A SERVANT IN THE MAKING

 

A SERVANT IN THE MAKING 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . . to bring glad tidings to the poor.” – Luke 4:18  

I have been a catechist since 2006 so I’m used to challenging millennials. I met Uriel, son of a coworker in the Light of Jesus Family, and I felt outright that he had the makings of a priest.

I asked him, “Do you dream of becoming a priest someday?” He nodded with a smile. While attending Mass, he whispered to me, “Tita Banjoy, when I become a priest, the first thing that I will do is to have air conditioning installed in my church.” I felt his passion as he spoke. 

Last year, I gave him the guitar I used in leading worship in our women’s group. At the tender age of 13, he took my challenge to lead worship on the eve of my birthday and then pray over me. That meant learning to play at least ten worship songs in seven days.

I was crying as we worshiped and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit as he prayed over me. I pray that he will not be discouraged by the limiting beliefs and comments of people around him but feel God’s call and follow His will to spread heaven on earth. Banjoy N. Santillan (pasantillan58@yahoo.com)

Reflect: How do you inspire the youth to follow God’s call? How can you challenge them to be sensitive to God’s call?

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh upon our young people. Empower and use them mightily to heal the brokenhearted, set the captives free, and give sight to the blind in spirit. Amen.

St. Raymond Nonnatus, pray for us. 

THE BODY OF CHRIST

 THE BODY OF CHRIST 

Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. – Romans 12:1

I used to have giddy feelings whenever I’d receive Jesus in the Holy Communion at Mass. I believe it’s His way to make me feel loved through the offering of His Body. But there was one Sunday when the usual giddiness wasn’t there. I wasn’t feeling well. I also felt guilty because I wasn’t taking good care of myself for the past weeks.

But when the priest placed the host on my hand, I was surprised. It wasn’t a small round piece but a large portion of what the priest lifted up during Consecration. It was as if Jesus was saying, “Neither do I condemn you. Sin no more. I love you this much.”

I believe His Body sustained me through the day as I was still able to attend our prayer meeting after the Mass and serve as a dance minister. From then on, I resolved to remember God’s love for me so as to make better choices for my body.

After all, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Let our bodies be truly pleasing to Him. Krizelle R. Talladen (kringtalladen@gmail.com)

Reflect: “When you’re tempted to sin against the body, think of the Body of Christ.” (A priest confessor)

Jesus, thank You for what You did on the cross. May I always take care of my body so Your sacrifice won’t be put to waste. Amen.

St. Jeanne Jugan, pray for us.

48 HOURS

 

48 HOURS 

“ Boast of what the Lord has done.” – 1 Corinthians 1:31

That evening call tested our family’s faith. On October 28, 2018, my mom, who lives in the U.S., was brought to the emergency room and was unconscious for a few days. She suffered from subarachnoid hemorrhage and the doctors had to drain the excess fluid building up in her brain. Eventually, they had to put a shunt inside her skull.

I remember the words my brother told us that night: “The doctors said that the next 48 hours will be critical.” It’s hard to have a family member go through something, but it’s even more difficult when you are continents apart. We were helpless. We could only pray for her.

During that frightful time in our lives, God remained faithful. He manifested His power through the medical team that took care of my mom. He allowed us to experience His love through all the friends and family members who prayed for my mom’s healing. God saved her and we “boast of what the Lord has done.” As of this writing, my mom is on her way to recovery in a nursing facility. All glory and praise to our God! Lala Dela Cruz (bella.delacruz@gmail.com)

Reflect: How did Jesus manifest His power in your life? Tell the world about it!

Lord, may You be glorified in whatever I’m going through right now. Let Your Word become fully alive in my life. Amen.

St. Medericus, pray for us.

PROPHETIC MISSION

 

PROPHETIC MISSION 

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. – 1 Corinthians 1:17, NIV

Educator, leader, stranger, mom. Everywhere I go and in every capacity or role I am given, I find that God calls me to talk about Him. With my students, it is through Religious Education lessons. As a leader in the youth ministry in my teenage years, it was through worship, reflection, and one-on-one counseling. On planes, at parlors, in parties, with people I don’t really know, I find myself sharing the story of our miracle baby over and over again. Now, as a mother, I speak God’s Word to my daughter as a way to correct and instruct.

