Inspirations at your Fingertips!

Encountering Jesus Mark 6:17-29 Pope Francis in almost all of his messages would stress on the importance of encountering Jesus. Jesus is not in the ready prayers that we memorize; or simply in the 10 commandments that we learned when we were children, or even in the religious practices we are accustomed to doing. Jesus is present in flesh and blood, in the emotions caused by what we see and hear that are brought about by an authentic encounter, and in committing ourselves to experience the crucified and risen Lord in day-to-day life. The grace to ask is the wisdom to determine where Jesus is and to encounter him concretely. The first place of encounter is the Church, the living body of Christ.  Remember Pope Francis when he urged parishioners not to engage in useless gossips or in any action that defiles the very body of Jesus. The Church is composed of people in direct contact with Jesus through Catechesis and instructions.  But we need to devote time, talent,...

A community of saints Matthew 24:42-51 When we launched the Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Parish of Sto. Rosario de Pasig some 4 years ago, I don't know if they they actually knew they are being prepared to be communities of living saints here on earth as stated in St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians? What does it mean to be a community of saints here on earth?  It is to actually realize that all the things the community are doing are in accord with God's plan.  The signs of a healthy community of saints are as follows: 1. They are filled with the Holy Spirit - they are aware that they are touched, purified and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. 2.  They are bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit - as preachers, teachers, etc. 3.  They are faithful to the Holy Spirit through and through - even when the "Master" is away, they remain faithful to their tasks, knowing that one day they shall meet Him. May these things move us to strengthen our resolve...

Docility Matthew 18:1-5,10,12-14  The readings are about docility, i.e., the capacity to be taught. Don't be hard-headed.  One thing I realized in my years of faith is that God cannot be put in a box.  He is not a set of beliefs.  One thing is sure - He always leads us to a better understanding about life and about Himself. Let me point out the pattern.  Once we are taught the 10 commandments. But even the Jewish people who followed the 10 commandments to the letter were reprimanded by Jesus for giving more emphasis to it rather than on the spirit of the law. Second instance - we were taught that if we pray hard and resolve hard, the Lord will grant us our prayers.  But again, things are not that simple.  If ever prayers are not granted, we come to realize that God is still hearing our prayers. Third instance - we were taught to pray the usual prayers, but sometime in the future, no matter how hard we pray, it seems that we are not reaching...

The Kingdom of God Matthew 13:31-35 Three components of the kingdom of God are relayed in the gospel: the beginning, the middle, and the end. The beginning is the planting of the seed; the end is the fruitfulness of the plant, while the middle contains the entire process of growth. Our lives are reflections of the kingdom of God and not just in the end when we are about to meet our Creator. The kingdom of God unfolds in our very own lives.  Let us make sure that every seed of the Good News planted in our heart would bear fruit in due time. Secondly, success in the Kingdom of God is not gauged by money, big structures, and accomplishments.  Rather, the ultimate test of fruitfulness lies inside our hearts brought about by our humility and unwavering obedience to God.  The more we accomplish things, the more we should become humble and self-giving.

To follow Jesus John 21:15-19 Jesus said to Peter, " when you grow old,  you will stretch out your hands,  and somebody else will put a belt round you  and take you where you would rather not go.’  Afterwards, Jesus said, "Follow me." We followed the Lord ever since we were baptised.  Our responsibility is to explore God's world. We followed Jesus when we were confirmed.  During that time we resolve to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ. We followed Jesus we were ordained, got married, or took a solemn oath of chastity, poverty, and obedience.  From then on, our lives  become a series of incidents of following Jesus. We are to follow Jesus, even to situations or places we don't want to go.  But He leads us by the hand and gives us life and for others, life through us. Unless we follow Jesus, our lives are useless.

comunio John 17:20-26 "That they may be one as you and I are one..."  These words of Jesus point to "comunio", or total unity with God and with one another. Comunio is the theme of heaven itself, our dream of being with the Lord for all eternity. Comunio is our total unity with one another; if we possess the very heart and mind of God through Jesus, he will lead us to unite with others in love. Comunio is our mission to unite heaven and earth.  That is why even after the Lord ascended to heaven, the mission of evangelization continues.

The bible and I John 15:12-17 I believe that quite analogically, my life should be the living bible of the Lord. Whatever happens to the bible happens to my life. If there are things that don't have any connection with God's word, it is not coming from the Holy Spirit. I am the embodiment of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit works in me.  I should be an instrument of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel message is so beautiful.  "Love one another as I have loved you."  Whatever love is in our hearts, it should mirror Jesus' love for us. "I call you friends, not servants..." marks our relationship with one another. "I chose you..." simply means that it is Jesus who leads us.  Every task we do in this world should arise from being chosen to do Jesus' task.