Palm Sunday 2021

This year, because of the pandemic, we were not allowed to go on Visita Iglesia, not even to visit a single church to reflect on the stations of the cross. One of the thoughts that keep crossing my mind is that the responsibility of teaching you is now more evidently placed on me. Especially since all your classes are online and there is limited catholic school activities that teaches you about the faith.

So on Palm Sunday 2021, we set up our own modest stations of the cross. I let you read through all 14 stations. Then at the end of it, you said a short prayer thanking God for his sacrifices for us.

We also attended mass online. Thank God one of our neighbors offered to share their palm fronds so we were still able to make our palaspas.

All in all, it was a good celeberation. We agreed to watch Prince of Egypt (my childhood version was The Ten Commandments, but you might appreciate the animated version better 🙂) and The Passion of Christ (so we are reminded of Jesus' suffering for us).

I hope Mama and Dad instills in you the love of God. 😘

For sad days

Excerpt from one of Bo Sanchez's articles. Please remember this whenever you feel insecure or inadequate -- you have a Father in heaven who loves you so much, and you have me on earth (or in your heart once I passed) who loves you just as much.

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"Friend, this is the ultimate reason why you need to like yourself.

Because you have a Father who loves you so much.

You're more important than all the stars in the sky.

You're more important than all the galaxies of this universe.

In the heart of God, nothing compares with you.

If He loves you this much, how can you not like yourself?"

Life verses

Since the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, everyone was coming up with different challenges over at Facebook -- Top 10 Books challenge, Top 10 Movies challenge etc. The premise is you provide your list and then challenge other people to share theirs.

My favorite so far is the Life Verse Challenge where you share your favorite Bible passage or your life verse. I'm sharing with you my list of favorite verses. The first one is on top of my list; those succeeding iy are in no particular order.

Isaiah 42:16 NASB -- for Kuya, ofcourse
"I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone."

Luke 1:31 KJV -- for Kuya again; we called him JESHUA
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Job 42:2 NASB -- on trusting God
"I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.

Job 2:10 NASB -- when your dad had GBS
"Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?"

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV -- on having faith when having financial struggles
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Psalms 73:25-26 NASB -- praising God
Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Galatians 6:9 NIV -- on doing good to others and sharing your blessings
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Psalms 139:14 NASB -- when you feel insecure
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

Isaiah 49:15 NIV -- just imagine God's love for us!
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!"

1 Mga Taga-Corinto 2:9 RTPV05 -- what a beautiful promise!
“Hindi pa nakikita ng mata, o naririnig ng tainga, ni hindi pa sumasagi sa isip ng tao ang mga inihanda ng Diyos para sa mga umiibig sa kanya.”

John 11:4 NASB -- again, I encountered this when your dad had GBS
"This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

Matthew 5:46-47 NASB -- on loving your enemies
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have... If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?

I have a lot of favorites pala! What are your favorite verses? Share them with me. :)

Spare a moment and pray for me

Weeks ago, my latest OB who helped me give birth to Miko, Dra. Olivarez, had me undergo transvaginal and breast ultrasound procedures. No indications, she just mentioned that cervical and breast cancers are two of the most common kinds that we need to watch out for, hence the request.

So I went and a small node was found on my right breast. It was rated "probably benign". Probably. One word that started my paranoia. If it was probably benign, was it probably malignant too?

My next visit to my OB, I was with Miko, and I wanted to have cervical cancer vaccine, and ofcourse to ask her opinion on the result of my breast ultrasound. The whole checkup seems like a blur, but I remember her saying that I'm too young to get a mammogram. She ordered a CA153 blood test instead. I think this is a marker for cancer. Normally, I would go all out and read all I can google on this, but to be honest, I'm scared.

All I keep thinking is how young you all are. Who will take care of you, how will you grow up?

I ask you now to spare a moment and pray for me, that the test will come out negative. I'm really really scared and I'm trying not to be, holding on to this verse for now --

Philippians 4:6 NASB
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

I love you chipmunks. I hope God gives me the grace to stay with you until you go old.

Homily Jan 19, 2014

Many people believe that children should not be allowed in churches because they keep on playing, they are noisy, etc. In doing naughty things, we think of them as evil because they disrupt the solemnity of mass. But, bear in mind that children are teachers: God also became a little child and Jesus always used children in His teachings about God's Kingdom. Things to remember: 1. Children are gifts. - what is the meaning of life in one word? GIFT. - life is not junk, not garbage, but a gift that we need to take care of and value - just as you remember the giver everytime you enjoy a gift, everytime you enjoy life, it makes you smile and think of God who gave that life to you 2. Children are faith-full - "unless you become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven" - children have the fullness of faith We must always demonstrate LIVED FAITH. Faith is never something just to be talked about; it must be demonstrated in the way we live everyday.

Faith

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How comfortable, trusting and at home are you with God as the "Unseen Father"? What are your most cherished experiences of His goodness? Are you a doer in faith, or are you one who waits in faith?

Increase my faith, Lord, not only as I wait, but as I follow You in moments of darkness.

A good prayer

Lord, I have no doubt that You know my needs even before I realize I have them.

Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The  Lord  is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.    He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.    Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;    but those who hope in the  Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

GOD IS NOT OUR RIVAL

God is not our Rival Greek mythology narrates the story of Prometheus. Prometheus came to know that the gods enjoyed fire in their kingdom and they capriciously withheld it from humans and kept it for their own enjoyment. One day, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to men. The gods became angry and they punished Prometheus for eternity by having a large bird eat up his entrails, then they regenerate and the birds come back to eat them again. The Promethean myth continues up to this day in many ways. For some people, God is a distant, uninvolved and disinterested God. He created the world and turned His back from it forever. For some, God is a tyrant whose pleasure comes from imposing unreasonable rules on His subjects. Today's First Reading addresses the latter sentiment. John reminds us: "The love of God consists in this: that we keep his commandments — and his commandments are not burdensome." When we see God from the Promethean point of view, God is a tyrant and a rival. When God is seen this way, His commandments will always be viewed as capricious and burdensome. The glory of Christianity lies precisely in the fact that the unknown God has made Himself known; the unseen God has made Himself visible; the eternal God was born into the world and became man. In Jesus, the Incarnate One, we see a God who lived out His own commandments even before He gave them out. God did not simply write a moral manual, dropped it from the heavens and left us on our own to figure it out. Blessed John Paul II put it so eloquently when he said that, in Jesus, "God introduced man to man himself." In short, Jesus, in becoming man, showed humanity how to live as a man and child of God. Jesus did not say "Go!" He said, "Let's go!" Yes, God is not our rival. He is our companion. We can trust Him and His commandments are not burdensome. Fr. Joel Jason REFLECTION QUESTION: Have you appreciated the Christmas mystery of God becoming one with us? Prayerfully and with consciousness, pray the following words: "And the Word was made flesh and made His dwelling among us. Amen!"

Relationship with God

Do you have a tendency to be utilitarian in your relationship with God? Do you go to Him only when you are in need?

Lord Jesus, You taught us to pray for our daily bread. I pray not for that which spoils and rots. I pray for the bread that is You, the bread that brings us unto life eternal. Amen.

Not understanding but trusting

We may never be able to understand fully the methods or motives of God; but we are not required to understand them, simply to trust them. (Woodrow Kroll)

Lord, teach me to obey You, especially during the times when I don't understand.

For kuya - Faith

"Faith is seeing light with your heart when all your eyes see is darkness."

Let's talk: Trust and obedience

Are we living our lives in complete trust and total obedience to God? Why do you say so?

Solo Dios basta

Nada te turbe, nada te espante... Solo Dios basta. (Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you.... God alone is enough.) – St. Teresa of Avila

something to ponder on

How can God bless you with your heart's desires if you doubt Him in the first place?

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Sharing this piece from Bo Sanchez. Love you sweethearts! :)

 

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Be Abnormal!

Step out of your boat.

One day, the disciples were in a boat, tossed by stormy waves. And all of a sudden, they saw Jesus walking on the water. They thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. It is I."

That was when Peter said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water."  

Jesus said, "Come". And the Bible says, then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (Matthew 14:28-29)

I love that scene: Peter stepping out of the boat.

       There are people I know who put one foot on the water but leave their other foot on the boat. And for the rest of their lives, they seesaw between the boat and the water.

What's wrong with that? 

They're not committed.

Committed People Step Into The Storm

Are you in a boat too? Are you in your safe zone? Jesus is asking you to get out of your boat.  Author Robin Sharma said your safe zone is the most dangerous zone, because nothing happens in the safe zone. Nothing happens in the boat.

You've got to learn to step into the storm. You've got to leave the certainty of your boat to step into the uncertainty of the storm. 

Problem: We get attached to familiarity.

For example, I've met women who are trapped in bad relationships. They know they're boyfriend is a Jerk, irresponsible and selfish. They know their boyfriend doesn't really love them but is simply using them. They know God is calling them out of their boat. I tell them, "Unless you get out of your bad relationship, you won't find a good relationship."

People ask me all the time, "Bo, please help me. Why do I feel that nothing is happening in my life? Why am I not moving forward?"

Some ask me, "Why am I still stuck in my debts?"

Or "Why am I still trapped in my crummy job?"

Or "Why am I still chained to my ugly situation?"

Let me tell you why: Because you're not committed. Because you're stuck with the familiar and are not willing to step into the storm. Committed people step into the storm.

Committed People Aren't Enslaved By Their Feelings

What separates Achievers from Average people?

What separates Magnificent people from Mediocre people?

Simple difference: Commitment.

I've realized that committed people do what they have to do, not just what they feel like doing. 

For example?

I love my wife. I love my wife more now than ever before. I kiss my wife everyday. But please know that there are days when I don't feel like kissing her. (And I'm pretty sure there are days when she doesn't feel like kissing me too.) But we kiss each other everyday whether we feel like it or not. Why? Because we're committed. We want to make this marriage work. We're here for the long haul. And that's why we have a phenomenal marriage.

Let me give you another example. I spend time with my boys everyday. With Francis, that means sitting on the floor playing with his dinosaur toys. Believe me, there are days when I want to do something else. There are days I just want to rest, prop my feet up or sleep on the couch. But I still spend time with my boys, no matter what I feel. Why? Because I'm committed.

Some people ask me, "Bo, how can you write 5 books a year? Answer: I write when I don't feel like writing.

Yes, I live an abnormal life. I don't watch TV. I don't play video games (except when I play with my kids—to bond with them). 

Here's a truth you can take to the bank. If you want abnormal success, live an abnormal life. (I tell entrepreneurs—if you want abnormal income, do things that other people aren't willing to do. Be abnormal.)

Every Saturday night, while everyone else is relaxing, I'm preparing for my Sunday talk until midnight. Every Sunday night, while everyone else is watching TV, I'm writing my Soulfood Letter to be sent the next week. And on Monday, I'm preparing for next Sunday's talk.

People are afraid that commitment will trap them. Actually, commitment sets you free from your fears. Ultimately, commitment sets you free from yourself.

Get out of the boat!

       And step into the storm.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

Mark 9:23

"All things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23 NASB)

Remember

"Even in difficult times, God is good and we will remain faithful."

From the Book of Mark

"All things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23 NASB)

Good morning, loves!

Quotes

"When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay"