Inspirations at your Fingertips!

Choose God! Matthew 11:16-19  The second week of Advent really compels us to choose God as the center point of our lives.  Christmas is not simply about joyous celebrations.  It actually opens us to the world where God rules and we follow him. Jesus warns us against dancing a different tune other than the one offered by Father.   “We played the pipes for you,  and you wouldn't dance ...  Yet wisdom has been proved right by her actions." Choosing to play Jesus' music entails giving in to what he desires;  it means knowing the advantages and disadvantages of following or not following him.  It is always advantageous to follow him.  A personal conversion will yield a communal conversion.  As people's hearts will change, so too will the entire human race. Pray to know, love, and serve Jesus this Christmas and for the rest of our lives. ch

Priorities Luke 10:38-42 If only we can focus on what is most important in our lives, then the whole world would not experience the useless anxieties and pain it is experiencing today. Niniveh might have been a busy city of commerce, but when Jonah came to warn them about the city's end, they repented. In the New Testament, Jesus reprimanded Martha for not "choosing the better portion." How do we know in our life's decisions which ones are important and not? The most obvious is to choose good over evil. The second one is from among the good, which will serve others and not just the self? From the actions that serve others, which decision will glorify God and save our souls? If we are able to answer all these questions favorably, then we have prioritized well.

Mary in our midst Luke 1:26-38 Today is the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary.  I would like to express that I found myself at the right place and at the right time to be the jubilee parish priest of Sto. Rosario de Pasig Parish. There are three major events we are celebrating: 1. We are celebrating our 50th anniversary.  50 years of a parish dedicated to Mary is a blessing indeed. And considering that the blessed image of the Our Lady of Sto. Rosario de Pasig is more than 50 years old; the image is practically symbolic of the faith life of the people.  It is 50 years of growth in faith. 2. We have opened the jubilee year in our parish.  Whenever we think of the jubilee year we think about the remission of sins, a time of grace and freedom, and the mercy of God would be manifest.  Let us think about a year of grace for our beloved parish and how we can be instruments of grace to one another.  It is a time of remission or universal pardon. 3.  We witness the touching coronation

What are angels? Matthew 18:1-5,10 From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'" 188  With their whole beings the angels are  servants  and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word". The existence of angels is a truth of faith.  To believe that they are spirits reflecting the very nature of Father verifies our faith and trust in God himself whom the angels are serving. Second, their office verifies that utmost calling of an angel to do His will and serve Him with all their being. Third, their love manifests in all their actions to lead men and wom

Leadership Luke 7:1-10 In today's reading, St. Paul asks Timothy to pray for leaders and those in authority so that people may live a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.  He also sets himself as an example of a leader who gives witness to God in Jesus Christ. Leadership is also the theme of today's gospel where a person of authority respects the dignity of Jesus as the Messiah and that instead of Jesus going to his home, only the power of his word can cure his servant. What is a leader then?  In summary, a leader should have fear of the Lord.  Second, he should take the responsibility to be God's steward and put order into creation.  Third, her should take up the mission of responsible leadership and bring his subjects to a greater knowledge of Jesus, the source of leadership and salvation.

Cross John 3:13-17 As we celebrate the exultation of the cross, remember the serpent that caused the downfall of man becoming the symbol of healing for God's people during the time of Moses.  Now, the course of the world reached its full cycle, not in sin and downfall, but in the passion and death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection. We need to appreciate the crosses of our lives, offer them to Jesus, and look for ways to use them specially for the salvation of people.

Who is a minister? Luke 6:39-42 From the Google dictionary, a minister is either a member of the clergy or someone who attends to. The word being taught by the Church refers to the ministry that is passed on by the Apostles and by which persons safeguard and continue the work of salvation coming from Jesus Christ.  The ones who safeguard and continue the saving work of Jesus passed on by the apostles are ministers. Perhaps, the gospel can provide us with the light to know the minister in the level of the heart. First, the minister himself is a student; a follower of his teacher.  Second, the minister never intends to harm or fall into destruction the one is ministering.  And third, the minister also ministers himself before he can minister to others. If we allow ourselves to be touched by the Lord, definitely, we shall be ministering our brothers and sisters with the very heart of Jesus.

