Monday, January 30, 2012

Real Love Waits




Love probably is the most overly used, defined and desensitized word. It has been used as an excuse of ones own failure, defined to fits ones own advantage and desensitized to mean nothing but human exchanges of saliva. 

For a Christian, love is not just a noun it’s a verb that requires action. It is a noun because it is God Himself, “God is love.” 1 John 4:8. It is also a verb because it compels us to concretize it our lives and the lives of others. It is not just used as an excuse of our failure to love like Him. We say, “I am falling out of love, so I will break up with her.” It’s as if love is just a matter of falling, a word bound by gravity. But love, if real, defies the force of gravity. We find so many excuses because from the beginning we already have a different motive in leading someone to us. If our love is real, our motive has to be pure as possible. We are courting someone because we see in her a spark of the divine.

Love has been defined in such a way that it fits our own selfish desires.  We relegated love in the realms of feelings and emotions and nothing more. So much that it means nothing when hardships come. Our love is the love of I, me and myself. If we don’t like the other anymore, if she is of no use anymore, if we don’t have the feelings anymore, we throw her out. But love, is not just a part of something, it is everything. When we love, we love the entire person not just the beautiful part of her but including the not so good of her. We cannot just say, “I love you because you have such a beautiful eye.” What if she gets blind? Love is wholesale not retail. Hindi patingi-tingi ang pag-ibig! Kung iibig ka, buo! You take her as a whole or not at all.

Our definition of love is a Hollywood definition. When somebody kisses someone, that’s it, it seals everything. We desensitized love! As if love is just a matter of exchanging saliva. If that’s the case, then we are no different from other lower animals that just do their thing anywhere. But we are human beings, we are not just bodies, we have the spirit in us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit according to 1 Corinthians 6:19. The body of a human being is no ordinary thing, it is not for sale, nor it is just for the consumption of our lustful desires. Sex will achieve its full meaning if done within the bounds of marriage. In this way, the human body is respected and treated not just an object but instead a way for expressing externally the pure motive of love.

It is no wonder why it is so easy to court someone on Facebook, express the feelings on twitter, and tell the world about all the emotions through other social media, because somehow the virtual reality provides a shield for someone from a real responsibility. We want love but we don’t want responsibility. We despise having accountability with our actions. We just want the “kiligs”, the giggles of loving. Love can never be virtual it has to be real! And certainly, we can never have love without responsibility. So we show ourselves with all courage and win the other over, by being real to her in her own home and family. We face the people who love her and tell them our real intentions.

To love of course is the most beautiful thing in the world. It provides us a glimpse of heaven. It points us to the reality of God Himself. No wonder why we desire and long for it. Blessed Pope John Paul 2 had beautifully expressed where all this desires comes from and to whom it actually points. He said, “It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your heart your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle.”

“It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”

So until we reaches to a level of maturity, were we look at love with the eyes of Christ, we wait. It is in waiting that we are molded, tested and fully formed into His image, so we can love the way He does. Waiting is not depriving us of the joys and exhilaration of love it is in fact saving us from the unnecessary hurts and pains that the counterfeit offers. If our love is real, we certainly don’t mind waiting.


by aats

Friday, January 27, 2012

Joy in Prayer

Prayer is a dialogue not a monologue. There is a relationship involve. So while someone is speaking, the other has to listen in order to have a conversation. So in prayer its not about whom you are praying with but to whom are you praying. We are praying to God not to someone else.

Our relationship with God, strengthen through constant communication in prayer produces joy because He is love Himself and with love follows joy. Sometimes we are happy not because we pray but because we are praying with someone. (Minsan kasi, masaya tayo hindi dahil nagdadasal kundi may nakasama sa pagdadasal.)

There is a good reminder from My Daily Bread, “Examine your motives in your daily words and actions.”

by aats

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Conversion Road

Today is the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. Many will be asking why commemorate such an event? The usual way is to celebrate the birthday, death or martyrdom of a saint once a year. But Saint Paul has made so much impact that a part of his life has actually been the reason of why the gentiles are Christians now.

Why is he so passionate? The answer lies in the road to Damascus. Paul being a zealous Jew was on his way to persecute the Christians when suddenly a blinding light struck him. Someone was telling him, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” The books of Acts narrated how he got up again a changed man. We can never remain the same when we encounter Jesus! Saint Paul found that truth.

He became passionate about the mission because he deeply believed that it was Jesus whom he encountered and who after being struck down, pulled him up and allowed him to see again. “Pinulot lang siya sa putikan. (He was just picked up from the sludge.) This is the consistent theme in his letters, he would say, “I consider everything as rubbish… It is when I am weak than I am strong… I rejoice in my weaknesses…” For him Christ is everything.

