Breaking The Rules

Reflection: John 2:5

2012-01-13T04:21:00.001+08:00

“Do whatever he tells you.” - John 2:5

The story of the wedding at Cana always makes me smile. Along the same time as it is the beginning of Jesus' ministry, it shows a familiar exchange of words between a mother and her Son.

"Anak," mother said almost whispering as if there was a secret that could not be told because it was necessary for the bridegroom to save face, "wala na silang alak."

And Jesus of course, knowing full well it was not yet His time, continued the argument as any child being asked by his mother for something unusual and strange, "Mama, ano naman kinalaman niyan sa akin?"

As all mothers do, she ignored His comment and pushed forward with what she knew by experience, was something that Jesus could so easily do. Looking to the waiters, she tells them matter-of-factly, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Times have not changed and Mother's disposition and resolve has little changed too. She still comes to us to ask us in ways we would understand in our own lives, “Do whatever he tells you.”

That is what is so beautiful about Mother, that with five simple words, she conveys the love she has for us and the longing to bring us closer to the Son she cares so much for, “Do whatever he tells you.”

That is what is so enduring about Mary, that in all her words recorded in the Bible, it is her faith that stands out the most. Whether it is saying yes to an angel, standing at the foot of the cross or giving instructions at a wedding, she models the faith we all should have, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Many of us thirst for ways to know Jesus and there are just as many ways to get to know Him. But Mary comes to us with a point of view that is unique among everyone who has ever known Him. So in five simple words, she lays the foundation for us to be brought closer to our Lord, to our God, to her Son;

“Do whatever he tells you.”

Reflection: 1 Jn 2:6

2011-12-31T13:39:00.000+08:00

"..whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked."

It's always the details that show true quality. An elegant lamp for example, beautiful to look at but upon closer inspection shows glue and unfinished varnish at the edges. Or a big pack of beautiful red tomatoes that, looking closer prove that there are yellow ones in the inside.

Men on the other hand, show who they really are by what they value and what is in their heart. Do they invest in riches or relationships? Do they have maturity to know which battles to pick and which ones to be more patient with? Or what do they say and do when no one is looking?

What defines us it seems, are not the grand things that we do but it is in the small and humble things that we are.

So it should be with all Christians that as they learn, as they read, as they are inspired by what they hear, so therefore they should do. The grand things can wait; we prepare ourselves for those events with so much energy that in the end, it is often in the small things we are tested. Are we glued together with cheap adhesive or are we made of the same stuff that the first Christians were made of?

'Every thought captive for Christ' the Bible admonishes us. That is where we begin; on each thought, on each idea, on our vocabulary and choice of words. Each of those elements we transform into an offering for Jesus.

May we be found serving the Lord not only in the grandest things but most of all, in the details; the small items that show how classy, refined and how Christian we truly are.

May Jesus increase and I, decrease. (29Dec2011)

The Opposite of Instinct

2011-12-17T12:30:00.000+08:00

1st Story

"Yes I'll definitely throw them away," I told Tina as I prepared to leave her boarding house for the night. It was a week before we were to get married and we had just finished opening the gifts my office mates had given me earlier that evening after the customary "stag party". What I was to throw away were a couple of pornographic CDs that the guys had picked from a bootleg store. As I walked out of Tina's boarding house (the last of 4 apartment houses) and before I could get to the gate, I unfortunately dropped the CDs and they made a crashing noise like glass shattering as they scattered on the pavement. Fearful that someone would see them, I hurriedly freed my hands and put two paperback books on the trunk of the car that was right in front of me, I chucked my backpack on the ground and proceeded to quickly collect the scattered CDs. At that point, the neighbor who owned the car came out shouting at me, pointing an accusing finger and pronouncing a few cuss words my way. He demanded to know, using a generous amount of 4 letter words (including "pogi"), what I had broken with his car. "Oh no," I said trying to explain, "I just dropped my CDs. It's nothing to do with the car." But he was on a roll and he eyed the 2 paperbacks on the back on his trunk and so resumed his tirade. At that, his wife came out (and so did Tina) and tried to calm things. I explained what happened and his husband continued to point an accusing finger and express his anger. "I just dropped my CDs", I explained to the wife, "nothing happened to the car." Hubby was irritated with that and told his wife that I had put books on top of the trunk. Everyone was nearly screaming so I just stopped talking as I thought there was nothing complicated about my explanation. But they proceeded to lecture me about how expensive it was to fix a scratched and broken car and how I should take care of things that were not my property. I just continued to be quiet as it was pointless to explain because they seemed really angry and upset. "Sure," I nodded as I grit my teeth, "Sorry about that". I asked Tina to go back inside, I walked out of the gate as the couple continued to glare at me, got into my truck, and drove away.

Now see, pornography can really get you in trouble! (And just for the record, I scratched the CDs when I got home and I used a large pair of scissors to cut each into a dozen pieces.)

But you know what, to this day I still can't figure out exactly what I did wrong or even if I deserved the drama, anger and verbal abuse that couple heaped on me. Although I didn't do it, my instinct then was just to cuss them back (although I didn't), tell them all the detestable things they seemed to me, and wish fire & brimstone rain down from heaven to incinerate their house (although that would not have been wise since they were in one row of apartment housing with my girlfriend).

2nd Story

There were 3 giant arrows pointing away from the usual exit point I was to take. It was confusing! So I maneuvered the car to the adjacent road but it said "bus lane". It was not one of my most decisive moments do I swerved to the 3rd road and I couldn't tell if that exited to the right part of the highway. At that, an MMDA traffic enforcer waved at me and asked me to stop. "Oh ok", I thought without fear or prejudice, "I need his help and direction." But he was curt and explained to me what I did wrong as he proceeded to ask one of his teammates to give me a ticket. "Wait a minute!" I protested, "The signs were confusing; where are motorists supposed to go if you tell them to go one way and then give them a ticket if they went another?" He wouldn't listen to my reason. To him, my violation was clear and I was made to feel the full force of my ignorance. "Alright," I finally said submitting to his wishes, "just tell me where I can lodge a complaint against that sign because it's confusing. People won't understand and you'll just end up giving..." But before I could finish my sentence, he made a frustrated shape with his lips, looked me in the eye for the last time, turned around while I was still talking, and walked away. I was flabbergasted. "Don't you walk away from me!" I shouted at his direction but he ignored me. "What is that?" I asked the guy writing me the ticket, "What kind of manners do your people have?" I could feel the anger rising and my ears turning red. But the guy writing the ticket just shrugged his shoulders, continued writing the ticket and pronounced as he paused briefly, "Every person is different and they react differently to each situation. That's how he reacts."

Wow. Deep. Yoda. Here. Live and in the flesh! Far out!

I wanted to make a face, slowly cross my eyes, roll the window back up, and just drive away. .

My instincts when the first enforcer turned his back to me was to get out of the car, threaten him with a litany of high-ranking government officials I knew and really follow up on what I said. If I wanted to, I could seriously have him removed from his position. I did not appreciate what he did and the impression he left my children (who were at the backseat listening to all of this) who probably now have a less than positive opinion about men in uniform.

3rd Story

I parked Tina's car across the house under a tree. It wasn't often that I did that since the space was "reserved" for the neighbor but it was a weekend and they'd be away anyway. Fine. No dramas. By late afternoon though, as we were about to leave, Tina got into the passenger side and pointed out the side mirror. It was missing! Someone has stolen it! (And no, it wasn't my neighbor). I sat at the driver's side with my mouth open. A year ago, someone had stolen the spare tire on my van. Now, it was a side mirror nicked during early afternoon along our street in our own neighborhood. I wanted to go berserk. Why would people take things they didn't work for and have sensibility to feed their families with what they had stolen? Don't they understand that the consequences of their sins would visit them, their children and their children's children?

Oh alright, I'm being naive.

My first instinct was to curse the thief in my mind. Nobody would know. And just to blow off steam, I'd verbalize some of my frustrations to Tina and the kids. That's alright, right? The thief certainly deserved it. And I couldn't think of a more creative way to heap revenge on a faceless and unknown person.

Revenge

That's it, isn't it? Revenge is our first instinct every time we are offended and it comes in all shapes and sizes. But it's drawback is that it positions the doer at the precipice of sin. Not matter how sweet, it often hurts us in ways that won't always be obvious and in ways that we won't often see.

The Bible says, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord." - Rom 12:19

No matter how small or grand, there will always be people who will offend us whether knowingly or unknowingly. The world is charged with so many opportunities to do good. And no matter how much we have been hurt or offended, the Bible teaches us that revenge is the Lord's and we are assured of satisfaction.

That's not the end of what needs to be said though because with it in mind, we still look forward to the actual revenge. I don't wish that for anyone. Not even for that couple in the fist story (the experience of which has deeply affected me all these years.)

No, I do not wish vengeance on any of them. Instead, I am writing this as both a request and invitation to pray for these people. But before I can ever ask anyone to pray for them, I need to take the first step; and that is forgiveness. I bear no ill will. Whatever hurt I had to go through, no matter how significant or trivial it is to anyone, I need to make room for God's healing in my life. That can only be done through forgiveness. And so, I forgive.

If God wills it, may He change them according to His wishes and plans for each.

For the husband and wife, God planted a seed of love that blossomed into their union. May that same union be life-giving and transforming. I pray that it may become for them and those around them, the true testament of Christ's mercy, love and forgiveness. May they be blessed in their lives and may they be a blessing to others as well.

For the traffic enforcer, I do not pretend to know the difficulties he goes through in his own life and work. He may have a hard time with his wife, children or parents and has nothing he may feel happy for but he continues to push forward working as hard as he can to be a good provider. Work is God's gift to us; it has within itself, a transforming power if we even care to notice. May the officer's work be for him a channel to discover Jesus in His life and may he find peace, happiness and love.

And lastly, I pray for the thief. Jesus paid special mention to thieves, tax collectors and prostitutes during His time on earth. Because He says, it is for the sinners that He came. I pray with all my heart, that this thief realize the sins he has committed. May he and his life be transformed. And may God is all His abundance, bless this person with secular and spiritual riches that he may understand that he will never be wanting again because of Jesus in his life.

That's one prayer. I know it takes more than that to change a life. But if we all pray for them, pool our faith together and I spend time to regularly lift up their intention to The Almighty, He will listen. Because His will is for all of us to be changed, to be loved and to be saved.

Who am I after all, to judge and wish vengeance on others. If we practiced that, Saul would never have become Paul, Augustine would still be a pervert, Magdalene would still be a prostitute and Zaccheus would have never understood what mercy means.

To many of us then, the opposite of instinct in all it's baseness and cruelty, is mercy.

May mercy's eyes therefore be our own. And in our lifetime realize, the world transformed because of it.

But for now, I start with me...

A Prison Visit

2011-12-16T21:21:00.001+08:00

Towering higher than its Spanish predecessor in downtown Manila, this building looked just as castle-like when it was officially opened in 1940. Once you were inside the main lobby, the interiors proved exactly how old the structure was. Old or not, the massive doors, the thick concrete walls and the long dimly lit and polished corridors left no doubt that you were now standing inside the "new" cuartel - this was Bilibid; and every part about it made sure that you understood that completely.

"Dagdagan nyo po ng tatak" (add more stamps on it), I told the first guard who took our identification and stamped a visitor's pass on the men's arms. This was the day we were to go inside and visit with the prisoners of the maximum security section. All volunteers were warned that men had a more difficult time going in (and getting out!) than women. "Wear shoes," Fr. Jhaw reminded us, "dress up neatly and make sure the guards mark the necessary stamps along your arms. Otherwise, it's a one-way ticket and you won't be able to get out."

"Ok na yan" (that's ok), the first guard said, "meron pa sa sususnod na gate" (there's more at the next gate). So we left it at that, walked to the next gate, and as we passed along this inner corridor, we were met with two things – an even darker corridor, and a collection of perhaps three dozen paintings done by the inmates displayed on tripods along the walls.

