God's Heritage

Preserve me, o God,

for in Thee I take refuge.

I say to the Lord,

"Thou art my Lord;

I have no good

apart from Thee."...

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;

Thou holdest my lot. 

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

yea, I have a goodly heritage.

                                                                                                 - Psalm 16: 1-2, 5-6

Grateful But Once Again

happy to hear mass again tonight. was surprised to see the church so full-packed. turns out that today is the 4th anniversary of the Dedication of the Our Lady Of Fatima Parish Church. so i really felt so happy when i realized that Rev. Gaudencio Rosales came to officiate the mass even though he is already retired. he related that he is already staying in Lipa and tending to the farm. since it was he who officiated the dedication four years ago, the parish thought it best to invite him again and he was so glad to be back.

had a very enlightening evening. again, got reminded about God's constant prodding in our lives. Rev. Rosales reminded us to be mindful that Jesus may be talking to us or trying to get our attention in the varied events happening in our lives right now, be it big or small. so we have to be continually grateful for even the littlest things and to pay attention to our health, it may be His way of getting close to us. let us hold on tightly to the Lord.

Ripples of Faith

Gospel Acclamation:

"I choose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord."

Luke 10 : 2-3

He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves."

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Thought to ponder:

We are all called to be Gospel writers in the sense that we can all reflect on our own faith experiences and share them with others.

Reflection:

i am not one for talk, especially idle talk that is. i am really not that good with the spoken word. i would much rather write. in fact, if i have to stand in front of a crowd, i would like to prepare ahead of time - write my jumbled thoughts and put them in order before i can be confident in saying my piece. i recall a time when i was in the speakers' ministry of the Singles for Christ in laguna. i always prepare in advance for my talk, especially since we usually go to secluded towns and barangays to give our testimony of God's love and mercy at work in our lives. and i always pray for God's voice to work through me as i collect my thoughts and share the good news of God's love. i miss those days.

St. Luke is one fine example of a Gospel writer. even though he was not physically present during the time of Christ, he learned about Christ during his years of evangelisation from the accounts of Paul and the other disciples. and he believed. he firmly believed. that is why he was able to write vividly about Christ's life and works. his faith reinforced his will to share God's love and message to the world.

with the advent of IT and the global phenomenen that is the internet, i am happy to be able to do my own share once again. it is the only way by which i can share the Gospel. i do not even know if somebody reads it. but i pray that sometime, somewhere out there, someone will come across my writing (maybe at a time when somebody needs it the most) and i hope that it will be helpful in sending the message across about God's unconditional love and infinite mercy.

i hope that like small pebbles thrown onto a pond, my small voice (sharing) will touch at least one heart or one soul out there and let them feel God's embrace. i hope that it will in some way be helpful to the one reading it. i pray that my sharing will cause a rippling effect to others about the power of God's love.

The Power of Prayer

as i end the day with my reading of the Gospel, i am reminded of the significance of prayer in our lives. prayer is our channel to God. it is an instrument to be able to communicate with the Lord.

i have always been living a life of prayer. i call on Him always, whether it's for giving thanks or asking/ requesting for something or asking Him questions or just simply letting Him work His calming grace on me. the Lord doesn't always give me answers right away. in fact, there's still a lot of things i have categorized as 'Pending' because i'm still waiting for them. but He talks to me most of the time. I feel Him and i have learned to listen to Him in the different ways by which He chooses to communicate to me. it's amazing how creative He is in the varied methods He uses. but i sense Him right away. we already have that connection.  :-)

i pray that wherever you are, whoever you are reading this right now, may you be continuously blessed by the mercy of God and touched by His overflowing love. continue to pray. it is our lifeline to God.

Luke 11: 9-10

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door 

will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; 

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

let me share this vid i found on YouTube. be blessed!

Siksik, Liglig at Umaapaw

Today's Gospel reading is lifted from Luke 6:36-38

Jesus said to his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

Saddened by Sendong

not too happy since yesterday. am feeling distressed with news about Sendong.

Prayer for Those Who Suffer

For those who suffer,

and those who cry this night,

give them repose, Lord;

a pause in their burdens

Let there be minutes

where they experience peace,

not of man but of angels.

