My Home is Within You

 "My home is within you." Psalm 87:7

That's what it says in Psalm 87. His home is within us. He does not need a key.

Am I comfortable with having Jesus within me? Aren't there places where I would rather put up a sign, "Keep out!" No, Jesus, you can't come into this part of MY house! OOPS! I thought it was Jesus' home?

Well, Jesus is a gentleman and He will NEVER barge into places of our lives He is not wanted. Rather sad really because any place He is welcome will be all the better for it!

There is no place we can go where God is not present.

I remember when I was young and we went  to Australia. I felt guilty spending so much money when there were so many hungry people in the world. One morning during the vacation, I prayed about where God would want me to go and I felt He wanted me to be surrounded by His creation. “Go and smell the flowers." 

My mom and I visited the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne and we arrived just in time for the free tour. As the guide pointed out the beautiful plants, flowers and trees, I felt God's love surround me. Then the guide said, “Smell the flowers."

I bent down and I distinctly remember to this day, the palpable feeling that God was telling me, “You are in the right place at the right time."

How wonderful to know that we can never leave God behind, even if we reject Him, or His presence! Whatever we do, wherever we are, we can look for Him. And we will find Him. That is His promise. He lives within us.  His Spirit is what gives us life! We are soooo blessed, sooo favored! 

Under The Fig Tree

 “I saw you under the fig tree.” John 1:48

This is what Jesus said of Nathanael. “Sitting under a fig tree" is a rabbinical idiom used frequently by the Jews in Jesus' time. It meant that Nathanael would meditate on the Torah. Jesus was pointing out the good that Nathanael did. 

A lot of people have the impression that God is a stern taskmaster who is out to catch us sinning. But we can get to know God’s character by getting to know Jesus. After all, He said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

In the Gospels we meet a God who is multifaceted and not one dimensional. Getting to know Jesus is not a quick DIY project but a lifetime of discovery and adventure with the King of Kings Himself. When we embark on this journey, we are not alone. We not only get to know Him, but we get to know ourselves as God sees us. 

Nathanael believed and followed Jesus, and because of this, Jesus promised: “Greater things than these, you will see.” (John 1:50) Lord, we want to experience everything You have for us. We don’t want to miss out! Bring me on the journey with You! 

Jesus, Do You Know My Name?

 “…I am suffering torment in these flames.” Luke 16:24

In another version of this passage about Lazarus and the unnamed rich man, we read that the rich man who died was in agony in the fire. Jesus is telling us in this story that there definitely is a hell. It is reserved for people like the rich man who dressed in luxury, and ate sumptuously, while poor people outside his gated home were covered with sores and did not have enough food to eat. 

Many people refuse to believe in hell. In recent weeks, we have been inundated with exposés of suitcases stuffed with dirty money, ghost projects, unimaginable amounts of cash, contractors and politicians and government employees caught stealing the money supposed to be used for flood control infrastructure. I’m thinking those politicians and contractors and government employees don’t believe in hell. 

Do we? The rich man in Jesus’ story pleads with Father Abraham to send Lazarus to quench his thirst. But Abraham says there is a chasm, a wide divide, that prevents anyone from crossing from one side to the other. Another interesting thing about Jesus’ story is that the poor man has a name, and we know his name because it is said four times in the course of the narration. In the Italian translation, Lazarus’ name is mentioned five times! But the rich man is unnamed. Poor man, relegated to the dust bin of history. Unnamed, unimportant, unloved, forgotten. So it is in Jesus’ eternal Kingdom. 

The Italian Roman Missal for this Sunday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time includes this phrase, “O God, You call Your poor by name, while the rich man has no name.” While the rich men of this world may have made a name for themselves by acquiring riches. power and fame, it is far more important that we make sure that Jesus knows our name, that it is written in the Book of Life mentioned in Revelation 3:5 and Philippians 4:3. 

Woe to “anyone not found written in the Book of Life” for he who has no name and will be “cast into the lake of fire". (Revelation 20:15) The only way to make sure our names are written in the Book of Life is to read the Bible so we know God’s instructions on how to love Him, follow and obey Him. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:31) 

Apple of His Eye

 “For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “…— whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye.” Zechariah 2:8

I think we can never know how much God loves us, not until we reach heaven, our real home. I see how God prepared a special place for Adam and Eve. How beautiful the garden must have been! Out of all the fragrant and delicious fruits in the garden, the forbidden one caught Eve's eye. God prepared an equally beautiful place for us here on earth. Just like Adam and Eve, we continue to make wrong choices. Out of all the amazing things we have to do, we also choose the wrong ones. Instead of praying first thing in the morning, we open Facebook. Instead of reading the Bible, we watch a telenovela. Instead of encouraging someone, we gossip. Instead of forgiving or asking for forgiveness, we harden our hearts.

