CONNECTION TO LIFE (04-30-13)

John 15:5

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in Me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without Me you can do nothing.”

For nine months, in our mother’s womb, we are connected to her through the umbilical cord.  The umbilical vein supplies the fetus with oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood from the placenta. 

It is our direct connection to life.  Sometimes, it may connect improperly to the placenta or become knotted or compressed.  Cord abnormalities can lead to problems during pregnancy or even death. 

And when we are born, this physical connection is cut-off.  But this doesn’t mean that we are separated now from our mothers.  Rather, this means the start of our emotional connection with her – as she nourishes us, care for us and love us – away from the womb, but nearer to her heart. 

We are connected in Jesus the same way.  We may not be attached to Him via an umbilical cord, but emotionally, we are.  We are dependent on Jesus for life, of course, but we are also dependent on Jesus for our lives to matter.  If we remain attached to Jesus Christ, our lives will bear much fruit. 

And without Him, we can do nothing! 

This is a very powerful statement.  Everyday, we go about our lives without much conscious thought about Jesus.  And through all our daily activities, God is with us, but we sometimes fail to thank Him for everything.

Let us live in a way that would make a difference to us and to others, remain connected to him in a meaningful way.  He is the vine, the umbilical cord of our life.  May we bear good fruits as we live our lives in total obedience to His will.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, we remain in You forever.  Grant us a long and fruitful life.  We pray that it be a life of goodness and peace, a life in which all the desires of our hearts shall be fulfilled for our good.  Amen +

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

GIVE GLORY AND THANKS (04-29-13)

Psalms 115:1

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name give glory because of your mercy, because of your truth.

This last week I've had some challenges in my both personal and work lives.  And I can only turn to prayer to banish all those problems, difficulties and seek strength to face the challenges ahead.

Praying with gratitude has increased my faith.  Focusing on the "thanks" part of prayer has helped me to feel that I am really talking with God.  Instead of just listing thanks for this or that, I've realized that I am thanking Heavenly Father for His role in the things for which I am thankful.  This has caused me to think about what His roles have really been in each of those things.

I think that praying with more gratitude has helped me to be better at not focusing on those things.  I can thank Him for doing whatever He has needed to do all these years to keep us relatively safe, and that reminds me that He does that for a reason, and that I need to make that work worthwhile by helping to build His kingdom.

St. Paul always begin with either thanksgiving or with praise to God. His prayer life clearly demonstrated a God-dependent attitude and a perspective that formed the foundation and source of the apostle’s ministry for the Gentiles.

We really do have so many things and people for which we can give thanks, do you not agree?  We are blessed in so many ways, and it is only right that we express our thanks to God for those blessings.  Paul’s example of gratitude is one that we would all do well to emulate.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, blessed are we, because we have known You!  Blessed are we, because we have believed in You!  Blessed are we, because we bear Your wounds and the sign of Your Blood on our contenances!  Blessed are we, because You are our great hope!  Blessed are we, because You are our God forever!  Amen +

Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.

THE WAY TO THE FATHER (04-28-13)

Luke 18:7

Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”  Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Whenever we go to a new place, where we are unfamiliar with, we always ensure that we bring with us a map of that area.  But most of the time, we would rather ask around for directions.  And it is always a relief to know that the person we are talking to would know the way.

But, isn’t it that the best response is when that person would remark, “Not only do I know the way, but I am from that place.  I can go with you and show you the way.”

And today, the Lord is telling us that He is not just telling us the way to the Father, but He is guiding us to that place.  Why?  Because he comes from that place.  He lives in that place with the Father.  For He is the Way to the Father.

Being lost and finding Jesus is experienced in our personal lives.  New situations bring with it new challenges.  When our lives make a sudden turn, we feel lost. We feel that we are moving without a sense of purpose.  Even if we have in our hands a map or a plan in order for us to reach our goals, an unexpected situation throws us off balance. And we just don’t know how to get there. 

In all of these, it is great to know that even Jesus is not with us physically, He has given us a great advocate, the Holy Spirit.  Through the Spirit, our hearts are opened to follow only Him.  The Spirit has placed in our hearts the map to eternal life.  Follow our hearts towards Him – Jesus is the Way that we should follow.

Let us pray +

Spirit of wisdom and understanding, enlighten our minds to perceive the mysteries of the universe in relation to eternity.  Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision to follow Jesus' way of love.  Amen +

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

I BELIEVE IN GOD (04-27-13)

John 14:11

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.

