A HAPPY GIVER

HAPPy GIVER

 

“Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.” – Matthew 4:19

 

Lighthearted and free. Even as I was laden with all sorts of packages that December morning, my heart felt like it could fly. I had just been to Divisoria to buy Christmas gifts that morning and, although I was a few pesos poorer, I felt that I had become richer beyond any measure.

You see, that Christmas of 2007, I had a bit of extra money. So I didn’t have to worry as much about my Christmas gift budget. I bought gifts for friends and loved ones without constantly worrying about the tag price, as I would have usually done. I felt so happy afterwards that it led me to think that that must be how God feels — He has so much and He happily gives everything away. No wonder they say “It is better to give than to receive.”

As we enter into the merry month of giving, let us follow the example of our Heavenly Father who gave us everything we need, even His only Son, and continues to give us everything else. Joy Sosoban

 

REFLECTION:

Have I looked at giving the way Scrooge did — unwillingly and unhappily?

 

Change my heart, O Lord. Make me a happy and generous giver — just like You.

 

 

the cAll tO fOllOW Jesus

 

Even though none of us may have received the sort of call to follow Jesus as the early apostles received, it is important that we reflect upon these calls. Why? Simply because in them, we discover the basic essence of our own call: to follow Jesus in the same way that all who have gone before us have done. Andrew and his brother Peter leave their livelihood as fishermen in order to follow Jesus and give their lives in the service of the Kingdom of God. Did they know what they were getting themselves into when they followed Jesus that day? I doubt it, but who can know what the consequences of a decision will be at the time when the decision is being made?

The critical thing is that they responded to a call! You might argue that you have never heard a call like that from God. I doubt all calls take the same form as the ones Peter and Andrew experienced. Another point to consider is how open we are to hearing such a call, and if we were to hear one, would we be willing to give up our own dreams in order to follow God’s will? Sometimes I think we do not hear a call from God precisely because we don’t want to listen as we will have a problem if He asks us to do something that is not part of our plans. The reasoning seems to be that if we remain ignorant of His call, we can always argue that we did not know that was what God wanted us to do! The simple response I have to such a position is to say, “Ignorance, especially deliberate ignorance, is not a valid excuse for anything.”

God has not stopped calling men to be priests; it is just that fewer are choosing to respond to such a call because it does not fit in with the secular, consumer-driven and materialistic dreams the world encourages us to have. There will be more priests when there are more families and Catholic schools who reflect more faithfully the true values of the Gospel over and against those of modern society. There is a clash of cultures here, and it is up to us to choose which we want. Do not forget, your choice is for eternity, not just a little while. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

What are my dreams for my life? Are they driven by the values of the Gospel or those of the modern world? Am I willing to change my direction in life if necessary?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to build my life upon values that will last into eternity. The world may offer short term pleasure, but Gospel values will endure for eternity.

 

St. Andrew, Apostle, pray for us.

 

Robert and Candice Wedding

I have just finished editing the videos and photos of Robert and Candice Wedding, though the post-production took longer than expected the output was very good. and the bride's reaction was great... here are some of the photos I have edited for Robert and Candice for their coffee table album...

God bless you all...

CAUGHY BY SURPRISE

CAuGHT By SuRPRISE

 

“Be vigilant at all times.” – Luke 21:36

 

A dead body lying in a grassy area near Mall of Asia was found by a street sweeper. He was wearing short pants with no shirt on; he was hogtied. A gunshot wound was found on his head. His body was already decaying, an indication that he had been dead for several days.

He was at the prime of his life. He was 37, an executive of a company, and had a promising career. But in a snap, his life ended in a violent death. Reports said that this man had been receiving several death threats. The question is, “Was he prepared when death knocked on his door?”

Nobody knows what lies ahead. We may be in the pink of health today but tomorrow a grave illness strikes us. One may have job security now but the next day, the company closes down.

We prepare a lot for our future but how about for our souls? How spiritually fit are we? We do not know the day and the hour Jesus would come. Let us treat each day as our last and perform our God-given tasks faithfully so when Christ comes, we will not be caught by surprise. Judith Concepcion

 

REFLECTION:

Make a soulcheck. If the Lord comes today, are you prepared?

