Did you ever wish you were born to a different family? In your prayer today, lift up to God each member of your family. With God’s eyes, focus on their goodness and thank Him for them - Daily Reflections October 28, 2016

Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles

 

EMBRACING OUR FAMILY

 

At a school waiting lounge, mothers were sharing stories about their kids. Meg, a mother of three, said, “Oh, my three boys! They are quite challenging. My eldest, Miggy, is hyperactive. Gio, my second child, is so sociable. And the youngest, Paolo, prefers to be alone. They really have different personalities.”

       Tina, affirming Meg, added, “You bet! I only have two girls but they have different interests, too.”

       “Why can’t we just choose the kind of children we want to have, right? Life as a mother would be easier that way,” Shane quipped.

       Much as parents want to choose the kind of children they want to have, children also share the same dilemma. Children cannot choose their parents. They can complain but they would still end up submitting to their parents’ authority.

         It was different for Jesus though. He had the option to be incarnated to a powerful family. He could have shortlisted the kindhearted, intelligent, industrious, loving, holy and whatever positive things one could think of for His parents, to be productive in His ministry. He could have chosen the almost perfect people as His disciples. But Jesus didn’t.

       Jesus, too, chose 12 representatives who were, in their own ways, imperfect and definitely sinners. Yet He embraced all of them as members of His household, as parts of His mystical body, the Church.

       Jesus wants us to do the same to our family members. He wants us to embrace them for who they are, accept them for what they are, and love them for they, too, are capable of doing wonderful things pleasing to God.

       At the end of the day, that’s what families do and what family is all about — love. Fr. Sonny Cotiamco

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Did you ever wish you were born to a different family? In your prayer today, lift up to God each member of your family. With God’s eyes, focus on their goodness and thank Him for them.

 

Lord, thank You for my family. May I learn to love them with Your grace and compassion. Amen.

Are you going through some difficult times right now? What’s your desperate measure? - Daily Reflections October 27, 2016

DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR

DESPERATE MEASURES

 

There are moments in our lives when we are led to believe that there is still hope no matter how far it is from the truth, or when giving up seems easier because the obstacles we are facing seem impossible to overcome. In times like this, to whom do we turn for help? Desperate times call for desperate measures. But desperate measures sometimes worsen the situation rather than alleviate it.

       St. Paul reminds us to always put on the full armor of God so that we can take a stand against the devil’s schemes. The devil will never get tired of attacking us. Day and night, it will wage war against us until we succumb to its wiles. It strikes when we least expect it, for it knows our weaknesses so well. A combat like this requires an unimaginable amount of will and stamina. The enemy comes in legions, so it is a fight to be reckoned with like no other.

       The Lord is like a lighthouse that will guide a lost navigator on his journey. He is the compass which points the traveler to the right direction. God is like an anchor that firmly holds the boat when rough waves come in. And He is the rainbow that reminds the weary that the storm is over. A person who faithfully serves the Lord will never give up until he reaches his destination. He will do whatever needs to be done for God’s greater glory. He is armed with a helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and a shield of faith which can extinguish the flaming arrows from the devil.

       Because only he who has faith in God finds the true meaning of his existence. Fr. Sonny Cotiamco

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you going through some difficult times right now? What’s your desperate measure?

 

Let me always cling to You, Lord, when tough times come. Amen.

Do you have secret sins that you have not confessed and repented of? What’s keeping you from availing of the sacrament of reconciliation now?- Daily Reflections October 23, 2016

FIGHT OR FLIGHT

 

It takes a lot of courage to own up to one’s mistake. People err, but ownership is a different story. Although there is an awareness of the infraction committed, we usually have difficulty owning up to our mistakes because of fear.

       Fear makes us choose between fight and flight. It makes us avoid things which we think would harm us. It also makes us immobile, preventing us from making decisions for fear of its consequences. But fear could also push us to fight the peril we expect to confront, face the uncertain, and do our responsibility to avoid liabilities.

