THE PERFECT MOLD

The Perfect Mold

 

“If the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil… None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin.” – Ezekiel 18:24

 

There are some Christians who do good to atone for something bad they have done. Some rich people donate “generously” to somewhat assuage their guilt for whatever iniquities they have committed. Businessmen cheat on their taxes so that they can “help” more people through employment. These Christians believe that entering heaven is like passing the test at the weighing scale of justice. By doing more good deeds than bad, they think they will earn the right to enter. Doing good things is always virtuous; but doing it for the sake of covering up for something sinful is not in God’s book of standards.

When we manufacture our paper bags, the machine would sometimes produce some that are substandard. What we do is re-make these bags by hand. Otherwise, they will be rejected and thrown to the recycling pit. If we let God’s hands mold us according to His standards, not ours, then our entry to heaven is assured. Rolly España (rolly@homeliving.com.ph)

 

REFLECTION:

Who is leading you? Is it the Good Shepherd or yourself?

 

Father, You are the potter and I am the clay. Mold me and fashion me according to Your will.

Dangerous Traps

 

Jewish teachers usually quote other rabbis, famous and authoritative teachers of the past. Or they quote their Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament. And that is what Jesus is doing during His famous Sermon on the Mount. Today Jesus quotes a passage from the Law of Moses. But then He adds to the quotation from Moses’ law, “But I say this to you…”

Moses had received the law on a mountain. Now Jesus, as a second Moses but greater than Moses, gives a new law on another mountain. With great authority He goes beyond the old law, beyond a legalistic approach of the law. Pope Benedict writes in his book Jesus of Nazareth (p. 102), “The intention is not to abolish, but to fulfill, and this fulfilment demands a surplus, not a deficit, of righteousness…” What is this surplus Jesus has added to the old law?

He makes us aware that it might be relatively easy not to violate a law and so we might think that everything is fine with us. For sure, among the readers of this reflection nobody has killed in his/her life and will never do it, except maybe killing mosquitoes and cockroaches. But what about anger toward others? What about hurting words hurled at somebody? What about a silent treatment that causes a person to suffer? These thoughts and wishes might remain totally unknown to anybody around us. But they are there. And Jesus makes us aware of this fact. He also makes us aware that negative thoughts can easily become words and result in actions. They are like traps that can leave us unaware of their dangerous existence. When we slap sometimes our forehead and say, “How could I say this?” or “How could I do this?” we find the answer in today’s Gospel passage: We have nourished evil thoughts without realizing that the trap will snap and we explode with hurting words or even actions. Jesus does not intend to add more burdens to our already burdensome life. In His love He just makes us aware of this dangerous trap of hidden evil thoughts — before they materialize in words or actions. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

Reflection Question:

Do I think that I am a good person because I do not violate the major commandments?

 

Do I have my inner thoughts and emotions under control? Lord, cleanse me from my hidden, negative and even evil thoughts that I may never say or do something that hurts You and others.

 

St. Victor, pray for us.

THE GOLDEN RULE

THE GOLDEN RULE

 

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” – Matthew 7:12

 

“Don’t rely on people too much. When you have nothing to give, they will desert you,” my dad told me. During his better days, my dad was generous to his friends and workmates. But when the restaurant where he worked closed down, leaving him jobless and with a house amortization, his so-called friends avoided and abandoned him.

I also had my better days and I became a blessing to many people. But when I retired early to pursue my dreams, my finances started to dwindle because I had to build my new career from scratch. For some time, I kept my real financial situation from people and even my friends for fear that they might abandon me too. But I was wrong.

My friends did not desert me. They extended help, even without me asking for it. They treated me out for lunch, gave me cell phone load, or shared in my gasoline expense and parking fee. For them, these were probably ordinary acts of kindness. The cost may be immaterial but, for me, it was priceless because they gave their heart with it. Thanks to my friends, I have witnessed the golden rule in action. Judith Concepcion (svp_jmc@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTION:

How are you living the golden rule? Do you help because you expect something in return?

 

Lord God, engrave in my heart the desire to be always of service to my neighbor. Bless me more so I can bless others more.

