Ironically Blessed…

 

Should you find it hard to get to sleep tonight;Just remember the homeless family who has no bed to lie in.

Should you find yourself stuck in traffic; don't despair.There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work;Think of the man who has been out of work for the last three months.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad;Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend;Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for -$15.00 to feed her family.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance;Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.
Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror;Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking "what is my purpose";Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities;Remember, things could be worse. You could be them!!!
Should you decide to share this;You’ll surely make a difference!

 

Father,
Make us see the miracles
Which we may have overlooked
Because we kept on looking elsewhere.
Thank You for the gift of
This day and the days to come,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

Text excerpt from Two Travelling  Angels | photo: Up

Life is still beautiful…

(Audio book version here)
A death of the people close to us would always shake us from within. It bites and numbs us. It makes us sad for the loss, and more so, it makes us realize how vulnerable we could be.

When a friend died days ago, it happened again. We know Dionisio as a healthy, medium built, really nice guy. But death snatched him away without respect, without qualms, without excuses, leaving a baby and a bereaved wife.


We all wanted to be consoled and to console during this similar moment. When Liza said, " It's just so sad..., We don't really know what future awaits for us..." I answered, "Yeah, I think life ought to be that way.  People come, people go. Some leave us earlier, some stay for a while but will eventually follow. Each of us, has a candle to burn, let's just make use of the light we now have.  Life is still beautiful... :)

Yeah, life is still beautiful. We may all be struggling, but life is still beautiful and the people around us want us alive and happy. Nobody could really fathom the mystery of death; we don’t need to.  Let's enjoy our remaining days with our loved ones, and make our lights shine so that others will always want to stay more and  live...

Life is still beautiful…

 

Father,
You showed to us
That death is just a transition
From life into a more beautiful Life.
Console and help us to
Appreciate those people who are with us,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: movie poster

Judas Face

The story goes that a famous painter, Johannes Ponté, was tasked to paint the life of Jesus in the church' mural in Europe. The painter went around the city to look for models.

As for the face of Jesus Christ, he looked for a person whose character of innocence, firmness and divinity were written in every contour of his face. Finally, he found one. The meek aura of the boy overwhelmed him day by day. He had to admit, the lad’s presence  changed his life.



After months of labor, he had to pay and bade him goodbye. 13 long years since then, he was almost finished with the project, except for the face of Judas. He needed one whose aura of deceit and distrust could command dread and concern. He needed to search for the man into the heart of the most notorious place in Europe.

The person's aura was obnoxious that the painter was even scared of looking at his eyes. ‘Judas face.” He murmured.” After 3 months, he completed the project and paid the model. But as they were both biding goodbye to each other, the man forced a look into the eyes of the painter. With tears in his eyes, he asked the painter; "So, you don’t really recognize me, do you?" The painter went numbed for a while and wanted to say something, but nothing came out of his lips. The man told him: " I was the same man you hired 13 years ago to pose as Jesus..."

 

Father,
Grant us the grace
To be Jesus to others
Always…
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: @ jesusamigo

The 3 H’s of Being Human

Humility
The words ‘human’ and ‘humility’ share the same root word: Latin. humus; meaning soil. This tells us two important things about ourselves:
First, that we should always  make our feet planted on the ground. There's no reason to be boastful of our successes; at the end we'll all go back to dust.
Second, humility does not mean demeaning ourselves, or hiding, or playing small. Humility is the truth and the truth is God loves us and wants us to shine.

Heart
Heart has always symbolized life and love. Being human means to be a life to others, rather than a malady. The word courage means ‘heart’. To have a heart therefore, means to be courageous in facing life’s challenges and boredoms.

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage." Lao Tzu

HealEach of us has the capacity to heal, but many of us have forgotten this reality. When we were infants, our presence in the family was already a healing experience to those around us. The infants’ charisma is instantaneous and irresistible. Our smiles then were heaven to our parents. But as we grew older, we tend to forget our true power.  We became serious and critical. Our smile became expensive and our touch harder. Our words turned ambiguous.
Being human means being a healing presence. This is the reason why during grief, a friend’s presence is priceless.