Comunio Luke 6:27-38  I would like to focus on "comunio".  It simply means "one heart and mind". Comunio is the communion that we receive during communion; our Lord and we become one.  His mind become our mind; his heart, our hearts as well. Comunio is heaven itself when we become one heart and one mind with one another and with God. It's about time we evaluate the kind of Christians we are; the ultimate test being, "Could we really feel the anguish and sufferings as well as the joys of neighbors?  Could we really say that we are one with God and with one another? To our brothers and sisters, Jesus commands us to love even our enemies.  That is comunio.  To our brothers and sisters, let justice and mercy be two sides on one coin; justice being the minimum requirement of mercy; and mercy being the fullness of justice.  This is the world of comunio - justice and mercy with God as our supreme Lord.

Fruitful faith Luke 4:38-44 Inspiring thought: How do we know if our faith is fruitful?  We should know if our faith is fruitful if the Good News is being preached to all. Learn from the gospel for today:  The moment Peter's mother-in-law got well, she starting "serving" immediately. From Jesus' end, a fruitful day of healing is complemented by a time for active prayer and communion with God. Finally, we will know if our faith is fruitful if we allow ourselves to "be sent to proclaim the Good News", in being totally available to do God's work here on earth in freeing others from the shackles of sinfulness and leading them to a life totally dedicated to God.

God's constant invitation Matthew 19:23-30  We now turn our attention to Gideon on how he would bring Israel to triumph against Midian. He would have the same struggle as Moses; but God would always be consistent. One thing for sure: God always communicates with His people. Secondly, he sends messengers to free His people. Third, the messengers are somehow prepared to receive His call: they are upright persons. But the main fact still remains: God leads his people. The Gospel verifies the dynamics of God's invitation and man's response.  Man's response is always that of questioning or being skeptical; but not at the expense of losing one's faith.  It is this intimate dialogue between God and man - God's consistent and faithful invitation and man's maturing response - makes salvation possible. Make no doubt about it - when God calls us, it's always on the road to salvation.  Accept the invitation.

True offering Matthew 9:1-8 We are following the book of Genesis.  The story is about offering.  Even if it takes his son to be offered, Abraham succumbed to God's will.  He said, "My son, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering."  These words marked the quality of a true offering: it is not the gift that is the core of the offering, but our total resignation to God's will, knowing full well that God provides for all our needs. In our gospel, Jesus cured the paralytic.  Seeing him in a pitiable state, he said, "Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven."  Total resignation to God also means he cures us in our totality; he cures us inside and out, and not just according to our expectations.  This is also the quality of Jesus' offering coupled with our own - we are cured entirely, from relationships to actual situation. Thus, when we give, give just as Jesus did and what God has in mind - everything.

God's power; God's mercy Matthew 8:23-27 The real live drama of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah reveals the awesome power of God to destroy and carry out justice. But his mercy also manifested, in his love of Abraham and his brother Lot.  Meanwhile, Lot's wife was not spared as she disobeyed God and looked back, she turned into a pillar of salt. Jesus also manifested his power over all created things, particularly, the winds and the sea.  Must we continue doubting Jesus? Two things come to mind regarding God's power:  first, he rules the world with justice and second; he rules with mercy and compassion. Jesus came to rescue us from sin and death.  Stop doubting God.

The true companion   Matthew 5:13-16 Who is St. Barnabas?  Saint Barnabas was born in Cyprus. He was one of the early converts in Jerusalem and vouched for St Paul when he appeared before the elders there. He accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey and later went to Cyprus with his cousin John Mark (Mark the evangelist) to preach the gospel there. (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02300a.htm) Who is the "companion" today?  He can be a "co-journeyer"; a friend to stay with us in our journey. He is a "co-discerner"; someone who thinks with us in making the right decision. And here's my favorite theme in my formation in the seminary; we are "co-responsible" for our formation.  A companion joins us in our formation to perfection in God so we can realize what we are supposed to do in this world. Such is St. Barnabas.  And we can be companions too if our task is to lead others to heaven.

