Hi5 to Friendship

The cast of my favorite Australian children's television series.

As I have gone around this crazy world, I have observed that there is only one thing that people are starving for -- FRIENDSHIP. The concept of love is so vast that it often creates a conflict of intentions between individuals. As many as there are people in the world, so is there a unique understanding of the word. Some people even think that love can only be found in a romantic relationship. This only leads to despair. 

But love is definitely more than romance. There is also love in friendship. People can love other people unexclusively. This is the kind of love that bound the ancient Christians together. This is also the kind of love that the Lord commanded his disciples to give each other. It's called brotherhood.

Jesus said to his disciples at the last supper, "I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me. Whoever does not remain in me is thrown out like a branch and dries up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it. My Father's glory is shown in your bearing much fruit; and in this way you become my disciples. I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love."

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My commandment is this: love one another just as I love you. The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them. And you are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because I have told you everything I heard from the Father. You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of Him in my name. This, then, is what I command you: LOVE ONE ANOTHER."

(John 15:5 - 17, emphasis added)

Beautiful are the promises the Lord had made to his disciples before he left this earth. But there is only one thing that he requires of us to receive such promise. We should love one another JUST AS HE LOVED US. Jesus considered his disciples as his friends and gave his life for them. In the same way, we should also consider each other as friends. Then the promise of Jesus in the gospel shall be fulfilled in our lives.

The Mission by Jamie Rivera

There's a call going out 
across the land 
in every nation

a call to all who swear 
allegiance to the cross of Christ

a call to true humility,
to live our lives responsibly.

to deepen our devotion 
to the cross at any price.

Jamie Rivera is known as "the inspirational diva" in the Philippines. She has popularized several Christian inspirational songs and she has always been the favorite recording artist for Catholic themes.

Let us then be sober 

moving only in the spirit

as aliens and strangers 

in a hostile foreign land

the message we're proclaiming 

is repentance and forgiveness.

the offer of salvation 

to the dying race of man.

CHORUS:

To love the lord our god,

is the heartbeat of our mission.

the spring from which our service overflows.

across the street 

or around the world.

the mission's still the same.

proclaim and live the truth

in Jesus name!

As a candle is consumed

by the passion of the flame

spilling light unsparingly

throughout the darkened room.

let us burn to know him deeper

then our service flaming bright.

will radiate his passions 

and blaze with holy light

(CHORUS)

Ways of Coming to Know God

The Catechism of the Catholic Church begins the teaching of faith by giving this simple definition. It exhorts that the knowledge of God can propel man to respond in faith to the call of God. Man has the capacity to know God because God wills that he should know Him. Man is created in the image of God and he is called to know Him. It is man's nature to seek the truth of God's existence.

Faith is man's response to God, who reveals himself and gives himself to man, at the same time bringing man to a superabundant light as he searches for the ultimate meaning of his life. Thus we shall consider first that search, then the divine Revelation by which God comes to meet man, and finally the response of faith. (#26, Catechism of the Catholic Church)

There are many ways to prove the existence of God. Anyone who seeks God shall discover within himself certain ways of coming to know Him. It may seem like a mystery to other people but such person knows for himself the God truly exists. He or she gets a conviction in his or heart about the reality of God. He or she gets this conviction not through discoveries in the natural sciences but through the dictates of his or her conscience as he or she observes the things around him or her.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. (Romans 1:19-20)

"Question the beauty of the earth, question the beauty of the sea, question the beauty of the air distending and diffusing itself, question the beauty of the sky... question all these realities. All respond: "See, we are beautiful." Their beauty is a profession. These beauties are subject to change. Who made them if not the Beautiful One who is not subject to change. (Saint Augustine, Sermo 241)"

All creatures bear a certain resemblance of God. The manifold perfection and beauty of creation reflect the infinite beauty of its creator. The earth and everything in it bear witness to the reality of the existence of God. The greatest manifestation of this reality is the human being. Man is created in the image and likeness of God.

God is the beginning principle of all creation. From Him, everything was made. He is also the final end of all things. This reality of God can be known by man in many different ways. God has endowed man with intellect to discover all these things. However, in order to restore that real intimacy with Him requires God's grace. We can prove the existence of God as an infinite being who controls all things but we need faith to believe that God is a person who longs to have a relationship with his creation - man. 