Zeus, Jupiter, Neptune, Hermes, Venus, Mars, Cupid – gods of the ancient Greek and Roman mythologies.  Up to the time of Jesus and his disciples, these gods are being worshipped and praised by the gentiles in the Asia Minor region.  If they are thought to live in heaven before, they are just names of heavenly bodies today. 

Thanks to Jesus apostles and disciples, the gentile came to know the ONLY TRUE GOD.  This is the truth of eternal life and salvation. 

This is the truth that we believe.

It is not possible for the finite human mind to understand the nature of the infinite God.  Therefore, it was necessary that God reveal Himself to us through divinely inspired writings.  This is the very reason why our heart yearns for Him, because the desire for God is written in the human heart.  God never ceases to draw us to Himself. 

Only in God will we find the truth and happiness we never stops searching for.  Because we exist for God has created us out of love.  Our God is the only true God.  And faith in Him is our response to God, who reveals Himself and gives Himself to man, at the same time bringing to us the light and the way as we search for the ultimate meaning of life. 

We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.  And in Jesus Christ, His only Son and our Lord.  And finally, in the Holy Spirit.  One God, forever and ever. 

He is ONE TRUE GOD, and that is the only thing that cannot be changed.

Let us pray +

You are great, O Lord, and greatly to be praised: great is Your power and Your wisdom is without measure.  We praise You, we worship You, we put our faith in You, for You are the only truth that we believe.  Amen +

All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

GOD OF ALL (04-26-13)

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.   No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Salvation is for everyone.  It is not only for the Jews but for the Gentiles, at that time, as well.  We know that God had set the priority.  He had determined to call one nation, Israel, and raise them as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  Through them, he would call all people on earth back to Him.  Therefore, it is wrong to say that God has favorites. 

There is a priority in God.  But there is no favoritism in God. 

Romans 2:9-11 says, “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile, for God does not show favoritism.” 

God is not the God of Jews only.  He is the God of Gentiles, too.  Yes, of everyone, since there is only one God.

We must therefore, yearn and learn to be the children of God and continually live under God’s blessing and God’s protection.  The Lord God accepts anyone who believes in Him, His Son the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, we must live in this world as God’s children by acknowledging and fulfilling the purpose for which God made us and has called us through his Son Jesus Christ. 

Jesus had come to restore God’s children and renew their holy mission and purpose in God.  Let us live as God’s children, and participate in the world salvation work of God. 

For His love is for everyone who believes and heed His words.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, You want us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing except losing You and to lay all our cares on You, knowing that You care for us.  Protect us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties.  Amen +

You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

TRUTH TO PROCLAIM (04-25-13)

John 13:19

From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.

There are now a lot of talent search shows, started by the famed American Idol.  There are dance, cooking and modeling talent reality shows.  And, it is really great watching talented individuals giving all their best.  However, before these great winners became what they are now, they underwent grueling interviews, auditions, hours of practice, ridicules, excitement, joy and frustrations. 

Most would say that they are great fans of their idols.  You can even see them imitating well-known singers and performers.  They imitate them because they believe they are the greatest.  They imitate them because they believe in what they do.  They imitate them because they want to be them – or even better.

Jesus is our greatest idol.  And we are His greatest fans.  And we believe in Him not only because we read about Him.  We idolize Him not just because we heard about Him.  We are His greatest fans because we believe in everything that He stands for – love and peace! 

As His greatest fans, it is only proper that we show this love to everyone.  We should spend hours of reading His Words, accept being ridiculed, be excited in teaching others, share our joys and happiness and give back to Him our frustrations and disappointments, totally believing and trusting Him that everything will be alright. 

And He continue to call us to give that “sight” to others so they may also receive His promise of love, peace and salvation.   We can even be better, and He knows that and He believes we can.  We are His chosen people.  And by knowing that we should live our lives like His shall be our greatest source of joy and faith.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I believe that You can do all things and I trust that in all things there is meaning and purpose.  Amen +

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

SIMPLE, TRUSTING FAITH (04-24-13)

Psalms 67:2

May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us.

No one of us has not experienced trouble or problems in life.  Everyone has.  The only difference is on how each one of us confronted these challenges.  Some may have given up easily.  But, I do hope that most of us faced the issue head on and managed to get through it all. 

