Clean Is Beautiful & Holy

Posted on March 4, 2018 by Spirit Moments

Praise for them springing fresh from the word

Cleaning is good not only for the body and our physical surrounding but also for the heart and soul. Some cleaning is routine and ordinary. Other cleaning can be difficult and even painful. Dirt, like sin, degrades what is human in us and contribute to our unhappiness and bitterness.

Sin is like dirt and it comes withe the territory of being human. There are some who would see man in his utter sinfulness and see him as nothing more than a ball of turd, totally rotten and stinky. Then, God’s cleans away that dirt with his amazing grace. He clears that sinfulness until man becomes dazzling white as snow.

I see myself as a spark of the Divine, a ball of pure love and energy. But through my sinful ways and utter self-centeredness, I would often cover that light with layers upon layers of grime and shit, shutting out the light. God’s amazing grace removes all that encrustation, layer by layer, until my light comes shining through again in all its dazzling glory.

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Beyond Reason, But Not Irrational

Posted on March 3, 2018 by Spirit Moments

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Through science and reason, we have made great progress in our attempt to understand the human condition and its underlying spirit. But reason alone cannot provide us with all the answers and all the knowledge and wisdom to fully explain and understand the human condition, much less manage and control it.

Science and technology has made it possible to increase our harvest a hundredfold, even a thousand fold; but hunger in the world persists. Reason and technology has enabled the creation of wealth like the world has never seen before; yet poverty remains in many places around the globe. Science and medicine have found cures for many diseases that were once considered incurable and terminal in the past; but illness and diseases still plague mankind, with new ones cropping up regularly. Science and technology has enabled access to knowledge and information for billions of people; yet many people are still illiterate and uninformed.

Men have other processes and techniques to learn and attain wisdom. We can acquire knowledge and wisdom through other means aside from the intellect and cognition. Scientists have identified at least eight kinds of intelligences through which we learn.

For example, the heart has its reasons that reason itself does not understand. There are lessons which only the heart and emotions can teach us. There are self-evident truths that our gut tells us exist or are true. One does not need to prove that what comes up must come down; of that what goes around comes around. Human imagination, which can dream of possibilities that science can explore and study, is totally impervious to study by human reason. Science helps us discover some truths about the world and universe around us. But so do literature and poetry. And so do philosophy and theology.

Leonardo Boff, a great theologian, once wrote “The mystical exists: the mystical does not reside in how the world is, but in the fact that it exists. The limitation of reason and of the scientific spirit lie in the fact that there is nothing about which they must remain silent. The religious and mystical always end up in noble silence, because in no dictionary is there a word that can define it.”

 

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Poems by Abe

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Spirit Moments

Abe was a dear friend, a sagacious mentor, and a treasured brother.
He left a trove of unpublished poems.
I chose some of them and composed them with some of my own photos.

 

Poem 1

 

Poem 2

 

Poem 3

 

Poem 4

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Seek And Find

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Spirit Moments

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Seek and you shall find.

And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.

We seek what we lack or what we have lost or what we long for.
The hungry seek food, the thirsty water, the naked clothes and the lonely visitors.
A woman would look for a lost ring. A man would seek the love he has lost.
The youth seek for idealism and inspiration. The aged seek for company and consolation.
But sometimes, maybe often, we look for what we seek for at the wrong gate.
There is no food for the hungry at the gate of the rich man.
There is no forgiveness for a love lost through violence and hatred.
There is no peace for either the young and the aged unless it starts with oneself,

Seek what you have not lost.

‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them.’

Often, when we seek what we lack, or have lost, or long for,
we forget to see what we already have.
We have been blessed immeasurably with our time, talents, and treasure.
We live in the comfort of our past or long for the glories of the future.
Yet, it is only the present time that we really have.
Do not waste this precious present – my NOW.
Everyone has the gift of talent. We are all good at something or another.
Yet, there are those who moan that they have nothing,
blind to the fact and reality of their talents.
There is none so poor as one who is never satisfied with what he has.
There none richer who is able to give and share, not out of his abundance,
but out of his own scarcity and neediness.
Our real treasure is our ability to give and share,
even when we have nothing material to give.

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found.

‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.’

We seek and long to be in God’s presence.
Yet, we are already in His presence.
We seek and long for God to touch our lives and turn them for better.
Yet, we have always been in the palm of His hands.
We seek and long for God to remember us.
Yet, we only need to stay still to know that God is here.

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My Family and Friends

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Spirit Moments

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I welcome each new day with abiding hope and great expectations.
I often get us with a grateful heart for the gift of another day.
The reason for this is that
I have been blessed with a loving family and delightful friends
who have truly loved and deeply cared for me.
Yes, family is forever.
And friends are family we have chosen.

