God’s Love

“Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs on your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31

When I was young, maybe about 11 or 12 years old, I remember staring at this plaque 

on our wall which read, "God is love". It was crudely made as I had made it myself from built up cardboard. While staring at it, God spoke to my heart saying, "Yes, I am love." And from then till now, I never doubted it.

I think it was one of my foundational experiences. Because I knew God loved me, I grew up confident in that love. It did not matter if people rejected me, laughed at me, hurt me, judged me, thought me weird (of this, there were many!), everything was OK, because, Hey! God loved me!

If we are not confident of God's love, we can consciously search for small signs, take note of it, and thank God for it.

Another new day with no mistakes in it, Yey! God loves me! Somebody encouraged me, somebody paid me a visit, God answered a small or a big prayer, Yey! God loves me!

I found a parking space, a lost thing, I have money to pay for something I really really want, Yey!!! God loves me!!!

If we are more conscious of the many small things God does for us that we usually take for granted, we won't doubt His BIG love!

The Quality of Mercy

Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense.” Psalm 51:1

In High School I had to memorize a portion of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, the part where Portia proclaims, “The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: ‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown: His sceptre shows the force of temporal power...But mercy is above this sceptred sway; It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's when mercy seasons justice.” 

Here Portia, disguised as a lawyer, is telling the court that Mercy must be freely given. It should not be constrained or forced. When we show mercy we not only bless the recipient, but ourselves as well. And when a powerful man shows mercy, he becomes most like God. 

Indeed all of us have greatly sinned against God by rebelling against Him. We were created in His image and to be in effect, mirrors of His glory. When we sin, we smudge that mirror. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." 

But no matter how smudged and dirty, and even broken our mirror is, God in His mercy can restore it for us. So great is His compassion and love for us, that when we come to Him for restoration, He will remove our transgressions “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). 

God’s Tapestry

‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 

Matthew 10:7

Most people think of the Bible as a religious book, but it is really a testament, a covenant between a King and His people. It is amazing that God wants us to know His heart, what His will and intent  is. That is why the Bible was written- so we would have a record of what God did to make us His very own.  The Kingdom of God is already in our midst, Jesus said. We are part of his royal family, as we are children of the King. Myles Munroe, an evangelist, once said that God had a colonization project. He wanted to expand His kingdom, to make earth a colony of heaven. Are we doing our part as God's children to bring His plan about?

His ways are definitely not our ways. Instead of giving us good times, prosperity, no problems, God uses pandemics, inflation, cancer, wars, insecurities, sickness and oh so many kinds of challenges. It’s not because He caused these calamities and upheavals, but because God gave man the very special gift of free will. We are free to choose whether to believe Him or not, to follow Him or not, to take Him seriously or not. Whether we see Him or not, He is God with us, He is with us in our journey, most especially when it is hard. 

He sees what we do not see. In the Château d'Angers in west-central France, there is a very special tapestry entitled Apocalypse. It is a 140 meters long by six meters high spread featuring 90 scenes from the Book of Revelation and woven in colorful and intricate thread. Making a tapestry involves a very complex technique of weaving colored weft threads through plain warp threads. When we see the tapestry, we will be amazed at the depth of detail, and shades of colorings depicting the war between angels and beasts, death and destruction ending in the victory of good versus evil. But if we see the underside, it would be not make sense at all. It is a mess! We would have no idea what is on the right side! 

Here is one of Corrie Ten Boom’s favorite poems. Corrie survived the terrors of three concentration camps during the Holocaust. This poem which she always quotes in her speeches around the world was written by Benjamin Malachi Franklin. 

Life is But a Weaving

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ‘til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

Lost Sheep

“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep 

of the house of Israel." Matthew 10:6

This means that we don't have to look far to share the love of God with others. Sometimes, they come to us! Some time ago, a lady I did not know messaged me on Facebook Messenger asking for prayers for her daughter. I do not remember the details, but I know this mother was despairing for her as she had fallen into bad ways with a wayward crowd. I am also part of a Catholic group of mothers on Facebook, and there we can pray for the many concerns of wives and mothers around the world. It is good to be able to share the burden in even a little way. 

In Fr. Tito Caluag’s mass this morning, he cited the homily of Fr. Horacio dela Costa in September 1960. Fr. Dela Costa was not only the first Filipino Provincial Superior of the Jesuits, he was also a brilliant writer, scholar and historian. In the homily, Fr. Dela Costa reflected on the theme of authority which Jesus gave His disciples, saying it was life-giving. I believe we too were given this life-giving authority which is not about power or control, but love for others. 