“I have No One but You ”

Queen Esther had been informed that on the 13th day of the month, all her fellow Jews in the empire would be massacred. She was asked to appear before her husband, the king, and intercede for her people. But to appear before the king without being summoned could become the cause of her execution, so strict was it in old Persia. This is the context of today’s first reading. It is one of the most beautiful prayers we find in the Bible. It is a prayer that can become a model for our prayers.

Why is it such a beautiful prayer?

Esther, even though she is a queen, is humble. She knows that without God she cannot do anything. “I am alone and have no one but you,” she said at the end.

Her prayer is honest. She does not pretend to be humble, no, she is humble. And what does God love more than humility and a humble prayer? Remember Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector going to the Temple to pray? The Pharisee brags and tells God how good he is. The tax collector, on the other hand, does not dare to look up but just says, “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” And Jesus praises him and his humble prayer.

It takes courage to be humble because pride lurks in all our hearts. No, humility is not weakness. Humility is strength. It is the self-emptying of our hearts, the spiritual “undressing” until we stand naked and empty before God and can only say with Queen Esther, “I am alone and have no one but you. I am standing before you with  empty hands. I totally depend on your fatherly love, compassion, mercy and generosity.”

That’s the prayer that touches God’s heart because it reflects the attitude of God’s Son. He humbled Himself, saying, “I am meek and humble of heart”; He did not come to be served but to serve; and, in the words of St. Paul, He emptied Himself to become one of us. It would be good to begin our imitation of Christ by imitating first and foremost His humility. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

 

Reflection Question:

Is my prayer humble? Do I tell God how good I am or do I stand before God empty-handed?

 

Lord, the humble prayer of Esther has touched me profoundly. May I be able to pray in future like her. Because who and what am I without You?

 

Blessed Constantius, pray for us.

CHILD TERROR

CHILD TERROR

 

 

“This generation is an evil generation.” – Luke 11:29

 

A couple of weeks before I received this assignment to write for Didache 2010, I attended a media forum, the Bulong Pulungan held at the Hotel Sofitel, where the guest was Edu Manzano, chair of the Optical Media Board, whose mandate is to confiscate pirated CDs or DVDs. Edu showed samples of DVDs he has confiscated — showing what he called “appalling, stomach wrenching” pornography involving girls in their puberty.

A week after that, I received an invitation to attend a press conference on human trafficking. The guest was Kristie Kenny, United States Ambassador to the Philippines. She called on everyone to make the fight against human trafficking “the fight of our lifetime.”

Then, a couple of weeks later, Rey Ortega, founder of Tahanan ng Pagmamahal, an orphanage supported by the Light of Jesus, gave me an article where he wrote about the wards of Tahanan. One of them was a rape victim.

Yes, children are being attacked by adults who are supposed to nurture and protect them. Indeed, as the Gospel today points out, evil lurks in our midst. Let us pray for the victims, let us pray for strength for those who are working to save the children, and let us do what we can to fight this evil. Cynthia Santiago (boses2go@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTION:

What can you do to assist those who help victims of child terror?

 

Lord, grant that I may give — my time, my talent, my resources — to support the advocacy against human trafficking and child pornography.

 

 

Fishy Jonah

 

The first time God had sent Jonah to Nineveh, he tried to escape from God. Now he is back to square one and he’d better go to Nineveh, known in the ancient world as the most cruel and horrible city. He went and, wonder of wonders, he did not have to preach for three days. One day of a brief announcement of disaster was enough to turn these pagans from their evil ways to God. The author exaggerates, of course, when he writes that even the poor animals had to fast and were deprived even of water — he wants to emphasize the unbelievable seriousness of these people. Please take your Bible and read the fourth chapter where Jonah is very angry with God for not punishing that wicked city. He was a strange prophet. In the New Jerusalem Bible, I found the following comment: “All the characters in the story are likable, the foreign sailor, the king of Assyria, the populace of Nineveh, even the animals of Nineveh, all except the only Israelite on stage — and he is a prophet!”

