LOVING AND SERVING

Matthew 8:22

“Follow Me.”

It is sufficient to know that we are to follow Jesus. He will lead us along the unique and perfect path that He chose for us before time began. And along that path He will never leave us or forsake us. There will be moments when the flesh is weak, even though the spirit wills. There will be moments of stumbling, but in order to purify and refine. But there will never be a moment when He leaves or forsakes us. What does it really mean to follow Him? He seeks our whole-hearted commitment. He wants to live his life in us – loving and serving others through us.

Ø FOLLOWING WITHOUT HESITATION

o Matthew 9:9 - As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Ø FOLLOWING AND DENYING YOURSELF

o NIV Matthew 16:24 - Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Ø FOLLOWING BY SERVING HIM

o John 12:25-26 - Whoever serves me must follow me… My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Ø FOLLOWING BY SERVING OTHERS

o Matthew 4:19 - "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Ø FOLLOWING AND LETTING GO OF MATERIAL WORLD

o Matthew 19:21 - Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Our glory is the service of Christ in whatever capacity he has allotted to us.

Almighty Father, let me follow You without hesitation for your glory and the goodness of others. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do something, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen +

To him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.

MY LORD AND MY GOD

Matthew 16:16

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

I was just a cadet engineer then. I was tasked to work on an improvement project that would justify purchasing of a control system that would stabilize temperature in one of the backend equipment. The first time I presented my report, there were a lot of questions, mostly coming from my manager. I think I was only able to answer a few of them. I either lack the data or have not really done the experiments well. But instead of giving-up, I approached my manager and asked for inputs and directions. I finally was able to do it right, by following his suggestions and some creativity. After a month, I was hired as a “full-pledged” engineer for the backend area.

Peter had undergone the same questioning from the Jesus. The first time he told Jesus that he loves Him, he immediately buckled under pressure. He denied Him three times so he would escape being jailed. But he did not gave-up. He repented and asked for forgiveness.

The next time Jesus asked him, “Do you love me?”, he was ready. And he responded positively, “Lord, You know everything. You know that I love You.” For he now truly believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the son of the One Living God. And his faith has earned Him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Finally, he was made the first Pope, the rock upon which the Church of Jesus will be built upon. He was challenged every now and then but in the end, he responded with true love and belief to the Lord. And this time, he really meant what he said and followed Jesus until his death.

Who is Jesus Christ to you today? Is He just an icon that we pray upon because we have problems? Is He the God that we pray upon and kneel before because it is Sunday? Or is He the anointed one, the Son of the Living God, who died for our sins so we may live and have it eternally? Know Him more beyond just Christmas masses and attending sacraments. He is waiting and asking, “who am I to you?”

Oh Jesus Christ, Messiah and Lord, grant us, Lord, the lamp of charity which never fails, that it may burn in us and shed its light on those around us. Thank you for giving me free will to love and be loved, to make my own decisions and to learn from my mistakes. Amen +

The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear Him.

“LAB NA LAB” (DEARLY LOVED)

John 21:17
“Do you love me?”
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My wife would ask me, “Do you love me?” I would respond, “Nope… but ‘lab na lab (dearly loved)’”. How many times have you told your wife or your husband that you love her/him? How many times have you told the same to your kids, your father or your mother? Maybe, many times! But how many times have you expressed your love really “coming straight form your heart”? You do not need to answer back. Just make sure that the next time you say it, make sure that you really mean it.

Love is a two-way thing. If you love someone, and that person doesn’t love you in return, then love still pervades. For it is better to love than not to have loved at all. And God has loved, loving and will continue to love us for He is Love – and “whoever is without love does not know God, for God is Love.” Absolute goodness resides in God alone and is shared by Him with those who have sincerely sought association with Him. When one honestly seeks out God one is looking for that fullness of truth found only in God. And we should yearn for that love, and share that love with others.

But what did man do? We disobeyed Him and tried to hide from Him. Still, He continues to love us, though we do not love Him in return. And He finally gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us – and He did this out of His great love for us. Jesus himself became a perfect sign of God's overwhelming mercy by taking on the punishment due to man because of sin. He suffered and died to win us, to take us to himself and become one with us, to abandon His life for us and to hand over His life to us.

And that love is now with us, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who ask for His mercy must be sincerely repentant, turn their lives around, and develop a humility that allows them to be of true service to the Lord demonstrated in the form of good deeds/good works. Do you love Him?

