WHEN I HEAR YOUR VOICE...

Dearest Jesus,

I am Your sheep and You are my Good Shepherd.

You take care of me and You love me so.

You know me and I know You.

Dear Lord,

When I get so absorbed with the beauty of the green pasture,

Or when I so enjoy the water of the stream,

Or when I wonder off and get lost,

Let it be, that when I hear Your gentle loving voice

When You call me,

I turn my head to Your direction

And follow You without delay.

Let it be my dear Shepherd

That I turn my head in a swift

And rest my loving gaze upon You…

Have a Gentle Soul!

-luisadelacruz

LET'S TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED....

Inspiration:   Matthew 7:6, 12-14

The easy life? Oh, everybody wants it, and I mean everybody. 

We want a good life, enjoying the leisure it offers. We wish to ride the best car, live in the best mansion, swim in the best resort, buy the best our money can buy, have the best family ever, eat the best food…yummy!!! Kung pwede nga lang wala nang (If it's possible, hopefully, no more) problems, no more tears of pain, no more death…haaay, sarap ng buhay (what a life)! 

Many choose this road of life, right? 

Hmmm…Ummm…My question is “Did Jesus, the Son of the Holy God, the King of all kings, the Master of all….did He live like this? Did He choose this path? 

Jesus lived as a carpenter. Hew grew in an ordinary family. He left everything for His mission. He lived among the poor and the sick. He walked the path to Calvary. He lived His purpose. 

Come to think of it, He deserves to live the easy life we so desire, but Jesus chose the road less travelled for the Father and mankind….

Oh, it’s not bad to wish or live an easy life, but along our way, let us keep in mind to do God’s will for us, and if needed, let’s take the road less traveled to do our share in God’s Master plan for mankind.  

Have a Pure Heart!

-luisadelacruz

LIKE THE BIRD....

During my silent retreat last June 16-17, as I attended Mass, a beautiful bird bigger than a sparrow flew to and fro on the chapel’s ceiling. There were times he hit the wall and I pitied him. I prayed that may he find his way out and not die there. Once he landed on the high window, but there was a screen, so he flew to and fro again. 

During the reading, he flew on the altar ground, facing the tabernacle, stayed awhile, then flew straight out of the lower window without falter….

I was teary eyed at this. It was like he recognized Jesus and Jesus gave His blessing to him. He flew swiftly to wherever…

When God uprooted me from my community, the transition was hard. But He wanted me to get to know the Catholic Church, her teachings, Mama Mary. He called, I followed, to where, to what, I didn’t know. 

I was like that bird flying around as I learn about my faith and get personal with Mother Church. But it seemed that God is giving me His blessing to fly now. 

Our spiritual director suggested that I hasten my prayer for me to commit to a parish ministry where God is calling me. This will keep me rooted in the parish, so if later, He will lead me to other ministries outside it, I’m still connected to the Church and, that I should not refuse God…

Like the bird, he said, I should remain grounded in Jesus so I could fly straight to wherever He will lead me…

If it’s God’s time for you to fly, stretch your wings, let go, trust God, fly…Let the Holy Spirit carry you with the wind of God’s love to where God wants and needs you to be…

Have a Blossoming Life!

-luisadelacruz

CLOTHES IN THE CLOSET

Last December, I surveyed my closet. I took out clothes that I hadn’t used for years. Some of them were small already. Some of them were given to me but I didn’t usually wear those kind. Some, I just didn’t like to wear anymore…

I folded them and gave away to calamity victims. They would be of more use to them than being in my closet. Clothes are meant to be worn not made to get old inside the closet, otherwise, they become useless…

When we hear God’s Word in homilies, seminars, retreats, gatherings, radio and TV programs, personal Scripture/prayer times, reading books and materials…we can’t just write and listen and listen and listen and listen…We have to put them into practice (James 1:22-25) otherwise they will be worthless, just like the unused clothes in the closet…

God’s Word are meant to be planted in our hearts, grow roots, and be practiced in our daily lives. 

