MY LITTLE GARDEN - by my window

            Tuesday last week, I came back home from the province of my best friend. Her Mom gave me four kinds of plants. One of which was a flowering plant they called “alas quatro.” When I saw its flowers in her garden, I was attracted to them. I found them beautiful. She said that by 4:00 p.m., these flowers always fold. Cool! 

The next morning, I did some gardening in the ample space by my window. I cleaned it, tilled the soil and removed some potted plants. Then I planted the plants I brought back with me. I spread out the “alas quarto.” I envisioned this space later to be filled with them and with flowers as time would go along. I was so excited and looking forward to that day. But for now, I had to be patient and take care of my little garden by my window.

 

You know what I did? Morning and night I said good morning and good evening to my plants. I also told them that I loved them and God loved them more than I did. I always thanked God for the gift of them and I let them hear that. 

There is life in them. I believe they have sensitivity enough to feel that love.

 

Friday morning, I was so filled with joy! Why? Oh, I saw three buds. Wow! My heart really leaped with joy! A little while later, as I closely watched them, I saw the three opened up and bloomed into cute, tiny, beautiful flowers right before my very eyes! A double wow for me! Clap! Clap! Clap! I was truly joyful! I was bubbling with it when I told my best friend about it. Oh, how thankful was I to God! I always smiled and was filled with excitement every time my eyes laid on them and when I remember them.

Around past 3:00 p.m., the three flowers started to fold. By past 4:00 p.m., they were withering. The next day, I was still excited to see my flowers, but they were gone. Oh, I was expecting them to unfold and show their beauty again. Well, I thought, “Maybe the heavy rain brought by the storm “Falcon” we were having affected them. I was still hopeful though because as I looked closely, there were other buds still to bloom in the days to come.

Yesterday morning, just three days after this wonderful experience I had, I was watering my plants. Then I noticed two buds about to come out, just like little babies being born and waking up to the morning of this world. Wow! I immediately got the camera, took shots from time to time. Yes! Right before my very eyes again, I saw the two bloomed. Super wow! Clap! Clap! Clap! I took their pictures just like a proud mom lovingly taking pictures of her little children.

The flowers were awesome! By past 3:00 p.m., guess what happened….The two flowers folded. By past 4:00 p.m., they were withering. But I noticed something, There was a bud starting to bloom. Wow! Talk about the mystery of life, huh?!? 

This morning, as I checked on them, the two flowers were almost gone. So it was not the rain, but it was the cycle of their life. But I’m still thankful for the joy they brought me. I’m also excited because the other bud was starting to bloom. And guess what? I saw another bud about to bloom. That was really cool! Clap! Clap! Clap! 

As of now my garden is not that beautiful yet, but in it, if I will just look closely, there is beauty. There is life, and a future full of hope and captivating view.

Life is like my little garden by my window. At times, we see life as dull, so ordinary, nothing exciting going on. There were experiences we had from childhood until now that left scars of hurts and sufferings. Sometimes, we want a different life or we don’t like the people around us. Anger, disappointments, frustrations, and other negative emotions eat us up.

But like my little garden, if we look closely, our lives have beauty in them….Your life has so many wonderful things and people in there that can give you joy. Like the storm that my garden had, it may look like a bad weather destroying my flowers, but as I look back, the rain helped them lived, considering I had traveled for around five hours from the province with them and I just replanted them. Your troubles, your rains in your life add up to your inner strength. The lessons you have learned from them makes you wiser in facing your future. New hope is always born out of them.

Like the dying of my flowers and the coming of new buds, there will be something new in your life….always….guaranteed! Why do I say that with confidence? Because like what I did with my plants in my little garden, God is doing the same to you. He takes care of you. He never ceases to reach out to you and show you His love. He watches over you, talks to you, caress you. You are so precious to Him.

He said in Isaiah 46:3-4, “….I have cared for you from the time you were born. I Am your God and will take care of you until you are old and your hair is gray. I made you and will care for you; I will give you help and rescue you.”

Surely, there will always be an experience of life and death that will happen to you. There will always be a storm that you will have to face in your life. This is a reality that will definitely be there to come and go in different faces. But what will keep you strong? Who will keep you going?

