WOYWW: Give Love Away

I’m preparing for a workshop entitled “Learn how to make your Life Map”. It’s like a lesson on how to make a Vision Board but nothing on the Law of Attraction. It’s really about partnering with God to set down goals for 2019. 

“Invest this until I get back.” Luke 19:13

Some would say that the Parable of the Talents, where a rich man gives his servants money before going on a trip, is about love. When the rich man comes back, he asks for an accounting of how they invested the money and the servants who increased the amount of money were lauded, “Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful in this small matter, take charge of ten cities!” God wants us to share the love and the gifts He has surrounded us with, and when we do, it has a multiplying effect. 

One of the most poignant true stories about sacrificial love was born out of the horrors of the Vietnam war. Mortar rounds landed on an orphanage run by a missionary group in a small village and some orphans were killed, many were wounded. 

An American Navy doctor and nurse arrived in response to a call for help. They found one young girl who was the most critically injured. She would die if she did not receive a blood transfusion. A quick test showed that several of the orphans were a match in blood type. Using pidgin Vietnamese, high school French and sign language, the doctor and nurse tried to explain that they needed a blood donor or the girl would die. 

The orphans stared listening with wide-eyes and after a long time, one little hand came up slowly, dropped down, and went back up again. The little boy named Heng was quickly laid on a pallet, and a needle inserted in his vein. After some time, Heng sobbed and covered his face with a free hand. “Does it hurt?” Heng shook his head, but sobs kept escaping until he cried steadily. His eyes were screwed tightly shut and his fist was in his mouth in an effort to stifle his sobs. 

When a Vietnamese nurse arrived, she talked to him, and Heng stopped crying and a look of relief spread over his face. The nurse explained to the Americans, “He did not understand you. He thought you were going to take all his blood so the little girl could live.” The Navy nurse asked, “Why did he volunteer?”

When the Vietnamese nurse asked Heng the question, he answered simply, “She’s my friend.” 

“Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend.” (John 15:13) God has given us much. Do we share what we have with others or are we too scared like the servant in the parable, that we keep the love hidden away? 

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Glimpses of His Beauty

Blessings!

Patsy  

Zacchaeus, Come on Down!

 "Zaccheus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house," Luke 19:5

I've read this story about Zacchaeus, the tax collector, so many times and each time I picture in my head a short, funny man, a cartoon like character, with no dignity.

But the other side of Zaccheus, I never thought about. After all, he was a real person just like Jesus is real, not a cartoon character. Zacchaeus was probably a smart man, intelligent, to get to be one of the most influential tax collectors. And because he was shunned and despised, he was probably lonely. And perhaps he had dignity of another kind. He was very rich, extremely wealthy, and his clothes would have been of the finest cloth and tailoring. 

It must have taken a lot for him to climb a tree to see Jesus. He had to shed his pride. He became like a child again. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will NEVER enter the Kingdom of Heaven." 

Jesus saw Zacchaeus' heart. The eagerness, the longing to be accepted by Jesus, the willingness to give up the life he had. And so Jesus, looking up said, "I'm going to stay at your house today!" And Zacchaeus was like a little kid, unmindful of what he must have looked like, scrambling down the tree, eagerly, joyfully.

Jesus always sees that part of us, no matter how small, that longs to please Him. That part of our heart that desires to be united with the One who loves us best. And when He sees that, He invites us, "Today I want to stay at your house!" It doesn't matter what we've done before. If we clamber down from our indifference, our pride, our selfishness, in humility and determination, eagerly, joyfully, Jesus will come to stay in our heart!

Reading Scripture Aloud

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud and blessed are those who listen to this prophetic message and heed what is written in it...” Revelation 1:3

I do not read the Book of Revelation very often, and when I do it seems as if I need a key to unlock it. But today, verse 1:3 jumped out at me. Blessed is he who reads these words of prophecy ALOUD and blessed is he who hears it and takes it to heart.

There are definitely benefits to reading aloud to children. Carl Sagan said that, “One of the greatest gifts adults can give – to their offspring and to their society – is to read to children.” Reading aloud builds their vocabulary, and increases their attention span. It gives enjoyment and the quality time spent together strengthens relationships between the child and the adult. But how about when we read to ourselves or when we listen to an audio version of the Bible or when we listen to the Word of God in Church? 