But does God condemn us? No. He loves us more. He comes nearer. He does not love us because we are perfect. He loves us because we are His sons and daughters. Peter probably committed the greatest sin. He denied Jesus 3 times and left Him at a time when Jesus was so alone. And Peter didn't have the chance to say, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Did God give up on Peter? In Mark 16:7, after the women found Jesus' tomb empty, an angel instructed them, "Go tell His disciples AND PETER, He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him just as He told you." Out of all the disciples, Peter was singled out for this message. Whenever we sin, whenever we believe we fall short of what we believe God wants us to do or be, we should remember this. God never condemns. He calls us closer.

In Zechariah 2:8, we read, "He that touches you, touches the apple of His eye." "Apple" is translated from the Hebrew for "little man" or "pupil" of the eye. Consider how protected the pupil is- hemmed in by our eyelids, our eyelashes, and our eyebrows. So is God the Father's love for us. We are protected, hedged, guarded, looked after. Thank you Lord for Your amazing, inconceivable love!

Take Courage

"Take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work! For I am with you…” Haggai 2:4

One of my fears is dealing with the government because I hate it when I have to have a face to face encounter with extortion. Some time ago, inspectors from a city Fire Department came. One of them said for someone to sign our Fire Safety Certificate, we would have to pay them. 

“Why?” I asked and he talked to me about facilitation and other such gibberish. 

“How much?” I asked. 

“It's up to you," he answered. “A school paid P50,000.00." 

“What? That's not facilitation! That's grease money!”

Then he warned, “You'll be in violation of the government.”

I said it was better to be in violation of the government than with God!

When you are in business, you can find yourself in many such situations with the BIR, the City Hall, customs, etc. I like the example of the Proverbs 31 wife. She was in business too. I am far from this ideal woman who wakes up early, takes care of her family, dresses well, makes good investments, and is kind to the poor. 

"Strength and dignity are her clothing and she laughs at the days to come." (v. 25) In another version it says "smiles at her future." We can only laugh and smile if we are confident that the Creator of the Universe is on our side. 

Whenever we have problems, we pray and pray and pray again. We will have been in business for 58 years by this October and God never disappoints. I’ve already forgotten exactly how that problem was resolved but I think it was because my assistant was a kababayan (from the same province) as that government inspector. She was able to persuade him to help us instead. Praise the Lord! 

High Praises

 “Let the high praises of God be in their throats!” Psalm 149:6

I am not always successful in waking up with praise and thanksgiving. “Word before the world” is what I always remind myself, but I usually turn on my phone to read what’s happened in the other side of the world while I slept. 

There is so much we take for granted, and there is so much to thank God for. Electricity, water, a bed to sleep in, a roof over our heads, family, friends, community, our work, etc. I thank God that I can walk, and talk, and sing. I am especially grateful I am not depressed like the more than 1 billion people worldwide with a mental health condition. That statistic comes from World Health Organization (WHO) report that came out this month. Millions grapple with anxiety and depression and often have no access to health care. 

I was listening to a woman who escaped from Saudi Arabia. Her own father forced her at 9 years old to marry a man who beat her every time she displeased him. She is now in the US, an activist trying to help trapped women like her, in other countries, and even in the States, where the Sharia law is obeyed. 

Let us never take our blessings for granted! We can build a home for the Lord in our hearts by praising Him. And let us in our little way, where we are, with what we have, share our blessings with others. 

“Lord let justice and praise

Become my embrace

To love You from the inside out

Everlasting

Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending

Your glory goes beyond all fame

And the cry of my heart Is to bring You praise

From the inside out

Lord my soul cries out

Everlasting

Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending

Your glory goes beyond all fame

And the cry of my heart Is to bring You praise”

( from Hillsong United, From the Inside Out) 

Take Nothing for the Journey

 “Take nothing for the journey..." Luke 9:3

My family knows that when I travel I make such a fuss about packing. The earlier I start packing, the more I bring. If I am going to a cold place, I think twice, thrice, four times about how many jackets, sweaters, blankets, and thermal underwear to bring. I always packed so much, because I also bring art materials, or a sewing kit, or both. But I'm not the only one who brings odd stuff on a journey. My brother once brought out some cheese and a cheese grater when we went to Coron. 