When we are called to share the Good News, speaking skills and basic knowledge of the Bible and Catholic teaching always come in handy, but we know very well that it’s not through anyone’s eloquence or wisdom that hearts are converted and minds are convinced. God’s message is always most powerful when the Holy Spirit takes the lead.

As we fulfill our prophetic mission to spread God’s truth, let’s take care not to call attention to our own preaching skills and knowledge but to focus on the Gospel itself. Through humility, forgiveness, and love, His message will reach others loud and clear. Sometimes, even without words. Geraldine G. Catral (catral.geegee@beaconschool.ph)

Reflect: We all have a prophetic mission. Are you carrying out yours?

Lord, give me grace to preach the Gospel through the fruit it bears in my life. Amen.

St. Augustine of Hippo, bishop and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

BE ON GUARD “Stay awake,

 

BE ON GUARD 

“Stay awake, therefore! You cannot know the day your Lord is coming.” – Matthew 24:42

Bruges, Belgium is a quiet town popular for the church where a sculpture of the Madonna and Child is enshrined. This masterpiece is the only sculpture of Michelangelo found outside Italy. The laid-back town made us feel relaxed and safe. We were taken with the pretty facade of old houses.

Then we came to this shop where the saleslady there gave me good advice on tax refunds. More importantly, she warned me to be careful as many pickpockets prey on tourists— especially Asian-looking ones like me. It was a good reminder to be on guard, even in a peaceful place like Bruges.

As Christians, God wants us to enjoy the good life. But when we live for the sake of pleasure or comfort alone, it can be spiritually dangerous. First Peter 5:8 warns us, “Your enemy the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

The way to keep the devil at bay is to resist through a life dedicated to following the Lord. Serving Him and following His will guards us from the devil’s trap. Rolly España (rollyespana53@gmail.com)

Reflect: In what area of your life are you spiritually lax? How can you be strong in the Lord in that area?

Jesus, keep me alert against the wiles of the devil. Fill all of me with all of You, so that the evil one will have no place in my life.

St. Monica, pray for us.

WHAT’S ESSENTIAL?

 

WHAT’S ESSENTIAL?

On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked . . . – 2 Thessalonians 3:8 

I went to bed the night before with chest palpitations. When I rose from bed that morning, I felt the room spinning. I got back to bed while weighing in my mind: Should I or should I not attend the meeting with our distributors? It was a crucial meeting. Thankfully, I have an understanding boss who advised me to just rest.

I was still dizzy and sleepy the next day and noticed that I was getting despondent. Do I still want to subject myself to so much stress? I can already retire; why am I still doing all this? And for what?

I googled about the new additional medicine I was taking for essential tremor (a degenerative nerve disorder causing uncontrollable shaking in different parts of the body). In my case, it’s my head that’s affected. I found out that the dizziness, palpitations, and despondency were side effects of the medicine.

I decided to forego that particular medicine. Of course, I need to balance my condition with enough rest, sleep, and less stress so my condition won’t worsen fast.

Every kind of suffering helps us grow in faith. I felt that essential tremor is going to be mine. Literally losing one’s life for God’s purpose may be too grand, but we can choose to do it in small ways so we can continue to serve Him who gave us our very life. Tess V. Atienza (theresa.a@shepherdsvoice.com.ph)

Reflect: In what small way can you lose yourself for the Lord today?

Dearest Jesus, I continue to offer myself in the service of Your Kingdom.

Blessed Thomas Percy, pray for us.

INSIDE OUT

 

INSIDE OUT 

“Cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.” – Matthew 23:26

“Gandang tanghali po!” (Good afternoon!) I turned to my right and saw one of the patients in the drug rehab center where I was giving a talk. He was wearing a plain white shirt, denim shorts, and rubber slippers. He looked like he was just in his thirties.

“Are you ready to listen?”

He didn’t answer my question. Instead, he shared with me how he was caught several times for his use of illegal drugs. He tried his best to get rid of his addiction but he would always end up in jail. Then he said that he didn’t believe in God. He didn’t feel God’s presence inside the prison. Jesus was not with him during his darkest moments. For him, God was simply man’s invention. Then he paused for a while and said, “But that was before.”

