Shift to Recognize Emmanuel

December 18, 2016 Gospel Reflection

4th Sunday of Advent. Emmanuel: God With Us

Pls Read God’s Silent Message: Mt1:18-24

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

I thought I won’t make it!

I thought I would be weak and would feel weaker as I had to go through those six cycles!

But here I am … STRONGER! Continually claiming for such BREAKTHROUGH that those six which recently ended would be the last; … no more 7^th, no more 8^th!" 

When TOUGH TIMES supersede, you would surely doubt if you’d ever get through it!

It has never been easy waking up at the middle of the night with unexplained pains.

It has never been easy battling the work of the mind which triggers all the anxieties there are, during each and every cycle; even during downtimes few days after the treatment.

But what makes me survive each time? … that assurance that “God is with me!”

Each time I cry out to God for His mercy & love, there in my dreams, He makes me see that I have succeeded over the valley of death and that I am there, right on top of such valley, enjoying His Oasis of healing, tapping over the refreshing water of life.

Friends, would you hold on to the promises of God, especially when you are faced with uncertainty in your journey? … PLEASE DO!

photo credits: http://www.carolecgood.com/GodWithUs

Just like Joseph & Mary in today’s gospel, we are called “in hope to believe against hope” that God will fullfill all His promises and that He will give us great guarantee through our intuition and our dreams – exactly as what He did with Joseph – whom after such dream, when Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. Mary on the other hand, nonetheless believed and trusted with all her heart even if she was asked to assume a burden of tremendous responsibility – BOTH A LANGUAGE OF LOVE just to bring us our “Emmanuel”!

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May this Advent Season make our lives an inspiration of faith & hope to those we fall short of recognition that amidst life’s enormous challenge, “God is with us” for always!  #sunset

 Article published in SMSantaRosa Bulletin, December 18, 2016 Issue, BIG DAY Session 

@ Alonte Arena, Municipality of Binan Laguna. Advent Recollection. 

"True Character is who you are and what you do -- even when no one is watching you!"

Let us not be Caught "Off Guard"

photo credits: http-//markryman.com/BLOG/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/matthew24-44

Let’s grab the chance reflecting for the First Sunday of Advent

Pls Read God’s Silent Message: MT 24:37-44

Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.

Ready ka na ba?

Ready ka na ba to receive more of God’s blessings?

How prepared are you to answer na “ready ka na nga?”

What if tomorrow never comes? What if today is your last chance to answer this question?

While struggling to survive, I’ve been asking this to myself. Everyday, I would reflect: “Am I really ready should this day be my last?

Anong blessing pa kaya ang pwede kong tanggapin na dapat kong ika-ready?

Today is the First Sunday of Advent which means “Coming” – a time when we have to be reminded of the reality that we are living in the end times. The coming of Jesus which we celebrate at Christmas should be a constant reminder that we have to personally prepare ourself for His final return on the Day of Judgment – which no one really ever knows when!

Thing is … how PRODUCTIVE have we been as we prepare for such day?

That feeling of rush and persistence when you anticipate that you’re at the brim of such end, ang hirap din pala. It’s as if, you want to exert every extra effort just for you to make up for the lost chances. Haisst…ganito pala, when you feel that you don’t have plenty of time, you would as much strive to be watchful of your own thoughts and decisions in embracing God’s way instead of giving-in to your weaknesses and lame excuses. It has been useless pala allowing yourself to be pressured by financial problems while you sacrifice your health – for when your health already suffers, that’s the only time you’d realize that you have actually sinned against God because your “productivity mindset” has not been for “longtime perspective”!

Way to make ourselves ready? Here’s what I’ve realized: “the currency in heaven is never any amount of money” — BUT LOVE —which we need to share while preparing for His “coming”. It’s our ACT OF GRATITUDE to such love when we have accepted to play part in God’s great plan which is to make everyone of us “walk in the light of the Lord”.

Commit your work to the Lord, then it will succeed. — Proverbs 16:3

This is it I guess – the blessing that we need to be ready about! God wants us to flourish as a tree – so that we can continually give even when we’re no longer personally around to still give. #sunset

Published in FeastSMSantaRosa Bulletin. 27 November 2016 Issue.  Series: MONEY PAKYAW. Knocking Down Your Biggest Financial Problems.  Talk 3: Productivity.  The Blessings of the Lord Bring Wealth

you can also read this in:

https://profgail67.wordpress.com/2016/11/27/let-us-not-be-caught-off-guard/
https://trendingprof47.wordpress.com/2016/11/27/let-us-not-be-caught-off-guard/

"True Character is who you are and what you do -- even when no one is watching you!"

Sana Sa Pasko

Reflecting on: Matthew 11:2-11

 EXPECTATIONS.

8 DAYS NA LANG, PASKO NA NAMAN!

Sometimes, we need to look from afar to see some of the things which we should see, yet we do not notice.

