Thy Will

“Let it be done to me according to Your Word."

 Luke 1:38

Your Word. When Mary proclaimed in faith that she wanted all that the angel said, she opened up a portal of blessing. At first she was deeply troubled as anyone would be with the visit of an angel, not an ordinary angel at that! It was no less than Angel Gabriel, one of the Archangels, special emissary of God, who was also sent to Daniel in the Old Testament to explain his visions. Gabriel told Mary that she found favor with God, and she had a very important mission. Gabriel also told her that nothing is impossible with God. 

What was Mary's response? "Yes. Let it be done to me!" I believe if we listen long and hard enough, staying silent before God, we will hear His still, small voice. He wants to speak to us, and I do believe we all have an important mission. But sometimes we can't keep still. Yes, we come before God in prayer, but our mind is filled with a cacophony of voices. I have to do this today. I have to buy this. I have to tell so and so this and that. I have to be at this place at this time. Where is the space for God to speak to us? But all is not lost. We can go to God's written word, the Bible. We do not need to strain to hear Him. He speaks loud and clear. His story of His love for us is written for all who want a portal of blessing to open up. 

Yes, Lord! Let it be done to me! Let me experience all the spiritual blessings You bestow upon me in Christ! You chose me to be full of love. Your will and pleasure is that I be Your beloved adopted daughter! (Ephesians 1:3-12)

Here is Your God!

“Say to those whose hearts are frightened: ​Be strong, fear not!

Here is your God, ​he comes with vindication; 

With divine recompense ​he comes to save you.”

 Isaiah 35:4

We are now on the 2nd week of Advent. Christmas songs have been playing on the airwaves since the -ber months. Malls and stores, even our papemelroti branches are decked with Christmas decor. But in the Catholic and some Christian liturgical calendars, Advent is a time to prepare for Christmas, not yet a time to sing Christmas carols, and decorate. The word “Advent” is from “Adventus”, a Latin translation of the Greek word “ parousia” which means presence or the coming of a dignitary or a king. It is a time of preparation, even penance, like Lent. Just as during Lent, we prepare our hearts for Easter, Advent is a time when we make ready for Jesus’ coming. 

There are many practices we can do to make this a special time. In my family, we have an Advent wreath and we pray and sing before dinner. We used to have in our office a manger for baby Jesus. Every time, any of us, including our employees, did a good deed, encouraged or helped someone, we put a piece of ‘straw’, a piece of yard or even a strip of paper, in the manger. All those good deeds made a soft bed for the child Jesus, and the baby Jesus was put in his manger at the end of Advent. 

In 2010, my sister Peggy created an ambitious Advent calendar made out of 25 Artist Trading Cards. Each card represented a symbol, like the Jesse Tree symbols, for a Bible story that can be read for each of the 25 days of December before and on Christmas Day. If we know the stories in the Old Testament, how our God has planned for all these years our salvation, we will receive Jesus in our heart with a pure, unadulterated joy! He is the fulfillment of all God’s plans to bring us home to Him! 

Day 2-God, Creation, Gen 1:1-2:3 - Tree

Day 3. - Adam and Eve, The First Sin, Gen 2:4-3:24 - Tree with Fruit or Apple

Day 4. - Noah, The Flood, Gen 6:11-22, 7:17-8:12, 20-9:17 - Rainbow and dove

Day 5. - Abraham, The Promise, Gen 12:1-7, 15:1-6 - Field of Stars

Day 24. - Magi, Worship, Matt 2:1-12 - Star

Day 19. - Habakkuk, Waiting, Hab 1:1-2:1, 3:16-19 - Stone Watchtower

Day 7. - Jacob, Assurance of the Promise, Gen 27:41- 28:22 - Ladder

Day 22. - Mary, The Hope for a Future, Luke 1:26-38 - Mary

Day 20. - Nehemiah, Return and Rebuilding, Neh 1:1-2:8, 6:15-16, 13:10-22 - City Wall

Day 14. - Samuel, The Beginning of the Kingdom, 1 Sam 3:1-21, 7:1-8:22, 9:15-10:9 - Crown

Day 12. - Joshua, The Fall of Jericho, Josh 1:1-11, 6:1-20 - Ram's Horn Trumpet

Day 21. - John the Baptist, Repentance, Luke 1:57-80, 3:1-207:18-30 - Scallop Shell

