You are My Friend

“Blessed is he who shall have seen you and who falls asleep in your friendship.” 

Sirach 48:11

Although these words were written of the prophet Elijah, we can say the same for all the formidable prophets and great patriarchs in the Bible, like Moses. We have to realize that all of them had to do the normal chores and work you and I do. While Moses was doing something ordinary, tending the flock of his father-in-law, a task he did every day, something extraordinary caught his attention. There was a bush engulfed in flames but it was not consumed. When he went closer, God spoke to him. "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob." 

God introduced Himself to Moses. He wants to do the same for each of us, for all of us. In the midst of our ordinary, every day chores, God is there. He may not show Himself in a burning bush, but He is there in the kindness of strangers, the bonds of love we have with our family, the Eucharist, the camaraderie and fellowship with friends, the times we use the gifts and talents He gave us, in every ordinary day. 

Lord, just as You called Moses and had a purpose for Him, so You call us. May we know what You want us to do with the gifts and talents, all the resources You blessed us with. One day, may we hear You say as You said to Moses, "You have found favor with Me, and you are My friend." (Exodus 33:17)

Hope

Today is the feast day of St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. This is his story and the story of how people who are enslaved can find freedom in God’s plan for their lives. 

In the 1400s, Mexico was under Aztec oppression. In every town, there was a temple pyramid, where Aztec priests would offer human sacrifices to their god Huitzilopochtli. This god was the "Lover of Hearts and Drinker of Blood," and the priests would cut out the beating hearts of victims, usually adult men but very often children. Over 50,000 human beings were sacrificed each year. Then in 1523, Franciscan missionaries came and evangelized the Indian people. 

On December 9, 1531, Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to a 57-year old simple peasant man, an Aztec convert, who was on his way to mass. Juan Diego was a member of the Chichimeca people, and he was a farmer and weaver of mats. Mary asked this simple man to request Bishop Zumarraga that a shrine be built in her honor on the site where she appeared. When Juan presented this request to the Bishop, the Bishop naturally asked for a sign. After several encounters with Mary, Juan brought the Bishop what he asked for. When Juan opened his tilma, his peasant cloak, beautiful Castillan roses, foreign to Mexico, fell out, but more than that, the Bishop saw an extraordinary image of Our Lady on the tilma. The Bishop wept at the sight. That tilma still survives today and thousands go to see it in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

We may be skeptical about apparitions and images appearing on tilmas or anywhere else. However, because Mary spoke to Juan Diego in his native language, and because she was wearing the Aztec dress for pregnant women in the image, this provoked millions of conversions to the Catholic faith in just under seven years. 

Today, we may not have human sacrifices to gods, but according to WHO, there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions in the world every year! This amounts to 125,000 babies murdered every day. 

There is so much evil in the world. But the vision in the Book of Revelation chapter 12 gives us hope. Because of Mary’s yes, because she gave birth to Jesus, and because Jesus gave His life for us on the cross, “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of God and the authority of His anointed.” (Rev. 12:10) God’s magnificent plan is always the best. 

We need only to trust in Him.

Whole Hearted Yes!

“...May it be done unto me according to your word.” Luke 1:38

Today we read about the Anunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary, when the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary, “You will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and He will be called Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father...and His Kingdom will have no end.” 

Mary was a very young girl when Gabriel appeared to her. She must have been trembling and yes, greatly troubled, but the angel said, “Do not fear for you have found favor with God.” Because of this young maiden’s “Yes”, the world was turned upside down in a silent but deadly battle. 

We all like watching movies where we know the hero, against all odds, even if everything is stacked up against him, will emerge out of rubble, victorious. We know the ending because we know the director won’t kill off the character played by the leading man. In the world today it may appear that everything is stacked up against good, and evil is prevailing, but that is far from the truth. God is waiting in infinite patience for each one of us give our voluntary yes to Him like Mary did 2000 years ago. 

From my favorite daily meditation book, Anawim, I quote: “The Anunciation gives us a glimpse of how the power of God can enter the world when He receives a whole-hearted ‘yes’ from man.” This Advent season, may we look more deeply into our heart and find space for the Christ child to dwell and grow. Let us give God our whole-hearted ‘Yes’! 