Jesus commanded the wind, “Be quiet!” and He said to the waves, “Be still!” The wind died down and there was great calm. This happened when He was on a boat with His disciples in the midst of the storm when they were so terribly afraid. Their boat was almost filled up with water and when that would happen, they would drown. But Jesus was so calm. His disciples were amazed that even the wind and the waves obeyed Him. (see Mark 4:35-41, TEV)

Jesus can keep you going. Your faith and trust in Him can keep you strong. As He calmed the storm in this situation, He can quiet down the storms in your life.

Like my little garden, your life right now may not seem beautiful for you, yet. But God is not finish with you and your life. As long as you are still breathing, there is new hope each morning for you, a new beginning to make your life beautiful, a future filled with joy. You just have to look closely and discover the beautiful flowers of blessings in it. I’m pretty sure you will find many. It’s just a matter of looking at your life in a different perspective and a positive way. 

 If you put your trust in Jesus, if you allow Him to take care with you ….the garden of your life….one day….yes, one day….you will see your life so wonderfully filled with beautiful flowers of experiences and blessings, yet to come….as one goes, one comes….You will have a blooming future because God is always lovingly taking care of you as He promised….as you believe….

Click video below to see more pictures and inspiration 
of "My Little Garden - by my window"

-luisadelacruz

LET YOUR MISERIES FLY....

If you want your life to be miserable, resistance will do the job for you….

We resist because things happen not the way we want it to happen….

not the way we expect…..we are powerless to change them. 

If you want to be happy and peaceful, 
acceptance will make your miseries have wings 

so they can fly light on the wind of God’s love….

Acceptance is the first positive step we can take. 

With this, we can see things in a different perspective, 

then we can roll up our sleeves, get to work with those we can,

and let God work on those we can’t….

Why allow the volcano of resistance imprison you,

when you can allow the serenity of acceptance free you….

where trust in God prevails…. It’s just a matter of choice….

-luisadelacruz 061511

THE HOLY EUCHARIST – Coming to the Lord’s Table

     Last night, I just finished reading the book, “Rome Sweet Home – Our Journey to Catholicism” by Scott and Kimberly Hahn. Scott was a Presbyterian pastor, so active since his high school years. Studying Protestant theology and targeting Catholics for conversions. He was an anti-Catholic. Kimberly shared his passion for the Word and theology. She was happy being a Pastor’s wife. They helped each other in their ministries until an unthinkable situation happened in their lives. As Scott searched for answers to his questions, he found them in the Catholic Church's doctrines and teachings. Gradually, God showed him the beauty and truth of the Catholic Church. He was converted to Catholic one Easter Vigil. Kimberly struggled within herself. Their marriage was almost ruined. But Kimberly felt the thug of God. She was converted five years later on an Easter Vigil, too.

     What they were both so drawn to was the richness and Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Scott said, “I had fallen head over heels in love with our Lord in the Eucharist! His Presence to me in the Blessed Sacrament was powerful and personal….Day after day, witnessing the entire drama of the Mass, I saw the covenant renewed right before my eyes. I knew Christ wanted me to receive Him in faith, not just spiritually in my heart, but physically as well: onto my tongue, down my throat and into my whole body and soul. This was what the Incarnation is all about. This was the Gospel in its fullness.”

     One day Scott said to Kimberly, “Ever since I began going to Mass at the University, I have ached, ached to receive the Lord in the Eucharist.” At one time in prayer, he said to God, “Father, I want to come home. I want to receive You, Jesus, my eldest Brother and Lord, in the Holy Eucharist.” He further said, “Ever since I started going to daily Mass, I’ve felt Christ calling me to Himself in the Holy Eucharist.” There was a time, he sensed the Lord saying to him, “Because of My gift to you in the Holy Eucharist, you can trust Me now more than ever. I Am now abiding in you, both body and soul, in a greater way than ever before.”

