Being poor and what God wants from us...

Today, I understood the Biblical meaning of the word, “poor” referring to the description of God’s people in the book of Zephaniah 3:12. From the Bible commentary, those who wait for God are called poor. It is not merely a question of being economically poor but rather having the attitude of those who have nothing and are open to receive everything from God.

Yes, I’d rather be poor in this sense because it means that God plays an important role in my life and I am beholden to no one for the graces that I receive and that I am nothing without His grace.

What does God require from us? Micah 6:8 writes, “You have been told, O man, what is good and what Yahweh requires of you: to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” The devotional of Blackaby explains that being just, doesn’t only mean that we desire to receive justice, we must also be absolutely just in treating others. It means that if we give our word, we give it with complete integrity and we treat the people who are working for us just as Jesus would have treated them.

To love mercy is to know that having received undeserved mercy from God should motivate us to be merciful to others. Retaliation against those who have wronged us should be resisted because God is always merciful to everyone.

Walking humbly with God means that He doesn’t ask for spectacular acts of service, He just asks for humility. Humility in what I have, what I have achieved because everything comes from God. For without Him, I am nothing.

"Don't be afraid, just believe"

“As you have believed; so let it be” (Mt. 9: 29), Jesus told the two blind who were following him and shouting, “Son of David, help us!” And when He touched their eyes, they were able to see!

How easy our lives would be, if we are firm in our belief that God will take care of us. But then, we tend to remember God during trials that become insurmountable after so many attempts of solving it on our own. He is the means of last recourse. We try to solve our problems on our own first, before turning to God. We forget to include God in our daily lives, he is the statue shelved at the back and remembered and brought out for supplication when everything seems to go wrong. It is about time that we should realize that He is a living God that breathes life to our souls and make Him our partner in everything we do.

Just before praying, I was tempted to open my computer and check my e-mail before the telephone company might cut off my connection because I haven’t paid my two months bill yet. Last night, I prayed for the Lord to take care of my financial difficulties but still there was a lingering doubt. So, this morning I turned away from the computer and said my morning prayers. The reflection of the gospel was like God telling me, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?” The same words he said to Peter when he wanted to go to Jesus who was walking on the river but he floundered when fear overtook him.

“Don’t be afraid, just believe.” Why can’t I let go of the fear niggling in my mind and settling in my heart? I still have to work on my faith and make it steadfast and strong after all the times that God never failed to help me. Help always comes Just In Time and in ways I didn’t expect it to be. So, after praying I opened the computer and several minutes later I received a text message that was God’s way of helping me with my financial problem. Thank you, God!

“ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE, SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND…”

The picture within

I have always wondered how to “hear” God’s word whenever I read or hear someone say that they heard from God. I have experienced “hearing” or being prompted by an unknown force that makes me do things that later on upon reflection would make me think that maybe it was the Holy Spirit leading me on.

Today, after reading the Holy Bible and devotional and trying to be still to reflect on what I’ve read, it came to my mind that knowing God’s voice is like viewing a picture. When you look at a picture perfunctorily, you see the immediate image that you see but if you stare and focus on it, you’ll see the details and you begin to appreciate the beauty of the whole view. It is the same way as reading the Bible, when you will just read without invoking the Holy Spirit to open your eyes, your mind and your heart, the experience will be similar to looking at a passing scenery. But if you pray, asking for guidance it will be liking opening your eyes to a more vibrant, colorful view and you are pulled into what you are reading, as if you are part of it. Now, this is just how I feel, I’m not sure of the experience of others because we are moved differently according to our degree of receptiveness.