Almighty Father, You are love. May I love You in all things and above all things. May I reach the joy which You have prepared for me in
Heaven. Nothing is good that is against Your Will, and all that is good comes from Your Hand. Place in my heart a desire to please You
and fill my mind with thoughts of Your Love. Amen +

Feed My lambs, tend My sheep and follow Me.

HEALING TOUCH

Matthew 8:3

“I will do it. Be made clean.”

Leprosy, at its later stage, is an incurable disease. Persons who contract leprosy must take regular medication to keep the dreaded disease from spreading and eating away various parts of the body, eventually causing death. In Jesus’ time, leprosy is a dreaded disease. Since it is very contagious, lepers were forced to live apart in social isolation. They were supposed to shout, "unclean, unclean!" when anyone approached, to warn people to keep their distance. The only comfort such people had was to seek the company of other lepers. However, Jesus has never placed Himself away from lepers. In fact, in the Bible, there were instances wherein in even touched them so they may be healed. And in doing so, He showed the compassionate healing love for the sick by doing what other people during His time will never do:

First, He “stretched out his hand”. To reach out and touch a leper, especially in Jesus’ day, was to put oneself in grave danger of catching this awful and incurable disease. Christ is not afraid to reach out and touch our sinfulness in order to heal us. We should never be afraid to approach Jesus in prayer and penance, no matter how unworthy we may feel.

Then, He “touched him”. It was a healing touch, full of love and friendship. When was the last time you allowed yourself to be touched by the Lord? There is nothing that is impossible for Christ; we have only to approach him in faith, seek him out, and patiently wait for him to reach out, touch us and make us clean.

Finally, He said, “I will do it. Be made clean”. God's does not intend that we suffer, does not send us illness or adversity as a punishment or a test. And once we recognize Him us our Lord and seek His forgiveness, His blood shall wash our since and make us clean. And he has done it. So, reach for Him, let Him touch you and be made clean.

Almighty Father, stretch out to me, touch me and make me clean. Speak to my heart! I hope in you, Lord, because I know I cannot place my hope in the things of the world. I love you, Lord, and I know how much you love me. Clean me of my suffering and forgive me of my sins. Amen +

Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget You!

IF I COULD TOUCH YOU

Psalms 79:9

Help us, God our savior, for the glory of Your name. Deliver us, pardon our sins for Your name's sake.

A prayer of forgiveness is something we all seek at some point in life. Forgiveness is a valuable gift that is neither easily obtained, nor easily given. Forgiveness is essential for life; it frees us from past wrongs and gives us hope for the future. It is for forgiveness sake that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for mankind. Let me share with you another beautiful song:

If I could touch You, I'd heal Your broken palms
If I could hold You in my arms
I'd call the soft breeze to caress Your weary arms
I'd call the moonbeam to dispel this darkest night
If I could touch You, I would

If I could hear You, Your words of anguish
If You'd just whisper in my ear
The sadness weighing down Your heart that no man sees
If You'd just call me, I would sing of flaming hope
If I could hear You, I would

Long have I waited for you to hear My cry
Long have I waited for you to answer My plea
What you do to you brethren You do it for Me
I am in the brokenness and woundedness of man

Yes, you can touch Me
I'm in the least of your brethren
I'm in the weak and small
I need your hands to bear My weary arms
I need your touch to heal My wounded palms.
Yes, you can touch Me
Yes, you can hear Me

Forgive me, most gracious Lord and Father, if this day I have done or said anything to increase the pain of the world. Pardon the unkind word, the impatient gesture, the hard and selfish deed, the failure to show sympathy.

For the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver us.

BEWARE OF COUNTERFEITS

Matthew 7:15

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves.

There is a place in Manila where one can get fake diploma, certificates, passport, government ID’s. Up to now, I cannot really understand why the business still lingers, though everyone knows that they exist. I am not really the one to judge them. But what I really want to emphasize is the fact that, among us, there are people who may be practicing law, dentistry or even surgery, though they are not really graduates or specialist in that field. They just received their diploma from one of these stalls, and voila, they are instant doctors, lawyers and engineers. So, are you willing to place yourself or your loved ones under their care?

