Of Dogs, Presence and Acceptance

I was given a ride by a Tito (Uncle) on my way to the subway. Along came with us there dog. Tito asked me if it’s okay that the dog will be with me in the front seat. To which I answered favorably. While on our way to the subway, we were having some conversation while the dog was just sitting on my lap. I was actually enjoying its company. My thoughts on the other hand were already thinking, “This is why so many people love dogs.” They are just there waiting for you, sometimes sitting on your lap, or on your side while watching movies, not a single word spoken but just a little caress. Unlike when you are with people, they can sometimes be demanding, demeaning and inconsiderate, when all we need is but a presence that accepts us as who we are, listens to our unreasonable complaints and embraces us no matter how bad situation is.

Our presence can mean a lot, we don’t need to say a word but just a reassuring presence that they are not alone in there struggle. Letting them feel that they are accepted and that it’s okay to be vulnerable at times, can bring hope to a seemingly hopeless case. Situations can be very bad already and the least thing we can do is to add salt over injury. The world is in need of compassion; let us have a little dog in us. 

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I Don’t Know

I always enjoy having conversation with couples in Couples For Christ; they gave me so much hope for the future. Everytime I am with a couple, I always ask about how they came to know each other and how eventually they got married.

Days ago, I was with a couple and I asked the wife “Tita, what made you fall in love to Tito?” To which she replied, “I don’t know.” When I asked the husband, he also has the same answer, “I don’t know.” It was a light conversation and we were laughing all along. I now have a new definition of love, “Love is 'I don’t know.'”

When I was about to sleep I thought about it and said, yes, there is some truth to it, we love without reason except love. We don’t know what it is, because how can we define something that is beyond definition? 

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We Are

In our life journey, we bring along our sinfulness, biases and stubborn human weaknesses and bless the world with our capacity to rise above these things again and again. We embrace all these things without being imprisoned by them knowing that only by embracing them can we be set free. We come as who we are in front of the Lord because we cannot hide anything from Him anyway. With our willingness to be transformed, the Lord, by His grace will empower us to become the best version of ourselves.

Lord, we desire to be transformed, by your grace help us to become the best version of ourselves. Amen.

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When We Know It

Most of the time we know it when we did something wrong. We don’t need others to put it in our face, all we need is someone who would accept us as who we are, listen to our unreasoning mind and understand our insensitive feelings. Acceptance provides avenue for change, encouragement to do good and inspiration to persevere. When we choose to listen and understand we bring back hope and self-confidence to a struggling soul.

Teach us Lord to be more accepting, listening and understanding towards others for we too need it ourselves. Amen. 

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When Silence is the Only Response

When we don’t know what to do anymore, silence can be the only response. It offers a chance to see things through and limits further mistakes. Then in silence we pray, we pour out our heart and groan in anguish, hiding in His embrace.

I remember once when I felt so down and out and nothing seems right. Going through a hallway I saw something hanging on the wall, it says, “There shall be times in your life you shall need a place to hide, away from evil and unreached by your enemies. Make me your hiding place and I shall surely preserve you from trouble and hide you in my secret pavilion. There, you shall be safe from oppressors, gossip and evil. ‘You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with song of deliverance.’ Psalm 32:7”

In silence I come to you because your presence needs no words and things I do not know you know. Amen.

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Leaders Are Like Eagles

I once read the following quote from an unknown author, "A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. In the end, leaders are much like eagles, they don’t flock; you find them one at a time."

I would like to add some few thoughts. Like an eagle, a leader should not be afraid to be alone. It can be tough and lonely up there but leadership requires at times a different path other than what is popular and winnable. They don't always go with the flow. He is a visionary; he sees a mountain range when others only see a hill. 

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On Silence

Saint Faustina wrote on her diary, “A talkative soul is empty inside. It lacks both the essential virtues and intimacy with God.”

We need to be silent if only to hear what is essential in life. There is beauty in silence. It gives us space to grasp what we cannot in noise. It makes us reflect and weigh things. Silence is a prerequisite to sound and good decisions. 

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Whatever the Season

Faith is like the end of summer, instead of longing for the warmth of the sun we look forward to enjoying the colors of fall. Hope is like the end of fall, instead of being sad at the trees lay bare we look forward at enjoying the sight of icicles on its branches. Love is like the end of winter, instead of missing the white and silence of winter we look forward to the sound and beauty of spring. Faith, hope and love is like end of spring, instead of being stuck in the sight of trees and flowers bursting with life we look forward to the greater warmth and goodness of summer.  There are more reasons whatever the season to have faith, hope and love.  

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Experts of Words

We are in danger of being so eloquent in speech and experts of words but weak in practicing it. We are becoming experts of words but amateur in what matters most in life. Spoken words are important, so does putting it into actions. There are things that are better done than said.

