Change Our Hearts

Where there is sacrifice, there is love.

It’s easy for us to think that if we are sacrificing ourselves for another person, we are loving them. Denying ourselves of what we want and doing things for others is a good thing. However, I’ve learned that there is a higher calling to love.

Jesus died for our sins because He loved us. As difficult as it was, He died for us because He wanted to. He experienced moments of human weakness during His passion yet He continued to find strength to love us to death because He had a desire to love us. Imagine if He died for us without a heart to love us? Will His death have the same impact on our lives?

We are called to love others not just because we ought to but also because we want to. When we don’t have a desire to love someone, then we are just loving because we have to. True love is free, total, faithful and fruitful. The moment we love out of obligation, it is no longer freely given. We are no longer loving with our entire self.

If we are ever in a situation where we are called to love but do not feel 100% propelled to do it, let us ask the Lord to change our hearts to His so that we can sacrificially love with a joyful and free heart.

Lord, change our hearts to be like Yours. May we love propelled by Your compassion, mercy and joy alone. Amen!

 

2/52: Public Display of Affection

Proclamations of love have always stirred a varied kind of emotion.  Some are embarrassed, some can’t stop laughing, others blush or cry.  But one emotion that most people can’t identify right off the bat, is the feeling of certainty.  To be loved publicly adds to our own sense of self-worth.

Now imagine being Jesus, Christ Himself in human form, who needs no reminder of His worth, might I add!  Imagine the certainty He felt when His Father tore the heavens apart in today’s gospel to say, ” This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Such a public display of affection affirms why Jesus had the certainty and strength to carry out His Father’s will.  He was affirmed of His Father’s love.  Love makes you do the craziest things!  That very love is what brought Him to His cross and that same love transcends the cross and touches our lives everyday.

Each new day given to us is just another opportunity to acknowledge the public displays of affection our Lord orchestrates. And like Jesus, we should be affirmed of our Lord’s love for each of us, individually & collectively, and from that love we should draw the same certainty that motivated the beginning of one of the greatest displays of affection known to man; the public ministry that ensured our salvation.

 

1/52: Gracious God

Walking into 2013, I made no resolutions, I set no specific goals, and I had no expectations.  You could say that I surrendered my proverbial pen and gave way for God to write my next year!  And since He is our creator and author of life, He put together an impeccable story!

It was filled with new adventures and action.  There was mystery and intrigue and even romance, nothing was spared.  2013 came and went like a flash of light; allowing only enough time to live life moment by moment.  When I think about everything that has happened this past year, I’m surrounded by images of people, places, emotions and experiences.  All of which individually different, yet very much the same.  The same because each person and place, emotion and experience were just different ways God surrounded me with HIS love.

How fortunate am I, a mere sinner, to be blessed in such immense proportions? And that’s just it… I am fortunate to have such a gracious God… we all are!!!  Our Lord chooses everyday to love us past our yesterdays and despite our unworthiness.  And its because of that fact that I can boldly walk into 2014 knowing His graciousness will continue to abound in my life.

I pray you are assured of the same truth!

Happy New Year everyone, God Bless you always… =) 

 

 

Seeking Comfort

Lately, there have been many comments, posts, situations and encounters that have made me feel uncomfortable. Some are short term and some have been long term. And in the midst of all of this discomfort, there laid an underlying desire to just be comfortable.

As I contemplated on this, I found myself recently being reminded of what He has unveiled to me before: “I will meet you right where you are.” And of course, who reminded me of this? None other than the Holy Family, once again. The Holy Family is so highly looked upon. Full of holiness, they continue to stand as the greatest example of a mother, a father, and a son living in Christ. Does this, however, mean that they were always comfortable? No.

It was evident that Saint Joseph felt uncomfortable – he didn’t fully know how Mary was pregnant. And he was visited by the Angel of the Lord through a dream, telling him to take comfort. And when he chose to abide, he chose to answer yes to a responsibility as well to protect his family – to protect their son, Jesus, and Mary. There must be some sort of worry or discomfort in making sure that his family was safe, and what was even greater for Saint Joseph was that it wasn’t just his son, but the Son of God and His spouse that he was chosen and called to protect.

Then when it comes to Mary… how much confusion, discomfort, and worry must she have felt to all of a sudden discover that she was with child. And not knowing how, she was visited by the Angel of the Lord to take comfort and to not be afraid, for the child she carries is the Son of God… that she too, was chosen.  And when her child grew, how much discomfort must she have felt, having her son travel from city to city so frequently, not knowing exactly where he is all the time, while out on the mission/ prophecy that the Lord has sent him to fulfill?

And then when we look at Jesus, we hardly know anything about his childhood. But it makes me think, was he just like the other kids? Or was he like the portrayed image of Hercules with “super strength” or “superpowers”?? (haha) JOKES ASIDE…  I really wonder how he felt. He had two fathers… one who was his earthly, human father – Joseph, and One who is divine – God. How did he feel about it? How did he come to know both of them? How did he find the balance?