When I wallow in my depths, you have been there to calm my fears and dry the tears.
When I am soaring the heights, you have been there to catch my joys and my laughter.
You have always been there to share your stories, your music, your food
and, most specially, your presence.
Thank you for all the loving kindness and the gentle generosity.
On the day of judgement, it is to you that the Lord will:
‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these
who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
I consider my self the least, often unworthy,
whenever I think of the love and care
you have unconditionally given me.
I will therefore live my life
so that I will be on the right side with you
when these words are spoken.

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Deepening My Lenten Experience

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Spirit Moments

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Nature strips herself in the Fall
Then she lays bare in the Winter
As she prepare herself for the blooming in the Spring
So she can celebrate gloriously in the Summer.

That is cycle of life.
We often forget it in the hustle and bustle of daily living.
Lent actually reminds us to be mindful of this cycle of life.
A good way of thinking about this cycle of life
are the three traditional practices in Lent:
Fasting. Giving. Praying.

Steve Jobs was a great believer in fasting.
In fact, he fasted regularly.
He may have had a maniacal drive for perfection in his products;
but he never really cared much about money and material possessions.
At one time he told his friend Larry Ellison,
“Larry, you don’t need anymore money. You already have billions.”
To which Larry replied, wryly probably,
“If I can, why should I let other guys take it?”
Fasting removes the accretions that accumulate around us like barnacles,
weighting us down.
It cleanses us of fat that stifle the spirit.
Fasting deadens our acquisitiveness and
our desire to hoard material possessions.
Fasting purifies.

When I give away what I have, my treasure,
I may feel diminished because I lose what I give away.
When I share and ‘give away’ my talents, what I can do,
I do not lose them but instead multiply them
and those talents are even enhanced.
And when I have nothing or am empty-handed
I can still share and ‘give away’ myself,
like finding the time to do good for others
or finding the time to be with a friend
or finding the time to serve family.
Indeed, there are many instances
when it is easier to give away talents and treasure
rather than to find the time to give of myself.
In the end, it is only what I have in my heart
that I can truly and generously give away.

One of the deepest human needs is the need to communicate, to connect.
I communicate ideas, insights and emotions to connect with others.
I often use words to do this
but words can sometimes get in the way.
it is sometimes better communicated when I say nothing at all.
A baby uses no words but it can communicate
a whole world of meaning and a whole range of emotions.
I commune with nature too.
I immerse myself in nature and
I am filled with countless ideas and insights and suffused with myriad emotions.
In prayer, I communicate with God.
I feel my God closest when I do more listening than speaking
in the silence,
in the stillness.
in the solitude.

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Reliving the Transfiguration Today

Posted on February 25, 2018 by Spirit Moments

Halfdome

Today’s gospel is the story of the Transfiguration, one of my favorite gospel stories. Sometimes, I imagine myself one of the band of brothers that followed Jesus in the hamlets and hills of Galilee. The transfiguration must have been the most emotive moment for the three apostles (Peter, James and John). Jesus took the three up a mountain top and there something amazing and breathtaking happened before their eyes.

There must have been other peak moments during their ministry with Jesus – starting with the wedding at Cana to the multiplication of the bread, to the raising of Lazarus from the dead, to the many healings, to the inspiring preaching, and finally to the triumphant entry to Jerusalem. But above them all, stood out the transfiguration. It was to prepare the apostles for the harrowing and totally unexpected death of Jesus on the cross. The apostles thought it was the end. But the unexpected ending had another totally unexpected twist to it. He rose from the dead. The Risen Christ eventually enabled them to understand better all the events and the words of Jesus. It did not end there either. Christ was again taken away from them (Ascension), but the Holy Spirit was sent to them to be with them till the end of time (Pentecost). And the story goes on today. In the world and in the heart of every believer.

There is a difference between knowing and believing. I know that there was once a man who lived by the name of Jesus. I believe that he is still active in the world today and in my own life. I know there is a God to be able to explain and understand everything there is. I believe that this God has personal interest in me as an individual and knows me by name. I know there is a lot of evil in the world today. I believe that God will make all thing beautiful and bring them to perfection in His time. This is because I have had my own experiences of the transfiguration where I encountered the comforting and reassuring presence of God in my life.

The transfiguration story was also the gospel on the Sunday of the EDSA revolution in the Philippines. Those were dark days for the Philippines when a dictator lorded it over the whole nation. But in spite of the darkness, we were inspired to bring about changes in a peaceful and loving manner. It was a Transfiguration moment for a whole country. People knew things were not right. They believed that change is possible in God willed it. I know that people came out in great numbers and stood before tanks to prevent bloodshed. I believe that God was walking among us during those days. I know that in the end the dictator scurried away. I believe that God is looking after our country to this day even if he may seem absent.