One time, trip trip ko lang, sinubukan kong panoorin ang pagiging abala ng maraming tao  habang naghahanda ng kung anu-anong pampasaya ng pasko.  Ang sarap nilang tingnan, nakaka-touch kasi yong iba, kahit na barya na lang ang natitira, pipilitin pang bilangin, makumpleto lang ang pan-regalo para sa mga mahal sa buhay. 

Sa kalagitnaan ng pagmamasid ko at pakikiramdam, nakita ko sila ulit, ang “Project 50” ko months back.  Ganon pa din, nakaupo sa isang sulok, naghihintay na may pumansin at may mag-abot sa kanila ng kung anong tirang pagkain.  Halos isang oras kong hinintay na may pumansin man lang sa kanila, pero parang nadurog na lang ang puso ko sa pag-iyak ng maliit na bata, kalong ng kanyang ate na wala namang magawa kundi tumingin sa bawat lumalabas sa pinto ng Jollibee.

Sana, kung papansinin lang natin ang pakiramdam na gusto ko po sanang i-share sa inyo sa pagkakataong ito, maging ka-parte din po sana sila ng ipaghahanda natin sa kung anong paraang maiisip natin. 

Ang maghintay ng hindi mo alam kung hanggang kalian …?

Ang umasa na mai-enjoy mo ang mga “sana” at the back of your heart …?

Ang i-convince ang sarili na darating din ang panahon na hindi mo na kailangang umasa …?

‘yong habang umaasa ka, kasabay di non na merong umaasa ng kung ano galing sayo! 

Maikling mensahe po sa sana ni God ito, tunay na paghahada para sa totoong kahulugan ng PASKO.

Let us be aligned with what God desires. #

Let “our walk” lead!

Words would always define who uses it. Others are always curious whether what we say are congruent to what we do. ...don't you think so? 

Ang sapatos daw, bago mo ma-enjoy gamitin, ita-try mo muna kung swak sa pakiramdam mo! Isusukat, ilalakad-lakad, pakikiramdaman kung hindi ba masakit sa sakong o sa talampakan. Kung ikaw yong tipong maarte sa kaliit-liitang discomfort sa bawat paghakbang mo habang suot ang isinusukat na sapatos, maswerte na siguro ang saleslady na nag-aasist sayo kung hanggang dalawa o tatlong klase lang ng sapatos ang pinagpiliian mo hanggang sa makahanap ka ng magsa-swak sa taste mo at magbibigay ng komportableng pakiramdam sa paa mo. Maswerte ka kung sa pagka-maselan mo ay marami kang pagpipilian. There are times na … ang tagal mong maka-decide kasi yong sapatos na nagustuhan mo na sana ay last pair na pala. Iniisip mong hindi naman sulit na iyon na lang ang bibilhin mo kung bukod sa marami nang nagsukat no’n ay ni hindi naman sya naka- “sale”. Chances are … kung kailangan mo na talagang bumili ng sapatos at ayaw mo na parang second-hand lang ang bibilhin mo,  mauuwi ka sa choice na “just settle for less” -- ang mabibili mo ay ang sapatos na isa naman sa mga pinagpilian mo: fit naman sa size mo, pasok din naman sa taste mo, pero nagdadalawang-isip ka pa din – kasi parang ‘di sya masyadong “confi” sa pakiramdam. 

Discomforts!

We cannot decide to make even the right, if not the best choice -- kasi ang totoo, we don’t have the “will” to rule over our emotions.  We would tend to complain on the littlest details of discomfort while we make ourselves the only person who needs big amount of consideration. We cannot “influence” our own action because we’ve tolerated “uncooperative mind-set” – the evidence? … tayo mismo ang umaayaw sa sarili nating choice kasi meron tayong ibang “mas gusto”! – yet, kapag may nagka-interes sa bagay na di natin gaanong binigyang halaga, saka lang natin sinasabing “sayang, dapat pala…”!

It is for this tendency that in our Gospel for today,  Jesus warned John for what he did upon forbidding the man from casting out demons in Jesus’ name since what that man did was supposedly what the disciples should actually be doing to accomplish their purpose.

Most of the time, we are not aware that what we’ve been doing becomes our own stumbling block -- since while we lose the power to win over our human weaknesses, we even become the cause why others would also justify their inequities as influenced by us.

Bottomline, ang totoong “power”, parang nagsuot ka lang ng bagong sapatos, i-try kung kasya, ilakad-lakad, kung may kaunting discomfort pakirandaman lang muna kasi maaaring sa umpisa lang ganon!

Pero ang pinakatotoo, hindi naman ang sapatos ang point of adjustment kundi ang “discomfort” na napagtagumpayan mo sa panahon na inakala mong “no choice” ka na!   

The Power expected of us is to effect change to others when we inspire them with the dignity of our testimony while we strive to make our “walk” lead a life with Christ way ahead!  -- sunset

"True Character is who you are and what you do -- even when no one is watching you!"

May this “pick-up line” speak of our Passion…!

Pick-up lines ???

