Wednesday, January 30, 2019

How Far Can You Love?



The Gospel of John 6:1-14 tells of the story of the multiplication of bread. They had a situation on how to feed the thousands of people following Jesus.

In this particular reading, it tells us of a boy who brought 5 loaves and 2 fishes. The disciples brought it to Jesus with doubts, “…but how far will this go to feed?” They cannot understand how these can feed thousands of people.

But Jesus was not after how many, the boy can offer; He looks at the heart. He can make miracles, He is God! So it was not a question if He can feed them because He can. What He was after was the posture of the heart. God loves a cheerful giver. That is why we don’t put limit to what we give, example in our church, we don’t say 10%... Why? Because we don’t put limit to generosity. God does not rejoice in forced giving, because love necessitates freedom. Love is beautiful when freely reciprocated and given. It is not love when it is coerced. “Love me with 10%” no… God is telling us, as far and high as your heart can love, then give as much as you can, freely and joyfully.

This is not even just about money, but ourselves as a whole, our time, our talents. How far can we give to a God who gives so much? How far can we love and care? This is what our society needs, love in spite of chaos and cruelty. Love in spite of pain and hurts. Then like Jesus, this love that we give is rewarded with Easter, because our faith does not end in Good Friday, it triumphs in Easter Sunday. Love is victorious in the end!

So never give up on love. And when we love, we put it into action by being generous to others. Give yourself to others in service!

by aats

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Spiritual Pride


There is something that can be viral in lay religious communities when it comes to leaders. There is a tendency to spiritual pride. When instructed, they act like they’re listening but they will do something else. They cannot believe and follow because they are eaten by self-absorb notion that they are superior in knowledge about faith or on account of age and status. Leaders with spiritual pride have all the reasons as ammunition of not doing what they’re supposed to do. They believe so much that they’re right and others are always wrong. They have no healthy self-assessment; they only have justifications.

A leader with spiritual pride is on the road to destruction and worst is they are destroying others along the way.

by aats

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

New Year, New Path

We just finished the Christmas season and two Sundays ago we celebrated the Epiphany of our Lord. The Gospel of Matthew 2:12 told us that after the wise men from the east (Magi) found the child Jesus and offered Him their gifts, “…they returned to their country by another route.”

This is a beautiful phrase that speaks so much of what happen the moment we encounter something beautiful. The Magi encountered the Messiah and it changed their path forever. “They took another route.”  A beautiful encounter will lead us to a new path. May this New Year bring us beautiful encounters that will change our course of life for good.

When the Magis encountered the baby Jesus, there was no conversation, for the child could still not utter words.  However, presence was enough. That overwhelming presence brought them so much joy and peace. Just like the Magi, our hearts will tell us if it is the one. We will know if it is Jesus we are encountering in our daily lives. May we find Him and when we do, acknowledge Him and walk on a new path. We cannot walk back, we can only walk ahead; the encounter is too beautiful for us to walk on the same path again.

by aats