and bring honor to His name.

As children, we act with love and kindness to our brothers and sisters. It is important for God to see His children living in peace and harmony. He sent his begotten Son, Jesus, to show us the way. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you (John).” Jesus, our big brother, taught us how to relate with one another. He even said, “Love your enemies.” Let us avoid the posture and attitude of Cain when he answered God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” God the father, is delighted to see His children look out for one another.

We are all the same in the Father’s eyes. We are all loved. Let us then be the children God envisions us to be.

Stillness

Aug 6, 2010 5:30 pm Manila

I’m now in NAIA 1 airport waiting to board bound for Doha with a final destination to Vienna. It’s going to be a long flight, with hours just sitting and reflecting. Probably catch on with some sleep. As I travel, I realize that in life, there are times that we are brought to a point of stillness. Sometimes, we are made still even if it’s not our choice. Like this flight, I can do nothing but wait and let time pass by. Yes, there are still many things to do in work and service, but as long as I’m travelling, all I can do is to wait to get to my destination.

Stillness is an essential element of our faith. In the gospel, the Lord said, “Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).” Amidst our busy lives, if we forget to pause, we might end up wasting much of time. Stillness allows us to reflect. When we reflect, we are able to make better decisions. We are able to ponder our life situations and ask God to guide us in our choices. We can examine our conscience, our principles and pray for better guidance.

Stillness allows us to rest and recharge. We rest so that we can be stronger when we are most needed. Many of us do not sleep much because of work preparations. But when the needed performance comes, we are not able to give our all because our bodies give in. It’s like someone who enters a singing contest. She practices, day and night, almost endlessly. On the day of the contest, she loses her voice. Let us then not forget to rest so we can perform our best.

Stillness reveals direction. Being still lets the dust settle. When a big truck passes in front of us on a dusty road, we are not able to see our way clearly. We slow down or stop, as to avoid accident and see the road vividly. Another analogy is that when we shake water with mud, the water will be murky. But if we wait for a while, the water will be crystal clear and the mud will be at the bottom. Being still teaches us patience and makes our vision clearer, leading us to the right direction.

I hear the boarding announcement, may God speak powerfully as I reflect, rest, and be revealed of the right direction.

W.O.R.S.H.I.P. the Lord

It's one of my busiest weeks. I find myself endlessly doing things. My checklist seems to always have more boxes to be ticked. But despite all the demands, I end the day with a smile on my face knowing that all that I did was for the Lord. I find joy in the fact that I was able to give all my mind, my heart, and my soul to honor God in what I do. I believe that this is the essence of worship.

I read in the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, "Worship is not a part of your life, it is your life." Sometimes we define worship by only relating it to singing and praising. But truth is, worship is what we do to bring honor to Christ. I made some acrostics to remind myself to worship God in all that I do:

Work for the Lord
Offer your sacrifices
Remind Yourself of God's goodness
Smile always
Honor Christ in word and deed
Integrity of Character
Praise Him at all times

Our work, no matter how routine or very challenging it is, it greatly helps if we have the mindset that we are working for the Lord. Therefore, we are able to do things excellently.

When it comes to a point when it is most difficult, we come to offer our sacrifices to God. Take every oppression and suffering as a living sacrifice pleasing to the Lord.

Often we lose focus. One of the best way's to get back on track is to be reminded of God's goodness. The moment we forget that God wants what is best for us, we start to complain and get lost.

Smile always. Needless to say, smiling gives us joy. If at times we don't feel like smiling, a speaker once said, force a smile for about 10 minutes. Sooner or later, we're affected by the smile that we get to carry it for the rest of the time. A saying goes, "If you're happy, don't forget to notify your face."

Honor Christ in word and deed. Is our speech destructive or upbuilding? Do our actions reflect Christ within us? If we truly are Christians, we have to live out our identity.

Integrity of Character simply means that our actions should coincide with our words. Promises made, promises kept. Your word is your bond.

Praise Him at all times. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name (Hebrews 13:15). Let us be generous with our praise. God gives us life everyday, let us praise and thank Him always.

Let us live a life of worship. May all we do be blessed by God. Let us worship Him in Spirit and truth.

Recollecting Our Scattered Lives

Coffee shops. A dim lighted place where people meet friends, relax, reflect, meet for business, or get a shot of espresso to perk them up. As I am writing this entry, I am in one right now. Some are having serious heart to heart talks, others browse the net, and some are engaged in explaining their business model. While some are just waiting and making the most out of the free newspaper. For me, it is a time well spent alone reflecting on my life and waiting upon the Lord to speak. For many years, besides chapels, coffee shops have been a place for me to recollect.

Recollect in simple terms is "to collect again." Why do we need to do this? As the days of our lives progress, we come across many people and many circumstances. We find ourselves committing to various responsibilities, and sometimes we are overwhelmed by the things we get into. There are moments that we find our lives as scattered, with no sense of order.

When we recollect, we pick up or collect, again, these scattered pieces of our lives. We put it in the right order and throw away the unnecessary. Without recollection, we cannot develop our inner strength, the strength of soul. Our souls dictate to us our sense of purpose and our true joy. If we do not connect with our souls, we will be living frustrating lives because we will be acting like puppets. As puppets, we are controlled by the dictates of our immediate environment. We are stringed to what people say and tell us. The soul is the life in us, making us live life with no strings attached. Connecting to our souls make us free.

Now, who or what influences our souls? Many are willing to trade the goodness of their souls for money, lust, fame, and power. Let us not corrupt our souls. Let us not allow evil things to take hold of our souls. Sin will suck our souls dry to the bones, until we give up hope and submit to evil.

But the Lord promises His Spirit:

Ezekiel 37:3-5

He asked me: Son of man, can these bones come to life? "Lord GOD," I answered, "you alone know that."Then he said to me: Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life.

We connect our souls to God's Holy Spirit. When we recollect, we bring our scattered selves back to the Lord and become united in His Spirit once again. What are ways to recollect? Here are some that I know:

Through prayer, study, sacraments, and service. Prayer, allows us to praise, humble down, surrender, and listen to the Lord. We are recollected of who we are, His servants. Sacraments, lets us receive his graces like how the sacrament of reconciliation through confession releases us from sin, like how the Eucharist allows us to worship and partake of Christ's body and blood. We are recollected that his grace overflows and we need only ask. Study, makes us seek God's wisdom. And service, gives us the chance to put our faith into action. With service, we are recollected that it is not always about ourselves.

May prayer, study, sacraments, and service put our lives in God's perspective. Amidst the clutter, busyness, pollution, and politics of everyday life, may we be able to connect with our souls and bring it forth to be united with the Holy Spirit.

Reflection Questions:
When was the last time that you have recollected?
What are the "scattered" areas in your life that need to be recollected?
How will you put these "scattered" areas in God's order?