The Coming Storm and Advent

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Spirit Moments

California is bracing for a major storm today. People are wary and worried about the destruction it will bring. But they are also joyfully expectant and welcoming of the drenching it will bring to a land that has been parched by three years of severe drought. The storm is expected to the fiercest storm in five years, the strongest in a decade.

As I sit here and pray, and as the whole region waits for the winds and the rains from the storm; it all reminds me of the Advent hymn Rorate Caeli:

Drop down ye heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness

Advent is a period of waiting and expectation. It is also a time for us to realize that we are not in control. Droughts come and go. We wait until the skies rain down and break the drought. Dryness in life come and go. We wait in joyful expectation until God rains down His grace upon us and removes our tears and sorrows away. We are sinners in need of salvation. We are imperfect beings in search of perfection and fulfillment. We await in joyful expectation for the coming of the Savior who will bring us to the fullness of life. In prayer and joyful expectation, we trust that good things come to those who wait.

The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
~ Psalm 145

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Matthew 11:11-15

 

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Burdens of Growing Old

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Spirit Moments

Of late, I have been feeling weary and empty. When things stress me out, and even the smallest things seem to stress me out these days, I withdraw into my shell and try to shut out the world. Doing so, I come across as aloof and even apathetic. I am tired of giving, not knowing what or how to give anymore. I am tired of serving. Loving seems to take a lot of effort.

I am still hoping that something better is coming my way and that the best is yet to come. I am hoping that I can still give and contribute something worthwhile that others will appreciate. But given my feelings of weariness, I am looking for rest and something different from my daily grind. I can explore new possibilities and discover new things or re-create a new ‘me’ or reinvent myself. But these thoughts also are leading me to think more often about the next level.

Growing old is not easy. My energy is definitely less than what it used to be. My physical body is not as strong and resilient as it used to be. My patience has grown thin. My focus and ability to concentrate is growing less and less. Small things that did not bother me before can make me so unsettled these days. I try to perk myself up. Often, I am still successful. But there are moments when it just is not possible to pick myself up and move on.

I bring all these troubles and anxieties in prayer before Him who promised to give rest to all who labor and are burdened.

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name.
~ Psalm 103

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are 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

 
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Pareto’s Principle

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Spirit Moments

When I was actively engaged in business and marketing, we often abided by the 80/20 rule, Pareto’s Principle: 80% of the revenues of a business will come from 20% of all the customers; 80% of all the profits will comes from 20% of the products. I followed this in my business strategies and in my marketing plans. It worked and was effective. We would woo and pamper the top 20% of the customers, showering them with perks and privileges. We paid less attention to the rest.

I am glad God is not a business person nor a marketing guy. He does the exact opposite. He would leave the 99 behind and look for the 1 that is lost, the least, or even the last. It is very reassuring that God will never give up hope on anyone. He will leave everyone else to look and seek anyone who goes astray and gets lost.

God has called me by name. He touched me with His power and I came to be. His abiding presence guides my everyday life. I may be one of many but he thinks the universe of me. And He deals with everyone the same way He deals with me because of His infinite power. Men have limited capacity; therefore they have to apply Pareto’s Principle. God is infinite; therefore He applies the Love Principle.

The Lord our God comes with power.
~ Psalm 96

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?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
Matthew 18:12-14

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The Annunciation and My Life

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Spirit Moments

I am no holy person to deserve a visit by an angel like Mary did. I am likewise far from being full of grace. But often, like Mary, I ask the question, “How can this be?”

I sit here in prayer in faraway California, with my Anabelle still asleep in our bed. It is a long way from Quezon City where we started out with our married life together and built ourselves a home and a family. It is even a longer way from Angeles City where I grew up. As I reflect in prayer, I ask myself, “How have all these things come to pass?”

I grew up often wondering what I would be when I grew up. I thought I would be a teacher like my father. And I was happy at that thought. Then, I aspired to be a priest. In fact, I spent my formative years in the seminary. What and where I ended up – it was all beyond my wildest dreams and imaginings. Every step of the way, I asked “How could all of these events be happening in my life?”