We have here a humorous but critical short story about Israel — and about us. God had sent prophet after prophet but the Israelites would not repent. Finally, both their kingdoms had been destroyed. And yet, they still didn’t repent. They still wanted the pagans to be destroyed. What about us? Not only prophet after prophet, saint after saint, the Son of God Himself was sent to us to call us to repentance. Now we understand the harsh word of Jesus, “On Judgment day, the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

May these words of Jesus not apply to us! Lent is given to us as a time to turn away from sin, as we were told on Ash Wednesday. One week of Lent has passed already. Ask yourself and answer honestly: Have I turned away from sin already? Have I repented? May we not be put to shame by the people and animals of Nineveh. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

Reflection Question:

Have I turned away from sin already? Have I repented?

 

Lord, yes, I feel ashamed when I read about the seriousness of the people of Nineveh. I feel ashamed because I have let so many days of Lent pass without doing much about my spiritual life. Please forgive me. And as You have given Jonah a second chance, so do with me.

 

St. Adela, pray for us.

TAKE TWO

TAKE TWO

 

“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” – Matthew 6:12

 

Back when I was in college, I was excited to join organizations or clubs. I felt that one organization would not be enough to keep me busy so I decided to join three. I also assumed active roles in two of the three organizations.

These eventually backfired as most of my time was spent on club meetings rather than on my studies. At the end of that semester, I failed a subject for the very first time.

Fortunately, the subject I failed was offered the following term. I was able to pass it and catch up with my original classmates.

Similar to re-taking a subject, confession gives us the opportunity to ask forgiveness and renew our relationship with God. It’s like re-enrolling in a class where the teacher himself gives you all the answers and even pays for your tuition fee. It’s a pity that we sometimes take the sacrament of reconciliation for granted.

When was the last time you went to confession? Let’s take advantage of this great privilege and come clean before our Lord. Alvin Fabella (alvinfabella@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTION:

Confession costs us nothing because Jesus already paid the price.

 

When was the last time you went to confession? Why not insert confession in your to-do list this week?

 

A Dangerous Prayer

A visit with a pilgrim group to Jerusalem always includes a moment of reflection on the Mount of Olives where the “Our Father Church” commemorates that moment when Jesus taught this prayer to His disciples. On the walls inside and outside the Church, you can find the Lord’s Prayer in more than 60 languages, including Tagalog. We usually sit down there and think about this profound prayer. Then I read a text I got years ago, I don’t know anymore from whom. And this text makes us aware how dangerous a prayer the “Our Father” actually is. Here is the text:

         “Do not say FATHER if every day you do not behave like a son or daughter.

Do not say OUR if you live isolated in your egoism.

Do not say WHO ARE IN HEAVEN if you think only of earthly things.

Do not say HOLY BE YOUR NAME if you do not honor Him. 

Do not say YOUR KINGDOM COME if you confuse Him with material success.

Do not say YOUR WILL BE DONE if you do not accept it when it is painful.

Do not say GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD if you are not worried about the people who are hungry, who are without culture and means to live.

Do not say FORGIVE US OUR SINS if you bear your brother a grudge.

Do not say AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION if you intend to keep on sinning.

Do not say DELIVER US FROM EVIL if you do not take position against evil.

Do not say AMEN if you do not take the words of the OUR FATHER seriously.”

A dangerous prayer, don’t you think so? The next time you recite it, take note of what you are actually saying. Otherwise it becomes what Jesus calls in today’s Gospel passage: a “babbling of the pagans. ”Fr . R u d y Horst, SVD

 

Reflection Question:

Has my prayer become a routine? Do I realize what I say when I repeat the prayer Jesus taught us?

 

Lord, my prayer is often a babbling, a saying of words without thinking what I say. Prayer has become a routine. May my prayer become more honest and a loving conversation with You.

 

St. Peter Damian, pray for us.

THE WEED

The Weed

 

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” – Matthew 16:15

 

“They’re just wild flowers, Jane. We actually call them weeds.” My friends were laughing at me as I tried to take a picture of dandelions while we were hiking up a mountain. I didn’t know then that dandelions are considered weeds but I find them real pretty so I focused my lens on a flower and took a picture of it. “Hmm, that turns out real nice,” commented my friend after seeing the picture I took. I replied “I guess it’s all a matter of perspective.”

