Wisdom And Wishes For The New Year

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Christmas is a week gone and the New Year is upon us. Christmas was a time of gift-giving and goodwill. The New Year is a time of wishes and wisdom. The many postings on my Facebook wall attest to this.

After the flurry of gift-giving that was Christmas, the new Year gives people some pause to think about the year that was and about the year to come. In that brief respite, people turn their thoughts to the joys and achievements of their past year or to the regrets and pain they went through in the last 365 days. The reflection, no matter how brief, gives rise to insights from lessons learned during the year. Somehow the exercise gives people a wisdom-experience with which to face the new year with greater resolve and confidence. And they wish the same wisdom-experience for other people. Then, the humdrum hustle and bustle of ordinary everyday life resumes on January 2nd.

Wisdom, whether in my personal, professional or spiritual life, entails being aware of who I am, what I am capable of doing, knowing where I am going and how to get there and marshaling my resources to make things happen. Indeed, “in the beginning is the Word”, the Logos, the thought, the inspiration, the meaning of what life is all about.

I may sometimes not be aware of who I am because I do not spend enough time trying to know myself. Or, I may be sometimes confused on where to go because I have so many options before me and I do not spend enough time to clarify my life’s direction. Or, I may sometimes wallow in selfishness and pride because I spend too much time with myself and not enough with others, be they my family, friends or even complete strangers.

I wish for people for have the wisdom to live lives full of meaning and inspiration. I wish for them joy and happiness in their accomplishments, strength and courage in the face of their adversities, perseverance and fidelity in their everyday life and commitments, love and generosity in all their relationships. I wish for the world to live in peace. I wish for people to serve and not enslave or oppress one another. And as I spend my time in prayer, I make these wishes my prayers as well.

Sing to the LORD a new song!
~ Psalm 96
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:1-5
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The Quiet In The Land

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Spirit Moments

History is often written around the lives and accomplishments of great men. But history unfolds and happens because of the simple and humble lives of ordinary people. The Philippine EDSA Revolution is often written around the likes of Cory Aquino, Cardinal Sin, Marcos, Enrile and Ramos. But it was the millions of ordinary Filipinos who came and gathered on that historic highway who made it happen. Today, with the help of technology, companies sell to markets of one, which then are aggregated to make possible behemoth corporations like Google and Facebook. They focus on ordinary folks, not the stars.

The Christmas story is replete with these simple and ordinary folks, the Quiet in the Land, who made the story happen, who enabled the unfolding of Salvation History:

Mary:”Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thy word” (Luke 1:38).

Joseph: “Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19)

Zacharias and Elisabeth: “Righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinance of the Lord blameless” (Luke 1:6).

Simeon: “Righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25).

Anna:”A widow… which departed not from the temple, worshipping with fasting and supplications night and day” (Luke 2:37).

The shepherds: “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.: (Luke 2:8)

There were no kings in the story, no generals, no armies, no high priests in the story. Just ordinary folks going about their ordinary, everyday lives. Thus, God moves among the Quiet in the Land, just as He moves in my everyday ordinary life. He may sometimes come in wind and thunder. But often He comes in simple and ordinary things and events, like a cool soothing breeze. He whispers like the wind. He touches me like a warm ray of sunlight.That is all I need to know my God is in my here and now.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
~ Psalm 96
There was a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
Luke 2:36-40
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Winnowing Chaff From Grain

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Great men often live lives steeped in paradox. They proclaim and work for peace and unity but often are the cause of a lot of dissensions and divisions. They would operate out of love and goodness and yet they stir up a lot of anger, hatred and fear among many. They assert and abide by what is true and just but they are often the victims of lies and injustices themselves. But out of this paradox and the contradictions in their lives come the wisdom, integrity and strength of character that become the foundation for their greatness and their transformative leadership.

Jose Rizal spoke the truth about the colonial misrule in our country. And he did not spare the abuses and decadence he saw in the church and the friars. This earned him their undying hatred and enmity. They did not rest until he was shot dead in Luneta. But his sacrifice emboldened and united a people to declared and found the first independent republic in Asia.

Years later, Ninoy Aquino would speak out against the tyranny and dictatorship of Marcos, which led to his exile in an attempt to silence him. But like a moth attracted to the light, he decided to come back home to continue his struggle against the injustice and oppression being perpetrated against Filipinos – by their own kind. And he was assassinated as soon as he got off the plane that flew him home. But his martyrdom emboldened and united a people to throw off the yokes of their oppression with the first ever peaceful People Power revolution, an event to be replicated many times over in other countries.

Great men and great leaders cause the rise and fall of many. They are often a sign of contradiction. They talk of peace and yet they also cause the swords to be unsheathed. But in the process, they clarify what is true, good and beautiful and they galvanize people into action.

