The 5th Gospel: Our Lives in Christ

Father, into Your hands I commend my Spirit

2014-04-19T17:16:00.002-07:00

Image from http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2013/03/march-23-2013-seven-last-words.html

Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)

Everything might have just ended with the words "It is finished". But no. Jesus said these strong words, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit".

He knew that His task is completed and that everything has been restored. But, these words carry faith with it because this time, He allowed God to work now through Him to show everyone of His Divine Nature that even death cannot contain Him.

In our daily lives, we are given tasks wherein in the middle of it we experience hardships, or sometimes fall on a dead end. Have we lifted ourselves and our tasks to God saying, "Father, into Your hands, I commend this task to You", or do we just keep it to ourselves?

Brothers and sisters, even if Jesus is God, He showed us in a human way how it is to lift up your concerns to God and to have faith in Him. What we have to do is to anticipate joyfully for our mini "Easter" where God will save us and create something new to is.

The hardships are done now. We wait for Christ's resurrection...

Mission Accomplished

2014-04-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

Source: http://www.charismaministries.org/it-is-finished-or-is-it/

When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. (John 19:30)

A friend of mine posted this status in Skype:

Don't strive to make your presence noticed. Live to make your absence felt.

When I read this, I pondered and reflected these words until it made me realize that the saints did this in their own simple way.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta gave her life in uplifting the lives of the people in India.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is just like your ordinary teenager, but has loved the poor by giving what he has in order to uplift their current situation.

And these are some of the saints who have left a mark on the hearts of their loved ones and the people whom they have helped. In the words of Saint John Bosco, by "doing [their] ordinary duties extraordinarily well", they have lived a life where they have fulfilled their main purpose in life: To live a life in service and love of God.

And this is what Jesus did during His ministry. He healed the sick, expelled demons and preached the Gospel of truth every where. Thus with boldness He said, "It is finished".

How have we lived our lives lately? Are we confident to say to God at the end of our lives, "It is finished"?

Brothers and sisters, the true meaning of life is service to God and His people. And once that is done, you have lived a life to make your absence felt.

Take the Plunge

2014-04-19T07:55:00.003-07:00

14" x 22" print of original oil and canvas painting by Filipino artist Joey Velasco (2007)

After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” (John 19:28)

What does it mean to be thirsty?

If we can still remember in our Biology subjects, to be thirsty means that the water supply in our bodies are running low and it needs to be replenished. Whenever we are thirsty, our nerves send signals in our brain that we need water. And Jesus did experience this as He hung on the cross. His brain has been receiving mixed signals from loss of water, exhaustion, pain of the nails and also blood loss.

But the words "I thirst" gives a lot more meaning that just a physical aspect.

Jesus is thirsty of our love to Him.

In the Divine Mercy Novena, Jesus revealed to Saint Faustina some of the people He is thirsty of and wants to be plunged in the ocean of His mercy. Some of these people are the priests and religious, the devout souls, the souls of children, and the souls of purgatory.

But among all the groups of people whom Jesus described to Saint Faustina, there is one group which holds so much care and affection, and He would really want to bring close to His heart: The sinners and the lukewarm people. In my previous blog, I shared that we sometimes shout and cry to God saying "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" But most of the time, we forget that God has never forsaken us -- we are the ones who have forsaken Him. And now, Jesus reminds us that

I have not forsaken you. I am just here. I thirst so much of your love which you give to other things that never bring permanent refreshment. Remember, my child, the Samaritan woman whom I said that I am the water that refreshes and will refresh your soul.

Come to me and I will refresh you ever more, and you will never be thirsty again.

Jesus now presents us with the ocean of mercy. Are you ready to take the plunge?

The Dark Night of the Soul

2014-04-18T20:54:00.003-07:00

Image from
http://dominicjallen.com/2013/09/22/did-jesus-doubt-god-the-father-on-the-cross/

And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

Does Our Lord Jesus forsake us? No.

Then why did our Lord say these words? Has God really forsaken Him, His Only Begotten Son? No. What Jesus has done is that He showed us that everyone, even the holiest of people, feels the sense of abandonment and that He is one with us even during these times.