In the letter of Paul to the Romans, he writes that, “Faith comes from hearing the Word of God” (10:17). I usually do not read the Bible aloud, but when I do, I am definitely more immersed in the story or the lesson. I believe reading aloud makes us focus more on what we are reading, and therefore makes us understand more. When we read we may find deeper layers of meaning than if we read silently because sometimes we have a tendency to read fast and even skim over parts we are familiar with. I am definitely guilty of that! 

So if we want to be more intentional in growing our faith, this is one easy, guaranteed way to do it! 

Path to Life

“You will show me the path to life, fullness of joy in Your presence...” Psalm 16:11

The reason why I like waking up early is because every morning God meets me where I am and shows me more of His “path to life”. There is so much in Scriptures one cannot see at first reading. The Bible used to bore me and I could not spend even 5 minutes reading it. I suppose it was a case of “pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6), and it took years for my eyes to open to see not only the strands of pearls, but the many treasures in the Old and New Testaments. 

In the Gospel reading for today, Mark 13:24-32, Jesus says, “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When it’s branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you will know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that He is near at the gates.” Jesus was speaking of signs of His coming again. One of the signs is widespread apostasy, or abandoning faith in God. We see that today everywhere! 

In II Timothy 3:1-5, St. Paul writes, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

In I Thessalonians 5:2-3, we read, “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” 

Reading the Bible can be fascinating. It’s like a treasure hunt, but it’s a real live hunting down of clues to get real treasure at the end of our life on earth. The amazing things Indiana Jones found are nothing compared to the treasures in store for us who believe in Jesus and follow Him! 

The Sin of Indifference

“...pray always without becoming weary.” 

Luke 18:1

Prayer to me is putting on the armor God gives us and going out into the battlefield. We don’t see the enemy but they are legion and they are out to destroy us in any way they can. They look for chinks in our armor, in our mind, in situations. They strike with deception and a lot of fake news to discourage us and make us lose hope. They are still the crafty and subtle “serpents” that Eve encountered in the garden of Eden. “Did God really say...” they whisper in the battlefield of our minds. “Is God really listening to your prayers? How can you change anything with your prayers!”

We need to focus like the widow in today’s parable. She kept bothering the dishonest judge to render a just decision for her, even if the judge was ignoring her for a long time. Eventually, because of her persistence, the judge ruled in favor of her. Jesus said that God will do likewise for those who call out to Him day and night. 

I like the story of Father Robert Barron about FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. He said that these young people are always so enthusiastic and energetic. Once when he found a group of these missionaries in the University of Arizona, he asked them what their current project was. They answered, “We want to convert the most popular person in campus this year.” “And who’s that?” “The quarterback of the football team. We meet every morning and pray for his conversion.” “How is it going so far?” 

“We haven’t converted him yet, but we’ve converted his girlfriend and his roommate.” Father Barron smiled at them, “You’ve got him surrounded. It’s only a matter of time.” Yes, it’s only a matter of time. If we put on our armor, focus, and pray, God will surprise us. We should not lose hope, but be animated by our faith, excited to be in the thick of the battle. There are so many things to pray for. It’s obvious that in our country, we should not be complacent. Our enemy is working overtime to destroy truth, to destroy even our basic freedoms. Tyranny is rearing it’s ugly head and we see so many people just going with the flow. 

St. Maximilian Kolbe said, “Indifference is the greatest sin of the 20th century”. It’s still the greatest sin today.  We have a powerful, magnificent weapon in our hands. Let us not be weary about using it! Inside each of us is a warrior! Let us go unafraid into battle! 

He is No Fool

"Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it." Luke 17:33

When I read this verse I am reminded of Jim Elliot who wrote this in one of his notebooks, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose". Jim was one of 5 missionaries who were speared to death in their attempt to evangelize the Auca Indians in the jungles of Ecuador. For weeks they had been circling the tribe from their plane, speaking through a megaphone and offering gifts by lowering a basket. Eventually the Indians started giving them gifts as well, a live parrot, a cooked monkey leg, a half eaten banana, which they would also put in the basket. 