As we waited for our group to get processed at the next gate, some of us hung back and looked at the paintings. All of the pieces gravitated between an obvious and subtle story; some were about family, many were about religion, others were about nature and still some were portraits. Each was sincerely beautiful and as we scanned every one of them, we tried in vain to look for clues that each piece was painted by a prisoner. We couldn't find that difference. All the pieces were testament to the talent and energy each man possessed, generously bestowed by his Maker.

"Next!" the guard within the inner gate intoned and we shuffled into a small door in the middle of those massive 1940 prison bars. "Dagdagan mo, Kuya," (add some more, elder brother), I told the guard as he stamped another mark along my arm. He smiled, looked up and said, "Tama na yan, makakalabas ka na niyan" (that's good enough; you'd already be able to get out with that). All of the male volunteers eyed their ink-laden arms doubtfully as each one made sure the sweat wasn't getting to it or that it wasn't brushing into their shirts (just so it didn't end up getting erased). "...or you won't be able to get out", Fr. Jhaw's voice echoed again in mind.

The last gate poured into the inner courtyard where the sun suddenly met your eyes as you came out of the dark. The inmates hung around behind those bars either waiting for visitors or opportunities to fraternize and make some money. There were "ushers" waiting with ready umbrellas to assist the women in our group. They were disarming in their demeanor but once you're in, you couldn't really help balancing between being friendly and being guarded; there didn't seem to be an in-between feeling, at least not for the first timers.

"Has anyone ever tried to escape from here, Father?" He didn't even look at me as he said, "Yes a few years ago." I raised my eyebrows and asked the inevitable, "What happened to them?" "They're dead," he answered almost matter-of-fact.

It would have been more dramatic to tell you that the prison looked exactly like the version we see in movies. Unfortunately, it looked like any barrio in the Philippines. The only distinct difference was that it's much cleaner, more organized and "close knit". To make things look more like home, the “plaza” had a basketball court surrounded by kiosks and restaurants. If you wanted a “short order”, they had it, hotdog on stick? Fork over a P15 and it’s yours. What about videoke? It’ll set you back P5 per song but it was clearly a bestseller. Strange as it looked, everything looked “normal” as if you were in the outside.

The mass started 30 minutes after we arrived. The hubbub before the ceremony was fascinating to watch. Men in orange shirts with a big letter P in front brought in the organ. Inmates with their families sat along their designated pews. Celebrity inmates (there was a mayor and a general in the congregation) were as usual surrounded by their posse. When the mass began, many of us volunteers found it animated; what with all the hand gestures, the dramatic facial expressions as everyone sang with the choir (composed of all inmates of course), and a sincerity and friendliness unlike any other parish we've ever been to.

We found it amusing though, that many of the inmates were in such a hurry to leave (just like any normal parishioner); it was an irony because where would they go? And then we remembered that it was Sunday and their families were likely visiting. But there was one sobering instance that assured us we were still inside Bilibid.... As the special Eucharistic ministers (SPEM) removed their immaculate white barongs, their undershirts revealed that they were all wearing the standard orange w/ a large letter P. It couldn't get more ironic than that.

As the mass ended, we tried as much as we could to move around and greet our high school scholars who displayed pride in being able to introduce us to their fathers. And the fathers were kind and amiable towards all of us. All of us saw how genuine their gratitude was at PJPS for taking care of their children while they were "away".

With the good priest now sitting beside me, I again engaged him in conversation. “So, where is the mosque?” I asked. He smiled sheepishly and pointed behind him, “Right next door, bro”. I raised my eyebrows again. “Oh and right behind it,” he shifted his finger to the right, “is the Iglesia and the Born-again churches. It’s one big happy family”.

With that done though, it was now time to distribute some goods at the infirmary.

Divided into 4 wards, the main building (which could pass for a 1950's barn) was where the sick lay segregated according to their medical condition. At the very end of the building was perhaps the most tangible place where we felt that we were inside a prison. In particular, when we arrived inside the psychiatric ward of the infirmary, that is when the sight, the smell and the sounds greeted us with the stereotype of what we believed in our minds was a rightful prison. There was a small isolated section in this ward where the most brutal of cases were left. I noticed that none of the other inmates ever ventured near this area; perhaps in the recent past, they had made the mistake of staying too close to the bars and were made to remember their mistake. It made all of us tense but we kept our composure and stayed close to one another.

There was though, one out-of-place object in this part of the infirmary and it was a painting that hung right above the entrance. The piece showed a group of nuns ministering to the inmates/patients of the psychiatric ward. It looked sunny and happy although the elements reflected the bitter reality of what we saw with our own eyes. Still, the generosity and kindness of the nuns showed in the painting, and that made it seem so out of place.

This was basically our last stop although there were a few more notable conversations and exchanges with the inmates, but I’ll save them for another article.

As many of us walked out (yes the male volunteers were all able to get out properly!), we were full of animated conversation of our realizations and experiences. For one, we were able to finally understand the difficulties of what the inmates’ families had to go through because of their mistakes. As unusual as it may sound, the experience endeared us even more to the children of the inmates we were taking care of.

What did a murder, a rapist, a drug dealer or extortionist look like? We asked ourselves this question as we headed back to our nice and comfortable cars. Well, the truth is, they look like you and me. They have to deal with the consequences of their sins just like we all have to deal with the consequences of ours. Their punishment is just more obvious. They all need help like we do when we need to grow out of our struggles and challenges. And the time they spend paying for their mistakes sometimes gives birth to talents and blessings long hidden and ignored; just like when we spend time reflecting on God’s many gifts to us. Those in the psychiatric wards have wounds just like many of us. But their wounds are things we cannot see because they are hidden. Fate affords us the opportunity to help with their healing.

Matthew 25:36 says, “I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” When I first read this passage, I justified it by being selective about the prisoners that Christ asked us to visit. After all, back in His day, those who were in prison were most likely prisoners on trumped up charges by the Roman government. It was then patriotic and just to visit those in prison because more often than not, they were truly innocent. “Times have changed,” I remember telling myself and I would often argue that Christ’s words held a different meaning today. But then I remembered the words He said about serving those who were sick. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. (Mk 2:17)" And then it makes more sense and if you are called, you just have to do it.

Bilibid is far from the city. The process to get inside can be tedious. There are more sensible ways to spend your time than visiting the prisoners there. But you know what? God doesn’t really stay in the most obvious places.

As we walked out of those doors, as I’m sure many of the inmates share our sentiment, we saw God in there; in the volunteers who had been doing this for 20 years, in the nuns who served with courage and kindness wrapped in a hot meal or a gentle word, in the children of the inmates who looked more secure beside their fathers in prison than without them outside of prison, in the guards who had tough love, in the prison “alumni” who continued to visit and serve long after they had already been set free, and in the inmates themselves who lingered after mass sitting alone in an empty pew perhaps seeking repentance. That place is sobering and I salute the men and women who tirelessly serve to fulfill Jesus’ words to visit Him there.

You want to see God? Go visit Bilibid… but keep your eyes open… or He may just pass you by.

1/10

2011-10-19T23:45:00.000+08:00

I was listening to a song today whose lyrics went, "...break my heart for what breaks Yours..." and felt deeply how much the composer wanted to know God; something every Christian should strive for. And as one thought led to another, I was made to remember what I had been promising two of my friends (both named 'Jun') to write about - The Ten Commandments.

In this day and age where we constantly drown in instant choices, cheap variety and 1001 selfish & flexible laws, it is a joy to remember how clear, uncluttered and timeless God's commands are.

From Adam & Eve, He asked but one thing. From Noah, one ark and animals in twos. From Abraham, one clear request to test his faith. From Moses, his friendship. From David, obedience... And the list goes on but it always ended in just one thing; and that one thing always went to the core of loving Him.

Today, I write about The Ten Commandments (the 1st for now). These laws, they are mine as they are there for my benefit, but I don't mean to covet them. Instead, they mean so much more when I make them personal. So instead of saying, "Thou shalt not...", I will say, "I will not..." And instead of just declaring the commandment itself, I'd like to wear my heart out on my sleeve now and share what I've learned about each number.

1. You Are the Lord my God: I shall not have strange gods before You. I shall not make for myself a graven image.

- I don't believe in Masonry because it doesn't believe in my God. Instead, it believes in all gods and that is contrary to my faith.

- I don't believe in horoscopes and I refuse to read and listen to them because they try to run my life, dictate my future and sow fear in my heart. My future is with God and my life has already been bought and paid for by Jesus. No soothsayer either on television or on paper, living or dead, is going to tell me otherwise.

- I don't believe in Yoga because when it asks me to breathe in 'prana' and the 'life force' that comes with it, is it My Lord The Holy Spirit entering into me? .

- (As much as it is a struggle to say, I declare it nonetheless) I love my God more than my wife, my children, my relatives, my job and everything else in my life. For what kind of man would I be without Jesus in me?

- I don't believe in karma because I only have one life to live. And if I could reincarnate myself to perfection, what need do I have of God?

- I believe that the devil exists; he is not a myth and he continues to seek our destruction. To not believe in the devil, is to not believe in God and in Jesus' life, death and resurrection.

- I don't believe in faith healers whose lives bear no Christian fruit. Their supernatural powers have replaced their faith and their power comes from somewhere other than My Lord God.

- I don't believe in Wicca, Ouija boards, seances and all that New Age glitter. Oh they're real but they are all a doorway and a form of worship for a fallen angel who believes himself to be God.

- I don't believe in Arianism because what God says in Genesis 1:26 is absolute, integral and final. That is, when He says "us" and "our", He speaks as One God; Father, Son and Spirit; none created, all of the same essence, "I AM WHO AM".

- I don't believe in separating my faith and my service. The latter tries to take the place of God in my life without my Master's approval by making me believe that it is the only good that matters. (It is so easy to drown in what is second best while ignoring what is best; and God is best.)

- I believe that sometimes I make an idol of myself to others believing that I am better than they are and that I am the only one who is right - that is wrong.

Romans 1:25 reads, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (RSV)"

In this day and age of moral relatives, it is easy to drown God out of our lives and replace Him with something else; something that will never fit. May I never forget God's place in all of creation. When I declare, "You are my God", may the words carry a conviction that bears the weight of a covenant declaring that no one and nothing can really take His place in my life.

You are my God. And You are awesome.

Growing Olives

2011-09-21T22:10:00.000+08:00

Have you ever wondered how olive trees are grown and cultivated? Probably not but it is fascinating in a way how much it has in common with our growth in our Christian lives. The Bible has more than 150 entries about olives in it's pages. Most of it has to do with promises of fruitfulness, productivity and blessing using olives as examples.

The styles in caring for olive trees varies as much as there are growers. But the basic elements are common and have remained the same for centuries.

1. "Healthy" Environment - Did you know that olive trees when planted in rich and well-watered soil grow up to produce very little fruit? In fact, they may end up being sickly or not grow at all.

Instead, olive trees thrive in lightly rocky soil and in some of the most difficult terrain like cracks, crags, slopes, and cliffs.

They also like hot weather and would not normally thrive in temperate environments. Olives instead like hot weather and can tolerate the cold until −10 °C (normal temperatures are boring!)

Are you an olive? Have you ever seen how much you've grown in the most difficult circumstances? Sometimes, it's the only way for us to discover who we really are; you have more patience than you think, you are richer than you imagine, you are more blessed than you care to discover…

2. Shake & Water - Olives have deep and extensive roots that make the tree almost drought and disease resistant.

How did they get this way? Because they don't need as much water and are in fact, extensively soaked only once a month. And the reason why their roots are deep and extensive is because as they grow, farmers literally shake the trunk to make them more sturdy. As a result, even if the above ground part of an olive burns down, the roots can completely regenerate the tree in time.

