God’s Limitless Love

“Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.” Matthew 21:33

The man in Jesus’ story does not seem to be a wise businessman at all. He spends a lot of money planting a vineyard, building the wall around to protect it, providing a winepress, a  vat, and a lookout tower. Then he leases his property to tenant farmers and goes far away on a journey. 

At harvest time, he sends a servant to  the vineyard to collect his portion of the fruit. The tenants beat the servant and send him away empty. Every time the owner sends someone, the vine-growers either harm the servant or kill him. Finally, the man sends his beloved son thinking the tenant farmers will respect his only son. Alas! The farmers had other plans, and wanted the inheritance of the land for themselves! They killed the son and threw his body outside the vineyard. 

No, he is not a wise businessman at all! This is a story of the limitless love of God. He provides everything we need for us to bear abundant fruit. Most of the time we think what we have is ours, the fruit is ours, the time we have on this earth is ours. We claim the gifts without thanking the giver, without giving back to Him what is His. We accumulate and accumulate without asking the “landlord” what He wants us to do with His property, His vineyard, with the life He has loaned to us. 

How amazing is our God, that He showers us with gifts, and leaves us to multiply and use them! We are mere stewards of His property. He gives generously at first, and waits patiently for us to give Him good fruit. The more we give Him, the more generous He is with us! Woe to those who do not realize this! Like the tenants in the story, they too will be destroyed by their own greed and blindness! 

Chosen

I recently finished three art pieces for a fund raising for a friend, Ampi Teotico, who passed away after a courageous 52-day battle in the ICU, leaving her family with significant financial burdens during their time of grief. 

“Granja dela Huerta”

This is a diptych, and is called, “Pueblo del Lago”. 

“Pueblo de Montaña”

To see other art included in the art sale, click here: 

 https://artforampi.my.canva.site/ 

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one.” Psalm 89:3

I find it amazing that God chose to bind Himself with an imperfect people, a people He knew would sin again and again and again. A people who would reject Him again and again and again. He knew that for sure. It happened with Adam and Eve, it happened with Noah, it happened with Abraham, and Moses and David. It continually happens with me 😭. And yet God persists. He binds Himself to me in an unequal yoke. 

Usually contracts are made when parties can exchange something of value. What can I give the Creator of the Universe? What does He want from me? His gifts far exceed what I deserve! What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me? (Psalm 116:12) This Lent, I can look for ways to give Him my heart, my love, and to be more faithful to His call. He deserves nothing less.

I used to enjoy playing Monopoly, having so much money to buy up the best locations for my hotels and railroads. But after the game, that paper money is worthless. The same is true with the money we work so hard to acquire here on earth. The same is true for whatever we accomplish here on earth. Popularity, the number of cars we have, the nice dresses and bags, all worthless. God calls us to love and serve Him, and His people, to give food to the hungry, to visit the inmates in the crowded jails, to pray for each other. These are the commodities that will give us treasures in heaven. God has made a covenant and He will fulfill His part of the bargain, His eternal faithfulness to us! 

Tortuous Heart

“More tortuous than all else is the human heart...who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9

In other versions of the Bible, the heart is described as deceitful, sick, corrupt, incurable, weak, perverse, and desperately wicked! I would like to vehemently disagree, but sadly, there are so many horrible and inexplicable things that have happened and continue to happen in the world! 

In this same chapter of Jeremiah, we read that only God can understand our hearts and minds. He can probe it like a surgeon can use his tools to examine and explore our bodies. If only God can do this, perhaps we can only fathom the tortuous heart of man through the lens of compassion, which is how God sees us. I try to remember the adage, "There, but for the grace of God, go I", before judging others. I am not always successful. Hopefully I shall get better at it! 

 

This was allegedly stated by John Bradford when he saw a group of prisoners being led to their execution: “Indeed, if I was not born to parents who had the fear of God and taught my brother and sisters right from wrong, where would I be now? What kind of a person would I be?”

Lord, My heart might rebel against You, but You have ransomed me and taken me for Your own! Help me to choose You always! May I obey You so You can tame my tortuous heart! 

Use Reason

“Come now, let us reason together...” Isaiah 1:18

Here it is as if God is saying to us, there is a reason for our hope. We do not have to take everything the Lord says by faith. When He teaches us His ways, there is good judgment behind it. Daily we strive to pray, read His Word, obey Him, do good deeds especially during Lent. The world and all its dissenting voices may tell us we are crazy because there is no god. If there is a god, he does not care. 