And finally, we need to remember that human beings are not citizens of this world. We are meant to go back to Heaven…our true Home… Philippians 3:20-21 

Father,
Thank You for
Creating us in Your image and likeness.
Give us the courage to be humble
And courageous.
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: Michelangelo

 

The Beauty Within

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.  He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?"

Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and before it was ready to bloom, it died.

So it is with many people.  Within every soul there is a rose.  The God like qualities planted in us at birth growing amid the thorns of our faults.  Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.  We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us.  We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies.  We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them.  One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others.

This is the characteristic of love---to look at a person and know their true faults.  Accepting that person into your life, while recognizing the nobility in their soul.  Help them to realize that they can overcome their faults.  If we show them the rose, they will conquer their thorns.  Only then will they blossom many times over.
Our duty in this world is to help others by showing them their roses and not their thorns.  Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other; only then can we bloom in our own garden.

 

Father,
Help us the see the beauty within Which You have planted
Even before we were born,
And water it the Word
Of  Your Son,
Jesus Christ.Amen.

Text: Author anonymous | photo:  OliBac @ flickr

Psychic Vampires

Bram Stoker Dracula has always been my favorite vampire movie. Blade is cool. Underworld is sexy. Twilight is romantic.

Vampire movies look cool, sexy and romantic on the screen and books. So sexy that there were times that I thought it's cool to be a vampire.


But are vampires really cool? Well, I've met several of them. Really. But, they're not blood sucker vampires. Science calls them psychic vampires.
Psychic vampires are more ubiquitous than we thought. They could be our friends, relatives, lovers, or... us. Psychic vampires suck our life force or prana. When we're around them, we would feel angry, depressed, pessimistic, emotionally drained and lifeless.

They would come to school or work every morning armed with complaints ranging from the traffic, neighbors' dog, slow connection, monthly period, bills, cashiers, their husbands or wives, and lousy school or company. And while you have nowhere to escape from their rants, you would feel the same way: mad and sad.
And the sad thing about this is, they may not know they are vampires. In fact, they are not evil. They could be well meaning people who are not aware of their true illness.

So, what can we do about it?
First, stay away from these people.
             "Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit.” ~ Desiderata
Second, if you cannot avoid them.  Be an active listener. Don't be a sponge: identify their pain
                   and mirror it back to them.
Lastly, don't be a vampire yourself. Be a positive force. Be a plus, rather than a minus.
                  Surround yourself with positive readings and people.
I say, being a vampire is not really cool or sexy after all…

 

Father,
Make us an inspiration to others,
A blessing rather than a curse,
A mirror of Your presence,
In Jesus Name.
Amen.

photo: googled

The Zen of Forgiveness

As I am writing this, I gnash. I killed him several times in my mind.

I used to respect him so much. His words were gospel truth. His presence was sacred. Only to realize later that he mocked my person and loathed my presence. He is a master of manipulation. He even went further to break my mother emotionally and socially.

After my father's burial he made me stand in the class and sarcastically told me: 'so you're popular now because your father is dead."


So, is it really possible to forgive?  
Perhaps, the volcano within me would always be there. But I can say now that I have forgiven him.

I may have killed him a hundred times in my mind, but the important thing is I did not act on it. In fact, it made me do the opposite: respecting my students, making them secure and proud of themselves. I channeled my anger and converted it into passion to fight any form of exploitation.

Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Forgiveness does not mean that the scars stopped hurting. They'll always be there, just like the wound Jesus showed to Thomas after the resurrection. Scars are good reminders that we could get hurt again and again. They remind us that even how much careful we are, we could still hurt others as well.

Forgiveness is a process of converting destructive rage into love. The deeper the hurt, the forceful our passion to love should be.

Father,
Thank You for forgiving us,
As we forgive others who have hurt us.
May we be able to channel our hurts into love,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: yogainflorida.com

Heretic 2.0

My classmates used to call me  a  heretic: I did not mind.
When I informed the moderators that the rhymed piece they gave to students could not be considered as poetry, I was sarcastically told by a colleague to go and write my own.  I left and have written my own.

Jesus, Lady Gaga, Gandhi, Ninoy Aquino, Joan of Arc, Vassil Levski, Steve Jobs: these people were considered heretical in their own times.