Love them, Lord, when others cannot.

Hold them, Lord, when we fail with human arms.

Heal their prayers

and give them the ability to hear you back

in whatever language they best understand.

Amen.

Need to Heal

Have you heard the story about a big truck getting stuck under a low overhead bridge? Nobody knows what to do until the town fool suggests that they let the air out of the tyres. This done, the truck which is now a couple inches lower, grazes through. See what a little bit of deflation can do? This teaches us a lesson on humility. And we can never be too high or too mighty for the Lord.

Prayer for Inner Healing

Speak clearly, Lord, into my heart.

In the past, I had been busy with life

and I forgot what it meant to really live.

In the midst of my pains and difficulties,

allow me to know you

so that I may understand

what living for you is all about.

I am weak, Lord, and helpless without you.

I surrender to you, Lord,

all my fears and my burdens.

I will focus on your truth

that you will be with me always.

I will never understand your ways

but I know that you have

a purpose for me.

Lord, as I continue this prayer,

gently touch me with your healing hands.

You are the Divine Healer

and the greatest physician of all.

I believe in my heart

that nothing is impossible to you.

Heal my innermost being,

my spirit and my soul.

I know, Lord, that there is an end

to my loneliness and sickness

because you died on the cross

and rose from the dead.

From now on I just want to live

with a loving heart

and not with a grumbling heart,

from now on, Lord,

I just want to live with a faithful heart

and not with a fearful heart.

In the mighty name of Jesus.

Amen.

Oratio Imperata

just blog-hopped and started dreaming of summer back home, beaches and swimming frenzy...

but alas, my heart is troubled. eversince the tsunami that hit Japan, I could not stay still. i keep fearing of a time when a calamity will hit my country, especially where my family is, and I am not there with them. it is so hard to be away from our loved ones and even small news of bad things happening to people we know, or not know at all, is enough to keep us teetering on our toes fearful that the next one to meet such ill fate may be a loved one.

makes me long for home all the more.

may I offer the following prayer, lifted from my prayer book, Straight from the Heart,

The Oratio Imperata: A Prayer in Times of Calamities, Deluge and Pestilence.

Almighty Father,

we raise our hearts to you

in gratitude for the wonders of creation

of which we are part,

for your providence

in sustaining us in our needs,

and for your wisdom

that guides the course of the universe.

We acknowledge our sins

against you and the rest of creation.

We have not been good stewards of Nature.

We have confused your command

to subdue the earth.

The environment is made to suffer

by our wrongdoing,

and now we reap the harvest

of our abuse and indifference.

Global warming is upon us.

Typhoons, floods, volcanic eruption,

and other natural calamities occur

in increasing the number and intensity.

We turn to you, our loving Father,

and beg forgiveness for our sins.

We ask that we, our loved ones

and our hard earned possessions

be spared from the threat of calamities,

natural and man-made.

We beseech you to inspire us all

to grow into responsible stewards

of your creation, and generous neighbors

to those in need.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

An OFW's Prayer

Feeling melancholic but once again, let me post here a prayer lifted from the prayer book that my mom gave me. It's from Straight from the Heart, a St. Paul's publication.

Dear Lord,

source of hope and our salvation,

guide me as I travel,

lead me on the right path,

and never let me depart from you.

Grant me a safe journey from the home

I leave behind to my destination:

may I find true friends as well as

a decent and rewarding job;

may I enjoy the beauty of the place;

may I appreciate the grandeur

of your creation.

Watch over me

and lead me safely back home:

keep me away from harm and danger;

spare me from embarassment and humiliation;

deliver me from scandal and shame.

Stay by my side

and always remind me of my true home:

as a pilgrim, I am just passing by in this world;

as your creature, I must return to you;

as your servant, I must lead others to heaven.

Watch over those whom I leave behind.

Protect my family and loved ones

while I am away.

Keep us always safe

in the palm of your hands.

Watch over all of us

though we live far apart.

With your grace and blessing,

may we see each other in the future:

to enjoy once again each other's company,

to hear and listen to our own life stories,

and to accompany one another

on the road that leads to you.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.