A ministry of love John 15:9-17 We are waiting as Jesus said before going up to heaven in the gospel of Luke (44, 49).  He will send to us the Holy Spirit. But we are also celebrating the Feast of St. Matthias, the apostle, the one who completed the 12 and carried out the ministry entrusted by Jesus. There is a ministry that we have to continue; a ministry started by Christ.  Our lives are a continuation of that ministry to proclaim the forgiveness of God. The Holy Spirit enables us to continue the ministry and link all generations to Jesus. It is a ministry of forgiveness; it is a ministry of friendship.  It is a ministry of love according to the heart of Jesus. It is ministry of fruitfulness, producing generous hearts and leading souls to God. It is the story saving work of Jesus in our generation.

Even though Jesus is not here   John 16:5-11 At this time in the liturgy, Jesus is getting ready to ascend to heaven. But he is giving his last minute instructions before his last departure. He is not going to leave us as orphans.  Rather, he will send the Holy Spirit; then we shall understand what is right and what is wrong. In the first reading, Paul and companions are experiencing what Jesus also experienced in his life - rejection.  On the other hand, they are also experiencing the miracle of being free. What constitutes real freedom?  Freedom is intimately connected with knowledge and life of truth.  Truth is what we learn from Jesus to help to be truly free. Even though it's 2000 years from the time of Christ's life, we continue to experience his truth as if Jesus were near us.  Only through the Holy Spirit can we say that Jesus has not abandoned us; and he continues to work in the world because he is with us.

Unity and division  John 15:9-11 The Church has always found itself in conflict - with principles, personalities and beliefs. But it also has its way of uniting peoples, especially for God. The reading from the Acts of the Apostles reflects a resolution; there would not be any circumcision, but there would not be eating of food from animals offered to idols.  Christianity now focuses on internal dispositions and not outward expressions. The gospel emphasizes the result of unity and a united heart - love.  Love comes from the Father and the son.  Love enables us to follow Jesus.  True joy comes in loving rightfully the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We should stop looking for things that divide us.  Instead, look for things that unite us in love.

50th Wedding anniversary Gospel: John 15: 12 - 16 I have been privileged to facilitate the renewal of marriage vows of Ching and Mar who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. It is the dream of all dreams of the children to see their parents walk up the aisle again and renew their eternal love which now we all know is a direct replica of God's love. I haven't had the privilege of the length of  days to journey with this lovable couple; nevertheless, I would want to reflect on their marital relationship as reflected on their chosen readings - from the book of Tobit and St. Paul to the Collosians. From the book of Tobit, already advanced in age and deported to Niniveh, sends his son Tobias to Medias to collect a debt.  Tobias meets and marries Sarah in the process as they now continue to serve his father who dies of old age. This story is famous for a young man's total love and dedication to his father as well as his wife, which is solidifies the conce

Instruments of life John 6:52-59 How could someone like Saul, who was a murderer of Christians, become Paul, now an instrument of Jesus to bring life to others? How could we be the same, i.e., instruments of life to others? First, center on Jesus; literally, receive Jesus, take in Jesus into the self.  "I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you."   Second, taking Jesus in the self means learning from him, digesting his teaching, literally letting him live in us.  "He lives in me and I in him."  The self becomes a replica of Jesus.   Finally, only Jesus becomes the source of life of everyone.  "He now draws life in me."  We become instruments of life to others because it is Jesus' life in us.   Thus, learn the three things that make us instruments of life: receive Jesus, learn from Jesus, and let Jesus be a part of our lives.

Educated in the ways of God  John 6:44-51 The Ethiopian replied to Philip who questioned whether he understood what he was reading, "How would I know unless someone guides me?" This is where we come in in the whole story of humankind's salvation - to teach others God's ways and truth. In the Gospel, the intention of God is crystal clear - "They will always be taught by God." Educating people toward Jesus will naturally come to Him, "And they will come to me."  They will not be afraid.  Coming to Him also implies a change our life and outlook; all people living virtuous lives are always coming closer to Jesus and are patterning their lives after him. Finally, our education should lead us to see the Father in heaven, "Anyone who sees Jesus has seen the Father." Let us allow ourselves to be educated by Jesus himself by receiving him as the bread of life.  We shall live forever.