Man's Desire for God

Every man feels a certain emptiness within himself that nothing on earth could ever seem to fill up. That is because God planted a desire in the human heart to seek Him. Man is in search of God because God wanted man to seek Him. God is constantly drawing man to Himself.

The desire for God is written in the human heart because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to Himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for. (#27, Catechism of the Catholic Church 

Every person has his own unique way of expressing his or her own desire for God. This is usually manifested in the individual person's religious beliefs and behavior. These forms of religious expression vary in many different ways according to each person. But the purpose of such expression is always the same - to satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart.

There is a vital and intimate bond between God and man. Ever since the dawn of creation, man was in close fellowship with his Creator. This relationship, however, had been broken by sin. And man, out of fear, had gone away from God. He is afraid to approach God for fear of judgement for his sin. But even though man had fled from the presence of God, God never ceased to call him back to Himself. He continues even until today to call every man to seek Him. For it is only in God that man can find the truth and happiness that he has always been searching for.

You are great, O Lord, and greatly to be praised: great is your power and your wisdom is without measure. And man, so small a part of your creation, wants to praise you: this man, though clothed with mortality and bearing the evidence of sin and the proof that you withstand the proud. Despite everything, man, though but a small part of your creation, wants to praise you. You, yourself, encourage him to delight in your praise, for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rest in you. (Saint Augustine, Confessions)

A Recipe for Wisdom

For ingredients, you will need:

a cup of KNOWLEDGE

three heaping spoonfuls of EXPERIENCE

a dash of UNDERSTANDING

a pinch of DILIGENCE, and

a bushel full of REVERENCE for the Lord

Here's how:

Combine all ingredients and cook in high flame until well done, stirring occasionally.

Serve hot in small portions daily. 

Father, You Made Me

This is a poem I created with inspiration from Psalm 139...

PSALM 139:13-14 "You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because you are to be feared; all you do is strange and wonderful. I know it with all my heart."

I listen to your voice

In the stillness, I hear you speak

With words of love

You captured me.

You know my heart

You know what breaks me apart

And you were always there

Even from the start

I will listen to your words

Words of love that captured me

Father, I can see

That you have set me free.

I have discovered another weakness.

I have discovered another weakness of mine. I have not been able to stand up to my commitment once again. I have once disappointed a friend of mine for this. It almost cost me a beautiful friendship. Now it seems that I am doing it again. How can I be so unreliable?

Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new loyal spirit in me.

Learn to forgive and ask forgiveness.

I wanted to blame my family but I cannot because I know its wrong. We just cannot control the circumstances. I just need to learn to set my priorities straight. And most of all, to ask forgiveness to those I have offended for not being true to my word.

It's a battle in the mind.

Sometimes I question myself. Do I really mean what I am saying when talk I about God's love and salvation? What proof have I to show the people? Am I really a rightful witness for Jesus? Sometimes I doubt. And when this oppressive spirit darts its arrows at me, I shrink back and question my motives. Am I really living for Jesus or am I just showing myself off? Then, there is this conflict within me.

Clips from the movie, Joan of Arc. Song, Warrior is a Child. Artist, Twila Paris.

What is the right thing to do? Different people have different expectations. We cannot meet all these expectations at the same time. Even if we try, we will just end up getting miserable. We cannot please all people at the same time. But there is one person that we need to please for all time - God. And God is never that hard to please because He already is pleased with us even before we ever thought of pleasing him.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10-12)

So the next time an oppressive spirit throws its flaming arrows at me, I just remind myself of this scripture in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. As long as I have the full armor of God put on, I shall be able to stand strong against the attacks of the enemy.

We are the reason that He gave His life.

I was looking for a music video to accompany my next blog. It was suppose to be about Jesus washing his disciples' feet. This is the message I have received in my email from the daily devotional. I already had a specific song in mind when I stumbled upon this music video. I was so caught up with the dramatic presentation and the lyrics of the song. I guess this is what you call divine assistance because somehow it would still relate to Jesus' loving gesture of washing his disciples' feet.