The image the comes to me is a bottle full of murky water. Great men and leaders stir up the water in the bottle and make it even murkier. Then they make a great sacrifice, often this would mean giving up their own lives. And as they are gone, the water they have stirred start settling down and the dirt slowly drifts at the bottom and the water becomes clear. And so do the thoughts and aspirations of people become clear when reflecting of the lives and actions of their great leaders. And then they are ready for action.

This is also the dynamics in the life of the spirit. I get engaged and things get murky. I then settle down in quiet prayer to allow the murkiness to settle down and I winnow chaff from grain. And then I am again ready for renewed action and engagement.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
~ Psalm 96

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Luke 2:33-35

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Praying For Families

Posted on December 28, 2014 by Spirit Moments

P1090064

From the very beginning, God has declared that it is not good for man to be alone. Before He created man, He first created the plants and the trees that will provide man with food, clothing and shelter. Then He created all the living creatures that will help man in his undertakings on earth. The living creatures were not alone either. Sheep and fowls came in flocks. Cattle came in herds. Even wild animals came in packs. For men, there was the family: male and female, He created them.

On this feast of the Holy Family, I pray for all families.

I pray for families that are hurting and in need of healing,
Torn apart by misunderstandings and often useless bickering,
Split up by pride, selfishness, greed and anger.
I pray that they be blessed by the peace and forgiveness
that the Child in the manger has come to bring.
May the song and message of peace from the angels
reign in all families.

I pray for families that are in distress and in need.
I pray for families that are homeless, or going without food,
or shivering in the cold because they have no warm clothes.
I pray that the hope that the promised Messiah has come to bring
will finally become realities in their lives,
turning the needs into fullness and their wants into fulfillment.

I pray for all families that the love that have brought them forth
will stay strong and become even stronger
as they gather together for the Christmas season
to celebrate once again the bonds of love that bind them
as a family.

I pray that through all the hurts that need forgiving,
and the needs and wants that need fulfilling,
and the love that needs to be kept burning bright,
families will like wise be blessed with joy,
joy that comes from being loved,
joy that always expectantly hope for the fullness of life,
joy that comes from an abiding peace.

I pray that all families be blessed
with growth and fulfillment,
with courage and strength,
with grace and wisdom,
before God and before their fellowmen.

The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
~ Psalm 105

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
they took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.
Luke 2:22, 39-40

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Christmas Is Forever

Posted on December 27, 2014 by Spirit Moments

The gospel reading on Christmas is the beautiful and lyrical intro to the Gospel of John, which must have been originally one of the hymns sung by the early Christian communities. It proclaims how God created everything there is through His Word and how in the fullness of time, His Word became flesh and lived among us. The same Gospel of John would end with the Resurrection experience and how that experience changed his life and he came to believe.

Seasons come and go. Christmas is already two day ago. And everywhere, every time, things are changing. Kings have come and gone. Empires have flourished and faded. Economies have risen and fallen. Yet, Christmas has lived on and been celebrated continuously the past two thousand years.

Go back another two thousand years and a people is born in the most humble and humiliating of circumstances. A band of slaves flee from the mightiest empire at that time, led by Moses under the protection of a God who promised them a land flowing with milk and honey.

Go back yet another two thousand years and there is a old nomad wandering in the deserts of an ancient land. And he is visited by messengers from a God who asks him to go and do His bidding and he would make him the father of many nations. Thus, Abraham became our father in faith.

In faith, these people looked back to the beginning of time and realized their call to faith was the same call that uttered the Word and the universe came to be. Today, these same believers respond to the same call and look forward to the fullness of time when they will be given the fullness of life.

This is what we celebrate on Christmas: the Word through whom all things were made coming down to pitch His tent among us.

Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
~ Psalm 97

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we do not know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
John 20:2-8

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Praying for the Persecuted

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Today is the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He was stoned to death by a mob led by a young man named Saul. Today I pause to think about and pray for all those who are being persecuted because of their faith.

I pray for Christians in Muslim lands who are being tortured, driven our of their homes, subjected to humiliations and often brutally murdered. May the Lord heal and take away the fear, the anger, the hatred and the bitterness in the hearts of their persecutors. For every ounce of fear, may the Lord give them a pound of courage. For every ounce of anger, may they be given a pound of forgiveness. For every ounce of hatred, may they be blessed with a pound of love. And for every drop of bitterness, may they find buckets full of joy.

I pray also for those in our society who are subject to ridicule and ostracism because of their Christian faith and beliefs. They often are not able to express in words and precise language what it is they believe in. But they know in their hearts what truth and real love is. And they live this out in their simple and ordinary love. May they also be blessed with courage and strength to persevere and remain in their faith.

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
~ Psalm 31

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”
Matthew 10:17-22

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A Melancholy Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2014 by Spirit Moments

P1380199In those days, there were shepherds watching their flocks at night.
When all at once they heard a voice from an angle in shimmering light:
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy.
The Savior of the world has come and now lies in the manger as a baby boy.” 