I’ve had my devotional book by Blackaby since 2004 but it was only last August that I looked into the picture of the cover. The letter “O” of the word God is a yellow orange ball of flame. Within it is a burning bush which is maybe the illustrator’s idea of what Moses saw when he went up to the mountains and encountered God for the first time. That was all what I saw all those days that I’ve read the book, until one day after I started praying the Holy Rosary once again. I don’t know why I looked at the cover but suddenly I saw the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus in the middle of the glowing bush. Shocked, I sure was because I never saw that before. When I looked at the picture more closely, there were more faces … the crucified Jesus and daily after that, I can see more faces which kept me wondering who are these faces? So, it became like a game for me. After praying, I’ll look at the picture and ask what new face will I see today? Sometimes, I’d see like a devil’s face and I’d get scared but then I surmised not everyone is good looking. There is a portion of the ball of fire that I am hesitant to stare at, near the tip of the flame is a vision of a bearded man which I’ve designated as God. There is a feeling of awe and unworthiness to look at it, I feel I’m not worthy to look at this particular face. I feel shame, so I try not to look at it if I can prevent it. It is a kindly face but I just feel awkward, it’s not time to face someone so loving and kind yet. I’ve been looking at the picture for quite sometime and marveling on the faces that I see, when it came to my mind that these faces are the persons who’ve worked so hard to spread the Gospel and there will be more faces as the Catholic church will evolve. Oh, how I wish I know the names of these faces! Maybe, another time…

The Bible

If there is one thing that I regret not doing earlier in my life, that would be not seriously reading the Bible and not taking to heart the lessons to be learned from the scriptures. I remember reading the Bible like it was another paperback novel back then but it was like a speed reading test for me. The sooner I can finish one chapter, the better it was so I can say I was able to read the Bible from cover to cover. But I never did! Somehow, things would crop up to distract me from my goal. Years later, I would start again and half way through the book, I’d lose interest in it and place it back in the corner to collect dust until I would pick it up again. Maybe, it was not the perfect time for me to read it. Knowing God has a purpose for everything that happens in our life, I’d like to think I wasn’t receptive yet to the prompts of the Holy Spirit back then. I belonged to those whose eyes saw, but did not see, who heard but did not understand.

Maybe because it was speed reading, I didn’t see the beauty of the words and didn’t understand the message of the stories that would help me a lot with my life. I was racing against time to live life to the fullest but I forgot that in order to live well, I should master first the Manual of Life, which is the Bible. Oh darn, why didn’t I learn of this secret earlier? Because truly, now I can say what a valuable source of guidance and inspiration the Bible is. And what beautiful words! Maybe poets and writers copied some of their lines from the scriptures. I’m starting to read the Bible once again and I am savoring each word like a thirsty soul, I drink from it the wisdom that was given long time ago but was set aside in preference for worldly things.

Belief and Faith

The Gospel for today (Luke 11:27-28) is a story about a woman from the crowd listening to Jesus speak saying, "Blessed is the one who bore you and nursed you!" Jesus replied, "Surely blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it as well."

Speakers captivate their audience with the authority and confidence they deliver their speech, these must be the reasons that moved the woman to praise the mother of Jesus who bore and nursed him. Jesus’ reply must have confused the woman as it did to me. But on thinking of it, yes indeed those who listened to the words of God and kept and practiced what they heard are more blessed!

Based on my own experience, sometimes I get so engrossed with the speaker’s pleasing visual and audio attributes that the message they want to impart seem like a background music that fades away after the thunderous applause of a well delivered speech. Yes, I listened but did I believe it and acted on it? Sometimes …, more often I believed, but just let it be.

The meditation after the Bible readings made me realize that I still have to increase my faith to experience the fulfillment of God’s promises in my life. Belief and faith are not the same. Hearing or reading God’s word is believing Him and His teachings, acting on those beliefs is having faith. Belief is the abstract side and faith the concrete side, it is the action to our thoughts.

In order for God's word to do good in our lives, we must believe and act upon it, and do what it says!

The Story of Jonah

Yahweh instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach against it because of its wickedness, but Jonah didn’t wanted to go. Instead, he boarded a ship for Tarshish to flee from Yahweh. On board, he stayed in the ship’s hold maybe thinking Yahweh won’t find him there. When the ship sailed, a mighty storm threatened to sink the ship which made the sailors throw some of their cargoes to lighten the ship’s load and they cried out to their own gods for their safety. When the ship captain saw Jonah asleep in the ship’s hold unmindful of what was happening above deck, he asked Jonah to pray to his God so that they will not perish. The sailors cast out lots to find out who is responsible for the disaster. The lot fell on Jonah, so they questioned him where he was from and Jonah told them his story. When they knew that Jonah was fleeing from Yahweh they were terrified and asked him what they shall do to make the sea calm down which was by that time getting more rough.