Truly we live in a hurting world. People need prayers, a shoulder to cry on, an encouraging word, advice sometimes, but most often we just need someone to listen to us and be a friend. As St. Paul says to the Galatians, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” A burden shared is a burden halved, someone once said. So let us be sure to make ourselves be available to do the loving thing each time we have an opportunity. Let us make use of this life-giving authority God has given us. We never know, we might be the lifeline thrown out by God to someone who is drowning! 

Sow the Wind

“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.” Hosea 8:7

I chose this verse from the mass readings today because I love how it sounds even if I don’t understand it much. If we sow the Word, we will get a hundred fold harvest. That I understand. 

Sir Arthur Harris, a British Air Marshal in WWII, said in 1942, at the start the bombing campaign against Germany, “The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw, and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind.” What was the whirlwind but the devastation of huge swaths of Europe and Asia, 80 million deaths including the suicide of Hitler, war crime trials and prison sentences, and so much more long-lasting change in the world. 

Perhaps we should ask if we are sowing any wind, something with a lot of noise, but with no substance. What are we chasing after? What is important to us? What will be the consequences? My sister who is head of our Human Resources in our family business often told me that when she interviewed prospective staff, she asks whom they admire and want to emulate. Often the dismaying answer is a celebrity who is rich and famous but leads a less than praiseworthy life. Many of the women are single mothers, or living with men not their husbands. They gave up their youth, their morals, their prudence, their future, for ‘love’, and they reapt the whirlwind. 

We are made in the image of God and we have intrinsic value. But many of us make god in our own image. We choose our own ‘moral’ law to follow. We run after our own idols. Whatever it is, money, career, a relationship we sacrifice everything for, if God is not at the center, it’s all for nothing. As Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain who build it”. 

With God, nothing is impossible. He is a God of hope. If we have “sown the wind” in any way, we can still turn back to Him who is the repairer, the restorer, and He will journey with us and take us to the right path. 

Transformed into Beauty

A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. Matthew 9: 18-22

Even the holiest of men can't explain why some people get healed and some don't.

I've personally wrestled with my thorn in the flesh for several years now and have confessed every Bible verse about healing. I am sure Jesus SEES me, just like he saw the woman who was bleeding.

What I know is this, because I sought the Lord and keep seeking Him, He has answered me.

C.S. Lewis wrote in his book, The Problem of Pain: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain, it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

Corrie Ten Boom, who has experienced the most horrible of trials in concentration camps during the Holocaust, claimed with conviction, “Whatever in our life is hardest to bear, love can transform into beauty.”

I believe it is God's will to heal us, but meanwhile, if we are in pain or discomfort, if we listen, He will speak to us and teach us about Himself and His ways much more than we could ever learn without the trial!

Well Done!

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest!” Lk 10:2

A few days ago, one of my mentors, ate Belen Pereras, passed away. She was 82 years old. I first knew her when my sister Meldy and I joined Lumen Cristi, a group of single women with the common desire to follow the Lord. The amazing thing about ate Belen was she made it her life’s mission to bring young people to Christ. She was a Theology professor in the University of Santo Tomas, one of the world's largest Catholic universities in terms of enrollment found on one campus. We can say her harvest field was vast. 

She used her classes to invite students to various Christian groups on campus. Hers was not a conventional class. The seats were shaped in a big U, and there was singing which disconcerted some who attended. But a lot of her students would get fired up for the Lord! Her reach extended outside her classroom to random students on campus. She would just start with a smile. I am excited to imagine that one day there will be a long parade of those ate Belen has invited on this pilgrim journey to the Father’s house! 

We can not all be Theology professors but we are ALL called to bring a harvest to the Lord. Our mission has to start with prayer first and foremost as Jesus says in Luke 10:2. Father, show me how to labor in Your mission field! 

We live in exciting times! We don't even know 1/1,000,000th of what's happening in the spiritual realm,  and we should be excited. God is doing amazing things! We should not be so concentrated on the bad news happening around us. 

The harvest is abundant...and the laborers are fewer than ever. Ric Warren says there are FAR MORE people in the world ready to receive Christ than there are believers ready to witness to them! To be a laborer in God's harvest, we need to look at what we have in our hand and use that. The same way that a fisherman will use bait appropriate to the fish he wants to catch, we need to use our God-given bait, our gifts, interests, talents and abilities. 