Day 17. - Hezekiah, Faithfulness and Deliverance, 2 Kng 18:1-19:19, 32-37 - An Empty Tent

Day 25. - Jesus, Birth of the Messiah, Luke 2:1-20 - Jesus

Day 23. - Joseph, Trust, Matt 1:19-25 - Carpenter's Hammer

Day 6. - Isaac Offering of Isaac, Gen 22:1-19 - Ram

Day 9. - Moses God's Leadership, Exod 2:1-4:20 - Burning Bush

Day 8. - Joseph God's Providence, Gen 37, 39:1-50:21 - Coat

Day 18. - Jeremiah The Exile, Jer 1:4-10, 2:4-13, 7:1-15, 8:22-9:1-11 - Tears

Day 10. - Israelites Passover and Exodus, Exod 12:1-14:31 - Lamb

Day 1. - Introduction of the Jesse Tree, Isa 11:1-10 1 Sam 16:1-13 - Stump

Day 11. - God, Giving the Torah at Sinai, Exod 19:1-20:20 - Tablets of the Torah

Day 13. - Gideon, Unlikely Heroes, Judg 2:6-23, 6:1-6, 11-8:28 - Clay Water Pitcher

Day 16. - Elijah, The Threat of False Gods, 1 Kng 17:1-16, 18:17-46 - Stone Altar

Day 15. - David, A Shepherd for the People, 1 Sam 16:1-23-17:58, 2 Sam 5:1-5, 7:1-17 - Shepherd's Crook

 Kendra Tierney was asked to write a book about The Jesse Tree liturgical practice. She found Peggy’s masterpiece and now the book is available here: https://stpaulcenter.com/product/o-come-emmanuel/

Make Straight

A voice of one is calling out, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness [remove the obstacles]; Make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged places a broad valley.

 (Isaiah 40:3-4, Amplified Bible)

Every Christmas, ever since I can remember, my father would play George Frideric Handel’s Messiah and we grew up listening to the rich and glorious oratorio of one of the greatest composers who ever lived. The Messiah begins with a mournful string overture, then a tenor sings the words of Isaiah 40. “Comfort Ye, comfort Ye my people, saith your God...The voice of him that cries in the wilderness; prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God...” 

The first time Handel’s Messiah was presented was for Easter 1742 in Dublin. There was a record breaking 700 attendees as the management had pleaded with the ladies not to wear “hoops” with their gowns so more could enter. It was not only Handel’s music that drew the crowd but many came to see and hear Susannah Cibber, the contralto, who was then the object of many wagging tongues for her part in a scandalous divorce. After many soloists and the chorus, it was Cibber’s turn and as she sang from Isaiah 53:3, “He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” so affected was the Rev. Patrick Delany that he leapt to his feet and cried out: "Woman, for this be all thy sins forgiven thee!"

I love reading conversion stories and sometimes I get the details all mixed up. Usually a man or a woman falls into sin, wantonness, addictions, criminality, unforgiveness, until they finally realize the desperation and futility of the life they have chosen. Perhaps someone, or a book, or a situation allows them to see themselves in the light of who God is. 

Here is one testimony: “It was there, laying on the floor that I found the reason for living. There on the floor as I listened to that man preach, I began to see how desperately wicked I was, that my entire existence thus far was an abomination in the light of the Author of all creation. It was there on the floor that the grim truth was revealed to me. All the motives, intents, and desires of my heart were exposed before the Living God...”

This Advent is the perfect time to see our life in the light of God’s love for us. Are we living the way our loving, eternal Father wants us to live, has planned for us? Advent is a time of repentance and reparation. “Make straight a highway for our God.” Pope Francis said, “The valleys to be lifted up represent all the shortcomings of our behavior before God, all our sins of omission. One shortcoming in our life could be the fact that we do not pray or that we pray little. Advent is thus a favorable time to pray with greater intensity...Another shortcoming could be a lack of charity for our neighbor, above all toward people most in need of help, not only material, but also spiritual...The mountains and hills that must be made low are pride, arrogance, insolence.” Speak Lord, and show me my sin before You! 

Without Cost You Have Received

“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Matthew 10:8

In another version of the Bible, we read, "The gift you have received, give as a gift." Sometimes we are so tight-fisted with what we have, forgetting that these are all gifts generously given to us by the Father. “For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you” (Luke 6:38).