Despite of all the unknown, the Holy Family found Comfort. And it wasn’t because their answers or struggles were always answered, “fixed/ solved” forever, or perfect… it was because above all, they looked to God FIRST. They weren’t always comfortable… I’m sure Mary was for from feeling comfortable seeing her son nailed to the cross… yet despite of the discomfort… despite of not knowing exactly how or why, she knew that this was part of His plan for her son… for her… and for the world… for us all. She believed and trusted in God above all and HE was her Comfort.

Lord, when I feel any discomfort, may I have the strength to look to the Holy Family. May I have the strength to look to You, above all, and have the courage to understand what it is that You are asking of me. May I be able to humble myself to put You first, always. When I feel uncomfortable, I pray that I may not seek the comforts of the world, but like the Holy Family, seek You as my Comfort. Amen.

You are God

..and the only time
the only time I ever saw Him run

Was when He ran to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said “My son’s come home again”
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice He said,
“Son do you know I still love you?”
He caught me by surprise when God ran

… I saw Him run to me, He took me in His arms

…He ran to me and then I ran to Him

These are lines from the song “When God Ran” For the past days, since the start of the year, nothing significant happened to me nor extraordinary but I feel so loved by the Lord. I am just so thankful for everything. I am not rich, I don’t have a lot of savings in the bank, I don’t have the best computer (My laptop turned blue screen four times in the last 40 days), I don’t have the best gadgets in the world, I don’t have the nicest facial feature a woman could have (in fact my face has a lot of imperfections, impairments, and limitations), I don’t have the best body to flaunt, I am already in the marrying stage yet I am not in a relationship, I live far from the people I love most – my family. Everyday I still have to decide that I will pray and resist any form of temptation. I dream of getting better everyday. I am a work in progress. I am far from being perfect. But…

I have enough

He takes the 99 steps while I take only a step. He doesn’t pause, He walks and runs in excitement to hold me. He never stop coming closer to me. Lord thank you for loving me so much! You caught me by surprise again and again!

“Lord thank you for your sweet embrace, thank you for not letting go of me, thank you for waiting for me, thank you for not looking at my impairments, my imperfections, my limitations, my failures, my doubts, my fears, thank you for still choosing to reside at the very core of my heart, thank you for filling me with your love, thank you Lord. You are great! You are God!

PS: I encourage you to listen to the song “When God Ran”

Upward Spiral

Two years ago when I started FTPW, I couldn’t imagine the year ahead. I had a feeling it would be an adventure filled with relationships and mystery. When that year ended, I was astounded with the journey the Lord took me on. I felt like I experienced more than the average person would in a lifetime. I couldn’t even fathom how the Lord could top it, but He did the following year. I was reminded that when it comes to journeying with God, there will always be mystery, but in that mystery there is unending beauty and love. This journey has been for me, an upward spiral and ups and downs but drawing nearer to God.

I’m very excited for this year in terms of the mission and my relationship with the Lord. He has been faithful in the last two years and never ceased to amaze me. The Lord reminds me though, that this journey in the community is but the fruit of my journey in the Church. Just as our community has seasons, we follow the seasons of the Church. No wonder why the journey is so fruitful in the community—it’s because of the fruitfulness we share as His church, growing ever more as a living organism saturated with His graces.

We had just journeyed in Advent, then Christmas, and soon, we will enter ordinary time. I think ordinary time is a time to experience what real love is, that it is in the ordinary, non extravagant things, like a steady stream of water. It’s in our ordinary days and ordinary acts. It is God Who makes things great and extraordinary.

Heavenly Father, I praise You! May this year in mission and in the Church bring me closer to You. Give me eyes of faith and help me to see You in everyone and in every circumstance. I look forward to another year of adventure with You. Amen!

What do you have to lose?

Its a beautiful thing to be able to have conversations with other leaders in the community when they even consider wanting to apply to the MV program. This ones for you guys.

What do you have to lose?

Its a big yes to actively discern for full time work. Heck, I’m still in its process along side the other MV’s across the True North. I say this over and over again, but do we really trust in the Lord’s plans? Everyone’s experiences are different, but I think we can all agree when we are serving in the community, we all have a connection with Christ.

It doesn’t matter how inadequate we feel, or how much we know about the Catechism etc etc etc. The point of the community, is to sustain each other with Christ.

“Young People Being and Bringing Christ Wherever They Are”

Its our mission. We love doing it. Its our life, that we owe to our Creator.

Even if its not the MV program, or Full time work, maybe its that household role that we are just trying to put our feet into. Ask yourself…

What do you have to lose? Its a simple question, and we all know the answer. Pray about it!

Lord, what ever it is you want me to do, may I be able to respond by keeping You in mind. You are the one that holds my life. You are one that brings me peace. 

Deo Gloria