Saint John of the Cross has described this as the "Dark Night of the Soul", and this is experienced by everyone -- you, me -- and all the saints, even Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. But this dark night is more than just a "dark night". According to Phyllis Zagano and Kevin Gillespie in their article "Mother Teresa's Dark Night", they said that it involves two major phases: (1) The Dark Night of Senses and Spirituality; and (2) The Loss of God. And "[s]ouls invited into Dark Night, he wrote, realize they just can’t pray anymore. [And] Not only does prayer cease, but those experiencing Dark Night lose the joy of the spiritual journey." (Zagano and Gillespie, 2014)

But how were the saints able to get past it? How were they able to become victorious?

Simple solution but requires a lot: holding on to their commitment to serve and love Jesus Christ until the very end.

Jesus does this in order to see how much we love Him and how much we seek Him daily. He hides himself from us in order to purify our intentions and our souls as to how we see Him as our Lord and Savior.

And this is how Jesus showed it through the cross. He showed us that despite the sufferings that we are experiencing, despite the dryness in our spiritual life, GOD IS THERE PRESENT.

Let us continue to seek Him no matter what happens.

Let us continue to adore His greatness and works.

Let us continue to love Him until the very end.

---------------------------------
Source: "Mother Teresa's Dark Night" BY: PHYLLIS ZAGANO AND C. KEVIN GILLESPIE

A mother's love...a mother's care

2014-04-17T15:53:00.002-07:00

Image from http://www.gci.org/jesus/women

"When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home." (John 19: 26-27)

My first encounter with the prayer "Memorare" was years ago when I was praying the rosary. And as I prayed, I was struck by the first few lines of the prayer:

Remember, O most gracious virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

And it is true, and thus was the purpose of Our Lord Jesus when He gave His mother to St. John the Evangelist and eventually to us. He extended her role as not only being the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God, but also as the Mother of all nations.

Many times in my life when I personally felt Mary's hand guiding to Jesus and also protecting me when I am in trouble. It is during these times when I cry out to her like a baby, "Mama Mary, help us!" And she will be the first to rescue me where she will send people in order to protect us. Often times, she will send and touch the hearts of people in order to guide us to the right path. She clears the way to see clearly God's plan in our lives especially during the times when I was so confused as to where I am going.

Mother Mary is there. She's there ready and willing to help bring us closer to Jesus. She is always there to help, guide and assist us. She is there with arms wide open to welcome us home and to lead us back to Jesus.

Remember, O most gracious virgin Mary, that never was it know that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto Thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

A Reflection of Saint Dimas

2014-04-13T01:21:00.000-07:00

Painting from https://catholicismpure.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/the-repentant-thief/

"Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)

Many don't know this (or may have not noticed) that the first saint ever cannonized was Saint Dimas (or sometimes called as Saint Dismas).

Yes! The repentant thief is a saint who was personally cannonized by Jesus Himself whose feast day is on March 25 (however, since the Feast of the Annunciation falls on the same day, the Church takes this as top priority).

Although we only have the verse above to describe who Saint Dimas is, there is a well-known tradition that even before they met during the crucifixion, they already met when they were still children.

According to the tradition, he was a leprous child who grew up with a band of robbers. It was during this time that Mary and Joseph were fleeing Nazareth and on their way to Egypt when the Holy Family encountered this band of robbers. Instead of robbing them, they felt a sense of compassion that they were asked to stay in their tent for the night. The leader (who was Saint Dimas' father) noticed that the Holy Child could heal their leprous child, asked his wife to ask Mary if they could bathe their son in the same water which Mary used to bathe Jesus. So, as soon as she placed him in the same water Jesus used, he was healed.

After thirty-three years, they met again bathing. This time, not bathing in water but bathing in blood of Christ's mercy. That is why for me, there is a special place for Saint Dimas in this Passion sequence.

What makes him special?

Simple. He said,

"Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23: 40-42).

He saw himself extremely worthy of death for the crime he committed.

He was completely sorry for everything that he has done and has completely resolved himself not to sin again.

He knew that he has sinned and has made a complete repentance in front of Jesus whom he recognizes as the one who can forgive his sins. That is why he looked on him and said, "I'm sorry Lord! Please remember me when you come into your kingdom."

How many times have we been rightfully sorry for all the sins that we have committed? Have we resolved ourselves to come before Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and say to Him, "I'm sorry Lord for all that I've been doing to you, for hurting you because of my favorite sins"?

It is time to come back to Him and repent.

It is time ask for repentance from Christ and not be like the other thief who mocks Him.