But I see there is a God, and He does care. If we really want to know Him, He made a way through the Bible. But how do we know the Bible is true? God has blessed us with evidence, overwhelming facts to fight deception. During the holocaust over 20,000 Torah scrolls were destroyed, and the attacks against the Bible and God’s Word continues on. But just as Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.” In John 17:17, Jesus claimed, “Thy Word is truth.” If the Bible is true, then it has to have been transmitted accurately from ancient times. Tens of thousands of manuscripts dating from 250 BC, 2 silver amulets dating from the time of Hezekiah with the Aaronic blessing, a 24 ft. long complete scroll of Isaiah, and overwhelmingly so much much more, show us the Word we have in our hands today is 95% accurate. The 5% difference is just minor variations in spelling, and word order, and have nothing to do with the message. There are 3000 surviving handwritten copies of the Iliad, but there are over 42,000 handwritten copies of the Bible today. 

Yes, let us reason with the Lord. He is not a God who is a dictator who wants us to just follow Him without knowing why. He woos us because He loves us. “I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (Rev. 3:20) Yes Lord, I hear Your voice, and there is nothing I want more than to be friends with You! 

Provision for Our Waywardness

“Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low.” Psalm 79:8

"The good news is that God has made provision for our waywardness. He has given us the great gift of repentance.” I took note of this from the meditation booklet, “The Word Among Us”. I don't know why, but I like the word “waywardness". Somehow it does not sound so bad! But the truth of the matter is that sin is sin, whether it is serious or not. Mostly because small sins lead to big sins. Take David’s idleness which led him to murder the husband of the woman he lusted after. Then there's Saul, whose impatience progressed to rebellion against God! 

It is good to look at our ways honestly and see if there are little sins (sometimes we don't even  consider them as sins!) like telling white lies, unkindness, inconsideration, unmindfulness, impatience, lack of generosity, etc., and then repent and try to do better.

We visited the comfortable home, Les Buissonnets, of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus in Lisieux several years ago during a pilgrimage. Her life became more vivid to me as I stared at her bed where she lay sick of a mysterious illness when she was just 10 years old. My impression of Saint Thérèse was that she was quite spoiled, as she got into temper tantrums frequently and even unreasonableness, but she entered the Carmelite Convent at the age of 15. While there, she confessed that she had a difficult nature and always struggled with even the small things. Through God’s grace, she shared with the Church her “Little Way”, the “the way of spiritual childhood, the way of trust and absolute surrender” and humility before God. She had learned to offer to God even her mundane chores like folding napkins, and doing it with great love for Him. Indeed, we may be brought very low when we think of our many sins. But when we repent, God’s compassion can lift us up the same way He did with Saint Thérèse, who eventually was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997. Her spirituality and profound insights, known as the "little way," emphasized humility, trust, and a childlike approach to holiness, which resonated with many.

Who Else but God?

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?” Psalm 27:1

My sister Tina and her husband Pat decided to make the two day journey to Nagasaki from their home in Nagano, Japan. I asked Tina if there’s anything she found there in Nagasaki about Takashi Nagai as his name keeps coming up in the Hallow app’s meditations for Lent. And she responded there’s so so much about Takashi Nagai. I had never heard of him previously and I find his story fascinating especially as it is set against the backdrop of Japan where an estimated 2,000 Christians were martyred for their faith. 

Takashi is just one of the many converts in Japan who decided to follow Jesus. For the Japanese converts it was so difficult as many of them were crucified, hung upside down in excrement, whipped until death, and had to endure many different kinds of torture. 

Takashi was raised according to the teachings of Confucius and the Shinto religion. He became a Catholic convert after his mother died and he stayed with the Moriyamas, a pious Catholic family. The mourning young man later wrote, “I was so sure that there was no such thing as a soul. But my mother's eyes told me that the human spirit lives after death. I could not but believe this.” He became a doctor and devoted his life to prayer, healing, service and forgiveness. 

Even after he survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945, where thousands of people, including his beloved wife, Midori, were reduced to ashes, he continued to heroically help the wounded without medicine or supplies. In one of the twenty books he eventually wrote, he said that in those days of tremendous suffering, something amazing happened. ‘An undeniable hope awakened in Takashi’s heart. A newness, a life far stronger than all the death and destruction he surveyed rose up in him.’ He wrote, “I felt liberated. I felt that I had to seek the kingdom and His righteousness.”

Who else but God can give light in the darkness, and hope amidst horrific destruction? 