     For Kimberly, she realized, “I was amazed how deeply the liturgy touched me….I started to ask the Lord to give me His heart and mind on the Eucharist and the other sacraments.” As the Lord worked in her, she said, “ ….I longed to receive His Body and Blood. For not only had Jesus humbled Himself on our behalf in taking on human flesh to be our perfect sacrifice; He had even condescended lower – to offer us the same flesh to be the life and food of our souls! All this so that we could have Him within us – not only in our hearts but in our physical bodies as well, making us living tabernacles. I felt that my heart would burst with so much joy!” For Kimberly, attending the Holy Mass is coming to the Lord’s table where Jesus is the food to feast on for our souls, and where families are united as one.

     Wow! What an inspiring reverence of the couple!

     Since a baby, I am a Catholic. I studied elementary and high school in a Catholic school which was beside a church. We often had scheduled Masses being in such a school. But, honestly speaking, I didn’t like attending them. For me, being young as I was by then and also having a handicap, I found it so stressful on my foot, tiring and so boring, though, I preferred it because we didn’t have classes.

     During Sundays, my family would go to Church to attend Mass. I had no choice but to come with them. I wanted to go to Church but just to pray short prayers, a five to ten minute prayer would do for me.

     In college, the tiring and boring feeling was diminished. I drop by the Chapel in school, but I seldom attend a Mass, even Sunday Masses. I only went whenever I felt like it. I had this notion that God would understand me, besides, I didn’t commit major sins in my life and I seem better than some who attended them but didn’t seem to be good Catholics. As long as I was doing my best to be a good person, that was okay.

     When I was working, I was still the same, though at times, I would resolve to myself to attend Sunday Masses. I would be doing it for a month or so, then, I would just go back to whenever I felt doing it. Then resolve to doing it again, then….always the same thing.

     But since mid-July of 2004, I had found myself attending Sunday Masses. It felt it was the right thing to do since I had committed to Jesus during that time. As months passed by I began to enjoy attending it on Sundays for I found myself more into it.

     November 2004, our leader in our prayer meeting announced an Advent Recollection with Healing Mass in St. Francis Church, Shaw Blvd. I got a bit interested, but not enough to encourage me to attend. I just joined the group a month before, not much of a transformation yet in me.

     Two weeks later, the morning of our prayer meeting, as I read the homily on Sabbath, a daily Scriptural reference guide, the last paragraph was about retreats and recollections which I used as an introduction in my sharing in our meeting that night. Again, our leader mentioned the recollection which will be held the next day. I ignored it again. On our way home, she gave me a ride and mentioned about it again.

     Came that day, November 19, 2004, Friday, one of my sisters called me around 3:00 p.m. inviting me to attend the same recollection for they were asked to attend it because she and her husband were members of the lectors and commentators in that church. My brother-in-law would be dropping by at our house to get something from my other sister, so she said I could go with Him. He would be fetching His son in Lourdes School beside that church, bring him home, then he would be back in the church with my sister. I thought for awhile, but then, hey, okay, I said yes. I began to prepare myself in a hurry. He would arrive in fifteen minutes.

     When I entered the church, there were still a few people. So I chose a convenient spot and sat there, praying and observing. While I sat there alone, I got to ask myself what was I doing there. That was the first time I would be attending such a recollection with a Healing Mass. I wondered how I ended up in that place because I had no plan at all in going there….little did I know God wanted me to be there.

     As the recollection started, we worshiped and praised God with songs. Then Fr. Joey Faller, the healing priest whom I didn’t knew back then that he was famous, began the teaching. I became so interested in it. I even took down notes. It was about Advent and the Holy Eucharist. He explained each and every part of the Mass in detail. He said:

The Holy Eucharist is a sacrament which is a vital source that nourishes our faith and enthusiasm. It is always a Healing Mass. It strengthens our relationship with God and His family. It is also an authentic agent for our transformation. The Holy Eucharist was born on a Holy Thursday during Passover.

It has two aspects. First is the sacrifice aspect which is a memorial of the sacrifice of Jesus. It is mysterious and involves participation. The second is the heavenly aspect where transubstanciation occurs. It is the mystery of the Real Presence of Jesus actually taking place in the Eucharist. This happens by a matter of faith.