It is time to be like Saint Dimas.

Let us ask for the intercession of Saint Dimas this Holy Week that we may be repentant of our sins and bring us closer to the waters of Christ's mercy as we pray the Prayer to Saint Dimas:

Glorious Saint Dismas, you alone of all the great Penitent Saints were directly canonized by Christ Himself; you were assured of a place in Heaven with Him "this day" because of the sincere confession of your sins to Him in the tribunal of Calvary and your true sorrow for them as you hung beside Him in that open confessional; you who by the direct sword thrust of your love and repentance did open the Heart of Jesus in mercy and forgiveness even before the centurion's spear tore it asunder; you whose face was closer to that of Jesus in His last agony, to offer Him a word of comfort, closer even than that of His Beloved Mother, Mary; you who knew so well how to pray, teach me the words to say to Him to gain pardon and the grace of perseverance; and you who are so close to Him now in Heaven, as you were during His last moments on earth, pray to Him for me that I shall never again desert Him, but that at the close of my life I may hear from Him the words He addressed to you: "This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." Amen.

Forgiveness when the people we love hurt us

2014-04-13T01:05:00.001-07:00

Crucifixion as seen from the cross by James Tissot

"Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23: 34)
How does it feel when the people that we loved and cared for persecute us?

How does it feel when we help people out of our good intentions turn things around and say bad things to us?

This is what Jesus felt after being nailed to the cross and slowly being lifted up. He sees the people from the crowd whom He has touched just staring at Him and doing nothing. He hears them shouting and mocking him for every good act that He has done. His heart is slowly being broken into two because all of the effort He did and all of the miracles He has done to reveal to Israel that He is the one sent by God meant nothing to them.

He has given His entire love to everyone and has been seeking the lost sheep from afar to bring them back and to reveal to everyone that He is the Son of God who has come to restore everything to Himself and to free them from sin. But in the end, they have crucified the one who has loved them first -- we have crucified the one who has loved us first.

But how does it take for someone to easily forgive those people, especially for those whom we have done good to?

We've encountered this in many situations. Sometimes at work, sometimes with our friends and sometimes with those who are very much close to us. And at times, we would love to give them a taste of hell by seeking revenge on them.

But what will it bring us? Will we be able to sleep soundly at night?

Probably. But how about our soul?

The Prophet Jeremiah has clearly showed how it should be done.

Yes, I hear the whisperings of many: “Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!” All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. “Perhaps he can be tricked; then we will prevail, and take our revenge on him."

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not prevail. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. LORD of hosts, you test the just, you see mind and heart, Let me see the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause.

Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the evildoers! (Jer. 20: 10-13)

I remember one time when I was in the same situation. I was completely raging in anger that I've been thinking of what to do to him to make him pay. But the Lord came to me in my prayer and said these words:

Never lay your hand on him. Revenge and justice is mine. All you need to do is to pray for him.

This is what Jesus did when He hung on the cross. He could have when down and slapped everyone.

But no.

In His humility and love for entire mankind, He lifted all of the sins committed to Him to the Father and asking to forgive them for not recognizing Him as His Only Beloved Son.

Lift everything to the Lord and live with love, even if the people whom we love hurt us.

On Choral Music and the Church or Community

2013-03-31T16:53:00.001-07:00

Before I start this blog entry, I would like to share with you this song written by Thomas Tallis entitled "If Ye Love Me".

I've been singing in choirs since 2002. Thanks to my friend Eugene who have taught me the basics on how to read choral scores. From there, I improved my craft and learned a lot of things and realizations. And one of my realizations is that the Church or any Catholic/Christian Community is like a choral score.

I can hear clearly the question "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!?!?!"

Here it is...

For starters, you may have noticed that there are 4 voices: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. My conductor in one of my choirs gave me this analogy when describing how the melodic line per voice should be sung:

Basses are like your typical "Santa Claus": jolly, happy and always laughing. They have deep voices which doesn't seem to bring the house into sadness.
Tenors are like your typical dads: They may be commanding and hard to understand, but they are doing it with care. They command the family, but they do it because they love you.
Altos are like mothers who sacrifice so much for the family. They are the ones that continuously love without asking for anything in return. Even if the family forgets to give love to their mothers, they still show love to them.
Sopranos are those jumpy teens that always goes with the flow of the music. They don't mind what's going on as long as all of the attention is on them.