Though our minds are often fairly quickly convinced that the problem is manageable, our emotions generally continue to be troubled for some time after.  Though we cannot escape troubles in this world, we should do our best to make our hearts as still as the depths of the sea. 

Because of our troubled hearts, we cannot enjoy the blessings that we receive, our health is affected, and our ability to work effectively is affected too.  Christians with troubled hearts cannot experience the joy of the Lord, are poor testimonies, and poor workers for Him.

We need to take God at His word.  As Christians, God takes residence inside us and begins to reveal to us his plan for our lives.  God has given us the user's manual of life.  All we need is to read it, practice it and live our lives through it. 

If you're discontent, worried, anxious, bewildered, perplexed, confused, agitated, or otherwise in need of comfort, the reason is that you don't trust Him like you should. 

If you really trust Christ, what do you have to worry about?

"Let not your heart be troubled".  If there is a single central message in Jesus' words, it is that the basis of comfort is simple, trusting faith.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I praise Your name and I shout out with joy for Your presence in my life.  We are not helpless, we are certainly not weak, for we are Your children.  Turn our hearts toward worship, praise, and thanksgiving.  To You be all the honor and glory!  Amen +

O God, let all the nations praise you!

ANTIOCH (04-23-13)

Acts 11:26

…and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

You will often see the same names used over and over again in families.  While certain names are popular in some families or in different times in history, the repetition could represent a pattern.  In my case, my real name is Roberto, Jr. – a junior, since my father had the same name, or more accurately, I was named after my father. 

In a Filipino family, the surname is important.  No one should act in such a way that you blemish the surname of your family.  Or else, you risk being disowned. 

Your family’s surname should be a source of honor and pride.

Today, the followers of Jesus are called Christians.  Actually, it started way back in Antioch, which is now a part of Turkey.  And being a Christian should be a source of joy and honor for us.  However, being a Christian must involve living a life dedicated and committed to Jesus.  It is not just a tag or a name.  It means total obedience to the living Lord. 

We need to PERSEVERE in our faith, knowing that one day we will receive our reward. This perseverance also includes encouraging fellow-Christians to live that life of commitment.

We are Christians.  And the world shall recognize us as the true disciples of Jesus -- not just by what we say or what we believe or what we do or even the soundness of our theology, but by our love.  Something has fundamentally changed within us.  Being Christians is not a walk in the park. 

Our Lord has shown us that being Christians means living our life for others.  And as Christians, we should keep the Lord in our hearts forever.  For without “CHRIST”, what is left is “IAN” or I Am Nothing!

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, with hearts filled with awe and rejoicing, we thank You for his life which is given to us.  Amen +

All you nations, praise the Lord.

ONE FLOCK, ONE SHEPHERD (04-22-13)

John 10:11

“I am the good shepherd.  A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

In present times, maybe as in old, a dog is called man’s best friend.  They would wag their tails when they hear our voice.  Moreover, they would bark once they hear uncommon sounds or voice.  They knows how and when to protect their beings and of course, us.

A sheep is no different from a dog.  The sheep follows his master’s voice, “because they recognize his voice.  But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers”.  And as such, we all are sheep and Jesus is our good shepherd. 

Like a good shepherd, he “lays down his life for the sheep”.  He came to protect us by giving his life for us.  He did this so that we might enjoy life to its fullest and have the hope of living forever.

When we got lost, He would simply call us to return back to the sheepfold.  Some of us may not hear Him the first time.  But He would constantly call us, knowing that one day, we would heed that call.  And to hear that call, use not our ears, but our hearts. 

He knocks at our hearts, so we may feel His love and know Him more.  None of us is good enough to merit God's favor; only Jesus Christ is.  We, then, had better make our way to Him!  And this is precisely what He invites us to do – “That one who believingly abandons himself to me and to my care, I will take him and keep him forever”.

Jesus' claim to be the "Good Shepherd" is a well-supported one. He proved it very well.  He died for His sheep so we may be saved.  And for those of us who are trusting in Him for salvation, He continues to prove it every day with satisfying tokens of His love.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, give me new strength from the courage of Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.  Lead my steps in the path He has shown, that I may receive His help and enjoy the light of Your presence forever.  Amen +

Athirst is my soul for the living God.

GREENEST PASTURE (04-21-13)

John 10:9

“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture”.

Jesus is offering Himself to be the gate where everyone can enter so we can find and experience green pasture.  Jesus is the gate and only through Him will we enter Heaven.  Jesus is the gate who gives those who pass in and out through it enough identity to feel secure and yet enough freedom to remain open to others, as God is open to others. 