I love rereading an old favorite, "Anne of Green Gables". The story is about a talkative young orphan girl who gets adopted by an elderly brother and sister. They actually wanted to adopt a boy to help with the farm, but because of a mistake, a girl was sent out to them. When they were going to return her to the orphanage, they decided to take pity on the poor child who set her heart on staying in Green Gables. They didn't regret it. In opening their hearts to Anne, they received so much love and blessing in return. That is fiction, but it's true of real life as well. Closing our hearts and hands makes it hard for anything to come out or in. 

We have so much to give, not only money or material resources. A nurse's aid in a hospital named Betty was generous with her love, compassion and encouragement for her elderly patients. She befriended one old lady who had a prolonged stay in the hospital and managed to make her more comfortable. They shared lots of stories together until the old lady knew that Betty needed furniture for her apartment, and how much she wanted to be an illustrator. When the old lady passed away, she left Betty her nice furniture  with a note, "Betty, I promise to put in a good word for you in Heaven so you can get the job you’ve always wanted.” Three months after, Betty got an illustrating job! 

Lord, may we always look for ways to be generous with what You have given us. May we share not only our treasures, but also our time and our talent. May we have a heart for the people You love, the lost, the least and the last in line.

I Want to See!

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” The blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. 

(Matthew 9:27-31)

The blind men in the 9th chapter of Matthew asked Jesus to heal them and He did. Their eyes were opened and they could see. 

I can see. You can see. But we can still ask Jesus, "I want to see." 

There are things happening in the spiritual realm, wars and deceptions, strategizing and maneuverings targeted against us that influence our lives more than we know. There's a bullseye on our back, for goodness sake!!!! We want to know, so we can use weapons that are made for the enemy and not the puny ones we throw at them. When someone at work talks behind our back, when our neighbor annoys us, when things go wrong all at the same time, what weapons do we use? We become quarrelsome, indignant, vengeful, we fight back. BUT if we know that our office mate is not the enemy, our neighbor isn't either, or any one making us feel hurt or defeated, we should pull out our manual, find out what weapons we have in our arsenal to fight the unseen enemy. Ephesians 6:12 in our manual tells us our war is not against flesh and blood, physical opponents, but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. 

The preacher, Priscilla Shirer, tells a story of her cousin Jonathan who sometimes stands the prescribed distance from a Planned Parenthood center near his office. He can't go near, and has to wait for someone to approach him before he can talk to them. Most of the time he gets a lot frustrated because he feels so useless and ineffective. One time, he saw a van pull up to the parking lot. There was a young girl inside, 17 years old maybe, and a grey haired man driving. He realized there was a discussion going on, because the engine would go on and off. That's when he realized that he didn't need to talk to anyone. He could use the weapon of prayer, and fight for LIFE, right where he was. He prayed, and prayed, and prayed, until the van finally roared off. 

Lord, I want to see. I want to see what the enemy is trying to do in my life, in my family, in my workplace, in my community, in the church, in my country. Help me to pray constantly so I may activate the armor and weapons You have provided me with. Thank You that evil will not triumph, and You have made a way for us to be victorious, not only in the end, but even now! 

Be Wise!

“Anyone who hears My words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who builds his house on rock.” Matthew 7:24

Many buildings have collapsed in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria. That is because developers have to build on swampy ground. They need to spend more money, time, and expertise on the foundation of the building. Sometimes more than half of the cost of the building is spent on the foundation and still the building falls. 

Many people like to “experiment” with their lives. We already have a manual given by our Creator, our “manufacturer”. If we follow His instructions, we are guaranteed fullness of life. We do not need to be an expert to know that car maintenance is important if we want to keep and improve our car’s performance. We need to bring it to a qualified center for scheduled service check ups specified in the manual. What makes us think we “know” how to live our lives without going back to our manual, the Bible? 

Sometimes when we look around, all we see is shaky ground. That was the challenge that faced the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. He was asked to build the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo on land that was a slush of soft mud. Tokyo is a city that averages 2000 earthquakes a year. It is so seismically active that in 2011, Tokyo experienced more than 10,000 earthquakes! What did Wright do? First, he made sure to float a solid foundation on the 60 foot layer of soft mud underneath the hotel. The building withstood the worst earthquake in 52 years while many buildings around it fell. 

Even if all around us is confusion, fake news, relative truths, we need to build our life on rock, the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. 