As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.” As we listen, let’s also put into practice what God teaches us through His Word…

Then one day, it shall be perfect in us and in our lives through God’s grace.            

Easy Living!

- luisadelacruz

SIGNBOARDS OF LIFE!

Yesterday early morning, my two sisters, a family friend and myself visited my cousin Arlene in Perpetual Help Hospital in Las Piñas. She was brought there Wednesday around 12:00 – 1:00 a.m. Doctors found out that she had to operated on her appendix immediately. Thank God she's fine and on her way to recovery.

Coming from the hospital, we followed a sign that says: Alternate route to C-5 via Naga Road. Wow! Faster way of going home and avoiding traffic. We turned right and followed all the signs that direct us to our destination. We entered a subdivision.

At first that was so easy, just follow the signs. But there was a time, we got lost, there were no signs. We followed a car, but alas! Hahahaha, the owner lives there. We asked a gardener for directions.

A second time, we didn’t know whether to go straight, right or left. Straight ahead was a gate, to the right was another gate with a sign “NO ENTRY – One Way.” So we turned left. But it seemed not the right way, so we asked bystanders and they directed us back, then we took the straight path. But as we turned we ended up where we came from.

We asked two youngsters on a bike and they accompanied us since it’s also their direction. Oh no! They led us pass through the “NO ENTRY” gate, hehehe. God bless those youngsters. Their heaven sent.

As we reached their destination, they gave us instruction and we parted ways. Oh, we got lost another time, and we asked an elderly man who gave us directions. Haaaay! Siiiiigggnnn boards, pls! As we reached a guard house and pass through it, yes! We were on our way to SLEX, then to C-5. We got home, avoiding traffics, too much heat and faster.

But you know what!?! I enjoyed our ride home. I realized, like the new way we took, changes happen in our lives as we ourselves change. We need directions. But if there are none, don’t be afraid ask those who knew and who can help. There will be times, signages are all around or none at all, or instructions are not that clear, but there will be times we’ll encounter those who are willing to get out of their way to help us. But all these, can help us to get to our destination, faster, easier, in spite of some hassles.

When God sets us to new directions in our lives, He will give all the help we will need. Whatever is missing, He will provide. Don’t be afraid to take risks. God will be there to guide you.

-luisadelacruz

UNSELFISH PRINCESS

A while ago, I stumbled on a cartoon about a king who had 6 princes and a princess. He remarried when the queen died. The new mom was a witch and she was so cruel to her stepsons and stepdaughter that she turned all the 6 the princes into wild geese. The princess learned about this. Her brothers told her that the only antidote for the spell was: she couldn’t smile, nor speak, nor laugh within 6 years and she had to make a cloak for each of them made from a certain wild flower.

The princess promised to her dear brothers that she would do this for them no matter what. Wow! What a loving and courageous little princess! Her brothers were losing hope, but she didn’t give up!

Her brothers flew with the other wild geese of the forest. The princess? She lived in the forest and never spoke a word nor smiled nor laughed. She knitted each cloak with her own hands, until she grew so beautiful.

One day, a prince passed by the forest and fell in love with her. He married her, but at times he requested the princess to talk to him. With tears in her eyes, the princess would just shake her head. What a faithful sister!

A son was born to them and they had a feast. Many were invited. Alas! The cruel queen came and cornered her. She told the princess that their father died of loneliness and she, the witch, was the ruler in their land.

She forced the princess to speak, but to no avail. She kidnapped their baby and told everybody that the princess was a witch and ate her own son. The prince pleaded for her to speak out, but she didn’t. The people tied her in a pole. Put the 6 cloaks she wove on top of the logs on her feet and started a fire to burn her.

She kept silent and cried. She remained loyal to her promise even at the verge of death.

Swoosh! Came her geese brothers, flying towards the cloaks and they turned into human. One of the carrying the baby as they rescued him in the forest. 6 years had passed and the antidote was completed. The queen’s cruelty was exposed and she used her power against them, but the fire was blown to her and she was burned to death.

The brothers went back to their palace to lead their people and princess, now smiled and laughed and spoke again.