Are you an olive? Do you count it as a blessing when God shakes you to the core of your being to make you 'disease and drought resistant'? Sometimes we pray that God 'disturb' us with an idea that makes us voracious to study His Will. Sometimes we meet little accidents day to day that shake us and accumulate to awaken wisdom in our lives that other people so depend on. And sometimes when we lose everything that makes sense in our lives, we discover that our relationship rooted in God is the only thing we can depend on.

3. Pruned Leader - As the shoot of an olive comes up from out of the ground, it will generate other branches that will vie for the place of being the main trunk - or as it is called, a lead-er. If a farmer leaves the olive to grow without a leader, it will branch out every which way and it will end up weak and skewed as a mature tree. But the opposite is also true, pruning is not always healthy because over-pruned or incorrectly pruned trees leave the olive fruitless, stunted or ugly.

Are you an olive? Does the truth that the world present confuse you? Does it make you and your children branch every which way? Ask Jesus to prune you; He knows exactly which part to cut. Be warned though, it won't be pleasant and it won't be painless but you end up growing up the way you were destined - a true leader for The Lord Almighty.

4. Stake - As a young olive, sometimes the young trunk needs a stake tied beside it to help it grow straight and strong. Farmers adjust the spacing and the tightness of the rope careful not to choke, burden or spoil the tree. As it grows stronger, farmers remove the stake to make the tree grow more independent.

Are you an olive? Do you have mentors in your life that help you grow in faith and holiness? Paul had Barnabas. David had Jonathan. And John had Jesus. Who's your bestfriend? Who is the stake that holds you to holiness and faith? If you don't have one today, ask God. Or if you're up for it, join a community of believers who can be accoutable for you.

Final Word

What benefit do you get from olives? There are many:

- The tree itself is used for decorative carving for building palaces and houses

- The fruit is used for a varied number of things from medicine, cooking, and even for anointing kings!

- The leaves have often been used as a symbol for peace and life (when Noah sent out the pigeon, it came back with an olive branch)

- And lastly, in ancient times, olive trees were a symbol of riches, blessing and abundance

When cultivated correctly, olives bear fruit for thousands of years. It is said that the oldest olive is in Greece and it is 6,000 years old.

As Christians, our lives hold many parallels to the olive. Similarly, if our faith is cultivated correctly imagine how many generations will benefit from it. No wonder The Bible speaks of olives in the same breadth as blessings and gifts. Psalm 128 says, "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table."

May your lives be as fruitful as olives. And as you go through life, may The Lord grant you the grace to see that difficulties and struggles are His mark of the deep love, care and concern He has for you and your life. God loves you and He cares for you much more than you can ever imagine.

Legacy

2011-09-15T19:44:00.009+08:00

Zildjian is a brand familiar to most musicians and rockers. They manufacture percussion instruments like cymbals, drums and the accessories that go with these. What is not well known about Zildjian is that at nearly 400 years old, it is one of the oldest companies still in existence. They actually started from one person, Avedis Zildjian who manufactured cymbals in the early 1600s that were used to scare the Ottoman empire's enemies (see how they've progressed!) The Ottoman ruler, Sultan Osman II, gave the Turkish name Zildjian; zil, meaning cymbal, dji meaning maker, and ian being a common Armenian suffix (thanks, Wikipedia!) The ancestor, Avedis, was actually an Armenian alchemist (ancient magician chemist) who created a formulation of different metals that made the loudest sound and did not shatter every time it was struck. Since 1623, the formula for creating these cymbals has not changed and it has been secretly passed down from one generation of Zildjian to the next.

Tucked neatly in the middle of the New Testament is one single passage that speaks about a similar legacy like that of Zildjian. St. Paul in 2 Timothy 1:5 (NIV) says, "I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also." Isn't that a beautiful story that speaks of the legacy in three generations? We know nothing of Eunice or Lois other than the faith they had passed down to their son and grandson, Timothy. The young man was lovingly called Timotheos and in hindsight, we give him tribute in our present day as one of the 1st bishops of Ephesus and one of the first martyrs of the Christian Church.

I sit quietly clicking away at the keyboard writing this sentence now but the better part goes to my better half who is slaving over teaching our eldest son the rudiments of our Catholic faith. "Name the Glorious mysteries" she is saying and is explaining why they are in that order. When our sons are older, hopefully and God willing, we can look back at the life we have built and see that the faith we've planted in our children has borne fruit. What does it matter that we will not be remembered by the future generation of our families? Not all of us will be fortunate enough like Avedis who created something secular that generations after him have earned from (and fought over). But as followers of Jesus, we have been given something more lasting than a recipe for a cymbal. What matters most really, is the faith that Eunice and Lois planted, nurtured and watched as it grew into one of the pillars of the early Church.

Stephen Covey says, "Begin with the end in mind". When we talk of our children and the legacy we want to leave behind as Christians, what kind of "end" do you see in your life taking shape today? Eunice and Lois knew what kind of legacy they wanted. It became so potent in their lives that they called it Timotheos which in English means "honoring God".

May our lives be spent in honoring our mighty God. May you all be blessed.

What Matters Most

2011-07-30T07:35:00.003+08:00

It took almost two hours before they found the thief. He hid so well that the police officers found him only by accident. With guns drawn, they lifted the lid of that old Spanish 'baul' and ordered him to come out slowly. For what seemed like forever, he didn't move as if he was playing dead hoping we'd leave him alone. When he finally did emerge, we were surprised to discover who he was because we knew him. Mama couldn't believe what she saw but Apeng stood there with his head bowed before her. They were both nearly in tears; one because of remorse and the other because of disappointment.

Apeng did it well; he snuck behind those old heavy doors, waited until night and helped himself to the contents of mama's store. This was the 2nd break-in and a passer-by only happened to call it in.

So Apeng stood in front of mama and the police waited for her to punch the living daylights out of the guy. But mama just heaved heavily, shook her head in disbelief and she repeated the words that made Apeng feel even more ashamed, 'Makananu mung agawa ini kekami?' ("how can you do this to us?")

You see, Apeng was a young lanky and shy teenage hawker. He was one of the best and most hardworking hawkers around. He bought his goods from mama's grocery and she noticed his dedication. Because mama also came from humble beginnings, she related well with him and gave him her trust. He'd end up getting discounts, better payment terms and 'dagdag'. We kids trusted him too as he'd babysit for us sometimes. So in a manner of speaking, he became an ad hoc part of our family.

'E malyari ini Apeng! Masukul ka!' ('This cannot be, Apeng! You will go to jail!') she shouted and you could hear the frustration in her voice. In the end though, mama didn't press charges and Apeng was let go. That was the last we ever saw of him as it looked like he migrated to another town for good.

There would be others who'd be caught shoplifting. There was even one who did something similar to what happened with Apeng but those didn't seem to bother mama as much.

So why did this thief bother mama the most? Because we treated him like a brother and mama looked to him as a son but he betrayed not just our trust, but the relationship we had with him. He took with malice the things he could have received for free. And in the process he desecrated what was a blessing in all our lives.

What makes sin so vulgar is the betrayal; an unfaithful wife, a husband having an affair, children cursing their parents, friends bad mouthing each other... These people are supposed to anchor our trust!

Jesus says, "you are worth more than many sparrows". Do you have any idea how much you're worth? Apparently, the going rate for you is worth the life and death of Jesus Christ. That is how much you are loved. That is how much you give up when you sin. That is, sadly, how much you choose to lose in betrayal.

In this day and age of shifting loyalties and relative faith, now more than ever we need to keep our bearing heading straight for our true north. What matters most in this life are not things that are fleeting. What matters most are the relationships we should treasure with the people whom we love and who love us most. And what matters more than that is the relationship we have for God whose faithfulness never wanes, whose mercy is enduring and whose love always makes all things new.

May we all discover what truly matters most in our lives. And may what we discover strengthen our resolve to keep it precious.

Reflection: 2 Timoty 4:7

2011-07-01T16:06:00.002+08:00

"I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith."

Tina went to her first marathon last week. Oh alright, it was more of a fun run and it was a measly 3k which she was able to finish in about 30 minutes. She was pretty proud of her accomplishment. In fact, she's already talking about joining the next one.

Today's 1st reading is Paul's marathon passage. He talks about competing well, finishing the race and remaining faithful. Like Tina, and many other runners out there, the end goal is never really about winning the race or being number one at the finish line. If you look closely, the reason behind it is nothing the way the world would look at it. Instead, it is about courage; courage to endure, to turn our back on weakness and sin, to achieve the goal of our lives. It's really not about what place of honor you take at the finish line but it is more about what happens to you during the journey.

A friend of mine died of cancer last week. Her name was Binky Somera. Who knows what place she finished in her race but she ran it exceptionally well. Her holiness showed in how she related with all of us. Her kindness, her smile, her initiative and dedication to always and continually serve at Church is an example of servanthood for all of us. She will be missed.

May we always be remembered as one who raced faithfully, endured courageously and finished exceptionally well. Just like the saints who have come before us, may our legacy be that of faithfulness, for our children and our children's children.

- June 5, 2010

Miracles and Birthdays

2011-06-29T20:27:00.002+08:00

I don't celebrate my birthday.

Back when I was 17, a few weeks before I went off to college, as I was getting ready to do laps in swim school, I made the conscious decision that celebrating my birthday was juvenile and useless; it served no special function. So for more than 20 years now, I've ignored it and treated my birth date as just another number on the calendar.

That's true now but next year, it will be different.

You see, this year, instead of me making the decision to ignore my birthday, it was actually decided for me. Because by some unusual coincidence, even as we were spending 3 full days in Boracay, my wife ended up getting called to help in some life-threatening urgent issue at the office. Things got a bit out of hand and we actually ended up having leftover spaghetti and chicken as my birthday dinner.

Am I bitter about it? No and I don't blame anyone either because like I said, I don't celebrate my birthday.

But what happened was actually an eye opener for me. Because the fact that it was taken away by someone and something other than my own resolve, I was made to realize that every birthday is a blessing; it is a celebration of God's mercy, generosity and life-giving Presence.

We are, each of us, a miracle. It makes sense therefore, that we celebrate with reverence and gratitude, the day God gave us life.

As I write this, I can hear my wife reading a transcribed poem by St. Augustine (from CSA) that my 8 year old is supposed to memorize for school. It talks about things being so close that we take them for granted - like birthdays and the miracle or everyday life. I write it below and invite you to count your blessings, look at everything with fresh eyes and make it a point to honor God by celebrating your birthday.

The Greatest Miracle
by St. Augustine

All the miracles
  Worked in this world
  Are less wonderful
  Than the world itself

Though these ordinary miracles
  Nature and it's creation
  Become commonplace
  For they are seen everyday

Yet, if wisely pondered
  They are greater than the rarest
  For they are God's gifts to us
  Thus, made them extraordinary

But of all miracles
  Which God works through man
  Man himself is the greatest miracle!

Phone Call Lessons

2011-06-03T10:31:00.001+08:00

My kids called me a total of 5 times the other day. Only once did they call to ask a legitimate question. The other 4 times they called was to tell on each other. It was disconcerting because during those 4 times they called, I was in a closed door meeting with my boss and I had to ask to be excused every time my phone rang. I had to ask Tina to bail me out and call the house instead.

Normally, I don't mind that the kids call but under the circumstances, it wasn't healthy. When I got home to see them, I had to sit down and lay some ground rules so nothing is taken for granted:

1. Decision-Making - Tina and I won't be around for the rest of our children's lives. At one point, and we hope it is early on, they have to learn to make decisions for themselves. Calling me during the middle of my work day to settle an argument on who can watch TV or who has free reign over the remote control wand is something they need to learn to settle themselves already. If they don't learn to settle arguments while they are young, I can't expect them to be civilized gentlemen when they are older.