 

Teach me Your ways, Lord, that I may live a life pleasing to You. I just want to be with You.

 

neveR think We hAve finished the RAce

 

One of the fundamental principles we must learn that governs the Christian life is that we should never consider that we have accomplished all that has been asked of us until the moment of our death. While we are still alive, we still have a mission to accomplish. This means that there is no such thing as a retired Christian. Yes, we may slow down as we get older; we may be less productive for one reason or another, but we still have a part to playin God’s plan — personal holiness and intercession for the spread of the Gospel, if nothing else.

St. Paul is a tireless worker for the Kingdom. I do not believe the thought of retirement ever crossed his mind. The principle he worked on in his life would have been something like, “While I have breath, I have life and I will do all that I can to further the spread of the Good News of our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ!” Paul experienced the saving grace and power of the Gospel and was not going to be happy unless he used every means and opportunity he had to share that experience with others. Let us pray that we will have a similar zeal for God’s Kingdom!

Even as regards the call to holiness, we can never let up our guard against sin or we will very quickly find ourselves reverting to the bad habits of the past. As they say in Alcoholics Anonymous, “once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic,’ so with sinners, “once a sinner, always a sinner,” albeit a redeemed one if we live under the grace of God. We must always seek to grow in holiness as an antidote to falling back into sin. The further we progress along the path of holiness, the harder it will be for us to fall back into serious sin. It may still be possible, but at least we will have done our best to avoid that horrible possibility.

As we begin a new year in the Church’s calendar, let us begin with the decision to make personal holiness one of our goals. Let us seek to unite ourselves more closely with Christ, The Holy One. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

How far have I progressed in holiness over the past year? Am I still struggling with the same old sin? When am I going to change?

 

Holy Spirit, I need Your help to transform my life from sin to holiness. I know You have the power to help me; help me to have the humility to ask and rely upon Your help.

 

St. Saturninus, Martyr, pray for us.

 

THE WAY OF PEACE

THE WAy of PEACE

“Then the kingship and dominion and majesty of all the Kingdoms under the heavens shall be given to the holy people of the Most High.” . – Daniel 7:27

The movie “The Mission” will forever be the reason why I consciously choose the way of non-violence. The highly poetic rendition of how Fr. Rodrigo Mendoza (played by Jeremy Irons) and Guarani Indians peacefully tried to defend their land at the cost of their lives moved me so much that I resolved at age 15 to follow their example.

But sometimes, when I look around me, it’s not so easy to believe peace will win out in the end. Besides my makibaka tendency and passionate nature that war with my conviction, I see how the way of peace is often trampled upon. I sometimes feel that those who choose peace are just cowards rather than people of strong conviction.

But when I take time to keep quiet and listen to God, I have to admit that peace is always the right way. It’s not necessarily the easy way, both as a means and as an end, but it is the right way.

One day, peace will win out. It might not be tomorrow or even the next year, but it will. And however little my efforts toward its advancement will be, it will be worth my rewards in eternity. Joy Sosoban

REFLECTION:

What are you doing to preserve the peace in your family, your classroom or workplace, and in your social circles?

O Lord, You are the Prince of Peace. Let me follow You.

pROtecting OuR heARts fROm sin

Jesus exhorts us to protect our hearts from anything that will corrupt them. Unfortunately, in today’s world, this happens to be many things. There is a multitude of temptation in the world of which we have to be wary. I suppose there always has been many temptations for those who seek a life of holiness. Nevertheless, it is important we recognize this so that we can be on the alert for temptation when it arises. Half the battle with temptation is won when we are able to see it for what it is and thus recognize that we ought to reject it.

The trouble is, we often fail to reject temptation even though we are aware that it is sin. I wonder why this is the case? Maybe it results from the fact that sin can often be very attractive and seductive. Even so, this is not an excuse. Just because rejecting sin is difficult does not give us an excuse when we fail to do it.