Come to Me

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Life can be burdensome. We carry a load on our back and it can break us or make us stronger. Sometimes we cannot carry it alone or it will make us bitter, desperate, rebellious and even hardened to the point of brittleness. Think of those who survived the Holocaust, who went through wars, and great famines, and now this pandemic and economic repercussions. Where are we to go to look for the bright light we long for? 

When I think of burdens I remember Shrek the sheep. He became famous in 2004 for his fleece which was abnormally heavy! Merinos are normally shorn every year but Shrek was an expert in hiding in caves and avoided being caught for six long years! He belonged to the Bendigo sheep station near Tarras, New Zealand, and when he was finally found, his shearing was broadcast on national television. An average merino would just carry 4.5 kg, with an exceptional weight of up to 15 kg. Shrek’s fleece weighed 27 kg, enough for 20 large men’s suits! What a heavy burden, simply because Shrek kept hiding from his shepherd for six long years! He was a runaway rebel like many of us, preferring to carry our burdens by ourselves. 

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” Jesus invites us. If we surrender, stop hiding, Jesus promises He will give us rest. All we need to do is to learn from Him, to read and understand and take His words to heart. The yoke we take is also carried by Him. He came to redeem us. He gave His life so we can have fullness of life! 

Reckless Love

Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” Matthew 18:12 

To be honest, I would not leave the ninety-nine in the hills to go in search of one stray sheep that got himself into trouble! What if a wolf comes and attacks the ninety-nine? What if a thief comes while I am out searching for that stupid sheep?! But then I am not Jesus making a very important point in this parable. The ninety-nine are the faithful sheep, the ones who believe and are walking and talking their faith. The wayward sheep is the one who is following the ways of the world, living by his own rules. Jesus  is describing the kind of love he has for those who go astray. He will not give up on them. In Ezekiel 34:16, God says He will search for the lost and bring back the strays. 

The chorus of the song, “Reckless Love” sang by Cory Asbury, goes like this:

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the 99

And I couldn't earn it

I don't deserve it, still You give yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Yes, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God impels Him to look for that lost sheep! 

God’s People

“Some men came along carrying a paralytic on a mat." Luke 5:18

This story of the paralytic and his 4 friends show just how important being part of a community of believers is. There were too many people surrounding Jesus inside a particular house in Capernaum, so the four men carrying the paralytic broke through the tiles of the roof. They let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying to bring the sick man to Jesus’ attention. 

When I was in the hospital, it was a big comfort to me that so many were praying for me. My family, friends and my community brought me to the attention of Jesus. One of my doctors, after the open heart surgery, mentioned, “Millions are praying for you.” I was so surprised because I did not know him, but I assumed he knew someone from my community. 

At times, we are the paralytic being brought to Jesus by our friends, but most of the time, we can be one of the friends carrying the mat. There are so many in need of prayer. Do we take the time to stop and pray? How many people have we carried through the streets, up to the roof, and through broken tiles? Has our faith and love brought someone to the notice of Jesus, enough for Him to say, "I see your faith. I will heal your friend!" 

Sometimes we give up because of the "crowds", the busyness, the hopelessness. But if we want to see "incredible things", we should persevere and push through the crowds, and whatever obstacles are put in our way! And we should remember, that even if we put down the mat, we can always take it up again, and continue the journey. That is what it means to be a part of God’s people. 

This is the Way

While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: ​“This is the way; walk in it,” Isaiah 30:21

We are living in the time that Isaiah prophesied about because our Messiah has come. And in this utterance of the prophet, he says that we will be able to hear God guide us. Can this be true? 

I personally know it to be true. My late brother-in-law told me that if we want to know God’s voice, we have to continuously talk to Him, listen to Him, until His voice becomes so familiar you will know if the “party line is interrupting”. Many young people won’t know what a party line is. It is a telephone line or circuit shared by two or more subscribers. When we use cellphones, we don’t have anybody trying to take over using the line but in the old days, we had to share one line with another household who would cut in at any time. 

I have experienced God’s directions with regard to His plan that I join a particular Charismatic community, whom to marry, reassurance my baby in my womb will be healthy, encouragement about building our house, assurance He had our business in the palm of His hand, etc. 

Sometimes God speaks through other people, even an announcer on the radio! I was having great difficulty breastfeeding and I wanted to stop. My husband wanted me to continue, so I went to a higher authority- God. I thought maybe God would give me permission! So one day, I was seated on a rocking chair, feeding my months old baby when I asked God, “Can I stop breastfeeding?” I was listening to classical music on DZFE, when the announcer suddenly said right after I asked my question: “Don’t quit! God doesn’t like quitters!” I had my answer! 