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.

The signs of the resurrection  John 3:7-15 The signs of the resurrection of the Lord in our lives are the following: Unity: "The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common"; Proclamation: "The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power"; and Sharing: "None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need. If we are giving testimony to the ones mentioned above, then we are "born again" as described in today's Gospel".

More Easter thoughts Gospel:  Luke 24:1-12 Following all the readings for the Easter Vigil till the Gospel for this evening, I would like to reflect on the following words that relate with our Easter experience: The first is the word "creation".  What this world has destroyed, God has created it back.  What was old has turned new.  There is always renewal in God. The second word is "faithfulness".  Just as Abraham was unquestionably faithful to God, our faith definitely brings alive the light of Easter in our hearts that links us directly with God. The third is the word "victory".  God will always be victorious over any kind of slavery, whether political, moral, social, or economic.  As Jesus' passing over death is a living testimony of this victory, so too will goodness prevail in our lives. All these are found in the one with a direct experience with the Divine Master.  Their hearts are being created again, this time, renewed in God.  The

Worth emulating  Matthew 26:14-25 The gospel is a prelude to the blessed event that we will recall tomorrow, i.e., the most holy Eucharist. By this time, Judas already would have gone out and Jesus would have already reprimanded Peter.  Everything is ready for the banquet.  Jesus is the supreme sacrifice to his Father. Jesus is the sacrament of His Father for all of us to see.  Salvation comes in our total adherence to Jesus and not to ourselves.  Just as Jesus carries the dignity of His Father, we carry that dignity if we allow ourselves to imitate the virtues and goodness of the Father. Judas' words and actions are not dignified.  They are signs of betrayal and mistrust; of a total loss of the sense of faith.  They are not worth emulating.  Jesus' actions are worth it. In my 20 years as a priest, I know that this is not an easy task; but it is worth all efforts to be configured to the Father's will. If I see I am not worthy; I charge it to the Father.  If I

Glorification  John 13:21-33,36-38 As we get closer to the celebration of the Paschal Mystery, we see how our world and God's world become closer and united.  In both reading, the Son is glorified by the Father; his glorification also shows in his Son who obediently does His will to His delight. In the gospel, the Father's relationship with the Son is manifested in Jesus Christ and not in Judas and even Peter.  Their actions debase human existence. Let us learn from Jesus and we shall know the mystery of our human existence.  Just as the Son glorifies the Father in bringing his sons and daughters back to him, our existence in this world is merely to glorify the Father and mirror Him to others.

Conversion  Mark 12:28-34 The readings always bring out a call to conversion.  Come back to me, come back now! Why do we have to come back to the Lord?  Because the effects of sin are upon us.  I would like to stress more about the effects of the callousness of a person exposed to a world of sin.  Sin deadens our hearts; makes it deaf to the cries of the poor; makes it callous to the feelings of all; and makes us blind to the presence of beauty and of God. Jesus calls us to love once again; love in its truest form.  From the document of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI on Deus, Caritas Est, he stresses on a self-sacrificing love patterned after the Lord Jesus.  He also stresses that love, from romantic to self-sacrificing love is founded only in God who is love. By purifying our hearts, God will fill it up with his own love.

Forgive  Matthew 18:21-35 The tone of today's readings is one filled with reparation ... showing man's utter nothingness and the overwhelming power of God. But God is not one-sided. The compassion of a repentant, contrite heart hits his own heart. In the gospel, we are also asked to forgive seven times seventy times. Why should we forgive? 1. because forgiveness is a mark of being human. 2. we should forgive because it is our divine nature. Forgive is the way this world should go.  And God taught us how to save the world: by forgiveness.