He was so convicted that a certain, “Jesus” loves him so much that he is willing to die for Him. The conviction that someone loves him so much makes him passionate about the mission. He was burning with the fire of Christ love. The road that was supposed to bring him to destruction has brought him to life.

His life reminds us of the following:

1. A single person can actually make a difference. Saint Paul almost singlehandedly championed the evangelization of the gentiles to the Christian faith. There is so much a single person can do.
2. A conversion can lead to a greater good of all. His conversion provides Christianity a champion of its faith. The best evangelizer is a fallen evangelizer.
3.  Evangelization means living out Christ by example. Saint Paul lived out what he was preaching. Still, the best sermon is our actions.
4.  We can be principled without being judgmental. Saint Paul can debate with anyone and defend his faith. He can persuade his adversaries but he never judged them. A Christian is never judgmental, for he looks at others with the eyes of Christ.
5.  We can adapt without compromising our faith. Saint Paul said, he can be a Jew to a Jew and a gentile to a gentile in order to proclaim the gospel but he never compromises his faith. We can adapt with other culture so the message can be better understood.
6.   The past is not a hindrance to a future full of hope. Saint Paul never looks at his past as a hindrance instead a source passion to preach the gospel even more. I have run the race, I have competed well, and I have kept the faith, he said. Our past does not define our future.
7.  Conviction leads to proclamation. Saint Pauls’ conviction does not end in him. It is like fire burning within his heart. He cannot help but proclaim Him. He was burning with the fire of Christ that’s why he never burns out. We get burn out if we burn with our own fire. Burn with the fire of Christ and you will not burn out.

It will be hard to serve if we don’t have the kind of passion that Saint Paul has. We will easily quit. What is your Damascus Road? What is your conversion story? Let it fuel you to serve God with passion and conviction.

Saint Paul, may we have that conviction and passion of yours in our drive to proclaim the Jesus whom you love. Amen.

by aats

Monday, January 23, 2012

No Trial Mission

I was blessed to watch one of the “Word Exposed” Sundays homily of Archbishop Luis Tagle of the Archdiocese of Manila via youtube. The gospel was about the sending of the disciples. The good Archbishop reflected upon his own ministry while handling seminarians. They are usually sent to a certain parish or area to practice their roles as future pastors. He was amazed how in the sending of the disciples, they were told to preach the good news, heal the sick, and do what Jesus is doing. The sending was not for practice only but it was for real! When we are sent to do the mission of the Lord, we are to make it real. Archbishop Tagle said, “As far as mission is concern, there is no trial mission. Every mission should be real and actual.”

There is no such thing as trial and error mission. When we are sent out, we try to equip ourselves as much as possible and do our best, because we cannot play with the mission of the Lord. The people we are serving are not toys and certainly not just numbers to count, but these are souls.

Lord, prepare our heart, body and soul for the mission, so we can share your love as real and actual as possible. Amen.

by aats

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Stubborn Habits

I attended a mass in between the Christmas party for the elderly and the Mission Core Group of Couples For Christ. It’s advent and the new English translation of the Roman Missal is in full use. Its really so hard to get used to the new responses to the mass, I get messing up on my reply of “…and also with you” instead of the new “…and with your spirit”. This is no surprise actually because we are used to doing the responses as it is and so our minds sometimes needs time to adapt and make it the new habit.

It’s really hard to change age-old habits. A certain push coupled with determination is needed if we are to change. A new way of doing things has to be done repeatedly and consistently until such time that we get used to it.

Everyday is an opportunity to make some necessary changes, turning our bad habits into good ones. Let’s try to start practicing.

by aats

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Some Few Lines For Jesus

Let’s be e-vangelizers in the world of Internet. We are subscribing to so many different kinds of social media and I bet it occupies a large portion of our time. We can never be neutral in social media. We have to share something positive. If you can update your facebook status so easily and can tweet almost every minute of some unnecessary updates about your personal life why not some few lines for Jesus?

by aats

Monday, January 16, 2012

Only for Convenience


I had been following the historic first impeachment of a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Listening to all the opening statements both from the prosecution team and the defense team, I am amazed how passionately they can invoke God, and yet most of this people, specially in the executive and legislative cannot even utter God in speaking against pro life issues, instead support anti life bill. This is also true even to ordinary Christians like us, we can go to church every Sunday, we can worship passionately, we can share with conviction our faith and we can write and talk about Jesus, yet we fail miserably in living it out! We use God and speak about God only for our convenience. This is always the challenge of Christianity, not separating faith from daily living. A Christian is a Christian 24/7. 

by aats

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Made in Heaven


Once I was trying to have a confession in the Church for 3 straight days in Edmonton without success. It was a week before the YFC (CFC Youth For Christ) Conference for Western Canada and we were eager to prepare ourselves spiritually.