Change Your Hearts

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Matthew 3:1-2

In Matthew 4:17, we read, ‘From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”’

Then in Mark 1:15, Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!"

Jesus wanted the message of repentance spread then, and He wants it proclaimed now, especially during Advent. He is saying, “Change your hearts and lives!” The word repent comes from the Greek word metanoeite, or metanoeó, which translates “to change one's mind or purpose,” or change the inner self, particularly when it comes to accepting of the will of God. (Strong’s Concordance) 

I remember when I was in High School, I had these really ratty pair of jeans. It looked like it was ready to split at the seams but I loved it. My dad did not feel the same about it. He was going to drive me to school and he said I couldn’t go to school if I insisted on wearing the offending pair. I obstinately said I wasn’t going to school then. My dad then countered if I wasn’t going to school that day then I was not going to school ever. I changed and he brought me to school. I was not usually so hard headed but it took my dad’s drastic threat to make me change my mind. It was a good thing I wanted to go to school!

I wager we all want to go to heaven. Jesus rules there. He has the final say just as my dad did. So if we want one day to be with Jesus, we have no choice but to obey what Jesus said we must do, and that is to change our hearts and accept what Christ did for us on Calvary’s cross. 

The Sweetest Song

“Wait for the Lord with courage; ​be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.” 

Psalm 27:14

Yes, we all need to be strong and courageous for one thing is sure in our life, we will never escape challenges, trials and difficulties. God uses trials like a megaphone, calling our attention. He uses it like a furnace, purifying our character of impurities. 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4) 

In the book, “Streams in the Desert”, I read of a legend about a German baron who stretched wires from tower to tower at his castle on the Rhine. He wanted the winds to convert them into an aeolian harp. As the soft breezes blew about the castle, no music was heard. But one night, a great storm broke and the baron’s castle was smite by the fury of the winds. As the tempest raged on, music from the aeolian harp filled the air. Sometimes God gives our hearts songs in the night and they are the sweetest songs we will ever sing, and the most beautiful God will hear. 

Solid Rock

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” Matthew 7: 24

I remember when we were building our house, my dad who is an engineer inspected the preliminary digging and pouring of the foundation. He said the foundation of our house was deep and he approved of it. My dad is very interested in how things are made. One time we were oohing and aaahing over the beauty of a merry go round, and he was looking at the screws and connections instead. 

In Japan, where my sister lives, the contractors have to make sure all structures are as earthquake resistant as possible. Compared to other countries, the collapse ratio of buildings due to powerful earthquakes is rather low there. That is amazing considering Japan sustains over 2,000 earthquakes yearly. They have learned through the years and have made their Earthquake Resistance Standards even more stringent. 

How about us, have we learned that listening and reading God’s Word is so important? After all, He is the eternal rock we can and should build our life upon. I like this Christian hymn written by Pastor Edward Mote in 1834:

“My hope is built on nothing less 

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand,

all other ground is sinking sand.”

New Beginning

“Come after me, says the Lord, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 

God calls each one of us in a different way. He is very creative. Simon and Andrew were casting a net into the sea to catch fish when Jesus called them both. At once, the gospel account reads, they left their nets to follow him. Sometimes God calls and we delay and delay and delay. Other times, it takes a miracle. 

In 2015, in the What’s New Worship center, the congregation was shocked at the testimony of their usually quiet sound man and musician. James Quentin Stevens revealed that in the afternoon of Nov. 10, 1982, he had held ten people hostage in Braddock Secondary School with a high-powered Mossberg hunting rifle. He had taken no lives but had been shooting at the ceiling. He described the attack as “demonic possession”, because he could hear voices telling him to kill the hostages and to kill himself. He put the gun in his mouth, and a woman on the floor shouted that he needn’t kill himself as he hadn’t killed anyone. 

Then he described an “out of body moment” when a hand clothed in a white robe reached out to him. He took the hand and he said, “I was saved. Peace came that I’d been looking for all my life,” he said, “All I did was touch this hand.” He was sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison and three years of community service. He was released early after two and a half years. 

The great thing about James’ story is that he can keep telling it again and again. “It’s the beginning,” he said. “Just when you think God is done with us, it’s the beginning.” With God, every day is a new beginning! 

