GOLD MEDAL

Matthew 16:26

What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?

It has been the greatest Olympic games, the press unanimously declared. From the opening ceremony, to the games itself where a lot of world records were broken, and up to the closing ceremony – it can only be summed up into one word – phenomenal! However, there were charges of cheating in some of the “judged” sports. Even in the opening ceremony, China admitted using a computer-generated fireworks as seen on TV and a little girl doing lip-synch because the original girl is not that good-looking. But, for China, it doesn’t matter. What matters most is that the Olympics looked good at its grandeur.

Unfortunately, we cannot say the same when it comes to our spiritual lives. We cannot just make ourselves look good from the outside and still expect to be with God. We must yearn for more than the earthly medals and reach for that greatest gold medal that is Jesus Christ. The “gold” that Jesus is talking about isn’t simply a medal; it is the priceless life of living eternally with God in heaven. And, it doesn’t come to us cheap. It means for the Son of God to suffer and die so that we may live in Him. Still, we suffer today because of the decisions we have made – opting to gain the whole world and forfeit our life in heaven.

Jesus’ expectation is clear when He says, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” The gold medal that the Lord is offering is not cheap. Belonging to God is not cheap. Being loyal to Him would not come inexpensive because anything of great value costs so much. Fortunately, He already paid for it. And all we have to do is to forfeit all our worldly cares, then put our trust in Him, love Him and follow His ways. Winning gold costs – but does it matter if that gold medal equates to heaven?

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, More than anything, help me live in a close, personal relationship with You, knowing You better and yearning for the gold medal that You are offering. May I come near You and teach me what it means to live in Your love, searching for You with all my heart, and finding You finally through my Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen +

My soul is thirsting for You, O Lord my God.

MY ONLY TREASURE

1 Corinthian 1:30

“It is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, Who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption…”

Knowing Jesus Christ is more valuable than all earthly comforts, more valuable than life itself. Whether we live or die, we have all the reason to rejoice, for we have Christ! Let me share with you another beautiful song.

With the breaking of the darkness and the billowing of day,

I will draw my strength from You, Lord, as I try to find my way.

All the promise of tomorrow is cradled in Your hands.

I will find my joy in You, Lord, as I live out Your commands.

With the passing of the seasons and the turning of the tide,

I will hold on to Your promise to be ever at my side.

All the sorrows of my yesterdays melt in Your embrace.

And I will seek Your will in all things till the sunset of my days.

Let me know Your will in ev'ry pain and heartache of my life.

In Your words will I find refuge from the rain.

I will find no consolation in earthly things I have.

As for me, my only treasure is the fullness of Your love.

In my anguish and confusion when everything goes wrong,

I will lift my eyes to You, Lord. I will trust in You alone.

There is nothing more that I desire than to see You face to face.

In the glory of Your presence, I will sing my songs of praise.

There can be no consolation in earthly things I have.

As for me, my only treasure is the fullness of Your love.

(by Bukas Palad)

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I desire to be more Loving and joyful. I know that when I reflect love and joy, then it will be mirrored back to me. Help me to be less of what I shouldn't be and more of what I should be, always ready to fully embrace Love with a grateful heart. Help me to live every moment of my Life with gratitude, child-like curiosity and kindness. In Jesus name, Amen +

Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

CROSS IN MY HEART

1 Corinthian 1:17

Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel… so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.

As a child, I dreaded the “cross”, that is the x-mark in my test papers. That means “wrong”. And the more crosses you have (in red ink!), means the lower your grade will be. However, there is another cross that has a meaning that is more important that anything in this world. That is the cross where our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died for our sins and salvation of man.

The sign of the cross is a mark of discipleship. Jesus says in Luke 9:23, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

It is the symbol of self-denial. By doing the sign of the cross, you're saying to the Lord, “I want to obey you; I belong to you. You direct all my decisions. I will always be obedient to God's law, Christ's teachings and the Church.”

When suffering comes, the sign of the cross is a sign of acceptance. It is remembering that Jesus became a man and suffered for us and that we participate in Christ's suffering. The sign of the cross says, “I am willing to embrace suffering to share in Christ's suffering.”

What is the meaning of the cross to you? I hope that it is not just a wood (or plastic) ornament on your wall or on your altar. Let the cross remind you of our Lord’s love for you, me and the whole humanity.

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us to follow you not only to the Breaking of Bread but also to the drinking of the Cup of Your Passion. Help us to love You for Your own sake and not for the sake of comfort for ourselves. Make us worthy to suffer for Your name, Jesus, our Crucified and Risen Lord and Savior, now and forever.