God, just like the weeds, can be found anywhere and everywhere and our knowledge of Him determines the kind of relationship we have with Him. Sometimes it can go to the extremes. Either we know so little about Him that we do not even know how to relate with Him, or we think we know much that we take Him for granted and focus on something else. It’s all a matter of where we put God in our lives and what takes most of our attention. It’s all a matter of what we prioritize and what we set aside. Jane Gonzales (mjsg2468@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTION:

To walk closer to Him each day is the reason why God made us. It is the best way to know Him.

 

Oh God, ignite a flame of passion in my heart that burns with desire to know You more and to understand Your ways more fully. Amen.

 

A Holy Chair?

 

Somebody asked me once on February 22, “Father, since when did we venerate chairs as saints? Isn’t that idolatry?”

Don’t laugh! It’s a very good question. Does a chair become holy because St. Peter used to sit on it? Did he in his time actually have a special chair? Probably not. So, what is today’s feast all about?

The ancient Romans celebrated on February 22 the festival of “Parentalia.” It was a day when the ancestors were remembered — as we do today on November 2, All Souls Day. During the celebration, usually a meal, a chair was decorated to represent and honor the dead. In other words, not the chair was honored or venerated but the deceased person(s) the chair represents. For the Christian community in Rome, Peter was without doubt the most important ancestor and so this feast became part of the liturgical calendar.

As you know very well, Peter was not a hero from the beginning even though he was able to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, which Jesus saw as a special inspiration from God. But he denied Jesus. Peter also was not near the Cross. And when we read the Acts of the Apostles carefully together with the letters of St. Paul, we can see that Peter had difficulties to stand up for what he believed in.

There is a nice legend about Peter and a small church in Rome commemorates the event. During the persecution Peter got scared — again. So he left Rome and outside the city he met the Lord. “Quo vadis, Domine?” he asked, “Where are you going, Lord?” And Jesus answered, “I go to Rome to be crucified in your stead.” Ashamed, Peter turned around and was arrested. When he was about to be crucified he asked to hang there upside down because he did not feel worthy of dying the same way his beloved Master died.

It is never too late to become a hero of faith. It might not be death that makes us finally heroes; it may be a situation when we have to stand up for our faith, for our Christian values and convictions. May we not miss that most important moment – as St. Peter did not miss it. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

Reflection Question:

Do I pray regularly for the successor of St. Peter? Do I prepare myself in prayer for that moment when courage is demanded from me to defend my faith?

 

Lord, today I pray for the successor of St. Peter, our Holy Father. May he have the strength and courage to guide Your Church through difficult times and guide us without fear. Amen.

 

St. Elwin, pray for us.

A HASTY DEPARTURE

A HASTY DEPARTURE

 

And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. – Luke 5:28

 

Twenty-four years ago this week, the Marcoses fled Malacañang Palace in the midst of the People Power Revolution. Just hours before that historical moment, the dictator had been sworn in for his fourth term and had vowed that he would never resign.

The family left in such haste that when rallyists overran the palace, they found the Marcoses’ dining table with an unfinished meal in its silver service and a half-eaten banana at the bedside of the former first lady. Empty jewelry boxes littered the floor of Imelda’s bedroom while soiled disposable adult diapers were found in the dictator’s bathroom.

This scene gives us a clear picture of what it means to “leave everything behind.” That’s what Levi did when Jesus invited the tax collector to follow Him. Imagine, Levi was at his customs post when the Lord called him. He had tasks to do, maybe even some ill-gotten cash in his table drawers. But the minute he heard Jesus’ invitation, it was so compelling that he didn’t even bother to pack up his desk. Levi simply got up and followed Jesus.

When the Lord calls us to do something, do we respond with equal haste?Rissa Singson- Kawpeng (justbreatherissa@gmail.com)

 

REFLECTION:

Are you quick to obey, whenever the Lord makes known His will?

 

Lord, give me the boldness to follow You without fear or procrastination. Amen.

 

Become Physicians !