2. Better-Than-Right - You know what's better than being right? It's being loving. It may be a challenge now, but we have to teach our boys how to make decisions about each other not only on the basis of right and wrong but on the basis of the love they should have for each other as brothers. Today, they argue based on the merits of what they believe is logical or correct. They can spend the whole morning proving just how wrong the other person is. In the end though, not only is the issue left unsettled, they both end up losing.

3. Relevance - I'm beginning to notice that every time I see the caller ID on my phone showing "House Calling...", I sometimes dismiss it and hang up. That has left me worried just today because what if the call was really important and that it is a true emergency? Unfortunately, the frequent calls that my kids have made to my phone has in a way, trained me to give those calls less importance. They need to understand the relevance of that accessibility and put some relevance around it. On my part, I need to be able to explain that to them in terms and ways they will understand.

I love God; I can't say that often enough. And when I pray to Him, something changes in me. But at times, I treat prayer the way my children take their access to me for granted.

There is nothing wrong for example, of asking God to sometimes help me find my misplaced keys. But over time, when I do that just because, it creates an irreverence for His presence. The Most Honorable God of the universe is not my doormat, He is not a vending machine and He is not the yellow pages. He deserves to be honored and that has to show in my prayer.

At times too, when I pray for something, I try as much as possible to sell God my idea and ask Him to just bless and rubber-stamp it. He'll hear my 101 ways why my plan and solution is right. I have to be right because my reasons as logical after all. If He will just consider it... But what's better than being right is being loving. If I put my love for Him ahead of my desire to be right, it's easier to see what He wants for my life.

Like everyone, I was born with gifts; some physical (yes mom, I'm cute), some cerebral (God gave me decision making skills), some emotional (my shoulders aren't broad but I can be supportive of people too), and some spiritual (some of these I'm only beginning to discover lately). These gifts deserve to be used. Like Joshua and Caleb using their skill to reconnoiter, I must honor my God by using my gifts too and leave the rest of the conquering to Him (or else, what did He give them to me for?)

I'm glad I'm learning from my children about my own walk and relationship with God. He deserves my reverence and I need to value every minute I spend with Him in prayer.

He speaks to all of us in ways we always understand. May He often speak to you too in ways you'll never forget.

ACTS with a Twist

2011-04-01T19:35:00.001+08:00

In 1990, when my friends and I we were baptized in The Holy Spirit, many of our leaders taught us that one of the ways for us to learn prayer is through reading the Psalms. Those Scripture passages are a treasure trove of prayer and they helped us jumpstart our devotion time. But this article isn't strictly about Psalms. What it is, is an exercise and example in prayer through Scripture. To give it form, we’ll use the usual prayer formula category – ACTS; adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication.

Adoration

Below is a passage as an example in adoration and praise. It was made by a 14 year old uneducated teenage mother and it is one of the well-loved passages in the New Testament. The Latin version starts with "Magnificat" which means "My soul magnifies". The words were uttered in the presence or an angel and the promise they hold continue to this day.

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." - Luke 1:46-55

Adoration and praise is perhaps one of the most important forms of prayer. In fact, a few days before He was crucified, as Jesus entered Jerusalem and as all His disciples greeted him in welcome, they sang their praises to God for all the good they had seen. When the Pharisees asked Jesus to make them stop, He said, “…if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40) Imagine, even stones will cry out in praise of The Most High God.

Prayer: Master, I praise you, for all the good that You do and for all the good that You are. Your Name is great above all the earth.

Confession

There is a Spanish proverb that says "God writes straight with crooked lines". We see this manifested especially in The Bible where we are made to discover that it is filled with ordinary people made extraordinary by God. One of those people is a shepherd turned king who committed murder and adultery (by the way, that same king also happens to be the ancestor of that 14 year old uneducated teenage mother). After being confronted by Nathan the prophet, he confesses his sins and pours out his heart in Psalm 51. He begins,

"Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense. Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me. For I know my offense; my sin is always before me."

Notice as you read the rest of the Psalm how he asks for things to be made or given to him. He says 'Have mercy", "Wash away", "cleanse me", "teach me", "blot out", "create in me", "restore my joy"…

But then in the middle of the passage almost unnoticed, he asks for something already possessed, that it may not be taken away. He begs, "Do not drive me from your presence, nor take from me your holy spirit." He confesses something that we lose when we sin - His Presence and His Spirit.

More than teaching us, cleansing us, restoring us, washing us… David gives importance to God’s Presence and Spirit that we drive away when we sin. You’ll see David’s love for God’s Presence in many of his psalms as he declares, “A day in your court is better than a thousand elsewhere” (Ps 84:10).

Prayer: Lord, forgive me most of all, for running away from You.

Thanksgiving

This one is tricky because there is no single passage from the Bible (at least from my own personal observation… and I’m not a Biblical scholar so don't take my word for it) that talk solely about thanksgiving. It is always in conjunction with something else (and that's a good thing!). Below are the things I’ve noticed when Scripture talks about thanksgiving:

1. Twin of praise

"And now we thank thee, our God, and praise thy glorious name." - 1 Chronicles 29:13

Praise and thanks go hand in hand. It's so much easier to praise when we have something to be thankful for. And in the same way, it's easy to give thanks when we know what it means to praise. Just like when we honor someone during a birthday, we are led to thank the person for her good qualities and we offer up that gratitude through words that encourage, uplift and add value to someone (doesn’t that sound conspicuously like praise?)

Whether it is Chronicles or Psalms, we learn the meaning of the phrase, "grateful praise" and "praise & thanks" because these two are twins.

2. Offered as sacrifice

"Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me" - Psalm 50:23

When we think of sacrifice, it usually connotes pain, discomfort and unease. But sacrifices are prayers too and they don’t have to bear the thought of being negative. In fact, the best of them is gratitude. Like that one leper of the 10 that Jesus healed; as He prescribed for them to show themselves to a priest as they were healed, only one returned to offer his sacrifice of thanks.

3. Made for all occasions (Ephesians 5:20)

“…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:20

Garfield (yes, the big fat cat in the comic strip) says that there are only two kinds of problems in the world and we don’t have to worry about either. The first one is the one that we can solve and the second is the one we cannot; either type doesn’t deserve our worry.

There are different ways of looking at things; the glass could be half full or half empty. But a Christian puts on God’s eyes and sees the world differently. “…always give thanks to God”, it says. Let me emphasize that some more, the passage reads, “…always”.

4. Produces miracles (Mark 6:41)

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.” – Mark 6:41

Whether it is giving thanks for bread, wine or fish, every time Jesus gave thanks for these things, what followed was always something extraordinary. In fact, it was always followed by a miracle. Perhaps the grandest thanks of all was followed by a man coming back to life. In John 11:40-42, Lazarus was called back to life after Jesus gave thanks.

So the next time you give thanks, don’t underestimate your prayer as it may just be the start of the fulfillment of the hope that you seek.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord that in Your wisdom, we discover a more abundant life. We are grateful for all the things you do and do not do. Bless our lips, Lord that every time we open our mouths, it is in praise and thanksgiving to You.

Supplication

Do you know Bartimaeus? He's that blind guy who never saw Jesus, who had no chance of ever seeing Jesus and who was treated as an outcast because of his disability. But you know what? He did something that many people have a difficult time doing - He trusted Jesus. In one uncomplicated line, he revealed the depth of his faith. In one uncomplicated line, he revealed the power of The Living God. In one uncomplicated line, the blind man showed us Jesus' love and mercy.

When Jesus asked him what he wanted, the blind man replied…

"Master, I want to see." - Mark 10:51

Do you know what happened after that? He was able to see of course! And because of his faith and his example, many others have learned to see too.

Everyone knows what to ask for but not everyone knows how to ask. May we discover God's desire that we may pray for it in faith. May we always realize our place and be struck with the awe for His Holy Presence, in humility. And may we always learn to ask, in love.

Prayer: Master, I want to see.

Reflection: Matthew 6:14-15

2011-03-25T08:50:00.001+08:00

“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” - Matthew 6:14-15

In the Gospel of Matthew 6:7-15, Jesus teaches us to pray the "Our Father". More than memorizing the prayer itself though, Jesus shows us what should go into our prayer; not only in words but also in attitude; not only from the mouth but also from the heart.

Jesus began by talking about words. It's always important to keep in mind that we should never mistake our words as our prayer "like the pagans". Just because a person prays long prayers doesn't mean they are effective. And in terms of significance, just as we would take advantage of the time we spend with important people (like the Pope, the president or someone you are indebted to) every word in our prayers must have a purpose and it should carry meaning.

Have you ever heard of the phrase, "what you say is just as important as how you say it"? That is true for prayer too. When we talk to God, the kind of attitude we put on speaks more about us than any word we can imagine. In prayer, especially in prayer of adoration, everyone bows in reverence. Philippians 2:9-11 talks about the respect of all creation to the Name of Jesus as it says, "every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth". Uttering His Name is prayer too and even the devils bow! So imagine the holiness and royalty of God, when we come in prayer to Him we are met with that Presence and we need to choose our words carefully.

As for intercession, telling God about our intentions is the most basic form of prayer. But those who have gone before us have taught us throughout the millennia that God hears the heart more than the tongue. So as we sit in silence and meditate on Him, His words and His actions, that is prayer too and it does not use words. Just like old married couples who understand each other's nuances without words and without action because they've loved each other for so long.

At the end of the passage, He admonishes us that no matter how good and inspiring our prayers are, if we are full of sin and unforgiveness, this too will be held against us and that darkness brings our prayers to naught. How can God help with our healing when we ourselves refuse it? Like a child asking her father to fix a broken toy, there is little this father can do if the child does not let go.

Words, reverence, attitude and freedom from sin... may we continually discover the elements that make our prayers and our relationship with God, inspiring, meaningful, and life-giving.

To Know Jesus

2011-03-25T08:48:00.001+08:00

Last Sunday's (Mar. 16) 1st reading was a scene from the Garden of Eden when Eve was tempted by the serpent. In the beginning, she resisted by repeating God's command. But the serpent, like the liar that he is, twisted the truth and explained instead, "your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad" (Genesis 3:5).

The priest asked us all, "Is it wrong to know what is good and bad?" Of course the crowd said 'no'. So the priest went further to explain that in Hebrew, the word for "know" is not the same as the word that we use in either Filipino or English. "In Hebrew", he explained, "it means something deeper". And he gave examples like the woman caught in adultery "knew" the man. If you search it, the exact word of the Hebrew for "know" is varied but it means more than knowing something intellectually; more than just an act of the mind, it is and becomes a part of a person.

"For them to KNOW good and bad was for them to be gods who create their own rules for good and bad", the priest went on to say.

Look around you, today, do you see people creating their own rules of good and bad? People inventing their own rules of morality? More than being like our Heavenly Father, some of us are steadily becoming like the devil who created their own rules of good and bad. Pope Benedict XVI calls it "relativism" as the world seeks for teachers who will satisfy their own desires (2 Tim 4:3).

In the same mass, we read the Gospel where the devil again shows himself but this time around, it is with Jesus. And even as He was physically weak from His 40 days of fasting, Jesus didn't falter in His strength of mind as he countered every twist of the truth that the devil hurled at Him. He used Scripture (so did the devil) but Jesus knew Scripture intimately as He spoke of it based on His relationship with God. How do you get like that? By being like Jesus.

In his exorcism book, Fr. Gabriele Amorth keeps repeating that "when faith decreases, superstition increases". In this time of Lent as in any other time, it is important that every Christian unite in prayer, praising, worship and Scripture. There is only "One Way, One Truth and One Life". We as individuals and as a people need to continually remember that and go back to God and live up to our role as being His children. But that is difficult to do if we have not created a time of devotion to spend with our Heavenly Father; that is not possible if He is no longer valuable to us. How do you get to know someone if you don't spend time with them? How do you learn to value someone and care for them, if you don't spend time with them? So we build our relationship through prayer. And as we speak in prayer, may we always remember to listen more and not just with our ears but using our other physical and spiritual senses too.