Jesus who was God chose to humble himself and serve mankind by offering his life to take man's place in suffering the consequences of sin. He could have just destroyed us all and created another set of creatures that he could love and cherish. But he did not. His love for man was so great that he would rather die than see them suffer the consequences of their wickedness.

I was reminded of our high school musical as I watched this video. It was the story of the centurion who made the choice to live for Jesus not for the miracles he had seen Jesus do but for the love he showed him through his death on the cross. The song in the play echoes in my head.

"I choose Jesus. Not for miracles but for loving me. Not for Bethlehem but for Calvary."

He was wounded for our transgressions. And by his wounds we are healed.

If I were to take the place of the centurion in the play, I would have also done the same thing. I would choose to live for Jesus. After everything I have seen in the life of Jesus, all my doubts about God's love would have been eliminated from my mind. Who in his right mind would choose to waste his life suffering for a people that do not even seem to care? Only Jesus would do that because he loves us so much.

Beautiful Jesus, Beautiful Savior

I had subscribed to an online devotional and I just want to share the latest message I received in my email. It had really struck my heart with great conviction and awe. Jesus truly is our Beautiful Savior.

Beautiful Savior. Brilliant Creator. Friend of Mine.

Here is a copy of the email message from that online devotional. The title of the article is "Bathed in Blood". It is a meditation on the scripture verse in 1 John 1:7.

Have you ever felt like you needed a bath? Maybe you felt like you were covered in dirt or sweat. Maybe you were grungy from working outside. Or sweaty from exercising. Maybe you touched something and imagined picking up a lot of germs from it. I felt this way when I hopped in the shower a few days ago. All I wanted to do was lather up with soap from head to toe and not miss any spots!

This got me thinking about our sin. Have you ever felt dirty after sinning, like you wanted a shower, even though that doesn't undo what you just did, said or thought? Instead of a shower with soap and water, we need to be bathed in the blood of Jesus. Jesus takes his blood and covers us to wash away our sin. And just like we don't just cover up the dirt when we bathe - it is actually removed, so our sin is actually removed.

So how often do you ask Jesus to bathe in His blood? Is it only when you feel dirty with sin? I've begun making a habit of being washed in the blood while I'm also being washed with soap. When I get in the shower, I ask Jesus to wash over me with His blood to take away my sin, just as I wash myself to take away dirt and grime. And just like there are days where more than one shower is necessary, there are plenty of days where more than one washing in the blood is necessary!

"Jesus, thank you for providing enough blood to wash each one of us. Thank you that your blood is perfect and that it does have the power to wash sin away! Please forgive us for not bathing often enough in your blood. I know there are weeks I must smell filthy in your sight, just as I would on earth if I didn't shower for a week. Help us to remember to take time to ask and be bathed in your blood each day and as often as we need it. In Jesus’ name, amen!"

Just like we need water baths, so we frequently need to bathe in the blood of Jesus.

Jesus: The Way, The Truth and The Life.

We all have our moments of filth in our lives. Just as our physical bodies get dirty from all the day's work, it cannot be avoided that our spirit will also get stained with sin. Fortunately, we have the abundance of the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross to wash those stains away.

Your heart is where your treasure is.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Have you ever been asked that question? Do you remember when you applied for a job? You were asked to describe how you see yourself in five or ten years. What was your answer?

My deepest desire is to honor Christ. Only by the cross I am saved. | To Live is Christ. Parachute Band

I had been asked those questions many times before. But my answers were different in each situation. They keep changing every time. When I was in second grade, I wanted to be 911 call center agent. In the fifth grade, I wanted to be an artist. When I entered high school, I wanted to be an explorer. In the second year, I wanted to be a poet like Shakespeare. I also wanted to be a songwriter. In our computer class, I wanted to be a programmer. In my senior year, I wanted to be an editor of a magazine.

College came and my priorities changed. I took up a course in Information Technology and thought of becoming an IT systems administrator. But when I got involved in ministry, I suddenly dreamed of becoming a preacher. My scholarship ended and so does my hope of receiving my diploma.

I had to quit. I keep failing many times. I had never been successful in anything.