       The most logical thing to do when a person commits an error is to fix it. But because facing the consequences involves fear, a person might just leave it as it is or forget that it ever happened. With self-imposed animosity, what started as fear may grow evil roots and turn into pride.

       Jesus speaks of humility as a way to liberate us from our sinfulness. According to Sirach, “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord.” It is when we own up to our sins that we are justified. “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted,” says the Lord. Owning up to our sins is an act of embracing our inadequacy, shortcomings and an act of oblation before our Savior. This is a bold step in welcoming the Lord into our lives and giving Him full control of it.

       Yes, everyone commits a mistake, but not all own up to it. Let us ask the Lord to help us reconcile with ourselves and embrace our being despite our inadequacies. After all, the Lord came for us, sinners, that we may find our way home. Fr. Sonny Cotiamco

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you have secret sins that you have not confessed and repented of? What’s keeping you from availing of the sacrament of reconciliation now?

 

God is waiting for you. God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

 

How do you value someone’s trust? - Daily Reflections October 19, 2016

BEING TRUSTWORTHY

 

Whenever the President of the Republic of the Philippines delivers his State of the Nation Address, the administration’s major accomplishments are aired, piece by piece. Plans and promises for the Filipino people were viewed with either anticipation or cynicism.

       Philippine politics allows us to see a mixture of new and familiar faces. New faces represent hope while familiar ones represent the possibility that they will improve their performance in serving their constituents than in the previous term.

       Elected officials are stewards. Their constituents voted for them because the former found them worthy of their trust. However, while some deliver what is expected of them, many do not. There will always be some who would abuse the people’s trust. Abuse starts with being lazy towards a responsibility. From being lazy to being tardy to being depraved, such negligent behavior unnoticeably worsens. The difficult part is when one hits rock bottom but is unable to recognize the fact. When caught red-handed, one readily pleads ignorance as if it erases all wrongs.

       God wants us to live our lives to the fullest. Whatever choice we make, we should be accountable for its consequences, mindful that the Son of Man will come at an hour we least expect.

        Whether in government or private institution, whether at home or with friends, whatever we’re doing, why not do things the right way so that we may have peace of mind and a healthy soul? Fr. Sonny Cotiamco

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How do you value someone’s trust?

 

May I be Your trustworthy servant at all times, Lord. Amen.

Are you using your God-given gifts and talents for the right purpose? - Daily Reflections October 14, 2016

DESTINED AND CHOSEN

 

Some years ago, a national politician became the laughing stock on social media for mishandling a hammer and pretending to be working hard. He did not know how to handle the simple tool. It was an elementary rule in basic woodworking. A tool is an instrument of the worker. Any carpenter would know that a screw driver is used to drive in a screw and a hammer is used to drive in a nail. The human worker would do well to respect the purpose for which they were made.

      Years ago, someone I knew could not close the baggage compartment of his car. The hook was not aligned with the latch. While the hook was fixed, the latch was movable. So he looked for some tool and found a screw driver. What he did was a good example of not respecting the purpose for which things were made. He hammered the latch using the screw driver’s head, instead of loosening the screws with the screw driver and adjusting the latch to align with the hook.

         God knows how many times I have disrespected the purposes for which some things were made. This is what sin is basically — a kind of “missing the mark,” or misusing what God has given us as tools for something nobler.

       God gave us the human mind to pursue truth, particularly saving truth. The human will was placed by the same God so that we could propel ourselves to pursue the good, and find “accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of His will.” These two — intellect and will — ordinarily should work in tandem and not at cross purposes with each other. But you and I know from experience that, at times, we cheat. Like the Pharisees, we claim to know the good but still do the opposite. We act like the hypocrites condemned by the Lord in today’s passage.

       We are chosen. We are destined — in love. “Blessed be the people the Lord has chosen to be His own.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are you using your God-given gifts and talents for the right purpose?

 

Dearest God, grant me the wisdom to know how to use the gifts and talents You have given me for the right purpose. Amen.