Jim and his companions were well aware that the Auca tribe was violent and dangerous, "Auca" being the Quechua word for "savage". Their primary aim in Ecuador was to evangelize the Quechua Indians but when they heard about the unreached Auca, they wanted to try and evangelize them too. Jim believed that his work for Jesus was more important than his life or his family. He had a wife, Elisabeth and a daughter Valerie. After Jim's death, Elisabeth continued his work with the Quechua Indians and eventually was able to witness some of those who killed Jim and his 4 other companions come to Christ. 

We will all lose our life one day. What do we spend our days and weeks and years doing? Do we give our time for what has eternal value? 

Be Gracious

Painting a jar for my PowerPoint presentation. I’m doing a workshop toward the end of the month called “Life Map”. 

“...exercising graciousness toward everyone.” Titus 3:2

When I went through the readings for today, this verse jumped out at me. Yesterday I was anything but gracious to the Customer Service Representative of Globe Telecom. I shouted and told her their company was “patay gutom”, so greedy for money. Poor lady, it wasn’t her fault but she bore the brunt of what the first rep did not do, give full instructions about what to do to close an account. Anyway, CSRs are my pet peeve and I always fail the test. A really, really horrible example! I put it on my list of things to confess next time I go to confession. 

St. Paul’s letter to Titus, whom he left on the island of Crete to help strengthen the church there, included what to instruct believers in basic Christian teaching. Some of what Paul wrote includes, “They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not speak evil of anyone, be peaceable, considerate, exercising all graciousness toward everyone.” Of course we want to do all that, and to be seen by others as an excellent role model. But when we fall short, what do we do? We get up from the mud and try harder. 

The key to trying harder I think is to grow a heart full of gratitude. When we are thankful for everything, all people, all our circumstances, we will be kinder, and more understanding. We will not feel entitled to insult others, or quarrel them. We will be more generous and more forgiving. After all, we all need each other. 

The Parable of Freddie Mercury

“...reject Godless ways...live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age...” Titus 2:12

The underlying theme of St. Paul’s letter to Titus is the need for righteous Christian living in the midst of an evil world. If we think the world today is hostile to Christians and full of corruption and deception, it was the same in Paul’s time. 

I can’t help thinking the fascinating life of Freddie Mercury, the main character of the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, could have been one of the parables Jesus told. “There once was a man, so gifted and talented, that he had the whole world at his feet. When he would sing and strut on the stage, tens of thousands would sing and dance with him. But when he was alone with his cats in his magnificent Georgian mansion in London’s upscale Kensington borough, he was tormented by demons and loneliness. He thought that crowding his house with music and drinking, and guests and raucous laughter, would fill the emptiness in his heart. He thought that tempestuous relationships would still the hunger inside him for more, but only betrayal and disaster greeted him.”

What do we fill our life with? What do we hunger for? Freddie Mercury’s life shows that even if we attain the highest peak in our career, and could have anything in the world money can buy, we still would not have the peace and joy we need to live a full, satisfying life. St. Augustine said it best, “Our hearts are restless until it finds its rest in Thee”

Clean Hands

“Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart...” Psalm 24:3-4

In 1847 the concept of germs bringing infection was unheard of. Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis observed that pregnant women avoided the student-run clinics and preferred to give birth in the streets because the mortality rate was so high in the clinics. It was almost inevitable that the women died of puerperal fever, an infection of the female reproductive organs. He concluded that the students brought something into the clinic from the mortuary where they performed autopsies. He ordered the students to wash their hands in a chlorinated lime solution before every examination. The death rate dropped from 18% to 1%! 

The amazing thing is Dr. Semmelweis was ostracized and ridiculed because doctors refused to believe their hands were dirty. The wrath of the medical community drove the wise doctor out of Vienna into an insane asylum where he died 14 days after at the age of 47 years old. 

In Psalm 24, we learn that it is only those whose hands are clean and whose heart is pure who can go up God’s mountain and keep company with Him. We cannot claim to have clean hands and a pure heart unless we wash our hands and heart. Just as Dr. Semmelweis advises, we have to do this all the time, because we always come from the mortuary of the world. Just as in the good doctor’s time, many people today ridicule God’s Words and bullheadedly do their own thing. 

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) 

Let us go to Jesus all the time so He may wash us in His blood, and bathe us in His mercy. 

