The Universe And The Christmas Story

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Spirit Moments

Jesus said to the crowds:
“John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”
~ Matthew 11:18-19

Down to their smallest particles, everything that exists looks the same under the electron microscope. Scientists once thought atoms were the smallest building blocks for matter. Then, they discovered that atoms were made up of even smaller protons, neutrons and electrons. Now, they are saying that each of these particles are made up of three even smaller particles they called quarks.

These particles when observed can be defined either by their mass or as a wave of energy. And in the visible world, all matter can be defined by its mass and energy. In fact, Einstein with hid famous formula posited that all mass can be transformed into energy. And these particles move and behave in apparently very random manner.

There is a lot of the universe around us we do not understand. And it is possible there is a lot that exist that we do not even perceive. Scientists believe that there are parallel universes occupying the same space and time as we do but we do not and cannot just detect them.

Christmas, and the Christian narrative, have a lot of elements that taxes our reason and understanding. An angel comes to Mary to announce the birth of God taking on the human form. A young maiden becomes pregnant with her “knowing no man.” A child is born in a manger and yet the heavens exult to celebrate his birth. All these happened pretty much unheralded to the little town of Bethlehem and yet it becomes the beginning of the happiest season men have known.

Much as we don’t fully understand the essence of the universe but still it exists; so we do not comprehend the ways of God but still He moves among us and orders our lives according to His Divine Will.

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Mary’s Fiat

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Spirit Moments

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
~ Luke 1:38

Mary’s ‘Fiat’ is the fulcrum of history
It is the pivot that changes humanity
By agreeing to be the mother of our Savior
She has done us all a very great favor.

We proclaim her to be the Cause of our Joy
For she gave to us her beloved baby boy.
As his mother, she was the Vessel of Honor
For the Messiah, in her womb she bore.

She became the Mother of the Word of God
Thus as the Seat of Wisdom, by her we are awed.
The ancient Israelites met God in the ark of the covenant
Mary conceived God the Son as the Ark of the Covenant.

God chose the beautiful Mystical Rose to be his mother.
As Comforter of the Afflicted, she brings us to Jesus our brother.
The Morning Star who portends the dawning of a new day.
As Gate of Heaven, she shows us the heavenly way.

Oh Mirror of Justice teach us to love and serve your Son
As our Refuge of sinners, keep us safe from satan.
You are the Mother of our God and ours too.
Pray, help us Mary to be always true to you.

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Taking My Yoke And Carrying My Burden

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Spirit Moments

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

These lines have been among the first Gospel verses that I committed to memory at a very early age. I was in first year high school and these lines were among my favorite quotes. I found the words so encouraging, so reassuring. For someone as young as I was then, I found myself saying these words often when I was alone, when I was down, when i was trying to pray the best I could.

Life was not less burdensome, in spite of my prayers. There were moments I felt like giving up –  in school, at work, with a relationship, in trying to lead a good and upright life. I would cry. I would shout and rage. I would sometimes even hurt myself. But these words would come back and calm me down. The rest would eventually come. The yoke did not become easy; but I would find myself a little stronger every time to be able to take on a more challenging yoke. The burden had not become lighter; in fact, it would seem to be get heavier with the passing of the year. But I have found myself better prepared and more determined because of everything that went before.

So, are the words of Jesus which I found consoling and comforting in my youth still so today. Yes, and even more so. My relationship with God had also gone deeper and grown stronger.

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The Little Ones

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Spirit Moments

Jesus said to his disciples:
“It is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
~ Matthew 18:12-14

I am but a clump of dust in the vastness of the universe.
But that is star dust from which I was fashioned lovingly.
One of the trillions in me was there at the dawn of creation.
And part of me will be there when time finally collapses into eternity.

I dream dreams that were once part of a star that was aborning.
And yet I am but a tiny speck in the general scheme of things.
I contain within me a spark of the Divine, a glimpse of the Almighty.
At the end of time, I will be with Him and He in me.

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P.U.S.H.

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Spirit Moments

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply,
“What are you thinking in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he said to the one who was paralyzed,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He stood up immediately before them,
picked up what he had been lying on,
and went home, glorifying God.
~ Luke 5:17-26

“Be careful what you ask for in prayer. God just might give it.” This is a common refrain in our family. there have been many instances where what we asked in prayer for was granted – much to the pray-er’s chagrin. We would usually cite the case of Mama, who prayed for long life and got what she prayed for. In the end, she got very impatient waiting for her final journey. She would tell her children in her old age, “Do not pray for long life. God might just grant it to you.”

At the same time, there are times we are too timid or too wavering in our prayers. I sometimes feel that what I am praying for is so ridiculous or too impossible I simply do not ask the Lord anymore. And then, it happens. I would feel chastened for not being daring enough in my prayers. Sometimes, I feel what I am asking for is too trivial or unimportant to bother God with it. But nothing is ever too trivial or too impossible or too much or too little to ask and pray to God for.

I realize that what makes my prayers effective is the on-going conversation and encounter I have with God. As I pray, God loves listening to my thought and feelings. And as I listen, I get to know the heart of God better. PUSH mo yan. Pray Until Something Happens.

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Raison d’être

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Spirit Moments

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”
~ Matthew 3:1-12

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Everything there is
Has a reason to be there.
Otherwise, it isn’t.

Are these random stones?
No, they’re fragments from a star,
Gems of creation.

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Proclaiming The Gospel

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Spirit Moments

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.
~ Matthew 9:35

Today we attended the funeral mass of a good friend whose son is a priest. The priest-son celebrated the mass and delivered a very touching homily. Fr. Ken spoke about a lot of things that resonated deeply with me.