God’s Kindness

“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

Father, help us to see with Your eyes, and to understand with Your heart. I know this is well nigh impossible, but perhaps with the gifts of the Spirit, we can achieve this little by little. Mother Teresa is my model here, she who said she was just a little pencil in God’s hand. Mother Teresa could not have loved the way she loved, hugging people with maggots nibbling at their flesh, visiting rat infested hovels, and even not being intimidated at all the high ranking people she had to talk to. Her focus really was on the purpose God gave her to do. Her eyes were on the prize. 

How about us? Perhaps for Advent we need to take time to assess if we are accomplishing here on earth what our Father wants us to do? Whatever it is, it should always be done with love. That is what Mother Teresa would advise:

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”

Perhaps we have big dreams, a vision and mission that is far beyond our comfort zone. That is all very well, just let us never forget to always “see” the people Jesus loves and do for them what needs to be done. Mother Teresa said that if we give ourselves fully to God, He will use us to accomplish great things on condition that we believe much more in His love than in our own weakness. 

I am not Worthy

“Lord, I am not worthy to have You enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.”…When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” 

Matthew 8:5-11

The centurion from Capernaum did not call upon his Roman gods and goddesses to heal his servant. He also did not demand that Jesus take care of his servant. He is a perfect example for us on how to approach Jesus, in faith and humility. “Lord, I am not worthy,” he declared. We are all unworthy. We do not deserve God’s favor, or special attention. Much less are we entitled to all that Jesus won for us on Calvary’s cross! 

This Advent it will be good to take time to study in a deeper way why God made us (my son thinks we will only know this when we die and we ask God Himself), why He loves us even if we are so foolish and easily misled like sheep, why He died on the cross for us, why He delays almost all the time (it took years before He kept His promise to Abraham, David, the Jews, and now we keep waiting for Him to come again!), and anything else we want to know. 

It is actually good to ask God questions. I ask God questions all the time and He answers. Yesterday morning He said if I wait on Him, I guess wait on His answers, He will show me many things, even terrifying in wondrousness (I didn’t think there was such a word, but God can say anything He likes!) I do believe He is eager and very disposed to answer us. We will be in good company if we do this, as King David did it all the time.

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to INQUIRE in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4) We can read about what King David pondered about in the Psalms as he had a very close relationship with God, in spite of his many sins. 

If we have doubts that God will answer us, we can just look to His Word and know that we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16), and that in John 10:27, we have Jesus’ assurance that, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” 

City on a Hill

“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, ​to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in His ways, ​and we may walk in His paths.” Isaiah 2:3

It is sad and pitiful that even as we boast of being Asia’s only Christian nation, not many people would say, “Come let us go to the Philippines, that the Filipinos may instruct us in their ways, and walk in their paths.” We are a Christian majority in our country, with more than 79.9% Roman Catholic, 2.68 % Evangelicals, and 1.16 % belonging to various Protestant denominations. Unfortunately, one cannot say we are a good example to other nations as we elect extremely corrupt leaders. Based on the results of past elections, we do not seem to value honesty, integrity, accountability, and people who work hard to serve the poor. 

As Christians, Jesus admonishes us to be a light shining in the darkness, a city set on a hill, doing good works (Matthew 5:14-16). We should be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:23). Why salt? It is used for preserving food, and enhancing the taste of dishes. In ancient times, when there were no refrigerators, one of the ways the people preserved their food was to salt it. Bacteria and other microorganisms cannot survive a salt concentration of more than 10%, so meat was cured by rubbing a mixture of salt into pork, then storing it. The meat was then protected from decay and putrefaction. 

As Christians, even if the environment all around us shows a breakdown of values, we should bring salt and light into our little corner of the world. We are clearly called to be not of the world even if we live in it. We should try to influence, and improve the neighborhoods we live in, the communities we are part of, the offices we work in, and especially the families we are born into. 

Advent is a perfect time to bring the love of Christ into everything we do. I just saw a picture on Facebook of a courier who was crying. Do we thank the guys who deliver our packages, maybe give them something, even if it’s just a pack of coffee? How about talking to the person next in line to us to say maybe her dress is nice, it really fits her? Let’s use our creativity to encourage others, to give them hope. I like praying for strangers on Facebook. What can we do to be light and salt to others each and every day of Advent? If we are able to do it for Advent, even in small ways, perhaps it can become a habit for a lifetime! 

