Inspirations at your Fingertips!

Tuesday of week 3 in Ordinary Time 2 Samuel 6:12-15,17-19 Mark 3:31-35  Let’s explore David’s situation as a man who does God’s will as underscored by Jesus. David gives to the Lord all adoration. To adore is to give oneself completely to Go whom we adore. David gives the offering of his life. David teaches us that true worship is not complete without the counterpart of the offering of our time, talent, and treasure for God. Thirdly, he blesses the people and consecrates them to God. The Lord looks inside our hearts and he sees what he sees - love. Perhaps the most important quality David had was to be humble in God’s sight. These are the things that make us “mothers, brothers, sisters” - doing God’s will every moment of our lives.

January 2 John 1:19-28 Happy New Year 2020! How do we make alive the Holy Trinity and the work of God in our lives? The knowledge of God is born out of intense experience of faith. St. John gave testimony to the coming of Jesus.  When was the last time we gave witness to God? The revelation of God started with the history of the call of Israel to be "God's people".  The experience of sin even in Israel continued till the time of Jesus.  His resurrection is witnessed by many.  His ascension to heaven was witnessed by many.  St. Paul said, "If Jesus did not rise from the dead, our faith is totally useless." Yes, we are witnessing to the resurrection of Jesus.  We also aim for the resurrection of our lives.  We are giving witness to the end of sin and sinful inclinations only in Jesus.  So, how do we make the work of God alive in our hearts?  Through the practice of daily life - when we are forgiven of our sins, when we practice fo...

Thursday of week 3 in Ordinary Time Mark 4:21-25 Have you encountered a real change in life as you devoted your time, talent, and treasure to get to know, love, adore, and serve Jesus? It should happen that way.  The readings tell us that as Jesus is holy, so we are clothed in holiness. Jesus is full of love; so too may we love others. Jesus initiated the work of salvation; so too may we participate in the life of the Church that leads to salvation. In other words, the our lives shine through as we give witness to Jesus.  As the gospel describes it, "The measure we measure will be measured back to us."

Witnessing the Messiah John 5:1-3,5-16 WITNESSING is born forth from a concrete encounter with someone or something - a family member, a friend, or even an enemy. It is also true with witnessing God's presence - it is borne out of a myriad of experiences of God's loving presence and how he brings life to us and others. We need to purify our senses before we can give witness to God.  From belief that he can be cured by the waters, Jesus brought him to a deeper realization that Jesus himself can cure the man as the Messiah.  Who is the Messiah for us? The Messiah brings change to our hearts and lives.  We experience concrete conversion.  We cannot live double lives.  We can subdue one over the other.  We need to rue sin so we can experience change in our lives brought about by our faith in Jesus. Third, witnessing to the Messiah always leads us to the truth.  Truth frees us from darkness and commits us to doing what is right.  God leads ...

Witness to joy, life, abundance John 4:43-54 In the book of Isaiah, God creates a new heaven and a new earth where there is joy, long life, and fruitfulness. Alas, in our world today there is sadness, people grow weary and get sick, and fruitfulness is gauged only by personal abundance while others suffer from poverty. We would need witnesses in a deeper level; witnesses serving as hope for the suffering people of God. In becoming witnesses, faithfulness to the Lord is absolute requisite.  Prayer integrated with life manifests an intimate union with Christ. Second, witnesses recognize and form other witnesses.  The Church where we belong is composed of witnesses strengthening each other. Finally, to be authentic witnesses, faith needs concrete action leading to life offered to all.  The sick became well, there is an abundance of homes and harvests mentioned in Isaiah's prophecy.  But the real fruitfulness is found in people's hearts as they cooperate wi...

Give witness to God Luke 1:46-56 Mary, having been greeted by Elizabeth, sang the Magnificant as a sign of her overflowing spirit that gave witness to the glory of God.  This could also be our spirit as we approach Christmas, taking to mind these three things: First, proclaim God's greatness Everything is God's work and we are simply his instruments.  But everyday of our lives, let us give witness to him, not to ourselves.  Our lives are stories of God's presence. Second, give witness to God Tell others God's stories. The litanies of God's accomplishments over our lives.  These stories should inspire others to take courage. Hope, hope Hope against hope that God will bring to completion what he planned to do for mankind.  God will bring true justice.  He will straighten up things.  The poor shall see their vindication.  Those who have will see to their shame how they have not shared their resources.  We can attain true happens ...

Christian witnessing Luke 24:35-48 Our actions always reflect a way of life, a set of belief, adherence to culture, a certain conviction. But let our actions be formed, not by the world, not by the preoccupations of daily life, but only with the words and saving action of Jesus. These are the marks of a Christian witness patterned after the Eucharist: 1. Docile to the words and actions of Jesus with Jesus as model. 2. Judging what is true and what is right. 3.  Performing the words and actions of Jesus in one's own decisions and actions. Only then can we regard ourselves as Christian witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus.

To be a real "Christian" John 10:22-30 We would suppose that in the community of Antioch, they were first called "Christians", they haven't seen Christ.  But they consider themselves followers of Jesus. It has been almost 500 hundred years of Christianity in the Philippines; have we truly regarded ourselves a Christians? I would want to imagine people going to work and still call themselves "Christians".  And when asked to be active in the Church, without doubt they would say, "Sure!" How do we integrate Christianity in our lives? First, know for a fact that as Christians, we seek to immediately identify ourselves with Christ.  Let us align who we are with Jesus. Second, learn from the Master when he says, "The sheep hear my voice."  Why are there so much conflicts in the world?  "Because they don't hear my voice.  They don't belong to the sheepfold." Third, "I and the Father are one."  T...

witnessing for Jesus John 6:30-35 St. Stephen mirrored Jesus in the gospel for today as he faced the Pharisees.   What is a witness?  Someone with a deep faith, even though he has not seen Jesus is a true witness as he is also giving witness to the very testimony of Jesus himself.  What are the signs to this testimony? First, Stephen gave witness to the truth as he tried to reprimand the Jews.  Jesus is faithful to the truth. Second, Stephen gave witness to the glory of Jesus.  Jesus invites the people to have faith in him as the bread of life. Third, Stephen prayed for his enemies.  Jesus' as the humble Messiah is the way to the forgiveness of sins. Let us mirror Jesus through and through!

The marks of a Christian  John 6:30-35 Let's continue reflecting on the marks of a Christian. St. Stephen valiantly defended the faith.  When his hour of death came, he spoke as Jesus did, with words reflecting the marks of a Christian.  These are: 1. I can see the heaven and Jesus descending ... these words reflect the innermost yearning of a Christian, "to see the face of Jesus" and confirm that all his actions are pleasing to Him. 2. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit ... is a prayer of oblation, "Take o Lord, and sanctify these offerings..." especially the offering of my life. 3. Do not hold this sin against them ... is a prayer of hope, healing, and forgiveness. The heart of every Christian is the very heart of Christ.

"That which we have heard from the beginning, that which we have touched with our hands ..."  Whoever could get more concrete than these?  But these are the marks of an original witness to Jesus.  And these marks were passed on to the present in an unbreakable bond. The original experiences translated into words and life, coupled by experiences of those touched by the Holy Spirit.  These are the marks of a true Christian, the signs manifest in his very own life. This Christmas, may our our lives become mirrors of the saving power of Jesus Christ.