Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Gods Plan


I once heard from a Jesuit priest said, “Gods plan is the intersection of your hearts deepest desire and the worlds deepest need.” Our desires are never detached from the needs of the world. Gods plan not only fulfills our deepest desires, He provides away were it can do something good for others. I think, the best way to know if it is Gods plan for us is by its fruits and the fruit of a Godly plan is faith, hope and love. 

by aats

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Faith Journey

 
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. - 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

In faith journey, starting is easier than following through. At the beginning when the spirit is high it seems like everything can be done, however when the journey turns to months and years it becomes more difficult to be consistent, focused and faithful. We might ask why is it so? It is so because faith journey cannot be sustained by emotions alone. When we end only on the surface feelings of goodness and not go deeper into the heart of understanding, then we can falter. We understand we need to have the right understanding of what we are entering into. The life of faith is joyful yes, however, as in all aspects of life has also its shares of pains.

Saint Paul exhorts us:

1.    Be on guard. Let us not lower our defenses by assuming that everything will be just fine. In faith, we need to be awake, because the enemy is lurking at the side.
2.    Stand firm in the faith. When trials come, as it will, let us not be shaken instead be assured of the One who had been faithful from the beginning.
3.    Be courageous. Faith cannot be passive. We have to be pro-active and clever to outmaneuver the enemy from his evil strategies.
4.    Be strong. We cannot be weak in faith. When questions arise and we start doubting let us remind ourselves of the real source of truth.
5.    Do everything in love. We can overcome challenges and temptations with love. Real love allows us to see things with the eyes of faith.

Lord, encourage us to stand up again when we fall. Amen.

by aats

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Out Of His Mind


Mark 3:20-21

Today’s gospel reading tells us about how the relatives of Jesus was convinced that with all the things that He was doing he was out of His mind.

Jesus did not do something crazy, He did the right and sensible things, healing people and proclaiming the good news of faith, hope and love. How can someone be a lunatic for that? Of course, people followed Him, because they saw something in Him that they were not able to see in there leaders. They saw integrity of words in Jesus.

If healing the brokenhearted, setting free of those who were falsely accused and proclaiming hope is to be “out of his mind” then so be it, if only for the world to come back to its senses.

by aats 

Friday, January 25, 2013

God Affirms


God affirms us in Isaiah 46:4, ”I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.”

All fears and anxieties vanish upon hearing the words of a faithful and constant God. Can there be more trustworthy than He? O God, in times of fears and anxieties, affirm us with your loving embrace. Amen. 

by aats

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

More Valuable Than The Economy


I was watching news about Singapore raising its budget to support those who are planning to have babies. They want more babies! The report said since 1970s Singapore has not been replacing its population. On the other hand, the Philippines just passed a law encouraging its citizens to limit birth, because the government said there is just too much Filipinos to be fed. Singapore is worried that if population plummets it may cause its economies downturn, affects tax and services. The Philippines on the other hand is afraid that too much population is costing so much the government’s budget in terms of services.

Why this contrasting approach? To be sure it is because of the economy, they look at the health of the economy how it can grow more and how population is affecting it. So when Singapore wants more babies, we can say, well, it’s first world country and they can afford it while the Philippines cannot.

My take on this is that, are the people secondary only to the economy? So much that the point of view is always looking at the health of the economy instead of the health of the people? Why is it that when economic forecast will say that we need new more babies so that 20 to 30 years from now, someone will still be working, giving taxes thereby not burdening the government of the services it gives freely for its senior citizens, they scramble for ways to increase population? Or, in case of the Philippines, why is it that when economic forecast says that overpopulation hinders economic growth and we need to curve our population because it will overwhelm our basic services, we scramble for ways to depopulate? Do human beings but a factor of the economy? Are human beings just numbers for the economy?

I think we should have a paradigm shift; the human being should be at the center not the economy. Economy is but a factor to the well being of humanity not the other way around. Whether the economy is doing good or not, it is secondary to the consideration of what is good or not to the human person.

The centrality of the human person rather than the centrality of the economy, for the human person is more valuable than the economy.

by aats

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

We Have Everything



Pope Benedict XVI said,  “Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom? ...No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life. Amen.”

With the world filling us with different kinds of things that it says can make us happy and fulfilled, we can only look back and see how everything that it offers fades and disappear. Only a right posture towards life with Jesus as the focus can make life joyful and fulfilling. In Jesus we have everything. 

by aats

Monday, January 21, 2013

In Love


The beauty of love is that it makes us want to do good.  When we are in love we become selfless and forgiving. The most visible sign of a person in love is a beautiful smile in there face. Everything becomes beautiful in love. No wonder why people are at there best when they are in love. Let us give love so others can be at there best and let us also be open to be love so we too can be at our best.
 