When Jesus sent the disciples on a mission to proclaim the good news, He told them to take nothing for the journey except a walking stick. No food, no traveling bag, no money. The disciples couldn't depend on anything but what they learned from listening to Jesus, and asking Him questions. Obviously, Jesus thought they were ready or He would not have sent them out to be laughed at or ridiculed. They passed the test because verse 12 and 13 says “they preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.”

We should try Jesus' way sometimes. I don't really mean going off without anything at all, but without the baggage of needing to wait for the right time to talk to others about faith and how God is just waiting for us to approach Him. Wherever we go, there are so many hurting people in the world, needing to hear about our Savior who cares, and who loves us enough to die for us. We are all called to be missionaries. 

Pope Francis in a 2015 Spiritual Reflection tells us: “It is Baptism that makes us missionaries. A baptized person who does not feel the need to proclaim the Gospel, to proclaim Jesus, is not a good Christian.”

No Typical Saint

 Today is the Feast Day of Saint Pius, or Padre Pio of Pietrelcina as he is more fondly called. 

My mom loved telling stories about Padre Pio. She would always ask him to intercede. One time my father was in the hospital, in great pain because of gallstones. She laid her hands on him, asking for Padre Pio’s intercession. My father is Methodist and didn’t believe in asking for saints to pray for us, but he was instantly relieved of his pain. So he asked my mom to continue to lay her hands on him. 

Another reason why Padre Pio is a favorite of mine is because he is no typical saint. He is not a saint who exhibited patience. On the contrary, Padre Pio had an awful temper. In spite of that, he was beatified in 1999 and canonized in 2002. From the age of 5, he knew he wanted to dedicate his life to serving God. At the young age of 15, he entered the noviciate of the Capuchin friars at Morcone. 

Padre Pio said, “The person who meditates and turns his mind to God, who is the mirror of his soul, seeks to know his faults, tries to correct them, moderates his impulses, and puts his conscience in order." Here we see this holy man’s advice to us who easily lose patience. We need to recognize our faults, try to correct them and moderate our impulses. Padre Pio also suggested weekly confession. Just as a regular cleaning of our homes is necessary, so too we should see what unnecessary baggage we carry in our souls. I am sure Padre Pio also experienced disappointment in himself, and that’s why he always said to his visitors, “Pray, hope and don’t worry.” 

Lord, thank You for the example of Your saints. They were not perfect but they lived their lives for You. May we too never give up striving to live holy lives, going back to You and drinking from the living water of Your Spirit. 

God’s Light Bearers

 “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.” Luke 8:16-17

I remember a very well known, very beautiful woman once commenting, “I don’t know why people would want to shake my hand. They don’t know what I was doing and where I came from.” I couldn’t forget her saying this when I was quite young because I remember wondering what could she have been doing to make her say that! All of us have secrets like the most embarrassing thing to have happened to us, or where we keep our passwords, but Jesus said in this same passage that there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, nothing secret that will not come to light. 

Today it is not politically correct, especially in the West, to talk about religion and politics. There’s a lot of talk about relativism and about how we should respect others’ beliefs. We tiptoe around sharing the truth, the Word of God, because what is my truth may not be another’s. This is another way the world wants to stifle us from telling others the Good News. We are God’s light bearers and what God has revealed to us, we should not hide or be shy about proclaiming. The disciples and the saints were willing to die to proclaim the truth. 

Last Saturday, September 20, was the feast day of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn and Saint Paul Chŏng Ha-sang and their companions who were beheaded in Korea for being Christians. The government in Korea tried to suppress the spread of Christianity, and over ten thousand believers were martyred, because these men and women were willing to die instead of snuffing out the light of the Good News. Today the Church in Korea is one of the most vibrant and fastest growing in the world. Roughly 31% of the population identify as Christian as of 2025.

Tomorrow is Padre Pio’s Feast Day, the favorite saint of my mom. Because of his stigmata, because he levitated and because of all the miracles, the Church was concerned and tried to hide him and restrict his activities. But one can’t hide the light! The light of what God wanted to do through this awesome saint showed through and they had to let Padre Pio do what God wanted to do through him, pray for people, hear confession, heal the sick and do extraordinary miracles! 