Jonah told them to throw him overboard, because he knew that it was because of him that there was a storm. But the sailors still did their best to row back to land and the sea became much rougher than before. Finally, after asking Yahweh’s pardon for having to do what they had to do, they threw Jonah overboard, and the raging sea calmed down. A large fish swallowed Jonah where he stayed in its belly for three days and three nights. There he prayed to Yahweh for deliverance and the fish upon Yahweh’s command belched him out into dry land. The word of Yahweh came to Jonah a second time and this time he obeyed and went to Nineveh to announce the message that God gave to him, which was the destruction of Nineveh if the people won’t repent of their wicked ways.

Jonah’s story maybe similar to some of our stories if we come to ponder on our lives. When trials besieged us that we come to a point of almost giving up, maybe we should ask ourselves if we are fleeing from something that God wants us to do. Perhaps, there is a task or a path that He wants us to do or follow but we want to pursue our own goals because we are deaf to his prompts and blind to His opportunities. So in following our own plans and ambitions, we encounter so many obstacles that we become bewildered why we are being tested so and everything seems insurmountable. Our rocking boat affects our relationship with family and friends too. And I’m sure that if we were at the same time and event like Jonah’s, they would like to cast lots too to determine who is the one responsible for their sufferings. How embarrassing it would be if the lot will fall on us! A soul searching will make us realize that there is something that God wanted us to do but we turned our backs on it. Then in utter dejection, we give up in surrender and abandon ourselves to God’s providence and we mope and cry with someone whom God sent to comfort us in our despair. It is during this time that we come to be still and reflect on what happened and what was possibly the cause. After reflection, comes submission to His will and then in obedience we become at peace with ourselves and with the world and everything falls into place. Which reminds me of the song, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you, Allelu, alleluia!”

The first reading today is about Ruth and her journey back to the land of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi was a widow, then her sons died also leaving behind two Moabite women with an Israelite mother-in-law. Naomi told her daughter-in-laws to stay behind and perhaps marry another husband but Ruth can't be disuaded, while Orpah the other widow at first insisted that she won't leave Naomi, later gave the old woman a hug, then ultimately left the two to go back to her mother's house. Orpah loved her mother-in-law, Naomi but not enough to turn her back on what is familiar and dear to her while Ruth expressed how she really loved Naomi by turning back on her homeland and its religious practices and accepting and embracing the God that Naomi's people worship.

I love this Bible story because it is a story of two great and strong women, who are steadfast in their affection for each other and their faith in God. If only i have half the love and faith they have, or perhaps just one third added to what i have, then life will be okay or would it be ?

Miracle Hour

I came upon the booklet, Miracle Hour by Linda Schubert one time when I attended the novena Mass for Sr. Sto. Niño at the Basilica del Sto. Niño here in Cebu City, Philippines. Since, i want so much to improve my prayer time with God, i bought the booklet, read it but wasn't able to practice right away.

An hour of prayer is divided into twelve five-minute segments which begins with Praise, Singing to the Lord, Spiritual Warfare, Surrender, Release of the Holy Spirit, Repentance, Forgiveness, Scripture Reflections, Wait for the Lord to Speak, Intercessions, Petitions and last, Thanksgiving.

When finally i had the perfect time to try praying this way, it lasted almost two hours and i felt it still wasn't enough. The last three segments which are to me, the most important, had to be done hurriedly because i had to do something else. But i felt light, the experience is something i'd like to feel again. It is different from the usual way i say my prayers because there are so many things i don't do. I just say my petitions or requests, say sorry for my mistakes, give thanks then hurriedly say goodbye to my Creator and Provider without listening to what He has to say. Well, sometimes i'd wait for Him to speak but a minute of stillness seems to be an hour when you so many things are lined up in your head for the day. So, there is no interaction. My prayer was a one-sided communication. I missed out on His guidance. I also have difficulty on listening to His "voice." He might have spoken but i didn't hear. So, it's this aspect of prayer that i would like to enhance. I hope that with this guide, i will slowly learn to listen to the "little voice" and obey the prompts that i ignore but later find out that it must have been God's "voice."