SIGNS, WONDERS AND MIRACLES

     I have always heard how a lot of people get amazed at the stories of conversion of some very despicable people who still turned out to be saints. It was almost like an impossibility if we were to look at the kind of lives they were living back then. It took a while as in very long years that seemed like forever before some of them finally got into perfect shape before the eyes of God. The likes of St. Augustine whose feast day we celebrated a couple of days ago is an example of this long process of conversion through the persistent prayers of his mother St. Monica. Nothing is a lost cause or a hopeless case for the Lord. Now, he is one of the greatest minds the Church has known and the most quoted of all writers in Church documents. The depth and breadth of his writings is truly a testimony of his commitment to seek out the truth. We could really get a lot of inspiration from saints like them. If there’s one thing we could learn from this then it is the truth that Go...

   I am reminded of the time when I was able to connect with a friend and brother in Christ whom I haven't seen and talked to for a long time already. It was very timely indeed that he was in  Singapore  that time when my son was scheduled to go there. He gave his number so that my son was able to contact him while he was in  Singapore . Every time I encounter him I am always blessed especially by his devotion and dedication to the Lord. Bro. Hendrie is a good man with a strong faith in God. He is always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need and would never hesitate to go out of his way even to the point of inconvenience. I could never forget how he had helped me several times with problems regarding my computer which has brought me to the point of calling him Mattathias. Mattathias is a bible character in the Old Testament who fought hard for his faith during that severe time of trial and hardship for the people of God. He eliminated the enemy of his fa...

  God loves everybody but more so those who are being oppressed.    Do not despair. If we sometimes feel that life is so unfair and things have become so unfortunate that nothing or no one can help us then still be thankful that we've arrived in this situation for God who sees all things will definitely not allow such injustice and will surely uphold what is right and the truth.    Thus on our part, it is not enough that we follow and obey without understanding. There is a need to know our motivations and intentions in doing something. We should live by example. It is not enough that we claim to be good Christians for there is something more to that than just being called one but to live like one is another and most important at that. Amen. Hallelujah!   First Letter to the Thessalonians 2:9-13. 9 You recall, brothers and  sisters, our toil and drudgery. Working night and day in order not to burden any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. As...

  We should all strive to be pleasing before the Lord. No matter how much the world, the flesh and the enemy try to lure us away from our God given destiny we must not give in. The saints did it and we are also invited to live a life headed for that destiny and must not be deceived into believing that we are meant for anything less. As it is written in John 10:10 A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. Let us guard well and not allow ourselves to be robbed of our true identity as the beloved children of God. We may ask ourselves how saints do it?    St.  Therese had the habit of smiling whenever her work was interrupted by a nun coming whether with or without good reason to ask for help. Most are annoyed and impatient especially when they don’t have a good reason. Just like St. Therese we have to master a willed reaction like a habit of smiling when she is annoyed. She does it quite natur...

   Today’s 1 st  reading which is a letter of Paul to the Thessalonians reminds me of my thesis experiment in  Japan  about transformation of this microorganism I worked on. It was very difficult in itself to transform it but it was even more difficult to maintain it. It is much more difficult to make it functional since there is really a need to nurture it for growth in appropriate and optimum conditions. It took me almost a year to establish the right medium that will be most favorable for its growth and there is no room for neglect, it should always be kept that way. In the end, all of the sacrifices really paid off. I was able to finish my thesis, successfully defend it and obtain my Master's degree. The price that God paid for our sins is really great, the death of His only begotten Son, Jesus. Let us not waste this priceless gift and reap the entire benefits by maintaining the gift in us and render it functional in our lives. The benefit of this is far gre...

   We are destined for greatness as far as our Lord God is concerned. If we feel that we are not there yet then we're bound to end up there if only we truly believe in the fate that God has meant for us and follow the path He leads us. Amen. Hallelujah! Isaiah 22:15, 19-23 ...when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open. I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family.” I could never forget the experience when we were in that very hazardous place in Crestline without any idea where we were going. I am thankful for the lesson learned from it. All we have to do is completely trust Him that in His goodness and mercy will show us His saving power and grace. If there's one thing for sure, that is the truth that God knows everything we are going through and He will not withhold the help that we need from Him in His most appropriate and best time, place and situation. All we need to do is just give our trust completely to Him who ...

     Today's 1st reading reminded me of Sister Ester. She said that Ruth reminds her of her childhood when she used to glean on the field of her relatives. She is always reminded of God's goodness because she would always be told to just get from the storehouse instead of get tired picking up one by one the fallen bits of grain. We were talking about how Ruth became an important part of the family tree where Jesus came from. Her good deed paved the way for this immense blessing because she did not fail to respond to God's call to goodness and love. In our own lives, we too are called to respond to Him the way Ruth did. Sometimes it may come in the form of a situation where we really have to follow the leading of God to us in doing something out of the ordinary. But it was Ruth's unusual love and devotion to look after her mother in law and her willingness to give up his own people to embrace a people totally alien to her which made Boaz admire her. Not a lot of people a...

  It is quite a surprise for us whenever we hear a daughter in law treating her mother in law with so much love and devotion to the point of still choosing to be with her even if her husband already passed away. Sometimes we just couldn't understand why people decide to do things the way they do. Instead of going back to her own family she chose to stay with her mother in law. The rest of the story about the life of Ruth tells us that she did not regret the decision she made. But during that time it might make us wonder whether she made the right decision or not because it surely doesn't look like it at that time when she decided to stay with Naomi, her mother in law. Just like Ruth who was very firm in that very difficult and life changing decision in today's 1st reading we should also follow her example in continuing to stand firm in her decision against all odds. We all know how Ruth the Moabite became the great grandmother of King David, the family tree where our Lord J...