Develop intimacy with God Matthew 23:1-12 The second week calls us to a moment of intimacy with the Father.  Anything other than this constitutes sin. Consider the two options: following and not following Him.  Following him entails life and blessings.  There will be blessings everywhere.  Goodness will abound.  Anything other than these implies death.  It is true. Jesus in today's gospel warns us against the yeast of the Pharisees, the message being, "The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted." (Mt. 23, 12) Anyone who humbles himself while exulting the Lord shall live forever.

His love Matthew 7:7-12 I also used to pray and ask for a million intentions.  I even memorized Jesus' words from my youth, "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and it shall be opened unto you." I dreamt to receive all these graces with such fervor and commitment that I was not ready to let them go. But as time passed, I realized that indeed, God heard all my prayers, and much more.  He revealed himself to me as a friend that I can turn to.  At the core of all those prayers is an invitation to get to know Him who loves me through and through. Now, I still pray as I did when I was a child.  But these do are nothing compared to the real grace I receive every moment of my life - Jesus' very own heart that I desire.

Why fast in preparation for Holy Week?  Matthew 9:14-15 There are three reasons I see why we should fast.  First, to fast is to give way to the Spirit.  It is to tame the senses and control it so we can be more sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit who is beyond material things. Second, to fast is to feel the sting of being deprived, of hunger, thirst, of the comforts of life.  And this, more than 50% of our brothers and sisters are suffering from.  How can we help if we ourselves cannot feel their hunger nor can we hear their cries? Third, it is to be totally one with Jesus Christ; for this is the through being deprived of life that he was able to save us. He rid himself of all comforts to take us up to the Father. Fast and the Lord will reward us with the food of life. 

Trust  Mark 7:1-13 God blessed man and woman, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth.’ (Genesis 1:20ff) It is obvious that God's intention for man is not simply to multiply the earth, but to be caretakers of his creation.  He entrusts his authority upon them to be stewards. He trusts that we become masters of his creation, not abusers of creation.  Are we trustworthy now? We can only be trustworthy if we entrust our whole selves to his service.  If we don't have any time for him, how can we have time to manage God's affairs?  What is our time on earth for? And now, we are talking about managing his creation.  How can we actually do that if we are more concerned with taking everything only for us and not for others? We are simply caretakers of the earth.   God is our master.  Serve only the Master and we shall be served justly and adequate

Fill the world with good works  Mark 6:14-29 Faith doesn't remain only in the confines of the church or in one's prayer spaces. True faith leads to actions. Actions are reflections of the God who loves us, the Son who intercedes on our behalf, and the Holy Spirit who fills our lives with joy. Our lives should always be reflections of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in works that will unite us while celebrating our diversity. Ask the Master what our work on earth will be.  Whatever it is, always fill the world with good works that reflect the saving power of the most Holy Trinity.

Keep close to Jesus Mark 5:21-43 As you will agree with me, reading every story and account on the bible gives us great consolation, because it is always a story of the triumph of good, healing, of grace, as well as the end of death, evil, and hardships. The Letter to the Hebrew reminds us to cling to what is good till the very end and to throw away everything that hinders us from clinging to the Eternal Good.  The gospels tells of two related accounts of healing, one who is on the verge of death and another who died. Our goal is to stay faithful to Jesus till the end.  Be also faithful to his teachings and let them bear fruit in our lives.  As he healed and raised the dead to life, he also wants that our day to day existence be filled with stories of miracles, conversions, and fruitfulness.  As a servant captures the heart of the Master, so too may our hearts be molded to Christ so we can be fruitful in winning souls for Christ.  The key is to stay close to Jesus.

The gift  Mark 4:21-25 Appreciate the Gift - Jesus himself.  This gift causes us to change.  This gift of love causes us to love and he gives his love freely to us. The gift of Jesus produces a stream of love and good works. In the Gospel, the gift is the amount measured that will be measured back to us.  "For a man who has, more will be given; but for the man who has not, even the little he has will be taken away from him." We don't want to lose our gifts.  To multiply it, let us give more to Jesus.

