My body jumps high up in the sky

To see what lies beyond the horizon

My vision scans farther down the sphere

To see what is lying along the curved path

My heart soars encircling the earth

To feel what is unseen along the curved path

My mind digs deep down the ground

To find what is buried along the curved path

After hovering for months

I’m back from where I came from

Indeed, the shortest path between two points is still

A curved path

My body finally rests

My eyes finally sees

My heart finally feels

My mind finally holds

My soul finally speaks

heR nAmE

Let me glorify God in my life… with her… for eternity!

Sister Replied :

A journey to take

Two points that needs to meet

A circle with no ends

A straight line with lives to intertwined.

Life’s uncertainties uncovered

by God’s mysterious ways

Unknown to man

Revealed by His Grace

In His time, through His will

No curve paths

No time

No space

If it is God’s design and plan

it will happen in His own perfect time

May we Glorify God together…!

New Year

New Hope

     renewed convictions

     recycled resolutions

Another year

Another chance

Another jump

Another flight

          … or fall

The year is new

The time is new

Now is new

The time is now

Now is the time

Now is another time

Now has to be the time

Now MUST BE!!!

For the soul to take hold

For the mind to yield

For the heart to find peace

For God’s plan to take shape

For His spirit to dwell

For His love to connect

Two distinct paths

Two strangers

From two distant worlds

Two hopeful souls

Two kindred spirits

Dancing

To the harmony of faith

and hope

to be

ONE

Let us glorify God in our lives!

Sister Replied:  

A new year… A new Life?  

No matter what we do or how perfect our input, the fact is, we are never in control of the outcome of any situation. We always plan our life, we always want the best of course. But how elusive this idea often is. Even when we know that we cannot count on a particular result, we tend to expect things to turn out as we’d planned. And when they don’t, we will look for someone to blame. Some of us are terrific at blaming ourselves and then feeling unnecessary guilt or shame.

That’s how hard it is to believe that outcomes are not controllable.It’s probably the human condition to assume that what happened in the past will repeat itself in a similar situation. Especially when a certain outcome did repeat itself myriad times, we tend to count on it doing so again, but there’s no certainty that this next experience will give us a repeat performance—and when it doesn’t, we feel cheated, confused, maybe stupid. Certainly we tend to feel overly responsible for “the failure.”But are we responsible for the fact that life is unpredictable, outcomes uncontrollable? Of course not.

We say to ourselves … year in and year out . The only thing required of us is effort. Don’t look past your nose. I believe this is the ball to start the year.By now we have  undoubtedly heard and read, perhaps many times already, that we need to live strictly in the moment if we want happiness. Even repeatedly reminded to do it we all know this takes practice! Lots of practise…Most of us are very good at being future dwellers. As children we planned for the day we would drive a car. As teenagers we planned for the day we’d go to college and/or marry. As soon as we joined the workforce, we planned on the first promotion and then the next one too.

They say too that when our minds slip backwards or move into anticipation of the future, we lose out on the chance for inner peace and find ourselves in regret or fear. Even if our recollections or anticipations are joyful, we miss out on the very special and divinely selected experience that has been given to us right now and only right now. What will come our way a moment from now is something else entirely.

 God is always waiting “to be noticed” in every single moment. Trust in the very moment of ourlives.  We have only so many moments to live, and we have no guarantee beyond this one. No crystal ball can foretell how much time we have left. But if we wrap ourselves in the present moment, like a soft comforter, we will be at peace. We will be living in the very manner God wishes for us. The special gift of choosing this way to live is that we will never doubt God’s will for our lives. Nor will we ever live in fear.

Now is synonymous with peace. Should you have any doubt, wrap the comforter around you and test this hypothesis. Stop worrying about the future.Worry is a state of being that is only possible when we are not living in the present. It is evidence that we are anticipating a future that we think will mimic our past and the painful experiences that we don’t want to repeat. We worry because we are uncertain of God’s availability.Was God  there in the past and we didn’t listen to the guidance? We can be certain that God was there. But we may not have been; we may have been projecting into the future, as we are doing now.