He talked about the pain and sufferings that come with life: the death of his father, a broken marriage, a lost love, losing a job. And then, God works in His mysterious ways and turns those hard and difficult moments into joy and even outright blessings. Through his father’s death, Fr. Ken’s life and those of hi family have been blessed with so much consolation through the love of friends and family. A broken marriage works to make a person stronger and more sensitive to other people’s feelings. A lost love prepares a person to finally meet and accept his real love. A lost job merely opens the door to better and more opportunities.

In one brief moment of conceit, I imagined Fr. Ken picking up ideas from my blog. But no. We have encountered the same God. We have drunk from the same fountain of holiness and wisdom. We have been loved by the same magnificent God. Thus, we were singing the same song. We were proclaiming the same love. We were aching and reaching out to the one true God.

I do not need to save the world in some heroic manner. All I need to do is to love and share what I can with people I meet everyday. A hug or an embrace will not land in the papers or in the news; but it will relieve and lessen the pain of one person. A few dollars given to a needy person will not cause a financial ripple anywhere; but it will tide a person over and alleviate his hunger. Time spent with a lonely or distressed person will not change a situation; but it will help a person to hold on to dear life just a little bit longer.

This is how the Gospel of the Kingdom is proclaimed: ordinary, unheralded, shared with love and care.

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My Spiritual Journey and Journal

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Spirit Moments

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.
~Matthew 9:27-31

Today marks the fourth year of Spirit Moments. I am thankful for the grace of spending moments with God, with myself and with the rest of God’s creation. Here, I have encountered God daily, ever aware of His Presence and Action in my life. Here, I have come to know myself better, sometimes through the pain of my failures and other times through the joys of my accomplishments and often through the power of God’s Word.

These have been four years of spiritual discipline. There have been moments when I had to force myself to come to my Sacred Space. But often, I could not start the day without spending time here. There may be times when I could not write down my reflections but I always wanted my moments of silence and solitude to start my day. There are some gaps in my journalling. These were moments when I was struggling. This was specially true when I had my surgery. I thought these were moments of doubts – about my Faith, about God and His love for me. I realize now that these were moments, not of doubt but of difficulties.

I recently came across this quote from Blessed John Henry Newman, “Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.”  Even during my darkest moments after my surgery, I did find myself still talking to God, asking where He was when I was in great pain and moaning why He is allowing me to suffer and complaining why He is leaving me all alone and if he is even listening to me. He was silent. But I must have known He was around for I kept talking to Him. I was going through some difficulties but not doubts.

Today, I celebrate the four years of this spiritual journal and journey with humility and gratitude. And I pray:

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

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Love Is The Will Of The Father

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Spirit Moments

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.
~ Matthew 7:21

And what is the Father’s will for us? To love Him and one another.

We are called to love and there is no other feeling more wonderful that falling in love, staying in love and simply being in love. But love is not always a bed of roses. Love is sometimes the most difficult thing to do. Jesus spells it out for us:

  • Love is doing good not only to those who are good to us but even to those who hate us and are our enemies.
  • Love is accepting the hurt that comes with loving and being ready to forgive who have wronged us, seventy times seven.
  • Love is serving and ministering to strangers, specially those that have fallen among thieves and bad times.
  • Love is being willing to lay down one’s life for friends and principles.

And today, the Lord still calls us to love. Not only in good times but even more strongly in bad times.

It is easy, indeed wonderful, to love family and friends and those who are good to us. The challenge is to love, accept and do good to those who hate us and would do us harm instead.

It is easy and we’d love to mis it up with people who are like us and who like us. The challenge is to celebrate and find joy and strength in our differences and diversity instead of letting these cause division and hostility.

It is easy to give and share from the excess and abundance of what we have. The challenge is how to share equitably resources that are limited and desired by many without depriving others of what is essential for them to live and be happy.

It seems easy and desirable that we rely on ourselves alone and be independent. the challenge is to acknowledge that we are not in control and that God ultimately is in control.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.

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Called To Love

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Spirit Moments

He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
~ Matthew 4:18-22

love-12

Yesterday, I posted this on Facebook to greet two couples who are dear to Anabelle and me on their wedding anniversaries, one couple for 48 years, the other for 19 – the younger wife being the daughter of the older couple. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of engagements the post generated. Some, perhaps liked the photo and the inspiring quote from St. Paul. Others mistook it to be our anniversary too and being good friends clicked the ‘Like’ button. But many I suspect were inspired by the many years the couples had been married.

Coming in the wake of another wedding in the family, I got to thinking that in spite of all the disheartening things happening in the world today people are still inspired and moved to see people fall in love and get married. In an individualistic and materialistic culture that extols greed and selfishness as virtues, it is still refreshing to see young people getting married and pledging to live their lives not only for themselves alone but for each other. It is heartening to see them pledge their love before God and community, promising not only to love each other – for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death them do part- but also to serve others in the community.

And in this world of fragile relationships, it is indeed awe-inspiring to see couples staying together in love for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. In this pragmatic, technologically driven, secular society most relationships end when the better is over and worse is here, when the riches have slipped into poverty and when health has been driven away by sickness. Love is the most wonderful experience but it is not always easy. Many stay say for the good times but only a few would want to stay for the bad. But recent days have been telling me, true love stay  -or better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.

Love is a calling. We are called to love. And we respond in love. I do not see too much love on the world stage today. But I see it plenty everyday, everywhere: young children being brought to school by Mom or Dad, young couples preparing for their future leaving families and familiar surroundings to be united as man and wife and becoming one flesh, grandparents spending their remaining days helping raise the next generation. We have to see, encourage and proclaim these “small” events that will shape the future.

We have been called by God. We call on God to inspire us to proclaim the love in which He created us:

“But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
~ Romans 10:14-15

 

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