The Blessings of Being a Teacher

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Spirit Moments

Often, at night, when sleep is hard to come by, one of my favorite ways of lulling myself to sleep is to remember students who have been in my classes. I am happy that  quite a number of them have kept in touch through the years. I get a warm feeling basking in their reflected glory as I relish their successes and accomplishments. And I snooze off to dreamland with wonderful thoughts of them.

Teaching has been one of the many blessings in my life. I sometimes wish that I had more financial resources to be able to give things to people in need. But sharing ideas, knowledge and skills with my students is just as important and may be even more so. For these prepare them for life. I share ideas instead of things and help my students acquire effective paradigms. I share my life story and offer them options and alternatives of how to do things. I share the God I believe in and help them put meaning and direction to their lives.

Being a teacher is being like a sower. I sow the seed and then watch how the seeds grow. I have seen and been blessed with the fruits of my teaching. I thank God for this grace and the blessings my students have brought into my life.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
~ Psalm 27
Jesus said to the crowds,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Mark 4:26-34
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A Nation in Need of a Lamp

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Spirit Moments

I am disheartened by the unfolding events in the Philippines. A big part of my heart still lives here. I get the feeling that the presidency of P’Noy is unraveling. He is showing himself to be incompetent and even unfeeling of the problems besetting the nation. I voted for P’Noy. I felt that we were turning for the better in the early days of his administration. I cheered for his Daan na Matuwid campaign. I prayed for his success as a leader. But as his term is nearing it ends, he reminds me more and more of Cory whose good intentions could not make up for her lack of competence to be a good president. And if he resigns, heavens forbid that Binay should take over. Oh what have we done as a people to deserve either grossly incompetent leaders or totally corrupt ones?

Through it all, I find hope in the unwavering faith, the enduring resilience and boundless generosity of our people. In the face of all these adversities, we still find it within us to hope and work for better times. Whatever little we have, we are able to find joy and contentment in our lives. And even in the most dire situations, we always have something to spare and share with others. Deprived as we are, we often impress people with our warm hospitality.

And yet, there is a nagging feeling in me. Goodness is not all about good intentions and pious feelings. It is also about effective actions. I am afraid we do not strive enough as a people. We are not angry enough to make our leaders really take notice. We are not strong enough not to tolerate mediocrity and corruption. We are not industrious enough to build something that would last beyond our generation.

With a sad heart, I wonder when will we ever learn.

A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path.
~Psalm 119
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”
He also told them, “Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
Mark 4:21-25

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Goodness Comes From the Giving

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Spirit Moments

California is a rich and bountiful land. It is one of life’s blessings that I live here. Northern California is known for it high tech industries. The Southern part is the entertainment capital of the world. But central California is still mainly agricultural, as important as the high tech industries in the north and the entertainment industries in the south.

People here really make the effort to take care of the care and all those living in it. Large swaths of lands are protected. Many endangered species are protected. There are very strict zoning laws. The environmental movement is very active and strong. Gardening is a favorite pastime for many. And somehow the language and wisdom of the farm and agriculture intersects and mingle with the world of computers and technology.

I have a friend who works with a chip company. Her company maintains fruit trees from the agricultural past of the Santa Clara Valley. Her husband is an avid gardener, with us often being recipients of the bountiful harvests from his garden. She also shares with us the fruits of their orange trees. She said that trees that are not harvested give only sour fruits in the long run. But trees that are harvested give sweet fruits season after season.

I thought that a very uplifting insight. Even among trees, goodness comes from the giving.

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
“Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Mark 4:1-20
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My Life in Four Stages

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Spirit Moments

When I was a child, it was “Go! Grow! Glow!” It was a time to nurture and develop my physical capabilities, my mental faculties, my social skills and my spiritual roots. Then came the period of preparation and I acquired the life skills to carry me through life. “Watch and Learn” as I went through school to prepare myself for what I would be doing for the rest of my life. Then, it was “Fast and Furious” as I dashed and went about pursuing career, earning a living, building a reputation and raising a family.

Now, it is “Time to Go.” I am no longer growing and developing as I did when I was a child. In fact, my cells are dying out one by one. I am no longer preparing as I did when I was a student. I may be preparing for my final departure and it is now “Watch and Pray.” My life and schedules are no longer as hectic as they were when I was an adult as work. But I feel there are still some things left for doing.

Through it all, I have always been keenly aware that life is a gift, a very precious gift. And aware of this gift, I have also been keenly aware of the source and the giver of this gift. Why am I here? The simple and easy answer is, “because of Ima and Tatang.” But I also know they were just instruments of the real source and giver of my life. He, who makes the sun to shine and the rains to fall to nourish the earth, also fashioned me in my mother’s womb for a purpose. All my life I have prayed, searched and tried to do His will.

Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.
~ Psalm 40
The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:31-35
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Praying For Christian Unity

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Spirit Moments

This week, Churches celebrate and pray for Christian Unity. It is a scandal and very disheartening that Christian Churches have splintered into groups, often because of rather flimsy reasons. I can hear the Lord’s warning that a house divided against itself cannot stand. There were even periods in Church history that Christians killed and oppressed other Christians because of their differences in their religious beliefs.

I pray for Christian Unity with the rest of other Christians desirous to being one in the Father with Christ. One of the inspiring moments during the Walk For Life in San Francisco last Sunday was to see various Christian denominations marching together and celebrating life, condemning the culture of death and the moral bankruptcy of our throw-away society.

I call to mind and pray make them my prayers these words of Jesus, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one–as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.“

Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
~Psalm 96
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and
“By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
“How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand; that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house.
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”
For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Mark 3:22-30

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A Culture of Life

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Spirit Moments

P1380702The gospel of Jesus is the gospel of life and love. He said, “I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.” And then, He commanded his disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

From the time man came into this earth, he has been wondering, “Why am I here? What am I doing here?” And he is filled with awe and wonder at the wonderful paradise he found himself in. And he is moved to even wonder, “Why is the something at all rather than nothing?” And he realizes that life is a gift. And if there is a gift, there must be a giver.

