Water Gravity

Philippines Week #4
February 26, 2014

Last weekend we had our mini getaway with the FTPW of Metro Manila. We visited two natural phenomenas. There was one place where we had to walk down a bunch of steps…deeper and deeper into nature. Once we reached the bottom I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was surrounded by a huge mountain. A mountain with trees on it and a waterfall within in the rocks. There was an oasis where we were able to swim in it and jump off the rocks. It was called Tinago Falls (Hidden Falls). It has been one of my highlights so far. I was immersed and fully surrounded by the miraculous beauty of nature! As I jumped off the rocks and just floated on my back to soak in my surroundings. I was admiring the waterfalls and asked myself:

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” Why do waterfalls never stop flowing? Why do they never stop falling?”

I was caught by this phenomena and connected it with the Infinity of God.
I was brought to tears.
God’s beauty
God’s love
God’s mercy
was overflowing.

” Why do waterfalls never stop flowing? Why do they never stop falling?”

My Child,
Waterfalls never stop
Flowing
Just as my love for you will never stop
Growing
No matter how many times you keep
Falling

This is a miracle

” Why do waterfalls never stop flowing? Why do they never stop falling?”

A waterfall

Is a miracle

Sometimes
Only nature can speak the words of God
Sometimes
God doesn’t want us to speak
Sometimes
God doesn’t even use words

He calls us to listen

And to be
Moved.

Amen 🙂

Prayer is Boring

I once heard that prayer is boring because you didn’t make it about Jesus and you didn’t make it about others. After I heard that, I immediately realized how selfish I’ve been with my prayers and that’s one of the reasons why it was getting ‘boring’. Lent can also be understood in the same light because in essence, all that we do during lent should be a prayer, because prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are meant to lift our heart and mind to God. However, if we make lent about ourselves then it will be boring, disengaging, and will seem like a chore. In order for the season of Lent (and every season with the Lord) to be fruitful and  not boring, it has to be about Jesus and it has to be about others.

Here are a few things I need to remind myself of during lent:

1. Make Jesus the centre of your prayer. 

Begin with Jesus in mind and heart and not other things. Have a dialogue with Him and not a monologue with yourself. Speak to Him, listen to Him, and let Him have the first and last say. Spend time with Him as much as possible, especially literally in front of Him in the Blessed Sacrament. Encounter Him in the scriptures, family, friends, in every task, and most especially in Mass.

2. Remember the poor when fasting

Don’t make fasting about yourself. Don’t let it point your affections whether they be joy or suffering to yourself but let it be a reminder to suffer with the millions of poor people around the world. Let fasting be an opportunity to grow in your ability to be compassionate, in other words, to suffer with those who are suffering. Don’t eat that candy simply because you said you gave it up, but because you truly want to experience even the slightest mortification that is nothing compared to the suffering of those in great destitution.

3. Give alms to have a change of heart

Be generous with your time, talent, and treasure. Give concretely. Give until it hurts, then let that hurt purify and change your heart to become more like Jesus’ heart. Give because others truly need what you have to offer even if it’s as little as 25 cents. God doesn’t see what or how much you’re giving. He sees the heart. He sees if we are giving our heart. That’s why it has to hurt.

It’s really amazing how time flies in prayer when I’ve truly made it about Jesus and others. I would actually find that there’s not enough time to pray!

We have nothing to worry about for ourselves if we are putting Jesus and His kingdom first. His kingdom belongs to the poor and the meek, so the more we associate ourselves with them and prefer them, the closer we will be to the kingdom of Heaven.

His Gazing Eyes

BREATHLESS. OVERWHELMED. What do I do when He keeps testing me? Day after day, it seems like the challenges never end.

Do this, 
Do that, 
Fix this, 
Fix that, 
Be here, 
Be there…
IT REALLY NEVER ENDS. And my realization in all this leads to nothing, but one thing…

I’m not worthy.

The beautiful thing is that it doesn’t stop there. In the middle of all this, the most BEAUTIFUL thing is happening to me… Above all of this, my Father’s eyes gazes upon me.

In my tears, He cries with me…
In my pains, He heals me…
In my struggles, He provides for me…
In all I ask, He continues to answer me…
Through my fears, He embraces me so no harm can come near…
In my heart, He beats within me…

Unworthy as I am, He loves me and sees me as nothing less than precious and priceless.
In my unworthiness, He claims me “irreplaceable.” 

And even in this craziness… I feel so blessed to feel unworthy because my soul yearns to empty itself of me so I can magnify my life with what is Worth…

I feel so blessed to feel broken at the times that I do because I see that I cannot do anything at all; It is He is Who is doing everything in my life through my hands and in my heart.

In His gazing eyes, I want to see what He sees. Pieces of a miracle…

Preciousness in a sinner,
Richness in the poor,
Beauty in what is hidden,
Value in what is simple,
Strength in the weak…

The list goes on…

What I know for sure is that it is a blessing if one can admit that “I am a sinner”…
it is a blessing for one to admit that “I am poor”…
it is a blessing to seek what is hidden…
it is a blessing to be simple…
it is a blessing to be weak…

WHY? 

Because it is the only way we can understand what is precious,
what is truly rich,
what is utmost beauty,
what happiness and true value is,
and how to be strong… 

It is the only way I can see Him and how much I have (and always will) belong to Him through His gazing eyes. So to truly do this, I will state only one claim… To serve in reciprocation of the love He has for me towards Him and my brothers and sisters…

“I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”
(2 Corinthians 12: 15)

“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
(2 Corinthians 12: 10)

May He always be praised.