Now with that in mind, imagine yourself inside a room with 4 friends (that is, two girls and two men) then someone starts a melody until this song comes into writing. Thus the term "Polyphony" came into being.

Now since every voice has it's own melody to share or to sing, isn't this similar to our Church or in a general aspect, our Community?

Whenever we get to meet new people, we recognize that they have a different story to share. They have their own melody. Thus, we "blend in" to their story and create a new, but enticing, song. It also goes for the older people in the organization. Whenever we meet them and get to know them more, we "blend in" our story to them.

So what "gells" us to produce this music? Just as the melodies in a polyphonic music are gelled by formulating a good "chord progression", so does our Baptism in Christ gell us together just as what Cardinal Tagle said during his Chrism Mass Homily. And just as the goal of chord progression is to establish "a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord and that is based upon a succession of root relationships", so does our goal is to bring every voice, every person back to our "tonic chord", our "root chord" who is Jesus Christ.

To end, whenever people tell me that choral music is just for wimps or they cannot relate this kind of music to their Justin Bieber, Ne-yo, etc. and that choral music is just for the church, I just smile and say to them inside, "You're missing a lot in this."

On Forgiveness: when all that you've done was

2013-03-31T04:11:00.002-07:00

Last week (Palm Sunday), as I was on my way up the Parish Hall to setup the room for the Catechism Seminar, I saw my friend who is in front of the Parish Office. She told me that she's waiting for her turn for confession. So I decided to have my confession as well since it's been a month since I had it.

After I had my confession, the priest gave me this penance: Have 2 minutes of silence. So I said to myself, "Ok! It's just fine with me because I love silence and to let my mind reflect and stay silent with God." (I said this not to complain for the lengthy prayers which other priests give. Whatever the priest gives me as his penance, it's fine because that is what God wants as a form of reparation to my sins). Then I left and went on my way to setup the room.

While the seminar was on going, I was about to go out the room in order to get something when I saw someone outside about to come in. And as he opened the door, I saw M---------: the person who put my fiancee to shame in front of his choir because of something he thought was right.

Back story:
My fiancee joined a parish choir while I was still back at home. This choir was handled by M---------. At first, he was ok and I believed then that he would ask my fiancee for help in terms of choral matters and vocal training because we were taught by our conductors who were former members of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, and also I taught her some of the things I've learned from different choirs, especially from the UP Singing Ambassadors.

But came that dreadful day. It was about the song which we perfectly knew well. M------ was teaching the song with the wrong rhythmic pattern. My fiancee corrected him saying that this is not the correct rhythm and she sang the correct one. Then he scolded her in front of that choir telling her that that was what the composer taught him and he taught it to him PERSONALLY.

That night, she called me and told me about what happened. I researched for the score and showed it to her and she was correct. Then she decided to leave that choir because she know that she was correct.

(Note that this was not the first time it happened. The event I shared was the second time.)

With that story, it made a mark on me and told myself that he's stupid and does not know what he's teaching. And when I came here and listened to his choir, I said to her, "Good thing you left. My choir back at home is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy better than him." Also, I found out from her that he does not use choral scores or sheet music whenever he teaches. And I was not surprised...

Yes, I'm a choral conductor as well as I teach what I've been taught by my conductors for 11 years.

On to the main story...
So as he entered the room, I gave him the look that says "I hate you more than ever! I hate you more than you'll ever know! Even if my fiancee, out of her humbleness, asked for your forgiveness and you forgave her, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU UNTIL YOU SAY SORRY TO HER IN FRONT OF ME!!!!! BINASTOS MO SYA NA AKO AT YUNG MGA DATING MIYEMBRO NG PHILIPPINE MADRIGAL SINGERS ANG NAGTURO NG TAMA!!!" (I also gave this look to him when I went to my friend's house only to find out that he is her roommate)

I tried to keep calm and be composed because I don't want to make a scene there.

We went into prayer before we closed this seminar. And as we were praying, a voice came to me and said clearly these words...

Forgive.

I know it was God's voice talking to me and I know that it was about him because I've been asking for forgiveness because I still find it hard to forgive him after what he did. So I asked why. He didn't reply...

yet...

God gave me his response when I went inside a church. I was alone there and it was perfect.

And I kept silent.

Then I saw a vision of myself talking to Jesus and this was what happened.