Just like a shepherd who calls on his flock to finally enter the fenced sheepfold so they may be safe from harm, Jesus is also calling us to enter Him.  Christ our good shepherd tells us where we should direct our steps.  We just need to listen for his voice. 

And the best way to hear his soft yet firm voice is by being faithful to our conscience, the divine voice within us.  Jesus' claim to be the "Good Shepherd" is a well-supported one. He proved it very well.  He died for His flock so we may be saved. 

And for those of us who are trusting in Him for salvation, He continues to prove it every day with satisfying tokens of His love.

Enter through Him.  The Lord awaits us as He prepares a greener pasture.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, we heard Your call and we follow Your voice for we totally trust You.  Thank You for the gift of salvation as we enter Heaven through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

BFF (04-20-13)

John 15:13

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

I watched it in the Animal Planet.  After locating the prey, the lion moves slowly toward it, its body close to the ground.  A lion normally must surprise its victims by stalking.  When it is about 50 feet away, it rushes forward, grabs the rump, side, or head of the animal, and pulls it to the ground. 

Then it usually seizes the prey's throat in its mouth and strangles it.  After killing an animal, the lion often drags it to a shady spot.  All members of the pride eat together, with much growling and snarling.

But vicious and voracious as they are, lions have to kill to live and to share with his lioness and cubs.  And lions kill only when hungry.  Their prey can usually sense if lions are out to kill and, if not, it will just ignore the lion.

The devil is compared to the lions, prowling and stalking their prey looking for “someone to devour”.  But the similarity stops there.  The devil hunts its prey, not to eat and live, but to kill and forever separate its prey from its Master.  The devil is Satan… the prey is us… and the Master is Jesus. 

We should take the devil very seriously.  We are to be watchful, vigilant.  We must not be lulled into complacency about satanic opposition and temptations.  All through the scriptures, Satan is described as our adversary.  He is an ENEMY, who despises humanity in general, and the followers of Jesus Christ, in particular. 

But the good news is that Satan is already defeated!  The decisive battle which brought his doom was won at the cross through our Lord.  Our BFF (best friend forever) has given up His life so we can be free from the clutches of Satan.  And giving up His life is the fulfillment of the promise of salvation for us all.

Be firm in our faith and let Jesus protects us.  He is our BFF.

Almighty Father, I thank you for sending your Son Jesus Who won victory the devil, over sin and over death for my salvation.   Amen+

The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

TELL THE WORLD OF HIS LOVE (04-19-13)

Acts 9:4

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

On his way to Damascus, to capture and afterwards, kill more Christian followers and bring back to Jerusalem in chains, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice asking him why he is persecuting Christians, which in effect, he is persecuting the owner of the voice.  He could not see anything and just asked the help of his companions.  They went to Damascus and for three days, he was unable to see, eat or drink.

Ananias the disciple then came to see him.  He was baptized and was able to see again.  Saul, who was renamed Paul, was chosen by the Lord to be an instrument to carry His name before the Gentiles (non-Jews), kings and Israelites alike.  He readily accepted Jesus and took the challenge of suffering, not against Him, but rather in His name.

And today, we continue to persecute Him.  We continue to sin against our being, against our belief and against our Lord.  And as we are blinded by the sins of this world, do we rather continue to walk in darkness?  Or are we willing to accept the call of Jesus to spread the good news of salvation?

Each of us has been called by God to go forth and proclaim the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all creatures.  He calls man to seek Him, to know Him, to love Him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. 

You may now be blinded by your sins so you fail to see this eternal truth.  Let Him open your eyes and show you the joy of being with Him.  Let Him strengthen you as together, we proclaim the good news to every creature of this world.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, by the preaching of Your apostle Paul You have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world.  Grant, we pray, that we have the courage to proclaim to the world Your love and Your promise of salvation.  Amen +

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

HIS LOVING KINDNESS (04-18-13)

Psalms 66:20

Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or his kindness!

Somebody took my bike away.  I do not know how it happened.  I looked for it all around, but it’s not there anymore.  I went home crying.  On the way home, the thought of being scolded by my father plays repeatedly on my mind.  Upon reaching the house, my father saw me crying and hugged me.  He already had a hint of what happened.  He just said, “I am glad that only the bike was lost and you returned back alive and safe”. 