It was then that I took refuge inside the walled city of God
Whose gate, I found out, never shuts
And whose walls are meant, not to restrain, but 
To keep me warm
To shield me from the noise of the devil
To let me hear the cries of my soul
To help me hear better the voice of God
 

                  As He reminds me that…

 It was for freedom that Christ died, to set me free and not be subject to a yoke of slavery. (Gal 5:1) 

Roaming around chasing the empty illusions of Satan is not freedom at all.

 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another (Gal 5:13)

 True freedom is surrendering our hearts to God
Letting Him take us to the vastness of His paradise
Allowing Him to fill us with His infinite love

 And experience

 A life of contentment
A life of peace
A life of grace
A life of love
A life of purpose
 

“The greatest freedom obtained by any man or woman is when one pursues the dreams of God and in the end becomes more like God.” Fr. Paul J. Marquez, SSP

Let us glorify God in our lives!

In 1992, I left home to pursue freedom

And freedom I found in a vast oasis 600 kilometers from home.  

                   Freedom from traditions

                   Freedom from supervision

                   Freedom from the ordinary

                  And even freedom from religion 

For 12 years I was in paradise 

                  Neon lights replaced the sun at night

                  Revelries hushed silence

                  Currency provided power

                 And I had my own, personalized religion 

But on the 13^th year            

                  Because of the neon lights, I did not notice the darkness of my heart           

                  Because of the revelries, I did not hear the cries of my soul           

                  Because of the currency, I thought nothing else matters           

                  And I realized that the vast oasis was just a huge den 

The freedom I was chasing was                       

                  A carrot on a stick           

                  An arsenic on my morning coffee           

                  An astounding trick           

                  And for the first time, I heard the devil laughing at me.

In Our Lives We will Glorify God

Sister Replied :

Years ago i responded to the call of political struggle. My youthfulness and idealism brought me to march  the streets while hailing for freedom with my fist  empowering my being.

Freedom for the oppressed, for women, for farmers, for laborers , for students, for press freedom were part of the call. And never  did  I regret the times I burned my skin from the sun while basking in the infurating system of the government and political system.  Back then, with all hopes of hoping, i knew somehow, changes can happen if I joined the thousands  marching the street shouting for freedom.

But up to this day, the same fights are being battled, people are still  triggered to raise their fist and I  sulk within. With all hopes of hoping, I can only witness from a far the raging anger of people and  fervently pray to GOD for freedom that we all need.

We are all prisoners and we all need freedom.

Our struggles may be different — but we all cry for the ultimate…  peace in our hearts.

We will Glorify God in our lives.

Father, I am in pain

Help me pull out each needle

That punctures my heart 

Help me seal each wound

Which drains my blood. 

Help me ease the ache

That chokes my soul 

Help me grasp each pain

And offer them to you 

Help me realize that

Your love is much stronger than these pains 

May your strength subdue my weaknesses

May your grace flow through the cracks of my soul

May your love put back the broken pieces of my heart 

Continue to work on me 

Father, I may be in pain but  

Help me understand

The purpose of my cross 

Help me recognize

Your message through this suffering 

Help me appreciate

Your plans for me 

My mission. My purpose

Make me see

The crosses of your children 

Make me aware

Of the sufferings of my brothers and sisters 

Make their pleas… my prayers 

While I carry my own cross

No matter how heavy at times

Grant me the grace and the strength

To help others 

Carry their crosses.

~~

Let us glorify God in our lives!

Sister Replied :

Why I am suffering? Doesn’t God truly care about me?

Here are some bible verses about suffering and how God wants us to handle it…

Genesis 37:28  – When the traders came by ,his brothers pulled Hoseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver.

Jeremiah 32:18 – You are kind and loving to thousands, though children suffer for their parents’ sin.

Sometimes we suffer because it was inflicted on us by others mistakes or sin.  We often feel that our hands are tied and we are not in control of it. If we are suffering because of other people, we must be vigilant not to be victim of such circumstances , inorder not to be hit bulls eye. 

John 9:2-3   -  ‘Teacher’ , his disciples asked him, ‘why was this man born blind?’ Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?’  It was not because of his sins or his parents ‘ Jesus answered. 