I was struck by the character of the princess. Like her, sometimes we have to sacrifice our own desires, our own happiness and dreams for the sake of other people.

At times we have to give up our comfort zones. We experience pain. We make hard decisions. At times we have to endure sacrificial love for blessings to be received by others.

In the end, the bewitched hearts of many will be freed because of how we allowed God to use our sacrificial love to make them free.

Abundant future is ahead of all of us . . . . Let’s be like the unselfish princess!

-luisadelacruz

WHEN ANGELS CAME DOWN!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009, I was told that those who will be manning the table on Sunday Feast, May 17, in Valle Verde would be wearing a costume of angels. Whaaaaat!?! I was shocked. I was told to read my email, the request was there.

When I got home, I immediately read that email. Voila! It was there. Oh no, I honestly didn’t like that. Wearing costumes, never in my life had I done that. But I couldn’t back out my name or find somebody to replace me just because of this reason. Well, I am the head of our ministry, if this was my only reason not to serve, I had to do it.

The next day, I had to think of how to encourage my three other sisters in the ministry, Nell, Erlie, and Joy, who will also man the table. So, I text them to wear all white and for once in our lives we would be angels here in this world, even for just now as we wear angel costumes. They liked the idea, they said that they had never did that but it was an exciting thought. There, problem solved . . . ummm but you know what? With our text exchanges, I was also encouraged myself and if we were going to do it, why not with the best we could . . . ;-D

Friday night . . . ahhh, we were so sleepy and tired already. It was around 10:00 p.m. Nell, spent the night in our house. We were making angel halos and wings. We started since 6:00 p.m.

We had used a thick wire for the outside skeleton and a very thin one for the support inside the wings. I shaped 2 sets of wings, Nell wrapped them with white cartolinas, then pasted cut out white crepe paper for feather effect.

My fingers were aching and my arms were tired because of the pressure I had to use in bending the thick wire. Its ends sometimes even pinched my fingers. After the skeleton, I made the halos with the wire then wrapped them with white ribbons. Wow! They looked so nice. Nell and I smiled. When she finished one wing, and one side of the other three wings, we were so happy and excited. ;-D

But we didn’t finish them that night. As I took a glimpse on Nell, she looked so tired and sleepy. I was feeling the same and the next day we had to wake up early.

Come Saturday, from a seminar in Makati, we went to our CG meeting in Meralco Ave. When we arrived home between 10:00 – 10:30 p.m. we rested awhile, then started doing again our angel wings.

We finish by 1:00 a.m., We were plastered, but excited. On Sunday, when we met Erlie and Joy, we put on them the wings and the halos. Wooooow! They looked beautiful. Picture! Picture! . . . souvenir . . . ;-D

Of course, during our turn, our pictures were also taken. It was an enjoyable day of service. For once in our lives, we became angels on earth . . . hahahaha! Wearing those costumes was not bad after all.

You know what? Friday night, when we were so tired and my fingers were hurting because of the thick wire, a wonderful thought came in my mind. That very moment, I questioned myself, “Why are we doing this? We were told that it was okay even if we did just the halos.”

But then again, since we knew how to make wings and halos, and we could make time to do them why not. In our little way, this was the help we could contribute in the ambience we were creating in the Feast.

Then I told Nell, “Making this wings and halos are not easy. It’s really hard to be an angel. It’s hard to be holy in real life. As we live our life, we get hurt. We encounter problems, difficult people and situations. There are times we want to give up or ask ourselves, why we are doing this or that. Why do we give more when this amount is just enough?

When God asks us to do something, at times we don’t want to do them. We have to sacrifice something. There are times, we get really tired and want to give up. When temptations come, whew, some are really irresistable. Haaaay! It’s real hard to stay holy . . . but it’s worth it. Heaven is worth it. Being with God in eternity is worth it. Loving God is worth it.”

Yes, at the end of everything there is joy and peace in the heart. Knowing that you’ve done something in the works for God, in all humility and obedience, even in just the simplest way, all your efforts are worth it . . .