I had to quit school and get a job. I became a service crew in a fast food. In there, I dreamed of becoming manager. But my contract ended and I still did not achieve any of my dreams. That, however, did not stop my young and vibrant mind from searching. I got a better job in the call center. I enjoyed it. My dream of becoming manager was kept alive. But it never came true. I kept moving from place to place but nothing seems to satisfy my hungry, restless heart.

I began to feel hopeless. Perhaps it is because of my poor scholastic background. I could never get ahead in life because I am a dumb college drop out. I am not smart enough. I do not have the right skills. I could not even get my diploma. Then, I realized that happiness is not about things I see outside of me. If I want to be happy, then all I have to do is look within.

What is it do I really want in life? What is the deepest desire of my heart? What really makes me happy? What stirs my passion? What keeps me moving? What do I enjoy doing? I could not find the answer to my questions because I had been looking in the wrong places. I tried to fill my life with all these things but I never tried to find out what my heart is really yearning for. So I learned that to pursue happiness, you need to start within. Look into your heart. That is where your treasure is. Antoine de Saint - Exupery wrote in The Little Prince, "It is only in the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." True happiness can be found deep within. It is in your heart. Look into your heart and you will find what you have been searching for.

Into Deep Waters

The Sunday gospel on the 8th of February had really struck me. Through the years of serving the community as a cell facilitator, I had never seen the fruit of my labors. I thought I was an ineffective minister because I had never been able to bring a friend into the ministry. I could not even bring my own family. I could empathize with Peter when he had been casting the net all night but never caught any fish. It was then that Jesus called them.

Jesus said, "Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch."(Luke 5:4)

As a cell facilitator in a charismatic community, I have always been disappointed with my self. I could never seem to bring anyone of my friends to join the community. I have always felt like a total failure because I could not bring a single soul to Jesus.

Commission My Soul. Citipointe Live. Brisbane, Australia. Matthew 28: 19 - 20. Go and make disciples of all nations.

Now I know what it means in the faith to put out into deep waters. It could actually vary according the person's situation. It can imply different things to different people. As for me, it means going into deeper friendship with the people entrusted to my care as a minister. It means to build a strong fellowship with my peers just I build a strong relationship with God.

Angels are among us.

The archangel Raphael is the angel God sent to make come true the prayers of two faithful people. In the book of Tobit, the despairing Tobit prayed to God to take away all his troubles. He used to be a rich and pious man who feared the Lord and obeyed the Mosaic Law.

Meanwhile, a woman plagued with a demon that keeps her from having a husband prayed that God rescue her from this curse. Her name was Sarah and she had had seven husbands. All of which died before the marriage took place. The demon killed them all.

Then God sent Raphael as a companion to the young Tobias. He was Tobit's only son. He introduced himself as a close relative of the family and accepted Tobit's offer to pay him wages for being a reliable companion to his son. The angel helped Tobias succeed in his mission but all the while the boy did not know that he was an angel sent by God.

Raphael and Tobias on their journey to Rages in Media to get Tobit's money. Raphael tells Tobias to catch the big fish and keep the gall bladder, heart and liver. He could use it for medicine.

When God sends strangers in our lives, they are like angels who would help us to accomplish the purpose that God has designed for us to do in the world. Just as Tobit agreed to pay Azarias to become a reliable companion to his son by bringing him back safely home from a trip, God also sends people to work as angels in our lives.We do not need spiritual eyes to recognize them. We just have to look around. They are everywhere.

Lesson from Saint Augustine

Sometimes we really do not know the extent of our weakness nor the power of our strength. Sometimes we think we can do more than we can actually do and then God must show us that we are still too weak to accomplish what we propose. Or we may despair of ourselves and then God must show us that we have the inner strength to endure. If we are in the first group, we must be given a lesson of humility. If we are in the second, we must be rescued from despair.

(Sermon 208B, Saint Augustine).

... this post is yet to be completed.

When strong winds rock your boat, remember Jesus is sleeping at the stern.

“

If you say there is a loving God, then why does he keep breaking people’s hearts?” That is the most thought – provoking question I have ever encountered. It came as a text message from a friend. This message did not come originally from that friend. But he forwarded it to me from another common friend. We were so worried about this friend when we received this message. She seemed to be falling down in her faith.