Everything that happens has a reason. There are sufferings and pain that come to us because it just happens. The key to handle this situation is our reaction to it and how we allow God to transform us so that we can handle it firmly. 

Genesis 3:6 , 23  -  The fruit looked so fresh and delicious… so she ate some fruits … So the Lord banished Adam and  Eve from the garden.

Leviticus 26:4-3 – At last the people will receive the due punishments for their sins , for they rejected my regulations and despised my law.

Sometimes God sends suffering in ourlives as a reminder of our unfaithfulness to him. God is a just God– there are consequences when we sin and in each consequence - we open doors to our own pains and sufferings. God loves us and wants to discipline us, to  correct our ways and restore us back to him because we are His children and He is our Father. 

Deuteronomy  8:2  – Remember how the Lord God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you… to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands?

Sometimes God tests us through our suffering and encourages us to listen more to him, call on him, depend on him and obey him like a child.

1 Peter 4:14  Be happy if you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious spirit of God will come upon you. 

Sometimes we willingly suffer because we take a stand for God. And when we suffer while standing for him, we grow in faith.

We must remember that whatever form of suffering or pain we experience, our Lord God will never abandoned us. We must recognize that  each of our suffering will not take forever. Even in the dark nights of sorrow and pains, will be a new morning of joy and gladness.

God does not want us to see us suffer. He doesn’t enjoy the disciplines of life that come along our ways — but His compassionate love for us will be with us during our times of discipline and suffering. 

John 3 :16  – For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son , so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 

We must all remember that Jesus suffered for us. In His agonies in the cross, He bears the pains to redeem us from sin… So every time we suffer and feel pain, let’s focus our eyes to Christ suffering on the cross because we can never compare our suffering to His.

  We Glorify God in ourlives!

It is by God’s design that the house is a sacred temple…a place of worship

the home is the primary church…a body of Christ

the family is the basic entity of the Kingdom of God here on earth…a piece of heaven

It is through Satan’s conspiracy

that the house becomes a mere commodity…at the mercy of estate disputes

the home, in the verge of extinction, is replaced by Day-Care Centers and Foster Homes

the individual is becoming the basic unit of society

~

It was God’s perfect plan 

that Jesus was born in a family

For it is in the family

That we are to experience God

To grow with God

To be secure in God

For it is through the family

That the love of God must flow

Must overflow

To reach His other sons and daughters

Specially the poor

~~

Let us glorify God in our lives!

      Sister Replied :Everyday that I open my eyes I thank God for life and for the family that He gave me.

No words can describe my gratitude to God for deliberately assigning me to be part of them. Truly  He knows each one of us and He  knows every situations of our lives.  My family is not perfect, we have the best and worst time together. We have experienced storms too but in each storm ends with a rainbow.

I honor and love my parents and would give them the best of everything that I can — I thank them sincerely for bringing me up to the person I am today  — I value each of their sacrifices to give me a good education– I admire their love and loyalty for each other which I look up too — I respect their symphaty and love for other people — I am in deep gratitude to them for introducing me to God and inspiring me to Love HIM and others through the faith they bestowed on me— I am blessed by God for having my tatay and nanay…

Given a second life i will still wish to have the same  family. I can’t ask for anyone else. I love my brother and my sister, inspite of our difference — they mean the world to me.  I am  a proud sister, I am an avid fan of both of them.

 I know that many are  suffering from their own families- maltreated , abused , unloved and hurt. This is not what God wants in ourlives, but He indeed allowed such turbulence to  shape us and  mold us to the person He wants us to be. Sometimes, there are circumstances that are beyond our control… we cant change how people think or behave but we can change our own lives… we can be better of,  than the people who hurts us.

When we give love , we receive love. When we forgive, we are forgiven as well. Easier said than done yes… but with God’s Grace, the gaurantee is tantamount to peace and freedom. 

In our family- whatever circumstance we are in… be bearer of love, peace and hope. Be the torch to light the family, be the chain to link each other wherever you are, be the helmet to protect it from pride and arrogance, be the couch to give comfort, be the hand to bundle up the family together.

We must not be jaded, for God has his reason of putting us to each of our families. We have missions to live by and reasons to live for.