Promises to Lean On

“Don’t be afraid...for this is what the Lord the God of Israel says: there will always be plenty of flour and oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!” 1 Kings 17:13-14

How seriously do we take God’s promises? God is the same today as He was during Elijah’s time. The difference today is that we have a whole book of His promises to lean on. In 1 Kings 17, we meet the true prophet Elijah, whom King Ahab called Israel’s trouble maker. Elijah was hiding from the notorious Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, because just as she plotted to kill all the Lord’s prophets, she wished him dead as well. 

Elijah asked a poor widow in Zarephath for some water and bread. The widow informed him she only had enough flour and cooking oil for one more meal for herself and her son. “Then we will die.” Elijah said, “Don’t be afraid. First make me a little flat bread and bring it to me. Then prepare something for yourself and your son. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’”

The widow believed the words God promised through Elijah and she and her son did not go hungry. Today, Jezebel comes in many forms, but always she comes to destroy God’s people, His words and promises. There is widespread deception and cynicism, and the popularity of atheism and agnosticism. All to suppress the power of faith in God and His Word. If we believe and lay claim to His promises today, just as the widow in Elijah’s time, we will never go hungry in more ways than one. The Words of God are food for our spirit and soul, the part of us that will live forever. 

Treasure in Heaven

“My concern is for the ever growing balance in your account.” Philippians 4:17

Many times we hear someone say, “You are adding to your treasures in heaven” when we help someone financially. In St. Paul’s letter which he wrote from a Roman prison, he thanks dear friends from Philippi for their generosity towards him. He writes, “It is not that I am eager for your gift; rather I am eager for the PROFIT that accrues to your account.” In other translations of this verse, we read, “...I want you to receive the blessings that come for giving” (CEV), “...I desire fruit that may abound to your account” (King James), “...I seek for the profit which increases to your account” (NASB). There are many more versions with the same meaning. Did St. Paul know what he was talking about? Because if this is true, we need to be looking for ways to GIVE to God’s work. 

I like buying stocks little by little and I just keep the money there, not selling even when the Philippine stock market was on its way to a nose dive. I get tips from different sources, ask my nephew who is studying these things, pray, and buy stocks of good companies. Today a lot of the numbers are red, which means I lost money, but I am optimistic that one day, because I just keep buying now at prices are low, the investment will be worth more than I paid for it. Of course, I am not 100% sure about that because of the way the country is run today. 

Apparently, if I really want to make sure about my future, I should take St. Paul’s tip seriously, and put my money where God wants me to put it. We need to pray and be on the lookout for “investment opportunities” to increase our profit in our heavenly account. As Jesus said, “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones...” (Luke 16:10) Jesus’ meaning is even clearer in the next verse, “And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” 

Lord, may I learn to use money here on earth, which is of little value at all to You, to bear fruit in the heavenly realm. Please teach me to value what You value, and put my money in investments that have Your backing! 

Zeal for God’s House

“Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:17

In the 2nd chapter of John, we see an uncharacteristic side of Jesus. When He went to the Temple during the annual Passover celebration, He was dismayed to see money changers, and merchants selling in the outer court. This was the area where the Gentiles were supposed to pray and meditate in peace. Instead it was a hubbub of cattle, sheep and doves, and the noise and movement made it impossible to pray. 

What did Jesus do? He made a whip from some ropes and chased the merchants out of the area. He turned over the tables of the money changers, scattering their coins. He told them, “Get these things and animals out of here! Don’t turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!!!” 

The leaders demanded, “What right have You to do this?” These same leaders should have been the ones to make sure the Temple and Temple grounds were kept holy so people would have a place to pray and worship God.

Today we have Church leaders who are not taking care of Our Father’s house. They have not turned it into a marketplace, but into something worse. I am sure Jesus would like to turn a whip on many of the horrid things happening in the Catholic Church today. We’ve heard of Bishops and Cardinals protecting child molesting clergy. Now we have a Dean of the Roman Catholic Church, Monsignor John Devine, who is speaking against pro-life advocates from his pulpits in St. Mary’s and St. Anthony’s Churches in the Isle of Man! The Catholic laity are fighting against the Abortion Reform Bill which will allow abortion within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Msgr. Devine undermines their work, pronouncing, “People who have abortions are not murderers.” 