What keep us going? . . . Love . . . It is also what can keep us holy no matter what . . . It can make our life enjoyable in spite of challenges with angel smiles . . . ;-D


COLLOSSIANS 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people . . . For Christ is the real Master you serve.

PSALMS 112:1 Praise the Lord! Happy is the person who honors the Lord, who takes pleasure in obeying His commands.

-luisadelacruz

. . . AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH . . .

It is written:

Many people were shocked when they saw HIM; HE WAS DISFIGURED THAT HE HARDLY LOOKED HUMAN. ISAIAH 52:14

We despised HIM and rejected HIM; HE ENDURED SUFFERING AND PAIN. Noone would even look at HIM - WE IGNORED HIM AS IF HE WERE NOTHING. ISAIAH 53:3

BUT HE ENDURED THE SUFFERING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OURS, THE PAIN THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BORNE..... ISAIAH 53:4

BUT BECAUSE OF OUR SINS HE WAS WOUNDED, BEATEN BECAUSE OF THE EVIL WE DID. WE ARE HEALED BY THE PUNISHMENT HE SUFFERED, MADE WHOLE BY THE BLOWS HE RECEIVED. ISAIAH 53:5

.....But the LORD made the punishment fall on HIM, THE PUNISHMENT ALL OF US DESERVED. ISAIAH 53:6

HE WAS TREATED HARSHLY, BUT ENDURED IT HUMBLY; HE NEVER SAID A WORD..... ISAIAH 53:7

.....HE WAS PUT TO DEATH FOR THE SINS OF OUR PEOPLE. ISAIAH 53:8

THE LORD SAYS, "IT WAS MY WILL THAT HE SHOULD SUFFER; HIS DEATH WAS A SACRIFICE TO BRING FORGIVENESS....." ISAIAH 53:10

.....MY DEVOTED SERVANT, WITH WHOM I AM PLEASED, WILL BEAR THE PUNISHMENT OF MANY AND FOR HIS SAKE I WILL FORGIVE THEM. ISAIAH 53:11

.....HE WILLINGLY GAVE HIS LIFE AND SHARED THE FATE OF EVIL MEN. HE TOOK THE PLACE OF MANY SINNERS AND PRAYED THAT THEY MIGHT BE FORGIVEN. ISAIAH 53:12

Hear Me! Save Me now! Be my refuge to protect Me; My defense to save Me. PSALM 31:2

EVERYONE HAS FORGOTTEN ME, AS THOUGH I WERE DEAD; I AM LIKE SOMETHING THROWN AWAY. PSALM 3:12

IN HIS LIFE ON EARTH JESUS MADE HIS PRAYERS AND REQUESTS WITH LOUD CRIES AND TEARS TO GOD, WHO COULD SAVE HIM FROM DEATH. BECAUSE HE WAS HUMBLE AND DEVOTED, GOD HEARD HIM. BUT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS GOD'S SON, HE LEARNED THROUGH HIS SUFFERINGS TO BE OBEDIENT. HEBREWS 5:7-8

Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back in its place! DO YOU THINK THAT I WILL NOT DRINK THE CUP OF SUFFERING WHICH MY FATHER HAS GIVEN ME?" JOHN 18:11

.....ONE OF THE GUARDS THERE SLAPPED HIM..... JOHN18:22

....."Aren't you also one of the disciples of that Man?" BUT PETER DENIED IT. "NO, I AM NOT," he said. JOHN 18:25

Then Pilate took Jesus and HAD HIM WHIPPED. THE SOLDIERS MADE A CROWN OUT OF THORNY BRANCHES AND PUT IT ON HIS HEAD; then they put a purple robe on Him and came to Him and said, "Long live the King of the Jews!" AND THEY WENT UP AND SLAPPED HIM! JOHN 19:1-3

.....they shouted, "CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!" JOHN 19:6

They shouted back, "KILL HIM! KILL HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!"..... JOHN 19:15

He went out, CARRYING HIS CROSS, and came to "The Place of the Skull," as it is called (In Hebrew it is called "Golgotha") tHERE THEY CRUCIFIED HIM..... JOHN 19:17-18