Jesus has warned of the same when it comes to faith. False prophets present their lies as truth, and their rules of life as godly ones; one must be sensitive and wise in order to see the spiritual danger they represent. The false prophets sought personal glory and benefit. They did not shy from slandering true prophets and persecuting them. In the final analysis, their work served to destroy the nation. And now, the devil uses mass media and advertisements as false prophets – offering things that would make us live a life separate from God. And we are putting ourselves under their care!

True prophets were distinguished by unselfishness, obedience to God, fearless exposure of human sins, profound meekness, love, strictness toward themselves and purity of life. They inspires everyone to follow the path of the light, living a life totally committed to following God’s will. Look at yourself now and assess how you are living your life. “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” The evil fruits of the activities of false prophets, common to all of them, are pride and the forcible separation of people from the Kingdom of God. Are you following a true or a false prophet?

Look upon us, O Lord, and let all the darkness of our souls
vanish before Your light, totally ignoring false prophecies and teachings. Fill us with Your holy love, and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom. Then shall our longing be satisfied, and our peace shall be perfect.

Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain: by Your way give me life.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

Solemnity of his Nativity

Luke 1:80

The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

June 24 is “Araw ng Maynila” (Manila Day). Having grew up in Manila, it was customary also for people at that time to douse passers-by with water. As a child, I didn’t really know why, so I would just do what the old people do – get a dipper-full of water and douse anyone with it. It was fun for after that “morning ritual”, everyone is wet but happy. As I grew up, I realized why this is being practiced. June 24 is when the Church also celebrate the solemnity of St. John the Baptist’s nativity. And the dousing of water is to “re-enact” how he, about two-thousand years ago, has prepared the way of the Lord by baptizing the believers in the River Jordan.

The Philippines is surrounded by water. The earth is 70% water and so our body. Water cleanses; water drowns; water refreshes. Water surrounds us in the womb; water is the main ingredient of the human body, and especially in the blood which carries the stuff our cells need for life. Water makes plant and animal life grow. Yet, without God's powerful, creative Word, water can do nothing to your spirit.

So, when you are baptized, the Spirit acts through that Word and the water to cleanse you and drown the “old you”, surround and cushion you as your faith gestates, and carry Christ's presence into you. Baptism is a promise with a sign; a covenant of grace given to us in a way that we can see, hear, feel, and grasp. It is the promise of God's forgiveness, applied personally. It is also the gift of the Spirit's presence. When you're baptized, you're putting your life down a different road, getting off of the road of surrender to evil's power, and onto the road of the faith journey of surrender to the Spirit.

Almighty Father, by whose providence your servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his teaching and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and, following his example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen +

“I baptize in water… but He is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.”

WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE

Matthew 7:2

For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

I have taught Six Sigma for almost five years. I started with my first company and have trained about 20 engineers and supervisors about the concept. When I transferred to my second company, the methodology is somewhat different. I have to learn it myself during my first 6 months. When it is my turn to teach, it was a learning experience both for me and my students. I tried to, as much as possible, pace myself. I don’t what that in the end, both me and them would understand nothing from the process. I can always say in the end that they did not listen or were not interested, but it could always go back to me. They may, in return, say that I was not a good teacher – failing to meet the expectation with which I tried to measure them in the first place.

From the moment we wake up in the morning, until the time we retire at night, we would have made dozens of judgments to determine a variety of activities to perform, how, where and when to perform them. Judging is a mental process by which we evaluate facts in order to reach a decision or opinion. Our Lord did not mean it literally when He said we should stop judging. What Jesus meant first of all was, we should “Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly”. He was warning us against being self-righteous and critical on moral issues, but instead to be careful and loving when we judge as we will surely face the same standard that we are using.

If we must be the judge of others for their faults or omissions, let us examine ourselves first, and see if we are living up to the standard of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will be our Final Judge. Thus if we judge without mercy, then God will judge us without mercy. If we make hasty judgments on the outward man and neglect to see the inner man, will not God do so to us? This is a powerful and fearful idea.

Almighty Father, in regarding others, help us to ‘put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another… putting on love, which is the bond of perfection’ so that we may receive the same. Amen.

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." – Mother Teresa

HE KNOWS ME

Matthew 10:31-32

“So do not be afraid… everyone who acknowledges Me before others I will acknowledge before My heavenly Father.”