We will glorify God In our lives!                                                     

Brother says:

The world has various images when it comes to sacrifice:

• A soldier jumping over a grenade to contain the blast
• A pilot crashing the plane into the World Trade Center
• A woman leaving her family to earn a living in another country
• A man leaving his family to pursue a relationship with another woman
• A farmer selling his precious “carabao” to send money to his college son
• A son spending the money from his father on drugs

In this world, sacrifice connotes various images. Sacrifice is justified in various ways. Sacrifice is glorified for various purposes.

Looking back at those sacrifices I made in the past, I realized many of those are not worthy to be called “sacrifices”.

Because the true essence of sacrifice is:

“When we talk about sacrifice, we usually mean giving up something. But, it means much more. It comes from two Latin words, “sacrum” and “facere,” which means “to make (oneself) holy.” Again, looking to the liturgical season of Lent, we do not give up things simply for the sake of giving them up… Thus, the sacrifice of the Mass does not merely mean killing or giving up something, it means that we are becoming more [different] than what we were.

…We have to die to ourselves to make a good sacrifice. We do this by such things as sharing, swallowing our pride, and giving up a little of our time. This is not always pleasant. The purpose is not to get a nice feeling, it is to become other, to become like Christ.”

— Msgr. William J. Awalt

When we are about to make a sacrifice, let us make sure that is, indeed, according to God’s will.

For it is the will of the Father that we become holy.

That we become divine.

That we become Christ-like.

For Christ is the ultimate sacrifice.

“Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

~~

Let us glorify God in our lives!

Sister Replied: 

I was about 10 years old when an old lady noticed a mole on my shoulders. For some old folks it connotes of the cross a person would carry in her life. Sounds weird, strange and morbid,  her comment strucked me and made me keen observer of the word cross -which led me to give it a new meaning – sacrifice.

I can still vividly remember how I put effort in studying my lessons  inorder for me to excel in school. I have learned to value my education and sacrifice my playful years for books and homeworks. Long days of library work, weekend group works, and lots of nights- studying and even cramming. Studying entails sacrifice I suppose.

Relationship for me back then was sacrifice rolled into one. Broken -heart, sleepless nights, swollen eyes and lots of broken promises. I was a victim of the wrong notion of love and sacrifice … that to love is to be hurt and to be hurt is to suffer and to suffer is to sacrifice for the one you love. I was blinded by this misconception and have allowed pain to calloused my heart until the reasons for loving has no reason at all. My sacrifices became torns that hurt me deep down inside.

Loving my family is embracing the responsibility of providing them what they need, even at the expense of leaving home for greener pasture- sacrificing time and distance inorder to provide.  True enough that to be able to meet both ends, a price should be payed. Strings of sacrifice must be pulled together to make you stand strong and brave, though at times bewildered.

Every step in our life is a period  of sacrifice - time to do something more to achieve a goal or time to deny ourselves for others to achieve their goals.

Christ life is more than sacrifice. He suffered for us. He carried not only his cross but all of our crosses to win the battle of saving us from sin. 

When I whine about my crosses and sacrifice, I look back to Christ. And I am belittled by my actions- for I dont have the reasons to complain because I have not given much sacrifice for him after all. The Ultimate sacrifice for all.

In ourlives, We will glorify God.  

The difference between being In Fidelity and Infidelity is a

                                        s p a c e 

Every relationship between and among human beings must have that space within, which God can fill with the Holy Spirit. For it is through, with and in the Holy Spirit that human beings become bonded in God’s grace. Once that space in a relationship is absent, human beings become so deeply enticed by the promises of pleasure, so tightly entangled by the bondage of the flesh, so disillusioned by the lures of beauty, so unmindful, or calloused, of the voice of God.  

That space may appear blank, but just like in computers, a space corresponds to a character. Within that space in In Fidelity, lies the character that all of us must posses.  We were created not just an animal and a human being, but we were made in God’s own image and likeness. We share God’s nature. We are also divine! 

Therefore, we ought to mirror the character of Jesus. We must aspire to be Christ-like, especially in our relationships. 

Infidelity is the result of the loss of that character. It is the effect of the loss of that space. 