 

Let’s join Jesus on that specific morning. He had a good breakfast, prepared lovingly by Peter’s mother-in-law. We approach with Jesus one of the most hated places in town – the office of the tax-collector. With the disciples we try not to come too close, even though we are not  Pharisees who would see to it that not even their clothes would come in contact with a tax collector. “Hey, Jesus,” Peter shouts alarmed, “what are you doing?” For Jesus is approaching the table of the tax collector Levi whose head goes down in fear to hide between his shoulders. But then, to his and our surprise, Jesus smiled at him and said, “Come, Levi, follow me!”

Read the rest in today’s Gospel passage how Jesus accepted the invitation to eat and drink with Levi and the whole bunch of his colleagues. Read the expected outrage of the pious ones and Jesus’ beautiful answer. For Jesus, sinners were not criminals; they were sick people who needed healing.

Why does the Church give us this reading today, on the fourth day of Lent?

It has become clear already during the past three days that the Church has selected very carefully passages that will help us to make Lent a spiritually fruitful season. “But there are no tax collectors we can call to be our friends,” you may say. You are right. The point is that in today’s society there are a lot of people who are ostracized, marginalized because they are considered to be “sinners” or “bad people.” They have been judged (often misjudged) by prejudice or by lack of knowledge about them. These are our “Levis,” our “tax-collectors” who are avoided for one reason or another. So, as a disciple who is called to continue what Jesus began long time ago, what are you to do?

It’s only too clear, I think. Become “doctors” (without studying medicine), become physicians who do not just prescribe medicine but who give the best medicine to them: understanding, compassion, acceptance and love.Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

Reflection Question:

Who in my environment needs my loving, healing touch most? To whom is Jesus sending me to heal?

 

Lord, Divine Physician, You have healed me so many times with Your love and compassion. Thank You. Today You made me aware that what You have done for me I should do for Your brothers and sisters in need of healing. Help me, please, in this difficult task.

 

St. Amata, pray for us.

LENTEN PARTY

LENTEN PARTY

“Is this the manner of fasting I wish...” – Isaiah 58:5

I’ve associated fasting with eating less or not eating at all. That’s why Lent is such a difficult season for me. I love to eat! Chicharon, kare-kare, sinigang, pasta, extra rice etc… yummy!

But Lent is a feast too — a “party” if you will. It calls us to feast on fasting. To enjoy its benefits, not to endure it. To be more intimate with the Host of the season by allowing our spirit to splurge — on a “bottomless” drink of living water, an endless buffet of spiritual food and grace in abundance.

In a special way, it allows us to fellowship with those who benefit from our fasting — sharing food to the hungry, providing water to the thirsty, giving to those in need, forgiving our debtors and serving our King. Ariel Driz (adriz77@yahoo.com)

REFLECTION:

What is my attitude towards fasting? Do I allow others to benefit from it?

Lord Jesus, thank You for this season… for the chance to enjoy this spiritual feast! Amen.

Hypocritical and Real Fasting

What is fasting all about? Easy to answer but not easy to do — unless your friends hinted that you have gained some weight and you realize that your dress or pants don’t fit anymore as they did a while ago. In other words: fasting is abstaining from or reducing the intake of food, right?

Wrong! How wrong we can be about so many things we thought to be so clear. And we can easily be wrong because we don’t know our Bible enough, especially not the Old Testament. The great prophet Isaiah teaches us today something quite shocking about fasting.

The prophet thunders against the cheap trickery of people who try to impress God by abstaining from some things but commit the worse injustices against their fellowmen by oppressing them and by not caring for the poor, the hungry, the sick and the homeless. For it is easier to fast than to love.

As kids, we abstained during Lent from eating chocolates and candies. We collected them and got a bad stomach ache on Easter when we began to eat what we had collected during the six weeks of Lent. My father loved smoking cigars; during Lent he abstained but I did not see him doing any special acts of charity.

Ascetic practices are good in themselves. There is no doubt about this. But ascetic practices without practicing charity at home, in the neighborhood and among those we meet and live with every day, are useless. Better eat chocolates and smoke your cigarettes and go to a movie even during Lent, but abstain from quarreling, cheating in exams, from lying and gossiping.

Better than abstaining is doing something good. Therefore, your best “fast” would be becoming the most charitable person possible. That’s the “fasting” the disturbing prophet Isaiah teaches us today on the third day of Lent.Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

Reflection Question:

Who in my family, in my neighborhood, among the people I live with needs my real “fasting” — my love, concern and support?