I was surprised. My father once visited me in my office because he was in the area at that time. I went to the lobby and introduced him to the receptionist. We then went up to my room and along the way, I introduced him to my co-workers. He smiled and felt happy knowing that I work in a good company. After he left, my colleagues would remark, “Mas pogi pala sa iyo ang father mo” (“Your father is more handsome than you.”). And I immediately remarked, “at mas mabait sa akin yun” (“and he is nicer and more kind-hearted than me). He was the greatest father on earth.

It is even greater to know that we also have the greatest father in Heaven. All of creation is in God and is held together by Him. As Scripture puts it, “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). If this is true of all creation, how much truer for us, His children. If the Father is aware and concerned for a tiny sparrow, all the more is He about us. No one can harm us without His permission and His willing it. He knows each hair on our head. God’s divine providence cares for us. We are His beloved children for whom He sent His Son to suffer and die for us. He will allow no physical harm to come to us unless it is for our greater spiritual good.

In return, we must acknowledge Him as our Lord, and our Father. We must show this not just by praising Him or glorifying Him. We must exemplify the value of Jesus’ teaching by our behavior and our actions: the modesty with which we act, the charity with which we speak, the kindly acts of service we render to others, the moderation with which we eat and drink, the meekness with which we contain our anger, the self-mastery with which we control our sensual passions, the aversion we have for telling lies… We must also speak up for Jesus and His truth by actual words and actions.

Let others know Him because of you. Teach others to know Him. Acknowledge Him before others, so He may acknowledge you in Heaven.

Almighty Father, thank You for my life on this earth, however challenging or not. We know that You will forever be with us, protecting us, so we should never be afraid. We praise You and acknowledge Your great power.

Lord, in Your great love, answer me.

WORRY-FREE LIFE

Matthew 6:33-34

But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

I worry too much. What if it rains tomorrow? What if the bank failed to credit my salary? What if I lost my job tomorrow? What if… what if… what if… A famous psychologist asserts that "fear is the most disintegrating enemy of human personality," and a prominent physician declares that "worry is the most subtle and destructive of all human diseases." We simply worry too much to a point that not worrying becomes abnormal for us.

All of us would like to be free from worries, but it seems impossible. And yet, all we need to do is to put ourselves in God’s hands. Jesus exclaims - Have no anxiety at all. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And St. Paul tells us the way:

“Brothers and sisters: Have no anxieties at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Dale Carnegie, in his book, “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”, mentioned that there is only one perfect way to conquer worry: PRAYER! And he enumerated the following as ways to keep your spirit high and worry-free:

1. Rest before you get tired.

2. Learn to relax at your work.

3. Learn to relax at home.

4. To prevent worry and fatigue, put enthusiasm into your work.

Almighty Father, teach us to stop worrying and keep in our hearts that you will always be there for us. That we are far more important to You than the birds in the sky and grass in the fields. Teach us to keep our faith alive and believe in You always, constantly thanking You, praising You and loving You. For we know that You already know what we need, now and forever.

“If only the people who worry about their liabilities would think about the riches they do possess, they would stop worrying.” – Dale Carnegie

TREASURES IN HEAVEN

Matthew 6:20

But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.

I noticed my wife checking on some safety boxes. I asked her if she intends to buy one. She replied that she is thinking of buying one so she may safekeep her jewelries and some money. But she noticed that the big-sized boxes are expensive so I just told her to buy the smaller one. Then she remarked, “Well, if I buy the small one, the thief would just carry it with him rather than opening it.” Hahaha… she’s right and we both burst into laughter. And she ended up not buying anything at all.

Our Lord used three graphic figures to emphasize the temporary nature of material things. He spoke first of the moth, which destroys. Then he spoke of rust, which cause decay. Then he referred to the thief, who steals. What men give their lives to may be destroyed or decayed and ultimately will depart forever. Our Lord did not condemn wealth, but He warned against loving wealth. Our Lord was not concerned with what a man has, but with a man’s attitude toward what he has. The Scriptures does not condemn the accumulation of wealth but, when God gives a man wealth, He holds him responsible as a steward.

We overcome our attachment to self-centeredness by storing up for ourselves treasures in Heaven through expressions of love, kindness, compassion, experiencing the presence of God, seeing the face of Christ in others, and doing good to others in as many ways as we possibly can without asking for anything in return.