Whether you are kneeling in a church, standing in a train, sitting across a computer, cooking food, washing your hands, talking to your boss... whatever your circumstance, there is never a moment that you cannot lift up to God in prayer. May we always ground ourselves in Him and in everything He can awaken in our lives. Follow God. Think God. Love God.

A blessed Lent to all.

Symbols

2011-03-13T10:25:00.003+08:00

Enter any Catholic church and you'll be met with many symbols of Christian faith throughout the millennia and many of these are steeped in Scripture.

Look at the table, or the altar of sacrifice for example, and your gaze is met with the letters "IHS" or"JHS" which denote the 1st three Latin letters of The Name of "Jesus". Usually, you'd also see a lamb embroidered along the edges; this is again in reference to Jesus as John the Baptist refers to Him in The Gospel of John 1:29 and 36. The Lamb of God is also mentioned nearly a dozen times in the Book of Revelations.

Raise your eyes to the wall behind the altar (this is called a 'retablo') and you'll see more similar symbols. The Chi-Rho again displays our devotion to Jesus Name as it denotes the superimposed 1st two Greek letters of His Name (they look like an X and P over each other, or a P will a line across it).

Of course lets not forget Revelations (e.g., 1:8) and the phrase "Alpha and Omega" shown as large Greek letters across the wall. These look like our regular letter A and an inverted and round U.

At the very top, as is often the case, we see a dove that stands for The Holy Spirit as He is described in all four Gospels (i.e., Mt 3:16, Lk 3:22, Mk 1:10, Jn 1:32).

Most importantly, let's not forget about The Cross that is a central symbol not only as part of a church but also of our faith and Jesus' sacrifice.

Along the other sections of the retablo and even across the other walls of the church, our eyes are met with statues and symbols from Scripture (e.g., The Way of The Cross depicts every Scripture entry describing the journey of Jesus from The Last Supper to Golgotha) and from the lives of other Catholics who have "fought a good fight", "ran the race" and "kept the faith" (i.e., 2 Tim 4:7).

Symbols not only show the history of our Church but they are representative of our faith as well. They are not only made up of trinkets of wood, stone or metal. These symbols are alive too as we consider that every Christian is a symbol of his faith in Jesus.

Jon was invited to attend a stag party one time and as he entered the room, the men were shouting wildly as they watched a half-naked woman dancing on a make-shift stage. At that point, Jon eyed each of the men in the room, shook his head, turned around and left the room. He was a symbol of courage and purity for those men.

Patrick answered his test paper in silence during an exam. As the teacher left, most of the students looked at and copied each other's answers. Patrick raised his eyes from his test paper and shouted to them "lumaban naman kayo!" Everyone eyed him cautiously, sat back down and continued their exam quietly. Patrick was a symbol of honesty for his fellow students.

Gina could have blamed her poverty, an inefficient government or the unconscientious hospitals that refused to care for her sick child. Instead, more than trusting in what she or anyone could do, she put her complete trust in God. It was credited to her as He brought the healing that she sought for her child. She was a symbol of faith for those who are the poor of The Lord.

As we work in our offices, unwind at the end of the day, spend time with our families, talk to our friends, and even in our personal time before our God, what living symbol do we represent? What kind of Christian are we? Do we represent God as His righteous and rightful children in every corner of our lives?

Unlike symbols made of wood, stone or metal, we are living symbols of our faith. May we always represent God not like ambassadors or envoys whose loyalties end after their paid responsibilities but as His children, made and fashioned in the image of God, who truly reflect His holiness, His faithfulness and His love.

Love In The First Place

2011-02-05T12:56:00.004+08:00

Picture this - It's the early part of the 1900's. You're the son of a haciendero dressed in your khaki pants, leather loafers and neatly ironed clean white shirt. Much as you don't like it, you walk into one of those wet markets in a small riverside town. You're out there looking to buy some meat products. Maybe. All of the elements around you should drown your senses; the sight of the wet sticky floor, the sound of two dozen stall owners vying for your attention, the feel of the moist damp air on your skin, and the smell of sweat, meat, fish and all that revolting garbage at every stall corner. It's a vertigo sufferer's nightmare and you're in it!

But wait...

You don't notice any of it. None of it matters to you. Why? Because your senses are fixed on only one element in that scene. Like an out of place flower that gives a meadow its character, she stands out - the most beautiful creature you have ever laid your eyes on.

So what do you do? Hey, you're the son of a haciendero after all. Go ahead and clean out her stall! Buy everything you can if only to have a glimpse of her angelic face and hear her soothing voice.

Oh alright, maybe I'm taking it too far. But it's a true story. Well, most of it anyway. Except for the 'clean out her stall' part. I know the characters in the story because they are my grandfather and grandmother.

Love changes you... for the better

For anyone who has ever loved, change seems so easy it's almost natural. It taps into some secret part of you to show you that somehow, you've been doing this wrong and this is really who you are.

In plain and logical terms, I can't imagine how my grandfather would have fallen in love with a meat vendor. And yet he did. Why? Because he was changed enough to put on love's eyes and see beyond the bias, vanity and pride the world believes in.

Love changes each us for the better. If it doesn't, it was never love in the first place.

(Lola's story is for another article but we're all pretty proud of her; for someone who never went to school, she understood Mandarin, Spanish and was fluent in Kapampangan. And all her children testify at her being a whiz in the kitchen even during WWII when food supplies were scarce).

Love makes you brave

It didn't go well with the clan, at least that's what my Dad and my aunts tell us. Apparently, only Lolo was ever invited to family gatherings after their marriage. Things got better when the brood grew up though but it didn't really matter. He stood up for his love and he married the woman God chose for him.

True love makes us do the craziest things but one thing it doesn't do is turn us into cowards. Whether we speak of romantic love, familial love, love for God... Love only has one face and it is brave.

Love roots out the coward in all of us. If it doesn't, it was never love in the first place.

Love... lasts

Did you watch the movie entitled 'Amistad'? It's one of my favorite movies (hooray for Djimon Honsou!) In one of the scenes, as the slaves were making their case, their leader said, "...at this very moment, I am the reason for my ancestor's existence".

Lolo was not without his faults. He was old school discipline and be made sure his children learned it. When grown up children say, "I grew up in a home where..." But that only tells half the story. Because children aren't the only ones who grow up in a home. Parents do too! (I'm speaking from experience). And nobody "grows up" in a home that's not nurturing.

In their life together, Lolo and Lola can't boast of children who have money, fame and fortune (Lolo was the haciendero but none of us ever inherited the title so, I'm sorry, no free horse rides, river fishing or romantic farm planting). But what they built together is something my entire family is proud of - honor, respect and pride in a name that values discipline, hard work and a fear of The Lord.

Not only does true love stay in one generation but if it is genuine, it is passed down, like a valuable family heirloom from one generations to another. Love lasts; if it didn't, it wouldn't be love in the first place.

A grading sheet and a final note

I married my best friend. Not a lot of people can say that and be proud of it. My home is a haven for me because I rest easy in the truth that I married the person God loves and willed for my life. But I'm no genius when it comes to love. Just like everyone else, I'm just a pilgrim in this journey writing about what I learn along the way. My family make the lessons easy as we all look to each other to continually grow.

Below is a short grading system to know if what you have and what you are is love. As you answer it, think about the people or the person you love and what your attitude is towards them (one person or group at a time before you answer the questionnaire again!). Picture their faces as you go through the statements and in all honesty, write down your answer.

For every question, write "Y" for yes (meaning you're already doing that consistently), "N" for no (meaning you're not doing that yet) and "I" for improvement (meaning you're doing that but not consistently and not for everyone you love).

Here goes...

[ ] I am patient with _________ even when things can become irritable
[ ] I am always kind to _________ even when circumstances call for me to be otherwise
[ ] I rejoice in _________'s success and I'm never envious
[ ] My love for _________ isn't boastful, proud or haughty
[ ] I love _________ and have never and will never dishonor him/her/them
[ ] I seek to understand _________'s needs and my love for him/her/them is not self-seeking or selfish
[ ] My love for _________ isn't easily angered
[ ] I don't hold _________'s sins and wrongs against him/her/them; I don't even remember his/her/their mistakes
[ ] My love for _________ is always happy with the truth and I never rejoice in his/her/their sin and mistakes
[ ] I always seek to protect _________ in mind, body & spirit
[ ] I trust _________
[ ] My love for _________ is always hopeful
[ ] My love for _________ always perseveres

If you read the Bible (if you don't, I suggest that you start the habit and slowly turn it into a devotion because it's life changing!), you'll notice that the questionnaire is nothing original. In fact, you can read it from 1 Corinthians 13 which I copy paste at the end. (Sorry it has to be the book of "Corinthians" as I couldn't find anything romantic in the book of Romance... err... I mean the book of "Romans").

It doesn't have to be February or Valentine's for a Christian to show their love. What the Bible teaches about witnessing is true for love too; we live it, in season or out of season.

May you grow in love, be surrounded by love and be changed by love. A blessed February to everyone!

1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13

"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
...So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

A Name For Every Season

2011-01-26T19:35:00.001+08:00

The first speech any Toastmaster will make is one about the self. A friend of mine named Mel used an interesting format to deliver her speech; to divide the piece into sections, she used the different names she's been called throughout her life. Excuse me for a moment as I plagiarize that format somewhat...

Anyone who calls me 'rod-rod' most certainly knew me when I was a toddler. They were the bell-bottom folks who introduced me to Connie Francis (no relation to Mike), Gerry Lewis & The Playboys, 8-track cassettes and those groovy geeky glasses.

Those who call me 'digo-digo' (since my real name is 'Rodrigo', get it?), were the ones who met me while I was in Grade School. Let's not talk about them since that is the nickname I dislike the most!

'Doro', which was a colloquial way of reversing my nickname and adding an 'o' at the end (I guess 'Rod' was too short and too boring eh?), was what my high school friends called me (and they still do unfortunately!)

Within the 4 years of college, I was called by 4 different names. As a freshman, it was refreshing to be called by my normal 3-letter nick. On the other hand, professors started calling me by my last name which always seemed to make me look over my shoulder as I thought they were talking to my dad! Very briefly, junior and senior year brought fleeting nicks like 'Driggs' and 'Emong' (the latter is a corruption of my 2nd name which was a proper and fashionable name during the middle ages).

As I grew older, my knowledge and relationship with Jesus also grew. And as I was called by a different name throughout my life, I distinctly recall knowing Him by a different name at every stage and every season of our journey together.

As a child I knew Him as an Almighty and unapproachable Being; He was called by no other name than "God". He knew me but I knew nothing of Him other than what my books and my teachers talked about.

When I passed the age of reason, He took on a less formal but more mysterious image in my mind as I closely associated Him with the old and ancient churches I slowly gained an interest in. "Yahweh" and "Jehovah" were the names that came to mind. I suppose in many ways, His use of my interest in architecture was His way for me to start to get to know Him.

High school was more personal as I ended up in a choir and a prayer group that awakened avenues in my spiritual life that I never knew existed. "Jesus" slowly became less distant, more approachable but just as mysterious. Sometimes, He still felt like a task but often, He was a task I liked to do.

College was a lot like Christmas in my spiritual journey; everyday it seemed, I discovered something new about God and it was like opening presents every time. This was when I got to know so many of His Names and His titles that I didn't know which one to use first. But my favorites always stood out because they carried a hope that was relevant for the challenges of that time. "Rock", " Brother", "Captain" and "Father" were a blessing and a prayer in themselves already.

Nowadays, "My Lord" has taken on a different meaning for me and with hands clasped and head bowed to the ground, it is said in reverence and holy fear.

What kind of troubles are you going through? The Bible has many Names for God that carry relevance for us as we go through the different struggles in our lives.