Are we interested in dieting, cooking, biking, hula hooping? Whatever. We need to use it,  maybe get a group together and use our creativity to bring in the harvest! There are so many people who need to know God’s life giving Word, to be confident in His fierce love for each of us! Are we willing to be God’s laborers and bring in the harvest? We can be sure that if we do, we will  “rejoice because your names are written in heaven” as Jesus promised in Luke 10:20! 

New Wine

"Do not put new wine into old wineskins." Matthew 9:17

If you put new, unfermented wine into new wineskins, what happens? Jesus tells us that the skins will burst, and the wine spills out. I've never seen wineskins, but I've sewn patches on holes in old clothes. That doesn't work well either! 

I quote from "The Anawim Way Liturgical Meditations"- "The image of new wine being poured into new wineskins is an image of ourselves. We have become new wineskins at baptism. The new wine being poured into us is the very life of Jesus Christ, given by the power of His Spirit." 

What a beautiful picture of the fullness of life God wants to gift us with! May we always be willing to learn new things at the Master's feet. Good wine becomes better with age, so too are we transformed as the Holy Spirit acts in us. 

In Father Tito Caluag’s mass this morning, he said that in a genuine encounter with Christ, the fruit will always be the grace of conversion, a total giving of self, and new eyes of faith. He gives the examples of saints like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius of Loyola who both allowed God’s grace to change them and set them on a path to conversion. We can only live holy lives if we love Christ deeply, and have a relationship with Him. 

Lord, may we always welcome Your work in our life! 

God’s Greatest Joy

"I desire MERCY, not sacrifice." Matthew 12:7

It's hard to balance disciplining and mercy when it comes to children, employees,

students, anyone who has done something wrong, because we always want to teach a lesson about consequences of their actions.

If they make a mistake, or are dishonest, we want to mete out a justifiable punishment. I sometimes fear if I'm too soft, they won't learn the lesson and they'll do it again. But how about God?

“The wages of sin is death," (Romans 6:3) shows death is what we deserve for sinning! And yet the verse continues, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." That is pure mercy, pure grace, and pure sacrifice for us!

And so when deciding on the consequence, it is always best to temper discipline with mercy, to bear witness to the truth of God's own love and unbelievable mercy! 

St. Alphonsus recounts this story: St. Vincent Ferrer once said to a man dying in despair: “Why will you ruin yourself when Jesus Christ wishes to save you?" And he answered, that in spite of Christ he would be damned. The saint replied: "And you, in spite of yourself, shall be saved." He began to pray with the persons of the house, and behold, the sick man asked to make his confession, made it weeping, and then died.

We must remember it is God’s greatest joy to pardon sinners, and to be like our Father, we should make haste to do the same to those we need to forgive. 

Forgiven

“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2

Sami Dagher is the founding pastor of the Karantina Alliance Church in Beirut, and the president of the National Evangelical Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Lebanon. 

He was a “teddy bear” of a man, small but packed with energy. One night at about 11 pm, Sami and his wife were in a car, Sami was driving along a road in Lebanon, when Sami stopped because there was a suitcase lying on the road. His wife dissuaded him from picking it up, but Sami proceeded to get out of his car and loaded it into the trunk. When they reached home, he opened the suitcase and he found it was packed with money. Every square inch was just filled with money. He was able to find a calling card and he called the number on it. 

“Hello? Is this Mr. So and So?” 

“Yes.”

“Did you lose something?”

The man on the other line was quiet for a moment, then, “Did you find it?”

“Yes.”

The man wanted to come over and get it, but Sami said, “Come tomorrow. I have no plans for your suitcase.”

When the man arrived the next morning he was so grateful to Sami, amazed that someone would return the money. He said that he had withdrawn all his money from the bank with plans of leaving the country. As a reward he offered Sami some money. Sami said, “No, no, no, I only accept that amount of cash in the collection plate. Come to my church on Sunday.” The man came with his family, and at the end of the service, they all went to the front to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior. As they asked Jesus to come into their hearts, their tears fell. They knew their sins had been forgiven. 

“You thought you had your treasure,” Sami said, “but the real treasure is Jesus Christ and His Words.” He gave them a Bible. There is no treasure apart from God. Whatever we are searching for, freedom, wisdom, power, riches, beauty or forgiveness. He is the source of all good things. 