He said that he had a change of heart after he heard the talks and personal sharings in the last few weeks. He now believes that God is real! He starts his day with prayer. Now, he is committed to change his life for God. He wants to love God more.

We cannot change through our own strength. True change starts when we allow God to enter our lives. Alvin Fabella (alvinfabella@yahoo.com)

Reflect: Only God can put together the broken pieces of our lives—in a way that will last a lifetime and to eternity.

Lord, I am not discouraged even though my outer self is wasting away. Renew my inner self day by day.

St. Louis of France, pray for us.

GOD’S BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN

 

GOD’S BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN

It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. – Revelation 21:11

One of my favorite quotes in the book Why Is My Forever Taking Forever? by Marianne Mencias is this: “A woman glows when a man truly loves her and doesn’t use her. A woman’s light fizzles when she’s not treated properly.”

I can attest to this because when I compare how I looked during and after being in an unhealthy relationship, I saw the big difference. Before, I would hate the woman I saw in front of the mirror, but now, I thank God for the smiling face I see there— even if she’s single and imperfect. I am also grateful because He shows His love for me through my family and true friends.

I believe there’s really a different kind of glow that manifests in us when we choose God’s ways above the world’s ways. We become like the New Jerusalem described in today’s First Reading—shining God’s glory, brilliant like jewels. I pray that no matter what happens, we won’t forget that we are God’s beautiful children and He only wants the best for us.

Let’s allow Him to be the true Lover of our lives. Krizelle R. Talladen (kringtalladen@gmail.com)

Reflect: Are you in darkness right now? Allow God to bring light to your life and commit to stay in His love until the end.

Dear Father, thank You for Your unconditional love. May it continue to transform me into Your image and likeness. Amen.

St. Bartholomew, Apostle, pray for us.

AUTHOR OF YOUR STORY

 

AUTHOR OF YOUR STORY 

“For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” – Matthew 16:17

In 2012, I wrote Voices in the Theater. It was my first time to write a fictional novel on spiritual warfare. I had my outline and I’d done my research: dozens of psychology books, spiritual books, and books on quantum physics. I even sought out a few exorcist priests, just to be sure.

But when I started writing chapter 18, I had a major problem. My main character was being attacked by demons, and her only ability was to hear them. How was she supposed to win?

Yes, she was supposed to get a happy ending. But I had no idea how she’d get it. After much stress, I prayed and took a nap.

Three hours later, the solution to everything became perfectly clear. I wrote the rest of the book, my character got her victory . . . and it wasn’t because of me.

Writing a book is just like life: You know you want a happy ending, but many times you don’t know how to get there.

When we realize that we’ll always receive guidance if only we ask for it, we finally understand that God is always cowriting our life story. And that is always good news. Aileen Santos (coachaileensantos@gmail.com)

Reflect: What chapter of your life are you struggling with right now? How can you open yourself to accepting more of God’s guidance?

Dear Lord, Author of my life, help me to calm my heart and listen to Your voice. Amen.

St. Rose of Lima, virgin, pray for us.

HUMILITY

 HUMILITY 

“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled.” – Matthew 23:12

There I was, waiting for my name to be called as the next recollection speaker. I had a clicker on hand to control the teleprompter that had my notes. I was ready for the talk—or so I thought.

The moment I started, I noticed that my slides on the teleprompter were not moving. I clicked and clicked and backtracked, but the slides remained frozen. I couldn’t control my slides!

Precious time went to waste to iron out the technical glitch. I eventually had to skip the middle part of my talk and ended it—to my relief as well as to my dismay.

Later on, I reflected on what happened and why the glitch occurred. I realized that my pride had gotten the best of me as I assumed things would be in order, instead of inspecting the setup. I also relied too much on my notes, among other things, so I didn’t know what to say next when the teleprompter didn’t work properly. My experience taught me a lesson on humility.

Friend, have you relied too much on yourself to control things in your life? Surrender and let God take control. Jonathan Yogawin (jyogawin@gmail.com)

Reflect: “Pride precedes a disaster, and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

Queen Mary, teach me to humbly say, “I am a servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to Your Word.”

St. Andrew the Scot, pray for us.