He finds no easy answers to all his questionings. But as philosophers eventually put into simple words, man realizes “I am.” And the giver of life reveals Himself to man and says, “I am who am.” Life therefore is a sacred gift, something to be treasured and always be thankful for. Anything that destroys or harms life is evil and a taking away, a theft of that gift.

Yesterday, Anabelle and I joined the Walk for Life in San Francisco. It was a celebration of life. Life at its very start up to the very last moments at the doors of death. It was a walk to condemn abortion. Archbishop Cordileone observed that a third of the present young generation is gone because of abortion. He called for the creation and strengthening of a culture of life that would respect and protect all of life, whether of the unborn or of the aged and infirm or of those rejected by society or of those without the wherewithal to live.

This culture of life extends to taking care of the earth. If we pollute and thrash our planet, it will not be able to sustain life anymore and all life will vanish from the face of the earth. Saving the planet is saving life itself.

Teach me your ways, O Lord.
~ Psalm 25

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 1:14-20

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Fools For And With Christ

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Spirit Moments

The call of Pope Francis to go out to the peripheries and serve those who are living in the margins and fringes of society have made him a hero in the eyes of many. But there are also those who think of him as a fool. The greater foolishness is the enduring problems of poverty and oppression which still afflict billions of people, those in the peripheries. We have the resources and technology to wipe out all poverty. How come we don’t? Because, there are those who make money and profit from the emptiness of others’ lives. Because there are those who would keep for themselves more than what they need and keep the others deprived.

We have all the knowledge and communication tools to wipe out all misunderstandings and conflicts. And yet we do not. There is just so much pride and selfishness so that we talk without listening and we dig in into our biases and prejudices. We fail to see that we are all in this together. The death of just one person is the death of all of us.

In the end, Pope Francis makes sense more than all of those who would dismiss him as a fool. Just as the commandment of Love that the Fool on the hill proclaimed is the only force that will save us all from perdition.

God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
~ Psalm 47
Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
Mark 3:20-21
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Called and Chosen

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Spirit Moments

He chose twelve to be His apostles to preach and to drive out demons. They were simple, ordinary folks. Mostly fishermen. All with strong convictions and character born out of the common and tough existence of the struggling poor. Empowered by the Spirit He sent them, they would go forth and indeed change the world.

The twelve probably had no inkling why He chose them. Up to the very last moment of His life on the cross, they did not understand most of what was happening. But with prayer and reflection, they came to realize what has happened in their lives. And the same Spirit that enlightened them is active today calling people to prayer and reflection to realize the presence of the Divine in their lives.

He called and they responded. That was all they needed to do. God did the rest.

I come from peasant stock.  My roots are deep in the soil. My forebears were farmers and later on, carpenters. I grew up in a small town and considered myself an ordinary boy. Yet, I always felt that there was always different and special in me. I have been to places I could only dream of in my youth. I have done things unimaginable as I was growing up. I did not understand a lot of what was happening in my life. But there was always a Presence in my life who would put the pieces into their proper places even when it seemed like my life was falling to pieces.

I pray that I will also respond to His call in my life and trust that He will do the rest.

Kindness and truth shall meet.
~ Psalm 85
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Mark 3:13-19
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Virtue Is in the Doing

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Spirit Moments

In the Old Testament, God was often addressed as “Lord” and His covenant with His people was governed mostly by prohibitions, like “Thou shall not kill; thou shall not steal; thou shall not bear false witness; thou shall not covet.” That was thousand of years ago and today there is still a lot of carnage among men. People are still being killed through incessant wars and through the oppression and exploitation of the poor, the innocent and the defenseless. There is still a lot of pillage specially in high places. Leaders who are mandated to serve the people are often the first ones to ransack the public coffers. There are still a lot of lies being peddled as the truth. People are so held captive by their biases and prejudices that they fail to see the truth and reality.

And the paradox is that it is the simple and the ordinary people who have taken these commandments seriously. It is the poor, the innocent and the defenseless, the simple and humble folks who do not kill, do not steal, do not covet and do not bear false witness.

When Christ came, He taught us to call God our Father. And He gave us just one commandment. It is not a prohibition but an invitation to action: LOVE. He liberated those who would listen and wanted to follow Him from restrictive DON’Ts of the old order. Instead, He told them stories of the Good Samaritan, of the Father of the Prodigal Son, of the bountiful harvest, of the Good and Faithful Servants, of the Wise Virgins. And He said, “Go and do likewise.”

Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
~ Psalm 40
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.
Mark 3:7-12
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Spiritual Blindness

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Spirit Moments

Often, I see but do not understand; I hear but I do not listen. I am blinded by scales in my eyes. The scales of my pride and prejudices, of my weakness and sinfulness, of my biases and banality. I see God active in my life but I fail to understand. I hear Him in the rustle of the wind or in the voices of people around me or in the mysterious unfolding of my life but I do not hear. I need to shed tears of love, mercy and compassion to wash away the scales from my eyes so that I can see again.

Christ was right there before the Pharisees and they saw the wonders He did and heard the words that He spoke. But they did not listen nor did they understand. Instead, they kept on questioning Him: why do you and your followers do work on the sabbath? why do you consort with the publicans and the sinners? why do you heal on the Sabbath?

Lord, give me a heart of flesh and wash away the scales from my eyes with my tears of sorrow and repentance that I may see you and understand, hear you and truly listen.

Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up here before us.”
Then he said to the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
Mark 3:1-6
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