There are many places and situations that we should simply avoid in order to lessen the temptations in our lives. For example, we should avoid erotic films and literature if we know that they will lead us to sin. We should not frequent places of sin, except for a very good reason, and do not forget to take someone with you to help you avoid the temptations there. Many of the temptations we face would not have life if we kept to a few very simple rules that would keep us out of harm’s way, so to speak. We never find Jesus courting temptation in His life; the wise person flees when temptation approaches as this is definitely one of the situations where it is better to flee in order to be able to survive and fight another day.

Satan, sin and the flesh are devious enemies that we have to respect in terms of their danger to us. Yet, we have the victory through the cross of Christ. This does not mean we should become arrogant, but that we should quietly and firmly choose to reject all temptation and replace it with virtuous actions and thoughts. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:

Am I foolish in the way I often court sin and temptation in my life or do I take a conservative attitude to the options before me in life?

Holy Spirit, help me to stand firm against temptation and to always reject it. Help me also to choose a life of virtue and grace in its place.

St. Stephen the Younger, Martyr, pray for us.

WRITING MY OWN BOOK

WRITING my oWN BooK

“… The court was convened, and the books were opened.” – Daniel 7:10

When I was in college, I wrote three dreams that I wanted to fulfill in my life. One of which was to write my own book. It was a dream that I kept hidden until opportunities came for me to use whatever writing talent I have.

As a writer and editor now, I could see how tedious and how long it is to write and publish book. You work with a lot of people. Tension runs high when deadline approaches. The commas and the dots matter when ordinarily you don’t mind where they are placed. You use lower case when it should be capitalized.

The same is true with our life. Every day, we write the book of our life. Sometimes we don’t mind the small things, like our relationship with the people around us, and just focus our efforts on achieving our goals. But at the end of our life, God will not ask about our business empires nor about houses we have built. He will simply ask how much we have loved.

And then the court will open.

And we will be judged. Tess Atienza

REFLECTION:

Have you filled your life with moments that really matter?

Lord, train my heart to be sensitive to opportunities to show my love to others.

the signs Of summeR ARe heRe

I wonder if you have ever seen a deciduous tree in bud before the leaves and flowers have come out? It is fascinating to watch the gradual transformation, for example, of a peach tree. First, the winter cold begins to lift, and then the buds of the flowers begin to swell, until one by one, they burst out in a blaze of pinkish blooms. Then the leaves do the same thing and the tree has left behind its winter barrenness, and welcomed the new life of spring. The flowers then are fertilized and the fruits develop over summer. This is a very clear and simple process to follow.

Jesus is saying that when the end times come it will be clear — there will be no doubt in your mind that this is the beginning of the end and you will be able to prepare for it. Paul similarly understands the Second Coming as an event that will be devoid of alternative interpretations — every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father! (See Philippians 2:6-11).

I have absolutely no time for the alarmists who are predicting an imminent return of Jesus. I cannot see anything that fits the description of an indisputable sign that this is the case! Yes, we are living in the last times — have been for the last 2000 years, since the death and resurrection of Jesus when they began! There is precisely nothing to be gained by worrying about the date of the coming of Jesus again, as when the time comes, we will know it is the time. What we ought to do is prepare ourselves for that time because even if He should not come before we die, at least we will be ready to face judgment! After all, the end of the world means that Judgment Day is upon us. Let us stop fretting about these events and spend our energies in the more profitable task of living obedient to God’s will — the best preparation for the Day of Judgment. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:

Am I prepared to give an account of my life? If not, what am I going to do to rectify this situation?

Lord Jesus, You have come and brought salvation to the world. You will come and bring judgment the next time. Help me to live a life that will avoid harsh judgment.

St. Virgil, Bishop, pray for us.

I AM HIS

I Am HIS

“May your God, whom you serve so constantly, save you.” – Daniel 6:17

“It’s my boat!” Meg Ryan says in the movie “Joe vs. the Volcano” when they hit a typhoon at sea. Tom Hanks is trying to make sure Meg Ryan is safe but she heads out into the storm to address an emergency on deck despite the strong winds and the rain. Her boat is in distress and no one else has as much heart

and desire to save it besides her — because the boat is hers. She owned it.