Holding on to God’s Promises

The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?” Matthew 15:33

The disciples still thought this way after they saw Jesus healed the blind, the deformed, the lame and the mute. They were still caught in denial after they witnessed the miracles of Jesus. By this time they had already been privy to Jesus turning water into wine, walking on water, feeding a crowd of 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, exorcising a demon possessed man and raising a dead young girl to life. 

We too can get hopeless when we are faced with sickness, and so many other desperate situations. It’s like all we see is that we are helpless in the face of it. 

I have pulmonary hypertension and I am on oxygen 24/7. When I read about my condition it says that there is no cure and life expectancy is about two years. I have no problem about leaving this earth sooner rather than later but there are many people I care about who care about me. So instead of reading about my condition, I concentrate on what God says about it. I printed His words and taped it on my wall and I read it every day. 

In Jeremiah 17:14, we can confess with the prophet, “Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." I repeat, “Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you…"  from Exodus 23:25. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.... I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” God Himself reassures us in Isaiah 41:10 and Jeremiah 30:17. And my particular favorite: “Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

Whatever our “hopeless and desperate” situation, we need to find God’s promises and declare them aloud. Faith comes from hearing the word of God, St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans (10:17). In the Bible there are more than 7,000 promises of God, and for sure there is a specific promise we can claim for our challenge, whether it is about money, a loved one, health, or needing guidance. We just need to find it, claim it, and be assured that God will stand by His word. 

Eyes to See

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” Luke 10:23-24

There are many unexplainable things that happen in this world. When my son and nephew were too young to speak well, but could understand already, we found out that they both could point out from among the many, many pictures on their lolo’s mirror, who Jing was. They had never seen Jing, the first husband of my sister Peggy, on this earth, because he had died a couple of years before they were born. One day, while being held, standing in front of this big mirror with several pictures, someone asked them to point to their grandparents, aunties and uncles, etc., and they never missed. On a whim, they were asked to point to the picture of Jing, and we were all amazed that they both pointed unerringly to the right picture! 

In the same passage from Luke 10, Jesus claims, “...although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned You have revealed them to the childlike.” Two days ago, a very good man died. He had a missionary spirit, consistently helping the poor, even those who lived far away in the mountains. He loved the people God loved. When he passed away, his young grandchild said that Mama Mary fetched him. What a consolation to the family he left behind! 

I believe there are many things that happen in the spiritual realm that only the humble of heart, the lowly, the childlike, see. If we continue to trust in God, to pray, and read His word this advent, we will be able to see with the eyes of faith what God wants us to see. This world is passing away before our very eyes. Let us choose to see the eternal. 

Confess Him Lord

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

There are many businessmen and world leaders who are already super successful, super powerful, but keep wanting more and more. Nothing this world offers is enough for them. There are many sports stars who have achieved the pinnacle of success and found they were still searching for more. 

One of them is retired cornerback Deion Sanders. His list of career highlights is so long, I got tired of scrolling down the page.  He is a two time Super Bowl champion and 8 time Pro Bowl champion. He was one of the biggest, most famous, richest superstar athletes in the world with a $10,000 bed in a $5.7 million dollar home and a collection of luxury cars, but he just felt empty. In 1997, he drove his car off a cliff, intending to end it all but he survived what was a 30- to 40-foot drop without much injury. 

“I was going through the trials and tribulations of life. I was pretty much running on fumes,” he said. “I was empty, no peace, no joy. Losing hope with the progression of everything.” He felt so lonely even if he had everything and achieved everything he could ever want. 

One day, after searching and talking to his Christian friends, this happened: “ I was lying there in bed about four o’clock in the morning when I was awakened by these awesome lights in my room. I say it was like a 747 had landed beside my bed, and there was this incredible rush of wind that felt like a helicopter had come in with it.” 

“I remember opening my eyes just the slightest bit and saying, ‘God, if that’s You, take me! Take me, Lord,’ and I was trembling all over. Before long it was silent and the lights disappeared, and later that night I got up and opened my Bible to a passage that said, ‘If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation’ (Romans 10:9-10). The words hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew they were meant for me and at that precise moment I was delivered.”

Today he is so vocal about how he got saved, and he puts in time helping troubled youth find meaning in their life. Deion said, “Sports is sports, it’s a game. My faith is everything. It’s the gas that propels the courage, the truth, keeps me going. It’s the wind, it’s the wings, it’s the air that pumps into my lungs, that provokes me to live. Faith is everything.”