Salvation in Jesus alone Mark 3:7-12 In as much as the readings give a distinction between the priest and Jesus, one should make the proper distinction as follows: 1. the priest of the Old Testament is different from the priest of the New Testament.  The priests of the Old Testament make their self-atonement for the sins committed against God.  The priests of the New Testament act on behalf of Jesus to save us through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. 2. the priests of the Old Testament offer as many as possible different gifts for the atonement of sins.  The priest of the new Testament give witness to Jesus' once-and-for-all offering of the expiation of sins. 3. The priests of the Old Testament offer on peoples' behalf while the priests of the New Testament configures himself toward Jesus who is himself the offering. We are all called to the universal priesthood in these ways: 1. to lead others to the very action of salvation of Jesus; 2. to capitalize

Rest  Mark 2:1-12 The letter to the Hebrews for this day focused on "resting" and entering into the rest of our Lord.  The author gave reference to the day when the God rested in the 7th day, marking the state of paradise before the sin when man is one with God. A state of rest is Jesus in the gospel as he pardoned the paralytics' sins and cured him.  The paralytic felt overwhelmed by the love of God. Secondly, a state of rest is like others who helped the paralytic and brought him to Jesus. Now, it is up to us to analyze why there is no rest in people's homes and in people's hearts.  It all depends upon our eagerness to let Jesus in our lives and share him to others that accounts for true peace in the world.

Can we feel again? Mark 1:40-45 With the letter to the Hebrews as a guide, it will be easy for us to develop a spirituality that is lasting, permanent, and life changing, that after Christmas we are happy to possess everyday of our lives. And the call of the reading for today is not to harden our hearts. Hearts harden when we don't have any time for God when we think we know everything about God that there is nothing new about God or our faith. Harden hearts come in when we don't discern God's action. For we are filled with ourselves and our dreams, and wants and desires. A life that is open and willing to be formed is the better option. God created us not for ourselves but for Him. A life that doesn't have any place for God is not worth living. The gospel is about the leper being cured.  When the body starts feeling again, is not calloused, but capable of feeling and all cells are healed, then it should recognize the One who is enables the b

The power of man  Mark 1:21-28 As Jesus begins his public ministry so too our desire to God in this New Year. Notice in the first reading when God extols man, who was "crowned with glory and splendor".  Of course, He is referring to His Son, Jesus of the New Testament. But it does not hurt for us to realize that God loves us as well. From this love, he has given us authority over unclean spirits, to bring order and unity in creation. To serve Him with delight and lead all peoples back to Him. May we embrace the "new man" in Jesus Christ.

True faith Luke 4:14-22   As Christmas is ending, make no mistake about it.  Christmas is just beginning because it is just planted in our hearts.  We need to nourish the seed of faith planted in our hearts, not abort it.   John's letter reflects the real effect of Christmas - in ourselves as we love one another.  It is a direct mirror of God's love for us - our love for one another.  He further states that we have already triumphed over the world - through our faith.   Our faith, what is in our mind and heart, what mold our wills, brings life into the world.  It man's access to God.  Thus, communion is possible because of faith. Through faith, we can see everything - God's glory and man's holiness.  We can see the story of humankind's existence in God.  Thus, in the gospel, we can see the Good News brought to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, freedom to the downtrodden, and the Year of the Lord in us and around us.  May we al

Because of you John 1:29-34 What would it be like after Christmas? Would we end up the same persons or something happened that changed our lives and our outlook of life?  Reflect on the words "Dahil sa yo": Dahil sa iyo, nais kong mabuhay Dahil sa iyo, hanggang mamatay Dapat mong tantuin, wala ng ibang giliw Puso ko'y tanungin, ikaw at ikaw rin Dahil sa iyo, ako'y lumigaya Pagmamahal, ay alayan ka Kung tunay man ako, ay alipinin mo Ang lahat ng ito, dahil sa iyo. It is because of Jesus that we got to be like this. It is because of this the God chose to forgive us and called us His sons and daughters. It is because of Christ that we can change. Why are we like this? Because of his presence or his absence.  Why do we choose to do good?  It is because of him. After Christmas, only we can know what happened to us, whether we have grown in faith or lack of it; only our knowledge of Jesus can determine our life and our salvation.