And it will only be through God’s grace that we will regain 

And remain 

In Fidelity

~~

Let’s glorify God in our lives!

Sister Replied :

Infidelity is literally a breach of faith and occurs in a number of contexts – Religious , social, political  etc.  The common term and most hated words refered to it are ’cheating’ and  ’betrayal’ .  It means  any violation of the mutually agreed-upon rules or boundaries of a relationship.

They say that act of infidelity varies and constitutes between and within cultures, and  it does not depend only on the presence of sexual behaviour but also exsist even within a close relationship between family, siblings, friends, communities and with God.

People may have very different ideas and perceptions of infidelity,but however different it may seem,in the end would come to one literal impact — harboring pain!

In the realm of infidelity comes ferocity, anger, revenge and mistrust. Though we abhors such negativity, it seems like no one is exempted to trail the path—  victim or the betrayer, no one gets even.  

Infidelity is like a big monster. We lose out with it, whatever form it would be.  

Fidelity on the one hand, refers to the accuracy and integrity of self-representation, honesty or candor in an intimate or committed relationship. It is defined as  ‘the inner sense of wholeness deriving from honesty and consistent uprightness of character.’

Fidelity is what we are called to have and it is what we all aspire in our relationships. In the realm of Fidelity – we are protected and secured from hurts. We are assured of love, loyalty and honesty. It promise happiness and peace. It is a grace that immersed from God.

For us women, this is a realm we pray to behold. A place where we can never be victimized because in all its form - We win.

In our lives, we Glorify God!

Brother Said:  

A man who is already committed to someone gets attracted to another girl. 

The reaction of theAnimal to a stimulus is very natural, almost blameless.

But the response of the Human to a stimulus could either make him sin or make him pure. 

For the Animal, that’s attraction. For the Human, that’s a source of satisfaction.

But for the Divine, even just pursuing such thoughts, is already infidelity. 

Purity is a state wherein the Animal is tamed, the Human is repentant, and the Divine is in God’s grace. 

~~

Let’s glorify God in our lives!

Sister Replied :

In the world we live — everything seems free, fast and fleeing, it just so easy to be carefree.  Our liberal thoughts have gone wild and relationships are cheapened stashing our values in danger zone.

Purity is a choice to keep and enhance. A gift to be treasured yet skewed at times. A mirage for  some, but a sublime reality for me.  Because when I speak of my truth - values, morals and its parallelism. I go back to God’s promise of  healing and His faithfulness to me that I can always come to HIM and seek His forgiveness and ask for strength to follow his commands.

When temptation whisper and the enemy push you the edge of sin…  cry SOS Jesus! 

And He will make you remember not to believe in the lies of the devils that makes you think that it’s too late and you’re not worthy to start over.

God’s  mercy and love is great that He will always accept you like a father to His children , and worthy as His child He brings you peace, healing and joy and the power to start all over again…  to be pure as snow flakes , to shimmer and glow for HIM.

In our lives, we Glorify God!

                     the animal, the human and the divine.  

Each has a personality

Each has a voice

Each has a trap 

          Three strong forces

          Three distinctive natures

          Three divergent paths

 All inside me

All move me

All make me  

On Fundamental Nature

     Animal: Hormonal

     Human: Insatiable

     Divine: Control  

On Primary Goal

     Animal: Primary goal is to survive

     Human: Primary goal is to be satisfied

     Divine: Primary goal is to be one with God  

On Needs

     Animal says: To survive in this world, I need food & water, clothing, and shelter

     Human says: To be satisfied in this world, I need recognition & fame, wealth and power

     Divine says:  To be one with God, I need to love God and my neighbor.  

On Wants

     Animal says: I want that because I need that to survive

     Human says: I want more of that because I’m not yet satisfied

     Divine says: I want to be one with God because He is my Father and I am their brother.  

On Pain

     Animal: Pain is a normal reaction.

     Human: Pain is a normal reaction. But self-centeredness converts pain into prolonged suffering.

     Divine: Pain is a normal reaction. But God-centeredness molds pain into stepping stones.  

                              I am an animal, human and divine.

                              But which of the three is the strongest in me?

~~

Let us glorify God in our lives!