Only the Spirit of God, Who searches the heart, is capable of revealing our motives, our goals, and our love so they are brought into line with the teaching of the Word of God. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth.” Earthly treasure is not true wealth; true wealth is godliness.

Almighty Father, teach us to experience treasures in heaven and thus escape yearning for earthly things. Teach us to live in the freedom of our heritage as Your sons and daughter - to live in the sunshine of Your love, forever seeking Heaven which begins right here and now – in our hearts.

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

HOLY BE YOUR NAME

Matthew 6:8

Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

I would approach my father, coffee at one hand and bread on the other. I would put it before him on the table. But before I could even say a word, he would remark, “Kelangan mo na naman ng pera, noh?” (“You need money, again?”). All I can do is nod. He would just get his wallet and ask, “How much?” He would not ask for what (or for whom) is the money. He trust me that I would use it for something that I need. And I have to return that trust. I would rarely break that trust and would just ask for money for things I need (well, I said “rarely”, yes there were times that… you know).

Truly, our Lord does know what we need before we ask, but He does not stop there. He also provides what we need before we need it. Thousand of years ago, He already knew that we would need His Words for our protection. It was the wisdom of God to have men write epistles so that the knowledge of God that they had been given might be preserved for us – for us to read, understand, learn and do. Still, He teaches us to ask for it through prayers. If we feel that we need a favor from God, we find it necessary to put our petition into words - like children who ask for what they need, and even what they want - knowing that God is a kind and loving Father who will deny us nothing, except if it is not good for us.

You and I will have many needs on our journey through life - needs of which our Father in heaven is already well aware. Meet with Him in prayer and spend the time thanking Him, silently remembering His past faithfulness in our lives, in addition to thanking Him ahead of time for meeting our new needs. He may not always give us what we want, but He will always provide for us what we need.

We thank God for all he has done and continues to do. We remember that he is the source of all good things. Prayers of gratitude remind us of just how much we receive at his hands. Just two hundred years ago, not even kings could have a life that we live now.

Almighty Father, You have always known our needs. If it's not your will Lord, please change my heart. Show me how to differentiate between my wants and my needs. Your will for me is perfect and good. So I am satisfied.

Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

PRAYER TIME

Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Prayer is the raising up of our minds and hearts to God, either to praise Him, or to thank Him, or to beg His grace. As such, the Christian tradition comprises three major expressions of the life of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. They have in common the recollection of the heart:

1. VOCAL PRAYER, founded on the union of body and soul in human nature, associates the body with the interior prayer of the heart, following Christ's example of praying to his Father and teaching the Our Father to his disciples. We are body and spirit, and we experience the need to translate our feelings externally. We must pray with our whole being to give all power possible to our supplication. During Sunday mass or services, we are called to vocal prayer as we worship and glorify Him.

2. MEDITATION is a prayerful quest engaging thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. Its goal is to make our own in faith the subject considered, by confronting it with the reality of our own life. We are usually helped by books: the Sacred Scriptures, particularly the Gospels, holy icons, liturgical texts of the day or season, writings of the spiritual fathers, works of spirituality, the great book of creation, and that of history the page on which the "today" of God is written. Eventually, this prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ.

3. CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER is the simple expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, attentive to the Word of God, a silent love. It achieves real union with the prayer of Christ to the extent that it makes us share in his mystery. It is the humble way of surrendering to the loving will of the Father in ever deeper union with his beloved Son.

Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my will; all that I have and possess. You have given them to me; to you, O Lord, I restore them. All things are yours: Dispose of them according to your will. Give me your love and your grace; for this is enough for me.

Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

THE ENEMY WITHIN

Matthew 5:44, 46

But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you… for if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?

This commandment from Jesus had me thinking. For almost everyday, we would encounter people who would make our lives miserable – a neighbor who would spread gossips about us, drivers cutting us off in the street, unresponsive co-workers or even bosses, service (supposed-to-be) people who would make us wait and wait and wait… can we really love these people? Our human instinct would say “we cannot”. The unfortunate thing about feeling this way is that it really hurts us emotionally, and sometimes physically, so that we can’t think clearly. God did not create these people to be evil; they became that way on their own or through the influence of the people and situations around them; and this grieves God, as it would any loving parent. And Jesus showed how it can be done.

We need to grieve for them, along with God. So our prayers should also contain a prayer for them... not a prayer to bless them, but a prayer to soften their hearts to feel the pain and suffering that they are causing, so that they would turn from their evil ways and be saved from the wrath to come.