We all can identify with the statement above. There are certain times in our lives when we feel like there is no God. It is difficult for us to believe in a loving God because of the many trials and tribulations we encounter everyday. We are always worried. We do not know what the future holds for us. Everything is so dark ahead. We could not see where we are going and we become afraid.

As I pondered on the situation and searched the bible for the right passage to encourage that friend of mine, I fell into the pages of the gospel in Mark. It was about a time when the disciples were with Jesus in the middle of the sea. It was a cold dark night and the winds were blowing hard on the boat. It must have been a terrible storm. Water was filling up the boat that it was about to sink. The disciples were very afraid. So they called on Jesus who was sleeping peacefully with his head on a pillow at the back of the boat.

Here’s an excerpt of that passage in the gospel according to Mark:

^35-38Late that day he said to them, "Let's go across to the other side." They took him in the boat  as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat,   threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?"

^39-40Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The   wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?" 

Can you imagine the look on Jesus’ face when he uttered those words to his disciples? Can you hear the frustration in his voice? How many miracles does he have to perform to make them believe? After everything that he had done for them, the disciples still does not have faith that he is the Son of God, the promised Savior. Isn’t that very frustrating?

This situation still is true for us today. When things are going well, it is easy to praise God. But when we are faced with so many problems, we tend to forget the goodness of our God. We become blinded by the circumstances and we become afraid. We become so worried about the storm that we forget that we have Jesus, the Son of the Living God at the back of our boat sleeping peacefully with his head on a pillow.

---

[1] Mark 4: 35 – 40. The Message. Bible Gateway

I challenge myself to pray for God's direction in life using the bible.

A brother once taught me to pray for God's direction in my career with the words in the bible. At the time, I still did not know how to do it. I have never done that before. So the brother suggested two scripture verses to start with. 

Here are the two(2) verses in the Amplified Bible version:

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you", says the Lord, "thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome".

Isaiah 55:8-9 - "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways", says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Now I challenge myself to practice what that brother taught me - to pray for God's direction in whatever things I want to do using the bible as my guide. I have met failure after failure in my career. My life is filled with setbacks because I never really listened to God's will when I pray.

Let us all wash one another's feet.

The beautiful paintings reflect the message. I hope I have given justice in translating some lyrics of the song.

"Walang sinuman ang nabubuhay para sa sarili lamang... Tayong lahat ay may pananagutan sa isa't isa. Tayong lahat ay tinipon ng Diyos na kapiling Niya. Sa ating pagmamahalan at paglilingkod kanino man, tayo ay nagdadala ng balita ng kaligtasan."

No man can live for himself alone. We all have a responsibility towards each other. We are all called by God to be with Him. As we share our love and concern for each other, we are bringing the message of salvation.

PSALM 8:4 - "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"

Have you ever asked that question? What is man? What makes him so special that God would go through all the trouble of saving him?

We already know that it is because of God’s great love for man that Christ died on the cross. Jesus’ death displays the Father’s love for the people and the resurrection is His promise of salvation. But why go through all that trouble? Why bother saving mankind from sin? Why is man so important to God?

I read a book which answered my question: what is man? I learned from that book that man is composed of three parts: the body, soul and spirit. The highest of all is the spirit. It is what keeps man alive.

Remember how God created the first man? He took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it. Then he breathed life-giving breath into his nostril and man began to live. That is the spirit of God. It is what makes us alive.

Imagine a potter molding clay. God was like a potter when he created man. The human being was just like an empty piece of pottery before God had breathed his spirit into it. It was just an empty, lifeless pot.

An empty pot is nothing special to a potter. It is just like an ordinary pot like everything else he had made. But if the potter puts his life into it, then that pot will become very important to him. The potter will take good care of it.

Like a very special pot, God had put His life in man. He breathed His spirit unto him. Man is like a dwelling place for the Spirit of God. And as a man is mindful to keep his own house spick and span, so is God mindful of the dwelling place of His spirit.

PSALM 34:4 - I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me; He freed me from all my fears.