Amen +

But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations.

BE ON YOUR GUARD

Matthew 24:42, 44

“Stay awake! You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

As soon as we go to sleep, we do nothing anymore. Until we wake up the next morning, we would just lie there – helpless, motionless at most and very unproductive. But we need to sleep to rest our weary body. So when Jesus said to his disciples, “Stay awake!”, He is not telling them not to sleep. Because He is not pertaining to the body. Rather, He refers to our soul.

We believe and know that God is with us right now. However, due to our worldly affairs, we easily can forget that fact and get too preoccupied with the "more important stuffs" and ignore Him. We are not always awake to the presence of God in our lives. God is often crowded out of our consciousness by other things that occupy us during the day. Because of our hectic schedules, it is easy to give God the back seat.

We need to KEEP AWAKE. That’s very hard for people to do. When we’re really sleepy, staying awake is extremely hard to do. We all die, yes, and there is nothing we can do about it. What we have is a choice on how to live life. We can live well, or we can live badly. We can forever shut our eyes to the goodness of the Lord or stay awake to the presence and arrival of Jesus in our hearts, our lives and our actions. May we awaken to the presence of God in the wonders of His creation, in His people, and in all of us. May we be always on guard, prepared, vigilant and awake to life so that we do not squander the life that God has given us.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, through Your Spirit in me, strengthen me to persevere. Give me the endurance to serve you, and perform my duties. When I am feeling sleepy and weary in doing the right things, remind me that the ways of sin are pathways to destruction. Do not let me, in a moment of weakness, lose all that I have gained. Give me the light of your presence so I may stay awake and help me to endure as a good soldier of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen +

I will praise Your name for ever, Lord.

KISS

2 Thessalonians 3:9

Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.

When I was attending a statistics class, I learned about something called the KISS rule. It is a simple acronym that means “Keep It Simple, Statistician”. In every analysis, we must look at the problem as simple as possible, analyze the causes as simple as possible and implement simple actions to address the issues. This is a simple model of success even with our lives – being simple and humble. When my mother taught me to recite little prayers, she taught me simple ones first. But she established a cornerstone upon which a castle of faith could be built.

My spiritual castle is still under construction. I know that God isn’t finished with me yet. The point is to start small, keep it simple and build on that, one prayer brick at a time. Then, become the model for others to imitate. In his letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul advised them no to be distracted by what will happen in the future and even think of the end of the world. They should focus on today and live their lives for God and for others, “being the model for all”, as they imitate the ways of the disciples. St. Paul was a power preacher who practiced what he preached. A very great model of our faith. Even if words failed him, he sought to conduct himself as a worthy disciple so that his life would be his sermon.

Acknowledge God's presence gratefully every moment of our lives, not just on Sunday mornings. Be a model for others, as we see new faces of God every day in every person we meet.

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus, protect us from hypocrisy; help us to live as You lived and make of our lives Your word to the world.

Amen +

Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways!

A CLEAN HEART

Matthew 23:26

“…cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”

Glutathione to whiten the skin. Cellophane to make the hair straight and shiny. Astringent and makeup to make the face flawless and smooth. Supplements to make the body firm and sexy. Do not get me wrong. There is nothing with all of these. We have to take care of our body, since it is the only we’ve got.

Your body is part of how God created you. He wants you to treat it with respect. As expressed in Corinthians, “…know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God… Therefore honor God with your body.”

Still, as expressed by Jesus in the beatitudes, God is still more concerned with the cleanliness of our hearts, and not just enough to clean up our body on the outside. He came to the world in order to reform the hearts of sinners like you and me. So the heart is utterly crucial to Jesus. Jesus did not come into the world simply because we have some bad habits that need to be corrected. He came into the world because we have such dirty hearts that need to be purified, so we may live perfectly as our Heavenly Father is perfect.

You do not need to buy expensive stuffs to have a clean heart. Just let Him come in to you and listen to His words. Let Him purify your mind, let Him cleanse your spirit, let Him create in you a clean heart.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, wash me and cleanse me and purify me! Do a work in my innermost being, in the hidden part of me. Cleanse the inside of my cup! Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sinfulness. Wash me so I shall be whiter than snow! And be worthy of joining your Kingdom in Heaven.

Amen +

He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy.

THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS

2 Thessalonians 1:11

We always pray for you… God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith…

It has been a week now since we discharged Mama, my wife’s mom, from the hospital. She still has a hard time walking and we have to assist her, but she has really recovered. She is now eating heartily, able to talk without murmuring and most importantly, her smile is back. For everything, I would like to thank everyone for the prayers and messages of hope.