Lord, may we not believe that conquering the world lies in getting all we want from it. May we not be captivated by all that is enticing in the world. May we go after the one true treasure, You! 

Be Watchful!

 "Be watchful!" Mark 13:33

Finally, Advent begins, and the Gospel starts with the words, "Be watchful! Be alert!" We will continue to have readings about waiting, preparation, the light in the darkness, and the coming of the promised Messiah.

In our gift business, we begin preparing for Christmas in July. Our designs for the planners, calendars, cards have to be readied for printing. We start prototypes for new items, for nativity sets, etc. We have been in business since 1967. That's 53 years! But I still have to say with a moan, that we have never been fully ready for Christmas, and for this year, even less so! There's still, "Why didn't we do this?" "Why isn't this ready?" "We forgot to do this again?!!!"

And how about my heart? There's a constant struggle to balance the side of me that has to prepare for the commercial side of Christmas, with the inner preparations of my heart. There's that constant effort to remind our customers to buy their gifts early. We spruce up our stores way before the real Christmas season begins, ignoring the significance of Advent.

How do I stay watchful in the way Jesus meant in Mark 13:33? I need to be alert to what the Lord wants to give me, to be ready and eager to receive His gifts! The gift of hope, peace, love and joy are wonderful, wonderful gifts, much more precious than anything we can find under the most marvelous of trees! I need to keep a listening ear, to hear what He wants to say to me. I need to create a space for God to show up. Just in today's readings, in Isaiah63, Psalm 80, 1 Corinthians 1, and Mark 13, there was just sooo sooo much to ponder and get excited about, and to keep in my heart. All God wants is for us to be fully alive, to thrive, to have a life brimming with joy, not exhausted with the buying and wrapping of gifts, not lonely in the midst of the crowd! But joyful and eager, and yes, grateful!

Maranatha! Lord Jesus come! 

Pray, Pray, Pray

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36

I doubt if many people take Jesus’ warning seriously because it is after all, about the end of the world. But His advice is valuable for this strange age we are living in. First, He tells us to beware when our hearts may be weighed down by carousing or drunkenness. I’ve never engaged in dissolute behavior while in a drunken revel and I assume it will not be pleasant the morning after. But Jesus puts being weighed down by the anxieties of life on the same level as carousing and drunkenness! Anxieties I am familiar with! I sometimes literally get breathless when signing many checks at a time! I know it is because the times are not normal. For months, all our stores were closed, and the only income we had was coming in from online sales which was not enough to pay for our expenses! 

I know Jesus is talking about the end of the world, but if our hearts and minds are filled with anxiety, it can also feel like we are being trapped between a precipice and a hard place with nowhere to turn. What is the solution Jesus gives us? He says to “be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)

There is a lot to be gained by following Jesus’ teaching. Be on the watch. Observe what is happening. Be open to new opportunities. Don’t be consumed by what ifs, but be mindful of the present so we can act accordingly. And then, even more importantly, pray, pray, pray. My sisters and I have been praying together every day on Viber. We take turns leading. I have to confess placing all the concerns of our business, my health, my brother’s health, all those who are sick, etc., before God’s throne, has mitigated in no small way my panic attacks. Also, one of my sisters signs all the checks first. That has also made a difference. When we pray, God helps us, giving us small and big concrete solutions to “escape” our anxieties and enable us to “stand”. Especially sometimes when we feel we do not know what we are doing. When it seems there is no way, God can make a way. That is my constant refrain these days! 

Lift Up Your Head

“At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:27-28

We have seen many apocalyptic movies, scenarios of the end times. I am sure the reality will be much more horrifying and harrowing. Heavenly bodies will behave abnormally, and there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars. We will not be safe anywhere as the seas and land masses will move erratically. And Jerusalem will be besieged with armies.

But Jesus says in Luke 21, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” He is telling us not to be afraid when we experience these things. We can even be filled with expectant faith, not anxiety. 

The same is true when we are undergoing challenges and trials. We can feel desperate when we are sick and in pain, when someone we love is experiencing something terrible. This year 2020 has been full of tribulations we have never expected. So many have lost their jobs and businesses. So many have lost their homes. Some have even lost family and friends. It is like the apocalypse in some way for many people. 