Lord, teach us to be experts not just of words but also of deeds. Amen. 

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Memories of God

I watched again the homily of Cardinal Chito Tagle of Manila during the International Conference of SFC few months ago. He talked about filling our memories with God.

He said, “Do not forget what God has done for you. And if our minds and hearts are filled with what God has done for us the way Mary’s heart was filled with the memories of what God has done to her. If our minds and hearts are always overflowing with memories of God, no matter what the devil does, your mind and heart will not be easily swayed because it is filled with the memories of God. Kapag ang isip at kalooban ay punong-puno ng kabutihan na ginawa sa inyo ng isang tao, ang hirap mong saktan yung taong yan. Napakadaling saktan ang isang tao na hindi laman ng iyong alaala. Kaya napakadaling saktan ang Diyos kasi kung minsan hindi naman Siya ang laman ng alaala.” (If our mind and heart were filled with what someone has done good things to you, it would be hard to hurt that person. It’s so easy to hurt someone who is not part of your memory. That is why it’s so easy to hurt God because sometimes He is not always in your memory.)

Luke 2:19 says, “But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” Mary kept all the good things in her memory on what God has done to her, she thought about them and it kept her focus on God.

Lord, grant us the grace to remember all the good things you have done to us. Amen.

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Aligning and Opening

For grace to flow freely we need to be open and for desires to come into reality we need to align to His Will. Aligning and opening makes a lot of difference.

Thank you Lord for everything, may we always be align to Your Will and open to Your grace. Amen. 

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Lyrics

I was listening to an English patriotic song, “I Vow To Thee”. I had always loved this song for its expressive words of love for country. The lyrics are just so evocative and the melody so haunting. While listening to this again I kind of allowing my mind to linger to the idea of driving it home to personal level, the capacity of human beings to love and be loved deeply.   

How true it is as the lyrics say, “The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test, That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best; The love that never falters, the love that pays the price, The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.” It is always our challenge to love like that.

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Admiring Mary

Last night we were sharing with brothers about what we admired in Mary. For me, I admired her collectedness and openness. She did not put a wall the moment the Angel Gabriel announced to her that she will become the Mother of the Messiah. It must have been a very intense situation. Imagine a young lady, just engaged to a man whose reaction she would not know the moment she would say that she’s pregnant and that’s because of the Spirit. Add to the fact that she will be stoned to death if found that she is in that situation. Yet, she was so collected that she was able to follow through what is being said to her and was even able to ask a question.

Her collectedness can only come from grace and deeper understanding of Gods goodness. If not she would have said no. And because she was able to collect everything in her heart, she was open enough to the idea that she can indeed become a mother of Jesus and so the she said, “Be it done to me according to your word.” The rest is Christianity!

I was sharing to the brothers, if only I can have a little of that collectedness and openness of Mary. In a world full of distraction, there is so much need for collectedness and openness. If there is something more I can learn from Mary’s yes in this situation, it will be:

1.  Do not put a wall. How many of us, the moment someone makes us feel special or someone tries to know us deeper, we coil within ourselves and put a wall. Assume, judge and dismiss the person right away. How can possibilities open up with that attitude?

2.  Do not be afraid to take risks. Many of us are contented with our comfort zone, because we are afraid of something unknown. We are afraid of what other people will say. We are afraid that we are not following social norms. Yes, social norms are good but not everything. Love is so creative to be confined to social norms.

3.    It takes three to tango. The angel did his part by announcing the news while Mary did her part as well by not putting a wall and instead allowed the message to flow and collected it into her heart. And God in all His goodness pour down abundant grace enough for the encounter to become life changing.  Are we open enough for others to open up? Do we collect it in our hearts? Then God will do His part.

During the sharings, a question was asked about our own devotion to Mary. So I shared that my devotion aside from the Holy Rosary, is my devotion to the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, because I need miracle in my life. Everyday I need miracle! 

On the eve of the birthday of Mary, 2013.

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Failing Happiness

No one wakes up in the morning wishing to be sad. All of us want to be happy. We desire for it, we want it and we need it. There are so many ways to happiness, but not everything is lasting and helpful. This is were problems starts, because along the journey we want instant gratification and usually instant gratification are but fleeting. We choose the lesser things because our standard of happiness is only what television, internet and other social media is showing. We failed to see the greater things such us doing good to others without expecting something in return, appreciating beauty in the person beyond his/her physical attributes and choosing truth, love and hope beyond practicalities of life. These things seem to be big words but actually these are the things that make us happy.  If given a chance, we are actually capable of choosing that which is greater.

The lesser things seem to make us happy but in the end it will fail us because in the first place it fails in comparison to the true joy we experience when we find our true purpose. For us Christians, we find it in Jesus Christ. 

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