I had a very embarrassing experience at the bank the other day. I wanted to exchange a check for cash to get my salary but I could not provide them with a valid identification card. I was so frustrated and hungry. All I ever wanted was to get my money. I was already out of cash and I could not get home to get my legal documents to support my identity. My pocket was totally empty and I could not think sanely. So I lashed out at the bank officer. I was angry but deep inside I was ashamed of myself. I had been reflecting on the incident for the rest of the day and even until the next day.

I realized that it had been all my fault and I was wrong to have lashed out. It was not the right behavior. I guess I was just carried away with my emotions. And I really felt terrible after that. I felt like disappearing from the face of the planet. Thanks be to God for he is near and always ready to listen. I ran to the Blessed Sacrament and poured my heart out to Him.

God is so patient and kind. He really answers prayers and He gives sound advice. I heard Mass yesterday and I felt a certain peace and calmness within. I have the reassurance that God is always with me and He loves me. He does not make a record of my wrongs. And He helps me go through all my pains and sorrows. Praise God!

A Simple Comic Strip for a Very Beautiful Story: a Christian Love Story

God has a special purpose for the cross we carry. He made it just the right size. We complain that the cross is too heavy for us to bear and ask that it be cut down to the size that we think is right. God let us have our way.

Then we realize the cross has become too short for us to cross the other side of the cliff. We start to worry. How can we ever get across and continue the journey? As we worry, trouble chases behind us. So we call on God for help.

God hears our cry and tells us to do something and trust him. But then, we doubt. We don't believe His word. It seems we don't have a choice but to obey God's word. Death is right behind us. So we abide.

Then we realize that God had a wonderful plan and it is to save us. He also made another way for us to continue on our journey. God watches us as we pursue personal goals to please other people. And God longs to hear us express our love for Him.

But we never did. Instead, we complain to Him because we could not get what we want. And we even demand that He help us. God shows us the abundance of blessings He has prepared and offered His love for us but we reject it.

We resent God for not helping us achieve our personal desires. So we go our own way relying on our strength. We work hard and pursue more goals. We achieve success after success. We accept every gift that our hard work gives us. We carry the gifts leaving the cross trailing behind.

As we achieve great success, people begin to throw stones at us. They hit us with mockery and insult. We get hurt by these little stones and cry out to God. We pray and ask for His protection. But we don't realize that God is already there protecting us. The stones that hit us are simply stray ones. God had been receiving the bigger blows.

All throughout our lives, God is always with us. He never leaves our side. We may not be able to feel His presence. That is because we become so preoccupied with our goals. But God is always there watching us go through life. We may ignore Him or even get annoyed of His presence but He will never let go. God loves so much and He does not want to lose sight of us.

Had a chat with one of my colleagues and this song came to mind.

♪♫ "When our hope is hard to find and our faith is in decline, we need a cause to stand behind -- LOVE. We all want the way it feels. Time it comes and time it steals. What remains, what is real -- LOVE. There is love. There is forgiveness. There is love in times of need. When life is cold, there is a promise you will never go without." ♫♪

I just had a chat on Facebook with one of my colleagues at work. This woman seem to be infatuated with a certain man who we use to work with in another call center. That was already five years ago. I thought she had already gotten over him. To my surprise, she makes me log in to my Facebook profile so that she could look into his profile. Fortunately, the guy is one of my connections. As always, it has been the subject of our chat.

So I ask her what is love? She said love is a complex thing. I shared my own opinion as well and the conversation grew longer and more interesting. She had very good views about love but I wasn't satisfied. I feel like I needed to tell her what love in the Christian sense is all about. I just had a little problem. I didn't know how to break the message without leading it into an argument.

By the grace of God, I was inspired to search for the definition of the word in an online dictionary. I remembered someone from the ministry talking about love being a verb and a noun. So I consulted Merriam - Webster, and indeed the minister was right. Love is a verb and a noun. It is both a feeling and an action. I asked my friend which one she likes best and she said both. The two cannot be separated.

She actually had a point. How can you show love to people when you don't know what it is? And it is through experience that we learn best. But as the conversation went on, I somehow got the feeling she still was about to confuse love with sensuality. And that was when the song came up. I searched for a video of the song on YouTube and shared her the link. She liked the song so much and I was so happy I was able to share God's message of love to one person.