Now, as I go into my twilight years, I still get this feeling that the best is yet to come. My life has been slower and more leisurely of late. There are still problems and worries. But through it all,  there is an abiding realization that gets stronger and stronger and it somehow echoes what the angel told Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
~ Psalm 98

But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”
Luke 1:26-38

 

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Advent and the Filipino

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Spirit Moments

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There is something in the Filipino that hates waiting. I have always been puzzled by this. We enjoy our mangoes green. We eat and even drink them way before they ripen into golden yellow. We also enjoy our papayas green. He eat them as vegetables in a chicken stew (tinola) or as a base for shrimp fritters (okoy) or as a pickled appetizer (atchara). We start celebrating and enjoying the Christmas season as soon as the ‘ber’ months roll in, that is as early as Septem’ber’.

We Filipinos can’t wait to spend our money. Give any Asian person (like an Indian or a Chinese), say, a hundred dollars. He will immediately think, “How can I make this grow? Where and how can I invest it to make it earn more?” Give the same amount to a Filipino and his immediate impulse is, “How can I spend this? What, where and how can I use this to have fun and enjoy?”

I sometimes think this must be because of fragility and the gossamer quality of life in the Philippines: here today, gone tomorrow. Like, right now, the country is again being buffeted by another strong typhoon. Tacloban, still reeling and rebuilding from the devastation of Yolanda last year, has to contend yet again with another lady from the sea, this time named Ruby. I can imagine people thinking: Let us enjoy whatever we have now before it gets blown away by another disaster or catastrophe, whether natural or man-made. The latter of which we have also a lot of. Many people go hungry and never know from where or how the next meal will come. So, they eat as much as then can when there is food, to hopefully tide them over till the next uncertain meal.

Or, it might be because we miss out on the lessons of the seasons. We essentially have only two seasons: wet and dry. Or, as one wit said, hot and hotter. There is nothing you can do today that cannot be put off tomorrow. There is no sense of urgency as when one has to contend with the coming of winter. So, people have no sense of preparation and planning for the changing of the seasons. People in temperate climes know that winter is coming when the leaves start changing colors and then fall. It is time to prepare for the rigors of winter.

Advent teaches us the value of waiting and preparation. And again here the Filipino trait of not being able to wait shows. We have a lot of beautiful liturgical songs for the different times on the liturgical calendar. We have great Christmas songs but hardly any Advent songs. I share these thoughts and pray that we Filipinos begin to learn the value of waiting and preparation. Scott Peck once wrote that one of the hallmarks of maturity is the ability to wait and postpone gratification. Would that we as a people learn to wait, prepare, and plan as we await and prepare for the coming of our Savior and salvation during this Advent Season.

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
~ Psalm 85

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Mark 1:1-4

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What I Am Waiting For

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Spirit Moments

I know I came from nothingness. All of us did. Everything that there is did. In the beginning was the void. And yet, even if I know that I came from nothing, there is a deep desire in me for the fulfillment and plenitude of being. I am waiting to become complete. I desire perfection even as I live in an imperfect world. I know that my natural state is not sickness but the fullness of health. I was given limbs not to be broken but to be useful to move me around. I was given a self with a free will of its own not to be possessed by any other demon or evil spirit. I may have come from nothingness but I will not return to nothingness but await for life everlasting.

But for someone living in darkness, light can be a most painful experience. Coming out of the dark into the light can be a blinding experience. A hungry person desires food but he can choke to death if he gorges himself by eating too much all at once. A thirsty person wants nothing more than water but he can literally drown if he drinks all the water he wants all at once.

In my waiting for perfection and the fullness of life, I can be blinded or be choked to death or be drown if I take all I want all at once. God, in His goodness, joins me in my conditions and shows me the way. If we receive perfection all at once, we will be blown back to pieces into nothingness. We must unfold and become to finally attain the fullness of life. So, God became man, just like me, to show me how to become just like Him and enjoy the plenitude of being.

The Lord heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
~ Psalm 147

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
Matthew 9:35-10:1, 6-8

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What I Do Not Pray For

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Spirit Moments

I do not pray that God takes away the pain and sorrow when these afflictions happen in my life. Instead, I pray for courage and strength to face them. I pray for sight, like the blind men crying out to Jesus “Son of David, have pity on us!”, that I may see God’s presence even when I am in pain.

I do not pray for more material blessings or more financial resources. Although there are times I feel kind of insecure about running out of these resources or losing it all. Instead, I pray that I be always ready and generous to open my hands to help and serve others. Beside, given all the blessings I enjoy, I feel that it is an affront to God that I should ask God for anything more for myself.