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16) 

Treasures n Heaven

 “Make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." Luke 16:10

We see a lot of people amassing wealth dishonestly. There are politicians who think nothing of commandeering the coffers of the nation to build mansions, buy luxurious cars, travel extravagantly, or construct monuments to themselves on our streets. They are the ones the prophet Amos pointed a finger at when he accused, “Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land…the Lord has sworn…never will I forget a thing they have done!” (Amos 8:4-7) 

But what about us? Are we aware that each of us are exiles in this place called earth and we are only passing through? Imagine if you will that we are in a foreign land, a poor little village in Africa. And amidst the squalor, we start to build a palace, and act as if we were going to stay there forever. But in a few days we are supposed to leave for home. Is it not a folly, a stupid thing to do? A waste? 

When what we should have been doing was building good relationships, and amassing wealth we can bring home?

Jesus is saying in this parable, that business people are shrewd because they think and plan ahead, and make good use of their money. Sons of light, or us Christians, should also be shrewd in thinking and planning for our future. We should use our money to lay treasures in heaven. 

Very Rich Soil

 “A sower went out to sow his seed.” Luke 8:5

In Jesus’ parable, when the sower went out to sow, the seeds fell on all sorts of soil. Some fell on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some fell on rich soil.

Sometimes when we’ve made a mistake, or even a multitude of mistakes, our hearts can be very rich soil which the Lord can use to plant seeds. But only if we realize it and move on. Humility is good fertilizer. Sometimes we are too full of ourselves, too busy to listen to the Lord, too full of anxiety, and trying to solve all our problems, that the seeds God plants are tossed here and there in the wind, finding no place in our hearts. 

Sometimes the seeds are strangled by thorns, when the world conspires to bring about confusion or deception. The good news is God has an abundance of good seed. Even if He has planted many that did not find rich soil in our hearts, every day that we come to Him, and sit at His feet, He generously sows more. There is no condemnation in God. We will only find love and generosity. 

Grateful

 “For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it. If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.” 1 Timothy 6:7-10

How appropriate is this letter of St. Paul to his younger coworker Timothy in this day and age. Indeed when we were born, we did not have a stitch of clothing on us. All we had was our breath to cry until our faces turned crimson! And when we die, no matter what we believe in, we will take nothing with us but what the grace of God allows us to bring. If we are blessed and have walked with Him, and made Him our friend, we will see Him face to face just as Abraham did. 

But if we do not walk with God, we may see something else when we die. In 2022, Dr. Paul Haduck of St. Joseph Mercy Health System, shared in a video about a young man who had been stabbed in the heart during a drug deal gone bad. When he was brought to the hospital, his chest was wide open and his surgeon, Dr. Forester, who was a Christian, fought heroically to save him. Dr. Forester said he wouldn’t let him go without a fight, he couldn't give up because his patient had not yet accepted the Gospel. The young man remained unconscious after multiple rounds of resuscitation even after they managed to bring back a faint pulse.

Then a miracle happened. After many hours, the patient opened his eyes and started to cry. “I met the devil," he said. “I saw you working on me-I was dead." He then recounted with horror being pulled straight into hell and staring into the eyes of the devil. He began to pray desperately for the first time in his life. “I promised God I would change my life. Then,” he said, “a force, like an angel lifted me out of hell and back into my body!” 

Dr. Haduck shared, “I'll never forget the look in his eyes when he woke up. The fear was real. Nobody could make up something like that. The last I heard, he had given his life to God and completely turned his life around. I believe with all my heart that he truly met the devil."

One of the best antidotes to not falling into the many traps in this world, is to take time each day to be intentionally grateful to God, to be content with what we have, and not feel the need to grasp for more, more, more. Jesus’ upside-down kingdom where it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), to be poor in spirit rather than to be rich in material things (Matthew 5:3), where the weak are strong (2 Corinthians 12:10), and the last are first (Matthew 2016), show us we have much to learn about the abundant life Jesus came to give us! 

There are a few daily exercises more effective than counting our blessings daily that can transform us deeply, that enables us to be more aware that as author and theologian Deitrich Bonhoeffer writes, “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” Yes! Truly rich and abundant! 🎶🎶🎶