The thought of being loved brings into us great joy.  That instance instilled in my mind one important thing – that material things are nothing; loving and caring for someone is everything.

The love of God is pure, unadulterated one.  God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to become one of us and to save the human race.  When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the ransom so we can be with Him again.  In His resurrection, the promise of salvation was fulfilled.  And He takes care of us now and forever and will not let the devil take us away again.

However, we sometimes forget this.  When we experience death or loss (lost the business, lost our house), we ignore Him completely.  We always thought that He was the one who let these happened in our lives.  But instead of being “freed” from Him, we suffer more miseries.  We suffer more setbacks.  We indulged more in sins and the devil has once again owned our heart and our soul. 

Jesus will not let this happen further.  He is there over and over again for us, loving us and trying to get us back again into His loving presence.  He will never lose you again, for you are more important to Him than anything else.  Jesus opened the way for us to have eternal life.  Be not afraid and come to Him.  He is our joy forever.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I am lost and it is hard to face up to the wrong that is in my life.  Help me feel this goodness, and strengthen me to forgive those who have wronged me.  Amen +

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

JUNK THE JUNK (04-17-13)

John 6:35

“I am the Bread of Life…”

Junk foods – we indulge in them, once in a while.  As what the name suggest, they refer to food that is unhealthy and/or has poor nutritional value.  It contains high levels of fat, salt, sugar and numerous food additives.  It is lacking in proteins, vitamins and fiber, among other healthy attributes. 

Yet, they are very popular because it is easy to purchase, requires little or no preparation, is convenient to consume and has lots of flavor.  We know that junk foods has been associated with obesity, some diseases and dental cavities, still, we enjoy eating them.

In our lives, we also tend to enjoy spiritual junk foods – fame, money, power, prestige.  We indulge in them for they are good physically.  In exchange, we experience spiritual malnutrition.  We become obese with sins, afflicted with spiritual diseases like lust, pride and gluttony. 

And the more we indulge with them, the more we enjoy doing them.  And the more we enjoy them, the more the devil likes it and gives us more until we ended up sick and lonesome – away from the Lord.

Let us be reminded that everything we have and will have did not come from anyone or from ourselves, but from the One above who continually blesses us so we may share them with others. 

He is the BREAD OF LIFE.  He is not the flavor of the day.  Not the ice cream that will melt.  Not the stale crumbs, not the food that we crave.  But the nourishment our souls need.

And the only way we can know that nourishment, the only way we can be part of this bread of life, is to give our heart, our whole heart, over and over and over again, to God.  Kick out all our cravings for junks.  Accept the bread He offers and it would be enough.  And that is what we need and what we shall want.

Lord Jesus, You alone are the bread of life, giving us courage to face and reject all the unhealthy addictions around us.  Amen +

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

FACE OF AN ANGEL (04-16-13)

Acts 7:59

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

In the Acts of the Apostles, the name of St. Stephen occurs for the first time on the occasion of the appointment of the first deacons.  On the day of his death, the enemies of the Church of Jesus were furious to see how successful Stephen's preaching was.  At last, they laid a plot for him.  They could not answer his wise argument, so they got men to lie about him, saying that he had spoken sinfully against God. St. Stephen faced that great assembly of enemies without fear.  In fact, the Holy Bible says that his face looked like the face of an angel.

The praying martyr was thrown down; and while the witnesses were thrusting upon him "a stone as much as two men could carry", he was heard to utter this supreme prayer:  "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit".  Little did all the people present, casting stones upon him, realize that the blood they shed was the first seed of a harvest that was to cover the world.  And ironically, the leader of that mob was no other than Paul, called Saul at that time, and was the main persecutor of the Hellenist Christians.

Yes, hatred exists everywhere.  It has always existed and it always will until the second coming of Messiah.  That's the just the sad truth of the matter.  It's a fact of life.  However, hatred need not rule our lives nor must we react the same when it comes our way.

That is why we have the Holy Spirit, to help us through these trials and tribulations.  We must remember Who we are, Who’s we are with, and What we have.  We have the Spirit of God Himself living and breathing in us. There is no harm in asking for more blessings, but sometimes we forget about the suffering.  We must remember that Christ suffered unto death.

We are built to last. God will never put more on us than we can bear.  Release the anger in your heart and love those who hate you.  Always remember, Christ’s suffering on our behalf is infinitely far greater than our suffering on His behalf will be.