Jesus: Forgive him.

Me: How am I supposed to forgive him? You knew for sure what happened to my fiancee and why, until now, I haven't forgiven him.

Jesus: Yes I know. But didn't you realize that I went through what you're going through? I've been telling them that I AM, but they still told me that I am not the Messiah which was promised to them by My Father. I've been pointing to them in scripture where I AM, but they nailed me to the cross and treated me like a thief and a sinful man.

At that point, I recalled everything that I've learned during the EWTN Bible Study Series by Jeff Cavins. Here are some of them:

"A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kindred; that is the one to whom you shall listen. This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let me not again hear the voice of the LORD, my God, nor see this great fire any more, or I will die.” And the LORD said to me, What they have said is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kindred, and will put my words into the mouth of the prophet; the prophet shall tell them all that I command." Deut. 18:15-18
"The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds* of Israel. Prophesy and say to them: To the shepherds, thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds pasture the flock? You consumed milk, wore wool, and slaughtered fatlings, but the flock you did not pasture. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the stray or seek the lost but ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. They were scatteredd and wandered over all the mountains and high hills; over the entire surface of the earth my sheep were scattered. No one looked after them or searched for them.

For thus says the Lord GOD: Look! I myself will search for my sheep and examine them. As a shepherd examines his flock while he himself is among his scattered sheep, so will I examine my sheep. I will deliver them from every place where they were scattered on the day of dark clouds." Ezekiel 34:1-6, 11-12
"But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide fairly for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips." Isaiah 11:1-5
"Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as Sheol, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then he said: Listen, house of David! Is it not enough that you weary human beings? Must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel. Curds and honey he will eat so that he may learn to reject evil and choose good; for before the child learns to reject evil and choose good, the land of those two kings whom you dread shall be deserted.

The LORD shall bring upon you and your people and your father’s house such days as have not come since Ephraim seceded from Judah (the king of Assyria)." isaiah 7: 10-17

At that point, I felt nothing. I was stripped down to my core and seemed that my ranting was nothing to what he encountered.

I was ashamed and felt that I was nothing...

Until I watched this video during the 7 Last Words before the Solemnity of the Death of Jesus Christ.

I was moved and didn't know what to do or say. He was right. Jesus didn't have to wait for them to say sorry that they didn't recognize Him in Scriptures. He did it because He loves them and that they belong to Him, although they do not know Him ("For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not." Isaiah 45:4). Thus one of the last words of Jesus which is "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23: 34) gave a new meaning to the word "Forgiveness".

If you ask me now, I really do not know. Though I'm willing to forgive him, but it will take time for me to heal the wounds of what he did to her. But I'm almost there... I'm almost there...

Open letter to all the new members of SFC SouthB2A

2012-07-26T07:48:00.001-07:00

I would like to share to you all my reply to Marvin Gonzaga when he asked me a number of questions regarding the household in SFC.

---------------------------------

hi marvs!

sorry for the late reply. sobrang busy lang sa work. Ito po yung mga sagot ko sa tanong mo.

Most memorable household topic/moment:
- Most memorable ko is yung household namin back in 2006 with Dave Balino. Topic ata namin nun is about letting go of your sins. During our household, nalaman namin na pare-pareho kami ng struggles. Since then, kami-kami na ang nagtutulungan in order to overcome the struggles. Ito rin yung naging way namin para maging close sa isa't isa. Nagkaroon kami nun ng nightouts and mas naging interesting ang household namin since then.And until now, dala ko pa rin siya kasi yun yung naging drive ko to have a closer household.

Message to the new members:
1. Wag kayong mailang sa kanya or have distance with him. Kausapin mo siya bilang kaibigan. That's one thing na nagustuhan ko kay Dave kaya rin ako tumagal sa SFC. He treated us na tropa lang and there was no distance between his members. Take note: tao rin siya at kaibigan ninyo.
2. Have faith in your household head. He may not be the solution to your problems, pero hindi ka nya pababayaan. He's there to support you in times when you're down and look for ways to help you grow into a better Catholic. I remember na kung hindi dahil kay Dave, I wouldn't know about the free Psychotrauma Clinic in UST. Kung hindi rin dahil kay Dave, I wouldn't be where I am now: Household Head (or sector head ata) of SFC Kuala Lumpur.
3. Love him and take good care of him. Remember that God has planned everything and may reason yan kung bakit siya yung household head ninyo. He may not be the household head that you envision, but God has made it perfect because he wants you to learn something from him.