Ouch, Lord, You got me again. You made me realize that some of my exercises of “self-denial” are not pleasing You at all. Help me to change and serve You with love in the people around me.

Blessed Lucy, pray for us.

THE BOY FROM FIFTH AVENUE

THE BOY FROM FIFTH AVENUE

 

“Will a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but is himself lost or defeated?” – Luke 9:25

 

Fifth Avenue was a shop in Manila in the ‘60s, dubbed as “Tailor to the Stars,” because it was the outfitter of choice of leading actors. It was owned by the family of my friend Nick Resurreccion.

Since business was good, Nick grew up basking in luxury, ending up, in his words, a spoiled brat. Nick and his wife, Malou, have lived a comfortable life. But since Nick was spoiled, they often quarreled, driving Malou to seek God’s help by attending a prayer meeting.

Just to please his wife, Nick would follow her to the prayer meeting, but made sure he arrived when it was about to end. One day, Nick came as the leader was saying the closing prayer. To his surprise, Nick heard the leader praying for him. Nick did not expect that someone would be that concerned about him. He soon joined the prayer meeting and realized that worldly wealth meant nothing if he himself was lost.

When we hold on to fleeting things, it often keeps us from possessing those that are of eternal value. But in God’s Kingdom, whatever we give up we will surely gain in greater measure. Cynthia Santiago (boses2go@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTION:

What have you gained lately?

 

Lord, may I desire to dedicate my all to You.

 

 

The Commandments – a Yes to Values

 

When we hear the word “commandment” we easily shy away. There are too many “don’ts” in a time when we want to be free and think real freedom means we can do what we want. But old Moses is wise and has calmed down. He doesn’t thunder anymore like before. He puts a simple reality before the Israelites and before us: There are two ways. You have the choice because God has given you freedom. One way is to see the commandments of God for what they are — loving signposts along the road of life that we might go in the right direction — and obey so that we may be blessed by God and reach our goal. The other choice is: disobey and face the consequences.

Pope Benedict XVI, in a homily he delivered on September 8, 2007 in Austria, gave an interesting twist to the many “don’ts” and makes us aware that the commandments of God are all a “Yes” to a great value. I quote the Pope:

“To gaze upon Christ! If we do this, we realize that Christianity is more than and different from a moral code, from a series of requirements and laws... it is the gift of friendship. For this reason it also contains within itself great moral strength, which is so urgently needed today on account of the challenges of our time.... The Ten Commandments are first and foremost a ‘yes’ to God, to a God who loves us and leads us, who carries us and yet allows us our freedom: indeed, it is He who makes our freedom real (the first three commandments). It is a ‘yes’ to the family (fourth commandment), a ‘yes’ to life (fifth commandment), a ‘yes’ to responsible love (sixth commandment), a ‘yes’ to solidarity, to social responsibility and to justice (seventh commandment), a ‘yes’ to truth (eighth commandment) and a ‘yes’ to respect for other people and for what is theirs (ninth and tenth commandments). By the strength of our friendship with the living God we live this manifold ‘yes’ and at the same time we carry it as a signpost into this world of ours today.”Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

Reflection Question:

Have I seen the commandments of God as something positive?

 

Lord, guide me to always choose life and Your blessings!

 

St. Agatha Lin, pray for us.

 

PRIVATE PRAYER

Ash Wednesday

PRIVATE PRAYER

“But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:6

Jhen brought her son Rafael to enroll in another school. But he was asked to join the nursery class even if he was almost six years old.

The principal told her that the boy still had difficulty with basic concepts like counting and reading. This made Jhen sad. She knew that having her son repeat nursery would mean an extra year of tuition fees. Being a single mom, any form of savings would have been a big help to her family of four kids. But left with no options, she agreed.

Jhen was surprised when Rafael ended up in the top 5 after the first half of the school  year. By the end of the third quarter, he ranked number 2.