Almighty Father, receive my spirit and do not hold this sin against those who hates me.  We love you because You loved us first.  Amen +

My trust is in the LORD; I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy.

NOURISH OUR SOUL (04-15-13)

John 6:27

“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life…”

In the past few days, the gospel dwelt on John 6 and focused on Spiritual Hunger.  In our lives, we experienced grief, depression, anger and fear.  Our spirit becomes weak, we become agitated, falling into temptations and losing confidence in ourselves and to God. 

Our bodies are more than just a physical-being, we are created with a mind, a body, and a spirit.  Each one of these elements completes and balance us.  If one of these is out of balance, we feel lost and hopeless. 

We become malnourished. 

In effect, our entire body becomes weak and vulnerable to making less accurate decisions.  So, just as we need food to nourish our bodies, we also need mental food for our minds and spiritual food for our spirits. 

Jesus is the bread of life that nourishes us and keeps us from hunger and thirst.  Without Him we will always be hungry and looking for something to feed on.  Jesus cares about our hunger.  Jesus never gives up on us.  As soon as He sees us falling away from Him - searching for nourishment in other ways - He pulls us on until we realize that He is what we really needed in the first place.  Go to Jesus, talk to Him, sing to Him, read His Words. 

As you begin to focus on Him you become at peace and know that you are not alone and that Jesus is right there with you and will take care of all your needs.  Jesus is the bread of life that becomes the spiritual food we need to nourish our spirits, which then gives us the mental nourishment we need for our bodies, minds and souls.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, only You gives and sustains life.  We are helpless before both physical and spiritual death.  You have given us the grace of life through Jesus' giving of His life for us and to us.  This is beyond our understanding; yet we believe.  Amen +

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

OPEN MY EYES (04-14-13)

Luke 24:15-16

Jesus himself drew near and walked with them… but their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

When feeling angry or frustrated, I would keep myself silent.  I would keep myself locked in a room and spend the time doing something – cleaning my desk, re-arranging my mini-cooper collections.  I don’t want to see anybody or even talk.  During lunch or dinner, I would just focus on the food I eat. 

My family would recognize that I’ve been through a tough day.  They would start cheering me up.  They know that it would be gone after some time and I would start talking again.  Oh yes, it’s just a matter of time.

During the time when Jesus was crucified, died and buried, His disciples either felt sad, angry, frustrated or all.  In His appearance to His disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus felt these emotions from Cleopas.  The two are caught in the world of fear, anger and depression that they don’t bother anymore to look at others.  They even failed to recognize Jesus who is already amidst them.

But, Jesus started sharing with them the truth.  He knows that He has to take all of these emotions away first, so they would start listening to Him.  Slowly their eyes start to open.  Finally, Jesus offered Himself to them again, reminiscent of the Last Supper.  “He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them”. 

With that their eyes were finally opened and they recognized Him. 

Jesus takes away our fear, our anger, our depression and frustration.  He truly understands what we feel and only His words can cheer us up again.  As we talk with Him, let us receive Him in our hearts, communing with Him so our eyes may finally be opened that He is our Lord and our God.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, open our eyes and help us to see.  Only faith helps us see our own blindness.  Open our eyes to behold Your gracious hand in all Your works; that, rejoicing in Your whole creation.  Amen +

Lord, you will show us the path of life.

WHY BE AFRAID? (04-13-13)

John 6:20

But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

As a child, I have fear of cockroach (generally, entomophobia) and of ghost (phasmophobia).  Although I have seen (and later on, killed) a lot of cockroaches, I haven’t really seen a ghost.  In effect, I have already overcame my fear of the six-legged critter, but, for ghost, honestly, I still fear going through or being left in dark places.

In the bible, St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy mentions about “timidity” (to be fearful) – “for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control”.  Sometimes, this “spirit of timidity” overcomes us, affecting our disposition. 

To overcome this fearfulness, we need to trust in and love God completely - not to be afraid of being alone, not to be afraid of being too weak, not to be afraid to love and be loved, of not being heard, and not to be afraid of anything, for in God’s eyes, “we are of more value than many sparrows”.

It is a refusal to give into fear. It is a turning to God even in the darkest times and trusting in God to make things right. This trust comes from knowing God and knowing that He is a righteous God -- total and complete trust!

When we have a trusting relationship with God, we can rely on His promises.  We can be strong and of good courage.  We can fear nothing because God is with us, He will not fail us, nor forsake us. 