The prescription to love your enemy and to denounce evil with good is sometimes thought of as an impractical and perfectionist ethic, able to be practiced only by a few exceptional souls. When we hold on to this perfect love, we find that we turn over our anger to the Lord in prayer, and we are able to think clearly. And when we think clearly, we are able to find ways to peacefully take a stand against these forces of evil.

We need to continue to be the loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God we have been called to be. We may have hated someone in our life, but always remember to hate the actions done and not the person. We must continue to show love to that person so that same love may change him and change us. Loving others is taking out the enemy within.

Almighty Father, anger destroys the peace of our own soul, but being a loving and compassionate peacemaker brings peace to our soul. Teach us to love those who brings injustice to our lives. Teach us to love our enemies. Teach us to trust in You, knowing that this is how we have been called to be.

Where true love prevails, there no enemies are found.

RESISTING VIOLENCE

Matthew 5:39

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.

There is a similar Filipino saying, “Kapag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng tinapay” (“If someone stoned you, throw a bread at him, instead”). Most of us are familiar with the "turn the other cheek" statement. But does any of us truly understand what this means? In other words, it means do not use violence to resist evil. Do not continue the downward spiral of violence. Jesus wants us to break the downward cycle of violence by refusing to cooperate with violence, refusing to retaliate with further violence. As the great Gandhi would put it: “An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.” Violence in response to violence can only lead to further violence.

But does that mean sit back, be passive, and suffer violence? No! The world tells us there are only two options in the face of violence: fight back with violence or run away and do nothing. But Jesus offers a third alternative: active nonviolence resistance. Jesus doesn’t advocate passive resignation or indifference to evil. He teaches and practices active, steadfast resistance to every form of violence and injustice. He just does not use the same means as the oppressor.

There are several events throughout the Bible that establish the principle of self-defense. However, seeking personal revenge is prohibited. For example, killing someone without cause would be called murder and results from anger or hatred. Jesus stated that not only murderers were in danger of judgment but those who are angry enough to murder are also in danger of judgment. While we may avoid or resist evil when it is necessary for our own security, we cannot render evil for evil nor avenge ourselves. We must get beyond this and forgive the offenders while seeking their salvation. That’s when we become like Jesus, nonviolent resisters to the culture of violence and war.

Almighty Father, we pray for your peace and your mercy in the midst of the great suffering that people are now inflicting on each other. Accept the prayers of your Church, so that by your goodness peace may return to all peoples. Extinguish every dispute for You are our peace and to You we ascribe glory. Hear us and have mercy on us. Amen +

“You must be the change you want to see in the world” – M. Gandhi

THE TWELVE

Matthew 10:8

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “…Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

I have conducted quite a few interviews before while looking for engineers and technicians to be hired by my company. And I’ve met people with really diverse experience as well as personality. But, when it comes to choosing the right person, I ensure objectivity in choosing the right one. These people will be working with me, so it is just proper that I choose the more qualified ones. Their failure will be my failure, but their success would be their success. But I have to drive them towards achieving that.

Jesus has chosen a few disciples from among hundreds or even thousands that He has during the time of His public ministry. From the accounts from the Bible, he didn’t even bother to interview most, if not all of them. He just called them to leave what they are doing and follow Him. And these people would not even ask for a time to think. They would drop what they are doing, and followed Him. Maybe, most of them thought that since Jesus was so popular at that time, then following Him would me food, money and parties. But Jesus is very clear – following Him would mean giving up yourself for the sake of many. Following Him would mean carrying the same cross that He would carry.

Following Jesus is about listening and doing. It is about putting into practice the things that Jesus taught. It is about a lifestyle of peace and justice that sets one apart from others. He doesn’t need to interview you. All you have to do is drop everything and follow Him. And it would not be a walk in the park with Him. For true discipleship is found where people are hurting, where people are hungry, where people are oppressed, where people are denied justice, where people are dying. Follow Him, He is waiting.

Almighty Father, there are many things your son has done that we will never know of because they were so many. May our love for You and others be our only concern. And may that love really push us to follow You and only You. We should be more concerned about who we follow such as Jesus rather than what the evil one tempts us to follow. We are Your disciples, forever.

We are His people: the sheep of His flock.

NOT ALL ALONE

Psalm 16:10

Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.