I Googled the phrase "love of neighbor" and I found this amazing couple who helps prepare meals for friends who are sick.

I was googling images for my next video montage of a certain song when I came upon a picture of a little girl holding a flash card. On the flash card was written the word "Compassion".

Here is the picture of the little girl that led me to TakeThemAMeal.

I was specially attracted and wanted to make it part of my montage. When I clicked on the image, it led me to this certain blog site introducing me to this wonderful, non - profit organization that aims to help people who are sick in the hospital to prepare meals for their family. Here is a YouTube video of an interview with the couple. I wish there was someone in my country who can emulate this kind deed. I know I would love to but I am only pressed for finances. May God touch people's hearts to bring compassion to all people.

Sitting on the steps at the entrance of a mall, John the Baptist came to me.

It's a metaphor. I didn't encounter any strange - looking, Tarzan - like figure of a man speaking words of salvation unto me. I just thought of how John would look like in our modern society.

John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Source unknown.

I was waiting for my turn at the booth for the renewal of my NBI clearance. NBI stands for National Bureau of Investigation. It is a government office that holds records of suspected and convicted criminals in the country. Every Filipino citizen needs their records cleared from this office before they can be employed. So it is not surprising to see plenty of people crowding here every day.

So I sat there for about twenty minutes. It could have been more than that actually. I couldn't tell. I didn't wan't to look at my watch to check the time because it will only bring me frustration. I was just glad I had read the bible beforehand. The Word of the day which is patience really helped me keep my cool.

I have already worn my eyes out from reading. I always love to carry a book whenever I need to go somewhere. It helps me pass the time. But my eyes were already tired. So I decided to rest awhile and digest what I have just read. 

As I sat there on the steps of the mall, I noticed the unique variety of people's faces as they pass by. I also remembered another book I read. It was about a certain street preacher in the United States. Then it dawned unto me. 

He could be anybody. Any one can be like John the Baptist in our modern society. I could be like John the Baptist to another person just as another person can be like John the Baptist to me. A phrase ran through my mind - the ordinary doing the extraordinary. God calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things. 

I am just glad to be born Catholic.

I didn't know it was the anniversary of the dedication of the national shrine of Saint Joseph here in the Philippines to the Divine Mercy. I just thought I would hear Mass this evening coming from a long day in the health center for my medical check up. It has always been routine for me to drop by the shrine to hear Mass whenever I go somewhere or come from work. But this evening is a very spectacular moment for me.

This isn't taken from the shrine here in my place. I didn't have my camera at the time. I just got this from the Internet. Nevertheless, the image is the same except for the location and the people. The procession was held indoors here in our place at around eight in the evening.

I was dismayed because I was not able to start the Mass. When I arrived, it was almost time for consecration. So I savored the moment I have with the Lord at Mass. And the Lord never failed to amaze me. At the end of the Mass was the chaplet of Divine Mercy. It was followed by a solemn procession and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. 

As the priest passed around the vicinity of the shrine carrying the blessed host, I remembered the time of  Moses in the book of Exodus. I remembered having read in the bible how the Israelites carried the Ark of the Covenant as they journeyed to the promised land. It was truly a very solemn celebration. The presence of the Lord was very real. I could not stop myself from shedding tears and falling facedown when the priest and the acolytes passed by me with the Blessed Sacrament. I didn't know why I was crying but it felt great. It was like instant absolution from all my sins. I felt very much light - hearted afterwards. It made me say to myself that I am glad I am Catholic or I may never be able to experience anything like this.

Chris Tomlin - Amazing Love

The snake's deceptive words to Eve at Eden seems very convincing. It sounded very plausible. The devil did a very good job in bending the truth. I guess that was the reason the woman easily heeded to his wiles and ate the forbidden fruit.

What is death? Why did God say to Adam and Eve that they will die if they ate the fruit of the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad? What did God mean by death? Adam and Eve did not die after eating the fruit. Instead, they were even given understanding and learned about their nakedness. Was the devil somehow telling the truth? I don't think so.

I looked for the meaning of death in the dictionary and this one particular definition appeals to me - destruction or extinction. I now understand that death means the destruction of man's beautiful relationship with God. God created man in order to live in a loving relationship with Him. The devil destroyed that loving relationship between God and man by convincing man that he can go on living without God.

