Tag: life

The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic 3/4 – Generosity

Generosity or charity is the life of a Christian-Catholic. This attribute is of monumental importance and at the same time, the very essence of what it means to be Catholic. We only need to think of Jesus Christ who was the Servant of all. Even the Vicar of Christ, the Pope, is called to be the ‘servant of the servants of God.’ To put it simply, to be Catholic is to give our lives  to God and to our neighbour without expecting anything in return for “you received without pay, give without pay.” (Mt 10:8).

The only way to be truly happy is to give our lives away. We know this because of the Cross. Thus, let us continue to ask the Lord “how are you calling me to surrender my life to You?” and respond courageously to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to lay down our lives each day.

“Life grows by being given away, and it weakens in isolation and comfort. Indeed, those who enjoy life most are those who leave security on the shore and become excited by the mission of communicating life to others.” –Pope Francis

 

Fries

Crispy, salty, yummy, oily, fatty, carbohydrate-filled, cannot-stop-yourself-from-eating-it fries. Whether it be shared or eaten alone, we all suddenly get the craving to get these fries.

This.

Why? Not because of the potatoes for sure, though it helps. We get potatoes in different varieties, but there is something with McDonald’s Fries. Well to cut the story short, it’s  the  right amount of SALT.

You are like salt for the whole human race. – Matthew 5:13

We should be like SALT.

Savoury

Have you ever tried any kind of food without or lacking in salt? You wanna spit it out as soon as you can right? Too much of it and you’ll stop eating.

Our faith, if lived out, makes others crave for more. It is not bland nor does it shoo people away.

Are we boring that no one dares to try it? Or too strong that people are put off by it?

You know you want more

Amor

My best memories of hanging out at Mickey Dee’s were always with friends surrounding a pile of french fries and devouring them. It was not only a cheap way of feeding everybody but it was an experience rich in love. And that is what Amor is, love in Italian.

What is God’s love if not shared?

Sharing is caring.

Life Giving

Salt gives life to your boring potatoes. Our lives should give hope to everyone we meet. We are beacons of hope in a world full of pain, suffering and at times monotony.

Are we a source of hope or despair? Is our testimony uplifting or scaring the heck out of everyone?

Because life is full of twists and turns.

Thirst

Salt makes us thirsty, that’s why your large cup of pop doesn’t really cut it after consuming a bag of fries. If we live our lives filled with faith, hope, and love, it causes people to seek the One who gives us true life – Jesus. Our saltiness doesn’t highlight us, but the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Do our lives point to Jesus or to us?

Not enough.

Faith, Hope, and Love makes our lives truly salty and it makes others thirst for Christ.

Stay salty my friends.

May we be the salt of the earth. Amen.

PS. I am not endorsing the Golden Arches, but if they want to sponsor me – that’s okay too.

PPS. This reflection was inspired by the homily of my parish priest at Merciful Redeemer, Fr. Robert, last Sunday on Matthew 5:13-16.

This blog is also hosted on my personal blog http://www.kevinmuico.com/2014/02/10/fries/

Heavy Cross? Don’t fret

It may come in any point of your time where you might feel like you’ve got a heavy cross.  What does that mean?  It could mean that you’ve taken on a lot of responsibilities, you also might have heard the term “spreading yourself too thin” or “burdened.”  Well in any of these cases I will share to you some points of how we can continue walking with our cross just Jesus did himself.  The biggest thing I want to share with you is do not be afraid to fall.  There’s been quite a few changes going with my service the last few months and let me tell you this change is starting to hit me good.  Taking on a new responsibility and continuing the ones I have on top of being a part time student with a career does sound like a handful but for now manageable.  I have been slowly learning the secrets from my mentor about how to use my time effectively because he is telling me that our time in this service is short.

Here are some tips I found effective to keep up with my service and life.  First I’ve come to learn that a heavy cross probably means His will for you is being done (that’s right we constantly pray for that.) He’s working through you.

  1. Understand the trial you are facing, learn to love what you’re in and be the BEST
  2. Pray. And don’t stop find your perfect time, yes I said perfect… in the morning after I wake up works for me. Also read the daily Gospel, see what He is trying to tell you each day.
  3. Pray to the saints.  In whatever situation you feel stressed in there is a patron saint for your specific needs.  Use them, they help because they want you to also join them in Heaven one day.
  4. Last, go to confession (its one of our national directions.)  Going to regular confession (monthly/weekly) will help you feel God’s love and purify all your intentions
  5. Ask for help.  From your counterpart, MCG, potential leaders

And there you go, this is my daily grind.  Though my cross may be heavy I know that whatever I bare will be in His hands and His victory.

@itsmetimmm