The Good Fight

 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

When I was young, my whole family joined the Milo Marathon training. It was fun because there were a lot of people joining in. I found it funny because during the first and subsequent sessions we walked very sloooowly, that I got so bored. I would bring a book with me to read while walking. That was how serious I was about the training. 

My sister Peggy was more earnest and followed the instructions of the trainer. Eventually she finished the course by completing a whole marathon while I watched from the sidelines. I think it was because I was not seeing the goal. I was just there to be with the family and have fun. When the going got tough, I opted out. 

As Christians, we have to set our eyes on the prize- eternal life! If we don't, we can lose our way. We can just be watching from the sidelines while others are running the race seriously. 

Lord, may I set my eyes on You, and seriously follow You! Like Paul, may I be able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

New Adventures

“Lord, save us!  We are perishing!” Matthew 8:25

My father loved to sail, even when he was 90 years old. He taught my husband Luigi to sail and they went off on many adventures together. Once they went off on a trip to Taal because there was a regatta. The wind was very rough, and as my daddy was getting on in age, Luigi went off by himself first. On his return he found my father waiting for him, all kitted out in his life vest. Obviously he wanted to go out even if the weather was so bad. Picture a small sailboat being swamped by the waves. The wind was terrifyingly strong. Luigi was  anxious because he knew he would have to take care of my dad if they capsized. But my dad? He was exhilarated. He was in his element. The strong winds and mighty waves excited him. Little did they know the experienced fishermen on the shore were looking out for them, knowing the wind was so strong. They got back safely to the relief of Luigi, the fishermen and onlookers.

Life can be a ride on a boat. Sometimes it’s an easy, relaxing ride. Sometimes it is fraught with peril. Like during this pandemic. We didn’t really know how to navigate, because we had never passed this way before. Who would have imagined it would last so long? Too many people got sick, lost loved ones, closed their business or became depressed. 

When my father knew he was nearing the end of his life, he talked to his grandchildren. He had built a boat in his backyard, and he had planned to go fishing in Simo Banks off the coast of Batangas. He showed them the map where Simo Banks is (so far!), and gave them instructions. Isabel was very receptive and daddy was so happy she said she would go. Even with a map, and navigational tools, I doubt it will be easy to get there, and I don’t know if they’ll catch any fish! The thing is, with or without a map, this journey called life is uncertain. But we can also be like my dad, excited about the twists and turns that God allows to happen. Challenged by new adventures, looking forward to what the future brings, and certain that with God at the helm, everything will be all right. 

Follow Me!

“Follow me….”  Matthew 8:22

Jesus was emphasizing that we should know our priorities, our purpose, our mission. Then and only then will our schedules, our plans, our responsibilities fall into the right places.

“Follow me," Jesus said to Levi the tax collector in Luke 5:27. He was sitting at the customs post, where he usually sits. He collects taxes, and like most publicans, perhaps even all, he was reviled by the Jews for his collaboration with the Roman oppressors. A tax collector during Jesus' time could stop Jews on the road and tax them for the baggage they were carrying! Jesus calls out, "Follow me," and Levi left all the money bags on the table, and walked with Jesus.

Like Levi, Jesus calls us where we are, whatever we are doing. We may not be occupied with sinful things like Levi, who would have been greedy and kept part of the collected taxes for himself. But even while we are about the everyday tasks and leisures like washing dishes, eating, teaching our kids, looking though friends' posts on Facebook, Jesus calls us. When He calls, and we decide to follow, we have to leave certain things behind. We have to avoid sin. If we knew what sin does to us spiritually, we would stay far away from it just as we stay away from the Ebola virus. The Ebola virus is scarier than Covid. It makes people bleed internally and externally, and it kills up to 90% of those infected.

How about sin? We can't see what it does to our soul, and our soul is the one that lasts forever. Our bodies will just be consigned to the crematorium or left in a hole in the ground. I am sure that sin does worse things to our souls than the Ebola virus!! If we are able to stay away from sin with resolute determination, we can celebrate and Jesus will celebrate with us, much like Levi rejoiced in his new found freedom!

For Freedom

“For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

In 1944, during World War 2, Intelligence Officer Hiroo Onoda was sent to the island of Lubang here in the Philippines, to gather intelligence. Using the guerrilla tactics he was specifically trained for, Onoda and his small group survived in the jungle. When they saw leaflets announcing the end of the war on August 15, 1945, they thought it was Allied propaganda. One by one Onoda's companions either surrendered or were killed until he was all alone. In 1974, a Japanese student named Nario Suzuki, set out to find "Onoda, a panda and the abominable snowman". Amazingly he found and befriended Onoda. 