FIND HOPE

 

FIND HOPE 

“I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.” – Ezekiel 37:14

 

We all have those moments in life when we find ourselves at the end of our rope. Everything looks bleak and we do not know how to keep going. It may be because of a serious illness, financial difficulty, a broken relationship, or situations that make us feel weak and defeated. Giving up seems like the only option.

Perhaps we can learn something from US President Franklin Roosevelt who led his country through the Great Depression in the 1930s. He said, “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”

Nothing in this life happens without a reason. Good or bad, God allows things to happen for a purpose. And when we discover His purpose, we realize He is at work in our lives.

In times of hopelessness, don’t let go. God promised that He will be with us at all times. We just have to trust Him, hold on to His promise, and allow Him to perform His miracles.

So fear not when you are facing a desperate situation. Know that the One who can do the impossible stands by your side. He will never abandon you. Jane Gonzales-Rauch (mgr516@gmail.com)

Reflect: When you are at your weakest, do not look down in defeat. Instead, look up to the heavens and ask God to reveal Himself and work wonders.

Lord Jesus, we come before You in desperate need of hope. Help us to trust in Your goodness. You alone know what’s best. Allow us to experience Your grace and mercy, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Pius X, pope, pray for us.

DIVINE INVITATION

 

DIVINE INVITATION

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” – Matthew 22:14 

My wife and I have been in our youth community even before we met. I’ve been serving the youth for more than six years now, but every opportunity to serve the Lord still amazes me.

Recently, we were invited to serve in a youth camp. What a great privilege it was! Because of our work load and schedule, we could have said no. We could have been elsewhere. But God allowed us to witness His love at work among the young and encounter Him again in a personal way. I talked to some campers and servants, and I was blessed by their stories. I couldn’t hold back my tears as I remember that a few years ago, I was also a lost, insecure young man. But God persisted in calling me through my friends until I said yes to Him. I thank God I did! I don’t know where I would be now without His grace.

When God calls us, He doesn’t just want to bless others through us. He wants to bless us, too. He doesn’t only want us to love other people. God wants to love us, too. Ericson T. Trinidad (erix. trinidad@gmail.com)

Reflect: Is there someone whom God is calling you to love today? How will you respond?

Lord, grant me courage. Lord, grant me strength. Grant me compassion that I may be Your heart today. (From the song “Your Heart Today”)

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, abbot and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

THE SURE FORMULA

 

THE SURE FORMULA

“And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’” – Matthew 20:11-12

Do you want to be unhappy all your life? Here’s a simple formula that never fails: Be ungrateful! The grumblers in today’s Gospel are thankless for two major reasons. First, they believed they are better than many. Second, they deserved the blessing anyway.

Rather than saying, “Thank you!” for their wage, they launched a long litany of reasons why they’re supposed to be special and the rest undeserving. “This is long overdue. I worked hard. I suffered under the sun. I earned every penny I made. Me receiving the same as the rest of the guys is a huge mistake! God has to apologize to me!”

Friend, if you still believe you deserve all the blessings because you’re a “self-made” person, that everything you have is because of your hard work, please understand: Many of those who worked hard yesterday didn’t wake up today. If you still think that you woke up because of the alarm clock, try putting it beside the ears of a dead man. Then you’ll know that everything is God’s mercy.

Start your day by thanking God. Then joy will soar! Jon Escoto (faithatworkjon@gmail.com)

Reflect: List down five blessings you’ve forgotten to thank God for. Thank Him for each in between breaths. Feel the joy flood your soul.

Father, for all the things You’ve done, and for all You’re yet to do, thank You. May I not forget to be grateful for all of them.

St. John Eudes, priest, pray for us.

SERVICE IS A PRIVILEGE

 

SERVICE IS A PRIVILEGE

“But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” – Matthew 19:30 

I was in a meeting with the leaders of The Feast Greenhills and The Feast Ortigas-Tuesday, and I was tearing up. I was grateful for all the selfless people who serve at our gatherings, go out of their way to listen to other people’s problems, and work hard at the special events in our district.

I asked them, “Why do you give so much in your service?”

This was their answer: “JPaul, this is who we are. It’s our privilege to serve. We are loved by God, and we want to share God’s love to others.”

I realized that if your motive for service is to be noticed, liked, or affirmed, you’ll get burned out in no time. But if you anchor yourself in the overflowing love of Jesus Christ, you will get tired physically but will be able to move forward again after you rest.