To the new and old household heads (akala nyo ha? hehehe!):
- Love them as your own. I remember what St. John Bosco used to tell his boys back then na it is much better to save a soul to heaven than to bring him with you to hell. You are responsible for his soul, and I believe that's one purpose of being a household head. I know that you can't control everything that he does to his soul. But with your daily prayers for your members, miracles can happen. Sa tingin ba ninyo na kung wala yung mga naging household head ni Bro. Rolly, Bro. Myke Perfecto and Bro Joemar (yung dating walking mercury drug) e would they be the people they are right now? Pray for them. Pray unceasingly.

Also, I ask you to pray for me rin dito sa KL. Sobrang hirap to be a better household head here. I sometimes feel the burden of being a leader na unlike sa atin. Ngayon pa't CLP na namin, I know na maraming responsibilities pa ang darating sa akin, especially when it comes to pastoring them.

Pray for me for more patience, love and understanding for my members.

Pray for me that I may strive to be a better Catholic and a better leader.

Yun lang po. Ingat kayo palagi!!! Miss you guys!!!

Our Sins vs Our Rosary

2011-12-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

I would like to share this video with you regarding the importance of praying the rosary. Based from my experience lately, it has given me hope during times that I was feeling low and it also made me closer in reflecting on the events of Jesus Christ and of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I hope you pray the rosary too. It will help you a lot.

Do It Anyway by Mother Theresa

2011-06-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

I got this from an email the other day and I want to share this to you.

The Secret

2011-06-27T23:10:00.001-07:00

I would like to share to you a picture from my friend in Facebook.

Prayer Before Exams

2011-06-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

I would like to share to you a prayer which my girlfriend Lisette shared to me as I take my first certification exam today. I hope that you can use this too whenever you take your exams.

Lord Jesus, today I will have my examinations
You know how important they are to me
so I am humbly asking your gracious help and divine assistance
I pray to you, dear Jesus, please never let me panic nor get nervous
Just let me be at ease and give my very best.
Please never let me guess nor rely on pure luck
but enlighten my mind and let me think clearly.
Please never let me resort to chances nor to dishonesty
but let me work to the fullest of my ability
I ask for your guidance that as I think,
I may find the right solutions,
I may be able to correctly answer the questions,
I may solve those difficult problems.
I ask you Lord for intercession that as I write,
I may not be careless, nor overconfident
I may not be distracted but be more concentrated,
I may not be in a hurry nor take the exams to lightly.
Today, oh my Jesus, I will take my examinations.
Let me, with your help, give my best effort.
Let me, because of you, receive the best and fruitful results.
Amen.

Catholic Church in the US

2011-05-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

Here's an email which I got from my Dad. I would like to share this to you.

Excerpts of an article written by non-Catholic Sam Miller - a prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman:

"Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States , namely the Catholic Church?

Do you know - the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the cost to that Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. The graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%.

The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students.

The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people - not just Catholics - in the United States today.

But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country.
They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.

Let me give you some figures that Catholics should know and remember.
For example, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner;
38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church ,
41.8% of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior;
17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed.

Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia.
10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia. This is not a Catholic Problem.

A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.

The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church.
You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally weeded out by now.

Walk with your shoulders high and you head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in theUnited States ...

Then remember what Jeremiah said: 'Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls'.
Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions.

Be proud that you're a Catholic."
The above is also true in most of Europe, Africa & Asia

Does God Exist

2011-05-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

I got this from one of the posts from my friend in Facebook. Hope you guys will appreciate it.

Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?

Student : Yes, sir.

...

Professor : So you Believe in GOD ?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is GOD Good ?

Student : Sure.

Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?

Student : Yes.

Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn't. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

( Student is silent )

Professor : You can't answer, can you ? Let's start again, Young Fella. Is GOD Good?

Student : Yes.

Professor : Is Satan good ?

Student : No.

Professor : Where does Satan come from ?

Student : From . . . GOD . . .

Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this World?

Student : Yes.

Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?

Student : Yes.

Professor : So who created evil ?

(Student does not answer)

Professor : Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the World, don't they?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor : So, who Created them ?

( Student has no answer )

Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you. Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD?

Student : No, sir.

Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD?

Student : No , sir.

Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD, Tasted your GOD, Smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM?

Student : Yes.

Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith.

Professor : Yes, Faith. And that is the Problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?

Professor : Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as Cold?

Professor : Yes.

Student : No sir. There isn't.

( The Lecture Theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events )

Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat, a Little Heat or No Heat... But we don't have anything called Cold. We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as Cold. Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat. We cannot Measure Cold. Heat is Energy. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.

( There is Pin - Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )

Student : What about Darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as Darkness?

Professor : Yes. What is Night if there isn't Darkness?

Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the Absence of Something. You can have Low Light, Normal Light, Bright Light, Flashing Light . . . But if you have No Light constantly, you have nothing and its called Darkness, isn't it? In reality, Darkness isn't. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you?

Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is flawed.

Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality. You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD. You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite something we can measure. Sir, Science can't even explain a Thought. It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing. Death is Not the Opposite of Life: just the Absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your Students that they evolved from a Monkey?

Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir?

( The Professor shakes his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument is going )

Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and Cannot even prove that this Process is an On - Going Endeavor, Are you not teaching your Opinion, sir? Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher?

( The Class is in Uproar )

Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever seen the Professor's Brain?

( The Class breaks out into Laughter )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's Brain, Felt it, touched or Smelt it? . . . No one appears to have done so. So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have No Brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir?

(The Room is Silent. The Professor stares at the Student, his face unfathomable.)

Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith, son.

Student : That is it sir . . . The Link between Man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that Keeps Things Moving & Alive.

NB:

I believe you have enjoyed the Conversation . . . and if so . . . You'll probably want your Friends / Colleagues to enjoy the same . . . won't you? Forward them to Increase their Knowledge . . . or FAITH.

It turned out later that the student is Albert Einstein.

How much, in your heart, do you believe that God exists?

The Wound, the itch and the healing (Originally written July 4, 2008)

2011-05-06T02:52:00.000-07:00

But you – why do you return to these distresses
instead of climbing that shining Mount of Joy
which is the seat and first cause of man’s bliss?
– Virgil (Canto I, verses 74-76)

I have a wound in my left leg, and it was a long one. I forgot how I got it lately. Maybe I got it somewhere where it scratched my leg.

Although the wound is healed now, there are times that I really wanted to scratch it.

That was until last night when I just can’t take it anymore. I scratched it really hard and scratched it badly, until…

Oops!

Blood came flowing out because the healed cover was removed.

Thus, instead of healing it completely by leaving it and not minding it, I created another wound which will take many days before it will heal again.

In life, we are sometimes like this. Whenever we say to ourselves, “I will stop my drinking”, or “I will never engage in premarital sex again”, or “I will control my spending so that I can save money for my marriage”, there are times that we go back to where we were before: our drinking habits, sexual escapades or spending spree.

I came to a point that I experienced this, and it was a completely bad one.

Those of you who read my blogs know that I am in a relationship at this time. However, there is this someone in my past that I haven’t got through with for a very loooooooooooooooooooong time (as in literally long time).

Yes, this is the real me, and quoting from the words of my friend whom I told every single event in my life, “You are living a double life”.

It also came to a point that I told myself that I will focus all of my energies to my girlfriend, and totally forget that girl in my past. I went outside the country to do my “recollection”, my process of letting her go. I was living a good life with my beloved and focusing my energies to her alone.

But then did I find out that I was still attached to the other girl. I noticed that I continuously “prayed” that we will see each other again. Maybe it is because of the events and the circumstances that are going on that time.

And as I continued on with my so-called “double life”, I noticed that my heart was with her and not with my girlfriend whom God had sent to me. After many talks with my friends (luckily some of them are psychologists), I came to a realization that what was lacking in me is this: commitment. It was then that I recalled one of the messages in Talk 4 of our Christian Life Program in Singles for Christ: “Repentance is not a feeling but a commitment to change your life.”

Thus, on that blessed day of May 31, 2008, full of commitment and a firm decision to end this once and for all, I went to Angeles, Pampanga alone.

No one knew where I was that day except for my parents.

On my way there, many things were going through my mind. Will I see here there? What will happen to me there? But there was just one prayer that I prayed while on the way: “Father, if ever I did something wrong, lead me to what is right. All for Your glory and honor.”