I’ve experienced countless storms in my life. And each and every time God has come to my rescue. No fail. I may get a bit anxious at times but He always proves Himself faithful. I can imagine Him watching from a very, very close distance, feeling on His face the same wind and rain I’m feeling. And just as my boat is about to sink, He reaches down with His mighty arm, grabs hold of me and says with full conviction, “You’re mine. I will not let you perish.”

Thank God. I am His. George Gabriel

REFLECTION:

Has there ever been a time when God did not save you? He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.

Help me to trust that You will always come to my rescue.

the pROtectiOn Of the lORd is the best

In the First Reading, we see the result of Daniel’s faith when compared with the lack of faith, even bad faith of his accusers. For Daniel, the lions’ mouths are sealed and he is safe in their presence; for his accusers and even their families, the lions are a deadly encounter.

The story of Daniel is similar to that of Joseph where he was able to read a message for a pagan king and was thus entrusted with a role of governance in the land. Daniel was not afraid to speak the truth to the king even though his interpretation of the words written on the wall would not really be one that the king would welcome.I believe it is Daniel’s commitment to the truth that God honors. It is a lesson to us to seek the truth at all times and never to settle for anything less than the best — truth above all other temptations.

Many of the problems of the world today could be avoided if people in general were willing to submit their lives to the truth and live within their means and according to the commandments of God. The financial difficulties many face are a result of their failing to accept the truth that they have limited finances and means. They may not like this but not liking it does not mean it is not true nor does it mean that it is going to go away. Many other problems in today’s world are a direct result of sin. That is, if we would live according to the commandments of God, and abide by the truth of human nature, many other difficulties in our lives would simply disappear. For example, faithfulness in marriage and taking responsibility for the choices we make in relationships would help turn around the horrific statistics of broken families and the subsequent child abuse.

God has given us a natural law within our beings that guides us to right-acting. Let us listen to what we know to be right because the voice of our conscience awakens us to this truth. This is the voice of God guiding us in His ways and protecting us from evil. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:

Do I listen to the voice of my conscience when making decisions? Have I taken the responsibility to form my conscience seriously?

Holy Spirit, open my heart to the truth of who I am as a person created in Your image and likeness. Let me know this truth and thus avoid the lies of the world.

St. Silvester, Abbot, pray for us.

HEALING PRESENCE

HEAlING PRESENCE

“This will be a time for you to bear testimony.” – Luke 21:13

Sometime ago, we heard that our good friend Rosanne was sick. So my wife, Reng, and I went to visit her. Rosanne and her husband, Omy, who are both Christian leaders and writers, are one of the most wonderful couple friends we have. They’re one of the funniest, too.

Rosanne is afflicted with MS or multiple sclerosis. Not a single moment passes that she doesn’t experience pain. But when you talk to her, you won’t even get a hint that she is in constant struggle.

This she proved again when we visited her that day. Instead of ministering to her, we felt that we were the ones who had been ministered to. And why not? We felt God’s grace flow within us just by being with her and listening to her soft voice. Her countenance assured us that God is in control.

We left feeling… healed. Hermie Morelos

REFLECTION:

When people encounter you, do they see the Lord at work in your life?

Lord, let my life proclaim Your wondrous deeds today. Amen.

speAking specificAlly And geneRAlly

When we hear Jesus addressing His disciples, we obviously have to see it as an instruction to them for their benefit. This is the specific meaning attached to Jesus’ words. However, I think we can also draw lessons for our own lives — not just a literal interpretation but one that takes into account that we, too, are disciples of Jesus although a couple of millennia removed from the original ones.

Take today’s Gospel where Jesus tells His disciples that they are going to face persecution. We know that this prediction was true based on the history of the Early Church. It is also true of us as we face persecution as well. Indeed, all disciples of Jesus have faced one sort of persecution or another throughout the centuries of the existence of the Church. Jesus knew this to be true when He spoke the words to His first disciples.