We don’t need big rewards when we serve. Because the privilege to serve is already the reward we need.

When we serve sincerely, we become more like Jesus. JPaul Hernandez (jpaulmh@yahoo.com)

Reflect: Ask yourself: Why do you serve?

Father, there are times when I lose my drive to serve You. Thank You for never getting tired of calling me back into Your arms.

St. Helena, pray for us.

LOVE LANGUAGE

 

LOVE LANGUAGE 

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 19:19

Darryl was frustrated, hurt, and felt rejected after discovering that Mikee threw away the stone he gave her. It was a beautiful white stone he found at a beach that looked exactly like Mentos candy. He gave that to her to make her feel special. He’d feel the same way if someone did it for him. It was his way of loving his neighbor.

Mikee apologized and explained to Darryl that she has a different love language. Mikee feels loved when she receives encouragement through texts, e-mails, or face-to- face conversations. Receiving simple gifts, like that stone, has minimal impact on her. She added that her room was a mess, so she had to throw away things she didn’t need—the stone included.

She explained that there are different kinds of love languages, or the way people feel loved. And that’s OK.

Now, Darryl is doing his best to compliment Mikee every now and then through texts, even if he’s not used to it. He’s trying to love his neighbor according to the latter’s love language. Carlo Lorenzo (carloflorenzo@gmail.com)

Reflect: Do you know the love language of the people close to you? It can be similar to yours or it can be different. How can you adjust to make them feel loved the way their hearts will understand?

Dear God, You are the author of relationships. Teach us to show our love in a way that others will appreciate and make them feel special.

St. Frances Bizzocca, pray for us.

PROMISE KEEPER

 PROMISE kEEPER 

This is what the Lord says... – Isaiah 56:1

“This is the last time that you’ll come here as a single woman.”

I was washing the dishes at a youth camp when I felt the Lord speak these words to me. I was startled. I didn’t have a boyfriend then, never had a boyfriend ever. Amused, I responded, “Seriously, Lord? But, OK. I’m not sure how it’s going to happen though.” I shared the message to a close friend and we guessed who might be “the one.” We only stopped our hopeful romantic guessing when we prepared for dinner.

Years passed and I had already forgotten about it until my friend got married last year. Our fondest memories played inside my mind as she walked down the aisle, including that fateful afternoon at the campsite.

I froze in disbelief. My gaze shifted from my bride-friend to the Man on the cross, then to the one who accompanied me to the wedding—my husband. My heart was filled with awe. Indeed, that camp was the last time I set foot in that place as a single person.

The plot twist? My husband turned out to be the head of that youth camp when God revealed His plans to me. We were serving God together all along! Oh, what a funny and amazing God we have! Maymay Salvosa Trinidad (christiane.salvosa@gmail.com)

Reflect: Open your heart to God’s personal message for you today and hold on to it. He delivers His promise even if we are too distracted to notice it.

Father, grant me the grace to hear Your voice today. Help me to trust Your Word regardless of what I am going through. Amen.

St. Stephen of Hungary, pray for us.

AT YOUR SERVICE

 

AT YOUR SERVICE 

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. – Luke 1:39-40

During the early months of my second pregnancy, I was incredibly tired. I tried to do things on my own, thinking not to burden others with my needs. But I am no superwoman, and many times, I needed an extra hand. So I stayed with my parents for a while to get help in caring for my first child.

Whether it is taking care of the kids, catching a deadline, or sharing the workload for a project, people have been there to help me when I needed it most.

In today’s reading, we see Mary, also early in her pregnancy, travel “in haste” to see Elizabeth. I can’t imagine traveling to help another pregnant woman when I am on the way!

I reflect upon Mary’s example of service and the many times others would go out of their way for me. When I open myself to receive help instead of trying to do things all on my own, the Lord is able to work more powerfully. I encounter Him in the generous people sent my way. I, too, can be the person someone else needs.

What a wonderful model of service and kindness Jesus had in His mother. Kitty Dulay-Ferreria (kittydulay@yahoo.com)

Reflect: Mama Mary is always in haste to be with you.

Lord, give us the grace to be sensitive to the needs of others and be ready to help them.

St. Alipius, pray for us.