When she visited the school, the principal told her she was very happy with his improvement. Jhen was also touched when the principal revealed that she would pray regularly for Rafael’s improvement and was thankful to God for granting her request. Praying for a concern is more effective when it’s done in private, with God as your only witness. Alvin Fabella (alvinfabella@yahoo.com)

REFLECTION:

Find an isolated place today where you can have an intimate time with Jesus.

Lord, I want to know You in a deeper way. Reveal Yourself to me. Amen.

Now

The black dot or cross indicates that you have gone to church today. Unfortunately, there are many who just pass by the church to receive the ashes because everybody does so, but do not attend the Mass and don’t listen to the readings. I hope you are not one of them. The ash is a sacramental that should be received after listening to the Word of God and a short homily. At least that’s what the liturgical rules say. And it makes sense. Receiving a sacramental is not magic or superstition. A sacramental “works” only when the receiver has the right disposition. And what is the right disposition for receiving the ashes? The priest says while imposing the ashes, “Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel.” (Or, “Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return.”)

Both words have profound implications. To turn away from sin I must take my time and acknowledge once more that I am a sinner. Something I cannot do in two minutes when I line up to receive the ashes and then run home or to the office. And I cannot believe in the Gospel if I do not even take time to listen to it on a day like Ash Wednesday. The readings chosen for today are excellent. Joel’s passage begins with, “Now, now…come back.” And St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Well, now is the favorable time.” Three “nows.” That leads us to think, right? We tend to postpone and say, “tomorrow” or “next time na lang.” Be careful when you catch yourself postponing a good resolution. It makes the devil very happy.

And Jesus tells in the Gospel that what good we do, we should do in secret and not for show. If the ash on your forehead is only for show — you know what the Lord thinks of it. “Now is a favourable time….” We might have missed this chance more than once. But please, not this year. I don’t like to be morbid or scare you, but the reality is that there might be no tomorrow, no next week, no next time. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

Reflection Question:

Do I tend to postpone changes in my life? Do I tend to “forget” resolutions? Why? Am I afraid of changing?

Thank You, Lord, for giving us once more the holy time of Lent, a time to turn away from our sins and turn to You. Send Your Spirit to open our hearts so that we listen attentively to Your Word and have the courage to practice what we learn from You.

St. Benedict of Cagliari, pray for us.

SHOPAHOLIC

Shopaholic

Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. – James 1:14

My friend Charmaine is a certified shopaholic. She spends so much money on things she doesn’t really need.

“A wrist watch worth P17,000? How is it different from other watches that cost much less?” I asked her once when she told me what she wanted to buy.

“But I can’t help it. Every time I see it on display, I feel like it’s calling me, saying I need to buy it,” she reasoned. “Of course you can avoid buying it,” I reasoned with her, “just stop going to that shop and the watch will stop talking to you!”

How foolish we can be when we try to justify a wrongdoing, especially one that we love doing over and over again. There are things in our lives we find difficult to give up, things we know are not pleasing to God yet we continue to hold on to because it gives us pleasure.

But do not be fooled. What may seem to be a pleasurable thing could just be the enemy’s tool to further push us down into the pit of sin. Act now and let go of that habitual sin before it’s too late.Jane Gonzales (mjsg2468@yahoo.com)

REFLECTION:

No bad habit is too strong to break if we really want to break it. Nothing is so enticing that we will not be able to resist it with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Dear God, I know that on my own I easily give in to foolish temptations. Protect me from myself, Lord, and guide me on the path of what is right and good. Amen.

Another Lesson from James

Have you ever blamed God when something bad happens? Have you ever asked angrily, “Why did you let this happen?” If you haven’t, surely you have heard others ask these and similar questions, in effect, accusing God of tempting them or sending problems, sufferings and all kinds of bad things in their life.

We have been so trained to excuse ourselves and accuse others that even God is not spared from it. We become used to blaming others for negative things happening to us; we blame the devil, bad genes, sexual abuse, abusive parents, mid-life crisis, the society — and in the end, many blame God. Even in Confession I sometimes hear people accusing others without confessing a single sin they have committed.

While the factors I just enumerated have definitely a negative effect on us and influence our actions, we still have a free will and must remain responsible for our wrong actions.