Confession was conducted everyday before mass starts. First day, we went 15 minutes before mass, and there was already around 10 waiting. The priest was probably very eager for everyone to have a good confession that it takes more than 10 minutes for just one confession. In short, I was still around 8th in the line and the priest already came out of the confessional. The following day, we make it earlier and went there 30 minutes before mass. This time around I was next in line to the confessional when the priest went out to start the mass. So on the third day, we went to the church 1-hour earlier and finally I was able to have a confession.

I was tempted to be frustrated, so during the mass I just closed my eyes and thank the Lord for allowing me to experience this deprivation. Isn’t it frustrating when you want something and you went there it’s no longer available? I felt deprived of my need to be reconciled to God.

There is always this deep desire within us to be in the right relationship with the Lord. This desire and longing is a mark of the Creator for His creation. It is like “Made in Canada” mark that identifies where the product was made. Our longing points to the reality that someone made us up their and that we are “Made in Heaven”.

by aats

Thursday, January 12, 2012

So Many Questions But The Answers Are So Few?


I particularly like this line from one of the song of Side A (A Philippine based band). We have lots of questions and most of the time we ended up always wondering why there is little or no answer at all.

A brother once asked me if it is bad to stay away from something or someone you love so someone else can be happy. At first, it sounds heroic but before we even answer the question, we have look deeper and ask another question, where is our heart anchored? Because a heart that is anchored in Christ is in the best condition to discern the right choices and a well-discerned decision gives peace.

How do we know the right answers? It comes when we listen more than talk in prayer. We just don’t monopolize the conversation; we give God a chance to talk to us. Prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. In listening lies the answers to our questions.

We are perplexed with our decisions since we are not sure if it is the right thing to do. We pray and yet we are still not at peace, because we don’t listen. We want something and when God speaks to us we become selective hearers. We only listen to what we want to hear. If we are really serious about knowing the right answers, we have to listen and accept the answer as it is. So discerning rightly of giving up something or someone can come only from a heart that is anchored in Christ. A discerning heart is a listening and accepting heart.

So many questions and the answers are so few? Actually, the answer is there, we just have to listen. Keep striving because all of us are struggling anyway.

by aats

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

True Purpose

We can only find our true purpose in life if we find our calling.

by aats

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Excess Baggage


I love travelling and seeing places. Few days ago I was on a one-way ticket going to my new mission area. I was excited, as always because I love mission, though I have to leave behind friends, brothers and sisters in the community who had been like family to me.

We were about to go to airport when a Tito (Uncle for Filipinos) asked if I pre-weighed my baggage already. I had two big baggages with me and the Tito was adamant that we have to check or else I will have problems at the airport as the plane allows only a certain weight for each bag. So we passed by the mission office and true enough one of my baggage exceeded more than half the limit. The good thing was that I had an unused bag with me, so we unpacked some of the things and transferred it there. I just had to pay for the additional baggage. When I checked in, one of my baggages was weigh in and found out to be in excess still. So I have to unpacked additional things from the bag.

I thought to myself, moving on can sometimes really be so taxing. When we move out, we have to pack everything and throw out the unnecessary ones. But the thing is, even if we try to put all the important things we have, we still have to be mindful that there are weight limitations and if we exceed, we have to pay for the extra.

Despite the taxing situation, it was still a good travel experience for me. It brought along some few lessons in life, like the following:

1.    Travel light – Throw out unnecessary hangovers from the past.
2.  Pre-weigh your Baggage First – Know your limit, unless you want to pay extra.
3.  If It Is Really Important, Pay the Price – If along the journey, you find it necessary to carry with you some holy burdens, then be willing to pay with extra strength of character.
4.   Move with a Grateful and Joyful Heart – There is so much that we still have to discover and more lives to be changed. You can only enjoy the journey if you have a grateful heart.
5.    Let God and Let Go – Let God guide your life and then it will be easy for you to let go.
6.  Fly High and Have a Safe Landing – Soar in life, God has made you for greatness. But be sure to land safely, meaning, be humble, know where you came from.

Excess baggages, be it in family, love life, career, and other aspects of life can be burdensome. So before you even pack things up, separate the unnecessary ones and leave it behind, take only with you the learnings and realizations. Let God and let go.

by aats

Monday, January 9, 2012

Hay Nako Napakareklamador!