What then you may ask is the persecution we face? That will depend on many things such as where you live and your life situation. There are Christians today who are persecuted with threats to their lives by hostile religions, particularly Islam. If you live and work in Saudi Arabia, you are not permitted to publicly practice or proclaim your faith. Another type of persecution is that which is prevalent in the western world today where the Christian faith is literally being written out of the history of civilization. These modern democracies no longer see it as useful or profitable to acknowledge the Christian basis of their existence, and so they simply try to forget and deny it. This is a form of intellectual persecution. I cannot detail all the forms of persecution here; suffice it to say that there are many ways to attack a faith and we must be ready to defend ourselves against them all.

Jesus struggled against various forms of persecution: from the attempt by Herod to kill Him as a child to the various attempts of the authorities to silence and kill Him during His years of ministry. He was eventually crucified and perhaps in this fact we see that each of us will experience persecution leading to some sort of suffering. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:

Am I ready for what the world will throw at me in order to try and dislodge my faith from my life?

Jesus, help me to stand firm in the face of all persecutions; firm so that the world will know that Christians will not be intimidated by it.

St. Mercurius, Martyr, pray for us.

SIGNS

SIGNS

“And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” – Luke 21:7

“168: d year’s lucky #. Pas ds 2 15 pipol xcept me w/in 1 hr, n after doing it, observ 6 lucky thngs wil hpen 2 u in 8 dys. Dnt brk d chain. Ds s a feng shui belief.”

I received this text message a few days after New Year. I broke the chain and nothing untoward happened to me.

A week later, when I came across an ad in the newspaper about an expensive seminar on feng shui at a five-star hotel, I was troubled. I wondered if more people had faith in this Chinese practice than in God. I felt that because people desire to be “in control,” they are vulnerable to all kinds of signs offered by the present generation.

Jesus’ answer to the people who asked for signs was, ”See that you are not deceived.” He knows our tendency and wants to spare us from the pain of deceit, from the pain of falling into the wrong hands. Tuning in to the Lord and getting cues from Him ought to be the only signs to trust.Cristy Galang

REFLECTION:

Do I follow any other beliefs that do not spring from my faith in the Lord?

Lord Jesus, please help me to trust only in You. Do not allow me to be enticed by lucky charms, feng shui or any other superstitions that are not of You. Amen.

theRe ARe mAny deceiveRs in the WORld

We can be sure that there are plenty of powers in the world that are not the least bit interested in the truth. All they are interested in is in promoting their own goals whatever they may be. Sects will promote their own false beliefs; companies are interested in the bottom line, their profits; advertising companies are interested in selling a particular product however they can within the law and so on. None of the above will be interested in the truth of a matter unless it is in their own interests to promote it. This may sound a little negative and defeatist but it is basically a true reflection of what exists in a secular democracy.

Insofar as we live in a secular democracy it is up to us to ensure that we live our lives according to the truth revealed to us by God, knowing that this will bring us into conflict with the powers around us in the world frequently. I would rather that I not have to report this to you but it is the truth, and as such, we have to work with the reality that is our society and seek to evangelize it. I do not think we will ever be able to return to the experience of the Christendom of yesteryear, and maybe that would not be a good thing anyway. It seems that the practice of the Christian faith is stronger when there is a little bit of persecution around.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel that we should seek to avoid those who will present lies and reject their doctrines and ideas. To be able to do this, we have to make an effort to properly understand our own faith. Without this, we will not be able to refute the lies and mistakes when they are presented to us by people of different beliefs. It is our duty and responsibility to do what we can to inform ourselves of the doctrines of our faith so that in understanding them well, we will be better able to live them. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:

Am I ready to refute the lies that I will encounter in the world? Have I taken the opportunities given me to learn more about my faith or have I been too lazy?

Jesus, You are the light of the world; Your word is truth and it is life. Help me to understand Your word better and so live it to the full as a witness of Your love to the world.

St. Chrysogonus, Martyr, pray for us.

GOD EQUIPS

GoD EQuIPS

To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency in all literature and science… – Daniel 1:17

I was recently tasked to handle our marketing department aside from production, which I already head. It’s most likely a temporary assignment because, I must confess, I don’t know the first thing about marketing. I’ve never done it in my career and never even took a subject on it in college.