When man gained the understanding of good and bad, their view of God has been distorted. Instead of the loving and caring Father that He truly is, they now see God as harsh and judgmental. They hid from Him because they were afraid that He would punish them.

God indeed pronounced His judgement and sent man away from His presence but He still took care of them by sewing them some clothes. I could only imagine the look on God's face as he watches Adam and Eve move out of the garden away from Him. It must be very sad. And even as man went further away, God never stopped pursuing them even to point of giving up His only begotten Son. Isn't that amazing love?

Worship is not about what we get...

...And NOT EVEN WHAT WE GIVE...

Romans 12 : 1 - 2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will."

What does love look like? ... With arms wide open, heart exposed, bleeding. (Misty Edwards)

Here is the lyrics of a song from Misty Edwards.

What does love look like? Is the question I've been pondering. What does love look like? What does love look like? Is the question I've been asking of You. 

Once believed that love was romance, just a chance. I even thought that love was for the lucky and the beautiful. I once believed that love was a momentary bliss, but love is more than this.

All You ever wanted was my attention. All You ever wanted was love from me. All You ever wanted was my affection to sit there at Your feet and tell me. 

What does love look like? Is the question I've been pondering. What does love look like? What does love look like? If all of life comes down to love then tell me. What does love look like? Is the question I've been pondering. What does love look like?

Then I saw Him there hanging on a tree, looking at me. I saw Him there hanging on tree, looking at me. He was looking at me looking at Him, standing through me. I could not escape those beautiful eyes. And I began to weep and weep.


He had arms wide open, heart exposed. Arms wide open, He was bleeding, bleeding. Arms wide open, heart exposed. Arms wide open, He was bleeding, bleeding. Loves definition. Loves definition was looking at me. I began to weep and weep and weep. This is how I know what love is.

And as I sat there, weeping, crying, those beautiful eyes full of desire and love. And he said to me, "You shall love Me. You shall love Me.With arms wide open, heart exposed.With arms wide open, bleeding, sometimes bleeding. You shall love Me. You shall love Me.

If anybody's looking for love in all the wrong places.If you've been searching for love, come to Me. Come to Me.Take up your cross. Deny yourself.Forget your father's house and run. Run with Me.'Cause you were made for me. Abandon your heart and listen.'Cause you were made for someone greater, someone bigger, so follow Me. And you'll come alive when you learn to die.

And He said to me, "You shall love Me. You shall love Me. With arms wide open, heart exposed. With arms wide open, bleeding, sometimes bleeding."

Sing to the King led by Misty Edwards for One Thing

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. (Hebrews 11:1) What are Christians hoping for? It is recited or even sang every time after the consecration of the bread and wine during the Holy Mass. 

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Just as we declare in the Apostles' Creed, Jesus Christ will come back to judge the living and the dead. He could come at any time we least expect. Jesus may come at any time He wants. When, where or even how is the least of our concern. What matters is that we will be judged worthy to be with Him in heaven.

The International House of Prayer (IHOP) is an evangelical missions organization in Kansas City which is committed to praying for the release of God's power and purpose in the world. They are known for 24/7 schedule of prayer and worship. They just recently launched their 24/7 outreach alongside it. This video featuring Misty Edwards leading the people in worship is part of IHOP's "One Thing" Conference.

Harp and Bowl is a style of worship used by the IHOP in their worship services. It is biblically inspired from the pages of the book of Revelation. It is a type of worship that involves the use of a harp and bowl. 

"And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty - four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people." (Revelation 5:8)

Worship is the first purpose that God has for man. We were created to bring glory to God and that is through worship. There are many ways that we can worship God. Music is just one of them. IHOP as well as many other Christian communities use it in their work of evangelization because it is easily appreciated by people. Everybody loves music.

Jesus Christ is returning as king. What great way to celebrate the coming of our king if not with music and cheer? So we anticipate the Lord's coming by gathering together in prayer and we imitate the kind of worship in heaven as dictated in the bible -- with harp and bowl, with music and joyful song. But of course we must not forget our goal of being worthy to live in the presence of God and share in His glory in heaven.