Never too Late

I was sitting next to a dad with 2 kids one was a girl aged around 5 and the other was a little boy aged between 1-2 years old. The dad ordered a cup of coffee and 2 cookies.  The older sister took one cookie and started eating while the dad handed the other cookie to the toddler. After a few minutes the older sister said, “We forgot to pray!” The dad replied, “It’s okay, let’s just continue to eat.” The daughter replied again, “It’s not too late to pray.” The dad just said, “OK” Then she continued on with eyes closed, “Dear God thank you for dad and mom and dad’s coffee and our cookies, amen!”

I did not mean to listen to how the conversation went but the girl was just loud and I was just seated a foot away from them, literally next table to me.

Yes she was right – It’s not too late to pray!

There are instances in my life that I choose to take things in my own hands especially the everyday small matters. I was walking to my bus stop when I realized that I didn’t have enough time to get there. Still I continued on walking, I uttered a prayer to God asking if He can delay the arrival of the bus so I can get on it. I was surprised that I got there in time for the bus. I waited for a minute then the bus came.

How much more in bigger, serious matters? Prayer is never too late to pray.

“Lord you are God of time. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is in your hands. Teach to choose to prayer as my first option and if I forget to pray or offer my everyday  matters remind me still the prayer will always be the best option at any point in time.”

Selfless Love At Home

The mission starts in our own homes.

Our families are sometimes the hardest people to evangelize or open up to. This is where God calls us to first, evangelize to the ones we love in our homes. Building that strong foundation in the home routed in Christ. Although evangelizing in our homes can be challenging God places us in situations that make us feel uncomfortable, that is our mission; to seek comfort in the Lord through situations that challenges us to love selflessly. Home is where the heart is. Mission is where the heart is.

“A family that prays together, stays together.”

 

Benedictus Deus in Saecula

Investments

So, I just got back from a very long work trip in Tyler, Texas…I know..its kinda like, what the heck are you doing there? 100,000 Population, not much to do, just a lot restaurants and cows.

Anyways, so what can you get out of this now?

Well first off, who here can say that their co-workers know that they are Catholic? OR who here can say that its easy for them to live out their faith in their work place?

For me, I found it very difficult in trying to live out my CFC-Youth/Catholic lifestyle within my work area. Then I realized this..

UH OH…here we go.

So, if you can just grasp how a business works…someone, or some family has invested ALL their time, ALL their money into hopefully achieving success in their business. They work day in, day out, sweat, tears, stress, and even get to the point of almost failing.

Okay…so you are telling us to do what exactly?

To be Catholic is to be a true servant, is to live simply to love extravagantly.  What I witnessed in Texas was an amazing such a loving family putting literally EVERY SINGLE CENT, and efforts into having a success business.

With that said, you don’t have to make it known around the work area that you are Catholic, but what you should be doing is acting as one.

Appreciate the job you have. Work hard. What better way to love not just as a worker but to actually care about the work you put into your job. There are people relying on your hard work for their success. What better way to love them, then to take your job and actually care about it.

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

See the connection? We don’t necessarily have to have co-workers or bosses ask us if we are people of the Faith. As long as we show the lifestyle of a Catholic, that is more than enough. God will do the rest in asking them where our strength, compassion, perseverance, and faith comes from.

God has been so great to me. I need to take my job as a chef seriously. I need to take my life as a missionary seriously because I love what I do.

People have invested all their effort and time into their business/jobs/missions. Lets help them invest time into our God by being servants. Being missionaries. By living simply, and loving more extravagantly.

Deo Gloria!

PS, feels good to be back in Canada. I love my country.

 

“Cutting” Season By Nate Abarca

My reflection is taken from Nathaniel Abarca, KFC Program head here in the Big Sky Region.

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In Upper HH with CG we were asked to reflect on what Lent means to us and I just wanted to share what Lent means to me!

If you guys can remember my last reflection, I stated that the kingdom on this earth will perish and all of its contents but the kingdom of the Lord is eternal. Take this and apply it to working out. I often found my only working out for the sole purpose of looking good but truly this is not the reason the Lord called me to the life I have and for His Son to expire. — Sooo vain right? My body will totes (Totally) deteriorate and be old(er)– But truly the calling is to live a life of good health and in reflection it came across to me that good health means so much. If we aren’t physically ready for the mission, how are we gna get up out of bed and truly be read to be send out where He wants us?

This garnered a change from bulking season to CUTTING season (reduction of weight in muscles to produce a better tone ie less fat). More cardio, more stamina to do more work for the Lord in being physically able to go out on His mission!

Now in Lent we are called to fast — usually taking away something that inhibits you– right? But take this into consideration: we are called to CUT! Cut in fat to be ready for the mission physically in my case. But we are called to cut things out of our lives that inhibit us from fulfilling the mission EMOTIONALLY, SPIRITUALLY, AND MENTALLY in fulfillment of our Lord’s calling “DENY OURSELVES AND TAKE UP OUR CROSSES”

And truly by this, Lent is the ULTIMATE CUTTING SEASON to be fully ready for the Lord in His resurrection!!

Oh Father in Heaven help us take up our crosses so that Yours may be that much lighter!

In the Mighty name of Jesus, through the intercession of Mary and Saints Benedict of Nursia, Michael the Archangel, and Padre Pio.
AMEN.

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It was really nice to hear His reflection for this evening’s Area  Household. He was actually the first one to share and had the least amount of time to think of what to say. He has so much to offer and I am so glad that the Lord has blessed Him with the ardor and desire to preach the Lord’s “Word” (PROMO… GO TO RYC!)  accurately and passionately.

Praise God for Him. Praise God for the Brothers. Praise God for our struggles that we continue to experience in order to grow.

Answered Prayers.