.....THEY DIVIDED MY CLOTHES AMONG THEMSELVES AND GAMBLED FOR MY ROBE..... JOHN 19:24

.....He said to His mother, "He is your son." Then He said to His disciple, "She is your mother"..... JOHN 19:26-27

JESUS SAID, "FORGIVE THEM, FATHER! THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING"..... LUKE 23:34

THE SOLDIERS MADE FUN OF HIM: THEY CAME UP TO HIM AND OFFERED HIM CHEAP WINE AND SAID, "SAVE YOURSELF IF YOU ARE THE KING OF THE JEWS." LUKE 23:36-37

AT THREE O'CLOCK JESUS CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD SHOUT, "ELOI, ELOI, LEMA SABACHTHANI?" WHICH MEANS, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY DID YOU ABANDON ME?" MARK 15:34

JESUS CRIED OUT IN A LOUD VOICE, "FATHER! IN YOUR HANDS I PLACE MY SPIRIT!" HE SAID THIS AND DIED. LUKE 23:46

"IT IS FINISHED!" THEN HE BOWED HIS HEAD AND GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT. JOHN 19:30

WITH A LOUD CRY JESUS DIED. MARK 15:37

JESUS AGAIN GAVE A LOUD CRY AND BREATHED HIS LAST. MATTHEW 27:50


My God, my Lord, because of my sins You suffered. YOU TOOK THE PUNISHMENT THAT IS MEANT FOR ME. YOU DO NOT DESRVE IT. It is I who should have been there. It is I who should have been mocked, crowned with thorns, whipped. It is I who should have carried the Cross. It is I who should have been crucified.

I have rejected You. YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE FOR ME. YOU SUFFERED FOR MY SAKE.....FOR MY FORGIVENESS.....FOR MY SALVATION. You have been so unselfish, my Lord. You felt fear. You felt turning back for You knew what would happen to You. You felt abandoned.....and yet.....YOU ENDURED THEM ALL and obeyed the Father's will to the finish. YOU TRUSTED HIM STILL.

You, my innocent Lord, my God, my Master.....took my place, Your creation, Your servant.....the sinner. Nothing can surpass what you did for me. Nothing can surpass your greatness. THANK YOU, MY DEAR JESUS with all my mind, all my soul, and most especially with all my heart. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU. I AM SO MUCH INDEBTED TO YOU.

My life is not enough to repay what you have done for me. Nothing I can offer can give back what you gave me.....what you did for me. My Lord, let me die with You in that Cross. Let me share the burden that should have been mine. And as I die with You, my dear Lord, renew my spirit to be worthy of what You have gone through. Make me, my Lord, like You, who learned through Your sufferings to be obedient to our Dear Father in all humility.

Dear Jesus, let Your Spirit live in me so I can endure all the trials and sufferings I have to face for the glory of Your Kingdom. Make my heart..... always..... have the desire to serve and to love.

Let that desire keep burning in my heart so that Your sacrifice will not be in vain with me. As You offered Your precious life for me, let me offer my humble life to You. AS YOU DIE ON THAT CROSS TO FULFILL YOUR PURPOSE.....LET ME DIE WITH YOU TO FULFILL MINE. AMEN.

-luisadelacruz

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

I heard Someone knocking (knock, knock, knock) just faint ones. I ignored it. Several times I heard them from time to time, but I chose to ignore them. Until one day I peeped just to know who was this so persistent Being knocking so tirelessly.

I peeped by the window of my heart, and I saw Jesus standing just outside its door, knocking so patiently. So I decided to open the door slightly. That was last July 2004. Since that day, He never stopped knocking, louder and louder each time (knock, Knock, KNock, KNOck, KNOCk, KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!) up to the point I had opened the door wide and let Him in.

First, He sent the Holy Spirit to put a desire in my heart to commit to Him . . . I did, half-heartedly. I laid low in my career, I even thought of stopping for a while because this was my biggest hindrance in committing to Him. He made me listen to Don Moen’s songs almost everyday and a refrain from one of the songs kept echoing in my mind (. . . be it unto me according to Your Word, according to Your promises I can stand secure. Carved upon my heart, the truth that sets me free, according to Your Word O Lord, be it unto me . . .).