“Do not worry if all the candles in the world flicker and die. We have the spark that starts the fire.” (Rumi)

“How far that little candle throws his beams, So shines a good deed in a weary world.”(William Shakespeare) 

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” (Francis of Assisi) 

Be Vigilant

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life…Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36

I did not know that our hearts may become drowsy from our daily anxieties! In the Amplified version, this is what it says: “But be on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life…” In other versions, the word used for ‘drowsy’ are overcharged, overburdened, dulled, oppressed, laden, loaded down, clouded and made heavy. 

I guess that is why we have to be vigilant, alert, always on the watch, because anxieties are ever present. They are like the packages brought to our homes by Lazada. Sometimes we order them for ourselves even if we don’t need it! Sometimes we open other people’s packages. 

I know this is oversimplifying but with me, what works best is prayer. At the beginning and while the pandemic progressed, I was overwhelmed with anxiety for my brother who had been hospitalized. I was also thinking so much about how our business could survive, and how to provide for our employees. Then we were praying for so many people battling COVID, brothers and sisters in our community, their families, friends, friends of friends, priests and nuns, so many serious cases. Some even died 😭 I got palpitations thinking about the immensity of the situation. That is when my sisters and I started praying together. We were in different homes, and one sister was in Tokyo, but we prayed together every morning and never missed a day. My palpitations stopped, and I was able to see things from God’s point of view. 

We have to remember that anxiously thinking of all the things that can go wrong is not how to make things go right! 

No Fool

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Luke 21:33

When Jesus said this, He had just been prophesying about warning signs of the end of the world: great upheavals in the heavens, wars, disasters, pestilence, famine, persecution and confusion. We can count on these happening because Jesus said so. As a matter of observation, many of these are happening now. But apart from Jesus’ prophecies about the end times, what is more important for us to heed are His guidance and instructions on how we are to live. Many saints have lived their whole lives trying to obey God and deemed it worth sacrificing their life doing so.

St. Catherine of Alexandria, whose feast day we celebrate today, converted to Christianity at the age of fourteen. As the daughter of the governor of Alexandria, she was part of the nobility. She not only studied the gospel, she also preached it all throughout Alexandria. She rebuked the Emperor Maxentius for persecuting the Christians and the emperor gathered 50 learned pagan philosophers to invalidate her beliefs. But young Catherine converted many of them, and even Maxentius’ wife, with the wisdom of God. She was martyred at the age of 18 in the early fourth century. 

I am reminded of what missionary Jim Elliot wrote in his diary on Oct. 28, 1949, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jim was a young relatively unknown young man when he followed God’s call to evangelize the Quechua Indians of Ecuador. Jim Elliot also became a martyr, and all because he believed in God’s Word which will never pass away. 

Thanksgiving Day

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, ​his courts with praise; Give thanks to him; bless his name.” Psalm 100:4

Today our American and Canadian brethren celebrate Thanksgiving Day. We should actually be thankful every single day. There are so many positive emotional, social, physical, and mental health impacts of being grateful. I was just listening to a doctor on the TV yesterday who said that so many young people have mental health issues because of the pandemic. He said his schedule is so full as he has to deal with so many disorders ever since the lock downs. This affects not only young people who usually crave connections and interactions with others their own age, but also those who are older and more mature. 

Appreciating what we have can lead to more intimate and connected relationships, motivation and engagement, and less depression, according to Dr. Gail Saltz, a psychoanalyst at Cornell Medical Center. Our outlook becomes more optimistic and satisfied and our mood becomes more upbeat. Thanking God for our many gifts can give us more self-confidence and self-esteem and this can diminish feeling frustrated or envious when things don’t go as we want it to.

It may sound simplistic, but if we think about what we are thankful for before we sleep, better yet have a notebook where we list our blessings, perhaps even number them, most of the time we sleep better. But if I think about all the problems and challenges I’m facing, I have a troubled sleep, and sometimes I even feel my heart beat faster! Giving thanks to God diminishes stress and anxiety, and we can certainly depend on Him to take our burdens from us if we lay them at His feet in prayer. 

St. Paul exhorted the Philippians in 4:6-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Viva Cristo Rey!