Panginoon: Hay nako, ano kaya mabuti nito, magpapapako ako uli sa krus?
 

Hay nako. Obserbasyon lamang po ha. Ang hilig talaga nating magreklamo.

1. Reklamo sa gobyerno kasi kurakot, pero kapag eleksyon nagpapabili ng boto. Wala raw mapili. Ang tanong, bakit? Kasi ang mga mababait hindi tumatakbo, hindi naman binoboto kasi walang pera. Tapos itong mga mukhang pera ang unang nagrereklamo. Saan naman kaya babawiin nitong mga politiko ang kanilang nagastos, sige nga? Huwag magpabili, para itong mga politiko hindi na kailangan bumawi ng kanilang nagastos. Huwag kang magreklamo kasi ina-ani mo lang ang iyong itinanim. Alangan namang aani ka ng manga kung ang itinanim mo ay bayabas!

2. Reklamo mahal ang bilihin pero kahit pagtanim na lang ng kamatis sa masetera hindi magawa! Hay nako, kahit ba tanglad kailangan pang bilhin sa palengke?

3. Reklamo baha. Aba natural naman talaga na may baha. Pero meron din talagang baha na dahil sa ating mga ginagawa. Palagi kasing tapon ng tapon ng basura at putol ng putol ng kahoy! Hindi naman kailangan may naghahakot ng basura, i-segregate mo, irecycle, kikita ka pa sa mga basag na bote, papel at plastic. Hay nako, noong mga unang panahon, wala naman naghahakot ng basura, bakit malinis? Hala sige, ituloy ang iyong mga ginagawa kung gusto mong lumangoy sa baha.

4. Reklamo walang trabaho. Aba, meron naman talagang pagkukulang ang gobyerno, pero marami din namang trabaho kung gugustuhin lang. Paano kasi, mas gusto ang patulog tulog lang, pa internet internet lang, inom-inuman lang. Hay nako, imbes na makatulong, lalong lumaki ang gastos. Magtanim, kahit sa masetera lang, tingnan mo, di ba di mo na kailangan bumili pa ng ibang mga gulay sa palengke. Malaki ang kaibahan ng masipag sa tamad!

5. Reklamo mahal ang kuryente. Ang iba nito wala talaga tayong magagawa, pero sa sarili meron. Huwag ng mag-aksaya ng kuryente. Pero imbes na magtipid, ayun, nanunuod magdamagan ng teleserye at walang tigil ang kakalaro sa computer. Sige huwag mong itigil yan, di ba tataas lalo ang bayad mo sa kuryente.

6. Reklamo sa programa ng Gobyerno. Wala na lang talagang nakikitang maganda. Hay nako, kapag merong programa, binabatikos agad, imbes na suportahan, ni hindi inaalam ang paliwanag kung para saan.

7. Reklamo sa kapatid, Tito at Tita, Ina, at Ama, kasi ang damot raw. Hay nako! Naghihintay lang pala ng allowance? Tapos tsini-tsismis pa! Napakagandang buhay. Ang Tito at Tita, Ina at Ama, kayod ng kayod sa labas ng bansa tapos ang mga pamangkin, anak, at kamag-anak sa inuman lang winaldas ang padala. Hindi naman lahat, pero karamihan ganito ang nangyayari. Hala sige, ituloy natin ang palimos na pag-iisip at wala talaga tayong bukas na marating.

Kaya eto, reklamo sa lahat, pero sa sarili walang ginawa! Hala sige, pagnilayan natin, magpatuloy tayo sa ganitong kaugali-an, ewan ko nalang kung saan tayo pupulutin.

PS: Merong valid na reklamo iba ito  puro lang reklamo.

(This is the Tagalog version of the original kinabali-an - bisaya, “Pastilan Pagkareklamador!” posted by the same blogger, a bit of me, aats.)

by aats

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Focus on the One

Sometimes when we are so much in love, we lose focus. We put all our attention on love life forgetting that it is just one area of our life. The person we love becomes the center of the universe for us. So much that when relationship fails, we wallow in despair and hopelessness. Focus on the One (Christ) instead of having one (relationship), and He will give you one.

by aats

Friday, January 6, 2012

Pastilan Pagka Reklamador!


Ginoo: Pastilan, uno kahay maajo, magpalansang ko ug utro sa krus?


Tagalog version on this link:  Hay Nako Napakareklamador!
Cebuano version on this link: Pastilan Pagkareklamador

Pastilan. Obserbasyon lamang no. Kahilig gajud nato ug reklamo.