He sent the Holy Spirit to make me write my stories and reflections and gave copies to people and through them I received confirmations that He was touching the readers’ hearts. He made me buy a book, The Purpose Driven Life. I burrowed my sister’s copy, but when I started reading it, I stopped and bought my own copy, then read it daily and even encoded my reflections after reading each chapter. This book, explained to me so many things. It answered my questions, confirmed to me the things that were starting to happen to me. As I finished it, I realized that the topics of the last chapters, I had already been doing, some I had already planned to do. All these, helped me commit to Him more and more and more.

Second, September 2004, during the anniversary celebration of the Light Of Jesus (LOJ), a transparochial Catholic community, Jesus showed me that it was the family of God where I belong. He touched my heart there and even sent a message through the Gospel of the Holy Mass. Actually, I was guilty of not listening to the first part of it because I was thinking of the worship before the Mass. Then my sister gave me a jolt and told me that the Gospel may be meant for me. When I focused my attention to it, the part the priest was saying was about one had to choose between two master’s because you could not serve both at the same time, and his homily sure talked to me.

Now I thought I had given Jesus my full commitment, until He sent me a text message which had a great impact on me that I cried so much and renewed my commitment with Him, but this time deeper. Even if He will ask me not to have my own family and even if He will ask me not to go back to my career I will obey. It is up to Him. I gave Him my word. Whatever He wants me to do, I will do for Him. This was the fourth knock, and it was a very loud knock.

I thought it was the last. The fifth was on my birthday. I attended an early morning Mass. The Gospel, again talked to me, it was about when Jesus sent the seventy two disciples to be His messengers. And there was another thing, a very important thing, He revealed to me that day that I had to have a willing heart in order for me to serve Him effectively. I must obey Him willingly so He could fulfill His promise to me, that in every unselfish thing that I would do for Him, He would be giving me overflowing joy.

The sixth (well . . . He saved the loudest knock in the last, yes, this was the last), it was The Feast, a Sunday celebration of LOJ. It was still in AFP Camp Aguinaldo. I attended the first session with my eldest sister, her husband, and their daughter. We were a bit late so when we arrived, one third of the first song had been sang. The moment I stood in front of my sit and focused on the song, wow, I was in tears. It didn’t stop there, the following two songs made me cry even more. I was not familiar with the two of them but one was I Offer My Life by Don Moen. Boy, I was a bit ashamed because everybody around me was singing and rejoicing and smiling while I was in tears with my shoulders slightly jolting up and down from time to time as I try to minimize my cry (it was a good thing we were on the side and it was a bit dark there).

When Bo Sanhez, the leader of the community, had his talk, I was calm and I had stopped crying. But, my, the whole message, it was all that Jesus wanted to tell me, it was about Jesus getting into Peter’s boat and telling him to cast out his net to catch fishes and with total obedience Peter did as he was told and the net caught so many fishes that their nets were tearing (Luke 5:3-7). Discipleship, total obedience and trusting Jesus, fishing for people for the glory of the Lord in the vast sea of life, these hit me with a big bang. When Bro. Bo asked all of us to raise our hands and ask God for a blessing that we wanted to have, all I could ask was the courage to trust in Jesus . . . that was all I could ask. That moment all I wanted was for me to trust Him, nothing else . . . and it was granted . . . my prayer was granted. That was such a blessed day for me!

That was the end of the knockings in the door of my heart as God was calling me to commit. After that, Jesus entered my heart as I allowed Him to come in. He dwells in it. I am at peace and I am filled with so much overflowing joy. He tells me what to do, and I obey. He lets the Holy Spirit fill me and transform me. My courage to trust Him gets rattled at times, but immediately I ask for His help to steady it and He never fails me. A friend sent me a classic prayer, which I pray : “Dear Lord, Your will Be Done, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. AMEN.”

-luisadelacruz