The Mass proper has two parts. First is the Liturgy of the Word. At the beginning, we use the Name of the Holy Trinity as we make the Sign of the Cross – In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – the Name of God has power. We are gathered together to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in the Presence of a powerful God. During the Liturgy of the Word, we pray that we confess because we have sinned. Through it, we are commissioned to forgive and be forgiven. There is healing.

Then, we sing the “Glory to God” where we praise and glorify God not just by words but with our whole selves and by our lives. Next, silently, we are invited to pray and the priest lifts those prayers. We unite our hearts with these prayers. 

Lastly, the Good News is proclaimed. This is where God speaks to us through the Scriptures and the homily. We should not focus on the priest and on how he delivers the teaching, but rather focus on the message that God wants us to listen to. The Word of God is a double-edged sword. When it strikes us, meaning, if we are affected, it means the Word of God is alive in us and she is telling us to change or she advises us. Priests are instruments of God as each of us is. They are here to proclaim the Good News. There is power in the Word. It is alive. Listen to it. During creation, when God said, “Let there be light!” There was light! God’s Word and action is one and the same.

When you open your heart. The Word is alive in you. Every part of the Mass is healing. When you attend the Mass do the following: Expect by asking yourself what the Gospel will tell you and expect for an answer. God answers; Carry by putting in your heart the Word of God and His message; Decide by resolving on what you will do about it. As James 1:22-25 says, “Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to His Word; instead, put it into practice. If you listen to the Word but do not put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves as they are. They take a good look at themselves and then go away and at once forget what they look like. But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice – you will be blessed by God in what you do.”

 

The second part of the Holy Eucharist is the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In the offertory, we should offer our best times, our prime times, ourselves, our hearts, even our sufferings and pains. The Consecration is the peak of the Holy Mass and of Christian healing. When the bread and wine are lifted, we should visualize with faith that they will become the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus. God is making Himself available to us, not only spiritually but also physically, at this moment. During the communion rights, pray and believe there is power in it. The most complete prayer is Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Believe that nothing will happen to you that is against God’s will. He will protect you and take care of you. 

When we receive the Body of Christ during communion, we become like Him. When we eat His body, He is within us. We should give importance to His Holy Presence within us. This unites us with God. We are in communion with Him, as well as with His family for we receive the Eucharist with the community. Finally, in the concluding part, God is sending us to spread the Gospel and be His children of good values. We should constantly give thanks for all that we have and all that we are. Be Eucharistic people of God. The Holy Mass is life. It is a challenge for us to be missionary people in our home, workplace and community. We should offer spiritual gifts God has given us in service to others. We are the hands and feet of Christ.

    I had attended Masses, and later I thought I knew its depth….but I was wrong. Wow, I never realized the essence of a Holy Eucharist until that afternoon. God made me experience its depth.

     That moment, I realized the true meaning of a Holy Eucharist. I knew before that it was the highest form of prayer and worship. I also knew that the bread and wine turned into the Body and Blood of Christ during consecration by faith, but I only knew those facts by mind….not by heart.

     When we celebrated the Holy Mass in that November recollection, I found so much meaning in it from the very beginning to the very end. During the consecration, I really felt in my heart the Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and I found myself close to tears because of my unworthiness to be so blessed and so loved by God. As I approached the priest during communion, I was a bit apprehensive. I would be receiving Jesus’ Body and Blood. Who was I to receive such a Holy Part of a Mighty God. When I received it, as it melted upon my tongue, it felt it was Jesus. When I knelt, all I could pray were praises and thanksgiving. A tear or two escaped my eyes. That was the very, very first time in my whole life that I felt such emotion during a Mass. I experienced God’s embrace. I experienced His Holy Presence. God loves me so much. No matter how much unworthy I am, He lifted me up. He made me a part of His family and gave me a chance to serve Him. I had never imagined that a Holy Mass had that kind of depth….that God Himself and His Word is so much alive in it.

     God really amazed me on how He worked in my life. Several times I ignored His invitations to me but He made sure they hit me even when I didn’t get it the first time, the second , the third or more than that. He never gave up on me even to the last minute.