How will we be able to lift our heads and look towards the sun? By knowing that God is in control. When He allows something to touch our lives, we need to take time to pray, listen to Him and see what He wants us to learn, what opportunities He is giving us in the midst of the chaos. He never leaves us without inner resources if we walk with Him. There is always grace available. Even when all seems dark, God can make a way when there seems to be no way. 

Father, I pray for all those who are reading this now. You know what they are going through, what trials and challenges they face. May they come to You with expectant faith, knowing You are the giver of all good things. There is nothing You will not do for them if it is for their good. Show them Your face, and show them the gifts You have for them. In Jesus mighty name, amen. 

Everything Passing Away

“The heavens and the earth will pass away, but My words will not pass.” —Luke 21:33

If one goes to Rome, it is not unusual when walking on the sidewalk to see an ancient column coming out of the pavement. Our guide told us that many a building project had to be stopped because they found ancient ruins in the proposed site. One of the important tourist attractions in the city is the Roman Forum or the Foro Romano. It is now all in ruins except for some impressive columns still standing or tumbled to the ground. It’s hard to imagine that for many centuries, the fate of Europe was decided on this very spot. It was the political, religious and commercial hub for more than a thousand years, with grand and impressive government buildings, temples, and market halls. The area was uncovered underneath 15 meters of dirt and rubble in the 18th and 19th century excavations after being used as a cow pasture! 

I’ve never been to New York, but one of the sites one never missed when going there before was the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan. 1 World Trade Center and 2 World Trade Center were the tallest buildings in the world when they were completed in 1973. It symbolized the power of America. What remains of this imposing structure now after the unthinkable happened on September 11, 2001? After the attacks, even scenes featuring the iconic buildings were deleted from some movies and TV shows! 

Do we live our life as if we will live forever? What are we investing more of our time, effort and treasure in? Even the most powerful men and women, the richest, the most influential or popular, will one day disappear from the face of the earth. They will only live on in what they have done or failed to do for their fellow men. Let us ponder what we will be remembered as, by our families and friends, co-employees, school mates, and neighbors. Have we lived by what Jesus taught on the sermon on the mount? We will be judged by God’s words which, unlike stone and steel, will not pass away. 

Advent

“You will even be betrayed by parents,

brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death.” Luke 21:16

In today’s modern world it is staggering to discover that eleven people are killed every day just for being Christian. This is a statistic from Open Door’s World Watch List. The most dangerous places to be a Christian includes North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen, Iran and even India. To say “yes” to Jesus in these countries and many others means persecution, being cut off from government services like water, and even imprisonment. Many converts have to live their faith in secret, or face violent intense pressure from family to renounce their faith. And yet in spite of persecution and discrimination, there are 100-200 million Christians alleged to be under assault who still keep their faith. The majority are persecuted in Muslim-majority nations. 

We are so free here in the Philippines to express our faith, even announce it on billboards. We do not get surprised to see a Bible verse on a huge sign along the highway, or illuminated in lights in a tall building. Sometimes when we have a guest from abroad they tell us that having a sign like that is illegal in their country. They cannot even say “Merry Christmas” for fear of offending someone! They have to say “Happy Holidays” instead. They cannot put a nativity scene in public property. How terribly sad that people want to celebrate during this time of the year, give gifts, decorate their homes, but refuse to acknowledge the birthday celebrant! 

The advent season is almost upon us. Let us make the most of this to make a place in our hearts for Jesus! I do not remember a time when there has been so many free Advent recollections and reflections available online. That is one wonderful thing that has come out of this extended lockdown due to the virus. Thank You Jesus! 

Countdown

Then they asked Him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to take place?” Luke 21:7

All three of the Catholic readings today, Revelation 14:14-19, Psalm 96, and Luke 21:5-11, are about the end of the world. I suppose this is because we are approaching the liturgical season of Advent. 

One night I had the strangest dream about of all things, the end of the world. There was a giant computer screen in the sky that everybody around the world could see, and a woman’s automaton voice was warning of the coming apocalypse. The screen was filled with swirling masses of gas, and a countdown, and lots of other changing images. The strange thing was almost no one was minding it. We were in an amazing theme park, and even if people could hear the countdown, people were running around trying to find the most exciting ride, the best blockbuster attraction. People were laughing, talking to each other, pulling each other to and fro. 