When you decide to be 'you',
when you decide to speak your mind,
when you decide to wear the color you call yours, 
expect a barrage of contradictions... even from your best friends.
That's normal. 

A new heretic asks questions, a lot of questions but uses his energy to find answers. A new heretic is a person who is not afraid to raise a hand, nor to bow a head when he finds the truth. The new heretic is not afraid to be shamed for he he knows his goal is bigger beyond himself.

As Seth Godin says:
“Heretics are the new leaders, the ones who challenge the status quo…
Heretics are engaged, passionate, and more powerful and happier than everyone else.”

Father,
Thank You giving us Your Son,
And people who are bigger than
Their fears and ambitions.
Make us stronger yet loving and forgiving,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: The Last Samurai

The Five Pillars of Love…

Live: Every relationship is a life force, an inspiration, a reason. It should be a light in the dark, a spark of hope in the middle of the storm, a healing balm to an old wound. And while love is enough reason to live, it's more than enough reason to die for the other...

Leap: Every love story is a leap of faith. There is no such thing 100% sure, we know that. Each step of the way is a risk and an adventure. Love is putting our trust in a person who could mold or break us, who could neglect or take care of us. Faith starts where reason ends...

Laugh: Love should make us smile, jest and laugh. A stiff  relationship is a symptom of a demented affair. God loves a cheerful lover.

Link: Love is a link between two totally different people. In fact, the word ‘relationship’ means a link. We link with each other through hobbies, interests, and experiences.  Happy memories are the neurons that link and hold us together. Love links us to the universe and to the God Who is Love.

Last: The real test of love is endurance. This is the meaning of the 'yes, I do' we pronounced in front of the people and of God. Love is a long journey worth walking, running and crying for... Amor Vincit Omnia... Love Conquers All...

 

Father of Love,
We praise You and We love You.
Thank You for Loving us even before we love You.
May our relationships bring us back to You,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: via Pixdaus

Filtered

One of man's greatest inventions is the vacuum cleaner. It was designed to suck everything. Be they dirt or gold, this machine doesn't care.

In the same manner, the internet is like a Pandora's box. Once we open it, we also open ourselves to the deluge of information of dirt and gold.


Some people have good sets of filters, some don't have. Those who don't have, devour everything in sight. They're naive, dead hungry and bandwagon minded. They're lazy to think, although some of them look sophisticated on the surface. These people have lost faith in the goodness of humanity.

People with good sets of filters, on the other hand, are choosy and uncompromising. Their filters are high-grade, home made and Biblical. They know where they stand, and stand on what they know. While other commercial filters are made in Japan, US, China, theirs are made from Heaven, with Biblical seals.

The net is a gift to humanity by humanity. But its power may overload and explode the very fiber that makes us human. The only way to prevent this is to maintain and strengthen our moral and spiritual filters, and most importantly those of our children...
Surf, love and pray…

Father,
We thank You
For the gift of technology.
May we use it for Your glory,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood

Who Is Lousy?

(Audio book version here)
I  got to admit that there are lousy priests.., and pastors.., and imams.., and monks..,  and evangelists.., and doctors.., and nurses.., and bystanders.., and teachers.., and bloggers.., and readers.., and everyone else... Everyone has his/her share of lousiness.  But, it does not mean everyone is  a hypocrite.


Glenda Rose stopped going to Mass because she was told that the priest was a gay.  Jean refused to go back to their prayer meeting because their former pastor ran with a married woman.

A friend asked me the other week if I am not guilty of what I am writing. I said, “I am.” But it wont stop me from attempting to move people. To speak what's right is not hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is when you stop fighting for what is right because you thought you're guilty. Everybody is guilty. 

Does a doctor stop curing people because he was sick?
Even a rag could be used to clean a dirty table.

The reason why Jesus called those people hypocrites it's not because they're sinners trying to be righteous. Jesus called them hypocrites because they're proud enough not to accept that they too were lousy. They were hypocrites because they closed their minds and hearts to God's message.  Matthew 23
Hypocrisy is when you stop believing that anyone could be righteous...

 

Father,
Teach us the true meaning of humility.
Help us do what we speak, but forgive us
If we falter,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: @ Movie Poster