Now, please read today’s passage from the Letter of James. He stresses that “God does not tempt anybody.” Where then originates our wrongdoing? James again has a clear answer: “Everyone who is tempted is attracted and seduced by his own wrong desire. Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it too has a child, and the child is death.”

Wow! That’s a simple but powerful image. Where does every evil start? It starts in ourselves, in our “own wrong desire,” in our thoughts. The control of our thoughts, therefore, is the beginning of curbing all temptations. Entertain evil thoughts just for a short while and you will have difficulties to get rid of them. Evil thoughts are like weeds that take root immediately, that grow and spread fast and “kill” the beautiful flowers we would like to enjoy.

What shall we do? Weed out evil thoughts the moment they emerge and — this is very important — replace them with something positive. And you will see they will not give birth to sin. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

Reflection Question:

Am I infected by the virus of always blaming others? Do I have difficulties admitting my own wrongdoings?

Lord, I have to admit: I have blamed You for many bad things in my life. But how wrong I was! I have to blame myself, my carelessness with evil thoughts which I allow to grow. Help me to replace what is negative with thoughts of You and Mary, our Mother.

St. Daniel, pray for us.

 

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ASKING FOR SIGNS

ASKING FOR SIGNS

 

 

 

“…seeking from Him a sign from heaven….” – Mark 8:11

 

Many years ago, a friend of mine prayed to St. Therese and asked for a sign to confirm that her request would be granted. The following morning, she smelled the scent of fresh flowers.

A former officemate of mine related how her decision to leave her job was confirmed through the sign she requested from St. Therese: sunflowers.

I tried it out myself. I prayed to St.Therese and asked for a sign. I waited but no sign was given. I was disappointed. How come she gave signs to others and not to me?

The Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign from heaven to test Him because they claimed that Jesus’ previous miracles were not from God. Jesus did not give in to their demand. He knew that even if He performed miracles, they still would not believe.

Faith in God and in His power comes from having a deep and personal relationship with Him and not from a show of miracles and signs. I have matured in my faith and do not rely on signs anymore. Jesus is the only sign I need.Judith Concepcion (svp_jmc@yahoo.com)

 

REFLECTION:

Can you not make decisions without signs? The only sign we need is Jesus. If we walk in His ways, we will surely not stumble or fall.

 

Forgive me, Lord, for the times that I relied more on signs than on my faith in You. Help me to trust in You more. 

 

James’ Wisdom

 

There’s a story of a disfigured, ugly man who understandably hated all that is beautiful. Approaching an oasis, one day he saw a young beautiful palm tree. Angrily he put a huge stone on its top so that it would be crippled when growing up. Years later he came to the same oasis and looked for that crippled palm treeto enjoy its miserable sight. He couldn’t find it. Then the tallest and strongest palm tree bent and spoke to him: “You are looking for me, I think? Thank you for putting that heavy stone on me. Because of that I had to put more effort in my growth; I had to stretch and at the same time let my roots go deeper and deeper where they reached water. So I grew higher and stronger than the other trees.” Whether we like it or not: Trials, sufferings, crises can make or break a person. James wants us to transform them into steps towards deeper faith and trust in God.

Today’s passage from the beginning of the Letter of James points out realistically that there will always be trials. You surely agree. But to consider them as a “happy privilege” is difficult to swallow. Yet just remember yesterday’s Beatitudes and read the reason James gives for his statement. He is convinced that trials help us in our spiritual growth towards spiritual maturity.

Secondly, James says that asking for wisdom or discernment needs strong faith. We must approach God without entertaining any doubts because we must be sure of the power of love of God.

The last words of James remind us of yesterday’s Gospel, but also of Mary’s Magnificat that sings of the lowly being exalted while the proud arethrown from their thrones. Life after all is uncertain. Disaster can strike any moment — whythen put so much trust in things that easily vanish? Only God can give us what lasts for ever!Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

 

Reflection Question:

How strong is my trust in God when trials come my way? Do I see them as help to gain a stronger faith?

 

Lord, thank You for giving us the letter written by James. The few verses at its beginning are so profound for my spiritual journey. May I — with Your help — follow the wisdom of James and so proceed on my journey of faith.

 

St. Jordan, pray for us.