Isn’t that a picture of what’s happening in the world? In the Bible, there are several warnings about the end of the world. It may not happen to everyone at the same time, but for each and everyone of us, the end of the world will come. My neighbor, the one who gayly waves at me from across his car and gives us gifts every Christmas, his end of the world came and I I will never see him again in this side of the world. So many we have been praying for healing from Covid 19 went ahead of us. 

We live our lives as if there is no end in sight. But there is a countdown for each of us as surely as there was a visible one in my dream. No doubt God wants us to enjoy ourselves in this beautiful world He gave us, BUT He reminds us to live bearing in mind what is important. “Be serious and sober-minded so you can pray. Love one another intensely. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Use your gifts to serve others. In all things, may God be glorified.” (1 Peter 4:7-11)

King over our Checkbook?

Jesus said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” Luke 21:3-4

The story in the Gospel of St. Luke about the poor widow giving 2 copper coins is difficult for me to deal with.

Jesus says the widow with her meager offering gave much more than the rich people who put in much more money. It is true, hers was a sacrificial offering. She gave much more than she could afford!

How much did it cost me to give what I gave to the victims of Typhoons Ulysses and Rolly? I have to confess that after what we gave, we still eat good food, and we were still able to pay for cable TV and internet and everything we already consider ‘essential’. Jesus is watching and He definitely won't say, "Patsy gave of her livelihood."

Yesterday was Christ the King Sunday, instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in response to the secularism, the atheistic and totalitarian regimes of that time.

Christ came to establish His Kingdom. His Kingdom is not like the Kingdoms of this world. People admire philanthropists who give millions to charity. Would they see, like Jesus, the poor widow who gave 2 copper coins? Would they laud her for it? Mother Teresa was always praising the poor she served. She had witnessed first hand how they were generous with the little that they had. When she would give rice and food, either the mother or a child would run out with half of what Mother Teresa brought to share with another destitute family. Generosity is a Kingdom value. If we want Jesus to reign in our hearts, we have to have him reign over our wallets and checkbooks as well!

The God Box

“Beside restful waters He leads me;

He refreshes my soul.

He guides me in right paths

for His name's sake.” Psalm 23:3

Psalm 23 is very comforting. Verse 4 continues, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me...” If we walk with God, we need never be afraid. 

In the book, “The God Box: Sharing My Mother’s Gift of Faith, Love and Letting Go”, author Mary Lou Quinlan tells the story of her mother and how she put all her prayers in her “God Box”. When her mother died, she found not one but ten boxes full of prayers, big and small. Her mother started the practice in the mid-1980s when a friend noticed that she would listen to many peoples’ concerns and pray for them. Her friend suggested she write these down and put it in a box. After that, when she would learn about someone’s problem, she would say, “I’ll put it in the God box.”

When her daughter talked to her about changing her flooring, she would write, “Please let Mary Lou’s Pergo floor be the right choice”. When her father suffered a stroke that affected his speech, there were many, many prayers that went into the box for that. Each dream, each decision, each desperate prayer would find its way into her mom’s God box. 

This reminds me of the practice of Pope Francis putting prayers under his statue of a sleeping Saint Joseph. He invites Saint Joseph to “sleep on it”. We know that Saint Joseph received the very important warning about the danger of King Herod while he was asleep! 

Wherever we keep our prayers, when we whisper them in God’s ear, or shout it out in desperation, I know He keeps it close to His heart. He even keeps our tears as it says in Psalm 56:8: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.” He is our good shepherd and He will always answer our prayers in a way that is best for us. We need only to trust in Him. 

Alive and Well

“In the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” Luke 20:37-38

We have all lost loved ones and it is a reassurance for us for sure that Jesus says irrevocably that God is God of the living. One day I will see my parents again, and my brother-in-law Jing who was very instrumental in the growth of my faith. He died of melanoma when my niece was very young. We were all very young. 

I remember the first time I saw Jing. My sisters, my mom and I attended an Easter celebration of the Catholic community I am now a part of, Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (The Joy of the Lord). He was up on stage and part of the vibrant music ministry. One couldn’t miss him! I remember being so exhilarated, so high and happy. When my sister saw him in the same school she studied in, she gave him a big smile. He invited her to Ang Ligaya’s evangelistic Coffee House events for young people. 

