A (Grateful) Self-made Woman

Last night, while speaking with my Papa who lives all the way in Italy, he said something that made me very happy - he said that I was a self-made woman. I did not know exactly what it really meant at the time but I had the impression that he was proud of me and that made me so happy.

My Papa is proud of me. Praise God!

My Papa said that I was a self-made woman after learning that I wrote my way through college and made a career in writing afterwards. Now, not only do I find fulfillment in my work; but also receive my father's approval after all these years. People say we should not seek the approval of others. However, making my Papa proud is something that makes me very happy, especially since I barely get to see him anymore. We met once in 2002 and that was it! Just phone calls and letters from Rome after that.

Thank You Lord Jesus for bringing my Papa and me into each other's life. Living without Mama has not been that easy but knowing that I have a Papa who loves and cares for me makes the loneliness go away, even for a while. I miss Mama and I pray Lord Jesus that she is with You. Thank You God!

Mama Mary, queen of all saints, pray for us. Amen.

"Build Your Dream Team" - God

Dear Misty,

Don't try to succeed alone.  It will never work.

Cheering you on,
God

P.S. The climb to success can only be done by team effort, Misty.  Who is your dream team?  Start recruiting.  It's so much happier this way.

A Mother's Prayer - Thank You God

Happy birthday, Mama Macring! I hope you are happy in heaven now. Thank you for being the best mother in the world. I miss you so so so much! I feel your presence still... here in my heart where you will always have a very special place.

Mama Mary, I pray, in Jesus' name...

Please kiss my Mama Macring for me.
Please tell her I love her and I long to see her.
Please thank Jesus for giving me my Mama Macring.
Amen.

Lord Jesus, I pray...

Please kiss my Mama Macring for me.
Please tell her I love her and long to see her.
Thank You Lord Jesus for giving me my Mama Macring.
Amen.

I love you Mama! I miss you. I miss your laughter. I miss your voice. I miss your love.

Happy birthday, Mama Macring! Thank you! May God bless you and keep you near Him always.

Listen to the Expert

Dear Misty,

Never allow what others say about you to change your opinion of yourself.

I think you're great,
God

P.S. Misty, when it comes to YOU, I'm the expert.  I made you.  I bless you.  And I love you.  So when it comes to YOU, listen to the expert only.

I am Tickled Pink! Thank You Lord Jesus! :)

Dear Misty,

Don't hide.  Go to where the people are.  Build relationships.  Engage.  Serve.  Bless.  Care.  Love.

Be happy,
God

P.S. Misty, don't wait for people to go to you.  Walk across the room and give them my love.

I am God's Joy! :)

Dear Misty,

You are my joy.  You are my treasure.  You are my song.  I sing about you every morning.  I love you so much, your name is written on the palm of my hand.  Your face is etched in the flesh of my heart.

Love,
God

P.S. Does that make you smile, Misty?

Yes, Lord Jesus. Thank You. :)

What Comes Out Defiles...

GOSPEL

Human traditions derived from the Law are incapable of saving us. Only the power of God is sufficient to save. Tradition, as we have them in our faith, is a useful reminder of various aspects of our faith and may contain essential aspects of it. However, they are incapable of salvation. The Church has two sorts of traditions, one unchangeable and the other optional. It is the former we have to cling to as essential.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
1 When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, 2 they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. 3 For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. 4 And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. 5 So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” 6 He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 7 In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’ 8 You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” 14 He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” 21 From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. 23 All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Wow! The timing, I think is perfect, for this Gospel passage to appear in my inbox today.

I just received the Sacrament of Confession yesterday and yet I am already guilty of the last three verses. I find this alarming, knowing that being unclean really has a bad effect on me. I may not have murdered anyone but if my thoughts could kill, I would be in jail right now. Well, not just for today but for the past 5 years.

I have confessed these thoughts time and again yet they linger like an unwanted visitor that never goes away no matter how much you hint at them to leave.

Yes, this is my folly. And yet I remain hopeful somehow. I don't know but yesterday's confession gave me more than I expected or hoped for. A glimmer of hope that things will be alright. That even though some remnants of that old trauma and ill feelings still linger, my future is bright. And even though I am too hard on myself sometimes, I feel the stirrings of renewed self-love -- something that has been sorely missing from my life and my heart for so many years.

Lord Jesus, I praise You and thank You for giving me hope. Please help me so that this self-love will not turn into arrogance and instead flicker on and stay like a good friend and keep me inspired. Keep me grounded and show me the Way, Lord Jesus. Never ever leave my side as, with Your help and guidance, I try to figure out what our Father's will is for me. Yes, Lord Jesus, I understand now that this is going to be very difficult so teach me to trust in You more and be quick to seek Your help and less hasty to judge others and myself. Stay with me Lord Jesus and help me fulfill Your plan for my life. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Vengeance is Not Christian

GOSPEL

Vengeance is not Christian. Neither is it really Jewish. The interpreters of the law made it impossible for the state to sanction the killing of people for their crimes. The option of locking people up in order to protect society from criminal acts is the only moral road to take. If this is impossible to do, then perhaps there is room to consider capital punishment. Let us seek to avoid taking lives as we can never be sure that the guilty one is the one we are punishing.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path.