The Way to God’s Heart

Moses spoke to the people, saying: “This day the Lord, your God, commands you to observe these statutes and decrees….with all your heart and with all your soul…you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, …and you will be a people sacred to the Lord, your God, as he promised.” Deuteronomy 26:16-19

Obedience is very important to God. In 1 Samuel 15:22, we read, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” 

King Saul had to learn the hard way that God was displeased with him because of his disobedience. In Deuteronomy 8, a chapter in the Old Testament Jesus liked to quote from, we see a picture of what we would be like if we disobeyed God. Verse 19 reads, “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods...you will certainly be destroyed.” 

In the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” written by Oscar Wilde in 1890, it tells of a handsome man who had his portrait painted. Gray, in his vanity, sells his soul to preserve his looks and ensure that the painting would age instead of him! Not only did the painting age, it showed evidence of every sin and crime Gray committed as he slipped more and more into an amoral and decadent lifestyle. 

It may be that we live a righteous life, we fast on days we are obligated to, we pray for an hour every day, and we give alms to the poor. What is the portrait of our soul that God sees? Are we obedient to Him, humble not arrogant, loving and forgiving towards our neighbors? Or are we like the Pharisees who like to make an outward show of their holiness and obedience to the smallest letter of the law? 

Father, show us the way to Your heart! 

I Cry to You

“Out of the depths, I cry to You, O Lord; Lord hear my voice!” Psalm 130:1

We do not need to shout, we do not need a bullhorn or megaphone so that God can hear us. He can hear our whispers, our whimpers, and the more contrite and humble we are, the louder our prayers are to Him. Sometimes our silence resonates more than our words. 

Mother Teresa said, “In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.”

Can we be silent this Lent? So that God can fill us with Himself? I think that is something to look forward to. Streams of living water. An inexpressible and glorious joy. An overflow of hope. A time of refreshment. We can look forward to all of these. 

Depend on our Father

“The Lord will complete what He has done for me...” Psalm 138:8

The Lord will work out His plans for my life. We can lean on Him, depend on Him, because His kindness and faithfulness endures forever. 

Derek Redmond is not known because he was awarded a Gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. He did not get one. In the middle of his best game, the 400 meter semi-final, he tore his hamstring. He crumpled to the ground in agony while the other participants raced past him. He got up slowly, and started to limp towards the finish line, his face etched in pain. A man got out of the stands and ran to help him, driving away those who tried to stop him. “I’m his father,” he shouted. He reached Derek, put his arms out to brace him, and supported him to the end so Derek could finish the race. The crowd gave them a standing ovation, cheering wildly. The incident was featured in one of the Olympic’s “Celebrate Humanity” videos and also Nike and Visa advertisements. Derek Redmond’s emotional Olympic story has been viewed more than 4 million times on Youtube. 

Just as Derek’s father came out to support Derek in his direst need, we can be sure our heavenly Father helps us finish our race too. One of my favorite verses is found in the 1st chapter of Philippians:  “We can be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” 

Wander Around

"Create in me a clean heart O God!" Psalm 51:12

A few years ago, Luigi and I attended a week long workshop. One of the things the speaker said is that in business we should strive to improve a little everyday. The same is true for our interior life. So this Lent one of the things I’m doing is the Lenten challenge of Hallow. Hallow is an app with lots of prayer helps and you can try it for free for three months. This morning, Jonathan Roumie and Sister Miriam James Heidland were the guides. 

Another thing the speaker in the workshop emphasized was "managing by wandering around". You go around your farm, office, business, and observe what is happening, see the actual situation. Then we will probably see things not in their proper order, not where they should be. Since I don’t go to the office regularly anymore, I can “wander around” using the CCTV. And yes, I am usually able to observe things that I need to comment on. 

For Lent, we can "wander around" our life to see if there are places in need of fixing, patterns of sin we should be aware of, anything that separates us from our Father. Perhaps there are "bitter roots" in our garden that need to be uprooted. Or there may be relationships that need reconciliation. 

Father, show me what displeases You and help me to see with Your eyes how I can tend my soul which will live eternally with You. 

The Best Love

“Our Father who art in heaven..." Matthew 6:7-15

In the Old Testament God is called Father a mere 15 times. In the new Testament, in the 4 Gospels alone, He is called Father 170 times!

"Abba", the word used in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray, translates to "daddy" showing God wants an intimate relationship with you and me. But verse 15 has a "caveat emptor" in case we think this is a free pass! We have to forgive others their sins, and not only their sins against us, but also what we think they should have done but didn't!

Every day little hurts can pile up. Words that should or should not have been said. Actions. Gestures. Facial expressions. Gifts or no gifts. 

I remember when my mom said something that hurt me. She came to my house to ask my forgiveness. We talked and talked until we forgave each other. We are all sons and daughters of a loving Father who wants the best for us. And the best love is the love that forgives.