To those who are lonely, He is The Comforter.
To those who are desperate, He is Hope.
To those who are in danger, He is their Hiding Place.
To those who are tired, He is Rest.
To those who are lost, He is The Way.
To those who feel there is nothing to live for, He is The Resurrection and Life.
To those who are afraid, He is The Good Shepherd.
To those who are sick, He is Healer.
To those who feel overwhelmed, He is The Rock.
To those who seek forgiveness, He is Mercy.
To those who are alone, He is The Eagle under whose wings they hide.
To those who are poor, He is The Pearl of Great Price.
To those who feel misguided, He is the Fountain of Wisdom.
To those who seek to be beautiful, He is the God who clothes the flowers in their splendor and the sparrows in beauty.
To those who are without children, mother or father, He is Son, Mother and Father.
To those who feel outcast, He is Friend.
To those who are cheated, He is The Just Judge.
To those who continue to sin, He is The Lamb who suffers because of that sin.
To those who seek to be accomplished, He is Alpha and Omega; The Beginning and The End.
To those who want salvation, He is our Savior.

Who is He to you? What Name have you called Him? At this stage in your life, what term of endearment do you have for a God who has watched you as you formed in your mother's womb?

I hope you call Him by a Name that is dear to both of you. And I hope the Name you call Him changes regularly because then we know, that you are growing and learning as you get to know Him.

May He always reveal His Will for your life.

Advent Reflection

2011-01-04T23:45:00.000+08:00

Before advent concludes, I wanted to share my thoughts, reflections and lessons-learned gleaned over the past two weeks. Below are some of the things I heard over mass and some of the ideas I felt God has allowed me to experience. In this new year, may The Lord lead you to reflect, remember and write your own thoughts and lessons so we may share in them too and learn as you have.

1. The star - everyone knows there is a star over the Bethlehem Christmas scene. The wise men from the east followed it until it settled directly above them and then disappeared. The priest over Christmas mass said that we all live through phases in our lives. At the beginning, just like a guiding star, our parents walk us trough the things we must learn. But a time will come, he said, when we need to be our own star and make decisions for ourselves. Similarly, in our spiritual lives, God will often use us to "be Jesus for others". But we must also remember, he said, that the light of our own star must be extinguished to make room for the light of Jesus to shine into the lives of others. Just the way many of the saints say it, "that I decrease and Jesus increase." May we all learn what wisdom, humility and kindness there is in allowing Jesus to grow in others".

2. The gift - the word "advent" means "coming". It is a fitting term after all, since we as Christians celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. But what does His birth have anything to do with gift-giving? A lot! Before the world turned Christmas into a capitalist smorgasbord, let us pause to remember that we give gifts not as a secular obligation but as a commemoration to what John 3:16 so eloquently explains as the greatest gift the world will ever know. So the next time we hand over our Christmas gifts to one another, let us not forget what they stand for; that God gave his only begotten Son, that the Son gave up His own life, and that we were blessed to receive the gift of The Spirit. May we in our own lives reflect that and in our gift-giving, recall, remember, re-live and reflect the love of God for each of us.

3. The sins - "The fact that the wise men returned to their homeland by another way is symbolic of a turning away from sin", another priest said. He was telling me about the path that the Magi had taken to visit Herod and pass through another way after they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod as the latter was planning to murder the baby Jesus. Herod is most certainly a symbol of sin in a couple of ways. That the Magi pushed for their home country via another route tells us that we need to do the same if we have sinned; and so turn away from our transgressions too. And as Herod was threatened by the prophecies about Jesus and was thus afraid of giving up his position as king, so too must we learn to step aside and allow God to work in our lives and in the lives of others. Sometimes, the only thing that God would ask of us is to step aside (that's not so easy to do especially as pride has made it's home in the heart). May we though, have humility to step aside when God asks us to and may we learn to turn away from our sins and be changed.

So before advent ends, I wanted to wish you all a blessed Christmas season; may you never stop learning, loving and growing in Jesus.

CWF

2011-01-04T21:57:00.001+08:00

My wife dragged me to attend this outreach for cancer patients in Batangas during the last week of December. Normally, I'm too lazy to drive that far and the name of the outreach she mentioned sounded really bogus to me. It didn't help that I could find very little about the foundation on the Internet. The only two credible pieces of evidence that proved the foundation's existence were it's ties with the very reputable Ayala foundation and the hundreds of testimonials all over the web. So off we went and well, I was glad we did.

The Cancer Warriors Foundation in Batangas is run by a very charismatic priest named Fr. Junie from the St. Francis de Sales order. True to his being a Batangueño, he spoke nothing but pure unadulterated Tagalog (which drove my wife almost nuts listening to his very funny homily). The foundation itself is managed by his parents (who kept referring to their son as "Father", which takes some getting used to). Lola Dita, as the mother referred to herself, was clearly the administrator as she barked orders left and right putting some good order into the proceedings. Mang Marciano, as I referred to the literal 'father', was clearly the president as he spent a lot of time talking to the guests (like us).

"Father", he referred to his son, "knows every member and every member's family of the foundation". This was no small feat as there were a little over 100 members. "And he even continues to keep in touch with the families of those members who have passes away".

"He still cries and grieves," he continued as he nodded toward the direction of his son, "he still grieves every time one of the members die".

Almost 3-4% of the members pass away according to Mang Marciano. "But those who pass away are usually the lazy ones who don't take care of themselves or else, they're the ones who come to us for help very late in their illness".

Asked why they help only children, his nonsense answer was almost apologetic but firm, "It's impossible to help everyone and we don't just help kids with cancer," he said, "we admit as members only kids with leukemia".

How do they pick which patients to assist? "It depends on the diagnosis of our partner doctors. Sometimes though, we are approached by people, older people with different illnesses and cancers. But often, we have to turn them away".

"The ones we don't turn away," he continued, "are the terminal ones who only have 3 or 4 weeks to live. It's really difficult but we have only enough funds for our target demographic".

Where do they usually get help from? "A lot of people help out. Sometimes we'd be down on our luck then out of the blue, someone would just drop by and give some help. The OFWs are the most generous but there are a lot who really do help out. Often, we also get help from foreigners like the Koreans."

Do they ever approach politicians? "Not really but they would usually approach us. The only condition we have of them is that they take no pictures and to never use the kids for their own campaign."

I had to laugh at that as I could imagine how frustrating it must be for grandstanding politicians. "The last thing we need," he turned serious as if spreading his fatherly wings, "is for these kids to be used and exploited. In fact, did you see Channel X (a popular television station crew dropped by that morning)? I asked them not to take pictures or do any reporting about our event because I want to preserve and protect the privacy and dignity of these kids and their families".

You turned away the television crew? "If anyone wants to help, they should do so without expecting anything in return".

What about these gift packs and baskets? These must have cost the foundation a fortune to give this much to all these families. "The baskets are Father's idea as a sponsorship program for Christmas. The problem we encountered was that we were only able to organize for 53 from his parish. The rest of the 47 were funded by the supermarket we bought the goods from."

That was very generous of them. "It was but it wasn't impossible to imagine because they understood; one of their kids had cancer too".

How in the world did you end up doing this? "Father started it and it spread by word of mouth. One family reporting it to some other family... By the time we knew it, we had 100 kids."

So all these kids are from Batangas? "No not really; some of them come from as far as Davao. Many of them from Mindoro. They come from all over. One thing common with all of them is that their families are poor".

How much is one vial for chemotherapy? "It's around $140. For a majority of our members, that's more than what their parents can make in a month. So we take care of that. I had an apartment I rented out a few years back. We had to give it up and convert it to what we call a "Child House". The kids and their watchers or parents use this as they stay in the city to undergo chemo. You have to understand that other than needing a place to rest, these families can't even afford the bus ride to the city. Their far flung parishes usually help out with the travel fare. So these patients really only need to show up."

It almost sounds like a community of volunteers. "it really is! Sometimes when we find out that their parents don't have work, we reach out to our friends to ask if they can provide work for the fathers or mothers; even if it's janitorial type of work, they don't care because they still see this as a blessing."

So the foundation is a formal organization? "As formal as a group or friends or family can be. We converted part of our house as the office and we have a secretary helping out. I can give you our number but you have to be specific to tell the person answering the phone that you're calling for the foundation because you'll be basically calling my house."

What's your day job? "I'm retired and so is my wife. This occupies my time now."

You're a blessing, you know that? How many kids do you have? "I think I'm the one blessed; I've been happily married for 47 years and I have 6 kids; 2 of them are in the religious life".

Wow, that proves you're really blessed and that you and your family are a blessing. 47 years? No kidding?

"No kidding".

As I wrapped up my conversation with Mang Marciano, my wife and the other Christmas volunteers handed out the last of the wish list presents we had lugged all the way from Manila. I could see their fulfillment and the happiness of the kids who reached out to take their gifts

The one gift that topped the cake was probably the bicycle. The mother of the boy who received it was in tears as she said, "He's been wishing for that for 2 years and I was crying beside myself trying to figure out if anybody had received the written wish I submitted for him. I was fretting restless last night hoping that this would be the year he got his wish".

A lot of people were Jesus for the kids that day. But more than for the kids, so Jesus was to us through them too. As Fr. Junie said in his homily, "Do you know what 'Emmanuel' means? It means 'God with us'. Today and every day of your lives, don't ever forget that- God - Is - With - You."

Little Blessings

2010-10-26T12:27:00.003+08:00

This was no easy task; come Sunday, the closest church was about 5 miles away. That would have been fine if it was all flat and dry roads. But this week, it started to rain, the temperature dropped to 8 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, and the hotel I was staying at was at the ridge of a mountain (a good 20 min walk going down). A car would have been great except that there was no money for it. So I just closed my eyes in prayer the night before and told Him that I wanted to go to mass and if it was possible, to attend it without getting wet along the way.

Sunday morning came and I did all my daily rituals. I had to finish earlier than usual as I had to give myself allowance to walk all the way down that mountain. I decided not to wear sneakers that day as they got wet easily. Leather loafers would do it as I glanced outside and the rain was pouring. “Nice, I’ll just try to dry myself when I get to one of the Church’s heating lamps”, I thought. When I got to the lobby, I tried my luck in case they had a shuttle, a golf cart or even a skateboard going down the mountain! The lady at the front desk looked up, “We have a van leaving in a few seconds and he was going to pick up some guests at the bus stop”.

“Well!” I thought to myself; that was a happy coincidence and under my breath, I just thanked God for saving me the 20 min hike down the rainy mountain. “Alright,” I thought, “Only 2.5 miles in the rain to get to the Church, that’s not so bad”.

When I got into the van, the driver asked me where I was going. I said “I’m just happy to get off at the bus stop.” Then we started making idle chatter. When the awkward silence cut in, I just blurted out, “I was going to hear mass at St. Mary’s today”, without intention of any kind. He just smiled politely and kept driving silently. As soon as we got to the bus stop, he drove up the man under the shade and asked, “Hey, are you the one who called for a ride up to the hotel?” And the guy shook his head and said, “I’m just waiting for the bus”. As the van was already stopped, I opened the door but the driver said, “Was it St. Mary’s along White Pine road?” I nodded and proceeded to open the door some more. He said, “I can drive you. It’s not too far and the guy who called for the ride isn’t here yet anyway. It should work out perfectly.”

Hey, I did pray not to get wet and here we were. It was a small gesture but he didn’t realize that he was God’s answer to my prayer. We talked more animatedly after that and he was genuinely happy to drop me off the front door of the Church. Yes-yes, the front door! You think maybe God had something to do with this? You bet!

I wish I could tell you that’s where all the little miracles ended but as the mass finished and I bounded up in my coat, bonnet and saddle bag, I was just happy to be heading home in the pouring cold 8 degrees Celsius rain. I didn’t care if I got wet this time since I was going back to the hotel anyway. And as I walked along that highway while all my toes and fingers froze, I was made to reflect on all the missionaries who didn’t have the luxuries that I enjoyed; they brave wind, storms, snow, heat, blisters, sun stroke, pneumonia, itchy dry skin, and all the bullies you meet along the way and they still push forward for what? For the love of Him who died for all of us. These guys took Matthew 28:19 seriously and I wasn’t going to complain about some freezing rainwater soaking me for a few minutes because what I was going through was trivial compared to what these brothers and sisters of mine experienced daily.

