Kenichi Shirahama (The Mightiest Disciple), this is a cartoon series about a good-hearted teenager who is being trained by his masters in combat arts. He undergoes hard training. He complains, wants to give up at times but perseveres. He uses what he learns only when necessary, most especially, to protect his loved ones. His masters never get involved in his fights. This is a master-disciple rule they strictly follow...though they get worried and concerned for Kenichi when he fights with the enemies. But what he didn’t know, they are always ready to rescue him when necessary...only when necessary… At times in the midst of our troubles in life, God is so silent. We wonder if He even cares or listens to our prayers, but like Kenichi’s masters, God has trained us well before we encounter our problems, especially the heaviest ones. He is concerned for us and He is watching us in each of our battles in life, ready to rescue us when the need arises. wink emoticon Never lose hope, never give up! Put into action what you have learned from God and persevere. Put into action what you have learned from God and persevere. Always remember, you are in good hands. You have the greatest Master teaching you, training you and watching over you! grin emoticon God bless your training in life...Hyyyaaahhh!!!! grin emoticon
Sunday morning, I asked the retreatants to be at the hall by 6:15 a.m. with their Rosary for our morning prayer. Oh, it was cold, still a bit dark. As I told them, they could come in their pajamas, even if they had not yet taken their bath, or they still have morning stars in their eyes. That would be okay, God will accept us as we come, as being the real us, who we are.
And so, I explained to them about the essence of the Glorious Mysteries and that we would be praying individually, slowly, chewing and chopping each word and each mystery, reflecting on them, while walking slowly and separately around the grounds of the retreat venue.
It was a very beautiful experience. They were such a wonderful sight to see. At times, some sat on a rock or stair step, pause in front a tree, or the image of Mama Mary, look up on the sky, then continue walking slowly again, holding the Rosary.
The time I gave them was 6:30 - 7:00 a.m., just in time for breakfast, though I anticipated that it may took them 45 minutes to do that because some may even be led to linger to staying in God's Presence after the Rosary. Oh, yes, it happened. They were in the dining area 7:15 a.m., there two by 7:30 a.m. They appreciated the experience.
After breakfast, as I wait for our gathering time, I reflected on my own experience in our morning prayer and wrote in my journal: * As we started, I went to a gazebo and wanted to stay there and sit down as I pray. You see my right foot has a handicap from polio and I use a cane to walk. I didn't know if I can walk easily on the paths I would encounter since I would be alone. But the morning was oozing with God's Presence and I couldn't say no to His invitation to me. So I decided to get out of my comfort zone and slowly walked around while praying. I was glad I did......My comfort zones hold me back. They make me stagnant and prevent me to experience new and beautiful things in life.
* I pause from time to time, I look up, I look around and I also looked down. I saw new things, beautiful and not so beautiful ones, fresh plants and withered ones and cut trunks......Life is like that. It is given, there are good and bad sides so I have to accept everything and always look at the bright side to live happily.
* Along my path, I saw two stairs. I wanted to go up in both to see what was beyond, but as I assess the steps, I would not make it on my own, they were not cemented, not flat and there were no handrails. I could if I had somebody with me......In living my life and in my journey, I have to admit I have my limitations and that I need the help of people. I am not super human and only God can do everything. I have to be humble enough to admit my weaknesses and accept help from others.
* I came to an y-intercessection. One path where I came from, another would lead me towards the dining area, my destination and another would seem to take me further away with longer walk and I didn't know where it would lead me, but it was beautiful. I took the chance and walked on the latter path. It was just a short distance, a dead end, but with an open area, with an image of Mama Mary in the middle. I saw one retreatant seated near the image and praying. One was standing in the midst of our distance and was also praying. I was happy to see them quietly praying with reverence......Jesus wants me to be happy. He leads me to have site seeing in my journey in life to see the beauty of it. He surprises me with what is there and gives me the joy of His Presence in others as well as in His Mother.
* I went back to the y-intersection and took the path going to the dining area, my destination. But as I walked further, I remembered seeing the area from the hallway above. Oh, there will be a stair ahead, that was the only way I could proceed. I hesitated and thought of tracing back the path where I came from. But that would take me longer and more tiring for me. If I would take the stair, it would be harder for me but a shorter distance. So I decided to check out the stairs. It was cemented, there was a handrail though on the right side, but I could take it and I did......Sometimes in life, I think I can’t do something because I foresee or see the blocks, but if I do not check it out first and take the risks how can I know that I truly cannot do it, most especially if I am walking through it with God and He is the One leading me?
* I remembered, as I packed my things before I went down for our morning prayer, I saw my excess clothes that I didn’t use. They just made my bag heavy, then the disciples of Jesus crossed my mind at that moment when they were sent two by two and was instructed by Jesus to bring nothing but their walking stick, not even an extra shirt…...Sometimes, I tend to bring more than I should for my own comfort. In life, there are things I think I need, but only to find out, they are just wants that I can live without. Or I bring things from my past that I should have let go long time ago because they are just extra baggage and they just burden me when I can travel my life light if I just leave them behind.
A journey is a path strolled with God from one area to another. As long as I remain in God as I travel, there is nothing to worry nor be afraid about….
What God inspired me to see as I reflected on my morning prayer experience is not only a lesson for me, but for everybody journeying in life. I pray God also touches your hearts and reflect on your own on these inspirations based on your own life. Always stay happy with God. Never leave Him out of your journey in life. Life is beautiful in spite of the certain circumstances we experience. We just have to look at them through the eyes of God. This can happen, if we humbly choose to let Jesus teach us to stay a child to the Father and allow growth in our relationship with Him. God bless your homes!
I have an Aunt who was always kind and loving.
She would always welcome us in their home and cook immediately for us
to eat. She wouldn't allow us to leave their house without making sure
our tummies were full. She was the wife of my Papa's brother and she
became my Mama's best friend, too.
She always had so many stories to tell with her loud voice. She was also fond of making different kinds and
sizes of beautiful flowers out of crepe papers and straws, very
artistic indeed. She was very good at this. It always made her happy to
give us a little something. She was very friendly and likable that
whenever it was the feast day of Sto. Nino in their place, their house
was always full of friends and relatives.
Last Thursday
morning, my two sisters, my niece and I visited their house to see her
and bring our Christmas gifts for them. I noticed something different
with my Aunt. Her face was more wrinkled than months ago when I last saw
her. Her hairs were whiter. She looked thinner. She was weaker than
before. She could not cook anymore. She was noticeably quiet and
answered our questions briefly with a soft voice. She answered us like a
shy little girl. She said with sadness that she couldn't make the crepe
paper flowers for us anymore. Her memory was not good anymore. She even
had a hard time recognizing us, at times even exchanging our names.
As I sat in front of her, I took a close look at her. I remembered how
she was before and it pinched my heart a bit to see her like that. I
couldn't see the light I saw before in her eyes, no laughter just smiles
from time to time. She was not really herself anymore.
Oh, how
time flew and yes she is older now, in her 70's in fact. And then I
thought, "Someday....one day, I will be like her. I will get old. I will
be weaker and I can only do less. But before that happens, Lord, use me
while I still have my strength. Change me and make me more loving to
You, to my family and to others while I still have a chance. With the
time I still have, may I give glory to Your name and by Your grace,
build a home for You in the hearts of people and bring You home to
them....while I still can..."
In a few days, we will be
welcoming another new year in our lives. May we put more meaning, more
love, more joy, more peace and more God in each of the 365 days we will
have.
As the clock turns to midnight on December 31 to welcome
the 1st day of 2013, may the desire in our hearts to have God's Presence
in our lives be inflamed enough that we can not deny it so we can
strive to have more of Him in the whole year coming our way...and in the
next years beyond it, if God will allow us still to breathe His
breath...Let's live a fruitful life worthy of God.
May the peace and joy of Jesus be in your homes. A
wonderful New Year for you and your families! God bless your homes!
Wednesday morning, after breakfast, I sat in the terrace of the third floor unit
of a duplex house in Talisay, Batangas. My family rented a unit for an
overnight stay. As I sat there, I just enjoyed the view of Taal Volcano,
with a few birds flying, a boat passing and the cool wind gently
touching me. Taal Volcano was beautiful against the lake and the blue
sky surrounding it.
In a while, there were
drizzles of raindrops, then, the rain poured hard a bit. As I looked
again at Taal Volcano, oh, I didn’t see it anymore because the fog
covered it fully, but I know it was there. Where else would it go?
When the rain stopped and the fog was gone, the beautiful volcano was visible again.
There are times, God and His hand in our lives seem so visible. When
this is so, we feel confident enough that we are not alone and we see
the beauty of life. We are optimistic about our future. But when
problems come and God seems quiet and distant, when He seems to
disappear in the scene of our lives, that’s the moment when our problems
are the fogs and rain that cover God from our sight.
But one
thing we have to believe in…Like the Taal Volcano, God is still there.
God will not go anywhere, He will never abandon us. Behind the fogs of
life, God is still very much present, not seen by our naked eye, but
seen by the eyes of our hearts. We’ve got to always remember that we can
be secured in God and we have nothing to be afraid of. We may not see
Him nor sense Him for a while but He is still there taking care of us
and helping us to get through our troubles, wiping each tear that falls
from our eyes and healing each pain that pierces our hearts. A moment
will come these fogs and rain will soon be gone and once more, God will
again be visible in our sight.
And with grateful hearts, we enjoy the gift of life and thank Him for it.
This is truth: God will always be there for you...
Last night, I was in a gathering. At the end of it, the
people there were asked to group themselves with their families. Then, while
the song “I will be here” was being played on the background, the husbands and
wives were asked to recall what they loved about their spouses and to tell it
to them, also to remember what they loved about their children and the same
with the children to their parents and to tell it to each other.