It was my first time to go to the US for a training and business meeting. I was excited at first, having arrived in the most progressive first world country on earth. From the airport, it would take another three hours to my final destination city. As soon as arrived at the hotel, a feeling of loneliness crept inside me. Here I am, thousand of miles away from my family. It was daytime, while my wife and kids must be sleeping soundly at home. I have been away for only a day, and I already missed them. All alone.

Sometimes, if not most of the time, we feel the same way in our relationship with God. We feel alone, as if the Lord is sleeping or have taken a break in taking care of us. We feel that all our prayers are not being heard at all. We feel that, in those time of trouble, we are left alone. But, it is noteworthy that God's people, throughout history, have had a history of getting discouraged and feeling alone. The instances of this in the Bible are so numerous that you can probably chalk it up to our human nature. While the constant discouragement is a long-running thread, it is comforting to notice God's response in return: a reminder that he's in charge, in control, and we are not to fear because we are never alone. He is always by our side, carrying us through all our troubles and never allowing our soul to experience decay and loneliness.

While he is not present physically in the world right now, He is merely a prayer away from us. Further, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts and to keep us from ever being alone. When you feel alone, open your eyes - the truth that you're not alone is a reality. God is faithful and keeps His promises even when we don't, and we have His word that He is with us. That promise should be sufficient to carry us through all circumstances and problems that comes in our lives.

Almighty Father, You have engraved my name on the palms of Your hands; Your walls are ever before me. I faithfully believe that You will never leave me alone nor forsake me. You are my helper, my Lord and my God, so who would be against me. I shall never be afraid, an You alone would give me victory over temptations and sins. Amen +

My heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence.

CUT IT OFF

Matthew 5:30

It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

Stealing – well, been there, done that. I would get some money from our store when I was young, without my mother’s knowledge. Well, you can say those are petty crimes, brought about by naughtiness as a kid. I agree and that is what I believed at that time. But still, a crime is a crime is a crime. Pornography – well, been there, done that. It all started with browsing tabloids. Then upgraded to some comics. Then men magazines. Then internet browsing (at least, it’s free!). Again, brought about by naughtiness of being a man? Naahhh! That’s what I thought before.

Jesus is very clear. If one part of your body is causing you to sin, the cut it off. Of course, this is one way of interpreting it, that is taking it literally. Another way of looking at it, is cut off the cause of you committing sin. When you are into pornography, then burn all your stuffs. Put a porn blocker in your computers, with the unblocking password being provided and kept by your wife or someone other than you. Keep yourself away from money locations so you will not be tempted. Remember, the devil will not manifest itself to us as a beast with horns and fangs. The devil will come in sheep’s clothing, or looking like a playboy centerfold or a 1,000-peso bill on the floor. Resist temptation and you will be able to keep your hands and eyes for good. And begin to pray each day, speaking with Jesus as you would with a friend. There is no other love greater than God’s love for you, and you will discover this more deeply through prayer and reading the Bible, which is His love letter to you. Trust Him with all your heart.

Subduing desire begins by cultivating an attitude of detachment towards sense perceptions, by regarding them as impermanent, transient, and of no account. We should only desire one thing – that is the love and mercy of our Lord God. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then, the light in you is darkness…”

Almighty Father, I give my body to your care. Let my body be the home for the Holy Spirit who dwells in me. Let me never sin against Him by any impure actions alone or with others, against the virtue of purity.

I long to see your face, O Lord.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Matthew 5:20

“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven”.

I go to church every Sunday and give my share during the offertory. I read the Bible everyday and even started this daily devotion. I try, as much as possible to follow the rules of both God and my country. The scribes and the Pharisees also did these things and more. The scribes, for instance, were men who spent their time teaching and explaining the law; they were the great authorities on the law of God. The Pharisees were the men who were famous for their holiness and sanctity. By their rules and regulations they built a fence around the law. Their intent was twofold: first, to protect the law; second, to prevent themselves from breaking the law. Everyone in Israel thought of the scribes and Pharisees as paragons of virtue, as examples of morality. But still, Jesus believes that their righteousness is still lacking.