Kahit gaano tayo ka-slow, ‘di na uso na di natin ma-gets ang ibig sabihin. Mas maraming pick-up lines, mas mahabang usapan, mas enjoy ang samahan … tama po ba? …

On the contrary, for our past four gospel readings, Jesus has been throwing His “pick-up lines” hoping that more people will follow Him after He fed thousands of them with those five loaves & two fishes. But so sad that in this last part of John’s Gospel, tuluyan nang hindi na-gets ng mga tao ang “pick-up lines” ni Jesus kaya karamihan sa kanila ay tuluyan nang umalis at hindi  na sumunod pa.

Jesus was left, asking His 12 Disciples:  ⁶⁷ “You do not want to leave too, do you?”
 Putting into picture such scenario, we would surely doubt if it would still be a right decision not to leave when everybody has taken aback. Jesus’ question was another indirect test, if the 12 Disciples would still stay. Sad thing if they would say that they are also leaving, but still, Jesus gave them the choice. Mabuti na lang, may isang Simon Peter who assured Jesus that they came because they believed that He has the words of eternal life. They already had the “passion” to continue the mission that they were trained in. The thing in our real-time scenario is, sometimes, we are also put into such a mission na sa umpisa ay parang malabong tanggapin natin. We would kind-a ask, why of all, tayo ang binibigyan ng “parang mahirap” na mission na di natin alam  kung ano ang mga dapat gawin at kung paano uumpisahan, lalo na at di rin natin alam kung anong pagtanggap ang mapapala natin sa paghihirapan natin kasi we might also be doing the right thing, the wrong way. Yet, the best question is, “where do we begin?” And the best answer is “deep within”! Yes, the passion that’s within will START-UP THE MISSION! There may be some inhibitions, but we just need to “let go of what we seem to just know” and “let God take-over” while we give out the best of what we have.  At the outset, if we will strive to fulfil our mission with whatever little of ourselves that we can extend,  we would soon be one with Jesus in this pick-up line para sa mga taong imi-mission out natin:“Gusto namin maging karpintero..Para makagawa kami ng tulaypapunta sa puso nyo!” -- Jsunset

"True Character is who you are and what you do -- even when no one is watching you!"

Let’s also Start Crafting our OWN MASTERPIECE!

WE ARE GOD’S WORKMANSHIP! 

He brought us here for a purpose. 

We only need to unlock our uniqueness 

while combining the different colors – the various  experiences 

we’ve been through  which defines the person that we’ve become.

http://profgail67.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/lets-also-start-crafting-our-own-masterpiece/

"True Character is who you are and what you do -- even when no one is watching you!"

“Holding onto the Art of Letting Go”

credits to http://paradox/conniejoy.files.wordpress.com

What a PARADOX … HOLD-ON, yet LET GO!

“Mas madalas kesa minsan, saka lang natin sinasabi lahat ng maganda at mabuting nagawa ng tao kapag di nya na ito naririnig. Saka lang natin naaalala mga maganda nyang sinabi kapag di na sya nagsasalita. Saka lang natin pinipilit baguhin ang mga bagay na pinanghinaan na nya ay di pa din natin ipinagbago kapag di na nya makikita na nagbago na tayo.”

In the Gospel of John 12:20-33, God wants us to realize that in  real life scenario, we are actually tasked to mission-out like Jesus; only that, we do not recognize and would not even want to partake in this task just because, IT’S NEVER EASY making others realize their mistakes while they misinterpret our intentions. Much as we could avoid these chances, we would rather divert our attention to other easier things – that is, if we would only have a choice.

Yes, but then no!  Among all others, yes, parents may have the choice not to partake in Jesus’ difficult mission; but then, they can never really say NO if they really love the family whom they committed to raise.  Along the way, parents has to endure every painful complaints, every justifiable and unreasonable tantrums, misinterpreted intentions, intended & unintended disrespects, hard-headedness, plus in effect, misunderstandings between parents themselves despite the both good intentions yet wrong choice of words or chances of bringing things up maybe, and other causes of stress and chaos. Difficult as we could ever imagine,  these scenarios could lead to “silent cries” because we get so hurt.  

Yet, as Jesus said in John 12:24 “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” -- a mom & a dad should let go of such pain and instead, hold-on & never give up fulfilling their mission to raise their kids until they become the person that they should be when its already their turn to continue the responsibility and commitment – the way they were trained within the family – their training ground – the same thing that Jesus did to His chosen Disciples when He coached them the roles they should get through just before His earthly mission ended.

To my hope, may this reflection teach the young generation to HOLD ON to the responsibility which they should have learned from their training grounds. LET GO of their tendencies to justify some not so good actuations; yet, hold on to whatever they have started good and let go of the impending emotions that would hinder them from producing the FRUIT which their parents should see while they still have all the chance to enjoy the reward of their kids’ willingness to LISTEN not only with their ears, but much with their HEART!

In the same way, may this Gospel challenge us, adults, to learn “the art of letting go and letting God!” so that we could maximize the chances of still bearing much fruit --  while pondering within: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”! #