At first, many felt awkward about it. Most did not know what
to say. They were silently feeling uneasy. But after awhile, some found the
words to say. Then they were asked to hold hands and hug each other. Again,
most released their uneasiness through smiling. It seemed they had forgotten
how to give a hug. Some kids wanted to keep their distance. But still, they
were encouraged not to be shameful about it because they were families and this
may be the chance given to them for such a long time of not doing this. Wow!
They are families. They live together. They see each other every day, but they
felt uneasy and awkward in hugging one another and they lost their words to
communicate their love.
Towards the end, as the song was repeated, they were asked
to embrace each other while swaying and singing the song together. At this
moment, the distance were bridged, the wall collapsed, tears were shed.
As I watched them go through each step given to them, I
realized the truth of what I discovered lately: the root problem of society
today is the weak foundation among many families. What are missing today in
families are open communication, intimacy and friendship, also praying together
as a family. When it comes to matters of the hearts and emotions, members feel
awkward in opening them up to each other. Hugging is not part of their
expression of love. In fact, each member finds it hard to express their love to
one another that it creates a gap or a distance between them.
But seeing them at the end, embracing and swaying together while
singing the song, with tears flowing and melting the barriers…that was a very
touching and wonderful moment. What a beautiful sight!
A
family is a gift from God. Hopefully, the families of today and of the future
will realize the value of praying together, open communication, intimacy and
friendship. Family bonding is truly important especially when the kids are
growing and the husbands and wives are becoming indifferent with each other. May
God reign in the homes of today and may families grow in love together. -luisadelacruz
When I was little, I came to know birthdays. My Mama would
always cook something special to celebrate our birthdays. It would always be
just for our family, occasionally, with invited guests and relatives. As I was
the youngest, my three sisters would always give me gifts, anything from simple
to something big. But my Mama would always remind me: “It is the thought that
counts not really the monetary value of the gift.”
Many birthdays had passed in my life and all through them I
always had wishes. I always had something to ask from God as a gift. Some were
granted, some were not given as I want but in another package. Yap, I even had
broken dreams and frustrations.
Along my journey in life, God had taught me that challenges
in life would always be there, one after the other, some just like scattered
rain showers, some like heavy storms. The only shield I can have is my faith in
Him and His love for me that at the end of each rain showers or storms, I will
be always okay. Everything will be fine because He will make sure I will be
safe. May be at times, I will have some wounds and scars but He will always be
there to heal them, give me rest and strengthen me.
He also opened my eyes to the value of simple and little
things. Though I still fail to recognize them at times, but I’m learning. There
are many daily miracles and blessings that He gives me. I didn’t recognize them
before because my eyes were so set on big things and big dreams that I got
blinded by them. I also ignored them because I was so busy with doing what I
want in my life.
I now realize, each day is a gift. Each time I open my eyes
in the morning is a gift. Each time I breath air is a miracle. The fact that I
can see, hear, touch, walk, move…and more…is a precious gift from God. Having
my family is a treasure. God lending me my parents to love me and bring me up
to who I am now is truly a big blessing. My siblings, my brothers-in-law, my nephew
and niece are a joy. My relatives and friends are His gifts, too.
Having the opportunity to have an education, to share God to
others, to eat more than three times a day, to have a home and a TV, a computer…everything
is all because of God’s grace.
I am grateful that God would even think beforehand of
creating me in the womb of my Mama. I was born with nothing and yet He provides
me with what I need. He clothes me, feeds me and helps me grow. I am awed by
the fact, that He loves me so.
This year, in my birthday, I searched my heart for the
biggest gift that I wish to have. Oh, yes, I still found petty desires there,
but I didn’t sense my heart leap in the thought of them. I dug deeply, further
and further, until I found something that brought tears to my eyes…my birthday
wish above all the others:
I simply desire to make God smile…and with this wish is that
I may always allow Him to increase in me and to others as I decrease.
Just the thought that I do good for God and make Him smile
allow little tears to escape my eyes and my heart to leap in joy. It’s not easy
to be unselfish and not to take credits for each accomplishment. It’s very
challenging to sincerely and truthfully point to God and not to self. I still
have so much to learn in life. It will take my lifetime to be transformed. I
will still falter and fail God. There will be times that I will still offend
Him. I may be in the half-time of my life or may be less. I don’t know. I cannot
change the world. But for the rest of my life, I can do something in my little world
in accordance to God’s desires. And for the rest of my birthdays, I deeply desire
that this will always be my wish above all else. I may even forget this from
time to time, but by God’s grace, I believe He will make me remember and He
will grant it…and one day, when it is time…may He be there to welcome me in His
arms…with a beautiful smile on His face…That will be such a great joy!
Everything is a gift from God…each day is His miracle…We
truly have such an awesome and wonderful God who never fails to take care of us
and put up with our tantrums…who never fails to show His love for us in spite
of our demands…He deserves much more love than what we give Him…He will love us
no matter what…