Giving Wisdom to the Simple

"The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple." Psalm 19:7

One of my favorite saints is Saint Joseph of Cupertino. His start in life was highly inauspicious. He was mostly a nuisance to his family and other people in his village. He was simple minded and slow and he could not understand his lessons. His mother tried to get rid of him by apprenticing him to a shoemaker, then to the monks, but he was always rejected.

Finally he became the caretaker of the mule in the Franciscan monastery. After some years, he was asked to study scripture, but there was only one verse in the Bible that he managed to master, “Blessed is the womb that bore you!" (Luke 11:27) 

When he was being tested for the deaconate, the Bishop opened the Bible to that very passage, and Saint Joseph was able to explain it well! Eventually he became a priest passing his exam by the same grace. 

Indeed we do not need to be smart or articulate to do God's will or become a saint! Lord, thank You that You do not choose the wise, but You make the simple wise by Your Word! 

Angels Watching Over Me

“…for to His angels He has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11

It’s a challenge to be on the watch, and be attentive all the time. But sometimes your life depends upon it, especially if you’re a soldier in the danger zone. I read Bruce Feiler’s book, “Where God was Born”, which is about his journey through some of the most tension filled areas of the world. Halfway through the book, there is a story that struck me. He met Chaplain Steve Munson and his group who were part of the 607th MP Battalion. They were taking pictures at the base of the ziggurat in what used to be Ur. Bruce asked the Chaplain what passages in the Bible spoke to him the most while he was serving in Iraq. The Chaplain flipped through his desert-camouflaged Bible to Psalm 91, and Bruce noticed a small note on top of the page, “3-09-03, Arifjan”. 

Bruce asked about it and the Chaplain narrated that the Battalion was stationed at Camp Arifjan before the war was supposed to start. The Executive Officer asked the Chaplain to lead a prayer because he was afraid he would lose some men in the coming battle. “I chose Psalm 91. I call it the soldier’s psalm,” and he started to read, “I say of the Lord, my refuge and stronghold, My God in whom I trust...for to His angels He has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways….you will find refuge under His wings...You need not fear the terror by night...”

“Why this Psalm?” Bruce asked, and the Chaplain said, “I believe God leads through His Word. When you are in stressful situations, He will lead you to specific parts of His Word that will have meaning and will give you encouragement to make it through. In this instance, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. When we heard that first night lightning, lightning, lightning and Scud missiles were flying at us in all directions, we had the comfort knowing that, as it says here, God will cover us and the terror of the night will not destroy us.” 

“I’m not sure if this will make any sense to you,” he continued, “but as we were praying that night, we received a promise we would have no loss of life in our battalion.” He paused dramatically. “Tomorrow we will leave the country after nearly a year, the only battalion in our brigade with no loss of life.” 

We may not know it but we too are in the midst of a battle. We may not see the weapons the enemy targets at us with precision, but they are real. Let us take comfort in Psalm 91 and be confident that God sends His angels to watch over us. “I call upon You Lord, and You will answer me.” 

Follow Me

Yesterday a friend came over for an art date. May just enjoyed herself with a variety of art materials. I was happy she was able to have some me time to herself. 

Here’s what she and up with, a mixed media piece using acrylics, oils, watercolors, mica powder, papers from my collage stash and leaves from the garden. What fun!

“Follow me.” Luke 5:27

How truly remarkable that Levi, a sinful tax collector, got up from his post and followed Jesus after a simple invitation. Many of us are praying for the conversion of our President and other leaders in our country. If Jesus were here today, we may be shocked if he joined the President, the Senators, and their  friends in Malacañang just as Jesus was the guest of honor at Levi’s house with many other tax collectors. 

After all, after the Pharisees complained to Him, “Why are you eating and drinking with such scum?” Jesus answered, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” Aren’t we all sinners? 

In the first reading for today from Isaiah 58:9b-14, we will realize what God wants from us before removing the pervading darkness in our country. He is waiting for us to turn back to Him before healing our land. “If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; If you bestow bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; the light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday; Then the Lord will guide you always and give you plenty even on parched land. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden...” There are more beautiful promises to claim from our God if we but turn to Him. 

We have to do our part, pray, discern and vote wisely, help those in need, speak the truth, do good always. As usual, I am preaching to myself. These days it is so tempting to just blame all the ills of our country on the thieves in government! Lord, give us the strength and the wisdom to follow You! So You can fulfill Your promises and with a simple invitation, turn our political leaders’ hearts to turn to You! After all, it says in Proverbs 21, “The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”