One of the priorities of Christian living is our being in a group, a community of people who are in this together. There are many things that come together to establish that as a reality. One of them is each member of the group praying for the others and each other in the group. The Spirit of the Lord is calling us to be a community of believers. As we believe in Him, so do we must share this belief with others. Toward that end, He is now, again, calling us all to pray for each other.

One of the greatest blessings we have as children of God is the ability to pray for one another. We are all part of one body of Christ. We need to be upholding one another in prayer in order to strengthen and encourage the whole community. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. - James 5:16

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, You call us to give You thanks for Your healing and redeeming grace. It is only through our humble acceptance of Your awesome gifts that our relationship can grow. May the Spirit help us, and our faith community, to enter our prayers and pray for each other, in unity with all our brothers and sisters in faith, trusting that our God will make us worthy of His calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith.

Amen +

Announce His salvation, day after day. Tell His glory among the nations…

KEY TO HEAVEN

Matthew 16:19

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

I wonder how Peter reacted when the Lord gave him, not just a key to a house or a key to a carriage. Rather, he was given the key to heaven that “Whatever (he) bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever (he) loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” He must be struck by awe, thinking what Jesus means by that. He must have stood there for some time, trying to understand what’s the real meaning of this Key to heaven.

But he would understand it as the time goes by. That Christ’s passion, death and resurrection is the key to heaven, not just for His disciples, but for all of us. While it is true that Christ did confer authority on Peter, it is also true that this authority was not unique to Peter, nor was it supreme over the other apostles and the entire church. The power of the keys was granted to the whole church to be exercised in the forgiveness of sins. The apostle Peter was the first to open the way of salvation by the preaching of the gospel, first to the Jews at Pentecost and later on to the Gentiles.

We are given the Key to Heaven, through St. Peter. As committed Christians, we should proudly hang the Key around our necks for the world to see. Be more aware of our commitment and therefore less likely to put down the key.

If you die today, is the Key with you to unlock Heaven’s gate?

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus, You have given us the Key to Heaven through our first pope, St. Peter. May we always have this key with us and forever keep it in our hearts so upon reaching Heaven, we would be able to enter and join You forever in God’s eternal glory and love.

Amen +

Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

EXALTATION OF HUMILITY

Matthew 22:10-11

Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant.

When we are invited in a party, most of the time, we choose the best place for us – near the buffet table, near the exit, near the presidential table. Sometimes, we would sit in a place wherein we would be the center of attraction – “sayang naman ang make-up”, “sayang naman ang damit” (“I want them to see how beautiful I am and my dress is”).

Jesus’ parable about those who go to a feast has a simple message. “When you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.” This is a parable on not just about being humble, but also on how that proud will be humiliated by the meek.

His instructions are clear and straight to the point. These are exactly what’s wrong – pride, self-promoting, exalting self. When we choose to fight, strive or desire recognition, appreciation, honor and respect, we are exalting our self. He is also clear on how to change – humble your self. Get our eyes off our self. Focus on Jesus and His power working in us. The genuinely humble do not seek their own honor, but rather seek to honor God. But in the end, God honors them. A true servant does not seek his own reward, but rather serves because he has accepted the Lordship of Christ.

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into our lives and straightening us out. Thank you we no longer need to strive for honor, because in you we have honor. Teach us humility by allowing others before us. In your name we pray.

Amen +

Justice shall walk before Him, and salvation, along the way of His steps.

PASSION, PRAYER, INTELLIGENCE

Matthew 22:37

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

Just cannot let this message pass without sharing it with you. A devotion from Ms. Tina Matanguihan for Kerygma.

“Love the Lord, your God, with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.” That’s how the commandment above was translated in The Message Bible. It used specific words to describe heart, soul and mind.

First is passion for the heart. Whenever I see my friend Greg serving in Gawad Kalinga, I can see his love for God because I know he is truly passionate about the poor. When we dive headfirst into something we are passionate about, we are loving God.

Next is prayer for the soul. Our soul is the one that we need to connect to God the most. Prayers make this connection that our soul longs for possible. As our prayers focus on Him more than ourselves, our love for God shows.

Last is intelligence for the mind. Whenever I take time to learn something new, I know God is smiling because He likes it when I use my mind. No matter how hard the problem is, I know that the time I take to think of a solution is a way of showing God I love Him. Loving God is not merely saying “I love You” to Him, but making use of what we have to show Him our love.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, help me to love You with everything that You have given me. Thank you for giving me free will to love and be loved, to make my own decisions, to learn from my mistakes, to laugh when I am happy, to cry when I am sad. Thank you for giving me hope for an end to world suffering, pain, and war, for a beginning of a world filled with light and everlasting love.

