Tag: Love

3/52: Balance

There is so much to be thankful for, I’m sure I don’t have to present the laundry list of blessings we all receive on a daily basis!  What I will comment on is how we often we tend to complain and stress over them.  I am guilty of this =( 

Maybe we’re feeling overwhelmed. Maybe we’re doubting our capabilities.  Maybe things are piling up and we’re beginning to get anxious about all that is expected of us.  We spend so much time worrying about the tasks as opposed to doing them that we get lost in the mix.  How can we even begin to serve our Lord, if already at the start we’re hindered?

I’ve come to be reminded that BALANCE is key.  If we are at an imbalance in our lives, how do we plan on tackling all of our tasks and responsibilities?  How can we properly share our Lord’s message? How can we remain firm and steadfast to win the race?

More important than reevaluating our priorities is PRAYER!  Prayer is what offsets all those tasks we have to take care of.  And if we’ve got a lot of things to do then that also means we’ve got a lot of praying to do!  It is through prayer that we receive the graces to handle such things, that allows us to centre ourselves in Christ, and gives us the freedom to rest in the Lord after a long day’s work.  Prayer, both, grounds us in our faith but it also motivates us into action!

Mother Teresa once said,

 “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

Let us balance our lives with prayer and realize how much of a blessing each day is.  Let us be good stewards of our time, talent and treasure and make the most of each day for our Lord.  Let us not bog ourselves down with worry or anxiety or complaint and realize our Lord walks with us daily, therefore is with us every step of the way.  Let us begin…

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!

Limitless Love

I have been wondering what is it in love that when we begin to admit that we are in love or we love what we have we feel that we lose something. We feel that we are tied up and our reach is limited only. We feel that we lose control and focus of what we are supposed to do. We want to make things exclusive to us and when love what we are doing we want to take ownership and lead on it.

These were not supposed to be the case.

When we love and loving what we have, we are chosen to make it better and bring it to its fullness. Our willingness to do more is not to make it less but to make it known that this is one of the manifestations of the goodness of the Lord. When we do more for the person or the things we love, we do it because it is what is ought to be. Our original intention is to make people be reminded and make things a reminder of the source of good and source of love.

 

We may feel restricted and limited when we love but let us be reminded that love will only be limitless if we ground it on a limitless God.

 

“Oh dear God of Love. You are boundless, limitless and unconditional. You can bear everything that is in us and can give anything that is not with us yet. Teach me to always look at Your ways so that when I love it will be Your extension and all they will see is You.”

 

Candy

Philippians 1:29

Mercy and Peace

The Lord revealed a simple Truth to me yesterday during Mass with Char while we were all praying and singing “Lamb of God.” When we all sang the last line “grant us peace,” that’s when He made it clear. He said “My merciful love grants peace.” So many things made sense the more I meditated on this.

It’s amazing how many times we beckon the Lord to have mercy on us during Mass. It is the only proper posture to have when knowing that soon we will be receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, the King of kings, and Lord of all. We all stand before Him great sinners and truly unworthy of approaching the Holy of Holies. We must totally rely on His mercy toward us if we would like to have peace in our hearts when receiving Him.

Moments before receiving the Holy Eucharist, and after praying the Lamb of God, we humbly say while kneeling, “Lord, I’m not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” In this prayer we imitate the centurion who was the one who said this. His posture was that of complete humility, contrition, and faith. He knew the Lord would hear his prayer and be merciful to him, and because of that he had peace. A priest once told me that the word Jesus says that heals our soul is peace—the peace that only He can give. And this peace comes from His merciful love.

Whenever I feel like things are not going so well in my life, like being caught in a storm, feeling lost, confused, and being more prone to sin, it is because I stop relying and believing in His mercy. When I take my eyes off His merciful gaze, that is when I lose the peace in my soul. What usually helps is when I do a thorough examination of conscious while asking God to help me see my sins. It hurts but it is necessary. I praise God when I feel very sorrowful for the ways I offended Him. I then ask for the grace to have true contrition for my sins, and to help me repent. With this posture I go to Confession to receive total absolution and forgiveness of all my sins. That is when He restores that peace in my heart, and what helps me to be merciful to others. It’s a lot easier to be merciful to others when I realize how merciful God has been to me.

Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace. Amen.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us!

On Track

Whenever I feel like I’m deviating from the person God wants me to be, I reflect on the beatitudes and virtues to help guide me to be on the right track again.

The beatitudes beautifully describe the character of Jesus. Striving to embody the beatitudes is a practical way of becoming more like Jesus Christ. You can find the list of beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12.

Meditating on the virtues is important for me as well. They are the benchmarks of living a holy life. It’s good to reflect on the theological (faith, hope, charity) and cardinal (temperance, prudence, justice, fortitude) virtues. I always ask myself “where am I in terms of the virtues? Have I made progress? Where do I lack? How is God helping me to grow in them?” I have found that thinking about the virtues often helps me to advance in them daily.

My hope at the end of ever year is to able to think back at the start of the year and be able to say I’m not the same person. Not because of where I live, or the new responsibilities I have, but because I have grown in the beatitudes and virtues. I have grown to be more like Christ.

I must add, that reflecting on the beatitudes and virtues is a good way to get back on track. However, the best and surest way, and the first place to start is always Confession. For me, availing of this Sacrament is essential because I am a sinner, and I sin every day. Confession reconciles us back to God. We must always start with our relationship with Him and rely fully on His graces. Without His grace we can do nothing. It’s His grace that helps us grow in the virtues and forms us in the beatitudes—and essentially—into the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, in Mary our Mother.

Grace! Mercy! Love! Mercy keeps the door open to the fullness of God’s love and graces to be superabundantly poured into our hearts. Let us be merciful so that God will show the same mercy.

Start with God. Make sure there is nothing in the way of your relationship with Him. Let His merciful Love embrace and make everything new. Love Him first and the rest will follow 🙂 We don’t need to wait for the new year or even for an extravagant event to happen in our lives. He is waiting for us in Confession to forgive us of those sins that have been hindering our relationship with Him. He is thirsting for us in the Eucharist to give us Himself,  and to sanctify our lives!

To be on track is not about “doing me” but about “being me,” and I can only be myself if I look to the One who knew me even before I was born and Who knit me in my mother’s womb. Who knows when I sit and when I stand and Who has prepared a place for me in Heaven.

Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.

P.S. A good indicator that we are growing in the beatitudes and virtues is if our lives are bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit which are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Remember

“Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” —Luke 23:42

I truly saw myself as the thief beside the crucified Jesus. Praise God for His merciful love shown in this moment. The Lord assured the sinner that he would be with Him in paradise. It almost brings me to tears thinking of how much our Lord is willing to forgive us if we truly are sorrowful and repent in our hearts. God is truly merciful!

Jesus, as you remember me, help me to remember You. In my daily life, let not sin or distractions take me away from being mindful of Your presence and merciful love. When I do sin, please give me the grace seek your forgiveness and repent without delay. May my heart be always open to the outpouring of Your love and grace. Amen.

Keep Me In Your Most Pure Heart

In the past 2 years I have witnessed the community grow like never before. I think this is because we are more and more imitating the posture of Mary—her, humility, faithfulness, obedience—her fiat. When we Proclaimed the Greatness of the Lord, we focused on Mary saying ‘yes’. When we obeyed and witnessed, we listened to Mary and said yes to Jesus as she did. Now we will behold and ponder. Next year will be about entering ever deeply and profoundly in the ‘yes’ of Mary and we will experience nearness to her Son and on the cross like we’ve never experienced before. It’s going to be amazing and I’m looking forward to being part of the plentiful harvest the Lord has in store for all of us.

If you just joined the community, praise God. We’re looking forward to journeying with you! If you just accepted a service role for the first time, praise God! I can’t wait for you to experience the outpour of blessings with everything you give. If you are transitioning to a different service, praise God! It might be scary but the Lord still has so much to teach and show you. Never cease in expecting great things from our God. If you’re transitioning to SFC, praise God! You are going to be ever blessed in your new state of life. May you carry your anointing humbly and joyfully as the Lord shows you amazing new things. In everything, may we all look to His love. Let us empty ourselves, open our hearts, and allow our God to love us always.

Like the beloved disciple, let us also heed Jesus’ entrustment, and take Mary into our home as she also takes us and keeps us in her most pure and immaculate heart. Amen.

Totus tuus