Eventually when he started visiting my sister, he gave us The Joy of Discovery bible studies. When a guy starts courting someone in the family, he is usually very careful. Not Jing. He was a very dominant personality. Our bible study was not your boring bible study where the teacher goes on and on and the students nod off. We had to be very creative! I was assigned the Book of Maccabees and I made paper dolls of the mother and seven sons. While I told the story, I cut off their hands and feet with scissors and put them in a frying pan. I forget who made a shadow play and who had to enlist my father as a sound talent. Even my mother had to make some effort presenting her bible story.

When we asked Jing to help us with our Christmas performance in the small prayer group we were attending, he had us audition for him so he knew the range of our voices. That did not sit well with one of my sisters who stomped up to her room in protest. Come the day of the performance, Jing “conducted” us, and it went very well with all the different voices. My sister relented and joined us as she could hear all our practicing. 

I have very fond memories of Jing, and how he loved to matchmake, and get involved in everything. Even when he lay, weak and in pain, in his hospital bed a few days before he died, he called me over to ask me how I was doing and what was happening. He stayed in the UST Hospital for a month before he left us. People in the reception of UST thought there was a celebrity in the room because of all the visitors and flowers. 

It is wonderful to know we will all see Jing again. He composed the most beautiful praise songs! I can imagine him singing with the choirs of angels and probably bossing them around! Ha ha! Yes, he is alive and probably just as involved in our lives as he was before. He now has a beautiful grandchild and I am sure he is in fellowship with his parents and my parents, and with the saints and angels praying for him and all of us. 

Boring?

“And every day He was teaching in the temple area...all the people were hanging on His words.” Luke 19:47-48

Such a pity that Jesus’ words when He taught in the temple every day were not recorded. In John 21:25, the gospel author wrote: “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” I can imagine how enthralled the people were, just as the two disciples were enthralled with His teachings as Jesus spoke to them on the way to Emmaus. 

Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself! ....They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:25-32) 

Would we like our hearts to burn within us? To be excited about God and His words? Do we find it frustrating that sometimes we do not understand the Bible, or it can be so boring to read it? I think of the Bible as one of those magnificent palaces with many rooms and corridors, many doors we have to walk through. As we get familiar with the layout, we won’t get lost anymore. As we get to know whose portraits are on the walls, “This is King David, and this is Father Abraham, and this, this is Moses when he was a baby rescued by the Egyptian princess...”, we will get more and more involved in the story of a people. It’s not just any story. It is a love story, and it is a story where we have a very special part. 

We are heirs of this amazing palace, this Kingdom that is not of this world. Our patient and loving Father did not leave us without a key to it, and that key is the Bible. Sometimes, when I get very lost, I find guides to help me, the Church Fathers, the Saints, talks on YouTube by Scott Hahn and Steve Ray and Brant Pitre to explain how the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old revealed and fulfilled. Then it becomes exciting how the details match and connect. The old palace becomes very much alive and relevant! I can imagine that this is how Jesus taught, no wonder the crowds hung on to His every word! 

If My People

“For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:43-44

This is the desolate fate for the city prophesied by Jesus as he approached Jerusalem. Was punishment coming because the Jews did not recognize Him? True enough, in 70 AD., the Romans leveled the magnificent city of Jerusalem until all the buildings and the Temple were like a desert country. No more were the famed towers and colonnades and pleasant gardens. More than one million people were killed in the first Jewish-Roman war, including foreigners who visited for Passover and were trapped in the city by the revolt. According to the historian Josephus: “Round the altar the heaps of corpses grew higher and higher, while down the Sanctuary steps poured a river of blood and the bodies of those killed at the top slithered to the bottom.”

I don’t know about you but what is happening to our country seems to me to be very like a judgment. It started in January with the rumblings of Taal Volcano. We all prayed hard that it would not erupt and God mercifully gave us a miracle. Then this pandemic that has already claimed 1.3 million lives worldwide,  with 7,957 deaths in the Philippines. And then came the back to back super typhoons Rolly and Ulysses which made rivers of raging waters of our low lying cities. 

If this isn’t punishment, then it is a warning of worse things to come if we do not change our ways. We may say what can I do about what our leaders are doing? What can I do about corruption, about the denuding of our mountains, about the spread of fake news and all the selfishness. We can take to heart what God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If MY PEOPLE, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 

Are we part of a people peculiarly His own like the Jews were? Then we have it within us to change the course of a nation. God said it and I believe it.