I used to pray for myself a lot in the past. In fact, it seemed most of my prayers then were about me. Today, I pray more for others, their needs and their sufferings.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
~Psalm 27

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.”
Matthew 9:27-31

But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

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Who and What I Pray For

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Spirit Moments

I was not always the prayerful person that I am today. And even today, I feel that I do not pray often and long enough or that I may not be doing it the right way. There was a time in my life I hardly prayed except for our Sunday mass as a family and a perfunctory “Thank you, Lord.” before going to bed and as I wake up in the morning. Yet, even during those times, I was blessed with graces beyond my imaginings. It was because of two dear friends who kept on praying for me: Sr. Mary Cordis and Sr. Mary Angeline.

Now that I have time and the will, I pray everyday and I pray for others. I pray for my loved ones. I pray for my family and friends. I pray for those who asked for my prayers and those I promised prayers for. I pray for all fathers that we may be like St. Joseph in dedication. I pray that we all draw strength from a strong devotion to the Eucharist like St. Clare. I pray that we discover the beauty and the blessings of a simple life like St. Francis of Assisi. I pray that we do even the smallest things in our daily lives with the greatest love like St. Therese of the Child Jesus. I pray for priests that they may live simple, dedicated and holy lives like St. John Vianney. I pray that we may be courageous to proclaim and to stand up for our faith even and specially when it is difficult. I pray with Padre Pio for healing. I pray with Mother Teresa for a spirit of generosity.

I love the word for Faith in Tagalog: pananampalataya. ‘Taya‘ is a wager, a bet. The act of faith is putting down a bet, laying down a wager that God will be true to His words. I know it is a sure thing. But there is always the lingering fear or apprehension of “What if?”

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his mercy endures forever.
~ Psalm 118

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
Matthew 7:21, 24-27

 
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A Deep Realization

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Spirit Moments

He made the mute speak, the lame walk, the blind see and the deformed whole. Earlier, like a few eons before, He made everything out of nothing. And when there was already something, He took stardust and fashioned man to proclaim the glories of His creation.

This creative force is so strong, we feel it moving and alive with in us. There is in men an insatiable longing for completeness and fulness. We are thrilled by life and we know deep inside there is more to life than what we are experiencing now. The first spark of creation, when light broke out of the darkness, must have had an inkling there was more to come. The first stars must have felt they were just the first of many more. The first rocks, as the stars cooled down, must have known they will not be rocks forever. And the early moving and living organisms must have sensed they will become more complex over time. They knew but they could not speak it out. Man, with his consciousness and ability to speak, finally proclaimed the God of Creation.

I feel this cosmic unfolding, the Christogenesis that Teilhard de Chardin told us about, happening in me and in my life. I was born for greater things and I will live forever. The first light, the first stars, the first rocks and the first living organisms had no inkling what they will be eventually. I know what has gone on before and it is plain to me that I, and we, will live eternally.

I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
~ Psalm 23

At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel.
Matthew 15:29-31

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Children of a Loving God

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Spirit Moments

As children, we live in love way before we discover reason. No baby is born hating or being angry. The first conscious act of an infant is to reciprocate its mother’s love, naturally seeking the warmth and comfort of her loving embrace. Without a history or memory yet, a baby is without bitterness or regrets. Each day is a clean slate to be enjoyed and lived to the fullest without any baggages or burdens from the past. Without fear and anxiety, children look forward to each new day with great anticipation and excitement.

As we grow, we encounter disappointments and bitterness. We learn how to hate and to be angry. We become fearful and anxious of what and whom we do not know. Out of our anxiety, we become selfish and greedy. Our of our boredom and frustrations, we become lazy, indulgent and given to self-seeking pleasure and comfort. We have stopped being like children.

In prayer, I cry out to my Father who is in heaven. And I am a child again. I set aside my anger and the hate that is in me, seeking the healing warmth of His loving embrace. I am healed of my memories and my bitterness. And my regrets are washed away. I am given everything I need, unmerited and undeserved, and I am freed from the shackles of my selfishness and greed. In the simplicity and uncomplicated world of the child, I encounter God who has revealed Himself as a loving father.

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
~Psalm 72

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Luke 10:21-22

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