But the reflection was short-lived. As God would have it, after only walking 2 miles, a little red car stopped in front of me and asked if I needed a ride. It was my American boss! “I saw you from faraway and I have to tell you, I knew it was you because you have a unique walk”. For a guy who sees me only twice a year, the first thing he remembers about me is my walk? As it turned out, he and his wife were going to the exact same place that I was going that day and they were happy to have me tag along.

God had made a way to bring me to church and he made a way for me to reflect and go back to where I needed to go.

That afternoon as I came back to my hotel up on the mountain ridge, one of the first things I did was to be quiet, close my eyes, and pray. This time, I didn’t ask for anything; in my mind, I had already received so much. I just let myself praise Him and lift up my hands in thanksgiving; it was one of the best prayer times I’ve ever had.

There are four baskets in heaven; one is labeled “Praise”, the second is labeled “Forgiveness”, the third is labeled “Thanksgiving”, and the last is called “Petition”. These baskets are where all of our prayers go. The last basket called “Petition” is always, always, always… full. The other baskets aren’t so lucky; they are mostly always empty.

One day I’ll write about those baskets (especially “Praise”) but right now, here is the only thing I wanted to say – count your blessings and lift up your thanksgiving. Fill that basket up with the thought of every little miracle that God has blessed your life with. If you look closely enough, if you listen attentively enough, if you pay more attention to God with you, you’ll see. You’ll see everything you should be thankful for. So go ahead, fill up that basket!

Reflection: Matthew 19:20

2010-10-26T08:08:00.000+08:00

“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” - Matthew 19:20

I bought an iPhone two years ago; the process of going through the trouble of purchasing it, owning it and taking care if it has been a valuable lesson for me. First hand, I have seen how it has brought out the bad manners in me (“Don’t drop it!”, “Don’t touch it!”, “No, you can’t borrow it!”, “Put it down, you’re going to scratch it!”). It is by far, the most expensive piece of equipment I have ever bought and in a way, it was well worth it but it took some effort from me to learn the lessons that God was teaching.

The a-ha lesson was when I had bought an expensive leather case for it so it is protected from scratches and made to look more expensive. One time when I got out of the car, I dropped it on the hard and chiseled pavement. Unfortunately, the phone dropped on all four of its side edges - the only part that the leather case did not cover (hey, I could take a hint!) They taught us in school that we shouldn't be possessed by our possessions. I'm sorry that I had forgotten.

After that episode, I learned the spiritual value of this phone – it's worthless! The only value it possesses is the value that it fosters when it is used to build relationships. For example, when my kids and I have fun with it together or when my wife uses it in her prayer time. And one important value it has is that for these past two years, all the articles I've written were begun on this device. I value it today not because it's literally expensive but because of what it helps me accomplish as a Christian.

Sometimes I caress the scratches along its sides just so I am reminded of the value and the vanity we put in things and the lessons that God teaches us when we let these things possess us.

What does it have to do with Matthew 19:20?

God knows us better than we will ever know ourselves. Often, He allows us to discover who we are by using the things and the people around us. In my case, what I’ve discovered is that the most valuable things in this life and the next are not the ones that we touch but those that we can grasp with our spiritual hands because they build relationships, foster friendship and bring us closer to The One who bought us with His blood.

May The Spirit wash over us with humility that we may have a heart open to His leading and may The Good Lord fill us with everything that our soul thirsts for. God bless everyone!

The Poor of The Lord

2010-10-24T02:21:00.002+08:00

Note: This story isn't mine. I heard it from one of our members in the community that I belong to. We've been so inspired by it, that I thought I'd share it with you. Of course, the names have been changed to protect privacy and I did my best to translate it to English. Where it is stated "kitchen", please understand that this is literally just one corner table of their small house. On the other hand, where it is stated, "bathroom", this is literally just a (apologies for the term) "piss can".

Rowena stood up and started speaking in front of us. After saying, "Good evening", she started welling up even before her story was told. From the onset, it was obvious that she was seriously not used to public speaking and her train of thought jumped from one scene to another. But in the end, she composed herself enough to get her message inspirationally across.

"Good evening," she said again, "I am Rowena. That over there is my husband, 'Mon'. I was asked to share with you tonight the same story that Mon already told you. It's about our child. We're not rich. I don't work. Mon is a barber and he earns just enough for the food we eat everyday", she started welling up again.

"So it was difficult for us to discover one day, that our child was sick," as she started talking about her child, she straightened up and became motherly serious.

"She was so sick that she didn't want to eat. She ran a fever. Her face was bloated. She stayed in bed all day and the worst part of it was that her urine was red. We didn't have any money to take her to the hospital so we took her to the government health center instead."

At this point, she was no longer crying and her expression changed to something akin to impatience as she continued her story, "They said they had antibiotics but we needed a prescription. Well, to get a prescription, you had to go to a doctor. They directed us to a public hospital so a doctor could look at my daughter. It was a long wait but the doctor said she had a urinary tract infection. He said he couldn't be sure though and we needed to undergo a test. We were told that the test would cost us something and well, we didn't have anything. So we went back to the health center and told them what the doctor told us. They still refused to give the medicine and directed us instead to a free clinic that one of the big companies in the business district usually hosted. I didn't mind but I was worried that my daughter was already so exhausted. But what can we do? We had no money and we didn't know anybody. So we went to the company in the business district. When we got there, the nurse at the desk told us that we needed a government sponsored health card. We didn't have that. How do you get that? I didn't know. So we went back to the health center again because the free clinic didn't want to take us.The health center officials told us that there was another free clinic at a hospital that wasn't far. So off we went again, my daughter and I. Every time we had to go back on the road, I kept asking her if she could still travel and she said yes in a gentle voice. When we got to the hospital, the ER staff told us that my daughter looked like she needed to be admitted already. They were happy to take us if we could leave a deposit. A deposit? All we had on us was travel fare."

"I didn't know what to do anymore and I wanted to get upset but my daughter just looked up at me, tugged at my sleeves and said, "Mama, let's just go. Nobody seems to want to take us anyway'. I didn't want to let her down but there was really nothing I could do. 'Can you make it home,' I asked and she nodded."

"When we got out of the hospital's main doors, my daughter saw a church at the corner and again, she tugged at my sleeves and asked if we could go and pray before heading home. 'Do you have strength enough to go to the church?' I asked. She said God wouldn't refuse us entry anyway and so we went."

"She took a pew and I sat on another. From the deepest part of my heart I just prayed to God to heal her. I felt so helpless that I just left everything in His care. Maybe I was angry, maybe I was upset, I felt so helpless that I didn't know what I was feeling. But in the end, I told Him, "I hope you don't get angry because I'm saying all of these things to You but I know you understand me because you are a parent too."

When we finally got home, my kid went straight to bed and she slept for what seemed like four hours. I went to check on her regularly."

"When she woke up, the first thing she asked for was something to eat. I was surprised and I literally jumped to my feet, ran to the kitchen and scooped up a plateful of food for her. I watched her eat and she devoured the food like I had never seen before; she even asked for seconds. 'How are you feeling?' I asked and went to check her forehead and stare at her face; it didn't seem bloated anymore and her forehead wasn't warm at all. She nodded and said 'OK' between mouthfuls of food. As she finished, she got up and said she wanted to pee. I dropped everything and went to the bathroom with her just to check what color it would be this time. I was beside myself with relief when I saw that the urine was as clear as clean water."

"After that, she looked up at me and said something that I hadn't heard from her for what seemed like such a long time. She said, 'Mama, may I go out to play?' I asked her if she felt she was strong enough to do so. She nodded and ran outside without even listening to my answer."

"Before we ever joined this community, I didn't really think about God that much. But I know and believe Him now. He has changed our lives. May you learn to trust Him too".

As the story ended, Tina leaned toward me and said, "You know what, I don't think we would ever hear that kind of story from the communities we've joined in the past. All of our friends have money and some influence like us. But she had nothing and that nothing drove her to trust God like none of us can."

On my part, my initial reaction was to ask Rowena to tell me what the names of the hospitals were and the location of the health center she went to so I could lodge a complaint for her. But in the end, it wasn't really about human intervention, man's influence, and secular power. Rowena breathed no resentment for anyone and in fact, to her, it was really about the miracle and the care that only God can bring. Jesus did for her in 4 hours, what antibiotics would have done in 7 days.

That night, Mon and Rowena taught us an ancient lesson that not too many of us in this high-tech generation know; that the way of the Anawim (poor of The Lord) is wiser and more effective than the smartest public official and doctor.

As we become more self-sufficient, well-off and independent, may we never forget God's age-old truths. And as the Anawim of long ago trusted Him, may we learn to trust that He gives us everything that we hope for in life.

Discovering the Source of Sin

2010-10-04T19:11:00.002+08:00

When we got home that afternoon, there was a big, fat, long worm in our bathroom. I’m trying very hard not to freak you out but a worm in the bathroom is a worm in the bathroom and there is really no non-gross way to describe it. It was disheartening to say the least, since it was also the first time I saw one upstairs (please don’t make me go into detail about the bathroom downstairs).

After some quick tidying up (before my wife sees it and runs around the house shouting, “Snake! Snake!”), one thing was for sure; they were definitely coming from the drains and no amount of acid (industrial grade or otherwise) was making a lasting effect. Of course the downstairs bathroom was in a bit of a worse shape. My wife at one point even suggested that we buy a new house (I think she’s still thinking about it).

We did what we could to get by but then one day, when we thought it couldn't get any worse, the unrelated happened - the kitchen sink and its floor drain became clogged. There was a mini-flood in my kitchen and I couldn’t fix it. So I threw my handyman hands up in exasperation and called in the professionals. They came, they saw, they charged me an arm and a leg (with all my fingers and toes!), and after they destroyed 5 kitchen floor tiles (this was just pure torture), they found the cause of the clog – NO, it was not worms. Don't panic. Instead it was a long and painful deposit of cholesterol (the cooking oil kind) and soil.

Apparently, all that drain-pumping we did as a quick fix to relieve the mini-flood had collapsed part of the plumbing and the earth around it seeped into the pipe and mixed with the cholesterol to harden somewhere in the middle of the drain. And, voila! We had created a clog and it became an artificial home we unwittingly built for our little slimy boarders.

So, after much haggling with the plumbers about their final price (I’ll save the criticism about their work for later), both seemingly unrelated problems finally went away.

We have worms in our lives. Sometimes they come in different shapes, sizes and texture. We go to confession, ask for forgiveness but then one day, we discover that we had once again fallen. So we go round and round the routine until our father confessor starts to recognize our voice behind that confessional booth (so you change your voice the next time you come for confession and push it one frequency higher just so he doesn’t notice).

Today it’s pornography, yesterday it was a rude green joke, the following week it’s an emotional indiscretion with someone who isn’t your husband or wife. It’s a different worm every time and often, we don’t make any connection around it.

Today it’s gossip about someone in the office, yesterday it was just a misunderstanding that hurt your pride, the following week it’s a lie to save face. It’s a different worm every time and often, we don’t make any connection around it.

Worms come from somewhere. Sins do too. They multiply by themselves. Sins do too. They come in different shapes and sizes. Sins do too. In the right environment, worms thrive. Sins do too. Worms have an uncanny ability to hide themselves in the darkest place. Sins do too. If you don’t hit the source where they come from, no amount of acid, poison or drugs can eliminate worms. Sins are much the same way.