It was only when Suzuki brought Onoda's old commander, Major Taniguchi, that Onoda finally set down his rifle, ammunition, and hand grenades. He wept bitterly realizing that he had wasted so many years of his life.

How many of us are battling a war that was already won for us thousands of years ago? Romans 6:18 says “You have been set free from your slavery to sin..." 

Some men in the QC Jail are free even if they are behind bars,  because they have accepted Christ and walk in the way of light, forgiveness and love. And some people outside of jail are in terrible bondage to hidden sin, guilt, unforgiveness, addiction, pornography, etc. The list is long, but the first step to freedom is confessing our sin, bringing it out into the light, surrendering to God, and committing to do everything to be the person Jesus sacrificed His life for.

God is the Friend of Silence

“…his mother kept all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:51

If Mary had a diary, what would it contain? She had to deal with sorrows and challenges no one on earth had had to deal with before or since! She probably had questions no one had answers for! And she kept all of this in her heart, she pondered them.

Perhaps if we pondered more often, we would be able to deal with our trials and questions better! The meaning of ponder is to reflect or contemplate. The word comes from the Latin “ponderare” which literally means to weigh, and “pondus” which means weight. It is not overthinking but meditating, opening our spiritual eyes. 

Sometimes we too do not understand all the goings on in our life. All does not have to be clear. All we have to do is to have God’s word in our hearts and mind, the Word dwelling within us. If we keep Jesus with us, and we do not always put ourselves first, we can be sure His Spirit will lead the way. 

Perhaps we can be reminded by these words from Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “We need to find God and God cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature—trees and flowers and grass—grow in silence. See the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. We need silence to be able to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us. All our words will be useless unless they come from within—words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.”

Or perhaps the advice from another Saint, “Ponder the fact that God has made you a gardener, to root out vice and to plant virtue.” (St. Catherine of Siena) 

Lost Sheep

 "Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep." Luke 15:6

In the 15th chapter of Luke, we have parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and a lost son. The sheep is wandering in the wilderness, in danger. The coin was misplaced, it's just in the home of a woman who searches high and low for it. The prodigal son actually chooses to be lost.

Whatever way we or someone we love is lost, Jesus shows us through these stories,  that even if we are lost in the wilderness, out of the church, or lost within the church, and even if we ourselves  choose to rebel against God, He will turn on the lamp and search high and low for us. 

And like the father in the story of the prodigal son, He will wait for us longingly, eagerly. It's a crazy love God has for us. Even if others give up on us, God will not.  Even if we are filthy and heavy (with sin) like the sheep in the wilderness, Jesus will carry us. And every time, God celebrates when we come back to Himself!

Joy comes when we repent and turn back to God, our loving Father. “Every saint in Heaven knows that he or she was a lost sheep who has been found and brought home by Jesus the Good Shepherd. The joy in Heaven multiplies with the arrival of every new saint.” (The Anawim Way) 

Point the Way to the Lord

“I wonder what this child will turn out to be?" Luke 1:66

John the Baptist was born amidst amazing circumstances. His parents Zechariah and Elizabeth were very old, and they had no children because Elizabeth was barren.  One day, Zechariah, a Jewish priest was on duty inside the sanctuary in the Temple, burning incense.  An angel appeared, and Zechariah was overwhelmed with fear. Who wouldn't be? But the angel told him not to be afraid. "God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth will bear you a son!"  Angel Gabriel then proceeded to list the awesome qualities of his son, and instructed him to name him John. "He will be great in the sight of God."

"How can this be?" Zechariah asked incredulously, "We are both so old!"  The angel reprimanded him saying, "God was the one who instructed me to tell you this.  Since you did not believe, you won't be able to speak until the child is born."  True enough, Elizabeth became pregnant, and she gave birth to a baby boy. When Zechariah wrote that the baby was to be named John, he instantly began to speak. Everyone was so amazed and the news of what happened spread throughout the Judean hills.  

When we were born, God knew us too. No angel came to announce our arrival, but He formed us just as "fearfully and wonderfully" as He formed John the Baptist. We too have a purpose in our life.  We were not just dumped on earth without rhyme or reason.  When we were born, I do believe all the angels and saints rejoiced in heaven.  If an angel came to deliver the news, the angel would have listed our awesome qualities too!  