Matthew 5:38-42
38 Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. 40 If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. 41 Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

think: The more you have, the greater the responsibility to use it not for yourself, but for others.

The Union of the Two Hearts

GOSPEL

Jesus is an obedient child — He does as He is told to do. Later He will encourage us all to embrace the need to become like little children as we seek to respond to the Gospel. It is the purity of a child’s heart, always trusting in the inherent goodness of his/her parents, that is essential in the life of a disciple. Nothing gets done unless we are willing to trust that God desires the best for us.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God and pondered it in her heart.

Luke 2:41-52
41 Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, 42 and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. 43 After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, 47 and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

think: It is the purity of a child’s heart, always trusting in the inherent goodness of his/her parents, that is essential in the life of a disciple.

HEART TO HEART

When I was young, my mother used to dictate to me the answer to the perennial question: What do you want to be when you grow up? At first, it was to be a doctor, then a lawyer. But this childhood fancy would keep changing as I grew up.
High school was entirely different. I started to think independently from my mother. Suddenly, I was fancying journalism, advertising, etc. But whenever I would be asked to sign slambooks, I would jokingly write: to be a priest. For somebody like me, it was meant to be a joke.
But apparently the Lord read my joke and took it seriously.
My mother was frustrated that her easy-go-lucky, youngest son wanted to enter the seminary. But to give in to her longing and obsession, I entered the University of the Philippines for college and became known as the only boy in our part of Tondo to enter U.P. Oh, how proud my mother was! But at 18, I decided to leave U.P. and prepare for my entrance to the seminary. My mother was surprised that I came home in the middle of the week. The statue of the Virgin Mary, which was being brought to different houses in our block, was in our home that week, as if she was there to help explain my predicament to my mother. It pained my mother no end to think that I would enter the seminary. It broke her heart. Yet it was necessary.
In the Gospel, the Lord has come of age quite early. He was 12. Mary’s heart was broken when they could not find Him for three days. Finally, they found Him at the temple in a discussion with the high priests.
Jesus now has a mind of His own, knowing very well the mission He had to undertake later. It broke the heart of Mary. Her Son, in no time, would live a life and mission of His own. Letting go of Him was difficult. It broke the heart of Mary. Yet, it was necessary.
He broke her heart so these broken pieces may be one with His. From then on, Mary understood. She owned the mission and longing of Jesus, in the union of the two hearts! Fr. Erick Y. Santos, SFO

REFLECTION QUESTION: What heartbreaking experiences did you have which made you a whole and better person?

Lord, let the longings of my heart be united to Yours. Thank You Lord Jesus and Mama Mary. Amen.

Source: http://www.kerygmafamily.com/

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I Place all My Trust in YOU

GOSPEL

Jesus has accomplished the task His Father sent Him to do. He has given His life for us. All that remains now is for God to raise Jesus from the dead. We all know this has been done, too. Why then do we doubt God’s love for us? Surely there is no greater sign of His love than the resurrection of Jesus and offering us a share in it!

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
God first loved us and sent His Son as expiation for our sins.

John 19:31-37
31 Since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, 34 but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. 35 An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe. 36 For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled: “Not a bone of it will be broken.” 37 And again another passage says: “They will look upon him whom they have pierced.”

BECAUSE...

The Gospel today can very well answer the four Ws: What happened? The crucifixion. Who are involved? Jesus and the two criminals who were crucified with Him. Where did it happen? In the Hill of Golgotha or “The Place of Skull.” Why did it happen?
The answer, which starts with because, is followed by a longer story — a love story. In fact, the greatest love story of all time, spanning 33 years — from Bethlehem to Calvary, from Calvary to the empty tomb.
The Gospel depicts the sufferings that Jesus had to go through because of His immense love for us. The Good Friday spirit is perfectly captured. It speaks of love beyond all telling — of a God who chose to be a man and suffer the scandal of the cross if only to save us and offer the highest form of sacrifice: death on the cross.
The scene took a few hours but to us, it left an indelible mark in the hearts of Christians who feel that we are not even worthy of such a sacrificial love. Jesus was at His most pitiful state. Ironically, the pitiful Jesus pities us: “My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred.” He, who suffered tremendously, offered everything out of His compassion and love for us. As Blessed John Paul II said, “Mercy is the greatest expression of love.”
And on his side, a lance was pierced. “And immediately blood and water flowed.” It is the moment of grace. As the prayer to the Divine Mercy suggests, “From this wounded side flowed an ocean of mercy.” The Wounded Side has become a relevant representation of a heart most pure, a heart most undefiled, a heart most enduring.
May this love story borne out of His Sacred Heart continue to inspire us to love even more, to learn the meaning of sacrifice, to practice selflessness, to endure sufferings with the joy of a Christian, to be compassionate at all times, and to bear witness to the Gospel of Love.
We have all reasons to be happy and to love unconditionally — because He loves us.Fr. Erick Y. Santos, SFO

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are we ready to be rooted and grounded in love, and to make our hearts resemble Jesus’ heart?

Jesus, make our hearts like to Thine. Amen.

Source: http://www.kerygmafamily.com/