In John 10:10, Jesus says, “…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Perhaps we struggle to understand exactly where the source of our sin is as it gives birth to other problems. Maybe it’s an unrepented sin, or a sin that you have intentionally forgotten, maybe it’s a secret sin you can’t bear to tell anyone, or maybe it's something you didn't even believe was a sin.

It’s time to let go. Ask God about it. After all, He did promise us, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you”. Why would He refuse to see you grow closer to Him? Seek His forgiveness because He wants to give it to you. Embrace that mercy and experience new life in God.

Reflection: The Workplace and Matthew 23

2010-10-03T20:56:00.004+08:00

The office is an interesting place; it can bring out the best and the worst in all of us. Four days out of five, it probably brings out the worst (especially during Mondays!) As followers of Jesus though, we are reminded that we are supposed to live as Christians "whether in season or out of season".

But if you think this is another management write-up, you're wrong. Instead, it's a sharing of God's whispers to a 30something as he was led to read Matthew 23:1-12 while dreading another day at the office.

May God whisper to you too, especially in the workplace. And may we all learn to be Christian, no matter where we are.

"Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you— but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

1. Be The Blessing
Jesus begins the passage by stating an irony; that the scribes and Pharisees were blessed because they own the seat of Moses but at the same time, they were not a blessing to others. God had set them apart and had made them worthy to minister to Him and His people but what did they do with the position? They abused it. Many of them heard but did not listen. Many of them understood the logic of the law but it did not make them love God or others. Many of them were blessed but a lot of them were not a blessing.
You see, we're all blessed, especially those of us who are in a position to manage people. How do we use that position; to be a blessing and reflect Jesus or to be like the Pharisees and keep people away from that blessing? Pray that God allows us to see ourselves for who we really are and help us to change as we should especially as we practice the power and influence he has bestowed on us as managers and leaders.

2. Integrity In All Things
Integrity is wholeness; what it means is consistency in every aspect of our lives. As we go through the first part of the passage, Jesus follows the initial thought saying, 'listen to what they say but don't follow their example. They preach but they do not practice.'
My boss is a Christian. I know this because my officemates talk about it. I also know this because he has a worn out Bible on his desk that he reads every morning as he begins his day. What is interesting about my boss is that he never talks about his faith. In fact, I’ve never heard him even make vague references about it. But what is admirable is that even as he doesn’t talk about his faith, he lives it. In his actions and the nuances of his relationships, there is integrity.
In my own walk with The Lord, I pray that He helps me to be consistent; that if I forward emails that are inspiring, I should seek to be inspiring too. That if I talk about my faith openly, I must be ready to display the same actions not only when it is convenient for me but especially when it is not. That if I seek to embrace integrity, I must also realize that humility is sure to follow and I must be open to correction.

3. Seeing Goodness
Jesus goes on to tell us more of the Pharisee’s faults, “they place heavy burdens on people but are not willing to lift a finger to help them.” They had lord it over others often going to the point of oppression. More than reflecting on the relationship they had with God, or contemplating on the letter of the law, they had poisoned their own hearts by often seeing only the mistakes of others and trumpeting these to themselves; “how stupid are these people?”, “what? Another mistake?”, “how many times do I have to repeat this to you?”… And the list went on and on.
It's so easy to see other people's weaknesses and trumpet these things to them (and to ourselves). Instead though, Jesus saw the good in others; He saw their strength and used that to each person's fulfillment. And where there were mistakes, and where there was sin, Jesus handed out mercy to those who wanted to embrace it.
He saw that goodness and worked to have us realize that it was always in each of us. In the end, and with His blessing, that strength grew to change the world. How? An uneducated fisherman became the first Pope. A murderer was transformed into an evangelist. A prostitute was reborn as a saint. A thief and tax collector lived to be one of the first Apostles… In everyone, Jesus saw goodness and He transformed that into greatness.
As managers and leaders, we’d do so well to do the same.

4. God Provides My Self-Esteem
Right near the middle of the passage, Jesus says, “They do all their works to be seen by others.” This is what happens when there is an absence of a relationship with The Almighty; we pick different things to fill the void. St. Augustine said “our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee”, but not a lot of people know or realize this in their own lives.
Self-esteem is a funny thing; we look for it in the most unusual places. Some look for it in work, some from the opinion of others, some from their own accomplishments, still some from the possessions they have amassed.
The reality is, there is life outside of the office. In fact, we all have a vocation apart from our own profession. What that vocation is, is something between you and God. But that’s just it; it is about God and the part that He wants you to play in the big picture.
As a manager and a leader, I know that the virtues I learn from spending time with God trumps any value I learn from the office. At the end of the day, the report I send to my own boss is not as important as the time I spend with my God. At the end of the day, God is my boss and what He says is the only thing that should matter.

5. God Is The Top Of The Org Chart
Near the end of the passage, Jesus starts to talk about our proper place by telling us about Heaven's true organizational structure. He explains who the real character is; Teacher, Instructor, Father, Rabbi… and who we are relative to all of that.
Idolatry takes on many forms and sometimes, we don't just make idols of things and other people. Sometimes we make idols of ourselves for people to worship and look up to. We like our labels, titles and rank. And often, we are upset that people do not know us or do not extend the respect that we believe is due our pay grade.
In the end, Jesus offers the remedy – be a servant. But that’s difficult isn’t it? That we love others the way Jesus loves them. We have to try though. We have to start somewhere. St. Therese says it well, “Nothing is sweeter than to think well of others”.
As managers and leaders, let’s pray always that God opens the eyes of our hearts that we may see Jesus in our staff, our peers and our own superiors. And may we learn to serve Him through them.

Prayer: As I begin this prayer, I am lost in my own thoughts and worries about my life and my work. I offer these to you then and openly share the sadness and burden they often bring. Teach me Lord to count my blessings because these same burdens I know, are my blessings. It is not for nothing that I am here; I am here because You willed it. I am here because you've given me a mission and a part to play. I just can't see it. Open then, the eyes of my own heart. Disturb me, Lord and help me to hear your voice and respond to it. And as you help me realize that this is a blessing, allow that I may see others as part of that blessing. And as the days go by, grant me the grace to become a blessing to others too. May You be loved in all that I think, say or do; God be praised. Amen.

Do Good, Be Good

2010-08-05T21:32:00.005+08:00

Are You Gorgeous? Maybe you've asked yourself that a few times or maybe someone has asked that about you. But you know what I think? I think what makes people beautiful is not what you put on your face or rub into your hair. It's not even the accolades that you receive or the amount of money you make. And it's certainly not the power or influence you have or the reputation of your family.

What makes you beautiful is the good you've done and the love you've shared as you live life.

In 2007, the coveted Nobel peace prize was awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change and to former US Vice President Al Gore (now those are hardcore PowerPoint slides!)

But do you know who was the runner-up to the 2009 Nobel peace prize?

An old and unknown Polish woman named Irena Sendler. The reason for her nomination? Oh she just risked her life a few thousand times to save 2,500 Jewish children from Nazi extermination in WWII.

Here is a summary of her story (thanks, Wikipedia!): Irena was a Roman Catholic social worker before the war. Even before she started working, she was already a champion for Jewish equality. During the war, it was only natural for her to volunteer into an organization that sought to help Jews escape Nazi persecution. From a Warsaw ghetto (since she was a social worker), she literally smuggled babies, toddlers and kids in boxes, suitcases or even disguised as packages. She would later place them in Catholic orphanages or with sympathetic Polish families. To keep a record of their identities, she would scribble their names and location on a piece of paper and put it in a jar buried underground (she dug these up after the war but most of the children's parents had been killed in concentration camps). In 1943, she finally got caught. Guess what the punishment was? Violent beating and death of course! She received the first part of the punishment in full force but the group she belonged to bribed the German guard who was to drive her to the execution. So instead, they dumped her in the woods, unconscious and with broken arms and legs. She survived and in fact, she died of old age in July 2009.

To say the least, she received many awards for her actions but she didn't care much about the fame it brought her. In a letter to the Polish parliament she wrote, "Every child saved with my help is the justification of my existence on this Earth, and not a title to glory."

Without even seeing what she looks like, do you think Irena was beautiful? She certainly has 2,500 reasons to prove it.

Alright, I know... not all of us are presented with extraordinary circumstances like Irena. But there is always an opportunity for us to be good and to do good, even in the smallest things.

Below, we have another Nobel laureate who can share a few recipes in everyday life for us to become more beautiful. Following are some of my most favorite quotes from the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize awardee - Mother Teresa.

1. "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."

There is wisdom in starting with humility. The Lord is fond of it and He usually starts the greatest things with just one. Consider that Abraham was blessed with only one son and yet to him was born the whole of Israel. The Jews were left as slaves in Egypt and were delivered by only one Moses. The entire army of Israel shivered in fear of Goliath and the Philistine army and yet they were saved by one small shepherd boy armed with one shiny stone and one simple slingshot. How many arks did Noah build again? And as we travel through the history of Israel, we find that The Lord raised only one prophet for each generation. Of course who can forget, only one Mary as it is written "Blessed are you among women! (Lk 1:41)" And in the end, how many did God send to save us? One hope, one faith, one baptism in our One and Only Jesus. There is wisdom in humility and God continues to allow us to experience this even in our present time. Irena Sendler afterall, started with saving just one child but eventually, she ended up saving an entire generation.

2. "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."

One of my fondest charitable memories is between a waiter and a beggar. There was this one time, as I was waiting for my order at one of those fastfood Chinese restaurants, a beggar in his dirty and tattered clothes walked into the joint. He was holding a disposable cup in his hand as he slowly inched up to the corner counter. The waiter standing behind it was happily chatting with one of his fellow crew members. Probably at the corner of his eye, he saw the boy, looked down to him momentarily and held out his hand. "You want water?" he said still smiling. The boy nodded. Mr. Waiter picks up the cup, half-fills it with ice and proceeds to pour some clear delicious water into it. All the while he was doing this, he continued to have a jolly conversation with his friend as the boy looked on. When the cup was filled, he turned to the boy again (still smiling) and handed the cup over. The boy beamed and hopped out of the restaurant a picture of satisfaction. It was just a cup of water, right? Not really because in the smallest things can we see people's convictions; humility, equality, courage, devotion, generosity... Who are you when no one is looking? What was it that Jesus said, "...whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Mat 25:40, RSV)

3. "In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love."

I came home one day when the boys were still very young and I saw my eldest hard at work drawing something. I actually couldn't care less as I was tired, stressed and discouraged. But all that changed as Nate bounded up to me, held up what he was slaving over and presented it proudly. It was his version of a Formula 1 car (I'm a fan of Formula 1 racing) and below the drawing itself was scribbled my name. It was the first time I had ever seen my name scribbled in my baby's handwriting. I picked up the drawing and totally forgot what gripes I had about the office. That drawing is still with me and in fact, I had it laminated. From a professional artistic scale of 1 to 10, it would probably be a negative 10. But you know what? It's priceless in my eyes, much like the Spoliarium would be priceless to the National Museum. Why is it so valuable to me? Because it was crafted not with genius hands but with sincere fingers. Because it was borne not out of a selfish desire to be noticed but with a knowledge about what the other person cares about. Because it was made not only by someone I love but by someone who loves me. So in the end, it wasn't really about the drawing but instead, it was about the love of the person who made the drawing.

"I came from you Lord and deep in my being, I know I belong to you too. Often, I forget that and everything that comes with it. You are loving, faithful and humble. Please tell me, am I that way too? Forgive me if I put on those qualities only when people are looking or only when it is convenient. There are so many things in this life that I put on myself just to see exactly where I belong. Nothing seems to fit. I know why. I began this prayer knowing why. How does David says it, Lord? I want to say it that way too, 'Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold in me a willing spirit that I may teach this transgressor your ways and this sinner inside of me, will return to You'. I came from you, Lord, please don't give up on me and help me never to give up on myself too. Help me to always remember that I am beautiful, that I am good, that I am Yours."