      That night before I went to sleep, I reflected on what had just happened to me. God wanted me to be there in that recollection. He wanted me to experience the Holy Eucharist in the whole sense of its meaning. He wanted to impart to me its depth. During the last minute, He prompted my sister to invite me and her husband gave me a ride from the house to the church and vice versa. That was why before we parted, I thanked them and told them that God would bless them more because they had let Him use them for His purpose on me.

     I agree with Kimberly Hahn. The Holy Mass is Jesus' celebration and when we accept His invitation, we come to the Lord’s table, celebrating with Him, becoming one with Him in the whole celebration and the climax, as Fr. Joey Faller said is the consecration....During this time, a dear friend said to me once that as the wine is lifted up and turned into Jesus’ Blood by faith, I can consecrate my heart or somebody’s heart for transformation, conversion, for cleansing and healing. I took her advice. Each time I pray, "Dear Jesus, I consecrate my (or I mention a person/s name/s) heart to Your Holy Blood. Transform me, oh Lord. Cleanse me and wash away all that is unholy in me. Protect me, dear Jesus with the embrace of Your Holy Blood, from my head to my toe. Amen." Believe it or not, I sense something powerful in that and I saw wonderful results because of this.

    I also agree with them that when we eat the Holy Host....Jesus enters us not only spiritually, but also physically….I am one with my Beloved Lord Jesus. I am His tabernacle, a carrier of my Lord and His love. Isn’t it the Mass is such a wonderful gift, a grace given by God to commune with us and our brothers and sisters, His family, our family in Christ! How happy God must be as He sees us glorifying Him together in the Holy Eucharist. 

     In one Mass I attended, my eyes were closed and I’m contemplating on the celebration. Then, I had the impression that as it started, the roof of the church seemed to banish. There was a bright light covering us. The angels were singing, playing their instruments. The saints and all holy beings were singing praises, the Father was seated on the throne, on His right side was Jesus. How pleased God may be every time we come to the Lord’s table and receive fullness of the Gospel and Christ Jesus Himself. In the Holy Eucharist, we are renewed, we are embraced by God with His unconditional love....how can we not respond to the goodness of the Lord?

The Breathtaking Union

My eyes are closed, my palms unite

I am on my knees….

In full reverence to Jesus,

The bread is lifted up

By the grace of God and by my faith

The bread becomes Flesh,

The Flesh of the Most Holy One

Who suffered because He loves me so much.

The wine is lifted up

By the grace of God and by my faith

The wine becomes Blood,

The Blood of the Most High

Who died on the Cross for my own salvation.

As I approach to receive

The Holy Flesh and Blood of my Savior,

I felt so unworthy, and yet,

So blessed and so loved by my Almighty God

In my imperfect self, in my unworthiness,

He found a cherished child

Whom He lifts up and He embraces.

As Jesus’ Holy Self melts upon my tongue

He and I become united.

A living portion of the Great One

Is within me. Not just by spirit, but also physically

What can I do but lavish Him with

Praises and worships, thanks and love

He so deserves.

The Most Holy One is within me.

He is so filled with joy to be in me

As I am to have Him in me……….

A breathtaking union

Taking place only

In a Holy Eucharist
With my Beloved Jesus.

-luisadelacruz 120104

    When the hour came, Jesus took His place at the table with the apostles. He said to them, “I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer! For I tell you, I will never eat it until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.” Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks to God and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes.” Then He took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my Body, which is given to you. Do this in memory of Me.” In the same way, He gave them the cup after the supper, saying, “This is God’s new covenant sealed with my Blood, which is poured out for you.      LUKE 22:14-20  (also MARK 14:22-26)

     Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: if you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in yourselves. Those who eat My Flesh and drink My Blood have eternal life, and I will raise them to life on the last day. For My Flesh is the real food; My Blood is the real drink. Those who eat My Flesh and drink My Blood live in Me, and I live in them. The Living Father sent Me, and because of Him I live also. In the same way whoever eats Me will live because of Me.”      JOHN 6:53-57

Site to visit:   www.iamacatholicbyheart.blogspot.com

GREETINGS TO ALL CATHOLICS!

