My Foursquare Motto

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"The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
blessed be the name of the LORD!" (Job 1:21)
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Give...
God loves a cheerful giver
Give until it hurts, says Mother Teresa

Forgive...
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors

Let go...
One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep.

Let God...
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

Some Fig Tree Prayers

At that time some people who were present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them --do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!"
And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?'
He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'" (Luke 13:1-9)

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Dear God,

For many times you know I have been wasting a lot of time and a lot of space in this life that you have given ......but You did not count me out...you still "cultivated" my barrenness and rigidities. My "stoned" heart has failed to bear fruit but You have waited...and it's been like eternities already but You crossed over and carried me on Your shoulders. Now how can I ever escape loving You...how can I ever say again that I will go back to that dry desert where You found me.

Bless the Lord O my soul for He has rescued and has loved me for the nothingness that I have been.

Zechariah's Prophecy

Then Zechariah his father, filled with the holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people.
He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David his servant even as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old: salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy to our fathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant and of the oath he swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that, rescued from the hand of enemies, without fear we might worship him in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us to shine on those who sit in darkness and death's shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace." Luke 1:67-79

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The Lord is here among us. It is only a matter of being attuned with Him. It is just a matter of making ourselves aware of His presence. The Lord has never forsaken us much to the disappointment of those who lived as if they will live on this earth forever. More importantly and positively this is such a welcome and consoling truth that believers and disciples can hold to not only in times of grief but also in the regular and routinary aspects of our life. That we have here a God who is among us and not the kind of god that many people have thought as remote and inaccessible. Yes, indeed, a God who cares and nurtures. A God who fights for justice against oppressors and maintains peace through tolerance and harmony.

The Nativity

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 Messiah and Lord. Luke 2:10-11

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This good news is not news to many people because this world has already decided that only that which gives impact will merit its attention. Thanks to the technologically advanced marvels that confound the senses but do not in the least fill in the gnawing emptiness within.

But there has been recently a resurgence of interest in spiritual matters like the angels. They have captured the imagination of many as seen in a market demand for angels in figurines, books, movies and prayer books. Angels are bearers of good news and people who bring good news by their words and actions are into what we can call as angelic ministry. They announce the coming of the Lord because they make the worldly pursuits as senseless and stupid. So these "angels" remind all people of good will that unless we go back to the simplicity of the manger and the ironic scenery of the God born into poverty and helplessness then all the things that we see and hear are mere passing scenes of an insignificant movie we call life.

The Missionary

He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15

To be a Christian is to be a missionary. The life of the Spirit need not remain stagnant. Indeed God's love cannot but radiate outwards into the world...the world which awaits the love of God who alone fulfills and satisfies. The imperative of Christ is not only a marching order for all Christians but a unique characteristic of the Word of God. It works within filling the heart with so much joy that overflows...making it possible to go where one's personal comforts will not usually allow. Yes, there will be opposition, difficulties and even emotional pains but victory is assured ---for doing battle for the Almighty....one cannot be defeated.



The mission field is an area for the brave and daring not for the faint-hearted. But of course, no one goes to a battle even before counting the costs. The goal and the harvest is so great that what one can do-- can only be a matter of how much one can give. For the giving, Mother Teresa once said, "...give until it hurts." This brings us to the reality of the cross because giving among Christians will always be sacrificial. It does not depend on where one wants to go but where the Spirit leads them. Jesus once said to Peter: "Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." (John 21:18) The Lord said these words but only after He asked Peter the three-fold question: "Do you love me?"

How can I ever answer You, Lord...if you asked me this question. Will I give you the proper and expected answer? But that won't work, Lord because You know what goes in my heart. I cannot simply lie to You, Lord. Will I rather ask You Lord to change the question because we know what happens to those who have loved You. I must confess. . . I am afraid. I have heard once that there is no fear in love but perfect love cast out fear . . . so that's it . . . my love is not perfect. I have so many attachments . . . so many things that I simply cannot let go. Then how can I be a missionary? How can you ever send someone like me?

Koinonia

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. (John 15:9-12)

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We are all created to be with God that is to be in communion with God. God is love and that is because God is a communion of love of three Divine Persons. The communion of love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is so complete; their unity is so perfect that there is only one God who reaches out to us. This reaching out simply means God created and saved us because of God's great love.

We can only remain in God's communion if we remain in God's love; that is, if we bring God's love to one another. To our families, communities, the society and church.

Koinonia is the anglicisation of a Greek word (κοινωνία) that means communion by intimate participation.

The Rosary: A Marian Treasure

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)

All these experiences with the Lord have always been precious to Mary and this has made Her indeed the first Christian and the foremost disciple. The rosary embodies the meditations of Christ's life and passion that should fire up the ministry of any disciple who is serious into following Christ. These events are ever in the minds and hearts of Christians if they need to purify their intentions regarding their decision to work for the Kingdom. While it starts with visualizing them in their minds, it ends up in being affected in their hearts and therefore spilling up in their apostolate. Thus making the meditated gospel events more personal and meaningful because they have been painted with one's joys and pains.

The rosary allows us to pray the Lord's prayer and the angelic salutation of Mary and at the same time be immersed in the gospel events. This practice will eventually initiate the Christian to mental prayer which is assisted by word-based prayers such as the "Our Father" and the "Hail Mary." So it is also important that we take into consideration the value of the words and phrases in these two common prayers which many already knew by heart especially those who have been studying in Catholic schools.

Unless we transcend the boredom and repetitiveness of the Rosary prayer then we would not really understand what it is and how it can make us see and feel God's love working in our lives.