This is His promise.  And as a faithful God, we need to have faith in Him.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, in You I put my trust, so, I will not be afraid of what any man can do to or against me.  Teach me thy way, O LORD, that I may walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name.  I give thanks to thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify thy name for ever.  Amen +

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

SEVENTH MEAL (04-12-13)

John 6:11

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.

Whenever I walk through the mall, I marvel at the number of restaurants present in there.  Morever, the business is good for them since most of the time, they are full. 

And as I walk the streets, the same phenomenon can be observed – little canteens (carinderia) and fast food chains abound.  This can be due to the fact that most Filipinos eat SIX times a day.  Yes, SIX times – breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and midnight snack. 

But we also have another type of hunger – our spiritual hunger.  And there is a mean that would complete us – our SEVENTH meal for the day.  The meal is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the bread of life.  We could not live without food for very long.  The meal the completes us.

Food sustains us.  But, Jesus clearly meant something more than mere physical existence.  The life Jesus refers to is connected with God, who is the author of life.  Real life is a relationship with the living God, a relationship of faith, trust, love, obedience.  This is what Jesus makes possible for us -- a loving relationship with the God who created us for love with Him.

First he offers Himself as spiritual food which produces the very life of God within us.  Second, He promises unbroken friendship and freedom from the fear of being forsaken or cut off from God.  Third, He offers us the hope of sharing in his resurrection.  Do you know the joy and hope of the resurrection?  He is the bread of life, include Him and make Him the most important meal in your life.

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus Christ, Your death brought life and hope where there was once only despair and defeat.  Give me the unshakeable hope of everlasting life, the inexpressible joy of knowing your unfailing love, and the unquestioning faith and obedience in doing the will of our Father in heaven.

One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.

SEVENTH MEAL (04-12-13)

John 6:11

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.

Whenever I walk through the mall, I marvel at the number of restaurants present in there.  Morever, the business is good for them since most of the time, they are full. 

And as I walk the streets, the same phenomenon can be observed – little canteens (carinderia) and fast food chains abound.  This can be due to the fact that most Filipinos eat SIX times a day.  Yes, SIX times – breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and midnight snack. 

But we also have another type of hunger – our spiritual hunger.  And there is a mean that would complete us – our SEVENTH meal for the day.  The meal is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the bread of life.  We could not live without food for very long.  The meal the completes us.

Food sustains us.  But, Jesus clearly meant something more than mere physical existence.  The life Jesus refers to is connected with God, who is the author of life.  Real life is a relationship with the living God, a relationship of faith, trust, love, obedience.  This is what Jesus makes possible for us -- a loving relationship with the God who created us for love with Him.

First he offers Himself as spiritual food which produces the very life of God within us.  Second, He promises unbroken friendship and freedom from the fear of being forsaken or cut off from God.  Third, He offers us the hope of sharing in his resurrection.  Do you know the joy and hope of the resurrection?  He is the bread of life, include Him and make Him the most important meal in your life.

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus Christ, Your death brought life and hope where there was once only despair and defeat.  Give me the unshakeable hope of everlasting life, the inexpressible joy of knowing your unfailing love, and the unquestioning faith and obedience in doing the will of our Father in heaven.

One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.

LIFE ETERNAL (04-11-13)

John 3:36

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon Him.”

Eternal life.  Life after death.  Resurrection. 

Many have heard the words, but so few understood their real meaning and what it really means to our spiritual life.

Death puts an end to human life, as we know it.  But, it also open another one with the opportunity of seeing God face to face and live in His love forever and ever.  The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in His second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each of us will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith.

The parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts speak of a final destiny of the soul - a destiny which can be different for some and for others.

Jesus is the eternal life. 

It is knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He sent so we may be saved.  If you have Jesus, you have this life, but if you do not have Jesus you do not have this life.  Jesus is the only way to God the Father and eternal life.

Deep in your heart, you can hear the Lord calling us to sell - “get rid of” - those things that prevent us from doing the real purpose for our existence - the real treasures that we are to store for ourselves in the kingdom of heaven. 

If you dare to ask the question, “What must I do to attain eternal life?” be aware, because deep down inside you already know the answer.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, send Your Spirit to cleanse my life so that the offering of myself to You may please You and may my sharing in the Eucharist, our Bread of Life, bring me eternal life.  Amen +

Taste/see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him.