The first Pentecost Day is the "external birth" of the Catholic Church 

as the apostles gathered in the small room 

where the Holy Spirit came down upon them.

This Sunday is the celebration of Pentecost,

the video below greets all Catholics in the world.

Site to visit:   www.iamacatholicbyheart.blogspot.com

ONE UNEXPECTED MORNING!

            Late last night, I had a heart to heart talk with God. I poured out what’s inside me and asked for His help. I asked for His healing, His forgiveness, His guidance. I lifted up to Him the people and ministries I treasure. I entrusted to Him my future. And I said to Him, “All I want, Father is to love You each day.” Oh, yes I cried to Him and He embraced me with silence and comforting peace. Then I went to sleep.

            Today, was just like my ordinary days. I woke up before 4:00 a.m….prayed the rosary….after praying I went back to sleep….then I woke up around 5:15 a.m. As I got up, I noticed something different. There was a striking yellowish light outside that I saw from my window. As I looked closer, Wow! I was astonished at the picturesque view of the sky. It was so blue, white clouds with grayish parts were there. The sun’s so bright rays penetrated them which made them more beautiful.

            I immediately went outside to shot some pictures. I couldn’t be satisfied just standing on the ground, so I slowly climbed the ladder towards the roof over my room. My handicap didn’t prevent me. I really want to capture this beauty before it was gone. I sat on the roof. Wow! I took more pictures. I tried not to get the dark silhouette of the structures but its contrast to the sky added beauty to the scene.

             I sat still for a moment and looked around. I noticed the big tree on the other street. Oh, that was why every morning there were birds chirping and flying. They gave delight in my mornings. I also felt the cool air embrace me. I was just so happy and awed by everything. I was so grateful to God.

            Then all of a sudden, He made me remember something. I stared at the so beautiful scene before me. The blue sky, the white clouds, the gray shades, the silhouettes of the structures, they all contribute to the beauty of the scenery. Yes, even the grays and dark shades. The striking, penetrating, brilliant ray of the sun turned it into an awesome picturesque view here in this busy city of ours. They are all necessary to contribute to the whole beauty that beheld my eyes.

             God made me remember through this, that me and my life have light and dark side…. good and bad experiences…. strengths and weaknesses. Even if I try to ignore or remove the dark side, the bad ones, my weaknesses, the fact remains, they add beauty to me and my life. The striking rays of the sun is like the striking warmth and unconditional love of God for me. His love penetrating in my heart and my life makes them more beautiful than I can ever imagine. Each component is necessary and contributes to my whole beauty and to the whole beauty of my life.

Sometimes, I just have to climb to the roof of my life, give an extra effort for me to see things in a different perspective.

            As I reflected on today’s Gospel when I went down from the roof, my heart was further embraced by God. John 16:23-27 says:

When that day comes, you will not ask Me for anything. I Am telling you the truth: the Father will give you whatever you ask of Him in My name. Until now you have not asked for anything in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your happiness may be complete.

“I have used figures of speech to tell you these things. But the time will come when I will not use figures of speech, but will speak to you plainly about the Father. When that day comes, you will ask Him in My name; and I do not say that I will ask Him on your behalf, for the Father Himself loves you. He loves you because you love Me and have believed that I came from God.

 This was God’s confirmation to me that indeed He heard my prayer before I slept. He answered me through that picturesque view that astounded me when I woke up. I just so love God. He is truly such a wonderful Father….

MY SIMPLE DREAM....

My life's dream is just simple….to know God and love Him each day more than the day before. If I can achieve this, I will know His ways and I can possess habitual sensitivity of the Lord and introduce Him to people in a personal way, many will genuinely love Him.

A simple dream, but it is so hard to achieve because of the many temptations that force me to be pulled away from this dream of mine….It is just great that God is so patient with me and never ceases to forgive me. His arms are always open to receive me....to accept who or what I am....Where can you ever find that kind of love? 

When i die, that is the ultimate fulfillment of my dream because I can really be with God. I can truly see Him face to face and fully know Him. That is my joy....My simple dream....

....I (Jesus) will see you again,

and your hearts will be filled with gladness,

the kind of gladness, that noone can take away from you.

John 16:22