Father, there is so much upheaval and deception in the world today. May You not punish us in Your righteous anger, but protect us from the work of our enemy who seeks to destroy the Church, our country, our families. Let Your glory destroy the darkness in this world. May we constantly turn to You that You may live in us and we may radiate the presence of Christ to the world around us. 

Rejoice!

“Rejoice with me for I have found the coin that I lost!” Luke 15:9

What a relief it is when we find something valuable we have been looking for! Yesterday, one of my staff asked me if I threw away a rotten wallet and I said I had. He then showed me what he found inside, a couple of credit cards I had been searching for!!! I realized what a crazy person I was and thanked God He surrounded me with people who took care of me! 

The three parables in the 15th chapter of Luke shows us just how much our God loves us. He searches for the lost, even when we reject him. My new favorite conversion story is about Charlie Rich who grew up a devout Hasidic Jew in a small village in Hungary in 1899. His family emigrated to the United States and ended up living in a New York ghetto. Although he was very religious, he found it impossible to keep his faith in the noise and busyness of the city. He became an atheist and tried to kill himself three times. He did not succeed. One day when he was around thirty years old, he went inside a Catholic Church to escape the heat. He looked up at one of the stained glass windows which depicted Jesus stilling the waters. 

“If only it were true,” he said to himself. And he hears this voice answering him, “It is all true.” He became a Jesuit, and spent the rest of his life as a contemplative praying before the Blessed Sacrament for 12 or more hours a day. He wrote, “I have, since my baptism and 1st communion, acquired a happiness which I will not exchange for anything in the world.”

Several books of his writings and sayings have been published. This is one of my favorites: “You must convert everything into prayer, like throwing scraps, by themselves useless, into a stew and making the stew richer. Every insignificant thing – turn it into prayer.”

Indeed, there is so much riches, happiness and peace in our faith. Let us never lose our way, but we can be sure that our Father will look for us and find us if we do. 

Original altered by Prisma app

WOYWW: One Thing

Going through my mini paintings. 

Deciding how much to sell them is hard!!! 

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this I seek..." Psalm 27:4

Is there only one thing we seek from the Lord? This reminds me of a favorite children's story, The Three Trees. 

When the trees were small, they were dreaming of what they would become when they grew older. One wanted to be a treasure chest, the second wanted to be a strong ship for mighty kings, and the third wanted to be the tallest tree in the world pointing to God. Well, one day they were all cut down. One was made into a feeding trough, the other a small boat, and the third was left in a heap of planks. They were, to say the least, all very very disappointed. The future seemed bleak. 

One night when a star shone over a small shed for animals, a young woman put her baby in the feeding trough, and the little tree realized that it was holding the greatest treasure in the world! 

On a sunny afternoon, a man and some fishermen got into the little boat. The man was so tired, he fell asleep. Then a storm started, rain fell in torrents and the wind rattled the tiny boat. But when the man awoke, he said, "Peace!" and the storm stopped. The second tree realized he had the King of heaven and earth riding with Him! 

As for the third tree, one Friday, he was yanked out of the pile of planks and carried along streets through angry, jeering crowds. Then a cross was formed, and a man nailed on him. The tree felt ugly and cruel and so sad. What was happening? All his dreams shattered to nothing. 

But on Sunday, the world trembled with joy, and the third tree realized that forever after, when people looked at him, they would remember God! Yes!

Like the three trees, we may be disappointed with how things are turning out in our life, but we should always remember that God always has a better plan for us. 

One thing I ask for, this I seek, to live my life according to God's plans and purposes for me! 

Original painting on Bible altered with Prisma app. 

Invitation to a Feast

“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.” Luke 14:16

It is always exciting to be invited to special events where we get together with family and friends and eat a good meal. But there is a story in the Bible where the invited guests were not excited. Jesus tells a parable in Luke chapter 14 about a man who prepared carefully for a great feast, but when he sent out the invitations, all he received were excuses why the guests could not make it! The man in his anger, had his servant invite the poor, crippled, the lame and the blind. The people in the alley ways and even behind the hedges all accepted and enjoyed the feast. 