 In Philemon 1:6, Paul prays that Philemon would recognize and acknowledge all the good things he has in Christ.  WE have so many good qualities! We just have to recognize them and bring them out.  Each one of us can be just as important as John the Baptist, if we obey God, and point the way to Him.  "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he," Jesus tells the crowd in Matthew 11:11. We may not aspire to be greater than John the Baptist, but I think it would be exciting to work with God who wants to bring out the best in us, and use us. That is how we will find meaning and purpose in our life!  We too can point the way to the Lord and herald His coming! 

Good Fruit

“Every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.” Matthew 7:17

What fruit am I bearing? Do I bear good fruit? If I don’t, Jesus says “I will be cut down and thrown into the fire”! 

I like reading about the saints, and also ordinary men and women who are known for their good fruit because then I am prodded to do the same. Sometimes in the busyness of life, we forget to serve others, to be generous, to be what God wants us to be. 

Almost all of us know Anne Frank from the diary she wrote, “The Diary of a Young Girl” which was published after she died at age 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

We can say Anne Frank is the fruit of her father, Otto Frank, the only one in their family to survive the brutal Nazi camps. After Anne’s books were published, many young men and women wrote Otto. He answered each and every one of those letters until he was too old to do it.

When Cara Wilson visited Otto after years of correspondence, she saw in his little study wall-to-wall notebooks bursting with letters. And Otto showed her a notebook filled with HER letters, starting from when she was 12 years old. Otto lost his family but he gained many sons and daughters through the years. There’s John Neiman who became a priest, Sumi from Japan, who signed herself, “Your daughter, Sumi”. He advised and encouraged them all to be brave, strong and hopeful like his daughter Anne. 

It does not matter if we are old or young, rich or poor, we can always bear good fruit for the Lord! I heard the story of a quadriplegic young girl. She would watch the news and every time she felt someone needed encouragement because of some disaster or accident, she would hold a stick in her mouth and type out a message on her computer to send out. She has helped many people in this way, and has found meaning in her situation. 

It is said that the Christian is the world’s Bible. We are ambassadors for Christ. We are His hands and feet here on earth. May the Lord enable us to exhibit the fruit of His  Holy Spirit. 

The Narrowest Street in the World

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14

The record holder of the narrowest street in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is called Spreuerhofstraße, actually a narrow alley in the old town of Reutlingen, Germany. The townspeople insist it’s a street even if is just 31 cm. wide at it’s narrowest point because it sits on municipal land. Lots of tourists go and see it but they’re not encouraged to pass through because they may get stuck! 

In Luke 13:23-24, Jesus is asked if only a few will be saved. He answers them that they should, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate..." The word 'strive' is translated from the Greek AGONIZOMAI, where the word 'agony' comes from. This word is used to describe athletic contests and war. And we know what kind of contests and wars the Greeks had!!! The athletes had to “endeavor with strenuous zeal”, push themselves to the limit, strain with all their might! 

When we evaluate our life, can we say we are traveling along the narrow road? Jesus’ way is not the world’s way. It is the way of humility, generosity and unselfish love for others. It is certainly not easy. To squeeze through the narrowest street in the world, as some tourists insist on doing, they have to unburden themselves of their bags, jackets, even their belts. We too have to give up some things as well, but we can hold on to Philippians 1:6, “…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion..." Let's strive with confidence and finish the race!!

Stop Judging

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” Matthew 7:1

This is one of those teachings of Jesus that is almost impossible for me to do. We really should not judge because only God sees the heart but the tendency of our heart is almost always towards judging others. The thing is we won’t be able to understand why people do the things they do unless we walk in their shoes. 

However there is also such a thing as right judgement. For instance, when we hire a person for a job, we are supposed to make an evaluation based on his bio data, the answers he gives us when he is interviewed, and recommendations from past employers. If we hire a person who cannot submit an NBI Clearance which certifies that he or she is not involved in any ongoing criminal case in the Philippines, we should not be surprised if one day he or she is proven to be dishonest. In the last election we elected a President who has not paid his family’s obligations to the country, and has not returned their ill gotten wealth. Can we expect him to be morally upright during his term? Although we condemn his actions, we must never ever condemn him. 

Earl Nightingale said, “When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself.” I think that’s why Jesus emphasized that just as we judge, so will we be judged. Let us make sure that we do not judge others rashly, for as long as a person lives, there is always hope for reform. That is what I am praying for our new President.