Amen +

Give thanks to the Lord; his love is everlasting.

RSVP AND ATTIRE

Matthew 22:14

“Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Upon receiving an invitation, aside from the date, time and venue, we also have to check whether we need to advise someone that we are accepting the invitation (“RSVP”) and what attire we should be wearing. Sometimes, we forget these two so we ended up not being allowed to join the party.

In the gospel today, an invitation was sent to everyone, but no one attended at first. And from those who did go to the party later on, only a few are chosen to enter the banquet. The invitation has gone out to all who care to listen, but some just refused, and some wanted to come but refused to submit to the requirements of entrance into the kingdom. So none of these will be present in the kingdom.

Those Jesus refers to as "chosen" are the people who had done two things - respond to the invitation to come (“RSVP”), and respond in the proper manner so that they are prepared to enter the kingdom (“Proper Attire”). This is the message of the Gospel, the good news. It is only good news if salvation delivers us from darkness and accepted the invitation of God. And upon entering, we should be clothed in righteousness needed to enter God’s Kingdom - the total acceptance in God’s eyes that Christ is our only Savior, Lord and King. Christ has provided this garment of righteousness for everyone, but each person must choose to put it on in order to enter the King’s banquet (eternal life). There is an open invitation, but we must be ready – RSVP and Proper Attire.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I accept Your invitation to Your grand banquet in Heaven. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen +

A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

FIRST IN HIS HEART

Matthew 20:16

“Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

As a student, my parents would tell me to always excel in class, trying to be number 1. Well, I did try my best, but it is not always good enough – graduating 3^rd honor in both elementary and high school. But I did not hear them grumbling. They pushed me to my limits, yes – but they really expected nothing in return. And during graduation time, I would give them my medal, whatever color it is, a symbol of their hardwork and patience so we all would grow right and God-fearing. I may still end up the last in class, but still I know that I would always be the first in their hearts.

Similarly, God loves everyone. And everyone shall receive His grace and mercy. We would always be first in His heart. Not because you are first in knowing Him, doesn’t mean that you will receive more grace and love than those who just knew Him yesterday or this morning. Reward in the kingdom is not dispensed according to seniority or time in service. It is based on the grace of God, and the quality of your response to His grace. There is equality in the abundance of blessings that citizens in the kingdom receive. And it is reckoned by grace and not time cards (so much work, so much pay). So the last to enter the kingdom would still have full remission of sins and hope, just as those who are veterans in the field.

We are all imperfect. Eternal life is undeserved by all who shall receive it – but, since God is love, His Son was sacrificed for the salvation of all men. Instead of questioning God's generosity, we ought faithfully to work in God's vineyard, joining the Lord in pleading to those not yet hired: "You go into the vineyard, too".

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, let me work in Your vineyard, without questioning Your generosity. You are the Lord of all, and everyone is entitled to your grace, mercy and blessings. May those who are still outside Your vineyard hear the words of Christ, for His words are spirit and are life. And may the words that they hear not be stolen from their hearts.

Amen +

Beside restful waters He leads me; He refreshes my soul.

NOT IMPOSSIBLE

Matthew 19:26

“For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

At first, I thought it would be impossible to write my devotions daily, without fail. I even thought of doing it weekly or even fortnightly. But it really became a habit that my day would not really be complete without praising God and letting Him bless others through me by these daily writings. The inspiration kept on coming and lo… I have been doing this for 11 months now. God is really good, and with Him, nothing is impossible.

“All things are possible to him that believes.” It is something great to really believe that all things are possible with God. Yet we may be anxious as to how and when it may come to pass. This word of Christ in the gospel throws the responsibility on us. Everything is possible to him who believes that God makes all things possible. If God is almighty "in heaven and on earth", it is because He made them. Nothing is impossible with God, who disposes His works according to His will. He is the Lord of the universe, whose order He established and which remains wholly subject to Him and at His disposal. He is master of history, governing hearts and events in keeping with His will.

So the next time you are in a situation that you think is impossible to overcome, then think again. Have you asked His help? Do you continue to rely on men for help? Turn to Him. In His dictionary, the word “impossible” is not written.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, in You, nothing is impossible. I abandon myself into Your hands; do with me what You will. Whatever You may do, I thank You. I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only Your will be done in me and in all Your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Amen +

The LORD shall do justice for his people; on his servants he shall have pity.