In the Old Testament, we see how God invited the Jews to have a relationship with Him, starting with Abraham, an individual, and then a tribe, then the Jewish nation. They were all invited to the feast as God’s chosen people, His family. Did they accept? Not many did. Instead they crucified the messenger. 

And so, happily, we are the people in the alley ways and behind the hedges. We are invited to the great feast. In Hosea 2:23, we can read, “I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” Do we accept the invitation or do we too, give excuses? 

Original altered using Prisma app

With All Your Heart

“...love the Lord your God with all your heart...” Mark 12:30

Love is not an emotion. It is not a feeling. It does not change with circumstance. It does not increase or decrease according to moods and whims and state of mind. We can be irritated with our husband and still love him with all our heart. We can keep our credit cards from the hands of our rebellious daughter and still love her with all that’s in us. Many times the world mistakes love for that mushy feeling that excites and makes you feel on top of the world. When that feeling is gone, sadly so goes the commitment. 

When Moses talked to his people Israel, he instructed them, “Fear the Lord, and keep His laws. Be careful to observe them, that you will grow and prosper the more... Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:2-6)

God’s love for His people never wavers. Even when we rebel against Him, He finds ways to call us back to Him. He has a feast prepared for us, and just like in the parable in Luke 14, many of us who are invited don’t want to come! We are too busy, we need to take care of some things first, we’re too young, too old. We can’t be bothered to love God back! 

Again, this is one of the enemy’s great deceptions! We fall into his trap believing that loving God is restricting, sets limits on what we can and cannot do. We want to live our life our way! But when we come within God’s circle of forgiveness and love, we find that on the contrary, there is fullness of life and peace beyond understanding. That is just how God works. It is such a pity if we wait until we are at the end of our rope before we cry out to Him! 

Sit in the Lowest Place

“Go sit in the lowest place...” Luke 14:10

I have to admit this is very hard for me to do. I like sitting where I have the best view and where I can hear what is happening well. That is why I usually come early. In Luke chapter 14, Jesus told a parable about a party where invited guests were picking places of honor at the tables. 

Jesus gives very practical advice, instructing, “When you are invited by someone at a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you may have been invited. Then he who invited you both shall come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man’....When you are invited, go and recline at the last place...that he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’ “. 

In the heavenly banquet, I can imagine Mother Teresa having a place of honor. She took care of the poorest of the poor, those who could not give her anything back, those who could not award her any medal, the voiceless, the powerless, those who counted for nothing at all in the world. She gave them value and showed them love. 

Ric Warren talks about the Mother Teresa Principle: “The more you care about the powerless, the more power you have. The more you serve those with no influence, the more influence God gives you. The more you humble yourself, the more you're honored by others.”

This is true of a lot of saints. Many gave away their riches, their positions, to serve others, like Saint Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, and modern day Saint Katherine Drexel, who gave away more than $12 million dollars of her inheritance. They all have places of honor in the heavenly banquet. 

Father, teach me to be more loving, more humble, valuing what and whom You value. May I not feel entitled and self-important. May we learn from Your Son, Jesus, who was meek and humble of heart. 

My Shepherd

“The Lord is my Shepherd...” Psalm 23:1

This beloved psalm is a perfect reading to meditate on for this day, All Souls Day, when we remember those who have gone before us. Jesus Christ is likened to a Shepherd who takes care of all the sheep needs: rest, water, guidance along the paths, protection, food. “My cup overflows with blessings,” David enthuses, “Surely goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life.” Yes, we can trust our Shepherd to do all these things for us, and more. 

In the Gospel reading for today, John 6:37-40, Jesus tells the crowds, “...And this is the will of the One who sent me, that I should NOT LOSE EVEN ONE of all those He has given me, but I should raise them to eternal life at the last day.” 

Sometimes we can’t help but wonder where the dead go, or where we will go. We can be assured that if the Father assigned Jesus to bring us home, Jesus will do everything to “finish the work He started” (Philippians 1:6). In the First Reading for today, we read that, “As gold in a furnace, He proved them...” (Wisdom 3:6), making sure that all the dross, the scum, the waste, the impurities are all removed. When refining gold, there’s a lot of crushing, washing, and burning away. So if we are undergoing some trial or suffering, some humbling experience, we can be confident our Shepherd is at work. 

Original painting on Bible altered with 

Prisma app