Today, the country is again going through a dark and troubled period. There is so much dissension and falsification of facts. Many people I respect seem to have gone over to the dark side; and they are probably wondering why I remain on the dark side. I know things are not going very well in the country where I am and the country where my roots are. Yet, I believe there will come a time when the peak experience of the transfiguration will become a reality.

Through these troubled times I keep my eyes on the person who angered people by what he said and did and finally had him crucified, but who brought a startling twist to the story by rising from the dead, and who promised to be with us for all time. A person who taught and practiced love and forgiveness in a world given to hatred and revenge, who did what needed to be done to set things right like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick, visiting those who had no one to visit them. I know I can do some of those. I know I have had my own transfiguration moments. I believe I will also share in his resurrection.

 

 

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Listening

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Spirit Moments

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It takes at least two persons to have a conversation.
And it takes both speaking and listening to carry it on.
Often, the listening part of a conversation is overlooked;
yet it is even more important than talking for a fruitful dialogue.

When we pay attention to the ideas of another
and try to find common ground or solutions,
we are engaged in a discussion.
Often to learn where the other person is coming from
and hopefully  arrive at shared solutions.
When we pay attention to the feelings of another
and try to empathize with his situation,
we are engaged in a dialogue
and hopefully come to a better understanding of others.
In the former, we listen with the intent to reply.
In the latter, we listen with the intent to empathize.

So it is in prayer, my conversation with God.
I wake up in the morning listening to the words of my God,
with the background music provided by the birds just outside my window
or sometimes the lilting singsong voice of Jane.
I stop and listen to what Anabelle is trying to tell me
as we go about our day.
And I pay attention and listen to what the events and people
around me are trying to tell me.

Of late, I have difficulties listening though.
I am becoming hard of hearing and
things take a while to register in my mind
as I am increasingly slow on the pick-up.
Sometimes, I have this bad habit of hearing only what I want to hear.
That is why I often need peace and quiet to hear and listen.
My prayer: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

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At Break Of Dawn

Posted on February 21, 2018 by Spirit Moments

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I am an early riser and I love the break of every new day.
I have made it a habit to spend my first waking moments being alone.
I may be physically alone; but I can always choose not to be lonely.
Being alone is a good occasion to realize
that it is often in silence and solitude
that we truly encounter God.
This is what praying is for me.

There are times that I am in the depths or in the dumps feeling low
and I just get down on my knees and cry out for help and consolation.
There are moments that I feel empty and worthless
and I realize I am being prepared to receive more blessings.
There are some silent moments when I am overwhelmed
with gratitude for all the graces that have come my way,
many of which are undeserved and unexpected.
Being alone with God, I often realize more deeply
what a wonderful world indeed that we live in
and my prayer becomes an experience of what is awesome and wonderful.
Even as I pray, I feel no loneliness,
for I then realize that  in being alone with God I find my communion
with the people in my life
– my loved ones, whom I commend to God’s care,
– my friends, on whom I ask God to pour his blessings,
– people I encounter during the day, for whom I ask God I may be kind and gentle,
– even strangers and people different from, that God may give me the grace to open and welcoming.

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Praying the Lord’s Prayers in Times of Desolation

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Spirit Moments

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It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place,
after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him,
“Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

“This is how you are to pray:

“Our Father who art in heaven,

Oh you seem so far away, safe ensconced in your heavens,
away from the dirt and misery of your people,
let us see your face.

“hallowed be thy name,

many people have your name on their lips,
but their hearts are far away from you,
change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

“thy Kingdom come,

you promised your Kingdom will be a new creation
where there will no more mourning, no more tears,
seeing all the pain and sorrow around me,
could You have misspoken?

“thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.
there is so much division among us
and people are lonely,
this is not your will for us, is it?
or, is your will done only in heaven?

“Give us this day our daily bread;

you have given us a bountiful earth,
yet millions go hungry everyday
because of men’s greed and selfishness.

“and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;

we find it hard to forgive
yet we expect infinite mercy from you for ourselves
why have you created a people so obstinate and hard-hearted?

“and lead us not into temptation,

often, we need not temptation for us to do evil,
and worse even lead others astray.

“but deliver us from evil.

when you feel so distant, how can you deliver us?
when you are so silent, how can we hear your voice?
when we feel so lost and alone,
how can we fell you in our lives?
yes, Lord, please deliver us from evil?

Amen!”

sometimes I wished you would be the almighty and angry God
who flooded the earth and burned Sodom to the ground,
or the awesome and fearful Presence you revealed to Moses,
rather than the loving, all-forgiving and merciful Lord,
I have been talking to all these years.

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