First of all, the righteousness of the Pharisees was external and formal rather than internal and of the heart. The Pharisees made a big show, a big production, out of their righteousness. They prayed on the street corners, they prayed standing up, they prayed out loud. They wanted everyone to see them and hear them when they prayed. Secondly, their religion was all ceremony and no morality. As long as he had washed his hands, fasted, offered prayers, and went to the Temple, the Pharisee thought all was well with his soul.

This is not the righteousness that God wants to see and feel from us. What is Christ's righteousness like? It is a perfect righteousness, a righteousness that is from the heart, a righteousness that goes beyond show and ceremony, a righteousness that is God-centered, a righteousness that shows love and concern for the poor, taking care of our brothers and making peace with our enemies. Remove pride and live a life in total humility, totally giving your life to God, surpassing the standard of righteousness through His mercy.

Almighty Father, I seek Your righteousness. Help me to remember to look to You in everything I do and use me to reach others — to help others seek You first in all they do. I seek Your Kingdom. Thank You that You take me back even when I make the same mistakes over and over and over again. I seek Your mercy and Your forgiveness, forever. Amen +

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

FULFILLMENT

Matthew 5:17

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”

It would really be unthinkable if someone, with such great power, would suddenly abolish God’s Ten Commandments. Imagine the chaos. Imagine the unimaginable – sins, in its truest and purest form, reigning over the land, consuming every being, until the generation we know now vanishes from this earth, completely. This is the reason that even Jesus, who is the greatest man that ever lived, did not even bother to abolish the law. And He has no intention to do such thing. He came not to abolish, but to fulfill.

Of course, the law Jesus is talking about is the law that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai: the Ten Commandments. And these laws are still valid today. And they will always be valid because they are part of the natural law, the conditions necessary for human beings to live together in society in peace and in justice. We all are barbaric human beings – from the time Moses received the law and up to now. We need laws in order to effect order and put the barbarism in our hearts in check.

And how did Jesus fulfilled them? He tells us that love is the fulfillment of the law. When he was asked what the greatest commandment in the law was, he said, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments (Matt. 22: 34-40)”. Not killing will not fulfill the law – if you see hungry children dying everyday, and doing nothing about it. Not stealing will not fulfill the law – if you steal the future from these children by doing nothing to alleviate their plight. We are commanded to love God, our self and our neighbor. And it is the indissoluble bond between the love of God and love of self and neighbor that is the key to making love the fulfillment of the law.

Lord Jesus, You are the personification of love and the fulfillment of the law. You are the fullest expression of the love of God for us, and the fullest expression of the human response to that love. Teach us to follow Your example and be the fulfillment in the life of others. For only through a committed relationship with You and others could we fulfill the law.

In the sight of the nations, He has revealed His justice.

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

Matthew 5:16

Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

While on maneuvers in the Atlantic, during the darkest part of the night, the officer of the deck noticed that in front of them was bright light straight ahead on a collision course with the ship. The captain quickly told the signalman, “Signal them to turn ten degrees starboard.” To the captain’s amazement however, the foggy image did not move. Angered and frustrated that this impudent sailor would endanger the lives of his men and crew, the captain signaled back, “Seaman, I can have you court-martialed for this! For the last time, I command you on the authority of the United States government to alter your course ten degrees starboard! I am a battleship!”

The seaman’s final transmission was chilling: “Captain, sir. Once again with all due respect, I command you to alter your course ten degrees starboard! I am a lighthouse!” The battleship moved.

Lighthouses serve no purpose during the day when the sky is clear. Every ship and boat can readily see the beach or rock formation that may cause harm to the vessel. But they become important at night, when nothing can be seen in the darkness. For they serve as the light to guide everyone to safety. Jesus has been the light of our world and of our life. He led us out of the darkness to see the light and our path to salvation. It is our turn, today, to be that light and serve as the lighthouse for others who are left in the dark. There maybe some who will be proud not to budge and choose to remain in the darkness. And to them, we must shine our light the brightest, in order to let them realize and see the beauty of life with Jesus by our side.

We cannot lead others out of the darkness if we ourselves are in the dark. Let Jesus fire up the light in our heart so we may be the light that will shine before others as we lead them to our Father in heaven.

Almighty Father, we thank You so much for Your unending love, grace and mercy. Thank You for loving each one of us just as we come to You, and yet loving us too much to let us stay that way. May we become the light for others to see You, as You have been the light of my life yesterday, today and forever. Thank You for being You and the only One we can trust! Amen +

Lord, let Your face shine on us.