But I accepted the position, trusting that my boss, who has extensive managerial experience, sees something in me to get the job done. I also accepted the task in faith, believing that the Lord equips those whom He calls. It’s not the first time that the Lord has called me to do something I know nothing about.

When I offered my life to Him as His servant, I gave Him the liberty to put me where He needs me — whether it’s something I know how to do or not. Consequently, I’ve served in so many varied ways that have expanded my experience and skills.

Even before I could get deep into the marketing book I was reading, the Lord sent the perfect person for the job. I told you, He equips those whom He calls. But oftentimes, He calls those whom He already equipped. Rissa Singson-Kawpeng

REFLECTION:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Lord, grant me the knowledge and proficiency I need to serve You where You have called me. Amen.

WhAt is the Right AmOunt tO give?

This is a question I am often asked. The answer is both simple and complicated. It is not possible to ask someone to give more than they have. At the same time, the amount a person should give depends upon what they have — the more they have, the more they should give! There is no ‘set amount’ or ‘set proportion’ that a person must give. In First Corinthians, St. Paul tells us that the measure of our giving is the level of generosity with which we give, not the amount given. I know people who tithe (give 10 percent of their gross earnings) and this is commendable: I know people who give 50 percent and I know people who keep everything for themselves because they think they deserve it.

In the Gospel, we are presented with the example of a poor widow who gives, quantitatively, very little, yet it is all she has to live on. She has given more than could be reasonably asked of her and yet she chooses to give that much. We presume she gives with joy in her heart and thus is acting under the grace of God.

The challenge that is before each of us is to look at whether or not we give generously. I believe that if we organize our finances suitably then we ought to be able to give 10 percent so long as we are not just on the minimum wage — maybe then we will be struggling to give that much. In any case, whatever we give ought to stretch us a bit financially. There are many people in the world who have nothing, so we are much better off than them and the Gospel demands that we do something to stand in solidarity with them — if you have two give to he who has none. The Gospel challenges us to give to those who do not have as much as we do.

This issue is a complicated one because people get very defensive about their financial practices. Perhaps one thing to think about is that if we are spending money on gambling or vices and not giving to the Church or the poor then we can transfer that money to charitable works rather than wasting it. It is a question of priority, and the Lord deserves the highest priority from us. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:

Am I a generous giver or do I have a long way to grow in this area? Let us be honest with ourselves and look at our level of giving and improve if we can.

Holy Spirit, give me joy in my heart in being able to give generously. Thank You for Your blessings. I pray that I will never fail to be generous with others in return for Your unending generosity with me.

St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr, pray for us.

LISTEN WELL

Solemnity of Christ the King

lISTEN WEll

“… Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” – John 18:37

I’m not the greatest listener on the planet. In fact, I blush with embarrassment whenever a friend would thank me for listening patiently as she pours out her heart and soul. Don’t get me wrong — I do listen for the most part. Sometimes, I “tune out” especially when my mind is preoccupied with my own personal concerns or when I’ve heard the same problem replayed for the nth time or when there’s a lot of tasks vying for my attention. But I believe that with constant practice and God’s grace, I’ll become a better listener. That means listening actively with the goal of understanding, learning from, helping and supporting the one I am listening to.

I’m thankful that by God’s grace I’m still able to understand others in spite of my “halflistening” ears. Most of all, I’m thankful that He gives me the grace to listen to His voice speaking to me. It’s hard to explain but once you have a personal relationship with the Lord, you know it’s His voice when you hear it. It leads you to the truth.

I realized, though, that when I listen well to the Lord, I am the one being understood, taught, helped and supported by Him — not the other way around. He’s truly amazing, right?Dina Pecaña

REFLECTION:

“Nature has given us one tongue but two ears. That way we may hear twice as much as we speak.” (Epictetus)

Give me the grace, Father, to listen to Your voice more than my own. For Your words will always lead me to the truth.

living undeR the king Of All

Independence is one of the big catch-cries of today’s age. If that means we should stand alone as self-sufficient individuals in the world and basically look after our own concerns and needs, then this is a fundamentally flawed vision for humanity. God is King of the Universe and today we celebrate that kingship by recognizing that apart from His rule, apart from relationship with Him, we will not be able to develop to the fullest.

