SIGNS, WONDERS AND MIRACLES

      Sis Pat Pua shared to me before about an experience she had way back in the Philippines when she wasn't in the Charismatic Renewal yet. She said she was at that time still grieving over the loss of her mother and adjusting to married life and relocation to the hometown of her husband. She said that during her time of grief she had a vision of her dead mother wearing a brown habit and clothes like that of St. Anthony of Padua. I learned from a talk a long time ago when I was still new in the Renewal about the spiritual war which could be found in Ephesians 6:10-20. The presence of the spiritual army of evil in the heavens could take the form of dead loved ones or even be disguised as holy and divine. Those spirits could take advantage of the present state a person is in which could be grief and be used against him/her. There is really a need to always anchor ourselves firmly to God and not be easily deceived which is exactly what Paul is telling and wa...

     We are called to perform a priestly function. Just like Paul, we too are called for a mission. It may not be the same one as what he did and may be just a simple task that we do daily or it could be a very difficult one but what's most important is our commitment and consistency to carry it out and really offer it to God. It is in these situations when we are compelled by the Spirit to do something that challenges our faith and put it to the test.   In doing so, we encounter difficulties and hardships to the point of uncertainty. In the face of adversity and in this time of great trial do we bear witness to the gospel of God's grace. No matter how tough the opposition may be around us, pressing from all sides we must not waiver nor falter. Not everyone may understand or agree with our convictions and firm stand in the small or big things that we do but what matters most is that we do it for the greater glory of God. If we really claim to be God's faithful f...

     We should have an attitude and impression that everything is bound to fall into place if we strive to attain the enrichment of our spiritual life. We would just be surprised and overwhelmed by the various opportunities that come our way that manifest that we are truly blessed as God is equipping us with the necessary things for the growth and strengthening of our faith.    We should be asking ourselves the same question in today's 1st reading. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us the special strength to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Jesus Christ, in order to confess the name of Christ boldly and never to be ashamed of the cross.    And to put into word and action, the way that we live our faith. Amen. Hallelujah! Acts 19:1-8 ...“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” ...He said, "How were you baptized?" ...And when Paul laid (his) hands on them, the holy Spirit came upon them, and they ...

  There was this sharing in Didache entitled, "In His time" and it just hit me straight in the heart. Just like this lady who wrote it, I was in a period of waiting at that time and significantly enough was on my 7th year. She said in her sharing, "I opted to “wait for further instructions” and accepted a part-time job in a nearby school in the meantime. Three years later, I was invited to serve in the Basic Ecclesial Community of that parish. It turned out to be a much bigger job than any ministry I could have started on my own. I heard the Lord correctly three years earlier but it was only prophetic. It was not yet His time. I’m glad I chose to “remain in the city” — working only in the vicinity and ready to be uprooted anytime. So when He called, I was available." In Oct. 7 2007, I too heard the Lord's message through Habakkuk 2:2-3 “Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vi...

     I could never forget the time when Bernadeth and I decided to go for a walk and went all the way to  Mt. SAC  which is 5 miles away from our place. I never thought that we would be able to do it and were    still able to make it by walking back. Whew! We used to go for a walk whenever we had the chance but I guess, that was the farthest and longest walk    I’d ever done, it took us almost 3 hours. I was urging Bernadeth to go back from time to time even before we reached  Mt. SAC  but she never seemed to get tired and just couldn't stop. I decided I can give it a try and did my best to catch up with her fast pace. I realized that we need to challenge ourselves from time to time in order for us to improve our performance and I did and it felt good. This principle can also be applied in our personal knowledge and relationship with God. Which is the message impressed in today’s 1st reading since it made me think that the...

      Whenever I go running, there will be times when I feel so light and vibrant unlike some days when I feel so sluggish and lazy. It was like I was ready to run miles and go anywhere without feeling tired. There was a time when I just found myself running in a different direction and did not take the usual route. The reason I did this is because I was intimidated by a warning of this person who said not to let the dogs chase me. I got somehow affected by the comment that I decided to run in the opposite direction. This action was primarily influenced by the fact that I am always almost attacked and bitten by a dog. The thought of something like that happening made me change my route without realizing that I would end up in a much scarier path. This part of the road where I ended up running did not have any lights on and looked abandoned and bushy. I must say it looked even more frightening since it had started to get dark. Sometimes when we give in to fear we end up in...