“Sing to the Lord a new song, ​for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, ​his holy arm.” Psalm 98:1

Today is the Feast Day of Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, priest and martyr. His father was wealthy and he was sent abroad for his studies to become a priest because of the Mexican revolution from 1910 to 1920. When he returned to Mexico in 1925, the church was persecuted by government decree. Church buildings were closed, most priests had gone abroad, bishops were tortured for surreptitiously giving the sacraments at night. Miguel had to disguise himself to continue to minister to the people. He was sentenced to death and executed for what he was doing. He died shouting, “Viva Cristo Rey!” “Long live Christ the King!” 

But all was not lost for Mexico, for the people were accustomed to shouting “Viva Cristo Rey!” There is a video of the same name that tells of the miracle in Juarez, Mexico many years after the revolution. Fr. Rich Thomas and Sr. Maria Virginia held regular Bible studies and prayer meetings in a Catholic community in El Paso, Texas. In December 1972, the group received a prophetic word from Luke 14:13-14, “…when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

They decided to go just across the border to the garbage dump in Juarez, Mexico, and feed the poor on Christmas Day. They prepared for 125 people- 125 burritos, oranges, apples, 2 hams, and a few tamales. When they reached the dump, they were stupefied by what they saw. People living in cardboard shacks, no water, so many flies, and they were working on Christmas Day!

Dr. Antonio Villalva who was there on that day saw that they did not have enough food, there were more than 350 people lining up. But when they started giving the food, the food did not diminish. People would go home bringing food, and come back to get more. One man testified that he put the tailgate of his car down, to allow a woman to cut her ham there to distribute. He said the ham was more than enough. After everyone ate and were filled, Fr. Rich had enough left over to bring to three orphanages! The community of brothers and sisters witnessed the miracle of multiplication of food that day, and it was the start of ministering to the poor people in Juarez. They built a youth center and had so many services for the people in the dump. There was also conversion for the people in both Juarez and El Paso. See the video about it on https://youtu.be/aKZKXOCE43k .

Truly “Viva Christo Rey!” 

God of Second Chances

“All that you see here – the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Luke 21:6

As Advent approaches, almost all our readings have been about the end times. We have had readings from the Book of Revelation from November 14. Although throughout the Bible we are given the intimation that Jesus may come very soon, it is balanced with the message that He may come not in years, or even thousands of years because He wants to give as many chances for people to get to know Him, and follow Him. Our Father is a God of second chances. That’s why Jesus warns that before the end comes, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

It reminds me of the way my mom induced us to eat vegetables when we were young. We would all be gathered around our dining table (for it seemed like hours!) and there would be this book propped open before us. The pictures on the book were very unappetizing, kids with knock knees because they did not have enough Vitamin D in their diet. There was also a crippled kid with beri beri because he had a deficiency of thiamin or Vitamin B1. Then there was a kid with bone deformities because of rickets, gum problems because of scurvy, blindness because of lack of Vitamin A. I don’t think the strategy was very successful though! 

I guess even if God has given us warnings time and time again, like the rich man in Luke 16:19-31, we disregard them like we disregarded my mom’s book! Here is the conversation of the rich man who was in hell and Abraham who was in heaven: 

“The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

The Only Things

“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

What a lesson this poor widow teaches us during the biggest spending season of the year! It’s a pity she is unnamed for there are not many like her. Although, there are many saints who came from rich families, and were inspired to live in poverty, preferring to make the Lord their wealth. There is of course the well known story of St. Francis of Assisi- Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone was the son of a prosperous silk merchant and a French noblewoman. While he was in the army, he had a vision which caused him to return home and refrain from all his former indulgences. So startling was his change in habits, that a friend asked him if he was thinking of marrying. He answered, “Yes, a fairer bride than any of you have ever seen", meaning his "Lady Poverty".

Princess St. Elizabeth of Hungary, heiress St. Katharine Drexel, Russian prince Demetrius Augustus Gallitzin, highly born St. Norbert of Xanten are examples of those who gave up their wealth like the merchant in search of the pearl of great price. They deliberately left behind their high ranking families, renounced their inheritance, or used their wealth to start schools, etc. Let us walk beside these saints this season, and think of how we can help others. 

As I’ve always said, I write these meditations not to make an example of myself, but to preach to myself. I am always in need of reminders to stop buying stuff instead giving to those who need. After all, the only things we get to keep are those we give away.