And thus began the immortal Christmas story that we all love to hear.
It’s the happiest season of all and the most wonderful time of the year.
It is the time of love and of peace, when people are of good cheer.
It’s a time for joyful celebrations and gift giving with all those we hold dear.

And yet this time of happiness is often tinged with a measure of sadness.
In the midst of all the cheerful merriment, there’s a sense of emptiness.
Through all the merry-making, we miss those we love who are absent,
Gone to faraway places or the great beyond. How we wish they were present.

The first Christmas story happened in a simple and humble manger.
And in our celebrations today, the child Jesus often to us is a stranger.
We sing of love and peace this Christmas, yet in our hearts we often harbor
The very things that we hate and that’s why we long for the Savior.

We wish the joy, the love and peace of Christmas to last all through the year.
But we only know too well that all too soon they’re gone and disappear.
“He came to what was his own, but his own received him not.”
How we wish we could always receive him and do what we ought.

And so before the glow of Christmas cheer totally fades away,
I sit and muse why there is always a tinge of sadness on Christmas day.
Through the joys and the feasting, there are people we miss,
Those we would have dearly loved to see and hug and kiss.

Then there is the sense that we have forgotten what this day is all about.
Today we live with love and peace and tomorrow we throw them out.
And perhaps the biggest reason for the melancholy we are feeling:
The Savior has come but we haven’t stopped all our wheeling and dealing.

I savor the joys and cheers that Christmas brings.
All the gifts and the wishes and the wonderful things.
But I also recognize the melancholy that’s in my heart.
The Lord has come and now i have to do my part.

Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:8-14

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Hopes and Longings

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Life is a puzzling blend of joys and sorrows.
In times of sorrow, we hope and pray for the joyful time to come.
And when the times of joy come, we pray and fervently wish
that they last forever.

Life is a persistent rhythm of peaks and lows.
When we are down, we look up and reach for the skies.
When we are high, we are literally on top of the world,
becoming aware that we are born for greater things.

Life is the ceaseless undulation of light and darkness, of rest and restlessness.
We greet the coming of the light in the morning with gratitude for another day.
We watch the coming of darkness at night and marvel at the beauty of the night sky,
wondering the why and the wherefore of everything around us.

My heartbeats are but a faint echo of this cosmic beat.
My longings are one with the universe yearning and unfolding.
My hopes are not my own alone.
They are also the hopes and desire of every star in the sky.

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
~ Psalm 89

“In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Luke 1:78-79

 

 

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A Humble And Simple Christmas

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Spirit Moments

It is just two days to Christmas and Jonathan and Jane are all excited, already counting the gifts they are expecting to receive. Facebook is experiencing an overload of posts on Christmas parties, holiday greetings and photos of the exchanging of gifts. Malls are crowded with Christmas shoppers as they rush to complete their lists of presents.

I have no gifts to give. The rush of events and the grind of daily routine find me without any gifts to give anyone. In the past, I would have something special for at least some people and, in good times, I had something for most everyone. This year, nada!

I am feeling bad, sad that I have no gifts to bring. It is turning out to be a rather melancholic Christmas. A humbling feeling as well. All I have to give this year are hugs and kisses. The gift of myself. Is my self good enough to give? Will the people I will be giving my self to find it good enough for the keeping and the enjoying? It will be a humble and simple Christmas for me.

The first Christmas was humble. It was in a stable, because there was no room in the inn. It was very simple. Just a family, some shepherds and the animals. A far cry from the lavish Christmas parties today. People waiting for the Messiah must have been dumbfounded to see in the child in the manger the promised savior of the world.

God is gracious and He gives gifts to His people. The name ‘John’ means exactly that – God is gracious. And when He gives gifts and blessings, they are in the form of the persons that we are and the life that we enjoy. May I find the true and real meaning of Christmas in the humility an simplicity of the first Christmas

Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
~ Psalm 25

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed. 
Luke 1:57-63

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Christmas: Celebrating the Mystery of Life

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Spirit Moments

For every one thing that goes wrong,
there are a hundred, maybe a thousand other things
that work out right.

Drought might parch some lands to golden brown.
But in many other places, nature re-creates
endless swatches of vibrant green and refreshing blue.

Tears will always come and flow into one’s life.
But the same tears fall mightily
when one laughs in mirthful joy and glee.

My God is a God of surprises and the unexpected.
Out of the void and emptiness,
He creates life and existence out of a single spark.

Out of stones and rocks and dirt,
He coaxes motion, rhythm and then consciousness.
In the fullness of time, man was there.

Man starts wondering, asking and exploring.
He feels within himself the power of the Source
that made and created him.

Man longs and searches for who placed him here.
It is all too wonderful and awesome for it to be happenstance.
His sense fail him but he knows there is Someone out there.

Then, this God takes on his form.
God becomes man.
And the wonders and surprises have never ended.

Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Luke 1:46-56

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