1. Reklamo sa gobyerno kay kurakot, pero inig eleksyon magpapalit pud sa boto. Waya kunoy mapili. Pangutana, ngaman? Kay ang mga buutan, di man managan, kay di man pud butuhan sa mga tawo kay way kwarta. Unja kaning ubang tawo nga nawong ug kwarta, maoy una moreklamo! Asa man bawi-on aning mga politiko ang ila nagasto, abir? Ajaw na papalit, para kaning mga politiko, dili na kinahanglan mamawi sa nagasto. Ajaw reklamo, kay gi-ani ra nimo ang imo gitanom! Ayang ayang mu-ani kaw sin mangga kung nagtanom kay sin bayabas!

2. Reklamo mahal pamaliton pero bisan pagtanom na lamang sin kamatis sa masatira dili makahimo. Sus pastilan, bisan ba tangyad paliton pa sa merkado?

3. Reklamo baha. Aw naa may natural nga baha, pero naa poy binuhatan nato mismo. Sige man pataka panlabog basura ug pamutol sin kahoy! Di man kinahanglan naay muhakot ug basura ba, i segregate na, irecycle....mokita paka sa bildo, sa papel, sa plastic. Sus, sauna nga panahon, waya may tighakot, nganong limpyo man? Na hala padajun sa gibuhat kung gusto mulangoy sa baha.

4. Reklamo way trabaho. Aw naa man jud pagkuwang ang gobyerno, pero daghan man jud matrabaho ba kung gustuhon. Saon man mas gusto man tuyog tuyog na lamang, internet internet na lamang, inom inom na lamang. Sus, samot gasto, hinu-on nga makatabang. Pananum, bisan sa masatira na lamang, di ba, di naka kinahanglan mogasto pa ug palit sa uban lamas sa merkado. Dako ang kala-inan sa kugihan sa tapulan!

5. Reklamo mahal kuryente. Na ang uban ana wa natay mahimo, pero sa kaugalingon naa. Ajaw na usik usik sin kuryente. Na hinuon sige usik usik sin kuryente, sige way undang tv tanaw telenovela, way undang kuryente sige duwa sa computer... na hala, ajaw na undangi di ba taas ug samot imo kunsumo.

6. Reklamo sa programa sa Gobyerno. Waya na lamang gajoy makitang maajo. Pastilan, naa gani bag-o nga programa, hala da-uton dajun, di na lamang gajud makasuporta, waya pa gani makasabot sa tibuok ekplanasyon.

7. Reklamo sa igsoon, sa ijaan, sa inahan, sa amahan, kay dayo kuno. Sus Pastilan! Maghuyat ra diay sin allowance? Unja libakon pa! Kahajahay ba sa kinabuhi. Ang ijaan, inahan, amahan perte nang kayod sa gawas sa nasud, unja ang mga anak, pag umangkon ug kaparyentehan sige inom inom sa gipadaya. Di man tanan no, pero kasagaran amo gajud ini ang nahitabo. Na hala, magpadajun ta sa makalilimos nga mentalidad, waya gajud tay kaugmaon.

Mao ni, reklamo sa tanan, pero sa kaugalingon wayay gihimo! Na hala, kitay mag igo, magpadajun ta ani nga pamatasan, ambot kung asa ta ani puniton.

PS: Naay valid nga reklamo la-in kini sa puro ra reklamo.

by aats



Thursday, January 5, 2012

Desire

We desire for something so much that we settle for less. We therefore deserve what we get. Blessed are the patient people for theirs is the future and much more. 

by aats

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Hungry

Taste and see how good our God can be. Psalm 34:8. It is good to be hungry sometimes. It takes deprivation to make us appreciate the goodness of something. If you are hungry, everything is delicious! Kapag gutom, lahat masarap! Basta gutom, tanan lami! May we always be hungry for God, so His every word will be delicious to us.

by aats

Sunday, January 1, 2012

As I Kiss Your Cross

As I kiss Your cross O God, I couldn’t help but be filled with so much emotions, how you have love me personally and intentionally. In You, nothing is coincidental, everything is planned according to Your amazing will. You know me, even before I was born, and I know that my life from then on, has a purpose. Every second, every minute, every hour, every day, has a purpose. I may not know everything now, but I trust in your plan for me.

As I kiss Your cross O Jesus, I am reminded of your faithfulness, because when you were hanging on the cross, you taught me to how to be faithful to the end, to persevere to the end and to love to the end. In the cross, your ultimate love O Lord was fully shown. When You said that it is done, I know that you will never stop until everything is done. Wala kang hindi tinatapos. (Nothing You will left unfinished.)

by aats