Upon arriving there, I went to a chapel to where my heart led me. Later did I found out when I arrived home that the chapel was in front of the village which that girl was living.

I wept, honestly. Part of me was telling me to hold on to her, but part of me was telling me to let her go and give my all to my beloved. It was really hard for me to do this, but I felt God’s presence with me, speaking to me and embracing me. It was then that I took a big leap of faith, not knowing what will happen to me.

I did my earnest prayer and made my promise that once and for all I will turn away from everything that hinders me from loving my beloved fully and completely. I brought out from my bag pieces of torn paper which were concert posters. One of them was for her and the other was when we were together in a concert. I prayed and threw them in the garbage.

I planned on having my confession there, but there was no available priest. I planned to have a haircut, but I don’t know where to go because it was somehow dark then and I felt that they were already closed.

When I got home, I erased her in all of my contacts. The CDs that I used to have, I kept them in a place which I know for sure that I will never see it again. I threw away and destroyed EVERY EVIDENCE. Everything was a complete format of my life, of my point of view and my love.

I was never sorry or regretted every single thing I did.

I was happy and clean. Somehow, I wanted to jump and do crazy stuffs to show how happy I am. But most of all, I saw God smiling down on me and blessing me for what I did.

Friends, if you are encountering the same problem as I was, have a full and committed promise to God to turn away from what’s hindering you from living a fantastic life with God. Just like what I did when I asked for help from my “psychologist” friends, so can you do that if you feel that you are having a hard time alone.

Note: Illustration by Gustave Dore from "The Divine Comedy: Purgatorio"

The Pencil Parable

2011-04-20T01:49:00.001-07:00

I got this from my Mom's email.

The pencil parable

View more presentations from Ryan Estandarte.

The Two Wolves

2011-04-20T01:25:00.000-07:00

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people:

"My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Question: Which of the two wolves do you feed the most?

The Cross

2011-04-20T01:20:00.000-07:00

How do we see our crosses? Have we allowed our crosses to mold us to be like Christ?

Children's Letter to God

2011-04-20T01:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the letters children wrote to God. Just want to share this to you

Christian Ways to Reduce Stress

2011-04-20T01:06:00.000-07:00

I got this from my friend via email. Hope this helps us to reduce stress and be connected with God despite our busy schedule.

CHRISTIAN WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS

An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

Falling in Love

2011-04-19T01:06:00.000-07:00

This is one prayer I found while deleting some of my old emails. This is for those who are ready to fall in love.

Dear God,
I am ready to see perfection in another human being.
I am ready to surrender all my thoughts of how my partner isn’t good enough.
I am ready to see the beauty in the inner core of all mankind.
If there is one person, either in my life or on their way, who would benefit from my vision of his/her loveliness, let him/her make his/her way into my arms.
May my perception of his/her beauty wash away his/her self-hatred.
May my forgiveness of his/her errors release him/her from his/her guilt.
May I learn to support, to listen, to understand.
May I learn to serve him/her in his/her quest for higher ground.
May I learn to give joy, to nurture and to share.
And most of all, may I never forget to pray for my love and help him/her pray.
Amen.
- from Illuminata

Stop the Blame Game by Bo Sanchez

2011-04-12T23:50:00.000-07:00

Here's one reflection from Bo Sanchez which I would like to share. I got this from an email from Kerygma.

In the Garden of Eden, the Lord God asked the woman, “What is this you have done?” She replied, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

After all these centuries, nothing much has changed. People still say, “The devil made me do it!” There are people who find the devil hiding behind every corner, tempting us, oppressing us. They like blaming demons for everything — a flat tire, a migraine, a sick child, a divorce, a loss of job, a business failure, an adulterous relationship.

But here’s the truth: the devil operates on borrowed power. Whose power? Yours. Unless you give your power to the devil, he will have no power over you. Because his power is based on lies and fear.

The more we fear him, the more power he has over us. Friend, here’s the truth: You have power over the devil. Why? Because you’re a child of God.

Chisel this on stone: Blaming the devil for our problems is useless. In fact, he likes that you blame him. By making himself bigger, he has power over your life. Instead, be courageous enough to take full responsibility for your actions. And by your courage to take charge, you will free yourself — and others as well.

Knots Prayer

2011-04-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

As I was clearing my inbox, I found this prayer which I would like to share to you. This was sent by a friend of mine a year ago.