Thursday, July 21, 2011

Friday, July 15, 2011

On service

If we know who we are serving, we will never give up serving! by aats

Monday, July 11, 2011

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Can I Still Love?

Paraphrasing the 1st reading last July 10 makes my understanding on the verses much clearer. It says, “When you were still a child I loved you, out of nowhere I called you my son. But the more I called you, the farther you went away from me. Yet, it was I who taught you to walk and who took you in my arms. I drew you with the bands of love. Though I stooped to feed you, you did not know that I was your healer.” Hosea 11:1-4

While reading this verses, I felt like it’s the exact words that hurting parents would say to a rebellious son or daughter. It's like saying in Filipino, “Pinalaki kita, minahal, nagpakumbaba na ako, pero lumayo ka pa rin sa akin.” When I put myself in the shoes of these hurting parents, I cannot help but be in pain as well, looking at my son or daughter drifting away from me. Ang sakit nun!

When we are hurt, sometimes our reaction, instead of making an opportunity of loving, we ended up creating strangers among ourselves. We become strangers to one another. Kapag nag away ang magkaibigan, hindi na nagkikibu-an, parang hindi na magkaibigan, parang walang pinagsamahan. Sa pamilya, kapag ang magulang nagalit ng husto sa anak at sumama ang loob, nakapagbibitiw ng salita, “Hindi na kita anak!” Parang hindi na pamilya. They too, became strangers to one another.

These situations can make us heavy burdened. But Christ said, “Come to me all of you who are weary and are burdened and I will give you rest… for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” What burden is it that Christ wants us to give to Him?

Hindi lahat ng mabigat ay bagay at hindi lahat ng nakakapagod ay trabaho. Nakakapagpabigat minsan ang damdamin kapag ito ay nasasaktan at sumama ang loob. Nakakapagod din magmahal at nakakapagod mag alaga ng tao.

The 1st reading continues, “How could I give you up or deliver you? How could I treat you like others? My heart is overwhelmed with love for you.” Hosea 11:8. This reading is teaching us how to love. Paano nga ba magmahal? How much can I love?

Kapag hindi  pa natin nasabing, “Ang hirap mong mahalin.” Hindi pa tayo nagmahal! Why? Our understanding of love is that we love because we can get something in return. But the 1st reading is telling us, that it is not the case. It shows how a God can love no matter what. Will I still love even if rejected? Kaya ko bang maging tapat kahit ang tao ay hindi na tapat sa akin? Kaya ko bang magpakumbaba at magmahal muli?

If we are a leader in YFC or any Christian group, there is always this tendency to be self-righteous. We are so good at giving advises. But its so easy to give advises if we have not experience it. Kapag hindi pa natin naranasan ang isang bagay, hindi pa natin naramdaman ang sakit at pait na dinaraanan ng isang tao. Kaya huwag tayong magdasal na, “Lord subukan mo ako sa pagmamahal ko.” Kasi baka yan magkatotoo! Kaya sa mga hindi pa nakaranas at nakatikim ng sama ng loob, can we really say, “I have loved?”.

It's so easy to say, “I will be good, I will be loving” if everything is well. Why am I saying this? Because in community life, ang sarap mag worship, ang sarap mag sharing. But in reality there is so much hardship. Lumingon ka lang at makikita mo ang kahirapan. Maraming nagkasamaan ng loob dahil hindi na natext, kasi wala ng pang text. Maraming anak din ang sumama ang loob kasi hindi na mahatid ng kotse kasi mahal na ang gasolina. It’s so easy to be good, but the challenge is to remain good even if the situation is bad.

Three questions:

1.    How much can I love?
2.    Can I be faithful?
3.    Can I be faithful even if others are not faithful?

The gospel reading says, “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons.” We may well say, ”That’s hard, I cannot cure the sick, I cannot raise the dead either…” Well, if we cannot cure the sick, promise ourselves not to be the cause of sickness to others. If we cannot raise the dead, promise ourselves not to be the cause of death to others. If we cannot cleanse the lepers, promise ourselves not to cause wounds in the hearts of others. If we cannot drive out demons, promise ourselves that we will not become the demons ourselves to others.

When the going gets tough, can I still love?

- by aats
(This reflection was written a year or two.) 

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Thursday, July 7, 2011

None But Jesus

Only when we are whole in Him can we truly live for others. None but Jesus. -by aats

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Future Full of Hope

In Jeremiah 29:11, why is it that God promised us a future full of hope and not a future full of happiness?

A Garden of Pain

A short reflection on Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

When Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane, it was the time He felt so all alone. The sting of loneliness was at its peak. Nobody understood His situation nor His over all intention. It was a time of great pain. Not even His closest friends who were with Him could understand what He was going through. They just fall asleep, and could not even stay awake for an hour. What an intense indifference! Christ almost gave up, saying, "Father, take this cup away from me, but its not mine but  Your Will be done.". And He sweat and cried with blood.

I can only sweat and cry with water. What more could I complain?

-by aats