People today do not like to think that we have to rely upon others for our own fulfillment, but it is the truth, something that every married couple ought to realize. Any striving for independence apart from God will not result in lasting success — it is only in relationship with God that we can both discover who we really are as individuals created by God in the first place, and reach the potential that lies latent in our being through our efforts guided by the grace of God.

Jesus stands before us as the perfect example of a man who is fulfilled precisely because of His relationship with others, namely the Father and the Spirit, in the Trinity. We are all offered the opportunity of relationship with the Trinity as the means by which we will come to the fullness of our potential as well. This means recognizing and living the truth that I do not stand apart from others but with them on a journey towards eternal life. This is a counter-cultural stand to take in western society today where the search for individualism has been made into the new quest for the Holy Grail. We must avoid the temptation to give ourselves over to such a quest as it will only end in disappointment; it is destined to fail from the start.

I know my words will not be heeded by probably the majority of the world, but then, truth has never been a matter of statistics. We know that Jesus is Lord of All and that truth is enough for me to know that I do not want to stand apart from Him. I want to live under His reign every moment of my life. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:

Are there areas of my life that I still have to submit to the lordship of Jesus? Why am I hesitating to place them under His rule?

Holy Spirit, help me to surrender every aspect of my life to Jesus and to allow Him to lead me in all that I do.

St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us.

I DO

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

I Do

“The children of this age marry and remarry…” – Luke 20:34

Today, my husband and I celebrate our 11^th wedding anniversary. To this day, the blessing of being married to this man continues to overwhelm me. I have a husband who is no less than the embodiment of God’s love in my life. Storms have come in our marriage but his love has kept the warmth of God’s fire burning in me.

He has been patient with me. We waited almost nine years for a child. And he has taught me some of the most valuable lessons in life as we waited. He laughs with me. Every day is a joy because I know he is beside me. He supports me, encourages me and never lets me down. He loves me unconditionally.

As his wife, I’ve never felt more valued. My husband, in our 11 years of marriage, has shown me the face of God. And there is no greater blessing I can think of than knowing I will see this face every day for more years to come.

Years ago, he asked me, “Will you walk with me to forever?”

I answered, “Yes, I will.”

And if he were to ask me, “Do you still want to continue doing so?” I will answer him again and again, “I do! I do!”Lallaine Gogna

REFLECTION:

How strong is your marriage?

Lord, bless my marriage and the marriages around me. May Your love abound in us. Amen.

DOING THE WILL OF GOD

It sounds very mysterious when we put it like that: doing the will of the Father. Yet, this is about as plain as it gets when it comes to asking questions concerning the kind of lives we should be living. Yes, there will always be an element of uncertainty about what the will of God might be for us in a particular situation, but this does not give us the right to therefore absolve ourselves from any and all responsibility of trying to discover what that actually is! Jesus reminds us that His mother and brothers and sisters are those who do the will of His Father in heaven.

It is not enough just to avoid trouble. A literal interpretation of the commandments sees them basically as a collection of “thou shalt nots.” To perceive God’s will for us as merely His desire for us to avoid sin is only half the story. It is what we do in a positive sense that will constitute the witness of our lives to God and to the world. Avoiding sin is a good start for a holy life; but holiness is far more than this. It is actually living for the Kingdom of God and bringing this Kingdom into existence starting now. It is this sort of witness that will draw others to Christ and set the world on fire with God’s love.

Holiness is a call that God places on all of our lives. It is a “catchall” type of calling that then has to be discerned into its integral parts and then acted upon. This is what discipleship is all about. We need a mentor who can help us discern God’s specific call upon our lives and who can then help us to develop the various gifts and talents we have in line with this specific calling. It is here that we have to be willing to stand before the Lord and ask Him what it is that He really wants us to do with our lives. Only then will we know what path we need to walk. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:

Have I discerned God’s specific call upon my life? Do I know what it is that He wants me to do with my life — how I am to serve in His Kingdom?

Father, You have a plan for my life. Grant me the grace to surrender my life to Your will and embrace it without exception.

St. Gelasius I, Pope, pray for us.