Pope Benedict XVI said, “The human person finds his perfection in seeking and loving what is true and good.”

by aats

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Overthink


Sometimes our problem is not really so much about why there is nothing happening in our lives, there is nothing happening because we usually overthink and forget to do something about it. Why not try moving beyond: stop thinking and start loving.

by aats

Friday, January 18, 2013

Never Late


The first reading today in the gospel from Hebrews 4:1-2 says, “Be careful: the promise of reaching the place of rest that God had for the Israelites still holds good, and none of you must think that he has come too late for it. We received the Good News exactly as they did; but hearing the message did them no good because they did not share the faith of those who listened.”

God is a promise keeper. When He says something consider it done. We have read the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and many more whose promises God keeps. He is the same God today and will be tomorrow and forever. His promise of a place of rest holds true, the only thing we need to do is to believe and have faith. It is not enough to just listen; we need to believe on what we have heard. No one is too late to the promise of God.  

by aats

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

It Feels Good


Coming from an appointment I got a call while waiting for the bus, so when the bus arrived, I was talking on the phone as I entered. When I finally sat down and finished the call, I noticed that I still have the token with me. So I went back to the drivers’ side, said sorry I forgot to pay and dropped the token. Very small thing and yet I really feel good about it. It does pay to be honest. Big or small, it feels good to do good.

by aats

Monday, January 14, 2013

The Act of Loving


There is so much brokenness in the world and for young people most of the time brokenness is caused by relationships gone wrong. How will we respond to a relationship gone wrong? By responding it with more love and sometimes more love means letting go. Whether that relationship started and ended right or wrong is another matter, the important truth is we did love.

You know why you are hurt? Because you loved! If you haven’t loved you would not have been hurt at all. The act of loving is in itself a blessing. Whether that love is reciprocated or not is another thing.  The result of loving someone can be different, but just the same you loved! And like Jesus, that is what is important.

Lord, your love for us caused suffering on You, allow us to persevere when we suffer the same in loving others. Amen.

by aats

Intention


Intention is important in mission. When we do mission, what is our intention? John 3:30, does Christ increase and we decrease? Do we end up proclaiming ourselves? What are we really up to?

Lord, purify our intention so we can serve you with a pure heart. Amen.

by aats

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Excitement Is Not Enough


On mission, excitement is not enough, we have to work for it and be worthy of the call.  Excitement will not sustain us, our firm faith in Him will. When the going gets tough and mission seems not exciting anymore, we can finish strong because our faith in Him is beyond excitement.

by aats

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Beyond the Mind


Follow your heart because if your heart is anchored on Christ you will be sure you are making the right decision. Not everything needs to be understood, for there are things that are meant to remain a mystery. Being a mystery does not mean dangerous, it can be a veil to a greater blessing that we cannot grasps yet. For the human mind is limited in understanding the fullness of God. This does not mean however that we will not think and use our mind anymore, not at all. Instead when our mind reaches its limits and reason no longer illuminates, we listen to the voice within, beyond our mind.

by aats

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Obsessed


Don’t be obsessed with position, you will just get tired and quit or become conceited and think you can do everything. Be obsessed with God instead, you will have strength and will finish strong, becomes more humble, gaining more knowledge and wisdom.

Grant us O Lord the grace not to be too obsessed with position so that we can live freely, grow joyfully and mature gracefully. Amen. 

by aats

Friday, January 4, 2013

Boundaries


Some people are just too cautious in life refusing to take some necessary risks. They tend to be overly protective and refused to go out of their cocoon. Well they are alive… but not living. By putting boundaries into our lives, we are limiting ourselves from experiencing the fullness of life.

The Good Lord created the world for us to be a place where we can fulfill our dreams and desires and be joyful. Amidst all the bad things happening, goodness still supersedes them. God who created the world meant it to be at the service of the entire human race. He loves us and His creation is a manifestation of His love. In the end, the creation that gives us a glimpse of the creator makes us sing the line from the song “Only You” that says, “You give me life not just existence.”

Take some risks, open up and live!  Life is too short to put boundaries. 

by aats

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Best Gift


Christmas season is almost over and we look back with gratefulness for all the gifts we received and thankful at the same time for being able to give some. A gift has its full meaning because of the one who gave it. In the end, we are the best gift that we can give. Like Jesus who gave himself freely as a gift, we too can be a gift to others.

by aats

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Good Start, Finish Strong


With New Year come New Years resolutions. For some few and for others so many, in fact we listed it so we won’t forget. For many years that we’d been doing it, how much percentage did we really see it through to fulfillment? So while we take on the momentum of getting a good start, let us not forget the challenge of fulfilling it every single day thereafter. It helps to have a good start however it is more important to finish strong.

Lord, thank you for the many chances of starting all over again. Grant us the grace to see it through the end this time. Amen.

by aats